A WAY WITH WORDS freshman poet slams her way to san francisco | p. 6
ALUMNI MAGAZINE
A TRAIL BLAZED SANDY FRERES HAS SPENT THIRTY-FIVE YEARS PUTTING PRAIRIE ATHLETICS ON THE MAP. MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHE’S HELPED DECADES OF STUDENTS TRAVEL THEIR OWN ROADS OF SELF-DISCOVERY.
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VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1
Contents —
03 letter from the head of school 04 faculty notes 05 alumni photo gallery
campus happenings
06 A Way With Words ( Jasmine Roach ’20)
08 Leading by Example
in the community
10 Up Close and Inspirational (Boys’ varsity basketball)
12 A Trail Blazed
Sandy Freres
16 Wild, Wild Quest
Margy Taylor ’81
20 alumni notes
the last word
25 Curly and Compassionate (Bellamy)
— CONTRIBUTORS Editor: Brendan J. O’Brien Designer: Dora Hagen / Dooley & Associates Authors: Callie Atanasoff Nat Coffman Brendan J. O’Brien 2 | prairieschool.com Margy Taylor
Junior Troy Mikaelian goes one-on-one with a student from Brass Community School in Kenosha during the team’s visit in February. This winter, several students at Brass stayed motivated in the classroom thanks to a special connection with the Prairie boys’ basketball team. See page 12 for more.
Letter from the Head of School —
Dear Alumni and Friends, At The Prairie School, our faculty works with every student to identify and develop their unique talents so that they learn to both collaborate and lead. We focus on active learning, with world-class mentors providing hands-on, real world experiences. You, our alumni, are the results – and I believe it is fair to say that as a group you are nothing short of spectacular. You are leaders in your families, communities, the arts and sciences, in every profession, industry, in social and public service, agriculture, and education. We continue to be inspired by the difference you are making in the world.
“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born… This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” — Warren Bennis
Today at Prairie we continue to build on the tradition of leadership development established by generations of faculty. In Early School classrooms, where the two-year curriculum serves both pre-school and 4K students, four-year-olds have the opportunity to lead by example as they model collaborative classroom behavior and social skills for their three-year-old classmates. In Middle School, our annual Outdoor Experiential Education retreats offer 5th and 6th graders the opportunity to learn through structured leadership training, team building exercises, and both formal and informal relationship-building between faculty and peers. By the end of their Prairie experience, Upper School students begin their year together – with teamwork training at Camp Manitowish, where they practice and improve their skills as followers, collaborators, and leaders. Throughout the year they also mentor younger students through our one-on-one buddy program and have opportunities to oversee Morning Meeting, tutor their peers, captain academic and athletic teams, spearhead service projects, and collaborate daily on classroom projects, debates, and science labs. Wherever a student’s passion lies, Prairie is a place where they can pursue it without limits. In addition to having opportunities to step forward and lead, Prairie is also a place where students are constantly able to observe leadership in action – either by watching their peers, interacting with older students, or in their work with our exceptional faculty. As we mark the legacy of one of our finest mentors, Sandy Freres, we are reminded of the importance of leadership both at The Prairie School and out in the wider community. You can turn to page 14 to read more about Sandy’s remarkable career – and, please mark your calendars to join us at her retirement celebration at Reunion Weekend 2017 on June 10th. Leaders are not born: they are developed, and at Prairie – thanks to a caring community, engaged families, and a faculty committed to the mission of educating every student in a way that ignites their passions, we continue to make leaders like you. I hope you enjoy this latest issue of Prairie. Sincerely,
Nathaniel W. Coffman, Ed.D. Head of School & President
Faculty Notes
TEACHERS THAT INSPIRE GREATNESS —
A
PAT BADGER, Assistant to the Head of School for Arts
& Equity, is the new Program Note Writer for the Racine Symphony. In that capacity, she researches upcoming concert programs to link musical history with the conductor’s creative vision. She also recently designed and performed in a Mardi Gras concert for the Dominican Sisters at Siena Center. Music teacher JAMIE BREIWICK is releasing a new recording with his group, the Lesser Lakes Trio, on the Shifting Paradigm record label (Minneapolis). The album, entitled The Good Land, will be available both as a CD and as a digital download in mid-May. The group will have two release shows, one in Milwaukee at The Jazz Estate on May 19th and one in Minneapolis on May 20th. Jamie is also a finalist in the category of Best Jazz Artist for the 2017 Wisconsin Area Music Industry awards (WAMI), a statewide organization whose purpose is to educate and recognize the achievements and accomplishments of individuals in the Wisconsin music industry. Finally, he also recently completed a series of recordings for Hal Leonard Publishing entitled Jazz Ballads.
CLARE COSTELLO, a member of Prairie’s English faculty, will continue work on her master’s degree by spending her summer studying at Lincoln College Oxford via the Middlebury 4 | prairieschool.com
Bread Loaf School of English. She will be taking a class called Page to Stage, which examines how plays are adapted and interpreted prior to being performed. In September, Art instructor BRIANNA DOYLE participated in Michael’s Makers’ Summit. She joined forty-nine other winners from across the country that had submitted a work of art and been voted to advance to Carmel, California, where participants learned techniques from other artists. Says Brianna, “It was a dream to be surrounded by so many successful women who run their own creative businesses. Most of them own design firms, art studios, fabric lines, print shops, blogs, and Etsy shops. Everyone I met worked exclusively in a creative field and it was great to come back to school with evidence that it is, in fact, possible to be an artisan.” [A]
FLETCHER PAULSEN, Middle and Upper School Vocal Music Teacher, recently attended the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Conference in Minneapolis thanks to an E.E. Ford Grant. While there, he attended choir concerts, choral music reading sessions, and networking events with thousands of choral directors from all over the world. This January, the Prairie family grew by one as Art teacher
JESSICA JOHNSON and her husband, Mitchell, welcomed daughter Adeline Rey to their family.
Alumni Photo Gallery 2016 GOLF CLASSIC (SEPTEMBER 2016) Participants in the 20th Annual Golf Classic last September teed off on a beautiful fall afternoon at Racine Country Club. The event, which supports scholarships and financial aid at Prairie, hosted 60 golfers and netted just shy of $100,000 – a record high! Thank you to everyone who supported this amazing event.
Kevin Will, Upper School Science Teacher and Boys’ Golf Coach, poses with Mitch Harris ’08.
With Imogene Johnson – Prairie Founder and Board Chair – front and center, attendees gather for a picture before dinner.
ALUMNI EVENT IN MADISON (FEBRUARY 2017) In late February, several Madison-area alumni met downtown at The Nitty Gritty for a game watch party organized by the Prairie Alumni Council. As you can see, attendees had fun despite the UW men’s basketball team falling 83-73 to Ohio State.
Pictured left to right: Lauren Meyers ’00, Jamie Richter ’00, Everett McKinney, Head of Upper School, Elizabeth Pricco-Weber ’00 and Bonnie Benes, Head of Middle School (and Badgers super fan) enjoy an evening out in Madison.
Campus Happenings A WAY WITH WORDS
Jasmine Roach ’20 is a force onstage. Now, the talented freshman has written – and slammed – her way to San Francisco.
—
By Callie Atanasoff
Concert or poetry reading? It’s hard to tell when heartbeats sound like drums. Hers. The crowd’s. The other performers’. They blend together in a beautiful rhythm, waiting for the lyrics to come. She steps onstage, every time surer than the last. And out come the words, tumbling over each other, rapidly fighting for their chance at life. This is what Jasmine Roach does: she gives life to the written word.
Fourth grade: A unit culminating in each student writing a poem titled “I Am” sparks a passion for the pictures words can paint, the emotion encapsulated in each stanza. Fortunately, her middle school English teachers – Ali Gasser and Jeanette Zapushek – noticed Jasmine’s gift and inspired her to hone her craft. Daily doses of encouragement ensured she continued to write.
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Eighth grade: YouTube videos with poets reading aloud became a routine part of Jasmine’s day. “The brutal honesty,” she says. “That’s what I loved. The authors reciting poems in an unapologetic way – you can’t get that from reading silently.” This art form – slam poetry – allows Jasmine to fully express her constant stream of thoughts. Slam poems are often intense and emotional, their content best suited for an enthusiastic performance. In honor of National Poetry Month, Prairie’s English Department hosted “A Celebration of Words” last May, and Jasmine had the opportunity to perform an original piece for the first time. Nerves settled, she spoke, and a new journey began.
Freshman year: November. An official slam poetry competition with Jasmine performing – and coming away the winner. Clare Costello, Jasmine’s current English teacher, finds the growth she has witnessed exceptional. “The thing that has really impressed me about Jasmine is that she came into the slam world with very little experience, and she has absolutely flourished since then,” says Clare. “She has really raw talent – she’s eloquent but also vulnerable, so she radiates emotion when she performs. She’s the rare intersection between creative writing ability and dynamic performance.” A first-place finish propelled Jasmine further into the slam world, taking her most recently to Voltage, a spoken word competition in Milwaukee for teenage students. Her performance during the Grand Slam landed her a coveted spot on a team that will travel to San Francisco this summer to represent Milwaukee in the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival.
Out come the words, tumbling over each other, rapidly fighting for their chance at life. A spring afternoon: Sunlight is streaming into the office and Jasmine glances at the floor, the walls. She discusses her love of the arts – she plays piano and performs in Prairie’s theater productions – and how those venues provide an outlet for her to share her story. She is thoughtful, pondering the best way to explain what inspires her to write. “In a way, everything can be poetic,” she says. “This table for example. What does it really represent? A place for people to sit, to be in community. That is something worth writing about, and writing is really the formula for poetry.”
JASMINE WILL PERFORM AT THE BRAVE NEW VOICES FESTIVAL JULY 19TH-22ND IN SAN FRANCISCO. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT YOUTHSPEAKS.ORG.
Campus Happenings LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Dr. Coffman highlights new programs, exceptional educators during 2017 State of the School Address.
—
T
he idea occurred to him early last year.
Looking to keep the Prairie community apprised of developments on campus – accomplishments, goals, areas for improvement, budget – Dr. Coffman decided to give a State of the School address. As circumstance would have it, Dr. Coffman delivered his address on the very same day – January 12th – that the President delivered his State of the Union to the 114th Congress. While he didn’t have to share the limelight this time around – Dr. Coffman gave his 2017 address a bit later, on February 2nd – the presentation again served as an important and informative update about the state of The Prairie School. “People ask why Prairie exists,” Coffman said before a packed Hilpert Room. “We exist to build leaders.
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We’re building every kind of leader imaginable, and we’re committed to providing a well-rounded education that helps every student become his or her best self.” Before highlighting faculty members doing especially outstanding work, as well as new programs, the school budget, and the commendations and recommendations from the highlysuccessful ISACS re-accreditation visit last fall, he took a few minutes to reflect on a critical aspect of student learning at Prairie. “We’re committed to a well-rounded education,” said Coffman. “In today’s world, the idea of well-rounded – of kids being scholars, artists, athletes, leaders – that’s counter-cultural. In today’s world it’s about picking your one thing – preferably as a 12-yearold – and focusing on that. But we’ve
PROGRAM’S HIGHLIGHTED IN DR. COFFMAN’S 2017 STATE OF THE SCHOOL ADDRESS Do-Seum Compass Team’s Role in Professional Development MS and US Arts and Forensics Advanced Math and Science Malone Schools Online Network Bellamy the School Service Dog
seen for years that’s not the best way to prepare leaders. The best way to prepare leaders is exposing students to a wide range of ideas, the arts, athletics, to be physically active every day, to have music in their ears every day, to surround them by amazing role models.”
DURING THE STATE OF THE SCHOOL DR. COFFMAN HIGHLIGHTED 12 ESPECIALLY AMAZING EDUCATORS AND PROFESSIONALS. HERE’S A SNEAK PEEK AT THREE:
MELODY OWSLEY
DR. JEAN WEAVER
STEVE JOOST
Physical Education Teacher
Upper School Science Teacher and Department Chair, Math Department Co-Chair
Assistant Head of School for Finance & Operations/CFO
After serving as Prairie’s Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach since 1990 – a run that included 345 victories, eight conference titles and a state championship – Owsley stepped down this season to help build Prairie’s program at the Primary and Middle School levels.
In addition to teaching a full course load, Weaver, a 19-year veteran at Prairie, advises the Science Club, oversees the school’s (three) Science Olympiad teams, and coaches Middle School basketball.
In the Words of Dr. Coffman:
In the Words of Dr. Coffman:
“We’re excited – Alan Mills and Jason Atanasoff, our varsity basketball coaches, are probably most excited – that our players will now be coming up with a much better skill set. But Melody is not just about basketball. She’s a renaissance woman. Think about what happens when every student in this school is learning CPR. That’s a crucial life skill. Melody makes that happen.”
“One of the things we’ve asked her to do recently is chair both the Science Department and the Math Department. We’re seeing some really cool synergies happen. In the past we had different vocabularies for basically the same thing in science and math. We’ve been able to change that through her leadership to make sure that we’re using the same language.”
While the job of CFO demands a significant amount of time spent behind a desk, every afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Steve Joost heads outside, walkie-talkie in hand, to oversee a smooth afterschool pickup process. Having spent 28 years at Prairie – and watched all three of his sons Mike ’03, Josh ’06 and Matt ’09 – attend Prairie from Early School through commencement, Joost has been hugely influential in the evolution of Prairie over the past two plus decades. In the Words of Dr. Coffman: “I was in his office the other night at 6:00 p.m. and he was taking an online course on strategic long range budgeting. It’s because he’s committed, and because he epitomizes what we stand for as a school – always growing, always learning, always getting better.”
In the Community UP CLOSE AND INSPIRATIONAL
There were a lot of people watching the Prairie boys’ basketball team this season. Perhaps no one was watching more closely than Kristal Brandt’s 5th grade class.
—
By Brendan J. O’Brien
W
hile waiting for the guests to arrive, one of Mrs. Brandt’s students raised her hand and asked to use the bathroom. She was excused, and while in the hallway she encountered the group everyone was waiting for: the Prairie boys’ varsity basketball team. They towered over her. They towered over lockers. They towered over pretty much everything. She ran back into the room. “They’re here!” she yelled. “And they’re giants!” Motivating easily-distracted minds is something that challenges every educator at one time or another. However, this winter, Kristal Brandt, a 5th grade teacher at Brass Community School in Kenosha, 10 | prairieschool.com
Wis., found inspiration from a somewhat unlikely source: Prairie game film. “I would talk to them about the team and for fun on Fridays, we would watch highlights. Not only was it a great way to connect with them on a different level, but it allowed us to discuss things like attendance, teamwork, and putting school first.” An avid fan herself – Kristal’s husband, Corey, is Prairie’s Assistant Director of Facilities, and her son, Codey ’18, is a student-manager for the team – Brandt was quick to encourage her students’ interest. Soon her pupils knew the Prairie players’ names. On game days they sent the team good luck messages.
ABOVE AND BEYOND This winter, several of Brandt’s 5th graders played on a co-ed basketball team for the school. As the season began, coach Marcus Franklin noticed his players were struggling with the idea of playing as a team and sharing the ball. Brandt thought she knew someone who could help – Boys’ Head Varsity Coach, Jason Atanasoff. “I reached out to Coach A and asked if the boys would be willing to visit and connect with the students.” Atanasoff ’s Hawks did one better. Prior to Prairie’s game at Kenosha Christian Life, the Hawks conducted their team
“I’m not exaggerating when I say
this has been the highlight of the
year for my students. The visit
touched them in ways the Prairie players may never understand.”
shootaround in the Brass gymnasium. The stands were filled with Brandt’s 5th graders as well as a few other students in need of an uplifting message. For 45 sneaker-squeaking minutes, the squad went through a variety of drills. Atanasoff blew his whistle and stopped before each drill to not only explain the purpose of the activity, but to address his captive audience and share insight on teamwork, communication, and commitment. “During the practice our Principal and Dean of Students made it a point to talk with our students about how Prairie’s players listened to Coach A,” says Brandt. “They discussed how respectful and attentive they were to their coach.” Following the shootaround and a Q&A session that included pictures, Prairie’s players began to pack up. However, the visit wasn’t over. J.C. Butler ’18, Troy Mikaelian ’18, and a few other players picked up the basketballs and invited the Brass students to play. They stayed for another 30 minutes playing pickup with the kids. “The smiles were priceless,” said Brandt. “I’m not exaggerating when I say this has been the highlight of the year for my students. The visit touched them in ways the Prairie players may never understand.” Atanasoff, however, certainly recognizes the power of his team’s platform. “It was a fantastic experience for our young men,” he says. “The Brass students were great and it’s important for our players to learn about giving back. In the eyes of the Brass kids our players were superstars, and that was neat to see.”
SOARING ALL SEASON The students at Brass weren’t the only ones captivated by the Hawks this season. Ranked in the top five of the WIAA Division 4 state poll all year, Prairie (23-4) won a share of the Metro Classic Conference and a Regional Championship before falling short against Milwaukee Destiny in a Sectional Semifinal. It was the second consecutive year the Hawks have seen their season end against Destiny in the playoffs. However, with a strong nucleus of juniors – including Butler, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer in the regional title win over Milwaukee Young Coggs Prep – there is plenty of optimism regarding next season. Butler finished his junior season with 1,399 career points, eclipsing the previous record (1,329) held by Jeff Smith ’80.
A Trail Blazed
SANDY FRERES HAS SPENT THIRTY-FIVE YEARS PUTTING PRAIRIE ATHLETICS ON THE MAP. MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHE’S HELPED DECADES OF STUDENTS TRAVEL THEIR OWN ROADS OF SELF-DISCOVERY.
— By Brendan J. O’Brien
H
ere’s the thing about passions: the truest ones, the ones that live in our bones and flow through our blood, those passions never die. They don’t dwindle. Things like what Sandy Freres feels for the students at The Prairie School live forever, growing deeper and more complex as time goes on. It is a clear day in early March and Freres is not happy with how basketball officials are being treated. On the national level, at WIAA tournaments, even here in the Johnson Athletic Center, Prairie’s gleaming gem of a high school complex which houses her office in the building’s southwest corner. “Young people don’t want to do it,” she says. “Why take that abuse? You’ve got veteran officials working just to keep someone there.” She is unnerved by the unruly behavior in stands all over the state, worried about a recent statistic that shows the rate of new officials down fifty percent across the country. “People screaming at officials,” she says. “You never used to see that. And when people are asked to stop, they get indignant.” What can be done? Who will come forward? These are questions Freres has asked herself throughout a career in education that has spanned over four decades.
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“Jay Hammes [former Athletic Director at Racine Horlick] started a program called Safe Sport Zone because of the violence going on in sports. It’s now funded by American Family Insurance and endorsed by the NIAAA and the NFHS. He teaches it nationally. He and I are doing a workshop at the state convention in November where we’ll be addressing this.” After thirty-five years coaching, teaching, advising, and overseeing Prairie’s sports programs, Freres is retiring. She is respected both locally and at the state level, and has been recognized nationally for her contributions to interscholastic athletics. Despite a career filled with accolades, she expresses disinterest in accolades. Just getting her to agree to this interview took equal parts patience and convincing, and while she could kick back for the next few months and bask in the letters, voicemails and texts that have been pouring in since she made her announcement – correspondence, she says, that moves her to tears each day – that’s not her style. There is work to be done. ____ His name was Brian Domin and he was the reason Freres wanted to play professional baseball. A high school ballplayer with a good arm and a paper route, the boy who lived across the street from a kindergarten-aged Freres routinely took time for a game of catch.
“There’s no greater joy than seeing [a student] take a risk and then watching that look spread across their face when they understand the change. That’s what you live for.”
There was only one problem – the blood.
“In 1951 there were no sports for women,” she says. “I grew up playing whatever I could get on the playground – jump rope, four square, hop scotch. However, I would follow Brian around on my tricycle and he would play catch with me every night after he delivered his papers. He took the time to hang out with a dorky little kid who followed him everywhere, and he didn’t treat me like a dorky little kid.” Her Major League aspirations lasted until middle school, when she set her sights on following in the footsteps of a different trailblazer. “In sixth or seventh grade my gym teacher, Rose Mary Kirsbaum, said, ‘You’re going to grow up and be in physical education,’ and I said, ‘No, I’m going to grow up and be like Clara Barton [founder of the American Red Cross].’ I was just fascinated with her as a kid. Loved reading about her. She was so ahead of her time in terms of determination.”
After high school, Freres attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to study nursing. As a young undergrad she was the first to volunteer when Oshkosh received cadavers for the very first time. “I volunteered to cut,” says Freres. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” Shortly after she started having nightmares about being covered in blood – a problem, obviously, for someone hoping to make a living in hospitals. “We called home once a week – Sunday nights – from a pay phone,” she says. “I called to tell my mom I was changing my major. I was going to be a teacher. My mother was this little German immigrant and she said, ‘But Sandra, I thought you were going to be a nurse.’ And I told her I’d always loved kids. That that was the direction I was headed.” And it’s true. As a young girl, when her sister would accept neighborhood babysitting jobs, it was Freres who
played with the kids and devised different games and contests. “My sister would babysit and she’d have me organize the activities.” While studying Education and playing sports at Oshkosh – she was a standout softball and field hockey player for the Titans – Freres first began to understand what the evolution of her role in academia, particularly physical education and athletics, might look like. This was the late sixties and early seventies, and even though the movement in women’s collegiate athletics had begun – efforts that ultimately resulted in the Title XI Act of 1972 declaring women could not be excluded from participating in sports based on gender – Freres and her teammates still faced extreme adversity on campus. “People referred to us as the jockettes,” she says. “They made fun of us. When we started asking for letters and awards like the other athletes we were told – even by the women – we did things for intrinsic reasons, not extrinsic. So
even though we were college athletes, playing other college teams, we weren’t funded. We paid for our uniforms, travel, everything.” It was easy to get discouraged. Frustration was inevitable. However, thanks in large part to the care and wisdom bestowed by Janet Moldenhauer, a beloved swimming coach hugely instrumental in creating a number of women’s programs at Oshkosh, Freres found the guidance she needed. “It wasn’t even so much about the athletics,” Freres says. “It was about taking risks. She taught me you could challenge yourself and be successful. ‘You will swim across Lake Winnebago. You will rappel off the cliffs with the ARMY ROTC.’ She was relentless. She told me ‘You will never be the kind of leader women need in this state if you don’t take risks.’ I don’t know why she said that to me.” _____ Rare are the difficulties more challenging than changing a mind that’s made up. It was the summer of 1985 and Freres, having been named Acting Athletic Director following the sudden resignation
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of longtime Prairie AD Al Bill, had barely emptied her boxes when an angry trustee stormed into her cramped Fieldhouse office to voice his displeasure over the decision. “He glared at me. He said, ‘Just so you know, we don’t agree with this and I’m going to keep an eye on you.’ This was the early eighties. He wasn’t sure how things would be managed. He knew there weren’t a lot of women doing the job. Even today in the entire country only 10% of athletic directors are women.” The way an individual faces adversity says so much about their character. And if you know anything about Sandy Freres, you know there was only one possible response. “I thought it was great,” she says. “I told him, ‘I appreciate that and I hope you give me a chance.” However, to understand how Freres made it from a barnstorming undergrad to the Prairie AD office in just over a decade, there’s an important group we must first discuss: nuns. After graduating from Oshkosh in 1973 with degrees in Physical Education and Biology – her nursing credits came in handy after all – Freres’s first teaching job was at St. Joseph Academy, an all-girls’ school in Green Bay. What she found there was an eclectic and amiable group of women eager to be trendsetters in the world of education.
“These women were way ahead of their time,” says Freres. “The already had flex schedules. They had Resource Centers. If you were struggling with history, you’d go to the history resource center and they’d help you. They saw girls interested in nursing so they started anatomy and physiology.” They also saw what was happening in sports. “The nuns wanted to start girls’ athletics. Start them,” Freres says. “None of them had played, but they stayed glued to what was happening in education and they wanted to produce successful, bright young women no matter what they were going into.” And so, after an interview during which a group of nuns quizzed Freres on her qualifications – can you teach biology, can you teach physical education, can you coach volleyball, can you coach basketball – she was hired. “It was 1973. I was 21 years old and starting an athletic program for 800 girls with a budget of $100. Those nuns were risk-takers. They helped me. Supported me. And we became a force. We added more girls’ sports – tennis, track, softball, golf. We started that whole thing.” What Freres also learned as a 21-yearold AD was that she’d have to quickly find her voice while fighting for a spot in a sports world hierarchy – in this instance the Fox Valley Christian Athletic Conference – dominated by tenured men and longtime priests. “I worked with all men because the conference was ran
by all men,” she says. “I had to wait to speak in the meetings. But I befriended the coaches and athletic directors. I asked for help. I wanted them to mentor me, to develop me as a teacher and coach. And eventually things changed. It went from ‘Why is she here?’ to ‘Okay, Sandy, we’re going to be doing this and we need your help.’ It was like these two roads merged and we were all going down the same highway with the same goals.” ___ Prairie was where the field hockey was. Following her stint in Green Bay, Freres spent three years at University School in Milwaukee where she did a bit of everything – coached girls’ basketball and track, monitored weightlifting sessions, taped ankles. She also coached field hockey, and competed regularly against Kathy Shortell’s Prairie Hawks. “I had met my husband and we were living in Racine and I was commuting to Milwaukee. I told Shorty that if she ever decided to leave Prairie to let me know. Their field hockey program was great. And I loved the sport. Loved coaching it. Playing it. Everything. She went back to grad school in the spring of 1981 and I was the first call she made. I came down and interviewed with Tony Fruhauf [Head of School] and Al Bill and they offered me the job.” In true Freres fashion, she spent the summer on campus immersing herself in the position, attempting to figure out the confusing Prairie circles that have confounded many a new employee. “I’d get lost and couldn’t get out. Mike Davenport or Dick Boudreau would find me sitting in the hallway and I’d ask them to get me to an exit door.”
Eventually Freres did more than just find her way – she made her own. Over the next several years, Bill was the instructor of a thorough administrative crash course, teaching Prairie’s new Physical Education Teacher and Field Hockey Coach how to run an Athletic Department. A man relentless in his preparation, he made detailed lists – numbered one through thirty – and made sure Sandy knew every single step.
“There’s no greater joy than seeing [a student] take a risk and then watching that look spread across their face when they understand the change. That’s what you live for.” For over three decades, Freres has lived for Prairie. From teaching to coaching to advising to mentoring to brainstorming events like Primary School Fan Night, she has dedicated her life to highlighting the innumerable attributes of this community, to making sure Prairie is synonymous with success and respect.
“There were a lot more S’s than A’s on those lists,” says Freres. “He told me I needed to know these things. He made me go to his AD meetings. And I could never really figure out why. Then [in June of 1985] he resigned. The Headmaster Mr. [ James] Van Hoven went way out on a limb and asked me to be the Acting AD. He took heat for that.”
“I talk to young women about taking risks, but I talk to young men the same way,” she says. “Everyone has something to overcome. How do you motivate them to be better students? To train hard? How do you motivate them to discover their goals, their dreams, their passions? And how do you keep them focused on being good human beings? Whether male or female, those things transcend themselves. We’re all on the same highway traveling together.”
___ Twelve state championships. Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association District AD of the Year (2008). National Federation of State High School Association’s Citation Award (2014). National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association State Citation Award (2016). The Lighthouse Trophy – awarded to the top high school athletic program in Racine County (2016).
And just how did things conclude with that trustee?
Legacies are impossible to capture in a snapshot, but these are a handful of honors bestowed on a woman who is respected her profession over. And while the trophies and plaques have been many, for Freres, they pale in comparison to seeing a young person find success.
“At the end of that spring, he came walking back in and said, ‘You did good and I’m here to help.’ I think that’s the true measure of a respectable person. I love that story because it’s so honest. He told me if I needed anything to let him know. Isn’t that cool?” It is – but not nearly as cool as a woman spending her life helping generations of kids in a place about which she will be forever passionate.
A TRIBUTE TO SANDY FRERES & ALUMNI RECEPTION SATURDAY, JUNE 10TH • 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. Join classmates, graduates of all years, Prairie families, and the Racine community to honor Sandy Freres, her career, and her dedication to decades of students. Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Please note: weather permitting, reception will be held outdoors on the Performing Arts Patio
A WILLINGNESS TO TAKE (HEALTHY) RISKS LEADS ENTREPRENEUR MARGY TAYLOR ’81 ON A JOURNEY OUT WEST. — By Brendan J. O’Brien
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T
he sky and mountains and wildflowers are making their magic again. On a day so clear and blue – the brown peaks of the Mosquito Mountain Range baking in the sun, the bighorn sheep thundering off the mountain and wandering into her yard – it’s easy for Margy Taylor to stop and marvel at her surroundings. Here in the tiny city of Salida, Colorado, on a forty-plus acre ranch with a gorgeous Santa Fe-style home, Taylor lives out her latest adventure. It’s been about a year since the owner of Clay & Cotton, a pair of highly-successful clothing and home boutiques in Louisville, Kentucky, traded in her above-shop living space for this breathtaking ranch. “The property backs up to BLM [Bureau of Land Management] lands so behind us are hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness,” she says. “The animals come down out of the mountains. We had seventy-five elk a couple weeks ago. Herds of bighorn sheep and rams move through all the time. Coyotes. Birds. We had four bald eagles soaring above the house last week. I was like, ‘Those aren’t hawks or turkey vultures. Those are bald eagles.’”
A wilderness unpredictable and vast is an apt metaphor for Taylor’s winding, ambitious career. As a student at Brown in the early eighties, she was an art-loving undergrad when, on the verge of graduation, she panicked.
“I really wanted a gathering place for family and friends,” says Taylor. “I have stayed in touch with people from Prairie, and people from Louisville, and the ranch really has become this dream gathering place for everyone important to me.”
“I was one studio class from finishing my major when I second guessed everything,” she says. “I thought I couldn’t earn money as an artist. So second semester senior year I took five econ courses to finish up an economics major.” However, as any artist will tell you, the desire to make, to start from scratch and breathe life into something tangible, is not easily ignored. And so it was in 2004, while teaching at the school her children had attended when they were young – she obtained her Masters in Childhood Education from the University of Cincinnati in 1989 – that the artistic urge again took hold. “The kids had started school full-time and I realized there was something more out there for me.” That something was Clay & Cotton, a retail boutique she founded featuring clothing and home décor – one line made primarily of clay, the other of cotton. And if raising a family and opening a business wasn’t enough, Taylor tossed a dissertation from the University of Louisville into the mix. Her topic? Risk taking and innovation. “I was writing my dissertation when I opened Clay & Cotton,” she says. “And I found the shop really fun. It combined all the components of my education, and it just took off. The economics and business training [from Brown] helped a lot. Still, there’s a big part
of me that wishes I would have finished that art major. That’s really where my heart is.” For nearly ten years Taylor ran her shop in the popular Highlands district of Louisville, interacting with customers and selling designs and wares she personally selected from artists and vendors all across the country. “I found it so pleasant to work with customers while surrounded by beautiful, artistic things. It’s a lifestyle to have a shop like that. It was an incredible amount of work, but in a way that work felt like play. It was a joy going in every day.” In 2012, she was named a Woman of Distinction by the National Association of Women Business Owners for her work with the shop. In the summer of 2013, she opened a second Clay & Cotton location in a rapidly growing part of town called Norton Commons. From selecting the corner lot to
weighing in on the architecture, Taylor played a critical role in bringing the building to life. With the store on the first floor and her residence on the second, Taylor’s commute became a staircase. The building was a beauty – exposed brick and high ceilings, open space and very few walls. Her living area – which Taylor also used commercially, turning her home into a Clay & Cotton showroom for what a residence could look like using the store’s products – featured a rooftop garden. She entertained often. Business was good. Life was better. And then came a call she never expected.
“Unsolicited, this bank came calling,” says Taylor. “On a Friday night the Chairman called and said, ‘This may sound funny, but we want to buy your building. Would you sell it?’ I told him it wasn’t for sale. I loved it. It was my retirement. But then I got to thinking, maybe they would make me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Two days later, they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
RISK AND REWARDED Even in high school, Taylor had an appreciation for powerful aesthetics. “Prairie has a beautiful campus,” she recalls. “It was great studying in such a beautiful place. The school taught me that challenge is about moving outside your comfort zone, that life is about healthy risk-taking. That’s what Prairie prepared me for.” Taylor still does all the buying and bookkeeping for Clay & Cotton, visiting Louisville every few months to make sure the business is running smoothly. She also has her Brokers Real Estate license in Colorado and routinely shows homes in the scenic Arkansas River Valley area. “There are trailheads everywhere,” she says. “People riding bikes and carrying kayaks. There is a ski lodge twenty miles away. The first time I saw it, I said, ‘I have to live here.’” A landscape that is beautiful, fluid and filled with possibility: the perfect place for Margy Taylor to create her next chapter.
“I just love getting home and spending time outside with my husband, Bob, and my dogs on this land that we got which is so wild and remote.”
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Following Your Heart — By Margy Taylor, Ph.D, ’81 When I told my dad I was starting a retail shop, he said in no uncertain terms that he was not going to bail me out when it fails. Yes, it was a risk. And yes, retail is HARD. I knew I was not going to fail, however. I had that entrepreneurial feeling in my belly, and nothing was going to stop me. Dad probably said to himself, “Here we go again.” My poor parents. In Louisville, there was a void that needed filling. In the back of my mind, I knew how filling it would look. My shop would be colorful, design-oriented, pertinent to life, and compelling. The windows would be filled with things people had never seen before, things they now needed. I had never done retail, but I knew I could build a beautiful shop. So. I put $10,000 of beginning merchandise on my AT&T Universal card, and it arrived just as the lease started on Bardstown Road [in the Highlands district]. Then I went to New York and found the coolest things I could afford, and brought them into the shop. Oh. And I was writing my dissertation at the time. I like to stay busy. Good or bad, nothing stops me when I get an idea. I am a risk taker, a dreamer, and a soulsearcher. I believe 100% in following your heart and your dreams. Risk-taking is the topic of my doctoral dissertation. It varies in contexts, but this is HEALTHY risk taking, working just outside your comfort zone to grow as a person. It involves research, support, discussion, and a lot of hard work and visualization. Clay & Cotton has been a dream come true. It grew many times over the years, and the initial $10,000 was a great investment. There have been times when I woke up in a panic, my heart beating out of my chest, wondering how I would pay the telephone bill. Some weeks, I worked seven days then brought more home. There was a point I had to work another full time job. But I believed in my dream, and it has brought much joy and friendship to my life. Best of all, I have found meaningful work that resonates with my soul. In the end – which is not the end, really – it has given me my little ranch in Salida and a happy home in the wilderness. I am surrounded by family, friends, and animals whom I love. I encourage everyone to dream, visualize, work hard, and go for it.
Alumni Notes —
1970s
2000s
Harriet Langlois ’73 won her age group at the Phoenix Marathon on February 25th with a time of 4:05:35. Her finish qualified her for the 2018 Boston Marathon. This will be her seventh time running Boston. [G]
Marissa Krueger Hodapp ’02 is a biological scientist for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and works on Everglades restoration projects. Her husband, Dr. Jonathan Hodapp, is a Physical Therapist at Martin Memorial Hospital. The newlyweds reside in Palm City, Florida.
1980s Erling Petersen ’84 and Morten Aksglaede ’86, former exchange students and soccer players at Prairie, live an hour and a half apart in Denmark and still visit several times per year. Erling is a special advisor at SKAT (Danish IRS). He is married to Charlotte and they have two daughters, Emilie and Julie. Morten is a school teacher. He is married to Gitte and they have a son, William, and a daughter, Liv. Both men are are still active soccer players and talk often about all the good friends and teachers they met at The Prairie School. They hope to return to visit someday. [E]
1990s In January 2017 Becky Grendysa Benishek ’93 published her children’s book, What’s at the End of Your Nose?, a story starring the very bored Sidney Snail. The book launched both on Kindle and as a paperback that doubles as a coloring book. Dr. Guinea Pig George, about a guinea pig who thinks he’s a doctor, followed closely after, and is available on Kindle and in full-color paperback. Both can be purchased on Amazon. Becky enjoys her day job at the Crisis Prevention Institute in Milwaukee, WI, where she develops strategies for social media campaigns, manages online communities, slices and dices analytics, and oversees a social media intern. In January, she received her second Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award. Becky lives in Milwaukee with her husband, Dave, and their guinea pig, Teddy. Look for Ted to appear in an upcoming story sometime soon! 20 | prairieschool.com
Erin Anne MacDonald ’04 stars as Sally Longbreak in the horror comedy film Wild Men. The inept cast and crew of a surprise hit reality TV show travel deep into the Adirondack mountains for their second season to find proof that Bigfoot exists. The last thing they expected to find is what they claimed they were looking for. Wild Men is available on Amazon, iTunes, vudu, Verizon Fios, Google Play, and more. Kate Nix Carnahan ’05 is in her first year of OB/GYN residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW ). She graduated from MCW in 2016. Her husband, Nick, is a partner at Galbraith Carnahan Architects in Milwaukee. Peter Olesen ‘05, Vice President at O&H Danish Bakery, was selected in the Milwaukee Business Journal’s prestigious 40-Under-40 class for 2017. The group represents the future of community leadership in southeastern Wisconsin. As stated on the MBJ website: These individuals really stood out for what they have accomplished so far and the difference they are making in the community. Peter joined O&H in 2012. Over the past three years, the family business has grown in all three of its revenue streams. In May, Kayla Carter ’05 served as guest speaker at the 3rd Annual Girls Empowered by Math & Science (GEMS) Conference at UW-Parkside. Kayla is a lead Systems Engineer in the medical products group at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH. She manages a cross-functional team in the development of electro-mechanical devices and assists clients in commercializing new medical devices for the advancement of the healthcare industry.
Over the last several years, she has worked on a variety of advancements including neural bypass technology, assistive devices, diagnostic devices, and combination products like dry powder inhalers. Kayla is also the founder of a nonprofit startup designed to expose underrepresented minorities to engineering and entrepreneurship through rapid prototyping. She has a BS in Bioengineering from Syracuse University, where she also had a successful career on the track and field team. Following graduation and an MS in Healthcare Technology Management from Marquette University, this fall she will become a Ph.D. candidate in Engineering Education at Purdue University. Jennifer Liu ‘08 will be graduating from Des Moines University as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in May. She will be a Family Medicine resident at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis, Oregon. Allie Tollaksen ’11 started working at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin as a Family Support Specialist. Jess Walley ’11 graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Film/Television Production from Boston University in 2015 and received the Blue Chip Award from the College of Communication. After graduation, she began working at Pixar Animation Studios as an intern on the Production Office Desk for the upcoming Cars 3 ( June 2017), supporting the director and producers. Since then, Jess has been promoted to Production Coordinator and has helped manage the Cars 3 Story and FX departments. Interacting with multiple teams and learning about each department throughout the production pipeline are the most fascinating aspects of her position. She is looking forward to growing into various other production team leadership roles. Mariana Debernardini ’12 was accepted into the MSc Organic Agriculture program at the Wageningen University and Research Center in the Netherlands. She will begin classes this fall.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS Marie Zahn ’11 NOTE: I technically didn’t graduate high school from Prairie, but was there Pre-K through grade 10 so I definitely consider
myself an alumnus. I finished my last two
years of high school in NYC at the Professional
A
Children’s School. ------
B
I just returned from a six-week
C
oceanographic research cruise in Antarctica, participating as a field research assistant for the microbial biogeochemistry component
D
of the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Long Term Ecological
Research Project (LTER) under Principal Investigator Hugh Ducklow, PhD. This project studies the long-term
ecological changes of the Western
Antarctic Peninsula, with data extending back 25 years. Like the Arctic, this
region of Antarctica is one of the most
rapidly-changing ecosystems in the world. With roughly 25 researchers, the LTER annual cruise is a unique collaboration
between individuals studying a spectrum of
E F
G
topics including bacteria, phytoplankton,
zooplankton, penguins and other sea birds, whales, and seals.
I have come away from this experience
with a deepened passion for environmental
research and conservation, particularly with the increasing effects of climate changes. I graduated from Columbia University
in New York City in 2016 with a major in Environmental Biology while also
completing all pre-medical prerequisites. Before attending college, I spent a year abroad in Munich studying a form of
manual therapy called Rolfing. In 2012, I
was the youngest Rolfer to graduate from
the European Rolfing Association and have
H
maintained a private practice in New York
I
City since.
Currently, I still see clients in NYC, but will continue broadening my skillset
in the environmental sciences with a
plan to volunteer this summer in Belize
learning sustainable agroforestry practices. Ultimately, I have a vision to develop a career that bridges both my studies in human health and environmental
sustainability, because I believe they are inextricably connected.
Alumni Notes —
Kenzie DeClark ’12 graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in December and is working as an RN at Columbia Center Birth Hospital, caring for postpartum women and infants.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS Becky Kann ’14 Over winter break I had the opportunity
to travel with 15 University of Wisconsin Madison students and the school’s Global Health Department to Uganda for a field course based on health and nutrition.
After six months of prayerful job searching following graduation, Jeanette Morelan ’12 has accepted a position with World Central Kitchen, an organization strengthening communities around the globe through the power of food. Rachel Orlovsky ’12 graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. She will be working as an Application Engineer at Turck in Plymouth, MN.
We stayed in the community of Lweza and
visited hospitals and health facilities around the area as well as many agricultural sites
to look at how people get food. We talked to doctors, health professionals, farmers,
and people in the community about their relationship to health resources and the
status of health care in Uganda. I carried out an individual research project about
transportation infrastructure and how it
affects people’s access to health care. With a civil engineering background, I found that engineering and health are really
interconnected and that infrastructure affects how people live beyond just getting from place to place.
I was connected to the program through a student organization that I have been
involved in for the past three years called Village Health Project (VHP). VHP is a
UW-Madison student organization as well as a non-profit that supports and carries
out community-based health, nutrition, and
agriculture projects throughout Lweza. Being a part of the organization has helped me
apply my major and my interests to a real
project that makes a positive impact. It has allowed me to continue to work with the
people of Lweza and stay connected with the
projects going on there, even from Wisconsin. Seeing the community in person and seeing
how I can have an impact on a global scale is so encouraging and makes me excited about the work I will continue to do in Uganda.
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THE KEEPER IS GOING TO COLUMBUS. In January, former soccer standout Logan Ketterer ’11 was selected by the Columbus Crew with the 71st overall selection of the 2017 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Ketterer earned Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-State Honors while leading the Hawks to back-to-back WIAA Division 3 State Championships in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, he became the state’s first goalkeeper to blank all of his team’s opponents in every WIAA playoff and state tournament match. Following Prairie, Ketterer attended Bradley University where he recorded a 1.37 goals against average for the Braves. He finished his collegiate career fifth in school history with twelve shutouts.
Mia Pinero ’12 is thrilled and humbled to have the privilege to play her dream role of Ms. Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, taking place this April at PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, NC, under the direction of Tyne Rafaeli. Laura Warren ’12 graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in December with a Nursing degree and passed her boards in January. Laura traveled to France after graduation and fulfilled a dream that started when she began studying French in 5th grade at Prairie. She is working as an RN in the Coronary Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Aurora St. Luke’s. In November, Ryan Andersen ’13 won the Illinois Wesleyan University Concerto – Aria Competition. In February, he played a solo with the Illinois Wesleyan Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky’s “Pezzo Capriccioso”. Colin O’Brien ‘13 and teammates Jonathan Gregory, Ryan Grandlic, and Michael DeGroot set a school record for St. Norbert’s College at the Midwest Conference track and field indoor conference meet at Illinois College in February. [B] Anne Malin Ringwalt ’13, performing under the name Fawn, recently collaborated with boyfriend Will Johnson on a new EP. Neither Dog Nor Car is Fawn’s first release, and the music video for the song Good Earth was recently featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered. [C] Melissa Rooney ’13 will graduate from Lawrence University this June with a degree in Chemistry. She leaves in August to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mozambique. Her focus will be teaching high school chemistry. She will also be working with Let Girls Learn, a program focused on promoting the retention of girls in education. For more information, visit LetGirlsLearn.gov.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS Lucas Koenen ’14 I always wanted to study abroad because I
think it is important to gain an international
Enyo Amet ’14 and teammates Leah Richter, Abbie Felton, and Meredith Porter currently hold the fastest D3 time (3:50) in the nation in the 4x400 meter indoor relay. They broke UWWhitewater’s school record by 4 seconds. Enyo ran a 57.43 in her split, her first time breaking a minute. [D] David Bangs ’14 has received the Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship and will have opportunity to further his study of Chinese this summer in Changchun (长春) at Northeast Normal University (东北师范大学). In January, Alline Goeke ’14 went on a medical mission trip with For Hearts and Souls, a team of medical professionals that perform heart operations on children in impoverished nations. Those in the group who were non-medical also had a chance to visit several refugee camps and spend time with the Yazidi refugees who have been affected by ISIS. Their stories and experiences – while difficult to hear – were fascinating and eye-opening. [A] Megan Wolf ’14, a junior on the Washington St. Louis soccer team, found the back of the net on the decisive penalty kick that gave the Bears their first NCAA Division III Womens’ Soccer Championship in school history. “What makes me happiest for Megan is that she pours her heart and soul into every opportunity,” says Corey Oakland, Prairie’s Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer Coach. “I know firsthand how she goes above and beyond to prepare.” [F] Emily Lovdahl ’14 is a professional ballerina for the Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) in Las Vegas. The Theatre’s presentation list for the 2016-17 season, which began last August and runs through May, includes Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Peter Pan.
Nic Grotmol ’15 and Peter Kolanowski ’15 co-host a radio show on the University of Wisconsin – Madison’s student run station, 91.7 WSUM. Somewhere Around Barstow... is a talk show hosted by Peter with Nic appearing as his recurring guest. They discuss sports, pop culture, movies, people, ideas, current events, and play a few songs. They air live on Fridays at 8 p.m., and can be heard in the Madison area or via live stream at wsum.org.
perspective in life and studies, especially when
Chris Porter ’15 is a co-host of Sports Talk 101, a show on RAQ radio, the campus radio station for the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. 101 airs Wednesday nights from 6 - 7 p.m. The show can be heard on RAQradio.com.
partnerships for these principal organizations.
WEDDINGS Kate Nix ’05 married Nick Carnahan on November 26, 2016. [H] Marissa Krueger ’02 married Dr. Jonathan Hodapp on January 27, 2017, with closest friends and family overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. [I]
dealing with development.
The University of Minnesota offered an ideal program in Senegal, where I could continue practicing French while also gaining global insights on the constraints of international development. While here, I have had the chance to take fascinating classes at the
Western African Research Center (WARC)
and will intern for a microfinance institution, where I will conduct teller operations and
work with nonprofits to help form meaningful Alongside the internship experience, I will be
traveling with clients to remote villages to learn how loans are being used and to investigate the hardships and limitations that affects much of
Senegal’s rural population. Becoming an active member of a society that differs from my own has made me culturally aware of contrasting global cultures. Through the relationships I
have formed with my host family, professors,
fellow students, and other local friends, I hope to make a meaningful impact here.
BIRTHS Chad Ostergren and Alexi Roskom ’06 Addison Rose – December 15, 2016 Nick Cortes and Trish O’Donnell ’99 River James – January 17, 2017 Pat Reinholz and Emily Brown Reinholz ’06 Felix - February 15, 2017 Carmen Chiarello and Jaclyn Foster Chiarello ’03 Nicholas Carmen – March 1, 2017
This is me with the president of a women’s organization in a rural village called Santhi Béra, where women work countless hours planting vegetables to provide for their families. She wanted to take this picture because “Les femmes du Sénégal sont braves et fortes” – the women of Senegal are brave and strong.
ARE YOU WILD ABOUT MR. WILL? THE ULTIMATE MRS. FRERES FAN? PASSIONATE ABOUT PAT BADGER? For the third year in a row, we are celebrating National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 1-5, with our Thank a Teacher campaign. This initiative reminds us take a minute to share appreciation with the talented, dedicated educators who have had such a profound impact on our lives. This May, visit www.prairie.com/thank to write a note to your favorite Prairie teacher. So often we want to say Thank You but are unsure of a meaningful way how. Thank a Teacher is the perfect opportunity to make a gift in honor of that favorite TPS educator. You can direct your contribution to areas such as faculty enrichment and classroom materials. Make your gift today at prairieschool.com/thank!
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The Last Word
CURLY AND COMPASSIONATE — By Callie Atanasoff
W
alk past the Primary School office and all signs point to a normal day: telephones ringing, faculty meetings, the click-clack of keyboards. Open the small wooden door, though, and you’ll find an army of blue and red plaid skirts sitting in a tight circle on the floor, the students’ attention fixed on the ivory curls and wet snout in front of them. Bellamy, or Bell as her friends call her, welcomes the opportunity to do what she does best: love. Prairie’s newest faculty member is often found in situations like this – surrounded by at least one student, if not more – because it is her life’s purpose: to offer compassion and companionship. An Endeavor Wisconsin-certified comfort dog, Bell spends her days with Primary, Middle and Upper School students. She is trained to respond to her master’s commands gently and quickly, and to focus on a person, their body language, and facial expressions. An average day of work includes getting to Prairie at 6:30 a.m., greeting students as they arrive, listening intently as PS students read to her, and sitting with students who might be going through increased anxiety or emotional stress.
THE BELL FILE
“Bell listens with great interest as students read,” says Kathy Boero, Head of Primary School and Bell’s guardian. “She never interrupts or grows impatient, just sits or lies next to the reader and enjoys their voice.”
Bell is a doodle, and does not shed.
On numerous occasions Bell has been invited to visit MS and US classrooms while students are testing or working on thesis papers. She has visited advisory meetings where students have lost loved ones. She also played a critical role in a recent project conducted by US psychology students out to create a plan helping individuals who are highly anxious around dogs.
She was trained in a home with very young children who have special needs. Her mission is to serve and be a working member of a learning community. Bell is always on leash when away from the Primary School office – the spot she typically resides during the day – and is accompanied by an adult if walking around campus.
And while the bulk of Bell’s work is conducted with students, she routinely offers comfort and compassion to faculty and parents as well.
“Bellamy – which means ‘Beautiful friend’ in French – truly lives up to her name,” says Kathy Boero, Head of Primary School and Bell’s guardian. “Adults come and go, spend some time
with Bell, and then continue on their day. She brings happiness and unconditional friendship to students, parents, and faculty
members alike.”
4050 Lighthouse Drive Wind Point, WI 53402
See You in June!
From the annual alumni soccer game, to a special celebration honoring the career of Sandy Freres, now is the time to make your plans to join us on campus this June 9th-11th! Visit www.prairieschool.com/reunionweekend17 for a full list of this year’s activities.
DISCLAIMER: As always, we appreciate hearing from you and welcome your input, contributions, comments and suggestions. Information in this publication is presented in good faith. Please email the school or send your feedback to us at cschmidlkofer@prairieschool.com. To guarantee delivery, update your mailing information by contacting us at cschmidlkofer@prairieschool.com. Please call 262.752.2522 if you no longer wish to receive this publication.