Roeper Keeping in Touch: Getting in Gear

THE ROEPER SCHOOL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

Keeping In Touch

GETTING IN GEAR VOLUME 12: 1 FALL 2018

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TABLE OF CONTENTS David Feldman Head of School david.feldman@roeper.org Denita Banks-Sims Director of Development denita.banks-sims@roeper.org Keeping in Touch Editorial Committee Katie Buchmann Editor Bonnie Schemm Art Director

Contributors Andrea Akkashian Denita Banks-Sims Carolyn Borman Lisa Bottesi Katie Buchmann David Feldman Karen Johnson Ashley Lowe Sarah Miller Juliette Olejnik Emery Pence Marcia Ruff Jensen Sprowl Scott Vartanian Nicole Weibel Emily Wine

THE ROEPER SCHOOL 41190 Woodward Avenue Bloomfield Hills Michigan 48304 248/203.7300 www.roeper.org

The Roeper School is an independent coeducational day school for gifted and talented students preschool through grade 12 and an equal-opportunity institution

EDUCATING AND INSPIRING GIFTED STUDENTS TO THINK AS INDIVIDUALS AND TO ENGAGE AS A COMMUNITY WITH COMPASSION FOR EACH OTHER AND THIS WORLD

FEATURES ROEPERNEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 David Feldman, Head of School A DOZEN CHAPTERS — ONE ROEPER STORY . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Lisa Bottesi, Lower School Assistant Director Nicole Weibel, Stage I Team Teacher Andrea Akkashian, Stage II Head Teacher Jensen Sprowl, Stage III Team Teacher Scott Vartanian, Stage IV Head Teacher Emery Pence, Former Middle School Director & Faculty Karen Johnson, Upper School Director INTRODUCTIONS — BOARD OF TRUSTEES . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Emily Wine, Assistant to the Head of School INTRODUCTIONS — FACULTY AND STAFF . . . . . . . . . . .

Carolyn Borman, Special Assistant, Marketing & Communications

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CELEBRATING ANNEMARIE’S CENTENARY . . . . . . . . . . .

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A BRIEF BIO OF ANNEMARIE BONDY ROEPER . . . . . . . . . .

Marcia Ruff, School Historian

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ALUMNI PROFILE: THE KOHLENBERG BROTHERS . . . . . . . . . 24 Juliette Olejnik, Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Fund ALUMNI UPDATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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PASSINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 FIVE WEDDINGS & AN ENGAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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NEW ARRIVALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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ROEPERFEST 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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PARTING THOUGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Denita Banks-Sims, Director of Development

COVER ART Stage IV Mask Making (clockwise from upper left): Carter Koenigsnecht, Macey McDaniel, Will Claypool, Cadence Washington

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David Feldman Head of School

ROEPERNEXT

I am so pleased to share with the Roeper Community our new strategic plan, RoeperNext, which is enclosed with this issue of Keeping In Touch. The document, developed by our Board of Trustees, is the culminating effort of a year-long process of discussion, debate and assessment. The document reflects the input of students, teachers, staff members, parents, alumni, trustees, and members of our extended community.

While some may consider the process of strategic planning an exercise that culminates with a document inserted into a binder and placed on a shelf for future reference, I believe that a strategic plan must be action-oriented, produce measurable accomplishments, and provide our school guidance on how we spend our valuable resources.

Over the past seven years, I have worked with our community to bring our former strategic document to life. Because we made that document active and engaged in its implementation, we were able to articulate our Core Tenets, publish our Educational Statement of Purpose, revise our Mission Statement, and expand our instruction on the Roeper history, philosophy, and what it means to be gifted. We worked diligently to strengthen our financial model by creating and regularly updating a five-year financial plan.

We benchmarked faculty salaries and benefits, strengthened our growth and review process, mapped our curriculum, and engaged in new forms of electronic communication. We made strategic decisions around our master campus plan and invested in the infrastructure of our Birmingham Campus, culminating with the construction of the Naas Learning Commons. At the same time, we developed a new partnership with Ultimate Soccer to support our athletic program, and strengthened our technological infrastructure on both campuses.

Our last strategic plan led to partnerships with the E.E. Ford Foundation, the Malone Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and Student Shoulder-toShoulder. We celebrated our 75th Anniversary with new and expanded outreach to our alumni community, and we re-invigorated the Roeper Institute by hosting a Symposium with the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University on the topic of high-achieving underserved children in the Detroit Schools.

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Our new strategic plan is more than a series of bullet points on a list; it is more than a document that will gather dust on a shelf. Our strategic plan is an action plan that we as a community have decided to bring to life.

Our new plan is divided into three sections that reflect critical initiatives our community has said are deserving of our time, our energy and our funding.

1. Be the model for best practices in evidence-based teaching and learning for gifted students in a progressive school committed to equity and justice.

2. Strengthen individual and community health and wellness for a diverse and inclusive school.

3. Steward the care of future generations of Roeperians through mindful financial planning with a lens toward sustainability, philanthropic action, and accessibility.

These areas of focus are interconnected, bringing together our School’s commitment to a strong program of teaching and learning for gifted students, an understanding of the social and emotional health of our children, and ensuring that our School continues to be accessible for future generations of Roeperians seeking a socially just and humanistic learning environment.

Turning strategic initiatives into action steps will take thought, care, and a continued focus on priorities. We as a school community have articulated these initiatives as the most important for our community at this time in our history. As Head of School, I will be working with the Board of Trustees to select elements of the plan each year to serve as my goals. Together we will determine the budgetary implications, the time, and the community engagement necessary to accomplish the goals we set.

A strategic plan cannot be a stagnant immoveable piece of writing — it is a document that reflects a moment in time. We will certainly assess current conditions, adjust where necessary to

Our strategic plan is an action plan that we as a community have decided to bring to life.

I am grateful to our whole community for your guidance, insight, and shared wisdom.

We have put to paper a set of priorities that will move our School into its next 75 years.

meet pressing institutional needs, and shepherd the School in a sound and thoughtful manner consistent with the philosophy. It is equally important to note that the elements of the plan reflect several long standing institutional needs articulated in the ISACS Visiting Team’s report, highlighted by focus groups and discussed during the Board’s institutional retreat. We must spend the necessary time addressing these major recommendations that have made their way into the strategic document.

As you will read in the plan, assessment of our progress is critical. Meaningful change requires a thoughtful and honest review of our progress.

The Board of Trustees’ ability and commitment to measure, analyze, and assess our progress is critical to the success of this plan.

1. We will evaluate our curriculum to keep pace with current research on education and evidence-based teaching techniques for gifted students.

2. We will examine our program critically to ensure that we create the opportunity for gifted children to exercise their full capacity to stretch their academic abilities, to enjoy learning, to act with self-governance, and to grow through a community of highly qualified and caring teachers.

3. We will assess the planning, implementation, and fulfillment of measurable goals and appraise their impact in how we achieve our mission.

I am grateful to our whole community for your guidance, insight, and shared wisdom. We have put to paper a set of priorities that will move our School into its next 75 years. We take this step with a strong respect for those who have come before us, and with the aspirational goals of laying the foundations for those who will come next. F

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A DOZEN CHAPTERS … ONE ROEPER STORY LOWER SCHOOL OVERVIEW

by Lisa Bottesi, Assistant Lower School Director The Lower School Program is designed to meet the needs of young gifted students — socially, emotionally, academically and physically. The differentiation of our curriculum is based on the critical characteristics of the gifted learner which includes: precosity, complexity, intensity, creativity, and abstract conceptualizing.

Each of the four Lower School Stages, which are multi-age homerooms, allow for developmentally appropriate opportunities for choice, decisionmaking and problem-solving which assist the students’ developing sense of empowerment and personal responsibility. Low student-teacher ratios, the result of two teachers in each homeroom, make it possible for teachers to attend to each student’s learning experience so that strengths are nurtured, and needs are effectively met. Engaging in meaningful learning experiences that challenge, captivate, excite and support children to find depth and personal relevance provides the foundation for students to achieve and enjoy learning. Joyful classroom environments add to the students’ capacity to take creative risks, ask questions and think critically and deeply. Our beautiful 13-acre campus enhances a student’s learning experience through a variety of outdoor educational experiences.

To do this, children need to experience, express, and gain self-control over their emotions and social interactions. In our classrooms, we work to refine our social skills through group exchanges. Honest, open communication and the thoughtful listening to one another’s ideas are emphasized. We try to develop an awareness of the rights and feelings of others and to assume responsibility for individual behavior. Through conversations with us and peers, we guide our youngest students to become more independent and find their voices to be selfadvocates.

We, as teachers, strive to nurture a play-based environment of learning with open-ended activities that allow children to make their own discoveries about the world around them. We grow a project from children’s questions and passions and allow them to direct the learning while combining literacy, art, science, math, drama, music, social studies and creativity to create a full-bodied inquiry. Children are encouraged to wonder, ask questions, share their passions and teach others when they are the experts. As George Roeper once said, “We are citizens of the world,” and we create an atmosphere that encourages the children to become cooperative members of the group and society as a whole.

STAGE I

by Nicole Weibel, Team Teacher In Stage I, the relationships we create with our students and their families are the foundation on which we build our community. The mutual trust and support between teachers and families carries through each child’s entire school experience.

Those who start with us in Stage I recognize the importance of social and emotional development as the cornerstone of all we do.

KENDRA McKENZIE

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Engaging in meaningful learning experiences that challenge, captivate, excite and support children to find depth and personal relevance provides the foundation for students to achieve and enjoy learning.

STAGE II

by Andrea Akkashian, Head Teacher

MICHELE BUTTERMORE

In Stage II, we believe that children will be ready to fully engage in the learning process only when they feel confident and valued for who they are and have developed trust with their classmates and teachers. The teachings and philosophy of our founders, George and Annemarie Roeper, are at the forefront of all we do.

We appreciate and celebrate differences and the unique gifts each child brings to our community.

The importance of individual strengths, passions and ideas is shown daily through engagement in class discussions and opportunities for the children to teach others through sharing and reporting.

While we celebrate this individuality, we also focus on what we have in common: a classroom family who takes care of one another with empathy, compassion and kindness. To watch the children support one another with words of encouragement, stand up for a classmate who needs help or simply be a friend to those in need is one of the best parts of being a Stage II teacher and what we feel George and Annemarie wanted most for these young learners.

STAGE III: EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF LEARNING AND OF BETTER KNOWING ONESELF

LORI TALBOTT

by Jensen Sprowl, Team Teacher Stage III continues to build on a foundation of skills by exposing children to a variety of life experiences and self-reflection. Becoming self-

ELLEN HOPPE

Our beautiful 13-acre campus enhances a student’s learning experience through a variety of outdoor educational experiences.

Annemarie Roeper said that to take care of our school means to take care of each other and this is the foundation on which Stage II is built. Each day, we focus on building a community of learners who have strong relationships with teachers and classmates who truly understand them. Children in Stage II become confident in their ability to take risks, make mistakes and celebrate successes, both individually and with their classmates and teachers.

directed and learning to be present amidst challenge is a crucial part of the Stage III experience.

Each student’s learning is dependent upon the trust they cultivate in themselves, with their peers, and among their community as they become responsible for navigating our campus with a buddy and self-selecting classes that grow their passions.

Through relevant hands-on projects, interdisciplinary work, independence and choice are nurtured.

Focus is on developing an ever-expanding, everdeepening understanding of the individual’s sense of place. Whether it’s Halloween Extravaganza, Family Night, or Kid’s Day (to name a few!), our classroom communities are gaining knowledge and enjoyment of each other, understanding of how one’s classmates think, and deriving satisfaction from having met various challenges.

STAGE IV: WHAT MAKES STAGE IV UNIQUE

by Scott Vartanian, Head Teacher Stage IV students have the opportunity for a variety of fun, engaging and educational activities throughout their two years in the stage. Some highlights include Camp Tamarack, the “Ology” research project, and intramurals.

If you ask students what the highlight of the year is, many of them would answer that it is their trip to Camp Tamarack. Stage IV students are introduced to the camp in the fall through a one-day visit.

During this visit, they participate in small group

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challenges and in activities at the camp’s pioneer village. During the group initiatives, each group is given a challenge they must solve as a team. An example might be getting the whole group from one side of an obstacle course to the other using limited materials and specific criteria. Students learn about pioneer life as they participate in a range of activities.

In June, the stage returns to Camp Tamarack for an overnight experience. We leave for camp early on the first day and travel by school bus to Tamarack.

Students are assigned to a cabin, and when they arrive, they take part in activities to build cabin unity.

Stage IV students have two activities on each day of camp. The activities are cycled every other year, so that they are slightly different during their time in Stage IV. Every year, the students kayak. One year, they will also fish, climb the rock wall, and create nature art. The opposite year, in addition to kayaking, students will build boats, do archery, and tie-dye. After dinner, we play capture the flag and watch a movie. Exhausted, we return to the cabins for sleep. The second day of camp culminates with a whole stage game — Instincts for Survival.

Students are assigned to be either carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores and must attempt to survive in the game as the type of animal for which they are assigned.

Camp Tamarack provides an opportunity to encourage community in the stage, stretch the comfort levels of the students, build their confidence and resiliency, and participate in fun activities that many of our students may not have previously had the opportunity to try.

Each year, in the spring, each Stage IV student

chooses a topic to study and present. In Stage IV, this project is called the “Ology Project.” Students learn how to research their topic, take notes, and write the research paper. They create a project to display their learning. They present this project for their class and parents at the Ology Exposition.

The exposition gives them the opportunity to teach others about what they have learned. The topics are varied, and the expo is an incredible culminating event.

In Stage IV, the students are offered intramural activities at recess. They sign up and are put on a team. Teams play each other according to a schedule. Intramural activities include quidditch, ultimate safety zone, and kickball. These activities give students the opportunity to participate in active games at recess.

Students are also given the opportunity to implement the Roeper philosophy through increased involvement in community service projects such as Empty Bowls. This event engages each student in the creation of art to benefit an agency that is working to end hunger in the greater community, such as The Capuchin Soup Kitchen.

They have also volunteered at other Metro Detroit organizations such as Gleaners.

Stage IV students continue to support our community by knitting for Alternatives for Girls.

Students in all homerooms learn how to knit; squares are collected throughout the year and sewn together to make blankets. Some students help sew the blankets; some help roll balls of yarn. Stage IV has a common homeroom time when the entire stage knits; students mix up across homerooms to dedicate time to this project.

ELLEN HOPPE

Throughout the year, Stage IV students are encouraged to grow, build confidence, develop leadership, grow their independence, resiliency, responsibility, and perseverance through these and many other activities.

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Each of the four Lower School Stages allows for developmentally appropriate opportunities for choice, decision-making and problemsolving which assist the students’ developing sense of empowerment and personal responsibility.

inadequate. In general, the child ventures out more to test things out and explore even though he or she is scared silly some of the time.

JASON MCINTOSH

Although parents may doubt it, this is a time when a child’s ability to think abstractly and deeply increases. And, parents may really, really doubt it, this is a time when the ability to plan also improves (although the pre-frontal cortex doesn’t stop developing until the early-to-mid 20’s.).

Our personalized approach helps us avoid generalizations that miss individual differences and the asynchronous development so prevalent in these Middle School years.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

by Emery Pence, Former Director and Teacher The Roeper Middle School is an educational community that is developmentally responsive to young adolescents (10 – 15). Because of this, we are a place where students can grow, thrive, make mistakes, feel safe, be challenged, and work on finding out who they are and where they belong in the world.

So what are young adolescents like during this rapid period of change? Although it is always dangerous generalizing, we can say the following: People do not go through these changes in a synchronized manner with the same depth in all areas. These youngsters are very aware and selfconscious about the differences in maturation, especially physical maturation and some of its manifestations (growth, body changes, acne, genital development, etc.). They compare themselves to others.

It is a time of children somewhat pulling away from the family in order to establish a separate identity. They do this by using the transitional step of identifying and being concerned with their peer group. Some children in their working towards self-control make mistakes in handling responsibilities and managing health (nutrition, sleep, exercise, etc). They may struggle in establishing positive social connections. Such setbacks are a natural and necessary part of learning (although worrisome to the adults in their lives).

Early adolescence is when students are very erratic in many ways including moods, confidence level and general disposition. The student who one day wants to conquer the world is the next day not wanting to go to school because she/he feels

In this period, young adolescents are more concerned with questions of morality and figuring out their values and principles. As part of the search for personal identity mentioned above, people of this age should be wrestling with tough questions of right and wrong and going beyond the simple answers that served them well as younger children.

So, how does the Roeper Middle School respond to help kids in these exciting and sometimes difficult years?

First, we hire people who actually like young adolescents, not those who think being 13 is a pathology or those who are waiting to get a high school job. It takes a special teacher to handle the energy and fickleness of the 10 – 15 crowd. Our personalization approach helps us avoid generalizations that miss individual differences and the asynchronous development so prevalent in these years. We teach individuals, not age blocks. To help students find out who they are and earn their self-esteem we give them challenge — the physical challenge of an Ohiopyle trip, the social challenge of working with people of all kinds and the mental challenge of facing difficult academic material. We give them real-life problems, moral quandaries and tough decisions to make, as well as the freedom to try and sometimes fail. Appropriate challenges help you grow, but our knowing what is appropriate comes from both knowledge of adolescent development and the individuals we work with.

Safety is an absolute necessity for people to take risks, accept challenge and try new things. At this age, children are exploring and need to feel accepted even if they make mistakes and act differently from what others expect. Roeper prides itself on celebrating diversity and letting people be themselves. At the same time our close

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relationships with students help us know when they are having problems and when we need to help them avoid making dangerously negative choices. They need to know on a deep level that we “have their backs” and are there for them even when things are not going well.

Since students at this age are moving away from parents some and have more freedom to take more control of their lives, we need to provide them with information and discussion around health ­— social, emotional and physical. Our Health program as well as discussions in homerooms and classrooms help kids think about taking care of themselves.

Very importantly, we do (but could do even more) help educate parents on the developmental changes of young adolescents. Parents will always worry, but if they knew what to expect, knew that much of the Sturm und Drang of these years is normal, and knew that Roeper is a safe place that encourages and helps children grow towards adulthood, they might worry a little less and enjoy their kids growing up a bit more.

to see rapid mood shifts, rising anxiety and selfconsciousness. Friendships that seemed stable suddenly begin to rearrange at an alarming rate. One minute the sixth grader clamors for opportunities to assert independence — the next, races to huddle under the protective parental wing.

On the other hand, this first year of middle school is also uniquely wonderful. It is a time when kids begin to peek out from the cocoon of childhood and try new, exciting — maybe intimidating — things. They begin to push boundaries, venture out and try on different “selves,” all in rehearsal for the adults they will someday become.

Roeper’s sixth grade educators create an environment that is specifically designed for the challenges and wonders of this age. Through teaching and mentoring, we encourage healthy risk-taking while offering a soft place to land when things don’t go so well out in the world. We maintain an ongoing awareness of our students’ day-to-day needs, knowing when a gentle push is necessary — and when we must stand back and allow a child to proceed independently. The sixth grade teacher team nurtures and challenges simultaneously in many ways. The approach we take to grades in this initial year of middle school, for example, is a way in which students can feel free to take risks, make mistakes, learn to recover and try again. Because students simply receive “credit” in sixth grade as opposed to a letter grade, they tend to be more willing to try electives or projects without the concern of being scored.

JASON MCINTOSH

This approach also offers students time and space to learn what organization/time management strategies work best for them academically, so they are more confident upon entering grade seven and beginning to receive letter grades.

6TH GRADE HIGHLIGHTS We have to be continually jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.

— Kurt Vonnegut While Vonnegut’s words apply to all of us, they may especially epitomize life in the sixth grade.

Grade Six, which encompasses both the transition to middle school and the shift into adolescence, can be a uniquely challenging time in a child’s growth. It is a time in which parents may begin

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Our sixth grade curriculum strikes the balance of being inspiring and ambitious for the gifted student, while taking into account emotional development of the age. This approach applies also to our annual sixth grade trip to Camp Wolverine, where students engage in many challenging activities and bond as a group. This trip is designed to present the sixth grade child with appropriate challenge while simultaneously supporting him/her through the experience. The teacher team always maintains awareness of the level of challenge appropriate for each individual child, both in the classroom, and away at camp.

We maintain an ongoing awareness of our students’ day-to-day needs, knowing when a gentle push is necessary — and when we must stand back and allow a child to proceed independently.

Sixth grade is a time of swift growth and development that often takes kids (and parents) on a bit of a ride. Roeper’s teacher team brings to each year’s group challenge, enthusiasm, inspiration, support — and, most of all, joy.

7TH GRADE HIGHLIGHTS The seventh grade is the take-off year in that the sixth grade year was the transition year. Now the students have a school year under their belts, and they know the ropes, they are ready to soar. They have plans for their Spirit Week campaign since they now have seen what this fun week entails.

They aren’t the youngest members of the sports teams, Student Government and extracurricular activities so they start to move into leadership positions.

It is also a challenging year as it is the first year that students get letter grades and they go on the famous Ohiopyle trip with its mantras of “Build community” and “Challenge yourself.”

Challenging oneself on this trip into the Pennsylvania mountains might be just going away from home for a week or it could be going without electronics.

It might going a bit higher than the last rockclimbing attempt or trying the wet escape while kayaking. A challenge for one student might be mountain-biking all day while for another it might be socializing with peers never talked to before.

Parents report that their kids seem a bit tougher and more confident upon returning (albeit, a bit dirtier).

Other challenges include the Interdisciplinary Week Agents of Change project with its research and with its collaborative presentations. The seventh grade American History year-long project walks our young scholars through the research and paper-writing process. In English class students write the scripts and make a film for the Seventh Grade Film Festival.

JASON MCINTOSH

The sixth grade year is the transition year. The seventh grade is the take-off year.

The eighth grade year is the culmination year. After adjusting in sixth grade and growing in seventh, they cap it off with a strong school experience getting them ready for high school.

The sixth grade interdisciplinary project requires students to do research and make presentations in collaborative groups. In addition, during that week, students take field trips, have guest speakers and engage in a myriad of activities all around the same theme as their research project/presentation.

By doing these they are working on real-life problems as independent learners working with other learners.

Seventh grade is also when students engage in a variety of fundraising activities to help charities, to lessen the cost of the Ohiopyle trip and to offer scholarships for that adventure. Such fundraising efforts as the Thanksgiving Feast also build community as the kids have to work together to have success.

All in all, the seventh grade year helps students grow and feel more empowered.

8TH GRADE HIGHLIGHTS The eighth grade year is the culminating year for Middle School. After adjusting in sixth grade and growing in seventh grade, they cap it off with a strong school experience getting them ready for high school.

In this year, they have the ability to take Upper School classes if they are ready. In math and language, especially, but also in science, English and social studies, they can move ahead of the standard eighth grade curriculum.

For eighth graders in eighth grade science the curriculum is exploratory as it gives them a taste of chemistry, physics and biology, subjects they will be taking in the Upper School.

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The year-long Science UPPER SCHOOL: INTANGIBLE Research Project with GOODS — APPRECIATING THE its formal scientific VALUE OF A ROEPER UPPER research, writing, SCHOOL EDUCATION experimental design

by Karen Johnson, Director and data analysis further develops I recall speaking with a prospective Roeper eighth-graders into high school student at an Open House independent scholars event last spring. She was already accepted who can determine to Roeper and also had a place at another what they want to area independent school — she effectively know and devise asked me the question that always makes valid ways to find out. me nervous: why should I come to Roeper In their Teen Health instead of someplace else? I tend to get unit, they have to use wound up with this question because group collaboration, whatever I say next has to be the just-right technological and selling point, and the answer typically varies research skills in according to the student’s values.

JASON MCINTOSH addition to learning about experimental design and scientific writing In conversation with her, she explained how the in order to work on a topic that they can relate to other school was familiar and had a predictable and is choice-based. Building on the education experience, but there was something she saw in ownership developed in sixth and seventh grades, Roeper that made her feel excited. Her choice they make great strides in becoming self-motivated, wasn’t necessarily about special programs or resourceful learners. curricular highlights or standout experiences or any of those concrete elements you can point a finger Students in eighth grade learn that learning is not at. They mattered of course, but this prospective just a school-based activity in two main ways. student was really holding onto a sense of emotion The Detroit Unit (part of the January Interdisciplinary — the vibe — she got from her visits to Roeper.

Week) involves students in academic study, field She was seeking permission from me to trust her trips and working with experts. They learn by gut and enjoy the sense of comparing different narratives and getting proximate excitement she picked up on. with this great city. And most importantly, the students realize the interdependence we all have I offered my “permission,” as it with Detroit and become more empowered to were, in the form of a challenge. become agents of change.

A very strong desire to control one’s own learning is a common The Chicago Trip at the end of the year is a one for many gifted students, capstone to both the English and Social Studies and the potential to satisfy this curriculums as it is a world cultures experience desire is an essential component with a Shakespeare play, a Chinatown tour and of Roeper’s vibe. I shared with exhibit, and dining at a wide variety of ethnic this prospective student that restaurants. In addition, it builds community with she seemed like she was ready group dinners, shared hotel rooms and explicit to take control of her learning team-building activities such as a scavenger hunt instead of just going through and an Escape Room experience. Lastly, building the motions and using the high on our urban studies emphasis started with the school experience as a means to Detroit Unit in January, we investigate Chicago as a an end. I then simply asserted great world city. that if this was the case, then it sounded like her decision was obvious — it had to be Roeper.

Was she ready to make that choice for herself?

A very strong desire to control one’s own learning is a common one for many gifted students, and the potential to satisfy this desire is an essential component of Roeper’s vibe.

JASON MCINTOSH

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JASON MCINTOSH

The NPR series, How to Raise a Human, aired a piece in June this year on the alleged lost secret of how to get kids to pay attention, and it turns out that the nurture part of the equation has a lot to do with it. While one’s innate ability to exert cognitive control is indeed crucial to sustaining attention, the role of internal motivation is often overlooked. Cross-cultural studies of American and Mayan children and childhood experiences indicate that Mayan children may have better attention spans because they are more motivated to control their own attention. And the reason for this may be because growing up in Mayan culture means being afforded a tremendous amount of freedom and autonomy from quite young ages.

Mayan children still have chores and school and a variety of activities, but they are also given the responsibility of developing their own goal-directed behavior. I am willing to wager that Roeper students would resemble Mayan children more in view of their ability to control their attention than their American peers precisely because we also place a high value on freedom and autonomy. In the Upper School, perhaps the best illustration of this can be

JASON MCINTOSH

Where the Upper School excels far beyond peer schools is in its culture.

In reflecting upon this interaction, I have to say that I was left uncomfortable with the way I had handled it. For me, it felt like I was essentially asking the prospective student to take a leap of faith and to simply trust that vaguely defined, but powerful vibe she sensed at Roeper. I’ve been left wondering if I could have done a better job of unpacking what it is about the Roeper atmosphere that left such a profound impression on a potential student in a such a brief exposure to the Upper School. Roeper has bells and whistles in its high school program (the 9th grade trip to Washington DC, Senior Projects), but lots of area schools — both public and private — have bells and whistles too, and theirs are sometimes shinier. Where the Upper School excels far beyond peer schools is in its culture, and so it becomes worthwhile to explore and name the elements of the Roeper vibe and to ask why those intangibles matter.

found with entrusting students with off-campus privileges.

Traditionally, the license to go off school grounds is given to 9th grade students after their October conferences, which is actually quite young for such a privilege in schools today. Of course, teachers provide their input as to whether a student should be allowed to go off-campus, and parents are required to affirm or deny this privilege for their children. There are indeed expectations that come with off-campus privileges but there are surprisingly few restrictions and, for the most part, students are entrusted with the responsibility and how to manage it. Off-campus privileges may not be a part of the academic curriculum but they are critically, if not equally, important for a kid’s development.

Many of the highlights of a Roeper education have recursive appearances throughout the stages and grade levels: inquiry-based instruction, advanced content where needed, passion projects and independent study. Through these means and modalities, students are primed for developing a strong inner sense of self as well as a sense of how one identifies with the world around them. In the Upper School, there are multiple ways — often embedded in the everyday rhythm and routine — that a student is encouraged to explore their own identity and to expand their perspectivetaking abilities. From having flexible academic groupings to having affinity groups and clubs, the opportunities to form relationships with peers, kids of different ages and adults, and to see themselves in and through various mirrors and windows are manifold.

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JASON MCINTOSH

The arrangement of homerooms into multi-age groupings allows for valuable peer-topeer interactions, friendships, and modeling/mentoring to take place. The high school years are a crucial time for the development of one’s sense of self and social relationships.

Homerooms are often a venue for important community conversations and collaborative problem-solving about campus issues.

Homeroom groups and experiences are integral to Upper School happenings, and homeroom advisors play a vital role in facilitating personal, social, and emotional growth. Recall the way that homerooms are grouped in the Lower School — typically a student will stay in a homeroom for a couple of years (equal to a stage) during which the long view for a student’s development is taken.

In the meanwhile, required and special subjects run according to skill and interest level and often independent of chronological age.

Now consider for a moment that the Upper School is organized in a parallel way, but instead of students spending two years in a homeroom, they can spend up to four. Further, students are able to have input in the choice of homeroom advisors for 9th grade; faculty spend a great deal of time and thought on the placement of students with advisors who connect with them. After 9th grade, students may elect to choose their own advisors — whether they stay with their placement or move to a different homeroom. The flexibility and opportunity for choice matters: some prefer the stability of having the same advisor, others prefer to have a different homeroom experience every year. In all cases, homeroom serves as a touchstone for students throughout their time in the Upper School.

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Moreover, efforts this year to create “co-homeroom” pairs with Middle School students extend the discussions that occur on the Birmingham campus.

Above and beyond these things, homerooms provide the opportunity for students to relax, unwind, socialize, and to have fun. In my own time as a homeroom advisor, some of the best and most rewarding times came with group outings: a community service project, adventures in curling, an afternoon at the lake. Homerooms allow community to happen on a smaller scale and encourage students to find their place and voice within the group. This is, after all, our school’s mission: “to think as individuals and to act as a community with compassion for each other and this world.” ……

We may not necessarily think of play as being a part of high school, for it certainly seems quite different at a Lower School level. At the younger ages, we tend to imagine play in terms of unstructured free time with games and toys. I would offer that play for our teenagers is actually not so different. At the Upper School, as students increase the sophistication and complexity of their thoughts, we see the intellectual play with ideas happening all over the place in classes.

Coursework goes beyond just the acquisition of skills and content; students are encouraged to play with their ideas within and across subject matter, both in solitary efforts and collaborative endeavors.

The ability of students to feel comfortable and secure with intellectual play hinges on the freedom and safety that our curriculum and teachers provide.

Coursework goes beyond just the acquisition of skills and content; students are encouraged to play with their ideas within and across subject matter, both in solitary efforts and collaborative endeavors.

……

Now when I imagine that prospective student I mentioned at the start connecting with the Roeper vibe, I feel I can put that into words: she saw herself in the Roeper students she encountered and she saw that they were happy, challenged, satisfied, and loved. This is what we want for

JASON MCINTOSH

That prospective student saw herself in the Roeper students she encountered, and she saw that they were happy, challenged, satisfied, and loved. This is what we want for our kids. It is borne out of an atmosphere that provides freedom, responsibility, autonomy, and safety in developmentally appropriate ways.

I struggle mightily with the notion of the Upper School as a de facto college preparatory school in large part because this assumes an achievement model of content and skills, and because it treats high school as series of boxes to check. If, however, we take more of a process orientation, we will see that the intellectual play that pervades Roeper’s experience is much more the rehearsal of a variety of “as if” encounters: learning to think as if a scientist, as if a writer, as if bilingual, as if a musician, as if an athlete, as if a leader. This is the way that high school should be experienced — trying on different hats for its own sake. Again, this point returns to the notions of freedom and autonomy. Students may elect to follow more of a college preparatory path, but this is not a requirement for a Roeper diploma. In fact, there are only two graduation requirements for high school: health and American government. This means that a student who has grown passionate for a particular discipline may pursue many more classes in that area, even if it means not following a course distribution recommended by any one particular college. I have heard over the years that Roeper needs to have a more regulated curriculum to ensure high-profile college placement to enhance the reputation of the school, so as to be more competitive in the local independent school market. I couldn’t disagree more. The fact that Roeper has only two graduation requirements is a credit to our educational model and values, and we should take pride in it.

our kids. It is borne out of an atmosphere that provides freedom, responsibility, autonomy, and safety in developmentally appropriate ways. This prospective student decided to attend Roeper; she decided to take control of her own learning and schooling experience. I recently checked in with her about her decision — she smiled and indicated she wouldn’t have had it any other way. The truth of the matter is that the standout experiences of the Upper School are actually the mundane.

Learning for life is not something that can or should be overly prescribed — it is indeed one of those situations where less is more. F

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KIT

Emily Wine

Assistant to the Head of School

INTRODUCTIONS — BOARD OF TRUSTEES ASHLEY LOWE, NEW ROEPER BOARD CHAIR How did your relationship with Roeper begin?

We started looking at preschools when Eli was two, and I met Lori Zinser at a preschool fair in Birmingham. I came home and asked Rob (the area native in our household) about the school, and he knew it mostly by the Domes on Woodward, not far from his parents’ house in Bloomfield Hills. We came to visit the school and it turned out to be Pajama Day. Colleen Shelton was wearing jammies and cooking bacon, and the Hill House smelled just like my house when I was growing up. Then we sat in and watched Colleen having a discussion with her Stage I class while they were painting something and making a big mess, and it was no problem for Colleen. It all felt so comfortable and homey, and I knew then Roeper was a place that our son (and later daughter) would be loved just as they are.

What has made you stay?

I was right about the loving part and later learned that my kids’ teachers, administrators, and other staff would all be a part of a learning team that included me and Rob. It feels like a true partnership in their education and their whole development as human beings — emotional and physical needs, too. I have always felt supported and nurtured, just like the kids.

When did you join the Board as Trustee?

2010. I thought I would serve for just one term because I had a lot of other interests and commitments, but I just never stopped. I’ve found it to be such a rewarding experience and an incredible opportunity to learn about the school from a different point of view. My favorite part of Board service is getting to work with the students on the Board. They are amazing — always so confident and thoughtful in the discussions we have. I learn so much from them.

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What are the goals you’ve set for yourself in your new role as Board Chair?

The Board is a truly incredible group of people who care so much about the school. I want to make sure that each of them feels heard and valued on the Board and has an opportunity to make a difference. I want to focus on diversity and inclusion and having some discussions around what that means in practical terms for the Board.

We are developing a SEED program for the Board this year that I expect will be transformational for us.

What do you do in your professional life?

I am a legal aid lawyer. My organization, Lakeshore Legal Aid, provides free legal services to low-income people in the Metro region. I am lucky to have a job where I get to make a real difference in people’s lives every day.

What book is on your nightstand … opened or unopened?

This summer I found a series of books in which famous authors write a modern version of Shakespeare’s plays. I have been a Shakespeare fan since law school, so I thought I would check them out, but I needed to refresh my memory on the Shakespeare. So, I’ve started reading them in pairs. While we were on vacation last summer I read The Tempest and The Hagseed by Margaret Atwood. Now, I’m working on Othello and New Boy by Tracy Chevalier.

We have had many traditions at Roeper: creek walks, galas, auctions, Stage III store, plays, talent shows, potlucks. Some of these have come and gone, but are there any special moments that stand out more than others for you?

It’s hard to pick from all these. I love the Stage III store. I love watching the kids learn to sell, make change, and wrap the packages. I could spend hours in that store!

I have a little more complicated relationship to the moving up ceremonies in the Lower School. I love watching the kids embrace the next chapter in their

education and share their sense of accomplishment for all they have learned. But, I can cry just thinking of that Stage III song (Think of Me?).

(Emily, I’m tearing up right now — jeez!)

This year, the Board welcomes the following new Trustees:

Dr. Colleen Allen Colleen and her husband, David, are proud parents to Roeper alumni Tom (‘13) and Joe (‘17) and current student Francis (‘21).

Colleen received her B.A from the University of Michigan, her M.S. in Speech/Language Pathology from Boston University, and her Ph.D. from Wayne State University. She is the President and CEO of the Autism Alliance of Michigan and has served on multiple councils for the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan.

We are thankful for the professional and personal experience she brings to this role, as well as for her dedication to the School.

Molly Diemer We welcome Molly to the Board of Trustees as the Parent Representative for the Bloomfield Hills Campus.

Molly and her husband, Tim, have two children in the Lower School — Henry (Stage III) and Oliver (Stage II). Molly has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Relations and a Master’s degree in Early Education. After graduate school, she worked as a teacher and administrator at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods. Now that her family has joined the Roeper community, Molly hopes to use her professional experience and her passion for the school to support the Board and the ongoing ISACS accreditation process.

Avery Long Avery has been a Roeper student since Stage I. Now in his junior year, he joins the Board of Trustees as a Student Representative.

Throughout his years at Roeper, Avery has participated in many activities including Forensics, Debate, Model UN, Baseball and Basketball. He was elected to Student Government and served as a class officer in previous years. This year, in addition to his new role as Trustee, Avery also joined Robotics and Amnesty International.

Susannah Nichols Susannah has been teaching at Roeper for 13 years and was the Faculty Representative on the Board of Trustees from 2008 – 2010. This year, it is our great pleasure to welcome her back to this same role. Susannah shares that her previous experience on the Board broadened her understanding of the complexities of the school and she is honored to serve again as a trustee to help implement the new Strategic Plan.

Scott Vartanian Scott Vartanian is the new Faculty Representative for the Bloomfield Hills Campus.

Scott and his wife, Katie, have two children at Roeper; Bella in ninth grade and Oscar in seventh. After receiving his Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Michigan, Scott launched his teaching career here at Roeper and is now in his fourteenth year. Scott looks forward to this new role as Trustee as we implement the Strategic Plan. He hopes to learn more about the school while sharing his experience as a staff member. F

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Carolyn Borman

Communications & Marketing Associate

INTRODUCTIONS — STAFF REEM ABOU is our

History and Social Studies teacher in the Middle School.

I love walking. I can walk for miles upon miles without stopping. Sometimes, while walking, you may see me muttering to myself. Usually, I’m thinking up different lines of poetry. I do performance/spoken word poetry.

I hit up a lot of different open mics, with my two kids in tow. I am super passionate about oral history, and that is probably part of where my love of poetry comes from. I am so excited to explore “non-conventional” (i.e., not history books) forms of recording history and music, dance, cultural or religious rituals.

I love reading historical fiction — throw in a romantic angle, and you’ve got me hooked. I forgot what American TV is because I exclusively watch Korean dramas; they have the right balance of humor and seriousness I look for in life.

I was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, a small city a few miles north of Boston. However, I grew up in Stoughton, also known as Tough-Town — not sure why. Do I have an East Coast accent? Not anymore, but if I get super passionated about something, a “wicked” here and there slips out. My family is originally from the city of Aleppo, in Syria, one of the oldest ancient cities in the world.

Maybe, being connected to an ancient society, makes me feel connected to history. I come from a family of teachers, both my extended and immediate families are made up of different types of teachers. My father is a college professor. My mother has taught from as young as kindergarten to senior year of high school. My sister is currently a 5th grade teacher. I wasn’t planning to be a teacher originally, but somehow I fell in love.

The reason I came to work at Roeper is because I am super passionate about teaching. It blows my mind when a person has an “ah-ha!” moment.

I’ve taught students as young as 6th grade and as old as graduate students in college. I feel that the most important part about teaching is about creating our own narratives, while learning about and connecting to different, complex concepts.

It is my hope that I can help students build their

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own narratives and shape their histories, present, and futures, in a way that is personal, unique and powerful.

DARREN ANDEREGG is our

Lower School Instrumental Music Teacher.

Hello all! My name is Darren Anderegg, and I am a recent graduate of Oakland University. My last name is Swiss and hard to say, so feel free to call me Scrambledegg — it’s close enough. I love teaching, I love kids, and I love music, so being an elementary music teacher makes sense for me. I love playing, composing, listening to, and dancing to music. Interacting with music is one of the best stress relievers, and it brings a smile to my face. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but if forced, I would have to say that I enjoy playing the drum set the most, a close second is marimba, followed by piano and guitar.

Aside from music, I greatly enjoy playing sports and board games.

I go through phases when it comes to hobbies. As a kid I was consumed with creating and designing various things: technology, houses, tanks. So far, I haven’t got any calls from the U.S. Department of Research and Technology, so maybe I should stick with teaching, but it’s fun for me to tackle problems with creative solutions. More recently I’ve been excited about my bicycle which I tricked out with a motor and rechargeable battery. If you ever want to know how to turn your bicycle into an Ebike, then give me a holler. It probably won’t look pretty, but it’s fairly cheap, and a bunch of fun!

In other news, I just got engaged and am excited to start a new life with my best friend, Erin. Yes, we are aware that our names rhyme, and no, we are not going to name our kids Sharon or Karen. She is a wonderful woman finishing up her Doctorate of Physical Therapy (free neck rubs!) at Oakland University. We love to go on walks, watch old TV shows, and swing dance together.

I am excited to join the Roeper community as a music teacher and can’t wait to see where this year leads. As you may be able to tell from the tone of this bio, I am a carefree person and would love to meet you and hear your story, so come say hi!

ERNESTO CHAVEZ is our Lower School Spanish teacher.

¡Hola! Me llamo Ernesto Chavez. I am excited about the opportunity to teach at Roeper because of its mission, sense of community and unique world language program. At Roeper I will be teaching using the best world language teaching practices such Comprehensible Input (CI) and Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS) to help my students acquire more language by building context through relatable experiences.

I am from Lima, Peru, and graduated with a B.A. in Spanish Literature; I also earned an M.A. in the Arts of Teaching at Oakland University.

I founded Bright Loritos, a world language academy for kids back in 2011. Soon after, my first daughter, Luna, was born. Now age five, Luna can speak four languages due to Bright Loritos’s programs.

My greatest achievement, though, is that I turned my love and passion for teaching language and culture into a successful, reputable program which now gives other children the same opportunity at the age when they are the most able and willing to learn.

I happily married my high school sweetheart, and I am the father of two lovely daughters, Luna (Moon) and Sol (Sun). I enjoy playing and watching soccer.

I also enjoy reading poetry and acting. I am part of a children’s music band called “Loritos Band” in which I play the guitar and keyboard. We are recording our second album which was released this fall. I also like going to the movies, reading and traveling around the world.

MALCOLM MATUREN is the

Birmingham campus Technology Lab teacher.

I’m not sure what the path to becoming a teacher looks like for most, but I suppose all that matters for me is the one I’m on. My name is Malcolm Maturen, and I’m a learner. Literally.

I’m still in school at the University of Michigan. Figuratively, well, if you’re reading this, I’m sure you have a similar affinity or appreciation for the

wealth of knowledge and the potential of the unknown. Over the next year, I’ll be teaching Computer Science and holding a technology lab at Roeper.

Academically, I study Information. “Isn’t that what everyone studies?” Well, yes and no. Information Science focuses on the use, storage, and utility of information as a concept. As we are now in the age of constant information, it is increasingly important that we know how to effectively portray, disseminate, and consume the media and data circulating around us. I’ve combined this with a focus in User Experience and Computer Science, doing my best to improve frustrating interfaces and apps that don’t do what you think they should be doing. After meeting with a few Roeper students last spring, I was inspired by their enthusiasm and ideas. I believe we have a lot of opportunity to learn from each other, creating novel applications with real-world impact.

On the more human side, I really enjoy activities that help me feel present. My childhood in Northern Michigan left me being very comfortable in the outdoors, and I love barefoot exploration.

I’m quite active and can often be found lifting, doing cardio, and playing games with a lot of running. In my downtime, I listen to Reggae music, work on graphic design projects, or watch Marvel shows/movies. I know all of this makes me sound like a classic hippie, and that’s probably because I am. I can’t wait to bring my experience to the table and get started learning, teaching, and creating with the Roeper community.

MICHELLE McEVOY is a Stage II Team Teacher working with Debbie Bejune.

I was born and raised in Michigan but have lived in many other places including Massachusetts, California and Greece, before coming back to Michigan and settling in with my husband, Tom, and two children, Zander (7) and Zoe (5). I studied Anthropology at the University of Michigan before going back to school later in life to study elementary education and receive my teaching certificate. I taught for two years before having

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children and am very excited to be getting back into the classroom. I am thrilled to be teaching at Roeper as we have found it to be a great fit for our children, and being able to be with them while I’m at work is a dream come true. I believe wholeheartedly in the Roeper philosophy and love the focus on the social and emotional needs of gifted children and look forward to teaching in an environment where those needs are supported.

I look forward especially to working with kiddos learning to read because reading is one of my absolute favorite things to do, and I love watching the discoveries that young children make when they overcome challenges with reading. I love reading historical fiction; I am an avid collector of children’s books and hope to someday write a few of my own.

Writing is another subject area I look forward to teaching as it has always been an interest of mine, and helping children develop a voice and an outlet for their emotions is very important to me. I also enjoy spending time outside and exercising. As a family we enjoy bike rides, camping, swimming and exploring outdoors.

Before taking this position at Roeper, some of my favorite experiences have included portraying a 17th century indentured servant at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts; teaching outdoors and in every possible weather at a “Waldkindergarten” (forest preschool/kindergarten) in Bruchsal, Germany; and transporting the Peace Light from Bethlehem from JFK airport to Bedford, New Hampshire, while stopping to share the flame with Polish, Ukranian and US Scout groups at highway rest stops throughout New England.

When not at work you will find me catering to every whim of our beautiful and demanding cat, Gracie, and (when Gracie permits) reading, baking, sewing and teaching myself traditional European crafts — with mixed results. I’m currently learning to tie German straw stars, and I’m looking forward to trying my hand at creating Ukranian Easter eggs (Pysanky), although I fear the combination of delicate egg shells, hot wax, and a jealous cat could well end in disaster. Please wish me luck.

EMILY ROLAND is our Upper School Biology teacher.

GRETCHEN OSGOOD is our Administrative Assistant in the Birmingham campus office.

I was born in New York City, grew up in New Jersey, attended college and graduate school in Massachusetts, married and started a family in Germany, and lived in New Hampshire for seven years before landing in southeast Michigan in August of 2014. I must admit that we were devastated when my husband found out he would be transferred to Michigan for work, since we did not have a single friend to welcome us to the vast Midwest. However, once we discovered The Roeper School for our son, we all agreed that this move was meant to be! (And we really like Michigan pasties, the wide variety of squirrels that live here, and, most importantly, the religious, racial and cultural diversity of Metro Detroit.)

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I went to school at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and earned my BS in Biology and MEd in Secondary Education with a focus in Biology. After graduate school, I moved to Pittsburgh and worked at an elementary school.

Finally, I moved to Michigan with my husband, Zac, and our furry child, Wilson Mandela, where I continued working in the classroom both at the elementary and high school levels.

When I am not in the classroom, I can be found busying myself in a number of ways. When weather permits, I enjoy gardening, walking Wilson, running to explore nature, or biking around town.

If weather leaves me homebound, you will find me in the kitchen cooking up a storm or baking up a fresh batch of cookies. As the summer slowly came to an end, I was planning and preparing for my first day at Roeper. I’m really excited for this new chapter in my life and cannot wait to see what this school year has in store.

LORI TALBOTT is a Stage III team teacher with Lisa Momblanco.

I am excited to join Roeper as a Team Teacher. I have been part of the community since 2012 and have two children who attend. Michael is in eighth grade, and Mia is a Stage III student.

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs where I attended college and met my husband. I completed my undergraduate degrees in Nursing and Psychology and worked on a Surgical Unit at a Medical Center just outside Chicago for 10 years prior to moving to Michigan. Michael was entering second grade when we found Roeper, and I could not imagine being anywhere else! I have been involved in the community and volunteered in many capacities as a parent, within RPC, as well as serving on committees for school events. I began subbing at the Lower School a couple years ago and found a new passion for the Roeper Community and the students!

I am currently pursing my Masters of Education Degree and look forward to continuing to serve the Roeper Community in my new role as Teacher.

I love to travel with my family and learn about the history of the cities we visit. My passion is my children, and I enjoy watching them experience new things. I enjoy all kinds of music, attending theater performances and getting creative! My guilty pleasure is TV, and some of my favorite shows include This is Us, Grey’s Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family.

I look forward to connecting with more families and students this year. If you see me on campus, stop and say hello!

DAVE WEBB is a member of our

Maintenance Crew on the Bloomfield Hills campus and a bus driver.

I have seen and appreciated how this community has greatly impacted my family. I am looking forward to engaging in a career that allows me more quality time with my family, a greater purpose and helping others in a genuine way.

In my spare time I enjoy many different outdoor actives. I like off-roading, camping, kayaking, hiking and mountain biking. These have also become great activities for us to do as a family.

Being outdoors brings me joy, and I hope to someday bring that joy to other people. As far as indoor activities go, I spend my time on the mats training and learning Jiu Jitsu. I have also been enjoying watching my kids train Jiu Jitsu as well.

ASHLIE WELLS is our Lower School Administrative Assistant.

My motto: Nothing matters when you die but how you changed the world you left behind. This is a phrase I carry with me every day. I am thrilled to join the Roeper school and looking forward to contributing to a community dedicated to shaping a better world.

I was born and raised in Detroit and have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a minor in Communications from Oakland University. I spent some time in the Farmington Public School district as an administrative assistant before my position here at Roeper and have an extensive background in feature writing, marketing and media/public relations as well. I’m a big kid at heart who loves everything Disney, creative arts (music and film in particular), and my best friend is my 12-year-old nephew Blake, who continues to motivate me in ways he doesn’t even realize. I choose to love and to appreciate life and all of the people in it.

I join the Roeper community officially after being connected to it for the last 13 years.

My wife Amber started working as a teacher here in 2005, and our oldest child, Campbell, started school here in 2013.

Lincoln followed in 2015.

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MEGAN ZIMMERMAN is a Stage III Team Teacher working with Jessica French.

I am very excited to be returning to Roeper this year!

Previously, I worked as a Stage I Team Teacher with Jennifer Ziemann for two years. During that time I also taught cooking enrichment for Stages I and II and taught an outdoor elective for Stages III and IV. In my year away from Roeper I had a baby boy!

His name is William, and he will be eight months in December. My husband Chris and I are so excited to be parents! We also have a two-year- old

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Airedale Terrier named Charlie. Between the two of them we are very busy! We bought a house in Waterford the week William was born! We haven’t moved in yet as we are doing some remodeling first, but we are getting very close to moving time.

When I’m not, I can be found cooking, taking walks, doing yoga and other exercise, or doing anything outdoors. I also love watching The Food Network. Chris and I both love spending time with our families every chance we get. We have eight nieces and nephews, so there’s always a lot going on between sports, school and family events!

I can’t wait to start a new journey this year in Stage III. I’m really looking forward to working with Roeper teachers again. F

KIT

100

CELEBRATING ANNEMARIE’S CENTENARY Annemarie Roeper, co-Founder of The Roeper School, would have celebrated her 100th birthday on August 27, 2018,. In recognition of her remarkable life and legacy, we are commemorating the milestone with a yearlong centenary observance! A series of tributes are planned — some following months of preparation and others that have yet to emerge. We invite you to seek and enjoy a few that are completed … to consider picking up a book or text authored by Annemarie Roeper … and to keep an eye out for recognitions to come …

THE ROEPER SCHOOL

100 2018/2019

celebrating the centenary of

annemarie roeper

A newly established Hill House Garden joins the tribute garden created for George Roeper.

The Roeper School Calendar for 2018/19 http://bit.ly/AMRCAL1819

The Recess Garden at the base of the Middle Building on the Bloomfield Campus honors all current and former Roeper Faculty and Staff along with a delightful poem that was penned by Annemarie in 1971.

Book Clubs …

Roeper Rocks presentation … ceremonies and speakers that honor Annemarie’s proud immigration story … and a commemorative magnet for Annual Fund Donors!

A stirring letter of homage from our friends at the Marineau School in Germany and a planned video exchange. http://bit.ly/MARIENAULTR

To learn more, please contact the Development Office denita.banks-sims@roeper.org

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Marcia Ruff

School Historian

Had Annemarie’s life developed the way she expected, she’d have been a child psychoanalyst.

History altered her path dramatically, so she brought her curiosity and convictions about the interior life of children to the field of education.

In her 40 years at The Roeper School and her subsequent research, writing and consulting, Annemarie was an enduring advocate for an education that supports our need to be individuals while insisting on our intimate and inescapable interdependence with all other beings.

Annemarie Martha Bondy was born in Vienna on August 27, 1918. She grew up in the progressive schools started by her parents, Max and Gertrud Bondy, and met her future husband as a very young girl when George Roeper, who was eight years older, arrived as a student at the school in 1924. In 1937, the Nazis forced her parents, who were Jewish by heritage, to sell the school under the Nuremberg Laws that forbade Jews from educating Aryans. The family fled first to Switzerland and then to the United States in 1939. George fled with them, as he was under orders to be shot on sight for having helped the Bondys obtain papers to leave.

barred from doing in Germany since George wasn’t Jewish. They married at City Hall in New York City on April 20, 1939, wearing a wool tuxedo and silk gown they’d brought from Europe for the occasion. At first, George and Annemarie helped the Bondys establish the Windsor Mountain School, which operated in Lenox, Massachusetts, until 1975. Then, in 1941, Annemarie and George came to Detroit by invitation of two local psychoanalysts, Richard and Editha Sterba, to direct a psychoanalytically oriented nursery school and establish a grade school.

The school grew vigorously. After only five years, it was so popular George and Annemarie were able to purchase a large estate in Bloomfield Hills as a permanent home for the school. At the same time they started their own family: Tom, born in 1943; Peter, born in 1946 on the day after they closed on the property in Bloomfield Hills; and Karen, born in 1949 while the family still lived on the second floor of Hill House.

Two weeks after arriving in the United States, the young couple married — something they were In 1956, the Roepers became concerned about the Cold War-driven interest in identifying gifted children. They felt that little was known about the emotional needs of the gifted and that new programs that were springing up might damage the potential of gifted children. After consulting with scholars in gifted education, they converted the school in 1956 to one that was exclusively devoted to gifted education. Today the school is the oldest independent school in the United States serving gifted students.

As a prominent educator, Annemarie was invited to consult with Joan Ganz Cooney on the development of Sesame Street in 1965. For

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DOUG ELBINGER

A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF ANNEMARIE BONDY ROEPER

Annemarie was an enduring advocate for an education that supports our need to be individuals while insisting on our intimate and inescapable interdependence with all other beings.

many years, Annemarie taught undergraduate and graduate courses in gifted education at Oakland University, in addition to serving as Headmistress at Roeper. In 1978, she and George founded the Roeper Review, a peer-reviewed scholarly quarterly of gifted education that is still published by the school.

Annemarie was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 1978 by Eastern Michigan University.

Annemarie had a passion throughout her life for children and their right to grow according to their unique needs.

Annemarie never completed any higher education beyond high school. In 1937 she was the youngest person ever accepted by Sigmund and Anna Freud to study child psychoanalysis with them.

The German invasion of Austria in March 1938 prevented her from beginning her studies. She fled on the last train to cross the Austrian frontier before the Germans invaded. In 1978, Eastern Michigan University awarded her and George honorary doctorates.

Annemarie retired from Roeper in 1980 at the age of 61, one year after George retired at the age of 68. The couple moved to California in 1983, where they remained connected to the school and continued to speak, write and consult. George passed away on August 24, 1992, in Oakland, California. Annemarie passed away on May 11, 2012, in Oakland, California.

Over her career, Annemarie published more than 100 articles and book chapters, three scholarly books (The “I” of the Beholder: A Guided Journey to the Essence of a Child; My Life Experiences with Children: Selected Writings and Speeches; and Educating Children for Life: The Modern Learning

Community), four children’s books, a meditation on aging called Beyond Old Age, and a memoir of growing up at her parents’ school called Marienau: A Daughter’s Reflections. She also developed the Annemarie Roeper Method of Qualitative Assessment to provide a more holistic understanding of a child’s abilities and personality.

In 1999, Annemarie received the first President’s Award from NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children) for a lifetime of distinguished service to the field. In 2003, she was given the Humanitarian Award by the International Center for PsychoSocial Trauma for a lifetime in service to victims of trauma, in particular her work establishing the importance of a sense of safety to a child’s development. In 2008, Annemarie was the first person to be interviewed for NAGC’s “Portraits in Gifted Education: The Legacy Series.”

Annemarie had a passion throughout her life for children and their right to grow according to their unique needs. In her words, “Humanity has made two promises to its children. The first is to prepare a world which accepts them and provides them with opportunities to live, grow, and create in safety. The other is to help them develop their whole beings to the fullest in every respect. Education is the vehicle through which we try to keep these promises.” F

Annemarie with her children — Tom, Karen and Peter.

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Juliette Olejnik

Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Fund

ALUMNI PROFILE: THE KOHLENBERG BROTHERS The Kohlenberg brothers, Sam ’99, Matt ’01 and Tony ’03, each attended Roeper from Stage III through their senior years. We asked each of them what they’ve been up since Roeper, and here are their responses …

Where do you reside now?

Sam: Denver, Colorado Matt: Huntington Woods — with my wife Liz and “fur-baby” Scout (a boxer) Tony: I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with my

lovely wife, Becky Kohlenberg, and two year-old daughter Juniper.

Where did you attend college?

Sam: Undergraduate Certificate, EMT, Oakland Community College, Bloomfield Hills, 2001; B.A. in Linguistics, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 2006; M.A. in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology, Naropa University, Boulder, CO, 2012; Ph.D. in Applied Psychophysiology, Saybrook University, Oakland, CA, anticipated 2020 Matt: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, B.S. in General Biology; Wayne State University, Detroit, M.D. Tony: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Bachelor of Science; Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Doctor of Medicine; Training Residency, Family Medicine, Adventist LaGrange Memorial Hospital, LaGrange, IL; Fellowship, Primary Care Sports Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL. What is your current job position and title, or current passion project?

Sam: At the moment, I am a full-time Ph.D. student in (Clinical) Applied Psycho physiology. I work part-time as an LPC in private practice where my area of clinical focus involves talk therapy, clinical hypnosis, and psychophysiological interventions for 15- to 25-year-olds in the superior IQ range.

I am adjunct faculty in the Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at Naropa University and a teaching fellow in the Psycho physiology Department at Saybrook University.

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Matt: I am a combined internal medicine and pediatrics (“Med-Peds”) primary care provider with IHA in Plymouth, MI. Tony: I am a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician practicing at the McKinley Health Center attached to the Milwaukee Bucks’ facility. I am not one of the Bucks’ physicians, but I do some coverage for the developmental league team.

What led you to pursue the profession you are in?

Sam: Psychophysiology is the hard science behind mind-body clinical interventions.

Those were the sorts of things that I was always the most interested in when I was learning how to do psychotherapy.

Matt: In addition to helping shape many of my core values and beliefs, I credit the Roeper Philosophy with being largely responsible for and a significant underlying force behind my drive to become a physician. I find many of the principles of the Roeper Philosophy to resonate well with fundamental aspects of the physician’s profession, particularly the empathetic nature of the job. Additionally, it characterizes education as a process of life-long learning. I do not believe that it is simply coincidental that Annemarie was, herself, in the midst of medical schooling before the cataclysmic events surrounding the rise of the Third Reich forced Annemarie and her husband to abandon their lives in Austria and start anew in Metro Detroit.

Tony: I was drawn to a profession in sports medicine because it intersects many of my interests and is an engaging and fulfilling career path. Although I do not have a lot of extra time to play sports these days, I did enjoy playing soccer, basketball, baseball and running track during my time at Roeper.

L to R: Matt ’01, Tony ’03 and Sam ’99 Kohlenberg

Has your life taken any interesting or surprising turns?

Sam: I would not have guessed that I would have ended up opening a Kung Fu school.

Matt: I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to travel around a bit — some very rich experiences there!

Do you have any favorite Roeper memories?

Matt: Basketball and soccer seasons, interesting conversations with peers in the hallways, playing Yahtzee with Ed in the student lounge. F

What impact has Roeper had on your life?

Sam: I think that my area of focus, psychotherapy for gifted teens, more or less started on one of the couches in the student lounge at Roeper.

Matt: Roeper played a vital role in my personal growth and development during my 10 years as a student there. I’ve always carried Roeper’s humanistic view of life with me, how it embraces the beauty of diversity and stresses the importance of community.

Tony: I was able to apply many of the things I learned at Roeper throughout my education and training. I believe that my Roeper education gave me a leg up when working in challenging environments and encountering adversity because it trained me to be an independent thinker.

Roeper’s individualized curriculum challenged me to guide my own process and to take initiative and responsibility for my own learning, all of which has served me well out in the “real world.”

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Juliette Olejnik

Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Fund

ALUMNI UPDATES

On October 8, an enthusiastic group of alumni came together to launch the ROEPER ALUMNI LEADERSHIP COUNCIL. The day-long meeting included opportunities for discussions and brainstorming, as well as presentations from Roeper faculty, staff and parents.

The Alumni Leadership Council will continue to meet quarterly with the mission to develop, encourage, and grow alumni support for the School’s mission and to maintain and promote lasting Top L to R: Arthur Ensroth ‘68*, Eric Peterson ’95, Alex Dickinson ’04, Aaron Appel ’12, David and meaningful con- Shapero ‘ 71. Bottom L to R: Alana Glass ’97, Shani Yapa-Kimpson ’08, Charlie White ’05, nections between Cheryl Blau ’80, Miranda Beebe ‘84*, Charlae Washington ’04, Lori Lutz ‘75. Not pictured: Herman Marable Jr ’80, Geoff Armstrong ’84, Anika Murphy-Wellere ’93, Roscoe Boyd ’98, the School and its Tegan Jones ’01, Alex Sims ‘06 alumni. We look forward to keepa West Bloomfield synagogue. Julius and his wife ing the Roeper alumni community apprised of Stacey, a pediatric occupational therapist have, their progress and sharing further opportunities for between them, six children and 13 grandchildren. alumni engagement!

JULIUS GARDIN ’62*, MD, MBA, is currently Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiology Division at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ. He is a clinical cardiologist who has been repeatedly listed in Best Doctors in America, Who's Who, etc. He has received millions of dollars in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, etc., co-authored over 300 publications, and been granted a U.S. medically related patent. Dr. Gardin is a recipient of the Gifted Teacher in Cardiology Award from the International Academy of Cardiology. In another sphere, he received ordination as an Orthodox Rabbi in 2008 and comes back to help lead Jewish High Holiday services annually at

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CHRISTIE BAGNE ’11 was featured on the cover of the August 2018 issue of Sports Car magazine. Over the years Christie has done everything from amateur horse-training and horsejumping competitions to ice-racing, autocross, track events, and now she is drawing attention for her road racing! Christie earned her degree in neuroscience before returning to school for engineering. She now works as an engineer for General Motors.

SUSAN SHAPIRO ‘77 (center, above) hosted a Secrets of Publishing panel at the Troy Barnes and Noble store on August 15, 2018. Panelists included a handful of writers, editors, artists, including Brian O’Connor ‘78 (second from left). The Bookfair was part of Susan’s book tour for her new book, The Byline Bible: Get Published in Five Weeks. The event drew a large crowd, and a percentage of proceeds from books sold during the event benefitted Roeper’s Scholarship Fund.

Shared by AARON FRANTZ ’09 (R): I got a tap on my shoulder. “Hey, you may not remember me, but you were my counselor at Ohiopyle.” DYLAN BENNETT ‘14 (L) was in the row behind me at a Michigan-Northwestern game in Evanston, Illinois! Neither of us lives in Chicago.

MARYSE RICHARDS SWANSON ’05 won the Michigan Pastry Chef of the Year Award!

Ryse Swanson has been creating pastries at Walnut Creek Country Club, in South Lyon, Michigan, since 2010. As pastry chef, she manages pastry production for the restaurant outlets, banquets, and offsite special events.

In 2006, Ryse was working toward a master’s degree in architectural design, when the industry shift in building design, moved from handmade models and drawings to 3D computer renderings. Handson appeals to Ryse, and at that point, she decided to pursue a culinary degree at Oakland Community College, where her passion for art and design were rejuvenated through pastry arts.

While attending O.C.C., Ryse found a new passion: carving. Anything that could be carved was fair game–ice, pumpkins, fruit, cake etc. She competed in ice carving where she won 11 silver and 3 bronze NICA medals, and was also half of the first all-female ice carving team to win the NICA National Collegiate Ice Carving Championship title in 2012.

Outside the WCCC kitchen, she can be found at home with her 18-month-old daughter Maisie, and husband, Rob. She still carves whenever she gets the chance and takes considerable pride in her “biodegradable art.” Her newest adventures have taken her around the country carving 1100-lb. pumpkins and 80-lb. blocks of cheese. (copied from https://bit. ly/2rphwlo

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Both Roeper alumni and current students were involved in a MAKE FOOD NOT WASTE event on September 30. The event was sponsored by the Detroit Food Policy Council and held at Eastern Market. Make Food Not Waste is an organization Fighting Food waste in southeast Michigan. Photos and details are above and in the red box.

ROSCOE BOYD II is Executive Vice President of External Relations at SLAY MEDIA HOUSE, the leading online entertainment destination for Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC).

He has more than 15 years of experience in sales, leadership, public speaking, and education.

A long-term survivor of HIV (diagnosed in 2001), Roscoe has been a change agent and volunteer with organizations including Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, The HIV Stops With Me campaign, New York State Department of Health, The Roeper School, FPWA, Inc, Morehouse Manhattan Alumni Association; and Prevention Access Campaign’s Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) Movement.

Roscoe has also developed a speaking platform broadly focused on health among LGBTQ people, and on sharing his lived experience as a queer/gay man of color who is living his best life with HIV. Roscoe is a native of Detroit and earned a bachelor of arts in music from Morehouse College and, as a Teach for America alumnus, a Master of Science in Teaching from Fordham University.

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SAM KOHLENBERG ’99, Colorado Society of Clinical Hypnosis Founder, was the recipient of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis’s inaugural Stanley Krippner Award for his significant contributions to the field of hypnosis. Dr. Krippner was on hand for the ceremony and personally presented Sam with the award.

ALEXANDRA SIMS ’06, was recently selected by Mellody Hobson and Ariel Investments as a 40 Under 40 Game Changer in Chicago!

As one of the youngest recipients at just 30 years old, the recognition cites “Those who are making significant strides in their respective fields. These dynamic thought-leaders span the gamut of professional and creative industries and demonstrate great promise as the next generation of business and civic influencers.”

Far left: Detroit Food Policy Council members and Food and Power Awards winners. Kiki Louya ‘01* (center, lightcolored coat) and business partner Rohani Foulkes (dark shirt to Kiki’s left) received the 2018 Food Power Sustainability Award.

The Farmer’s Hand is a small grocery and takeout counter in Corktown that sources only from food partners that maintain ethical, sustainable, humane food practices. Clara Gamalski ’07 is on the right end of the front row.

Center: Clara Gamalski ‘07 is pictured with current Stage II Roeper student, Lili Beebani.

Clara serves on the Detroit Food Policy Council, and is the Staff Coordinator for Campus Kitchen at University of Detroit Mercy, a program whose mission is to develop student leaders through thoughtful engagement with community-driven initiatives that promote a more equitable and sustainable food system.

Right: Dan Klein ‘05 volunteering at the event.

RAE ANNE (NOYES) DOTTER ’81 (left) was recently awarded the National University System-Sanford Teacher Award. The Award is based on criteria of inspiring teaching, which includes: Enthusiasm for teaching; empathy and warmth towards all students; fostering positive relationships with all students; creating a positive learning environment; and recognizing student strengths.

Rae Anne entered the teaching profession through the “Troops to Teachers” program in 2006 following a 20 year Air Force career as a KC/EC-135 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot which included a tour as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the Air Force Academy. For the last 12 years she has been teaching Science at Cotopaxi School, a small, rural school located in south central Colorado where most students live at a level of poverty.

“Above all, teaching is a way for me to serve others and have a positive influence on our future.

In my 12 short years of teaching at our rural, Title I school, my passion has been creating a learning environment in which all students can discover their talents, strive to reach their fullest potential, dream big, and gain the necessary skills to pursue those dreams. I have drawn upon my background as a pilot and combat veteran to inspire my students to ‘reach for the stars.’”

Rae Anne shared news of her award along with a note that said, “Roeper’s spirit has always guided me throughout my life. This recognition is a tribute to our beloved school and community.”

MICHELLE EFOS FOX ’95 (left) was named science teacher of the year for Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Michelle teaches 8th grade science at Charles E. Brown Middle School in Newton, MA, and has been teaching there for 18 years.

She’s pictured here with Jenny Craddock, District K-8 Curriculum Coordinator and the person who nominated Michelle for the award.

NILS BARTH ‘96* and his wife stopped by the Hill House on October 19, 2018. Nils had a video on his phone from Stage IV with Diana Elshoff, which he played for a few staff members. It featured, among others, Eric Righetti, Andrew Tarnow, Lonnie Smith, Mykolas Rambus and David Glazek.

Nils now resides in New York City.

JESSICA McGLORY ’09, pictured here with her Stage IV homeroom teacher Elise Lind, relocated to NYC to head up the paid social team at Bombas, an apparel brand known for having “the most comfortable socks in the world” that was previously featured on Shark Tank and invested in by Damon John.

Jessica was tapped to be Director of Paid Social Media Marketing after an explosive, breakout year in the advertising world receiving industry recognition with six awards including PR News Social Media Luminary and 4As’ 100 People Who Make Advertising Great.

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ARI TEITEL ’12 (far right in the photo below) and his Mardi Gras Indian funk band, Cha Wa, have been nominated for a 2019 Grammy. Spyboy, the group’s second album, features mostly original material. It is nominated in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category, a catch-all category that also includes Cajun/Zydeco music, Hawaiian music and Native American music. F

JUSTIN WEST ’72 (above left with his son Beryl) — Looking back on over 30 years of teaching, and looking forward to retiring in May 2019, I have mixed feelings about education. Twenty-five years ago, I started the Electronic Media Program at Holyoke Community College at a time when the internet was brand new. I felt that, since we were going to communicate electronically, we needed to teach students how to be effective in electronically mediated communication. The program now has over 50 majors, two full-time faculty, and has gone from a single room to a new Media Arts Center.

Thinking about my early learning experience at Roeper, I have come to value more and more what we all had back then and, unfortunately, I don’t see a lot these days: love of learning for learning’s sake.

I am married to Eileen McGowan, a planetary geologist, and my son, Beryl, is now 29 and works for the Caldor Foundation in New York. In 2016, we designed and built an energy-efficient house in Chesterfield, Massachusetts. Looking back on my career, I have no list of publications, honors, or achievements other than teaching students using what I learned at Roeper and Hampshire College.

However, I feel very fulfilled, and am looking forward to doing more of those things that make me happy.

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PASSINGS

PAUL ANDERBERG ’74 “We have met the old people, and they are us.”

Indeed, on September 29th, ten old friends of Paul Anderberg ’74 from his days at Roeper City & Country School gathered in the Hill House to celebrate his life. (L to R) Patti Hoffman Cook ‘73, Debbie Osher ‘74, Randi Lou Franklin ‘74, Sam Hurwitz ‘74, Eric Linden ‘74, Rick Murray ‘74, Rick Shapero ‘74, David Jaffe ‘74, Margo Williams Downes ‘74*, Sheldon Kohn ‘73, and the gracious Juliette Olejnik (Director of Alumni Relations, who gave up her Saturday to join us and took the photo).

We sat in a circle of chairs, and over the course of a few hours, rambled, remembered, laughed, digressed, quoted, confessed, and silently marveled at all the gray hair in the room. But mostly we talked about Paul. How Paul had been brilliant at math, athletic, funny, and a good friend who crossed all social lines, and yet — in a school community that strongly encouraged individual expression — was the most fiercely individual of us all.

Paul would have loved hearing all this, and undoubtedly he would have added some unexpected and wry remarks.

Paul’s solution to question #3 on the Michigan Math Prize competition.

We did learn why Paul only took second place (out of 10,000) in the Michigan Math Prize Competition during high school. His solution to the final question, which he in fact recently sent to one of us, was correct, but apparently not the kind of correct the judges were looking for (see far left). F

VIVEK VANAHARAM ’98 Vivek died tragically on the evening of August 11, 2018 after being involved in an automobile accident. Vivek was anxiously waiting to start his career in Psychiatry, with six months left in his residency at the time of his untimely passing. His eyes lit up when talking about his professional and personal life goals. Anyone who met Vivek was immediately struck by his genuine, pure, and kind hearted soul. He never wanted anyone to feel pain or sadness and went to great lengths to make sure he was never the cause.

His patient, gentle nature was perfectly suited to a life of treating mental illness.

From obituary https://www.desmondfuneralhome.com/obituary/VivekVikram-Vanaharam-M.D./Michigan/1809788) F

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FIVE WEDDINGS AND AN ENGAGEMENT

Dan Thibodeau ’13 & Alyssa Flynn ’14 married on JUNE 9, 2018 ADDISON OAKS PARK in MICHIGAN Roeper alumni who stood up in the wedding include Clara Bird ‘14, Nathan Flynn ‘12, Gabe Lind ‘13, Max Gordin ‘13, Jacob Dalton ‘13,

Joshua Pool ’06 & Lauren Scholder exchanged vows JULY 28, 2018 in BOULDER, COLORADO Josh and Lauren are living in Minneapolis.

Lauren is a psychologist, and Josh is a special education teacher.

Roeper Crew in the wedding — Chris Pool ‘10* (Best Man) (1), Nick George ‘06 (2), Conor Mendenhall ‘06 (3), Jack Silver ‘06 (4)

1

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2

3

4

Fiona Ruddy ’06 & Spencer Olinek WERE MARRIED AUGUST 31, 2018 BELLE ISLE CASINO, DETROIT Fiona and Spencer live in Berkeley, CA, and work in San Francisco. Fiona recently started a job in affordable housing and community development. She graduated from a dual master's degree in Public Health and City Planning from UC Berkeley in May. They are planning on honeymooning to the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.

Above: Fiona’s immediate family, L to R: Braden’s daughter Luna and wife Robin, Braden ’98, dad and mom Mike and Jarie, Fiona ’06 and Spencer and Spencer’s parents.

Right: A shot with some (but not all!) of the Roeper folks who were there, L to R: John Mickley '07, Eric Zinser '06, Jack Silver '06, Madeline Stano '05, Mary Wilcox '06, Larissa Benjamin '07, Alex Dickinson '04 and Hannah Lawrence '06

Maggie Badore ’06 & Seth Kallman were married SEPTEMBER 2, 2018 SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Heather Granader ‘06, Blayne Milbeck Gregory ‘06 and Hannah Lawrence ‘06 were among the bridesmaids, and a number of other Roeper friends attended.

Maggie lives in New York City and works for The YEARS Project, a storytelling and education effort to inform, empower, and unite the world in the face of climate change.

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Daniel Kahn ’97 & Yeva Lapsker exchanged vows SEPTEMBER 8, 2018 THE JEWISH MUSEUM — BERLIN, GERMANY It was the day before the beginning of Rosh Hashana with Seth Yamasaki ‘97 as best man. The ceremony was both traditional Jewish and radically secular and egalitarian. Two days later they were married by the German court in the city hall where JFK said, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” The next day was Daniel’s 40th birthday.

The wedding stretched into a week-long celebration for family and friends, with the two newlyweds living on a houseboat on the canals and rivers of Berlin.

Yeva Lapsker (now Lapsker-Kahn) was born in Leningrad, she grew up between Russia and Europe and studied translation and dance. Daniel Kahn (now Lapsker-Kahn) has been living in Berlin since 2005 where he plays music and works at the Maxim Gorki Theater.

Yeva and Daniel met at the Jewish Museum in 2016. Through friends, fate, and shared passion for translation, music, theatre, and Jewish jokes, they serendipitously kept finding each other throughout Berlin. They now work together on translations between English, Yiddish, Russian, and German. Lately they have been touring together with Daniel’s band The Painted Bird.

Yeva runs all the video, translations, art, and title projections. They live in the Neukölln neighborhood of Berlin with thier 15-year-old cocker spaniel Shmonik and plan to continue traveling and working together on music and theatre, living between cities, continents, languages, and loves.

Stephanie Holloman ’09 & Cole Talsma became engaged DECEMBER 2017 The wedding is planned for April 20, 2019 in Pontiac.

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Have some good news to share?

Please send it to: juliette. olejnik@ roeper.org

NEW ARRIVALS Bilal Ezzeddine '02 & Salma Ezzeddine

are excited to announce the birth of their daughter

Aziza Khan Ezzeddine Monday, July 16, 2018 2:19pm 8 lbs. 0 oz 19.75 inches

Nico Martinez ’02 & Rebecca Garza welcomed a son

Rafael Garza Martinez November 24, 2017 at 1:05pm 8 lbs 1 oz

Nicole Rosenthal ‘07 & Matt Bischoff welcomed their first child!

Henry Bernard Bischoff April, 26, 2018 8:03am 6lbs 7oz 19in

He decided to come three weeks early!

After living in Seattle, WA, for three years we moved to Huntington Beach, CA,two years ago and are really enjoying the beach life.

Our son is becoming a total beach bum.

Aziza is a name derived from the Arabic language, and is the feminine form of the name Aziz, which is known as one of the attributes of God (Al-Aziz).

The name has several meanings, including noble, precious, cherished, honorable, illustrious, highly esteemed, dearly loved, beloved.

Proud parents

Cat & Adam Wilmers ’03 are thrilled to announce the arrival of

Calder George Wilmers

September 7 7 lbs 6 oz 21 inches tip to toe!

We couldn't be happier that he is here.

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Photos courtesy of

Sarah Miller

President, RPC

A TOUCH OF WARMER WEATHER — ROEPERFEST

Sunday Sept. 23 2018 Bloomfield Hills Campus

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Denita Banks-Sims

Director of Development & Publications

PARTING THOUGHTS What’s in a name? How about a little bit of fun and lots of pride!

Last June 2018, there was a reunion of sorts. It was Founder’s Day, and we were carefully executing our mission to welcome back Charlie White — Class of ’05 and celebrated Olympic Gold and Silver Medal winner — to offer a few words of congratulations to Emery Pence on his 38 years at Roeper and planned retirement. (It is not easy to surprise Emery, so the intricate plans designed by co-conspirators Linda Pence, the OTD Committee and the Development Office team, demanded careful attention and focus!)

As it goes with most treasured surprises, we did not anticipate the added bonus of the “Charlie Reunion!” You see, when Charlie White and Meryl Davis visited the school in 2015 following their triumphant Olympic victory, they encountered three very enthusiastic Roeper freshman students eager to mark the moment: Charlie Shoha, Charlie Sutton and Charlie Uchno — all members of the Class of 2018!

The confluence of this “Band of Charlies” was a delightful moment and the pride of their immediate band was palpable. They reassembled in nearly the exact same spot in the Community Center Building and basked in Roeperian Pride! A pride that is defined by the beautiful balance of relationships … a shared identity … and an enduring philosophy for life.

As Annemarie Roeper noted, “While growing from the inside out, we find out who we are entitled to be.”

We are Roeperians and eager to find and celebrate our commonality.

Please keep in touch!

Yours,

“The Four Charlies:” (L to R): Charlie Sutton ’18, Charlie Uchno ’18, Charlie White ’05, Charlie Shoha ’18.

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THE ROEPER SCHOOL

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SAVE THE DATE!

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 5:30PM PINE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB We hope you’ll join us!