VOiCE
the trojan
FALL 2012
Drawing Machines p16 STUDENTS PROGRAM MICROCONTROLLERS AND EMBED them IN drawing machines
Historic Enrollment p18 THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ACCEPTING THEIR admission offer is highest in 15 years
Trojans on the Trinity p28 seasoned businesspeople encourage and inspire interns to follow their dreams
TRINITY VALLEY SCHOOL
T V S F I N E
A RT S
Katherine Cummings ’15, Fun Gears, Photograph
Lucas Jacob
Hungarian Sonnet 1 You think that paradicsom is the fruit, and fall in love again with naming. Here, you cry, are people after my own heart, who hang Eden and apple in one word, fat on the tongue! But then you learn your “paradise” is grown on a vine, and not on a branch— a mere tomato, száz forint per bunch. You comfort yourself: the early Rabbis saw in Biblical fruit puns for desire (citron) and destruction (carob); you note what scholars now favor: pomegranate. Gránátalma! It sounds to your ear like a “soul stone.” Ineffable, but hewn down, somehow, still, and held tight in the hand.
(originally published in Southwest Review, Vol. 95, No. 4, 2010)
Mr. Seleny created a school that continues to advance and grow
Start with WHY, Finish with Doubt?
Feynman stated that we are only at the beginning of the development of the human race, of the development of the human mind, and of intelligent life.
It is our responsibility not to give the answer today as to what it is all about, to drive everybody down in that direction and to say: “This is a solution to it all.� To do that will chain us to the limits of our present imagination.
T V S M E S S AG E
F R O M
T H E
H E A D
O F
S C H O O L
Gary Krahn, Ph.D.
M
aggie Knapp, our US/MS librarian, remarked to the middle school parents at Open House that books are both a window and a mirror. Books allow us to reveal and reflect both a multicultural world and ourselves. Moreover, education enables the student to look through frames in order to see the realities of others and into mirrors in order to see his/her own reality reflected. The frames and mirrors created by Trinity Valley School for our students are shaped primarily by our mission statement. The mission statement describes what our school does to engage us in a conversation between various frames of reference. The mission statement discloses WHAT is important to our school. In his recent book Start with Why, author Simon Sinek reveals that every organization expresses WHAT it does. The difference between good and great organizations, according to Sinek, is that great organizations tell us WHY they exist. For example, if Apple was like every other technology company, Sinek suggests that its message could be: “We make great computers. They are beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. Wanna buy one?” Apple knows that telling people what a company does is not inspiring. Instead, Apple says the following:
Tr o j a n Vo i c e
“Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. And we happen to make great computers. Wanna buy one?” Apple exists to empower people to “think differently.”
FA L L 2 0 1 2
Steve Jobs focused on the WHY. He did so because he believed that starting with WHY enables people and organizations to inspire greatness and achieve remarkable things. Fortunately, Trinity Valley School also had a visionary founder, Mr. Stephen Seleny. Mr. Seleny told us WHAT, but more importantly, he told us WHY TVS existed.
The mission of TVS is fine scholarship, wide constructive interests, intelligent citizenship, and moral and spiritual development. As an inspirational leader, Mr. Seleny went beyond WHAT and advocated that in everything we do at TVS, we believe that if you want to be a leader in the world, you need to understand the world. In other words, WHY TVS exists is to graduate young men and women who will reshape the world. Richard Feynman (1918-1988; a Nobel laureate)'s lifetime of work takes the concept of WHY to the next level. Throughout his work, he addressed WHY humans have advanced further than other species. He reminds us that to fixate upon the right answer is often not helpful to mankind. In order to make progress, we must leave the door to the unknown open. Feynman stated that we are only at the beginning of the development of the human race, of the development of the human mind, and of intelligent life. It is our responsibility not to give the answer today as to what it is all about, to drive everybody down in that direction and to say: “This is a solution to it all.” To do that will chain us to the limits of our present imagination. Richard Feynman believed that we will only continue to progress if we always leave some room for doubt, some room for discussion. Uncertainty unleashes the real possibilities of the future of mankind. Mr. Seleny created a school that continues to advance and grow. Our motto, per aspera ad astra, “through difficulty to the stars,” aligns almost perfectly with Richard Feynman’s explanation of WHY humans advance. TVS has been on a remarkable journey from its beginning. Mr. Seleny was – and remains – a true visionary.
Head of Lower School, Sandy McNutt, M.A., Head of Athletics, Tim Jones, B.S., Head of Upper School, Chris Gunnin, M.Ed., Head of Middle School, Michael Kris, Ed.D. and Head of School, Gary Krahn, Ph.D.
MANAGING EDITOR MARGARET KRAMER
CREATIVE DIRECTOR LAURIE WISDOM
COPY EDITOR KATHRYN DAVIS
contributing photographers DAN BRYANT DAVE KEERINS LAURA MONTGOMERY KIRSTEN MURPHY CHRIS SHINN LAURIE WISDOM
production ASHLEY WHITE LAURIE WISDOM
FALL 2012 Volume XIII Number 1 Trinity Valley School | 7500 Dutch Branch Road Fort Worth, TX 76132 | 817.321.0100 | trinityvalleyschool.org Trinity Valley School’s Trojan Voice is published twice a year. Please contact Laurie Wisdom, Director of Communications with any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this publication at wisdoml@ trinityvalleyschool.org. Trinity Valley School is an independent, coed, college-preparatory, day school for students in kindergarten through grade 12. The school admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, color, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. © Copyright 2012 by Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX 76132-4110
contributing WRITERS
BLAKE AMOS PAM ASHER KATHRYN DAVIS MARY-MAC ELLIOTT JANNA FRANZWA-CANARD CHRIS GUNNIN SUNNAE HILER LUKE JACOB TIM JONES ELENA KELTNER JUDITH KINSER MARGARET KRAMER GARY KRAHN DEBORAH FARMER KRIS MICHAEL KRIS SUSAN LANASA SANDY MCNUTT KIM MEDLEY HARRIETT MOORE KIRSTEN MURPHY CLARE PRITCHETT MICHAEL ROEMER LAUREN SIMS-NORVILLE ASHLEY WHITE
4
timeless
ed u cation
8
12
since
1 9 5 9
Academics
SANDY MCNUTT ON LOWER SCHOOL | page2
GOLDEN: Dr. Tamara Lindsey | page4
Mike Kris on Middle School | page6
CHRIS GUNNIN ON UPPER SCHOOL | page10
UPPER SCHOOL SPEAKER SERIES | page13 STEM WORKSHOP | page22
GLOBAL INITIATIVES update | page40
SUMMER SCHOOL AT TVS UPDATE | page40
16
18
19
The Arts
DRAWING MACHINES COME TO TVS | page16
friends of the trojan arts | page32
UPPER SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY | page34
Athletics Experiential Education it's all about character | page39
22
36
48
HISTORY AND TOE: A PERFECT PAIR | page8 summer toe | page23
HEALTH& WELLNESS
chef coble earns rave reviews | page19
alumni TROJANS ON THE TRINITY page28
The seasoned businesspeople encouraged and inspired veered off a more traditional path. Later in the summer, interns traveled to the hip Magnolia area to have lunch with Assistant City Manager Susan Alanis and City Council representative Danny Scarth, himself a TVS alum.
CLASS OF 1997 MATCH POINT | page48
INSIDE ARCHES THE
the interns to follow their dreams, even when those
trojans on the trinity | page28
CLASS NOTES | page44
COMMUNITY SERVICE gives back | page12 MEET KIM MEDLEY | page14
HISTORIC ENROLLMENT | page18
PC Positively supports tvs | page20
advancement | page26
community partners program | page36
annual giving leadership team | page41 faculty development | page42
TRINITY VALLEY SCHOOL
T V S M E S S AG E
F R O M
T H E
H E A D
O F
foundation,
LO W E R
S C H O O L
foundation,
foundation Sandy McNutt, B.A., M.A.
O
n occasion, I am asked the question, “Why should a parent start their child in kindergarten at TVS? What are the benefits of beginning in TVS lower school as opposed to waiting until middle school? Will starting early reap benefits over waiting a few years?” I think I would need the entire magazine to voice my thoughts and passions in regard to starting at the beginning, but since that would be impossible, based on other well-deserved articles, I will keep it brief and hope that my passion comes through in a few short words… foundation, foundation, foundation. Beginning this journey with the most experienced, dedicated, compassionate team of teachers, who understand the beauty, challenges, abilities, and character of our youngest Trojans, is a key advantage to early entry into TVS. This “foundational” year is poured by what I consider one of our greatest gifts … the amazing abilities of your child’s “first teachers.” The magic of kindergarten, the opening of young minds to prepare them for a lifetime of learning, begins here, and I believe with all of my heart that our kindergarten team is the best of the best! The “foundation” of a child’s knowledge and the understanding of the importance of establishing roots of character, integrity, leadership, respect, and wisdom begin in Lower School. We believe that everything we do – all our programs, every contact with our students, from the opening of car doors at drop-off, to the daily morning announcements, to the speakers and programs we bring to campus, to the
interactions in our hallways, to the fond farewell at the end of the day – is done with a specific purpose in mind. This underlying desire, this setting of an early foundation, is done with the sole purpose of being an integral partner in assisting your child to grow to be a person who will make a profound, positive difference in our world. Our final “foundation” is perhaps one of the greatest gifts that we give when students enter TVS in kindergarten. Early arrival at TVS enables our children to be well steeped in the traditions and culture of TVS. But most importantly, they begin with establishing lifelong friendships with students and families alongside whom they will learn and grow for 13 years. I have been at TVS a relatively short period of time. In those brief five years, I have witnessed a group of young learners embrace differences, celebrate accomplishments, work through challenges, and come out of this journey with a community of supportive, forever friends. And finally, on a purely selfish note, if they arrive at TVS in kindergarten, I have the amazing privilege of being able to be a part of their lives from the beginning … but most importantly; they become a part of my heart forever! It is difficult to reestablish or reset foundations in life, although with support of teachers and community it is very possible. However, given a choice, we feel passionately at Trinity Valley School that this foundation, poured early in life, will remain steadfast so that further principles and understandings will grow strong and flourish.
Beginning this journey with the most experienced, dedicated, compassionate team of teachers, who understand the beauty, challenges, abilities, and character of our youngest Trojans, is a key advantage to early entry ... 2
One of our lower school parents announces to me at every encounter, “Disney World and TVS lower school have much in common. They quite possibly run neck and neck as the Happiest Place on Earth.” I am not sure we quite compare to Main Street or dining with Cinderella, but I will tell you, there is much joy going on in this place. There are many elements that form the foundation of a child in our lower school. We are developing creators, innovators, problem solvers, and visionaries. We are helping form children of character, as well as infusing strong social skills into our youngest students. Being active listeners, making eye contact, treating each other
look through
my window
with dignity, and appreciating diversity are threads woven into our curriculum. However, one profound characteristic that you will notice in our school is the overwhelming amount of joy that you see in the faces of our children. I have a great vantage point in my office. I actually look out on the playground and the butterfly garden. I see students befriending one who sits alone. I get to observe when a child with a scraped knee needs two buddies to lean on, as they head to the Nurse Reeder’s office. Skipping, swinging, playing soccer, and performing stunts on the monkey bars are activities filled by great young people! But what I observe most is pure joy radiating through the eyes of the youngest of our students to our soon-to-be middle school children. We are not perfect in the lower school…life happens…we have our not-so-great days… but joy abounds in these children who, through their character and love for life, will make a difference in our world. If you ever want to see the best part of life, come look through my window!
3
How does a writing/reading instructional specialist contribute to the TVS Lower School? Some of the skills and benefits of Tamara Lindsey include: • Evaluation of each student in writing and reading • Instruction in reading customized to meet individual needs • Enrichment lessons for small groups and individuals to further the love of reading • Instruction and reinforcement of written composition skills • Resource to faculty for selecting methods and materials to utilize best practices for teaching reading and language arts • Aids faculty in implementation of reading and writing programs
T V S FAC U LT Y
Golden
We feel that we have either won the lottery or hit the jackpot when we see the amazing opportunities Dr. Lindsey brings to us in her role as part time Writing/Reading Instructional Specialist in the Lower School.
Pam Asher, B.S., M.Ed.
D
r. Tamara Phyllis Lindsey’s educational roots were planted in Fort Worth, sprouted in Wisconsin and Virginia, continued to spread nationally and internationally, and have now brought her with her amazing talents, wisdom, insights, and spunky personality to the faculty and students in the lower school at Trinity Valley. We feel that we have either won the lottery or hit the jackpot when we see the amazing opportunities Dr. Lindsey brings to us in her role as part time writing/reading instructional specialist in the lower school. We have to chuckle at the words “part time,” because her time on campus has been anything but that. Her husband, Dr. Don Reynolds, upper school mathematics instructor, reminds her about this daily, when he attempts to escort her out of the office at a semi-reasonable time. We often hear her say to him, “Tomorrow I am bringing my OWN car so I can stay as long as I want to stay.” Tamara Lindsey’s passions for reading and writing, her deep conviction to her discipline, and her overflowing joy for life are amazing gifts to our school. If it were possible to craft a human being who exhibits more love for life and more dance in her step for children, it would be a sight to see. When Dr. Lindsey came to us last summer to see if we could “use her at TVS,” her words were, “Please put me to work. I love writing, I love reading, I love inspiring, and I love making a difference in the lives of children!” She was not just spouting words. Seeing her working with our students and teachers this fall solidifies what we saw from the beginning…she is definitely the real deal! Her areas of interest include, but are certainly not limited to, teacher education, issues of diversity, literacy education, and children’s literature and drama.
She has been published more times than we can count, has presented and taught workshops both nationally and internationally, and has most recently been Professor Emeritus in the Department of Education Studies at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Her resume includes honors such as Golden Key International Honor Society, honored faculty member, Professor of the Year, Outstanding Teacher of the Year, gifted lecturer, tenure, author, curriculum writer, and teacher, but these honors are not what defines this amazing lady who walked through our doors mere months ago. She will tell you that her greatest gifts do not come wrapped in honors and awards. Her greatest admiration and joy come from her husband, Dr. Don Reynolds, his daughter, Dr. Ginger Alford, upper school computer science instructor and director, and grandchildren Jake, TVS ’09, and Sam and Lee, who recently graduated from TVS in the Class of 2012. She embraces life with joy, humor, and amazing energy every single moment of each day. Experiencing life, baking, traveling, and spending time with her phenomenal family complete the tapestry that weaves this amazing lady’s life. We are overwhelmingly thankful that her roots brought Tamara Lindsey back to Fort Worth, and eventually to Trinity Valley School.
5
T V S M E SS AG E
F R O M
T H E
H E A D
Mike Kris, Ed.D.
O F
let them
W
hen renowned engineer Dr. Luis Prieto visited TVS in August, he gave me one piece of advice for helping middle school kids reach their intellectual potential: “Let them play,” he said. Play with ideas, play with options, and play with possibilities. That simple statement has stuck with me, especially as I reflect on the type of environment we cultivate here in the middle school: a place where students feel safe, supported, challenged, and delighted. On the first day of school this year, we introduced our students to the story of a young man in East Los Angeles. This remarkable boy might have remained unknown forever — except that one day a documentary filmmaker passed him on the street and recognized that he was somebody great, somebody worth helping. Nine-year-old Caine Monroy devoted a summer to creating an arcade out of cardboard boxes. He spent hours designing meticulous games, complete with prizes and security systems, and opened them to the public in the front of his dad’s small, used-auto-parts store. He embraced the challenge of building, and he wanted others to come enjoy his creations. But what happened when nobody came to his arcade? He didn’t give up hope. Instead, he made it bigger and better. And then one day a filmmaker happens to pass by and rather than rush on his way – rather than ignoring the cardboard boxes because he has to send a text or run to a meeting – he stops to play. He really sees Caine, sees his remarkable efforts. He meets Caine’s father who, rather than telling Caine to “find something better to do,” encourages his creativity and gives him the space – literally and figuratively – to create. What happens next is truly extraordinary. The filmmaker creates a Facebook announcement inviting people to come play at Caine’s arcade on a particular day. Hundreds of people respond. Why do a bunch of strangers show up in front of a store? They hear about Caine’s story. They want to be part of it.
play?!
M I D D L E
S C H O O L
When the video about the arcade was posted, it went viral. Millions of people have watched “Caine’s Arcade” and donated to his college fund. There’s even a Caine’s Arcade Imagination Foundation, which will help find, foster, and fund creativity and entrepreneurship among kids. You can watch it yourself at cainesarcade.com. We all want to be a part of something great, something larger than ourselves. We all want to feel like our efforts make a difference. In middle school, our goal is to help our students grasp this narrative – to believe that they can change the world!
This year the student council, under the capable guidance of Deans of Students Tina Harper and Jeff Snyder, decided upon a theme for the year – a theme that is not only playful and profound but inclusive: Create Lollipop Moments. What does this mean? In a kickoff assembly, the student council encouraged their peers to take time every day to do little things that would brighten the day of a classmate -- small acts of kindness. Something as simple as handing someone a lollipop, paying a compliment, or opening a door can create a ripple of goodwill that can strengthen relationships and our middle school community. In the words of Student Body President Sophia Rajan, “We want to change this middle school. We want the simple acts of kindness to influence everyone. One simple act of kindness can dramatically change someone’s day.” The student council is challenging all of us to think about and strengthen our character. Two of the most powerful avenues we have for helping our students focus on character development are our advisory program and our Trojan Outdoor Experience program. These initiatives do not operate in a bubble. Rather, they help create a foundation of courage and cooperation that permeates our academic program. For example, during the opening days of school, students and teachers donned their tie-dyed advisory t-shirts, and together we played. We played team-building games such as “All Aboard” (where a whole group had to balance on
6
Day in and day out, the middle school faculty models the habits of mind and heart we hope to inspire in our students increasingly smaller platforms long enough to sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”) and “Cross the River” (where groups wordlessly used “stepping stones” to help one another cross a “river” without getting wet). Our TOE Director Blake Amos led the faculty in these games during our in-service meetings, and faculty in turn guided our students. And to keep the chain of leadership growing, seventh- and eighth-grade Student Council members helped facilitate the games for our younger students! Day in and day out, the middle school faculty models the habits of mind and heart we hope to inspire in our students. Through work and play, experimentation and effort, dignity and grace, they are not just teachers – they are exemplars. Here’s one example: Over the last several months, the faculty has engaged in a team-based curricular review process to explore how individual courses fit within the larger dynamic of the middle school’s academic program. We have written standards, reviewed content, and discussed who we hope our students will be when they leave us in eighth grade. We now use a system called Rubicon Atlas to “map” our curriculum. These curriculum maps will allow us to run sophisticated analyses of our overall academic program and ask questions such as: Are there any gaps or redundancies that need to be corrected?
Do departments employ a common language for talking about research or writing or lab protocol? How does one grade build upon another? What opportunities exist for cross-grade and cross-curricular collaboration? How can we deliberately integrate more 21st-century skills, more global initiatives, more opportunities for leadership and more problem-solving?
As I have watched the teachers engage in this work, I am struck by how much fun they have talking to one another, sharing ideas, planning and dreaming together. It’s work, but it’s also the best kind of play. Biologist Marc Bekoff writes, “Play is training for the unexpected.” So much of what we do in the middle school – from team-building to TOE, from advisory to academics – is designed to prepare students for a future beyond our walls. When I watch our community in action each day, I can’t help but think that the future has never looked brighter.
7
W
hat an incredible week the eighth graders experienced September 30 to October 6 as they traveled to Washington, DC; Gettysburg, PA; and Harper’s Ferry, WV! The “ultimate field trip” found the students visiting Smithsonian museums, walking the halls of the Capitol, encountering symbols of great people and events of U.S. history at the beautiful monuments, pondering the horrors of the Holocaust, and everywhere ingesting information about our country’s past and present. Four students - Anna Kuo, Isabella Mishaan, Asiyah Saeed, and Ted Herman - presented a wreath bearing the name “Trinity Valley School” to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in a very moving ceremony.
History and TOE Make A Perfect Pair 8
Mary-Mac Elliott Eighth-grade History Instructor A bus ride to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania took the students to the heart of the Civil War and on to Manidokan Retreat Center in West Virginia for the TOE portion of the trip. Once there, students and chaperones canoed on Antietam Creek, rafted on the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, and hiked Maryland Heights overlooking Harper’s Ferry. These outdoor challenges in the midst of places where major historic events played out served to deepen student understanding even more. Throughout the week, students learned not only how to work together as a group but also what strengths each possesses while traveling far from home. The chaperones - Dr. Mike Kris, Mary-Mac Elliott, Blake Amos, Laura Montgomery, Pat Cooper, Jeff Snyder, Jeremiah Russell, Gerry Cumpiano, Johnny Miller, and Dr. Michael Browne - wish to thank the students for representing TVS in wonderful fashion and the parents for entrusting your eighth graders to us. This trip was truly an experience of a lifetime! Washington Trip Highlights INCLUDED: The Air and Space Museum The Natural History Museum The Lincoln Memorial The Jefferson Memorial The Martin Luther King Memorial The Vietnam Veterans Memorial The Korean War Veterans Memorial The Albert Einstein Memorial The Roosevelt Memorial The World War Two Memorial The Iwo Jima Memorial The Newseum The United States Capitol The Crime and Punishment Museum Arlington National Cemetery (Wreath-Laying Ceremony on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) Ford's Theater The Kennedy Center Gettysburg Battlefield Antietam Battlefield and Creek The Holocaust Museum The Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers Maryland Heights at Harper's Ferry
9
T V S M E S S AG E
The
F R O M
T H E
H E A D
O F
U P P E R
S C H O O L
Heart of TVS
A Timeless Education: True to our past and relevant for the future Chris Gunnin, B.A., M.A.
W
hen I visited Trinity Valley as a candidate four years ago, I was immediately struck by one aspect of the School’s culture: this was an academic community that pushed itself to continue to grow in innovative ways. One can hardly walk across campus without hearing conversations about new initiatives in the classrooms and innovative ideas for new programs. Ours is a community where, as a mentor of mine often says, “good enough is never good enough.” Teachers routinely explore creative ways to shape their curricula and instruction and engage students in learning. Club sponsors work with students to imagine new opportunities and partnerships beyond our campus. Even our students regularly propose new activities, new club ideas, and new program ideas. At every level, our community challenges its own assumptions, questions its current practices and programs, and strives to create even better methods of supporting and inspiring young people.
Evidence abounds that ours is a dynamic learning community that regularly reinvents itself: our recent membership in the Virtual High School collaborative, our recent partnership with the European Teachers Education Network (E.T.E.N.), our S.A.L.S.A. Club in the upper School (Students Advocating Life without Substance Abuse), our a capella choir, our healthy, whole-food-based cafeteria program, our computer science offerings (Digital Image Processing and Computer Graphics and Systems and Devices: Programming for Mobile Devices and Microcontrollers), our Global Initiatives programs, our robust guest speaker programs. These initiatives have been implemented in the last year or two and are proof that ours is a lively and dynamic learning community. This ability to grow
and remain current is an essential quality of a community whose mission is to prepare students to be leaders in a rapidly changing world. Yet, with all of these forward-looking efforts, I also feel a need to look back at our School’s past to honor the parts of our program and community that are tried and true. We should continue to embrace the timeless qualities that first established TVS as a premier academic community. In an institution that has such a strong history and legacy, we are wise to hold tight to the enduring qualities that should remain at the heart of who we are: Our students join us eager to learn. They engage fully in the classrooms, in the studios, and on the playing fields. As artists and athletes they train, compete,
our opportunities
are extraordinary. There is not
a sense of
entitlement or
privilege; rather, there is a call to serve with the
regular reminder that “to whom
much is given,
much is expected.”
and perform with intensity. As scholars, they study with purpose, and as citizens and leaders, they serve others with full hearts. TVS students do not merely go through the motions; they invest themselves enthusiastically in the programs across and beyond campus. Our teachers model this commitment to purpose. They are content masters in their fields as well as educators who are devoted to inspiring young people. They model lifelong learning and are enthusiastic about the joys of scholarship. They are experienced experts in child development, and they offer wise counsel to students (and occasionally parents) about the process of becoming people who will make a difference in the world. Our community is also defined by its commitment to character and citizenship. We develop minds and bodies, but we also develop hearts. It is not enough to be experts in a field if we are not able to cultivate the relationships that allow us to put our expertise to good use in the service of others. At the heart of the TVS community is a call to service. Our parents lead the charge as they volunteer in countless
ways at the school and in the broader community. Our students follow their lead by involving themselves in service to Fort Worth and beyond. I am often moved by the fact that the student organization with the highest level of student participation is the Community Service Club. TVS will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the community service program this year with the challenge for the upper school to collectively give 25,000 hours of service. Knowing our community, I bet we do it. Also at the heart of our community is an effort to strike a balance in life. While I celebrate our seriousness of purpose, I also observe a healthy equilibrium on campus between rigorous scholarship and the lively camaraderie and joyful occasions. Our pep rallies, our social events, our student dances, our assemblies, our field trips and TOE trips, our Howdy weeks and Homecoming weeks and special events like Gump Day and Trojan Idol provide hearty opportunities where we can celebrate one another and the warm community we enjoy.
our opportunities are extraordinary. There is not a sense of entitlement or privilege; rather, there is a call to serve with the regular reminder that “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
We often celebrate the timeless education that TVS provides, and I think there is no truer phrase to describe that which is most extraordinary about our community. That timeless gift is grounded in our ability to remain true to our past while reinventing ourselves to remain current and relevant in a changing world. At the heart of our community are enduring traits; these traits were at the heart of our success in the early days of Trinity Valley, and they remain at the heart of who we are in our 54th year. But with our habit of exploring new additions, we also make sure that TVS will be as strong in the future as it has been in the past and that we position our current students for their extraordinary futures.
Finally, within the core of our community is a pervasive awareness that we are all a part of something special. We know our legacy is unique and that
11
SUNNAE HILER, Community Service Sponsor, Upper School Registrar, Upper School Administrative Assistant
COMMUNITY SERVICE PAYS IT FORWARD The TVS Community Service Club officers and members are pleased to announce the allocation of $1,000 to the school’s endowment fund. Community Service President Sophie Hoch said, "As a community service club, we felt that giving back to the School is what embodies the true heart of the Trinity Valley student body: to give freely and support and serve those around us.” Hoch, together with the club’s Vice-President Mary Faith Banken, has participated in the TVS Community Partners Program for the past two summers. They have seen the importance of having a strong endowment and the benefits that organizations will have as the result of these living gifts. “It was a privilege being able to pass on such a memorable gift presented to the club that we wanted to share that feeling of gratitude and generous impact with the school," she said. The donation was originally received from McDonald’s of Greater North Texas in honor of TVS having the most highschool participation in the 2012 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. "It is humbling to know that one gift can have so much power," Hoch added.
PR and Special Drives Chair Avery Crofford agrees.
“A stronger school community means stronger efforts to help the community of Fort Worth and beyond. It is nice knowing that this gift of $1,000 will continue to grow as part of the TVS endowment.” The club formally presented Dr. Gary Krahn with a check symbolizing the donation at an upper school assembly on October 3. The community service program was founded in 1987. The Community Service Club is currently co-sponsored by Molly Holden and Sunnae Hiler.
12 19
Upper School Speaker Series Fall 2012 The Upper School Speaker Series provides marvelous opportunities for our students to hear from influential and significant professionals. Below are the Fall 2012 offerings. Thursday, September 27, 2012 Dr. Don Reynolds Why Must Elections Be So Chaotic? Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Rutledge Lecture Stephen Prothero God is not one: the eight rival religions that run the world – and why their differences matter Friday, October 12, 2012 Marty Bowen Producer of the Twilight movies Thursday, October 18, 2012 Dr. James W. Riddlesperger, Jr. TCU Political Science Department Red States, Blue States, Purple States Monday, November 5, 2012 Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD Dietitian: TCU, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, USA Track and Field Thursday, November 8, 2012 Mayor Betsy Price, Fort Worth and Mayor Tobias Eschenbacher, Freising, Germany Thursday, December 13, 2012 Dr. Peter DeLisle Director of Leadership Studies Posey Leadership Institute at Austin College
13
Meet the New TVS Board of Trustees President
Kim Medley
elcome to the 2012-2013 school year! My name is Kim Medley, and I am honored to be serving as president of the TVS Board of Trustees. There are 35 trustees on the Board this year, including the president of the Parents’ Club and the president of our Alumni Board, who serve as ex officio members. Every trustee is a volunteer who is dedicated to the School and its mission. The Board of Trustees focuses on three main areas: establishing the strategic direction of the School; ensuring that the School’s programs align with our mission and philosophy; and ensuring the financial sustainability of the School. The Board is not responsible for the day-to-day operations of the School, nor is it involved in the hiring or evaluation of any faculty or staff member, except for the Head of School. As is true with most boards, much of our work is done at the committee level. We have nine standing committees: audit; buildings and grounds, campus life, development, endowment, executive, finance, human resources, and trustees. Each committee’s members include trustees and, except for the executive, human resources, and trustees committees, individuals who are not trustees. Most committees also have a faculty representative and a staff liaison. The chair of each committee serves on the Executive Board and sets the committee’s meeting schedule and goals for the year. The audit committee assists with oversight of the School’s financial reporting process, its system of internal controls, its financial statement audit process, and its process for monitoring compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and school policies. The buildings and grounds committee reviews the design, construction, and maintenance of all buildings and facilities and oversees the improvement and maintenance of the School’s grounds. The facilities standards subcommittee, which reviews matters related to the design and appearance of the School’s facilities in order to maintain the aesthetic integrity of the campus. The development committee oversees all fundraising activities of the School, other than charges and fees connected with the actual operation of the
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” winston churchill
Kim is excited to serve as Board president. In the article to the right, she introduces herself and highlights the responsibilities of the TVS board.
W
Kim Medley has just begun her term as president of the Trinity Valley School Board of Trustees. Kim has been on the board for nine years and has three children who all started in kindergarten at TVS. Ryan McGartland graduated in 2010, Natalie McGartland will graduate in 2013, and Sarah McGartland is in eighth grade. Since enrolling her first child in kindergarten, Kim has served TVS in many roles including vice-president of the Board, development committee chair, Parents’ Club president, Auction chair; Annual Giving chair, division room parent coordinator and room parent on numerous occasions for her three children. In addition to her current role as Board president, Kim is serving as the chair for the comprehensive campaign for TVS.
14
School, tuition, and projects under the auspices of the TVS Parents’ Club and the TVS Alumni Association. The campus life committee, in consultation with the Head of School, reviews and recommends to the Board of Trustees the program policies of the School as they relate to the academic, athletic, fine arts, and student life portions of the School’s program. For example, this committee oversaw the evaluation of our cafeteria services and the implementation of our new dining program. The endowment committee is responsible for the management of the School’s endowment fund and recommends to the Board of Trustees the selection or retention of one or more professional investment advisors. The committee also sets policies for the investment advisors to follow and reports results to the Board on a regular basis. The executive committee is composed of the president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer of the Board, the immediate past president of the Board for the year following his or her term, and the chairs of all the standing committees. The Head of School also sits on the committee but does not
vote. The executive committee may exercise any power and authority of the Board of Trustees that is delegated by the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the School. The finance committee reviews the financial affairs of the School and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding operating and capital budgets, overall salaries, tuition, and other business affairs.
as a Board is to be transparent to our community. Toward that goal, for the past several years, we have held a town hall meeting on campus to provide an update on the state of the School and to address your questions. This year’s meeting will be held on Monday, February 4, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. I look forward to seeing you there!
The human resources committee is responsible for reviewing and monitoring the human resources policies of the School and conducting the annual performance appraisal of the Head of School. The trustees committee, with input from the various constituencies of the School, nominates trustees, officers of the Board, and members of all standing committees other than the audit, executive, human resources, and trustees committees. This committee is also responsible for the orientation of new trustees as to their duties and responsibilities, and for the training and evaluation of all trustees.
Kim Medley Board of Trustees President
Members of the Board of Trustees include current parents, alumni parents, grandparents, and alumni. Our desire
15
Elena Keltner ’13 and Deborah Farmer Kris Would this concept work at the high school level? Nine eager students joined the course, and Radio Shack was so excited by the idea that it agreed to sponsor the class by providing Arduino micro controllers and many of the electronic components.
Machines
Drawing Come to TVS
Trinity Valley School actively looks for opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary projects — projects that allow them to explore the connection between math and science, music and drama, history and literature, robotics and art. Wait a minute . . . robotics and art? Over the summer, TVS upper school students had a rare opportunity to merge art and science under the expert tutelage of TVS computer science teacher Dr. Ginger Alford and University of Utah Computer Engineering Professor Dr. Erik Brunvand. The three-day workshop, entitledDrawing Machines, was billed as “a project-based computer engineering course with a twist of studio art:”
Students will learn to program microcontrollers that they will then embed in kinetic art projects to build drawing machines. Examples of drawing machines include a "spider-like" sculpture, with pencils as legs, that "walks" toward light and makes drawings . . . Imagination will drive project direction and technical instruction will help make the creative vision a reality. Dr. Alford took her inspiration for the course from a computer science educators’ course she attended that described an art and engineering class that had been piloted at a college. The idea was simple: use computer programming and robotics to create an art-making machine! As Dr. Alford explained, “The product is the art, but it’s also the machine.”
The summer students first created a prototype with foamboard. From there, they added their own creativity to decide how to program their machines. What would cause it to start drawing? What would cause it to change direction? Some people used sensors on their machine, and someone could walk toward and away from the machine and different colors would be used on the paper. Picture a machine that is programmed to bounce back when it hits an obstacle, changing course and charting its course in ink. One student decided to display his machine as a piece of art, with drawings that the machine had created placed behind it – a bit of an homage to Andy Warhol – while yet another class member added a paintbrush to his machine. “I think everyone found a way to build and program machines that worked at their level,” said Dr. Alford. The course itself was an experiment. Would this concept work at the high school level? Nine eager students joined the course, and Radio Shack was so excited by the idea that it agreed to sponsor the class by providing Arduino micro controllers and many of the electronic components. And what about the guest professor from Utah? “He’s amazing,” said Dr. Alford. “He’s a master teacher.” Students gave the course rave reviews. TVS student Calum Aldridge said he enjoyed working with his friends while creating “actual working machines that can draw.” He added, “I would definitely recommend it to any and all students interested in learning about robots and art.”
16
Jacob Haydel '17, Paul Jackson '14 and Ty Templin '12 programmed their machine to turn when it detected an obstacle. Kenneth Cochrum '15 setting up paintbrushes on a huge piece of paper. Andre arellano '16 created an interactive feature connecting the arm of his machine to not only move in a circular motion but to also change color selection.
24
T V S A D M I S S I O N S
historic enrollment the number of students accepting their offer of admission to TVS for the 2012-13 school year was the highest in 15 years
Judith Kinser, Director of Admissions
F
all 2012 marks the largest enrollment in TVS’s history, with 973 students! Most grades are at, or slightly above, their target size, with only three grades slightly below their goal. Overall, we have no plan to be larger than our current size, but it is nice to remain the school of choice for enrolled families and new families alike. The rate of attrition, or students choosing to leave TVS, is roughly half that of comparable schools around the country. This reflects a high degree of satisfaction with our school.
When I talk with prospective families about what creates this environment, I include our incredible faculty, dynamic leadership, and parents who understand and support the School’s mission for their children. We have welcomed 148 new Trojans to campus this fall. We are especially pleased that our yield, or the number of students accepting their offer of admission to TVS, was the highest in 15 years. New students have been quickly absorbed through teddy bear picnics, TOE trips, advisory t-shirt making, and Howdy Week festivities, to name just a few of our fall celebrations. We are excited about our new students and families, and look forward to weaving them into the fabric of the school.
Alice Pritchett
As we quickly move into another season of admissions events, I am delighted to introduce our new Associate Director of Admissions, Alice Pritchett. Alice and her husband, John, have two sons at TVS - John in second grade, and Philip in kindergarten. Alice is already a great addition to the many events and activities of the Admissions office. Time and again, families state that their original interest in Trinity Valley began through family or friends. Please continue to spread the good word about TVS and encourage people to attend one of the Admissions events listed.
18
DiningServices Chris Coble Earns Rave Reviews
Tim Jones, Executive Chef Search Committee Co-Chair and Cafeteria Volunteer Liaison/Athletic Director Last spring, Trinity Valley School hired Executive Chef Chris Coble to coordinate our dining service for the 2012-2013 school year and beyond. Prior to coming to TVS, Coble was the owner/operator of Your Personal Chef for 13 years. Chef Coble was trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, receiving an A.O.S. in Culinary Arts in 1991. TVS felt that by coordinating the dining service in house, instead of outsourcing to a for-profit company, we could help control the costs to our families while providing higherquality, more nutritious food for our students. Chef Coble noted that after five weeks of daily lunch service, the fryer in the kitchen had only been used three times. He was very proud of that statistic. The daily lunch consists of two made-from-scratch soups, a salad bar, a baked potato bar, a pasta station, and a hot lunch. TVS diners are able to create any combination of the available lunch items, so every student and faculty member is able to find something he or she likes to eat every day. Desserts are not a daily option, but are available at various times as a treat, usually on Fridays or before a school holiday.
The School’s primary goal in providing in-house dining for students and faculty was to offer nutritious, tasty food at a reasonable cost. Chef Coble stated that the amount of salad being consumed daily has surprised him. “It is evident now that the TVS student was really craving more healthy options for lunch,” he shared. In fact, after five weeks of serving the TVS community, the cafeteria has been averaging close to 750 trips through the lunch line daily. This culinary undertaking was never meant to be a source of additional operating dollars for the school. Therefore, to provide these wonderful services to our community at a reasonable cost, the school has enlisted the help of many parent, grandparent, and faculty/ staff volunteers to help with daily lunch service. An unexpected side benefit to the daily presence of so many volunteers from different groupings of parents and faculty/ staff is that the cafeteria has really become the central hub of the school. Chef Coble asserts that his biggest reward creates his biggest challenges. To keep up with all the
hungry Trojans, he is cooking over 100 pounds of pasta a day, and the kids are eating fresh fruits and vegetables as quickly as the kitchen staff and our troop of friendly volunteers can restock the line. Come see for yourself and experience a taste of TVS.
“I love eating in the new cafeteria. It was an easy choice for me to do the ‘all-in’ option to eat every day! I love how the choices are now healthy. When I think about the types of foods that have been offered before, there is no doubt in my mind that this was a great direction for the school to take. I often take a picture of my tray of food and send it to my husband who teaches at another local school. Let's just say he's jealous too! My favorite option is the salad bar. I love having fresh and healthy options.” Laura Montgomery Middle School Science Instructor If you are interested in volunteering to help us in this adventure in dining, sign up using the TVS Volunteer Web site trinityvalleyschool.org/parentsclub.
19
T V S PA R E N T S '
C LU B
PARENTS’ CLUB
Positively Supports TVS 2012-2013 PARENTS' CLUB BOARD Officers President Susan LaNasa President-Elect Stephanie Allen Secretary Karen Parrish Treasurer Janet Hinkle Standing Committee Chairs Annual Giving Chairs Crystal Bolt & Susi Fillmore Booster Club Joe Gallagher Box Top Coordinator D’Anne Dorough Cafeteria Volunteer Coordinators Amy Buchanan & Tamara Willmann Directory Coordinator Bea Kutzler Faculty/Staff Appreciation Angie Hoang & Carrie Fisk Fall Family Festival Erin Benson & Stacy Grau Field Day Kate Snow & Angela Swienton Forum Kelly Hanley & Shelley Karpman Friends of the Trojan Arts (FTA) Lauren Sims-Norville Grandparents' Day Angel Baker & Amy McGowen
Grants for Greatness Carol Williams Holiday Gift Cards Amy Purifoy Link Coordinator Nancy Hiles Middle School Bingo Margaret Sudderth & Melinda Whitlock Q&A with School Administrators Kim Cordell & Linda Whitehead Division Room Parent Coordinators Angela Yonke (LS), Heather Breiter (MS), Ann Zadeh (US) School Supplies Alice Pritchard Trojan Outdoor Experience (TOE) Parent Presidents Stephanie & Brian Allen TVS Auction Sherry Brown & Ashley Crisp TVS Cares Laura Cano West & Molly Gamades TVS Connects Cyrena Allen Uniform Resale Ayeshia White Volunteer Web site Leela Hattarki Blake & Gloria Fahrenthold
Time is a most valued resource, and the dedicated volunteers who comprise the TVS Parents' Club continue to give freely of their time, talents, and energy in order to impact the Trinity Valley community. Our gifted chairs and their committees started working this summer and have continued to organize and carry out the wonderful programs sponsored by the Parents' Club. Before school started, Ayeshia White headed up the most successful uniform resale to date, and Alice Pritchard ordered and distributed school supplies to all students in K-4th grade. Nancy Hiles, Link Coordinator, smoothed the transition and helped new families meet existing families and students before school started. Ann Zadeh, Upper School Lead Room Parent, organized an orientation for room parents school-wide. Angela Yonke represented lower school and Heather Breiter led the middle school parents. On the same day, Carrie Fisk and Angie Hoang hosted the faculty/staff appreciation luncheon with a backyard picnic theme that was enjoyed by all! The back-to-school coffee was hosted by Parents' Club President-elect, Stephanie Allen. She welcomed faculty and families back to TVS on the first day with coffee, juice, and breakfast treats. Parents' Club has added a new committee this year to facilitate volunteer coordination for our new dining service. Tamara Willmann and Amy Buchanan have worked closely with Executive Chef Chris Coble to make this program a success. They have done an incredible job recruiting and organizing volunteers; setting up classes for volunteers to earn a Food Handler's card; designing aprons to be worn while serving; teaching; supervising; and working tirelessly to serve TVS students and staff. This program has had an overwhelming impact on the TVS community by providing nutritious food that tastes great, with more efficient service. It's not too late to sign up and volunteer in the dining hall! This fall, Parents' Club Q&A chairs Kim Cordell and Linda Whitehead hosted five Q&A sessions with the division heads at Mira Vista
20
Susan LaNasa, TVS Parents' Club President Our gifted chairs and their committees started working this summer and have continued to organize and carry out the wonderful programs
Country Club. These were informal, yet informative meetings, where questions related to a child's grade level were addressed. The Fall Family Festival is always fun and popular. This year's chairs Stacy Grau and Erin Benson will be sure to make it a special event on Saturday, October 27. On November 16, we will honor TVS grandparents with our Grandparents’ Day celebration chaired by Angel Baker and Amy McGowen. Amy Purifoy will thank all faculty and staff with Thanksgiving gift cards from the Parents' Club and holiday gift cards from all TVS students to wish them the happiest of holidays. D'Anne Dorough is in charge of the Box Tops collection this year. Please clip box
tops off of participating grocery items and send to school with your student. Last year TVS earned almost $1,500 from this program and purchased flags from around the globe which are colorfully displayed in the dining hall for all to enjoy. Bea Kutzler produced the TVS family directory this year. Each family received a directory compliments of the Parents' Club. Additional directories may be purchased for $5 in Central Administration. The Grants for Greatness program is chaired by Carol Williams this year. This program will grant teacher requests for educational supplies and equipment that is not covered under the School’s operating budget. This year, the Parents'
Club will allocate $50,000 toward grants to enhance our students’ learning experiences. These grants are made possible by Auction revenue. The TVS Auction is our only fundraiser and will be chaired by Ashley Crisp and Sherry Brown on April 6, 2013. Please plan in advance to attend this social event. Thank you to all for your time and talent! We appreciate all you do for TVS! With gratitude, Susan LaNasa
STEM Workshop Trinity Valley School Gary Krahn, Ph.D. This summer, three professors from the United States Military Academy gave up several vacation days to spend time at TVS exposing our middle school students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This two-day workshop held at Trinity Valley School provided rising fifth through ninth graders the opportunity to explore solutions to problems with hands‐on projects. Each student spent one day in the bridge workshop and one day in the robotics workshop. The projects were meant to be fun and thought provoking. Building Bridges Workshop: In this bridge-building workshop, students used computer technology and mechanical know-how to design, build, and test a bridge with both physical building apparatuses and computer-aided design (CAD) tools. Students witnessed the connection between computer solutions (using software) and actually building a physical structure designed to support a vehicle. Both of these exercises allowed students the opportunity for independent, creative thought and to work as a team solving problems.
Robotics Workshop: Like the bridge-building project, robotics afforded students an opportunity to conduct hands‐on experiments that involved the construction of a robotic system and the programming of computer software which enabled the robot to perform a given task. The Lego Mindstorms program is ideally suited to motivate middle school students interested in mathematics and science. It provides a window into the world of technology and problem solving. When Thomas Jefferson signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy, he fully embraced the importance of “useful sciences” in education and in the protection of our nation. He took this action after ensuring that those attending the Academy would be representative of a democratic society. This summer workshop aligns with the vision of Jefferson and West Point by increasing the number and improving the performance of students in STEM.
This aligns with TVS’s vision of exposing our students to different perspectives and our goal to graduate competent and confident problem solvers.
22 29
Blake Amos Director of the Trojan Outdoor Experience
SUMMERTOE In June, the TOE program, along with Byron Marlowe from the Life Adventure Center in Kentucky, took 17 students and three TVS parents to the Exhuma Islands in the Bahamas. Our group lived on three boats for the week where we were taught to spearfish, explored deserted islands, and learned to sail. This was not a cruise, but an authentic experience learning what it is like to live on the sea. The students bathed in the ocean, caught their daily meals, and learned how to clean and cook their catch. Spearfishing with sling and pull spears was a daily highlight and an activity at which the entire crew became exceedingly good. Each day, we sailed along the chain of over 300 islands to find new fishing grounds, walk on uninhabited shores, and anchor in beautiful coves for our evening harbor. We dove in Thunderball Grotto, witnessed the incredible swimming pigs, walked pristine beaches, and hooked 30-pound tuna. We were privileged to work with a crew of experienced captains and wonderful adventure staff that generously shared their various areas of expertise. One graduated senior stated, "This was easily the best TOE trip of my 13 years at TVS."
A parent told me, "This trip helped to transform my son, so something magical happened on the boats that week and it was priceless." Many thanks to our "Trojan Crew." As always it was not the place, nor the staff, but the students who made this such an amazing and memorable experience. Come join us in 2014 when we head back.
30 23
FALL 2012
T V S A DVA N C E ME N T MARGARET KRAMER Director of Advancement CLARE PRITCHETT Director of External Affairs and Major Gifts ASHLEY WHITE Development Projects Coordinator
TVS Welcomes Stephen Seleny Society New Member The Stephen Seleny Society was established in 1999 as the TVS planned giving society for those that have remembered TVS in their estate plans.
An alum parent, Aileen Gauntt, has notified TVS of her intention to include the school in her estate plans. Aileen says her inspiration for leaving a continuing legacy is that “an endowed financial aid award was established in memory of my son, Byron (Class of ’89), by parents and classmates. I wanted to make sure it continues, as it fills a need.”
Ella C. McFadden Financial Aid Award
TVS established this award in 2012 in celebration of Mrs. McFadden’s tremendous generosity to the school. Her legacy continues through the Ella C. McFadden Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of North Texas, and it reminds us that the power of one person can change lives for generations. Ella believed in supporting our community’s most fragile members as well as those with the potential for greatness. The purpose of this award is to provide tuition assistance to a promising student.
26
Paul E. Andrews, Jr. Foundation
Encourages Major Gifts Offers $1 – 1 Match!
To encourage major gifts to the Trinity Valley School endowment and specific facility priorities identified by TVS, the Paul E. Andrews, Jr. Foundation has issued TVS a grant whereby the Foundation will match new gifts and pledges of $25,000 and $50,000 received through December 31, 2012, up to a total of $1 million. Gifts to the endowment will support faculty development, programming, and financial aid. Contributions to facilities will go to an emerging building campaign. Only a pledge is needed by the end of 2012 to qualify for matching funds, and pledges may be paid out over a period of up to five years. Your gift can positively impact TVS in many ways; a gift of $50,000 can start an endowed award or fund in honor or in memory of a loved one. This matching grant does not apply to Annual Giving. TVS is incredibly grateful to the Andrews Family for this generous opportunity, and we thank the wide range of parent, alumni parent, alumni, grandparent, student, and community donors who have already participated in the Match to date. Please contact Clare Pritchett Lorimer, Director of External Affairs and Major Gifts, at 817-321-0113 or pritchettc@trinityvalleyschool.org to learn more about the Andrews Match and our emerging endowment and building campaign.
Only a pledge is needed by the end of 2012 to qualify for matching funds, and pledges may be paid out over a period of up to five years.
27
Kathryn Davis, Director of Alumni Relations
Lizzy McNamara greets visitors at the Fort Worth Zoo Beastro.
TROJANS
on the Trinity Internship Program
From its beginnings as a twinkle in the eye of alum Rowan Claypool ’76, to its successful conclusion in August 2012, the inaugural year of Trojans on the Trinity was a labor of great love for the Fort Worth and Trinity Valley communities. The results exceeded expectations for employers and participants alike, and the program gained traction that is certain to propel it to exponential success. Trojans on the Trinity (TOTT) is a program offering paid, summer internships in various fields to Trinity Valley School graduates after completion of their sophomore, junior, and senior years in college. The internships are located in Fort Worth in order to accomplish the primary goal of the program, which is to bring Fort Worth’s best and brightest back to our great city. It is the hope of TOTT leadership that, by participating in these internships, along with mentoring and cultural education, alums will develop a desire to make Fort Worth their home after college graduation. Trojans on the Trinity is an outgrowth of Bulldogs Across America, a program founded by TVS alum Rowan Claypool ’76 for Yale University students. The programs differ in scope and size, but the spirit of both is the same: Strengthen a city by bringing in bright, young adults to enhance that city’s business and cultural bases. In order to accomplish this lofty and long-term goal, focus/ information groups and committees began meeting in the
spring of 2011 and worked diligently to establish a pool of job possibilities from which alumni could choose. Employment for TOTT interns was designed to provide significant work experience that connected the intern to the organization. Terms of employment were between the intern and the employer, though most participants worked 20-40 hours per week for the program’s duration, approximately 10 weeks. All TOTT internships were paid positions, which differentiated them from other summer internships the students could have chosen. Beginning in the fall of 2011, targeted alumni (Classes of 2008, 2009, and 2010) were contacted by email about the program, and were encouraged to keep an eye open for the employment list that would be unveiled in mid-December. This target date was chosen so that the alums could search for summer jobs while on their winter break from school. These alums’ parents were emailed as well, so that they might provide an extra boost of encouragement. On December 16, 2011, the list went live on the TVS Web site. To this initial grouping of jobs, more were added throughout the spring, with periodic email pushes to students (and occasionally to parents) to inform of updates to the list. Concurrently, other committees met to plan meaningful programming opportunities for the interns. Though these young people did not need to learn about Fort Worth from the ground up, TOTT sought to educate them about what makes
28
It wasn't until recently that I realized how important Trinity Valley was to me and my continuing development. We, as TVS grads, were lucky enough to attend an institution that not only offered a top-tier education, but also helps foster success well after high school. Most parents will pay tuition to a private school thinking they are writing a check for improved curriculum and smaller class sizes. At TVS you get those things, but your tuition goes so much further: establishing contacts with some of the most influential people in the DFW business scene, forging relationships with teachers and mentors that extend well past graduation, and Trinity Valley's lifelong commitment to your success.
Clay Hooper ’08, TOTT intern
the city a sought-after place to live, work, and play. In order to do that, the programming committee provided the interns with a wonderful variety of opportunities to see up-andcoming parts of the city, and to meet persons of influence who make Fort Worth so vibrant. Additionally, the interns were assigned mentors. The mentorship component of Trojans on the Trinity sought to provide each intern with a solid example of responsibility and work/ adult behavior through interactions with a caring and understanding individual previously unacquainted with the intern. At the end of the summer, the interns possessed increased confidence about adult exchanges and accountability. Mentors in 2012 included older TVS alumni, alum parents, and a current parent. By late spring, five graduates had chosen internships. Most began work in late May or early June. To kick off the program with flair, all participants and mentors gathered at Joe T. Garcia’s for a welcome dinner. The guest speaker was Fort Worth Chamber President Bill Thornton, who spoke about Fort Worth in clear and adult terms, and shared with these interns many of the aspects of the city that make it unique and desirable for living. All participants left this meeting armed with a new appreciation for Fort Worth. The internships quickly began, and the young employees enjoyed rousing success. This quintet experienced defining internships at American Airlines, Camp Fire, the Fort Worth
Zoo, the National Cutting Horse Association, and Texas Health Resources Harris Southwest Hospital. During the summer, interns were able to interface with older TVS alumni who have taken entrepreneurial journeys in Fort Worth. Food truck owners Natalie Gamez ’07 of Red Jett Sweets and Bryce Tomberlin ’06 of The Wiener Man spoke to TOTT interns at The Greener Good, owned by Elizabeth Sykes Johnston ’00 in the bustling So7 area. The seasoned businesspeople encouraged and inspired the interns to follow their dreams, even when those veered off a more traditional path. Later in the summer, interns traveled to the hip Magnolia area to have lunch with Assistant City Manager Susan Alanis and City Council representative Danny Scarth, himself a TVS alum, class of ’79. These two shared Fort Worth from the inside out, opening the eyes of the interns. The Trojans on the Trinity closing event featured Brett McClung, current TVS parent and president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest. He gave gentle guidance to the interns about growing up, assuming responsibility, and maintaining perspective throughout. After he spoke, each intern gave a presentation recapping his or her summer. The universal message was one of appreciation for the TOTT opportunity and gratitude for the incredible lessons that accompanied each internship. The participating employers found the TOTT interns capable and worthy employees. At summer’s end, one intern was
29
offered a job that would begin upon that person’s college graduation, and another was encouraged by her place of employment to apply for a full-time position, which she was offered in October (and accepted!) Employers have much to gain from employing Trinity Valley grads for the summer. Not only does the organization enjoy bright, skilled interns for 10 weeks, but it also can make early connections to future full-time employees whose strong educational foundations from TVS have been buoyed by the academic requirements at top-notch universities. Brett McClung, whose organization provided an internship, remarked, “Texas Health Southwest has a longstanding commitment to community partnerships, and we are pleased to be a part of Trojans on the Trinity. The program is a wonderful educational opportunity for young people, and a great way to help our best students grow the roots that will keep them in Fort Worth.” Bill Thornton, President and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, has similar views about retaining great minds in Fort Worth. He says, “The Fort Worth Chamber and Vision FW (the young professionals group of the Fort Worth Chamber) appreciate the importance of providing a community that promotes ample employment opportunities and an environment that nurtures entrepreneurs and small businesses for future generations. With a growing number of baby boomers set to leave the workforce over the next several years, the Gen X and Gen Y demographic are becoming an increasingly sought-after group with many choices of where to live and work. Engaging them now gives Fort Worth the competitive advantage it will need later when cities across the country will be competing for young talent.” Thornton continues, “The Trojans on the Trinity program aligns well with Vision FW and the Fort Worth Chamber’s efforts to attract and retain top young talent to the community. Our hope is that these programs will help Fort Worth become a premier destination for those seeking a great community in which to live, work, and play.” Amanda Killinger Lewis, Development Director, Fort Worth Zoo, was excited about the Zoo’s affiliation with TOTT. “The Fort Worth Zoo is pleased to be partnering with Trojans on the Trinity to engage Fort Worth’s brightest young citizens through the summer internship program. Our organization knows the importance of providing special opportunities to attract these young leaders to our city at the time when they are planning their post-college futures. Our nationally ranked Zoo is one of Fort Worth’s greatest treasures, in part because of the leaders in our community who have supported its mission over the last 20 years. We are now looking to the younger generations to identify those who can continue this tradition of support and service to the Fort Worth Zoo. This kind of internship program is paramount to our efforts.” Perhaps the best testimony to the heart of Trojans on the Trinity is offered by Clay Hooper, who interned at American Airlines and who shares the following: “It wasn't until recently that I realized how important Trinity Valley was to me and my continuing development. We, as TVS grads, were lucky enough to attend an institution that not only offered a top-tier education, but
Thornton continues, “The Trojans on the Trinity program aligns well with Vision FW and the Fort Worth Chamber’s efforts to attract and retain top young talent to the community. Our hope is that these programs will help Fort Worth become a premier destination for those seeking a great community in which to live, work, and play.”
The seasoned businesspeople encouraged and inspired the interns to follow their dreams, even when those veered off a more traditional path. Later in the summer, interns traveled to the hip Magnolia area to have lunch with Assistant City Manager Susan Alanis and City Council representative Danny Scarth, himself a TVS alum.
Jordan Milam, Clay Hooper, Lizzy McNamara, Katie Hadobas Not pictured: Courtney Fillmore
also helps foster success well after high school. Most parents will pay tuition to a private school thinking they are writing a check for improved curriculum and smaller class sizes. At TVS you get those things, but your tuition goes so much further: establishing contacts with some of the most influential people in the DFW business scene, forging relationships with teachers and mentors that extend well past graduation, and Trinity Valley's lifelong commitment to your success.” Plans are underway for an even more dynamic program in 2013. After consulting with the interns, the TOTT team is making slight modifications to communications practices so that information will be more easily available. In order to satisfy the interests and educational pursuits of these young people, TOTT will continue to offer a wide range of job possibilities. TOTT is always seeking additional and different internships. If your company is interested in offering a paid opportunity during summer 2013, please contact tott@trinityvalleyschool.org or call Kathryn Davis at 817.321.0107 for more information about participation. Thanks to our 2012 participants and employers: Courtney Fillmore ’10 (TCU ’14): National Cutting Horse Association Katie Hadobas ’10 (Elon ’14): Camp Fire/Camp El Tesoro Clay Hooper ’08 (Texas A&M ’13): American Airlines Lizzy McNamara ’08 (South Carolina ’12): Fort Worth Zoo Jordan Milam ’10 (SMU ’13): Texas Health Resources Thanks also to our mentors: Jeff Farmer ’87 (alum, current parent, Board of Trustees member) CSG/Hull Benefits, Inc. Lauri Hadobas (alumni parent, Board of Trustees member) American Airlines Lauren Kwedar ’99 (alum, Alumni Association Board member) Paige Hendricks Public Relations Laura Miller (alumni parent, Board of Trustees member) Liberty Bank Dr. Lauren Sims-Norville (current parent) Physician
31
FRIENDS of the TROJAN ARTS Lauren Sims-Norville, President and Janna Franzwa-Canard, President Elect/Secretary
P
er aspera ad astra – Through difficulty to the stars. Fifty-three years ago a concert pianist named Stephen Seleny formed a classical education around a choir. Fifteen years ago a few parents, tired of meeting in the parking lot after shows, came inside. Championed by Michael Stevener, the first president, Friends of the Trojan Arts formed to support the fine arts of Trinity Valley School, as an extension of Parents’ Club, on the philosophy that participation in the arts fosters leadership, self-confidence, and independence. In the early years of FTA, the group provided hospitality after each theatrical performance. TVS arts advocate and former FTA President Margaret Russell recalls coordinating an allschool Arts Festival, and promoting the building of the art gallery in 2006 in conjunction with the Parents’ Club and the TVS Board of Trustees. At the request of past Co-Presidents Laura Rutledge and Cindy Moser, Dr. Krahn approved ticket sales and saw that students had school-sponsored transportation to ISAS and other arts events. Rutledge and Moser also expanded the volunteer role to produce playbills and coordinate cast meals. FTA poured punch and catered cookies for 30-plus events last year. However, FTA is not just “punch and cookies” anymore. FTA sponsors workshops, guest speakers, and capital purchases and acts as volunteer coordinators across the arts. Jo-Ann Mulroy, chair of the fine arts department, cited that she has about 275 students combined from the upper, middle, and lower schools who attend raku workshops each year. FTA also funded a continuing-education ceramics workshop for the visual arts teachers. This year, FTA will promote TVS student art all over the United States by backing The Sketchbook Project. US art teacher Janet Chaffee notes, “It’s like a road trip, except with notebooks.” The traveling exhibition will go from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Austin,
Atlanta, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, and Canada, and will ultimately be part of the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library. FTA monies allow our senior art students to show their work in a professional gallery at the end of every school year. Longtime member and past President Melissa Taylor notes that this show in particular is the culmination of years of work. This show gives the students invaluable professional art experience and promotes TVS art in the community at large. Two years ago, the FTA incorporated the literary arts to recognize the talents of student poets and writers. When the regular budget ran short for an extra guest speaker, FTA stepped up. Luke Jacob, Dean of Learning and Curriculum, added, "FTA not only helps with the logistics of informal upper school-wide events like the 'Coffee House' arts evenings, it also helps to fund more formal writing program initiatives like the annual Young Writers' Conference. But perhaps the most important thing FTA does for our young writers is to help to celebrate their work, whether this means getting the word out about a student-written play being performed on a TVS stage or simply spreading the news about a student winning a local, regional, or national writing award." Alan Buratto, Ruth Shook, and Judy Holloway nurture the vocal talents of many of our students. In 2010, 21 upper school students were able to sing at Carnegie Hall. Through a choral fundraiser, FTA was able to sponsor breakfast and lunches for the entire entourage (not a cheap thing in Manhattan) and provide funds for a special tour of the Metropolitan Opera. The choir hopes to sing once again at Carnegie Hall. Look for a choir cabaret next spring!
32
This year, FTA will promote TVS student art all over the United States by backing The Sketchbook Project. US art teacher Janet Chaffee notes, “It’s like a road trip, except with notebooks.”
Shook commented, “FTA so graciously funded Walt Hampton, a world-renowned marimba teacher and composer. He spent two days with lower school and middle school, teaching them his marimba music and drumming with them.” The arts at TVS are ever expanding and have added choral programs for all divisions as well as the upper school drum line. FTA funds the “pink out” for the drum line for breast cancer awareness. Shook is also teaching 180 students to play the marimbas and has the goal of taking them to other schools for concerts as community outreach and publicity for TVS. Currently FTA is exploring ways to help the drums get to away games safely and help the marimbas be more mobile. Each year sees an increasing number of students participating in middle school and upper school theater. Middle school drama teacher Anna Carlson, with her gift of seeing every child as a star, averages a cast of 100 middle schoolers per show crewed by the upper schoolers. FTA knows producing a musical is daunting and helps wrangle food, promotes
FTA monies allow our senior art students to show their work in a professional gallery at the end of every school year.
T V S ART S
40
Rueben Joseph '13, Double Exposed at TVS, Film
Kateland Brewster '15, Playtime, Photograph
Talia Kelly '15, Thistle, Photograph
Katie McCallum '13, The Door, Photograph
Ethan Sorokolit '15, Touchdown Catch, Film
Kateland Brewster '15, Memories, Film
Macy Clayton '15, Fort Worth from Afar, Photograph
Ryan Morris '15, A Seat with a View, Photograph
Kylie Cowden '13, Jewels, Photograph
34 41
Middle school drama teacher Anna Carlson, with her gift of seeing every child as a star, averages a cast of 100 middle schoolers per show crewed by the upper schoolers. Over the last four years, TVS Players have been nominated for more than 15 Betty Buckley Awards – the Tonys of Tarrant County.
publicity through banners and programs, recruits volunteers, and sells tickets. Carlson added, “FTA has always understood that every budgeted cent is spent during the Middle School productions. Since our numbers are high, most of the money goes to costumes and sets that will allow the students to be seen.” This year the seventh and eighth grades will produce The Little Mermaid, and the fifth and sixth grades will show off Phantom Tollbooth. More than 50 upper school students participated in upper school drama last year alone. Through the direction of upper school drama teacher Gene Sessa, they tackle the funny, master the serious, and form a company of actors fostering leadership, self-confidence, and teamwork. Over the last four years, TVS Players have been nominated for more than 15 Betty Buckley Awards – the Tonys of Tarrant County – and won Best Actress, three Best Supporting Actress, two Best Scenic Design, and Best in Lighting. This year, get a babysitter and bring the older teens to Curtains and Dead Man Walking. With technical theater teacher David Keerins and his techies, the inconceivable becomes reality. FTA funded a cyclorama (the grey screen that creates mood from light in the theater), a new light board, and new microphones so that all of TVS can be seen and heard from the stage. How does FTA do all of this? Membership! And ads for the playbills! We are proud to support TVS faculty, promote TVS arts, and initiate new opportunities for all TVS students! We provide as we are able funds for guest speakers, workshops, capital purchases, special requests from the faculty, extracurricular events, and publicity for TVS. Friends of the Trojan Arts exists to make every TVS student reach for the stars and explore their full potential.
TVS PHOTOGRAPHY (Grades 10, 11, 12) Photography I is a year-long course studying the digital camera as an art making tool. The year starts with studying the mechanics of the camera and shooting assignments that are technically driven. As the year moves along, students are expected to bring creative and original thinking to their approaches. The first semester ends with a self assignment, a personally designed set of photos. The second semester studies alternative printing methods such as cyanotypes and developing a portfolio. Equipment is provided. Students shoot photos approximately four hours a week or more outside of class.
35
I loved every second of it! We had 11 amazing organizations talk to us about their cause. All of them were great and deserving of our money. After a tough and intellectual discussion, we came to the decision of making an impact by giving more money to five of those organizations. TVS CPP Student
36
Kirsten Murphy, LS Head Librarian This class presented us with the unique opportunity to talk with John Robinson, Pete Geren, and Neils Agather, who gave us valuable advice which stuck in my mind as we listened and learned from 11 non-profit organizations in our community." TVS CPP StudenT
Community Program The Community Partners Program is a unique and incredible program that began four years ago at TVS as a two-week summer course for students entering seventh through 12th grades to learn about nonprofits and charities in our community. As part of the experience, students provide service opportunities in the community and participate as a board of directors that must decide together which of the organizations about which they learn will receive actual funding given through a grant from the Once Upon a Time Foundation. Over the last four years, the summer class has grown from a small group of eight participating students to this year’s group of 28 students. Additionally, two years ago, a spring component was added through additional grant funding allowing sixth graders and later, fourth graders, to participate in a modified version of the class. The 2012 summer marked my third year to co-facilitate the summer session of CPP, and it has been my privilege to watch our students strengthen their qualities of leadership during the class. Taking the students out into the community to participate in service opportunities is an incredible experience, and watching them come together as a board of directors to make the decision of which of all of these worthy organizations they should fund has been inspiring. We may start the two weeks not knowing each other very well, but by the end of that time we leave as friends and
Partners colleagues who have worked together to achieve the goal of making an impact in our community. What a blessing it is to work with the students who participate in the Community Partners Program!
From Marcy Roten, MS Art Teacher/US Photography Teacher I was honored to be part of CPP this summer. Working alongside Kirsten Murphy and the 28 participating students this year was a humbling experience. I was amazed at how well the students broke out of their shells to work, collaborate, and defend the decisions they made to support various organizations in our local community. The Community Partners Program opened my eyes to the many organizations in our community that need our time, talent, and treasures, and it was inspiring to see our students step up to the call of sharing their time, talent, and treasures. Together we felt like we made a difference in our community and additionally built bonds with one another through this unique class offered here at TVS. By hearing from different charities, I have realized I am really blessed and thankful for what I have. TVS CPP Student
TVS Community Partners Program: Overview of the 2012 Summer Class By the numbers, the 2012 CPP at Trinity Valley School was comprised of: • Twenty-eight students, entering grades 7 - 12 • Two faculty members, serving as facilitators of the program • A grant, giving each student $100 to support the Fort Worth community • Eleven speakers from local non-profit organizations, who presented each organization's vision as well as information about the programs and services offered
37
• • • • • • •
Three service days, where participants provided service at the organization's facility Tarrant Area Food Bank - worked in quality control room separating perishable and non-perishable foods for distribution Cancer Care Services - raised $200 through an on-site car wash, prepared home visit files, and prepared several hundred postcards to be sent to clients Catholic Charities of Fort Worth - provided a Fourth of July-themed party for the residents of CASA, the apartment facility for seniors and disabled persons A panel of Foundation Directors, comprised of John Robinson of the Amon G. Carter Foundation, Pete Geren of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, and Neils Agather of the Burnett Foundation, who provided tremendous insight for class participants as to how foundations operate and fund projects An Allocation Day, where students worked as a Board of Directors to determine funding among the non-profits represented this year A Happiness Project, designed with the purpose of recreating a smaller version of the TED experiment titled, "Can Money Buy Happiness"
The 2012 CPP also included opportunities for strengthening leadership skills, building friendships, engaging in discussions, as well as working hard, sweating, laughing, and having fun! Check out our 2012 CPP photos and see this class in action by visiting: http://youtube/8l41TJYN2Cg Organizations to be funded from the 2012 TVS Community Partners Program: Alzheimer's Association North Central Texas $769.13 Boys and Girls Club of Greater Fort Worth $650.88 Catholic Carities of Fort Worth $552.63 Tarrant Area Food Bank $521.20 Gil Children's Services $306.16 Thank you to the Once Upon a Time Foundation for supporting this class.
38
The Athletic Department Motto for the 2012-2013 School Year Is
“It’s All About
CHARACTER!” Tim Jones, Athletic Director Dedicated to the team and activity. Shows up for all practices and competitions or responsibly makes plans with coach/educator for potential absences well in advance.
COMMITMENT HONOR
Conducts self in a manner befitting a Trojan. Displays sportsmanship at all times.
AMBITION
Sets and adopts team and personal goals and works hard to achieve them.
RESPONSIBILITY
Knows and does what is expected, shows up on time, with all necessary equipment and materials.
ASSERTIVENESS
Is confidently aggressive and always in control of emotions.
COURAGE
Has the perseverance to accomplish goals regardless of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Displays a confident calmness under stress.
TEAM-FIRST ATTITUDE
Always puts the best interests of the team ahead of personal benefit.
ENTHUSIASM
Goes about everyday tasks and assignments with a positive, excited attitude.
RESPECT
Displays respect for teammates, coaches, officials, and fans at all times.
Character can be defined as the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. In our case, the “thing” we want to develop is a TVS athlete character matrix that will serve well all of our teams’ participants, regardless of their sports affiliation, both during their time with us and once they enter the larger community outside our gates. In conjunction with our motto this year, the TVS coaching staff will be discussing the following values with our student athletes: COMMITMENT, HONOR, AMBITION, RESPONSIBILITY, ASSERTIVENESS, COURAGE, TEAM-FIRST ATTITUDE, ENTHUSIASM, RESPECT. Each month our coaches will nominate members of their team to be the “CHARACTER Athlete of the Month.” We will celebrate these students in their assembly meetings in front of their peers.
Our CHARACTER Athletes exemplifying commitment for the month of August were:
Cheer – Andie Mace Cross Country – Austin Brown Field Hockey – Anne Jensen Football – Kenneth McIntyre Boys' Volleyball – Tyler Mair Girls’ Volleyball – Erin Esterlein
For September, the CHARACTER Athletes exemplifying honor were the following: Cheer – Alyson Perkins Cross Country – Michael Johns Field Hockey – Alara Stuckey Football – Bo Black Boys’ Volleyball – Thomas Blas Girls’ Volleyball – Sarah Tipping
Look for the TROJANS ATHLETICS magazine showcasing TVS student-athletes!
39
Global Initiatives in the Fall of 2012 MichAEL ROEMER, PH.D. DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL INITIATIVES
Here are some highlights exemplifying how we’re connecting our students this semester with people from different parts of the world: Emma Toddington (London, England) Assistant Pre-K teacher from Queen’s College Preparatory School visited other Lower School classes, gave presentations on London and her school, and spent time with our students for two weeks (Aug 19-31).
Paul Kessler (Former Czechoslovakia) Holocaust survivor who spoke to the 8th grade about being an up-stander against hate and prejudice. His talk overlapped with their reading/discussion of the internationally acclaimed novel Night, by Elie Wiesel. (Sept. 13) Twenty Japanese 7th & 8th graders and 2 teachers (Nagaoka, Japan) 16 TVS families hosted the students and teachers for 9 days. They spent time in our classes, explored Fort Worth, and made presentations about Nagaoka and their schools to the 6th grade Global Studies classes and various Lower School classes. (Sept. 21-29) European Teachers Education Network (Europe, China, USA) Approximately 30 Education and International Studies professors from various parts of Europe, China, and the USA will meet at TVS for a tour of our school and to talk with faculty and administrators about teaching and learning. TVS is co-hosting their annual meeting with TCU. (Sept. 27) Dr. Michael Roemer (Nagaoka, Japan) Dr. Roemer will travel to Japan as part of Fort Worth Sister Cities International’s Young Professionals Mentorship program to learn more about Japan’s education system and to meet teachers in Nagaoka, in hopes of finding a partner school to connect our students and faculty. (Oct. 2-12) Louise Juhl Jensen, Nina Grüner Kørvel, and Lisa Hansen (Denmark) These Education majors will be visiting TVS to experience teaching and learning in the USA. They will be working with our teachers and students and sharing their knowledge and experiences. (Oct. 29 – Dec. 7)
Mayor Eschenbacher (Freising, Germany) He and Fort Worth’s Mayor Price will chat about being a mayor in two cities on opposite ends of the world in front of the Upper School. (Nov. 8) Sallie Wunner (McIlheran ‘86) (Freising, Germany) Mrs. Wunner is a professional artist living in Germany, and she will be visiting TVS to talk with some of our art students. She is here for an exhibition she is opening in Dallas. (Nov. 8) Ten Mexican students and one teacher (Toluca, Mexico) TVS families will host these students for three weeks (including Thanksgiving Break). They will attend classes, explore Fort Worth, do service work, and share their culture with our students. (Nov. 19 – Dec. 6) Additionally, we are making plans for students to connect virtually (via discussion boards, blogs, and Internet video chats) with students in places like Scotland, Argentina, Indonesia, Brazil, Australia, and Mexico. Those may begin as early as this October.
An SS TVS Summer! (Co-Captains/ Directors: Harriett Moore, KINDERGARTEN INSTRUCTOR and Pam Asher, ASSISTANT HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL) With myriad classes, TVS began and ended the summer with memories of happy, smiling faces of our students and of students from our surrounding communities! Parents, remarking on the variety of offerings, enjoyed the opportunities to “pick-and-choose” classes throughout the summer for their children, young and old. Beginning immediately after school was out in May, were our Sports Camps, ranging from basketball to volleyball to football to lacrosse to soccer to field hockey. These camps were held through the month of July. Then, our Adventure Cruise set sail with an amazing number of students taking part in five-day classes. Pre-kindergarten children participated in a choice of two science-based classes: “Eggs, Eggs Everywhere” and “Elephants and their Young.” The K-8th grade sailors enjoyed cooking, reading, math, science, art, music and summer reading enrichment classes with their favorite teachers at the helm.
Summer was definitely in the air as one walked the hallways, courtyards, and breezeways of our campus. At the end of our two weeks of Adventure Cruise, we launched our four-day Mini Cruises, two-week Community Partners Program, and two five-day Summer Day Camps. Mini Cruises included fencing, videography, candy chemistry, forensics, writing poetry, Google Lit Trip, creative computing, Mathcounts, drawing machines, cheer clinic, Spanish culture, building robots/ building bridges, Impressionism art, Kindergarten Packin’ for a Picnic and Numberland, model rocketry, leadership for US students, and Leonardo’s notebooks, and Pre-kindergarten classes The campus was alive with many enthusiastic students!! The Summer Day Camps were water-themed and filled with excitement for our first through fourth graders! They created crafts, cooked, ran relays, swam, and had a blast at every turn! To top off each week, two field trips were included to: Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and Omni and Urban Air Trampoline Park. Rounding out the summer were our August classes, Spanish Immersion for Middle School and beyond, and Writing the College Application Essay for our Senior students – two very popular classes! Our sailors were assisted by our own Trinity Valley Upper School students, who volunteered as Junior Counselors and received school service hours. Thank you to the following: Annie Jones, Johan Cheah, Lauren Sorokolit, Lexie Thompson, Aniqa Premjee, Dylan Bade, Cannon Brumley, Kailey Dow, Aris Wells, Morgan Miller, Michael Zadeh, Insiyah Saeed, Cailin Holden, Bainbridge Allen, Michael Hill, and Lilli Williamson, Tara Collins, Kailey Dow, Hunter Lynch, and Faith Padgett. Additionally, these Middle School students volunteered their time: Sophia Castro, Abby Henyon, Rachel Baker, Sommer Selod, Nadia Selod, Michael Collins, and Harper Dunne. Look for our 2013 summer opportunities, due out in publications in early Spring. Adventure cruises will begin June 3-7 and 10-14. Dates are yet to be set for Sports Camps, Community Partners, Summer Day Camps, and Mini Cruises. We hope you will join us in 2013!
40
Ashley White Development Projects Coordinator
2012-2013
Annual Giving Campaign I
T VS
S uppo rtin g. S tr e n g th e n in g. S usta in in g. Crystal Bolt and Susi Fillmore are enthusiastically co-chairing this year’s Annual Giving Campaign! Each school year, Trinity Valley School executes a volunteer-led annual fund drive. The Bolt and Fillmore families believe in timeless education: an education that will equip their children to pursue their callings in life with success. The generosity of our donors supplements the tuition of every current TVS student, and this spirit of giving is part of the School’s philosophy. Our loyal parent volunteers are truly the key to the Annual Giving Campaign’s success. We sincerely thank the following families for their service to Trinity Valley School. Campaign Chairs Crystal Bolt and Susi Fillmore Leadership Team Stephanie and Brian Allen Laurie and Platt Allen, III Holly and Jason Anderson Angel and Rex Baker Hollie and Chad Barber Bonnie and Bill Barksdale Alice Pritchard and Ben Barlow Krista and Don Barrington Marina and Cliff Beasley Kim Martin Berkowitz Sherry and Marshall Brown Amy and Chris Buchanan Donna and Jeb Bundock Elizabeth and Brian Carlock Jill and David Clay Caryl and Brett Cochrum Shannon and Michael Collins Kim and Billy Cordell Donna and Ross Craft Kory and John Cummings Heather and Robert Curtis Karen White-Dacy and Trey Dacy Misty and Chris Davis
Jenny and Steve Davis Laurie and John Dickens Meredith and Hank Dorris Donna and David Dozier Vickie and Dan Dunkelberg Heather Breiter and Pat Dunne Melodi and George Faris Katie and Jeff Farmer Stacy and George Grau Kelly and Bill Hanley Karina and Randy Hargrove Jesslynn and Casey Harrison Nancy and Marcus Hiles Angie and Long Hoang Suzy and Bill Holloway Debbie and Scott Horton Melissa and Ben Hoskins Missy and George Johns Julienne Greer and Gordon Jorgenson Kim and Scott Kirk Sarah and Chris Klein Bea and Dan Kutzler Susan and Peter LaNasa Alyssa and Field Lange Jamie and Darren Lewis Jennifer and Cue Lipscomb Elizabeth and Mark McCurdy
Amy and Jeffrey McGowen Kim and Ben Medley Jody and Kirk Miller Susan and Steven Morrell Kerensa and Shahram Naghshbandi Laurie and Mason Odom Cindy and John Penn Christy and Clark Peveto Allison and Paul Poston Rubina and Shiraz Premjee Cynthia and Jeff Prostok Kelly and Drew Pumphrey Betty and Thomas Rajan Mileyna and Kerim Razack Debbie and Don Reynolds Claire and Walt Reynolds Carolyn and David Roberts Stacey and Aaron Rumfelt Bernadette and John Shults Kate and Chris Snow Jill and Michael Unell Diane and Robert Weakley Ayeshia and Clarence White Linda and Greg Whitehead Carol and Stan Williams Monika and Ben Worsley Angela and Bob Yonke
41
LOWER School Professional Development Summer 2012 Melissa Black attended a Clay Workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico at Santa Fe Clay with artist Margaret Bohls, training in difference clay techniques to incorporate in TVS art classes. Leslie Garcia and Patricia Wright went to Columbia University in New York City for Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, where they learned Calkins principles to incorporate into TVS language arts curriculum, to tie writing to the reading curriculum. Karen Arrington, Carol Gramentine, and Sandy McNutt were part of the Building Learning Communities Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, where they connected with educators from around the world, building global partnerships and sharing creative ideas for empowered teaching and learning. Lourdes Nedrelow was part of the Global Fluency in the Classroom workshop, “Developing Leaders of Tomorrow.” Courtney Prescott and Donna Weth attended Kagan Advanced Cooperative Learning in Florida, where they studied structures to increase active
engagement and brain-friendly teaching in the classroom and furthering literacy and writing cooperative learning. Harriett Moore, Kay Newton, and Nancy Rea attended the International Reading Association in San Diego, California. Kirsten Murphy participated in the Texas Library Association workshop, entitled “Get Your Bluebonnets Blooming! A Look at the 20122013 Texas Bluebonnet Award.” Jane Cooper took part in Powerful Learning Practices webinars and inservices, and was a discussant in the August International Connected Educators’ Month. Reviewed the book The Connected Educator for the authors (review will appear online and in Amazon).
MIDDLE School Professional Development Summer 2012 Bill Buck was fortunate to join the rest of the art staff from TVS for a ceramics workshop. Santa Fe Clay holds many diverse workshops taught by professional artists from all over the country. Margaret Bohls was the instructor, and this weeklong workshop concentrated on form
and volume utilizing many slab-built techniques. www. margaretbohls.com Anna Carlson and husband Don Carlson attended a workshop called Shakespeare at the Huntington. Located in Pasadena, California, The Huntington Library is renowned for rare books and art from all around the world. This course is designed for teachers who want to engage their students in the study of Shakespeare’s canon. Gone are the days where you sit down with a book in your English classroom and painstakingly read page for page. Participants played games with the text, threw socks, created maps, sang songs, delivered lines, analyzed the text (as they directed scenes), and there was not one CliffsNote among them! And because classes were located at the Huntington, they were able to attend five of Shakespeare’s plays in Orange County and visit three magnificent museums, The Getty in LA, the Norton Simon, and of course, the magnificent Huntington. Frances Dodson took a Network Instructional Methodologies course (eight weeks) through the Virtual High School to train to teach an online AP French Language and Culture course. She is now teaching a
section of the course. She has one TVS student, and the rest of the students are from Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and New York. It is very exciting!!
Upper School Professional Development Summer 2012
Tina Harper participated in the Critical Friends (Teacher Support) Conference in June.
Rachel Thompson and Patty Wright attended the Sister Cities Global Classroom Workshop at TCU.
Kathy Heller taught at UT Arlington: Pre-AP Institute for Middle School Teachers (weeklong); at TCU: Pre-AP Institute for Experienced Middle School Teachers (weeklong); at TCU: Pre-AP Institute for Middle School Teachers - Algebra Focus - (weeklong); at University of Oklahoma: Pre-AP Institute for Middle School Teachers - (weeklong); at Arkansas State University: Pre-AP Institute for Middle School Teachers - (weeklong); at University of Arkansas: Pre-AP Institute for Middle School Teachers - (weeklong); at UT-San Antonio: Pre-AP Institute for Middle School Teachers - (weeklong); and presented a two-day workshop on problem-solving strategies for two separate educational cooperatives in Arkansas.
Carol Lattimore attended a weeklong summer AP institute held at TCU. The course provided educators with the information, tools, and strategies to help build and maintain successful Advanced Placement English courses.
Laura Montgomery completed Pre-AP Physics training at TCU this summer, offered
by the College Board. She was in class for 28 hours.
Jennifer Carey consulted with the College Board for revamping the AP Art History test; she also attended the NEH Summer Institute with Gilder Lehrman at Columbia this summer. It was entitled Empire City: The Urbanization of New York from 18772001. This program provides an intensive seminar and field study in New York City with 40 educators from around the country led by elite scholars from Columbia and CUNY Universities. Mike Roemer went to Tokyo and Kyoto from June 19-29 to conduct 18 semi-structured interviews as part of a collaborative project with two professors from The University
of Michigan's School of Public Health and several research scientists from the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology. Gail Corder took a NetCourse Instructional Methodologies course with the Virtual High School. This was an intensive eight-week, graduate-level, online course. The NIM course gives teachers the pedagogy, methodology, and moderation techniques they need to effectively teach a course through the Virtual High School. Melissa Burkhead instructed teachers in Crownpoint, NM on dynamic geometry, computer algebra, and Pre-AP Mathematics perspectives. At Southern Methodist University, she led a four-day, Pre-AP Geometry-specific institute. At The University of Oklahoma, she led a four-day, Pre-AP Mathematics institute. At Rice University, she led a four-day, Pre-AP Pre-calculus and Algebra II institute. At Rice University, she led a four-day, Pre-AP Geometry-specific institute. At Texas A&M University, she led a four-day, Pre-AP Mathematics institute. She created and led a four-week, Algebra I-specific online collaborative course at Rice University.
42
Frances Dodson enrolled in a VHS NetCourse Instructional Methodologies eightweek course to learn how to teach an online course. Bill Shelton attended the AP US History reading in Louisville, KY., in late May-early June. As an exam leader, he worked on a committee of five – three high school and two college professors – to establish the rubric for scoring one of the five essays on the exam. In the evenings, he attended seminars and lectures given by renowned historians such as Gordon Wood from Brown University and Ernie Freeburg from the University of Tennessee. In July, he traveled to New York City and participated in an afternoon seminar on the history and architecture of Grand Central Terminal. He also visited the recently opened Alexander Hamilton home on 141st Street. He visited Columbia University, St. John the Divine Cathedral, Riverside Church, and
Grant's Tomb. Sean Kenny attended the NEH-sponsored conference, "Following The Color Line: Atlanta Landmarks and Civil Rights History." The six-day conference began on July 22 and was hosted by Georgia State University. Don Carlson attended the Shakespeare at the Huntington Institute in Pasadena, CA, for two weeks. The program there included reading and textual analysis of four Shakespeare plays and attendance at four performances by professional theater companies in the Los Angeles area. The Huntington Library is a worldrenowned research and preservation facility attached to the Huntington Museum. Randy Mills attended the Clambake Institute. A major goal of the Clambake Institute is to foster discussion of issues of concern to those in the admissions world in small groups of both college counselors and university deans. The premise is that all can learn from the achievements and challenges of friends and colleagues on both sides of the desk. This year, 54 college counselors and 39 college and university deans attended from some of the most distinguished colleges and universities.
Candace Smalley was hired by the College Board to serve as a reader for the AP Calculus exam. She was also the lead instructor at AP Institutes at SMU, OU, and University of Tulsa. At the Reading, she worked with approximately 900 AP teachers and university professors in the grading of 350,000 AP Calculus AB and BC exams. At the three APSIs, she trained approximately 75 teachers on the various aspects, requirements, and curricula of the AP Calculus courses. At the AP National Conference, she worked with 12 teachers as they learned concepts, vertical alignment procedures, and Pre-AP teaching strategies that will enhance their teaching of the mathematic concept of rate in their classrooms. Kim Pondrom attended ACCI (Admission and College Counseling Institute), which was a conference put on in collaboration between the College Board and TACAC. Kory Robertson was hired by the College Board to serve as a reader for the AP Psychology Exam in Kansas City, Missouri. She also toured five national parks: Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Redwoods, Crater Lake (Mount Rushmore), and the Badlands in South Dakota.
Maggie Knapp participated in a Corporate Communication Workshop via Stage West Theatre, where she learned (and practiced) presenting information in front of an audience. She also reviewed four young adult books for School Library Journal over the summer: The Brides of Rollrock Island, The Forsaken, Passenger and Crewel. School Library Journal provides information on books, literacy, technology, reading, curriculum, and other topics, reaching an audience of more than 100,000 librarians in school and public libraries. She also reviewed Love Song, a “dual biography” on Kurt Weill and Lottie Lenya, for Library Journal, along with The Enigmatic Academy, an academic publication also reviewed for Library Journal. She is currently working on a reference review of a three-volume work on alternative energy, written for middle school audiences. Rachel Thompson attended the Fort Worth Sister Cities International Global Fluency in the Classroom workshop with some other TVS faculty members. She took three different online training sessions with Vista Higher Learning, our new publisher.
Marcy Roten, JoAnn Mulroy, & Janet Chaffee spent a week in New Mexico at Santa Fe Clay for a workshop with artist and professor Margaret Bohl from the University of Nebraska. The workshop was an intensive immersion in hand building ceramics. The TVS faculty spent eight to 10 hours each day in a studio environment learning new technical skills and exploring how to translate them into the classroom for a better student learning experience. Chris Gunnin recently presented at the ISAS Beginning Teachers Institute held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also attended a 20-hour course for school leaders at the Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania that is designed to teach high school educators how to best instruct financial responsibility among high school students.
faculty development
Jennifer Cooke was hired by the College Board to be an AP reader for the AP Biology examinations. She attended a weeklong AP Institute at TCU and spent two weeks researching the biological and ecological life of the Galapagos Islands on a Once Upon a Time grant.
43
TVS ALUMNI CLASS CONTACTS 1967 Rick Goggans, RickCG@aol.com 1968 Barney B. Holland, Jr., bholland@fuelmandfw.com 1969 Robert Secrest, 512.301.3198 1970 Class Rep Needed 1971 Class Rep Needed 1972 Kent Smith, 512.599.1548 1973 John Carey, carpltx@aol.com 1974 John Neyland, john.neyland@yahoo.com 1975 Francie Richardson Allen, frallen@aledotravel.com 1976 Martha Harper, martharents@sbcglobal.net 1977 Class rep needed 1978 Robert Gerrard, BGerrard@RNFCorp.com 1979 Lori Hughes Eagleton, rlmeagleton@earthlink.net 1980 Christine Stucker Klote, cklote@s-steel.com 1981 Kerry Yancy Dolan, KerryJo@aol.com 1982 Greg Butner, gregorywbutner@jpmchase.com 1983 Sandra Standefer, skshome@aol.com 1984 Karen White Dacy, kdwd@sbcglobal.net 1985 Stefanie Cooper Toppel, stefanietoppel@tx.rr.com 1986 Michael Appleman, mappleman@alumni.utexas.net 1987 Bill Whiteside, billw35@sbcglobal.net 1988 Beth Borders Weese, mrsweese2@sbcglobal.net 1989 Kathryn Davis, kathryndavis@sbcglobal.net 1990 Class rep needed 1991 Class rep needed 1992 Melissa Minker Miller, TXMink@aol.com 1993 Michelle Ogle Lobpries, lobpries@windstream.net 1994 Angela Ivory Collins, collinsca@sbcglobal.net 1995 Lynn Rosen Jordan, ljordan818@yahoo.com 1996 Markus Kypreos, markus@lawfirmkp.com 1997 Nancy Park, nancypark.tx@gmail.com 1998 Aislinn Goodman Rehwinkel, aislinnrehwinkel@gmail.com 1999 Beth Harwood, bethsharwood@hotmail.com Amar Tanna, ATanna@barbnet.com 2000 Hunter Johnson, hunterbjohnson@gmail.com 2001 Cami McCluer, cami.gildner@gmail.com Andrew Oshman, andrew.oshman@gmail.com Ginny Potthoff, g4potthoff@gmail.com 2002 Allison Motheral Blakewell, allison.motheral@gmail.com Jennifer Teichelman, jenniferteichelman@mac.com Jennifer Vigness, javigness@gmail.com 2003 Class rep needed 2004 Erin McDonald, erin.mcdonald86@gmail.com Maggie Pine, maggie9904@hotmail.com 2005 Shea Kinser, sheakinser@gmail.com 2006 Amber Finley, finleya14@gmail.com 2007 Jeffrey Watson, jtwatson@usc.edu 2008 Morgan Wade, morganmadisonwade@gmail.com 2009 Sean Patrick Gallagher, viking6119@aim.com Katherine Kramer, katherinekramer9190@yahoo.com 2010 Leah Dintino, leahdintino@aol.com Katie Hadobas, kch1012@gmail.com Rohail Premjee, premjeer@sbcglobal.net 2011 Claire Allen, allen.clairem@gmail.com Chris Morris, chrismorris2011@yahoo.com Azania Umoja , freespirit10526@gmail.com Michael Walton, michaelwalton6924@gmail.com 2012 Katie Sheets sheets1137@sbcglobal.net Kasey Kilpatrick, kasey.kilpatrick@gmail.com Adrienne Gamez, adriennegamez4@gmail.com Cliff Beasley, beasleycliffd@gmail.com Avery Guinn, 817-683-0568
T V S A LU M N I
Class of 1967 Frederick C. Goggans, MD remains Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at PenBay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine. He will present a paper in December 2012 at the American Association of Addiction Psychiatry Annual Meeting in Miami on the topic, “A Rural Hospital’s Plan for Combating Prescription Drug Abuse.” In addition to his work in Maine, Goggans consults to psychology practices in metropolitan areas of New York and New Jersey.
Class of 1970 David Heffner writes, “I was married to Maria on June 2. We are blissfully happy. Still teaching at Haywood CC and living in Brevard, NC. I teach like Pista taught me - reverence and respect, wonder and curiosity at the new knowledge being presented. Classes are fun, yet loaded with content. Miss the class of 1970. We are all enlightened survivors.”
Class of 1985 Elizabeth Perez Azerad and husband Robert are so proud that their eldest daughter is a freshman at Rice. They are adjusting to her being away. Their second is applying to college this year. Stay tuned! Their eldest son was diagnosed with dyslexia. They feel so lucky to have a leading school in language based learning in their neighborhood. Liz’s diversity work for Horace Mann School is blossoming. She and her co-liaison have added one more parent to their leadership team and are tripling the programming for parents compared to last year. In addition, they are heading HM’s first Diversity Committee, with over 75 families already on the committee. The Committee’s goal is to spread the message that every family has a role to play in Diversity. Taco, their puppy, and Liz are taking obedience classes together. It’s been a busy few months but Liz hopes to make it to Texas in December. Liz hopes everyone is well. Prakash Bhatia started a new practice in San Diego called Progressive Health
and Wellness (www.ProgressiveHealthSD.com), with an emphasis on alternative and complementary treatments to enhance people’s current medical care. Services such as Natural Weight Loss, Bio-identical Hormone Therapy, Pain Therapy and Full Body Aesthetics are conducted by Prakash and other physicians with a similar passion for a holistic care model. In addition, Prakash plans to utilize the power of the internet to give people an interactive method to follow their progress and achieve their goals for success in all aspects of their lives. Stephanie Jackson’s business, Practical Bodywork (www.practicalbodywork. com) is continuing to expand. She seeks health care practitioners of any stripe who would like to write insightful guest posts for the Practical Bodywork Blog. In fact, another TVS alum, Sujatha Ramakrishna ’84, is now a regular guest poster! Janet Kelly can’t believe we are old enough, but she now has a college freshman on her hands. Devin White graduated salutatorian from Hilton Head Prep School with a GPA of 4.98 and is attending Clemson University this year. After all academic scholarships and awards were applied, Devin got a refund to attend. He is a math major who is involved in many clubs. Janet's younger son, Colin White, is currently a junior at Hilton Head Island High School. He is an excellent football kicker and was number one in the state of South Carolina for their private school region last year. Janet is one proud mom! Janet is doing well, too. She changed careers and currently is the Director of Student Care at the Junior Players Golf Academy on Hilton Head. Janet is the liaison between the Academy and the Prep School the golfers attend. Never a dull moment! Janet hopes everyone is well. Emma Brophy Lopez writes that her daughter Megan is a junior at UCLA and was in an LMFAO video last year. She’s the cute redhead dancing in the first scene of the dance club in the Champagne Showers video. Emma’s son Alex is a sophomore at New Mexico Tech (where the Mythbusters show often goes to blow up things). Daughter Claudia is a senior in high school and just finished playing Severus Snape in a local production of A Very Potter Musical. Youngest daughter Frances
44
T V S A LU M N I
ALUMNI
NEWS
T V S A LU M N I is a soccer-playing sophomore who can’t wait until her sister goes to college, too, so she can have her parents all to herself! That’s the (Brophy) Lopez Lassen County update. Stop by if you are ever in the area! Kevin Miller and wife Gina will be adding to their brood of children in November when their fourth child, a girl, is due. The whole family is very excited and preparing to once again have a baby in the house. When she arrives, the Millers will be just one short of a full basketball team with Jake (10), Ruby (7), Brady (almost 5), and the newborn (name yet to be decided!). Kevin continues to work with environmental consulting firm SWCA, Inc. in Austin, Texas and was appointed chairman of the Texas Historical Commission’s State Board of Review this past year. Kevin still keeps up with John Menchaca in Austin and they try to get their families together despite the myriad conflicting schedules of kids’ sports and school activities. Kelly Thomas Purselley and family are doing great. After a summer mission trip to Africa, God really showed Kelly her true call to ministry in missions. She will always have a heart for prison ministry, but all missions are a blessing. Kelly feels blessed and honored to now be on staff at her church as the associate missions minister. In October, Kelly launched a nonprofit consulting business called Fruition Consulting to help launch, strengthen and grow nonprofit organizations. Ally and Morgan are great and back in school and volleyball full swing and as beautiful as ever. Sassy but sweet. David Steinman has been busy curing cancer, creating a plan to balance the budget in five years and finding President Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate! Otherwise, David was remarried on September 1 in Kansas City, MO to a wonder woman who actually loves him (David knows this because he has a negative net worth)! Your faithful class rep, Stefanie Cooper Toppel, is thrilled to have husband Steve home from his 13-month deployment to Afghanistan. Ryan, Melissa and Michael are all in college and Reed is in his senior year of high school. Sammie and Mandy are adjusting to third and fifth grade, respectively, and are keeping very busy with school, gymnastics, scouting, etc. I’m now on the PTA exec board and have officially taken on the troop leader role for Sammie’s Girl Scout Brownie Troop (14 girls)! They will venture on their first campout this fall. It’s definitely all a time suck but very rewarding. Looking forward to the next update!
Class of 1988 Jan Bauer has been living and working in the Fort Lauderdale area for the past 12 years and loves it. She is the marketing manager for a diagnostic center in Boca Raton; she has been there four years and really enjoys what she does. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her black and white Shih Tzu, Percy; spending time at the beach; watching movies; and giving swimming lessons. Jan still swims several times a week. Jake Epker and his wife Melissa are still living in Mobile with their family and are happy to report that they did not suffer any serious damage from Hurricane Isaac. Their son Noah is now in third grade and is playing football for the first time. Jake reports that, while Noah is one of the smallest boys on the team, he is really enjoying learning the sport and the camaraderie. Their daughter Evie is in the first grade this year. Both kids are doing well, and Jake is happy to report that they come home smiling more times than not. Cleary Clarke Maly is living in Virginia. She recently competed at the USMS short course Nationals (April 2012) and placed 31st in the 100 free, 37th in the 100 IM and 39th in the 50 free. If that was not enough, she is preparing to compete in her first triathlon. Cleary recently took her first varsity high school coaching job in Richmond. Chris Miller is very happy to report that on April 16, 2012 he and his wife welcomed their first son, Hudson Michael Miller, into the world. Big sisters Rainey and Eve love having a baby brother. Hudson is growing quickly and is sitting up. Rainey started kindergarten this fall. The Millers are enjoying living in Chicago. Amy Lassman Onelum wrote that all is well in California for her and her family. She is still working for Disney and is preparing to head off to China again for another recruiting trip. Her husband, Francis, is busy running a non-profit. Her three girls are doing well and growing up quickly! Her oldest is now a teenager with the second one close behind; her baby is now five years old. Lisa Rapfogel Ostroff works for Allegiant Wealth Management as a certified financial planner; she also teaches in SMU’s Certified Financial Planner program. Lisa gave birth
to a son, Andrew Jacob Ostroff, on November 18, 2010. As for myself, Beth Borders Weese, I am still living in Colleyville, TX with my husband, Dennis, and our three children. Amber is in her second year at community college; she is doing well in school and exploring her transfer options. Adam is a junior in high school. He recently got his driver’s license, his first job, and a new truck. He is still very passionate about playing football and in his last game scored his first touchdown on a pick six. Jake is in seventh grade this year; he is playing football for the first time and is enjoying the experience so far. I am staying busy managing everyone’s busy schedules and making sure the pantry is stocked and the clothes are clean! Last winterm Lisa Jacoby Cunningham and I had the very pleasant, and somewhat surreal, experience of having our sons play on the same basketball team. Her four boys and my sons had a hard time wrapping their heads around the fact that their moms had played basketball together many years ago; in fact, Lisa’s oldest challenged us to a game! We had a lot of fun catching up and the boys’ team ended up winning second place.
Class of 1989 The family of Marian Mayo DeMott participated in their sixth-annual Great Strides fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in May along with close friends and family. The DeMotts thank the TVS community for their generous support to this cause. Many alumni have donated to CF over the years and helped to bring about critical funding for a cure. Friends present the day of the walk included Kathryn Davis and Kelli Montgomery may and her family. The Fisks and Dunnes, two current TVS families, also walked for the cause. Marian and Jason DeMott’s third child, Turner, has cystic fibrosis and just began the second grade with good health. Turner’s siblings are Ella, in sixth grade, Willing in fifth, and Briggs in kindergarten. Angela Marshall Hurdle shares that Connor and Christian, 5½, started kindergarten this fall. They love everything about it except the early wake-up time. Who can blame them?! Monty Moncrief and wife Ashley welcomed daughter Nola Lou on September 30. She joins brothers Everett, 3½, and Casper, 2. Amy Plattsmier’s daughters are growing quickly – Shiloh is 9½ and Tallulah is 8. They started fourth and third grades this fall and still call Brooklyn, NY home.
Class of 1992 Tony Cregler and his wife, Joi, are excited to report their big news -- Emmanuelle Grace Cregler was born on September 11, weighing 7 lbs, 2 oz and measuring 21 inches long. She has stolen their hearts and big sister, Evangeline, is completely fascinated with her full head of hair. And while catching up with classmates for our 20-year reunion, I found out that Shane Moore and his wife, Laura, welcomed twin girls a couple of years ago. Ashlee and Brooke turned two in January. Shane reports he has double the trouble as they survive the “terrible twos.”
Class of 1996 Jon Bohnsack completed the Louisville Ironman in under 14 hours. Someone threw tacks and nails on the road, causing Jon to have a flat tire, but he regrouped and finished strong. August ‘Townes” Heatherington surprised Lindy Sloane Heatherington and husband by coming five weeks early on August 23, his great-grandma Sloane’s 100th birthday (Fran Sloane). Townes was 4lbs, 3.7 oz at birth and made his grand exit from the NICU on September 5! Such a precious miracle! Justin Jeter will married Jamie Alexander on Nov. 2 in Austin. He continues to work on SPARXlife, his tech startup, and is still living in LA. Jennifer (Andrews) Moore doesn’t have an update, but she did share a photo of her three daughters. Julie (Link) Steffens is SVP of Development for RelativityREAL, the TV arm of Relativity Media. She still works crazy hours but loves every minute of it. She has been married for 16 wonderful months and they’re having a baby boy in January 2013! The baby will be born in Germany. Julie’s
46
T V S A LU M N I husband is producing a TV series in Germany, so that’s where she’ll call home for some time after the baby is born. John Synowsky and his brother, James Synowsky DVM ’00, have started Champion Equine, LLLP. Champion Equine, LLLP is an equine-breeding facility specializing in embryo transfer, mare management, foaling services, and mare & foal care. They have also formed Champion Equine Performance Horses, which is currently seeing great success in the Thoroughbred Stable at tracks in Texas and Oklahoma. Justin Toal married Leigh Esposito in Syracuse, NY in October. They will reside in Miami. And I, Markus Kypreos, am still in Fort Worth, spending time with my 22-month-old, Nikole, and wife Mary. While Jon was running three hours a day, Mary and I went to the French Laundry and Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare. Both once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Class of 1997 We had our 15-year reunion in May, which included a warm-up night on Friday at The Usual bar, followed by the main event on Saturday at the White Elephant Saloon in the Stockyards. We had the locals in attendance. Neel Tanna is still working with Yost Capital. Lisa Murphy Mocek, husband David, and daughter Leah are also still in Fort Worth. Lisa works as an in-home physical therapist. Clark Sykes is working for Linbeck Construction as a project manager for Cook Children's Hospital. He’s happy to be home with wife Lauren and son Whit after a two-year stint working on the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas. Casey O’Neill is an attorney at Bracewell & Giuliani in Dallas, although he and his wife Melissa and daughter Madeline live in Fort Worth. Andy Lewis just finished his first year of law school, which he refers to as his “evening endeavors,” as he’s still a full-time English teacher at Burleson High School. He and wife Amanda are also busy keeping up with their son Will. Justin Mund and wife Stacey bought a house in Tanglewood. Their oldest, Alexis, started at Tanglewood Elementary, but their little one, Ever Grace, isn’t quite old enough for school yet. Justin is working at Fort Worth Dental. He refers patients who need oral surgery to David Kostohryz. David and wife Jennifer have two little ones of their own: Avery and Thomas. They hang out a lot with Sarah Bessire Florsheim and family – husband Charlie and daughters Raegan and Lilly. Charlie, a Country Day alum, readily admitted that our reunion was better than his. Sarah was in Haley Florsheim Byrne’s wedding to Sean Byrne. Haley met Sean through her sister Erin (class of ’94), as Sean is Erin’s husband’s best friend - they’re keeping it all in the family. Haley is still a nurse at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. Eloise Wiley Williams and husband Chris were also in attendance. Just prior to the reunion, Eloise was a bridesmaid in Nick Goggans’s wedding to now-wife Brooke. Nick and Brooke are almost local, having recently moved from Boston to Austin. They love Austin so much that Brooke - unknowingly talking up Austin to Wendy Murdoch – invited Mrs. (Rupert) Murdock to come visit and stay in their guest bedroom. Kiley Grantges has also succumbed to the pull of Austin, moving back after a stint in Dallas. She’s an art teacher at an elementary school in East Austin, and working with a shop to sell her illustrations. We had lots of locals in attendance, but we also had some who made the trek home for the event. I believe that Eric Dahlberg wins for furthest distance traveled, having come from Seattle where he still works for Microsoft. He and wife Anne were expecting their second at the reunion, and since have welcomed baby Clara Elizabeth, little sister to Daschiell. Duff Blair also flew in. He’s still in New York working for Wells Fargo as a mortgage bonds trader. His true passion, however, is the bagpipes. He plays in the NYU Pipes and Drums Band, which performed at Yankee Stadium for the NYU Commencement. Sudeep Reddy flew in for the second time this year for a TVS event, the first being to speak at an upper school assembly about his work as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in Washington D.C. Of course, I, Nancy Park, came back in for the reunion. I recently moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I still work for the same law firm, representing California public agencies with their labor and employment issues, working on issues like public employee pension reform. I’m not the only one who’s made a move recently. I heard that Vani Sankar recently moved back to Dallas and is working for her dad’s company. Brad Aimone and family moved from San Diego to Albuquerque where Brad now works for Sandia National Labs. Jenny Wilkinson, husband Mitch Salzberg, and son Hudson moved from Fort Worth to Montreal where Mitch is working on a project for BCG. Collin Wolfe, since getting his PhD in Physics from the University of Chicago, also works for BCG. Jennifer Jacob Shultz and husband Paul also recently moved. They now live in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Jennifer is the Executive Director of Prospect Development for Wake Forest, and is also still growing her custom children’s clothing business, The Royal Details. She’s gotten to make fun things for fellow classmates, including Allison Finley Cloud. Allison recently got her license to sell life insurance, and is now working at an insurance/financial services group. On top of that, son Ethan keeps her busy with (Continued on page 50) Class of 1985 (top): David Steinman, Elizabeth Perez Azerad, Janet Kelly with sons Devin and Colin White; Class of 1988: Epker family (Jake upper R), Hudson Miller, Jan Bauer, Lisa and Andrew Rapfogel Ostroff; Class of 1989: DeMott Family at Great Strides, Talllulah and Shiloh Gonsky, Christian and Connor Hurdle.
CLASS OF 1997 MATCH POINT
Kathryn Davis, Director of Alumni
In celebration of the 15th reunion of the Class of 1997, a quartet of graduates made their classmates an incredible offer: For every dollar given by the Class of 1997, each of the four would pitch in one dollar. Suddenly, a $20 donation would be worth $100, and a $100 gift magically $500. If a contribution exceeded $100, the four men would add in $100 each. Neel Tanna initiated the project and pitched it to classmate David Kostohryz. “David and I had both recently moved back to Fort Worth and were trying to figure a way to jumpstart giving from our class.” Kostohryz was on board. “Neel brought the idea up to me and we tossed it around for a bit,” he recalls. “We determined the structure and approached Adam [Nemser] to see his interest.” Nemser, now living in New York City, was committed to the idea as well. “It sounded like a perfect way to motivate both my classmates and me to give more than we normally would,” he says. The three contacted the class with the idea in advance of their reunion to be held over Memorial Day weekend 2012. When he received his letter, Dan Hosler, a Chicago dweller, determined that he would like to participate as another match donor. He connected with Neel Tanna, who welcomed his collaboration. The three-to-one match quickly became a four-to-one opportunity for the Class of 1997.
What inspired such a generous offer from these four? At a basic level, it was to boost class involvement.
Explains Kostohryz, “Our idea was to help drum up class participation. We felt that if they saw that we were willing to match their donation, then it might inspire them to start donating or to donate more.” Tanna adds that he wanted to encourage consistent giving from the class and increase the participation rate, regardless of dollar amount. Hosler is keenly aware of this in his own line of business. “I work with both Rice and Kellogg (graduate business program at Northwestern) on their fundraising efforts,” he remarks. “Giving is always a very personal decision, and sometimes people do not give because they worry ‘it won't be enough.’ Matching is a nice way to let people feel like they are compounding their giving, no matter the level. I wanted a way to help nudge up participation [for our class].” This is music to the ears of TVS. Participation is stressed at all levels of Trinity Valley giving; when the School requests grant funding, outside organizations and foundations strongly consider the amount of participation by all school constituent groups, from parents to faculty to alumni and beyond. The gift amount is less relevant in cases like these than the percentage of constituents participating. A gift of five dollars can be impactful when seeking a grant of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars. TVS alums are a generous bunch and are particularly inspired during milestone reunion years. The Class of 1980 celebrated its 30th reunion by contributing to memorial funds for classmate Fielding Clayton and for Dennis Fleming. Michael Appleman offered a multiyear challenge gift to the Class of 1986 in anticipation of its 25-year reunion in 2011. Members of the Class of 2001, at their 10-year reunion, showed a remarkable participation percentage as they combined forces for a class gift. These are only three examples of many such gestures on the part of reunion classes throughout the years.
48
The four-way match offered to the Class of 1997 was the first of its kind, and the results were impressive: The total contributed by the Class of 1997 through this initiative exceeded $7,000. This total gave bragging rights to this class for raising more money for the Alumni Annual Fund (managed as part of the endowment) than any other class in the 2011-12 giving year. Congratulations! The four match donors unanimously agree that a match gift is extremely worthwhile; not only would they recommend this to other classes, but they plan an encore performance in 2017 for their 20-year reunion. Shares Nemser, “For me, the match was just the right tweak to the giving process. It helped me dig a little deeper in my pockets.� Obviously, his classmates concurred. Thank you, Class of 1997. The TVS future is stronger because of you.
Interested in participating in a class gift, match, or challenge? Go for it! Contact Kathryn Davis at TVS to discuss how to make this a reality. Please note that friendly competition among classes is welcome!
Class of 1997 Reunion
Neel Tanna, Justin Mund, Nancy Park, David Kostohryz, Andy Lewis, Duff Blair, Lisa Murphy Mocek, Sarah Bessire Florsheim, Eloise Wiley Williams Below: Clark Sykes, Neel Tanna, Sudeep Reddy, Justin Mund, Eric Dahlberg, Nick Goggans
Class of 1989 (continuted): Everett and Casper Moncrief, Nola Moncrief; Class of 1991: Lori Dees, Margaret Jones Rutter, Melissa Paul; Class of 1992: Emmanuelle Cregler.
ih all his activities (currently, baseball is the sport of choice), and twins Austin and Mason keep her busy in general because they’re two. Nina Saksena Asrani also has twins plus one. Nina, husband Sumeet, and their three girls still live in Rochester, Minnesota where they’re finishing up their time with the Mayo Clinic. Valerie Leige lives in Plano with son Julian. Valerie is finishing her second bachelor’s degree at UTD and is applying to medical school. Mary Costello Stevens lives in Denver now. She got married a couple years ago and this last year had daughter, Olivia Rose. Amy DeZern also had a little girl this last year. She and husband Scott and daughter Caroline still live in Baltimore. Adam Nemser and wife Kim welcomed their second – Hayes Walter, who is little brother now to Millie. Adam and family are still in New York. Matt Auger started his 11th year of teaching, and is working on his master’s. He and wife Ursula and kiddos Aidan and Ellie are loving their life in Austin. And last, but not least, Kristi Wilson just got engaged to Tobin Marks. Kristi and Tobin, along with 12-year-old Hudson, are planning a spring wedding. I was so glad to see all of those who could make it to the reunion. Hope to see even more of you for the 20-year.
Class of 1999 Lots of fun updates! Ashli Rosenthal Blumenfeld and her husband, Todd, are enjoying spending their days in Fort Worth with their sweet girl, Elanor. Drew Darsey and his wife, Taylor, and daughter, Molly, welcomed Drew McKenzie “Mack” Darsey, Jr. on September 6. Drew and his growing family are still living in Houston, not far from their proud brother and uncle, Michael Darsey
’97. Linette Gatmaitan Golden lives in Montgomery County, Maryland with her husband Dave. Linette has been practicing law throughout Maryland for six years and Dave is the director of technology for a trade association in Washington, DC. They spend most of their time with their German shepherd (Meeko) and rabbit (Satine). Katherine Harrington got married to Spencer Dornin in June in Fort Worth. Abby Crawford was the maid of honor, and Jennifer Moller and Lauren Kwedar served as bridesmaids. Katherine is starting her Chief Residency of cardiothoracic surgery and hopes to start practice next year (hopefully in Dallas!). Beth Harwood started a new job working as the business development manager of Andrews Kurth LLP in Austin. Lauren Kwedar is busy planning her own upcoming Fort Worth wedding to Clint Cockerell. Madhu Satyanarayana and his wife, Andrea, had a beautiful little girl named Siene Adrianna Satyanarayana. We are all hoping Siene looks more like Andrea as she grows older. Madhu also is a member of the TVS Endowment Committee. Amanda Hollander Wagner is still living in Washington, DC with her husband, Nelson, and recently started a new job with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Jill Faires Williams and her husband welcomed a son, Joseph Christopher Williams, in January. He was named after Jill’s brother, Chris Faires ’02. She is also working at Arête European Kitchens designing high-end kitchens in Austin. Sophia Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of David and Missy Womack Williams, is now 16 months old. Missy keeps busy running Seed Effect (seedeffect.org) as the executive director. Seed Effect serves two communities in South Sudan by providing struggling families with access to microloans, education and discipleship. Brian Wilson married Tiffany Heiser about a year ago and they
are expecting their first child, a boy named Parker Brice Wilson. Lexi Kypreos Yost and her husband, Carson, are expecting their second daughter. Carson is hopeful both of his girls will soon be Trojans! Amar Tanna recently remodeled his beautiful Fort Worth home in order to host the after-party for our 15-year reunion in the fall of 2014! Keep in touch.
Class of 2000 Jason Aimone and his wife, Lauren, had their first child, Quincy, at the end of July. The Aimones are looking forward to returning to Texas next summer when Jason begins his new job as a faculty member of the Baylor economics department. Melissa and Blake Billman’s son, Parker, started kindergarten last month at Cedar Creek Elementary in Austin, TX. Martin Hewett and his wife, Erica, have been living in Washington, D.C. for the past year. The couple is expecting a baby girl in October. Kevin Edmonson and Candace were married in December 2011 and have recently bought a home in Fort Worth. Molly Sullivan Parker and her husband, Matt, welcomed their son, Andrew Nathan, on August 17. They are calling him Drew for short. He was 7 lbs., 10 oz, and 20 inches long. August was a popular birth month this year. Hooray for more Leos. April Peden Lindsay and her husband had a little girl. Hayden Piper Lindsay was born on August 14. Greg Hermandorfer and Whitney were married on July 21 in Clearwater, FL. The Hermandorfers are hitting the books hard this fall as Greg has started an Executive MBA program at The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and Whitney started law school at George Washington
Class of 1996: Daughters of Jennifer Andrews Moore, Jaime Alexander and Justin Jeter, Julie and Philipp Steffens.
Class of 1996 (continued): Nikole Kypreos, Townes Heatherington.
University. Rebecca Witherow is currently living it up in Portland, Oregon where she resides with Adam White. She recently became a licensed clinical social worker five years after she graduated with her masters from the Columbia University School of Social Work. She now works for a non-profit as a therapist and outreach worker for high school students within in a school-based health center. Alexandra Sorokolit Frankel has been living in New York, NY for the past seven years and just bought her first home there in Tribeca this year with her husband of two years, Grant. They are expecting their first child (a boy!) this New Year’s Eve and are loving life in the big city. Alex worked at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for three years before becoming the Associate Director of RxArt, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that commissions and installs fine contemporary artwork in hospitals and health care settings nationwide. This line of work led her to graduate school at NYU where she earned a master’s degree in art therapy in May 2011. She is now working as an art therapist in hospitals and after-school programs in New York, including Love Our Children USA - the nation’s leading anti-bullying organization. She and Grant look forward to becoming parents in just a few months!
Class of 2003 Olivia Cosby returned to Fort Worth after spending the beginning of 2012 traveling and farming throughout New Zealand as a participant in the WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) volunteer program. She is currently working as the deputy finance director for the local campaign to re-elect Texas State Senator Wendy Davis. Olivia hopes that this experience will lead her to Austin in some
capacity next year. Kristen Borg Ferrant joined Alcon Laboratories on April 30 as the Global Category Manager for Marketing Procurement. She oversees Media, Print/ Reprint, and Promotional purchases both nationally and internationally. Joel Hewett writes, “I graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2011, with a M.S. in the history of technology and energy policy. I’m writing two papers for publication by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on the business and economics of deepwater oil and gas, and just about to begin a job at Wood Mackenzie research and consulting, in Houston, Texas.” Greg Kwedar is near the completion of his debut documentary feature as a producer, Rising from Ashes, which tells the story of the first Rwandan national cycling team and their journey to the Olympics. The film will release on the festival circuit this fall and was in Austin at the Austin Film Festival between October 18 and 25. His wife Greta ’04 started a new job at Austin Achieve, a charter school in East Austin, with the inaugural class of sixth graders where she is teaching math and starting the soccer program. They live with a brown bear, in the form of chocolate lab Tucker, and spent part of the summer trekking all over Vietnam. They still call Austin home. Patti Mason moved to northern California and is starting an MBA program at Stanford. Katie Schmid married Benjamin Coffee on May 12, 2012 at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Ben and Katie now live in Kessler Park in Dallas with their dog Otis.
Class of 2007 Jeffrey Watson graduated from the University of Southern California in the spring of 2011 and is now working at a sports public relations firm in Chicago as an
account executive and social media strategist/manager. His main clients are professional tennis tournaments, including the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA; Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, CA; and the New Haven Open at Yale in New Haven, CT. Through these events, he has had the opportunity to work with athletes including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy. Follow his tournaments on Facebook and Twitter!
Class of 2008 Stillmon Baker is in law school at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana on the “Dean’s Scholarship.” Buck Bennett is enjoying his first year of medical school at UT Southwestern. Karthik Bhandari is in medical school at the University of Texas, Houston. He has been working at a Burmese refugee clinic and sees over 200 Burmese refugees daily. He just applied for a Fulbright scholarship and will find out in March if he will be able to go to rural Indonesia to teach English for a year. Mark Bond entered the doctoral program in education psychology last year with a focus in statistical methods for psychology. His manuscript was published officially this year and he is working on four other projects that could lead to publications. He is also working on bringing more sophisticated analysis to the table in order to provide proper accommodations to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Richard Brannon is graduating from the University of Texas in December with a degree in petroleum engineering. Elisabeth Bussey is doing a Teach for Austria program while living in Austria. Anna Cargill got her first professional job performing on a riverboat
Class of 1997: Ellie and Aidan Auger, Daschiell and Clara Dahlberg, Hudson Salzberg.
51
T V S A LU M N I cruise, The American Queen, which sails up and down the Mississippi River. She will be working a month on and a month off and she will be part of the singing entertainment on the boat. Becca Cargill graduated from Baylor with a degree in apparel merchandising and a minor in business administration. She just accepted a position at Academy as the Planogrammer and will be moving to Houston. Ben Cleveland is coaching middle school football at TVS with fellow TVS classmate Owen Kinser. Maisey Cox is living in Newport Beach, California working for Samuel Freeman, a contemporary art gallery in L.A. Brett Eliasen graduated from University of Wisconsin and is hoping to teach English abroad. Ace Factor is working for Teach for America in New Orleans, Louisiana, teaching Algebra I to ninth graders at Chalmette High School. Brent Fescenmeyer graduated from Baylor University in May of 2012 with a B.B.A. in Finance and Real Estate. In June, he began working in Houston as a Credit Analyst in the Officer Development Program for Amegy Bank. Lauren Grady is finishing up her last semester at The University of Oklahoma and her internship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She hopes to work for a nonprofit organization upon graduation. Yahya Haque is currently finishing up his last year at The University of Texas where he is pursuing a degree in business. He has a job offer from Microsoft for next fall, but is recruiting with other tech firms as well. Clifford Ho started his third year at pharmacy school. He is in San Antonio at The University of Texas Health Science Center and will be doing his fourth-year rotations in San Antonio as well. He isn’t positive about what field of pharmacy he would like to go into yet. Kelsey Horter is in medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Antonia Jacob has started medical school at UT Southwestern. So far she loves it! Elizabeth Jensen is in her first year of medical school at the University of Texas, Houston. Rishika Kapoor is in her third year at Baylor College of Dentistry in downtown Dallas. Ali Kimberling is attending graduate school at University of Houston in the Counseling Psychology Program. Owen Kinser is coaching middle school football at TVS and keeping himself heavily involved in the growing Fort Worth music scene. Jenner Kizer is working as an investment-banking analyst for Deutsche Bank in Jacksonville, Florida. He is in the Leveraged Finance Group. Kelly Kyle is in graduate school at TCU getting her master’s in education. She hopes to become a middle school math teacher in Fort Worth upon graduation in May. Marie Maloney is in law school at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California. Will Matson is working for J.P. Morgan in New York City. Lizzy McNamara was part of the inaugural class of Trojans on the Trinity (see feature story in magazine). She held a summer internship at the Fort Worth Zoo as the special events intern. She received a job offer from the Zoo and is now its special events coordinator. She will do most of the planning and preparation involved with the four fundraisers: Boo at the Zoo, Zoo Run, Zoo Ball and Beastro. Lauren Menking is currently in graduate school at Tulane University pursuing an MA in English. She also works at the New Orleans local NPR station as an assistant producer. Scott Miller is a credit analyst in the accelerated career track program for Bank of Texas. He will finish up training in Tulsa, Oklahoma this fall and begin his career in Dallas. Kevin Mitchell is in his first year of law school at the University of Houston Law Center. Colleen Murphey graduated from Tulane and moved to Boston. She is currently working as a research assistant on the Elizabeth Warren for Senate campaign. Caroline Perryman signed with the Kim Dawson Agency and is going out on auditions as an actress/model. She works at an acting studio in Lewisville and gets to help coach and work with students in big feature films. She is still finishing up at UNT majoring in theatre with a minor in secondary education and will be graduating in May 2013. She does stand-up comedy in the DFW area on the side. Philip Palmer is teaching elementary school for Teach for America at Tulsa Lighthouse Charter School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kim Pearson is in law school at Baylor University. Kelsey Pfleger graduated from Wellesley College in May and is at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Sarah Rubin is working as a research assistant for L&M Policy Research, a healthcare policy research and consulting firm, in Washington D.C. Meredith Rutledge graduated with a degree in music but started nursing school at Texas Woman’s University in Houston in January. She hopes to collaborate with music therapists in her career
as a nurse. Corbin Santana is currently working as an EMT. He is applying for a masters program in medicine at UNT Health Science Center in December. Hillary Scott is in graduate school at the University of Arkansas getting a Master of Arts in Communication with a primary focus in Rhetoric. She is also a teaching assistant for the Communication department, and currently teaching two sections of Public Speaking. She plans to be finished with graduate school by May 2014. Robert Snider is working at Sperry Van Ness/Dunn Commercial in Arlington selling commercial real estate. He also wrote a French story that is going to be published as part of a book for a French teacher’s association. Nathan Snodgrass is working for Wells Fargo in Fort Worth. Christal Strong is working as a staff accountant on the media reconciliation and finance team at iProspect, a global digital marketing agency, based in Fort Worth. Laura Tucker is finishing up her last semester at The University of Oklahoma and volunteering at an afterschool program for underprivileged middle school children. She serves as a mentor and a tutor there. Morgan Wade graduated from the University of Georgia in May and is working in the Designer Jewelry and Men’s Shoes & Accessories buying offices at corporate Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas. Amy Watson is getting her master’s in speech pathology at the University of Texas, Dallas. She hopes to move back to Fort Worth and work at a hospital or school. Mia Wiegand graduated from Dartmouth with a double major in mathematics and women’s & gender studies and a minor in linguistics. She is currently working as a private math tutor while applying to PhD programs in linguistics, hopefully to start in the fall of 2013. Andrew Willard is in law school at the University of Miami. He is hoping to incorporate his business degree and practice corporate law upon graduation.
Class of 2009 Alex Brown (Texas A&M University) completed his first degree in biology last May and is now working on a second degree in electrical engineering. This past summer he interned with Apple Inc. and plans to graduate in 2014 and work in Silicon Valley. Other accomplishments from the past year included being a chair of the SEC Exchange, a member of the Conference on Student Government Associations, and the Director of Campus Marketing for the iPhone/Android app development company named Color. Katie Brown (Baylor University) spent her summer in LA interning with Walden Media. She is in the Act One Producing & Entertainment Executive Program and will be spending her fall semester in New York interning, living and taking classes with the Baylor in New York program. Katherine Brownlie (University of Georgia) accepted an audit internship offer with KPMG in Fort Worth for January-March 2013 and will start her master’s in accounting degree August of 2013 and graduate in May 2014. Ellen Clarke (Texas A&M University) plans to graduate in December with a degree in Psychology. Caroline Coffee (Southern Methodist University) spent her summer working as a Marketing/Sales intern for Coca-Cola and received a full-time job offer beginning after graduation next May. She is also the co-recruitment chair this year for Chi Omega at SMU. Tim Conner (Trinity University) spent part of the summer teaching at a school in Madrid, Spain. He is the president this upcoming year of the Men’s Volleyball Club at Trinity and plans to graduate in the spring with a double major in international studies and Spanish. Michelle Craig (Southern Methodist University) is currently the president of Delta Gamma at SMU. This past summer she worked on leadership at Pine Cove Christian Camps as a base camps senior counselor. She plans to graduate in December, student teach in Dallas, and then teach elementary school. Cora Kuykendall (Midwestern State University) is the new arts & entertainment editor for MSU’s student newspaper, The Wichitan. She plans to graduate in December and start graduate school to get a master’s in counseling. Tesch Leopold (Texas A&M University) graduated this past May with a degree in psychology. Megan Shaw (Washington and Lee University) spent her summer as an editorial intern for D Magazine in Dallas and is currently the president of Kappa Kappa Gamma at W&L.
52
T V S A LU M N I
Class of 1997 (continued): Kristi and Mark Tobin; Class of 1999: Drew Darsey and family, Elanor Blumenfeld, Linette and Dave Golden, Missy Womack Williams and family, Siena Satyanarayana (x2!); Class of 2000: Edmondsons, Parker Billman, Whitney and Greg Hermandorfer. Class of 2008: Jocelyn Spurlock; Class of 2011: Vincent Vasquez; Class of 2012: Meera Namireddy.
Class of 2011 Vincent Vasquez is a resident assistant in the Freshman Hall at St. Mary’s University as well as an Emissary for the Undergraduate Admission office. He is also President-elect of the Alpha Pi chapter of Omega Delta Phi fraternity Inc. as well as a member of Alpha Phi Sigma, a national criminal justice honor society. Vincent is a yell leader for Rowdy Rattlers (the spirit group on campus) and a founding member of the College Democrats of St. Mary’s University.
Class of 2012 Congrats to Ty Templin, who made the University of Texas football team, and Carson Snyder, who made the TCU football team. It’s exciting that we have four of our 2012 boys playing college football with Spencer Stanley at Rice and Brandon Hudson at Rhodes too! Meera Namireddy reports, “I’m loving Houston, Rice, and Sid Richardson College, where we are known as Sidizens! I’ve joined club & intramural tennis, the Rice Pre-Medical Society (RPMS), South Asian Society (SAS), Colleges Against Cancer (the ACS chapter at Rice), & the Rice Student Volunteer Program (RSVP). I had a blast during our orientation (which we call o-week; our theme was Finding Nemo Week + Shark Week) and am really excited about getting to hear J. Craig Venter and Chief Justice Roberts speak in October as part of the Rice Centennial Celebration! I’ve met so many people who are from Texas, other states, and other countries; also, there’s an awesome place in Rice Village called the Chocolate Bar that has the best chocolate cakes, ice cream, etc.; basically it’s like heaven on earth.”
53
A Japanese student teaches a game from his culture to fourth graders. Sixteen TVS families hosted 20 Japanese seventh and eighth graders and two teachers from Nagaoka, Japan this fall. They spent time in TVS classes and made presentations about Nagaoka and their schools to various lower school classes.
TVS has four main objectives for its students: 1) Fine scholarship with its fulfillment at college 2) The development of wide constructive interests 3) Intelligent citizenship 4) Spiritual & moral development which promotes lasting values
Per Aspera Ad Astra
TVS
Trinity Valley School inspiring the extraordinary 7500 Dutch Branch Road Fort Worth, TX 76132-4110
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED to parents of alumni:
If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer uses your home as a permanent address, please e-mail his or her address to davisks@trinityvalleyschool.org
character integrity leadership respect wisdom
Mr. Buck says, "Teaching middle school art is a joy. Many of my students are highly self-critical. I challenge them to give me three reasons why they feel their work is not successful, and I’ll give them four reasons why it is. I try to boost confidence so they see what works in their art, rather than dwell on what perhaps doesn’t. I strongly
believe we learn by doing. Much like learning to play an instrument, practice and repetition of the basics are essential for success. Once in a while, with little or no direction, a student executes a little gem like Adrienne has."
ON THE COVER: Adrienne Ekins '20, "Untitled", Paper and Pastel, 12" x 18"
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Fort Worth, TX Permit #844