THEY BELIEVED THEY COULD, SO THEY DID: CELEBRATING WINDWARD ALUMNI
West Red Oak Lane
Plains, NY 10604 (914) 949-6968
212 East 93rd Street New York, NY 10128 (212) 222-8628
The Compass is published twice a year by the School's marketing and communications office. It is a magazine for The Windward School community.
Jamie Williamson
Head of School
Jana Cook
Editor and Associate Director of Marketing and Communications
Contributing Editorial Staff:
JP Bifone, Timothy Brosnan, Lucy Godman, and Nicole Nearchou
Contributing Writers:
Timothy Brosnan, Jana Cook, Nicole Nearchou, Michelle Spino Andruss, and Jamie Williamson
Contributing Photographers:
Timothy Brosnan, Susan Nagib, Nicole Nearchou, and Michael Priest
Design: hgDesign, NYC
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2023-2024
Patricia L. Wolff, Chair
Mitchell J. Katz, 1st Vice Chair
Jenny Price, 2nd Vice Chair
David Friedland, Treasurer
Maria Reed, Secretary
Thomas J. Coleman, Member-at-Large
Akeela Azcuy, PhD
Reed Brodsky
Michael Cummins
Peter A. D'Avanzo
Chris Dooley
Jeffrey B. Goldenberg
Meredith Jenkins
Ian Levine
Staci Marlowe
Magdalena Zavalía
Denis J. O'Leary, III ’06
Sandip
Marko Sonnenberg
Jennifer
The Windward School does not discriminate in admissions, employment, or administration of programs on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.
Note: At The Windward School, a student's class year is the same as their high school graduation year.
Impact
Each day Windward strives to serve as many students as we can and to make a life-changing and transformational impact on every individual child in the classroom as well as within the greater learning disability population.
Head of School
One afternoon roughly sixty years ago, MIT meteorology professor Edward Lorenz initiated a computer simulation, chose to leave his desk for a cup of coffee, and accidentally altered the course of science. What he discovered, when he returned to his workstation, was a vastly different result than a prior weather model he’d run using the same data set. He soon realized he’d inadvertently rounded one variable from six to three decimal places—or from .506127 to .506—and this change had drastically impacted the weather patterns predicted by the program.
Lorenz had stumbled upon what he later coined The Butterfly Effect: a single, seemingly insignificant event that effects major changes over time. This concept has been applied to fields spanning from mathematics to sociology to pop culture to psychology. While reflecting upon this idea, I can’t help but draw parallels to Windward’s core value of impact.
Broken down to its simplest terms, The Butterfly Effect has a basic premise: Small actions matter, and we are all connected. What does this look like in practice? I see evidence of it everywhere at Windward. I saw it when our Kindness Crew at WMS greeted fellow students with encouraging signs to kickstart their fellow students’ days on a happy note. I see it daily as I witness our dedicated faculty and staff showing their students and colleagues care, compassion, and concern. I celebrate it when I observe it in action as our students show one another empathy and acceptance.
The interesting thing about making an impact is that even a small gesture can have wide-ranging effects, touching every person or interaction that it follows. Any time a Windward student has checked in on a classmate who was having a rough day, they were making an impact—whether or not they knew it at the time. Maybe that classmate’s day got a little better, and maybe they went on to brighten someone else’s day.
Anyone who has had a teacher that took some extra time to help them understand a concept, who took an interest in them as a person, or who encouraged them to keep trying until an idea clicked can attest: That teacher made an impact. I still remember the first teacher who took an interest in me as a learner, and that teacher changed the course of my life.
The Windward School’s bold ambition as an organization is to not only make a life-changing impact on its students but also the learning disability population overall. Making that kind of impact is a cumulative exercise; each effort builds upon the last, until, gradually, what emerges bears little resemblance to its starting point. It is the sum of these efforts—by students, by their families, by our faculty and staff members, and by our community—that shape the Windward experience. And when we talk about having a transformational impact, that is the heart of it.
Jamie Williamson, EdS Head of The Windward School and Executive Director of The Windward Institute
Windward Named 1 of Only 100 Climate Action Schools in the World
One of the defining attributes of a successful Windward education is the ability to self-advocate. Windward students are taking on a new way to selfadvocate on campus and beyond through a partnership with Take Action Global, a nonprofit that seeks to encourage students to create a greener world. Known around the School as TAG, the initiative involves all four divisions, using lessons learned in the classroom to teach students how they can advocate for themselves, for their communities, and with other environmentally-friendly schools around the world.
These are Climate Action Schools, an international collective that Windward was invited to participate in by TAG’s founder. Together, they meet on a monthly basis to share their findings, learn about the environmental needs of other communities, and understand how making connections can create positive change. Windward has been grouped with schools in India, Namibia, and Hawaii that share the same environmental and academic goals. According to Joan McGettigan, EdD, director of educational technology and leader of TAG’s Windward chapter, “It’s essential to prepare students with futureready skills. The heart of future-ready skills is that one is aware of the world; one is a global citizen who can
communicate about issues and how those issues impact them, their communities, and their world at large. Most importantly, future-ready skills focus on how they can take action to make the world a better place.”
Windward’s new TAG team has been hard at work to make our community a more environmentally friendly one. Alexandra Tatusch, teacher and organizer of Westchester Middle School’s TAG group, explained, “First, we come together and brainstorm ideas for projects that we want to take over that have a specific impact at the School and beyond. Some of the things we’ve talked about are going over the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, how we can put a positive spin on issues and take action, and how the kids can make changes, both as individuals and within their communities.” Projects have already begun for Windward’s TAG teams: Sixth-graders are working on planting seeds for a community garden at school, and grades 7-9 students have been working on researching habitat creation and maintenance for oysters. “The Billion Oyster Project: That is something we felt really strongly about, because it’s accessible and it’s a great introduction to environmental work,” said Ms. Tatusch. “They’ll be presenting their findings to our friends in India the same way they presented to us.”
In coming years, Dr. McGettigan and her TAG officers have greater long-term plans for the students’ education and Windward’s environmental practices. Around the campuses, Windward’s TAG team envisions greater composting efforts; custom-made pollination gardens to attract bees; and self-sustaining hydroponic gardens that can be placed indoors to help students make greater connections between what they learn in the classroom and their real-world environmental efforts. “We want them to learn research and data collection, to understand their impact by being out in the field,” said Dr. McGettigan. “We’ll start incorporating topics from other classes, like math and technology, to help develop transferable skills that can be used in whatever capacity they need. We want them to continue to grow and thrive with the knowledge that they can change the world.”
Right: As part of Windward’s commitment to Take Action Global, students mapped out the WMS campus, noting flora and fauna native to New York and looking for invasive species.
First Cohort Graduates from Manhattanville/Windward Collaborative Master’s Program
With sincere appreciation for the effort and dedicated time it took to achieve this milestone while continuing to meet the demands of being an excellent Windward teacher, Windward extends a heartfelt congratulations to the first cohort to graduate with a Windward and Manhattanville master’s degree in education with a focus on literacy:
Colin Sydora
Kelly O’Neill
Emily DePauw
Ellen Colton
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
In order to support The Windward School’s faculty in the pursuit of furthering their expertise in the field of literacy, Windward collaborated with Manhattanville College in 2022 to design a master’s degree program in education studies with a focus on literacy. The program, designed exclusively for Windward by the Manhattanville College School of Education, guides teachers in innovative, research-based approaches that they can use in their classrooms to address a range of literacy challenges. The Windward School supports participants by assuming 70% of the tuition cost. This program is a great opportunity for interested Windward faculty members to gain a deeper understanding of the science of reading and literacy, and it has been made available to both lead teachers and first year full-time teachers-in-residence who have completed one year at Windward.
Windward Expands Access Through Reading Screenings
A common refrain from Windward families is how fortunate they feel to have found the School. Our community understands, through lived experience, just how critical early identification and intervention can be.
When The Windward Institute (WI) was formed in 2020, it was charged with sharing the expertise of the School within the broader community in a variety of formats. These have included webinars for educators and families, free community lectures, courses for educators, the READ Podcast, and more. Now, the Institute is further expanding its reach by offering free reading screenings for students in grades K-3 to Windward’s surrounding communities. Previously, reading screenings had been offered periodically through the School’s enrollment office; providing this service through the WI bolsters its commitment to outreach initiatives in fulfilling its mission to advance literacy outcomes for all.
WHY SCREENING MATTERS
The Windward Institute believes that literacy is a fundamental right for all children. Despite encouraging shifts at the local and national level to embrace evidencebased instruction, the fact remains that elements of the current educational system—specifically, identifying and providing interventions for children with learning disabilities—still promotes a “wait to fail” model. The untenable effect of this approach is that many children are not identified as having reading difficulty until late elementary or middle school. And while these students
wait for the intervention they need, there are measurable consequences to not only their academic progress but also their mental health.
Study after study has shown that screening children early for reading difficulties can help address issues that lead to reading failure, not to mention improve literacy outcomes more broadly. Although many schools and districts have begun to implement universal screening, there continues to be a need, particularly in underresourced neighborhoods, for comprehensive screening, information, and advocacy for families.
Given current statistics on learning disabilities, screening and identification practices are especially relevant:
1 in 5 children has a learning disability (NCLD).
About 80% of children with learning disabilities experience language and reading deficits (American Psychological Association, 2013).
1 in 14 children are diagnosed with a developmental language disorder (DLD and Me, n.d.).
As many as 15-20% of children have word reading difficulties (International Dyslexia Association).
Research shows a 50% co-morbidity between dyslexia and developmental language disorder (Snowling et al., 2019; Hogan, 2022).
“As part of The Windward Institute’s outreach efforts, it is critical to prioritize equity and access for all young readers and reach more families and children in the broader community.”
Alexis Pochna, Director of The Windward Institute
SCREENING
Thanks to an incredibly generous gift from a Windward alumni family, the WI received funding through the establishment of the Early Literacy Endowment to support a new reading screenings program in perpetuity. In April, The Windward Institute ran a reading screening pilot, with the goal of hosting two to three screening events in the 2024-2025 school year.
Each participating child engaged in a thirty-minute screening of early word reading skills (for example, real word and nonsense word reading, oral reading fluency) and language skills (such as comprehension and vocabulary). For each screening facilitated by the Institute, the measures administered by trained staff are research validated and identify risks for word reading and developmental language deficits. Program facilitators score and evaluate screenings onsite and discuss results directly with families.
Another feature of this initiative is a curated resources kit for participants, which includes free information tailored to the student’s results. This kit, combined with discussion of the student’s results, empowers families to understand their child’s literacy development and obtain resources they can use to build skills and advocate for their child in school.
Long term, the WI aims to provide inperson screenings in designated communities throughout the tri-state area. If a demand for virtual screenings arises, these may be offered at some point as well.
This initiative is an exciting step forward for the WI, expanding its reach to impact not only students within Windward’s walls but also within the greater learning disability population.
“Windward’s highly effective programs and decades of experience in the remediation of language-based learning disabilities have helped thousands of students become proficient readers and writers,” said Alexis Pochna, director of The Windward Institute. “The Institute is excited to share this knowledge through our free screening program to help more students achieve reading success.”
Check out these resources to learn more about the importance of early identification!
READ Podcast Episode 38: DLD, Language, and Systemic Change in Reading with Dr. Tiffany Hogan
Robert J. Schwartz Memorial Lecture, 2021
Early Identification of Dyslexia, Research to Practice, Dr. Hugh Catts
Families participating in the WI reading screenings event went home with a packet filled with helpful resources.
THEY BELIEVED THEY CELEBRATING WINDWARD ALUMNI
Sometimes, you can point to a single decision that altered the trajectory of your life, creating a ripple effect that touched everything that followed. And although that impact may not be immediately known, hindsight can tend to pull it into sharp focus.
Maybe you encountered an unexpected champion while you were in college, a professor who encouraged you, who pushed you, who then inspired you to enter a field you hadn’t previously considered. Maybe you caught up with a friend who had been out of the country, and the conversation spurred you to apply to study abroad; and throughout the course of your studies there, you met your future spouse. Maybe life threw you a curveball, and as you took a breath and regrouped, you found a creative solution that sent you in an entirely new direction. Or maybe your parents decided to send you to Windward.
Attending Windward has proven to be just that—transformational—to many alumni. For Sari Josephberg ’13, Bernard Mokam ’14, Lauren Blum ’17, and Joanna Frank ’02, their experiences at the School not only shaped their academic futures but also helped foster an unshakable belief in themselves, a combination that, along with a lot of hard work, has driven them to succeed in fields ranging from education to journalism to health care.
COULD, SO THEY DID:
Pictured, first row, second from left: Sari Josephberg
SARI JOSEPHBERG ’13 EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION
Sari Josephberg was in second grade when she learned she had dyslexia. She had been attending Windward since the previous year, but it was her second-grade teacher who put it into terms she could understand. Josephberg recalled, “In this very ageappropriate way, she told us, ‘You may have to take a detour, but you’ll get to the same place as everyone else.’ And this has been my mantra every time I encounter something difficult. I’m just taking a detour. I’ll be where my peers are.”
In the seven years she spent at Windward, Josephberg gained many tools like the one above, which, at age 29, she continues to use today. “I’m still brainstorming, using quick outlines and the writing techniques they taught me,” she said. So, when she transitioned to a mainstream school for eighth grade, Josephberg felt equipped to tackle the academic challenges of her new environment, Soundview Preparatory School. In her English classes, for example, she would take notes as she read an assignment, jotting down the important characteristics of each character and summarizing each chapter. “That way, when the time came to write a paper on the book, I wasn’t lost,” she explained.
Josephberg flexed the selfadvocacy muscles she’d developed at Windward while attending Sarah Lawrence College, where she benefited from its Donning System; as part of the program, all first-year students are assigned a don, a dedicated academic adviser that follows the student through their entire four-year journey at the school. “At the college level, you definitely have to speak up when you need help with something. It was great having a don to meet with weekly, to brainstorm together, to check in with, and to ensure I stayed on track,” she said.
And although Josephberg had known she wanted to become a teacher since second grade, the process of researching and writing a paper on dyslexia for a course at Sarah Lawrence cemented that goal: “Around junior or senior year, I realized I definitely want to be a teacher. And I want to teach special education,” she remembered.
Josephberg joined the Americorps program after graduating, later serving as a teacher’s assistant at a public school. When the pandemic hit in 2020, she decided that the timing was ideal to start working toward her master’s degree at Manhattanville College. With the importance of early identification of reading disabilities receiving much attention by researchers, it occurred to Josephberg that obtaining a double master’s degree made sense: one in early childhood education and one in special education. “It is during early childhood that families notice a child may have difficulty in x, y, and z, or that a child is not meeting certain milestones. Again, I was six years old when I was diagnosed, and early intervention through Windward was really key for me.”
“If you’re stuck, take a breath. You can then go back later and focus with a clearer mindset.”
In fact, Josephberg credits the School for giving her the tools she used to pass her teacher certification exams without utilizing accommodations for extra time. After passing the exams with flying colors, she shared the news with her mom: “I could see in her eyes how surprised and proud she was that I’d passed without using my extra time. And it was because I knew how to brainstorm, capture key words, and use an outline as I was writing. If I wasn’t sure about a question, I would jot down these quick notes before flagging it to return to later.” She continued, “I learned at Windward, if you’re stuck, take a breath. You can then go back later and focus on the question with a clearer mindset.”
Armed with two master’s degrees in education and her teaching certification, Josephberg plans to work in an integrated coteaching (ICT) classroom environment. In this instructional model, special education teachers work in tandem with the general education teacher, collaborating on lesson plans and additional supports for the students with disabilities. “They will spend most of the day—maybe 80 to 90% of their time—in the classroom with their peers who don’t have disabilities,” she said. Josephberg described one ICT classroom where several students were on the autism spectrum. She was particularly affected by seeing neurotypical students invite a student with autism to play with them or sit with them at lunch. “They don’t look at that student and think they’re different. Instead, they’re really inviting, and you see their friendships blossom. As an educator, it’s a beautiful thing to witness, that a disability doesn’t get in the way of building these peer relationships.”
With both her general education and special education students, Josephberg shares another core element of the Windward experience: If you don’t succeed, try, try again. “As basic as this sounds, it really helps them gain confidence. They may be frustrated with a task, yet understand that if they keep trying, if they keep working at it, they will get it.” This message to Josephberg’s students is all the more impactful for her having traveled the same road, detours and all.
BERNARD MOKAM ’14 JOURNALISM
Bernard Mokam has a clear mental picture of the day he learned he’d been accepted at Windward, a memory that evinced a smile as he shared it: “My mom was traveling for work, and I was with my aunt. We went to my favorite restaurant in Dobbs Ferry, a place called Sushi Mike’s. So, it was celebratory. And I think my mother did that intentionally so that I could feel positive about this new step and new chapter.”
While he was a student at a mainstream elementary school, Mokam was diagnosed with dyslexia and placed on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP); he remembered being pulled out of class—along with two or three other students in different homeroom groups—for targeted instruction. But rather than raising his confidence and academic performance, the special attention he received had the opposite effect. “There was a sense of standing out, of alienation,” he said. “And then when you’re with the rest of the class, you’re reading with a ruler, and everyone is asking what you’re doing. And you see that your friends are doing things that you aren’t. So, that creates self-consciousness.”
What immediately struck Mokam when he began attending Windward, though he didn’t recognize this at the time, were the fully integrated academic supports central to the School’s program, a direct contrast to the compartmentalized supports he’d been receiving at his previous school. “This sense of separation you feel in an environment where you’re removed from class and you’re in a closet-sized room deconstructing how to read and sound out words, it doesn’t happen at Windward. It just feels like school,” he said.
Mokam remained at the School from fourth through eighth grades, and he thrived, feeling a sense of belonging and community, connecting with his teachers, and excelling at sports. One of the most profound takeaways Mokam described from this period in his life was a sense of normalcy. In his mainstream school, he’d been regularly pulled out of class for reading intervention, “but at Windward, that doesn’t happen. In some ways, the work Windward is doing is invisible, but in part it’s invisible because it makes you feel like everyone else,” he said.
Bernard Mokam
“In some ways, the work Windward is doing is invisible, but in part it’s invisible because it makes you feel like everyone else.”
After Windward, Mokam attended boarding school before enrolling at The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, where he explored a love of writing that had begun in a journalism course at the American School in Vienna. Initially, he’d envisioned a career in sports, either as an agent or lawyer. But when he transferred to the sports management program at NYU, he gravitated toward journalism and creative writing courses, eventually graduating with a degree in Africana studies and a minor in journalism. Mokam then went on to pursue his master’s in creative writing and fiction at Hunter College.
Two mentors left an indelible impact on him during his time at NYU, which both shaped his view of writing and instilled in him a love of teaching. Professor James McBride introduced the concept of being 360: “He’s worked as a journalist and written novels, screenplays, and memoirs,” Mokam explained. “Being 360 means to embrace all different types of writing, a notion that has stuck with me.” As an undergraduate, Mokam also began spending summers working with Professor David Dent, founder of Write for the Future, an organization that guides students through crafting their college application essays. Mokam said, “When a teacher can impress upon you this idea that you will pursue this path, even—especially—through adversity you may face, that is powerful. And in a way, I wanted to model it.” Mokam has worked with over 200 students at Write for the Future, where he was program director until 2022. “Working with people who are motivated, who are opening up, and who are trusting you to help them shape a narrative around a formative experience in their lives, brings with it a lot of responsibility. And I loved the work.”
Both Mokam’s world view and approach to writing is rooted in his mother’s influence, centered on the idea of service. Many of his immediate and extended family members work as public servants, in fields ranging from diplomacy to health care to civil rights law. “My mother often talks about seeing writing as a service, that it should help society in some way. And through service comes joy,” he said.
Mokam recently completed a one-year appointment as visiting scholar at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Institute of Journalism, where he supported his mentor Professor Dent in an Africana studies class, as well as conducting research for a story on school safety in New York City. Currently, Mokam is a news assistant at the New York Times. He hopes to eventually become a reporter or editor for the outlet, led by a guiding principle often shared by his mentor, James McBride: “Talent doesn’t get you there. Perseverance gets you there.”
For Mokam, Windward, too, played a role not only in modeling tenacity but also in nurturing him as a learner overall: “For whatever reason, Windward did this magical work, where I was able to grow as a reader, where reading didn’t become so difficult, where reading is one of the things that I enjoy doing most. It allowed me to unearth my true passion for writing.”
LAUREN BLUM ’17
HEALTH CARE
The path to Windward for Lauren Blum was as much a mental health journey as it was a journey toward a dyslexia diagnosis. As a young child, she’d often insisted to her mother that she was different from other kids. “And she would reply, ‘Of course you’re different, everyone’s different,’” Blum shared. But it wasn’t until she was eight years old that her prevailing sense of being unique—in ways that required support—was confirmed. “My mom started to notice things like my timing was poor; I couldn’t keep a beat. We tried occupational therapy (OT) and a few other things. In fourth grade, I got evaluated, and I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia, all in one very neat bundle.”
Blum’s anecdotal experience was validated recently by multiple research studies showing that anxiety, depression, ADHD, and dyslexia are not only closely intermingled but also can influence one another in the brain. Having observed these multifaceted challenges among its students over many years, Windward had an integrated socialemotional curriculum as part of its program at that time, though neuroscientists had not yet confirmed these findings. “Once I was diagnosed, it was a nobrainer to apply. And it was a no-brainer to go when I was accepted,” Blum said.
The first thing she noticed when she began her fifth-grade year at Windward was the smaller class size. This created a comfort level for Blum, allowing her to fully connect with her teachers, to voice issues she was having, and to ask for support when she needed it. She progressed rapidly academically, so much so that by the end of her sixth-grade year, there were discussions of her testing out to a mainstream educational environment. “But I wanted to stay for the eighth-grade writing course,” Blum explained. “This was a major influence on the decision, and it was the right one. That writing program truly built the foundation for how I write, even today.”
When Blum graduated from Windward and transitioned to Scarsdale High School, the benefits of the School’s writing course became evident: “I was making up an essay test, and I was in my teacher’s office. He came in to check on me and asked, ‘Are you outlining?’ I said, ‘Yes, how else am I going to get my ideas to flow?’ And he said, ‘Most students just write it out and expect it to come to them.’ So, I knew that I had this toolkit that other students might not have.”
“I knew that I had this toolkit that other students might not have.”
Her academic journey post-Windward was not all smooth sailing, as Blum suffered a concussion and found herself taking a leave of absence in the latter part of her freshman year. Although it threw a temporary wrench in her life plans, Blum remembers pivoting in that moment to adjust her own expectations. “It really made me sit back, take a beat, reflect, and realize that I didn’t need to put myself in a pressure cooker. Life is going to happen and I need to deal with it the best way I can.”
Leaning into a resilient, flexible mindset paid dividends, freeing the mental space for Blum to objectively weigh her interests and strengths against future career options. She’d thoroughly enjoyed an AP psychology course in high school, which influenced her decision to take an EMT course provided by the local ambulance corps. “I think one of the hardest things I’ve ever studied for was my EMT exam,” she noted. “That’s when I started considering whether I would go clinical or not. And I realized, while I could do that, I didn’t necessarily have the bandwidth for it.”
As an undergraduate at the University of Vermont, Blum explored courses in human development, behavioral sciences, and public health while homing in on which area of study aligned most closely with her goals. She landed on human development, “which is essentially all the ’ologies put together throughout the lifespan, how individuals interact with every part of their environment, and how people overlap and interact,” she said. One of her minors was in behavioral sciences, a discipline grounded in research. Though she seriously considered going into that field, she ultimately decided to pursue policy work over clinical studies, which drove her decision to attain an accelerated master’s degree in public health.
After graduating from her master’s program, Blum joined the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency responsible for writing health and safety standards for all facilities receiving government funding. “We’re really working on improving the system, doing everything with patients’ health and safety at the forefront,” she explained. Despite the weight of this responsibility—her team’s regulations affect thousands of patients nationwide—Blum feels she is exactly where she was meant to be.
JOANNA FRANK ’02 SPECIAL EDUCATION
As a young child, Joanna Frank was a well-behaved student.
Children like her often fell through the cracks in the 1990s, passed over for special education supports until much later in their academic careers. Fortunately for Frank, her parents knew something was wrong at the end of her first-grade year, when she hadn’t yet learned to read: “When I wasn’t reading, even though the teacher hadn’t expressed concerns, my parents really took it upon themselves to advocate.” This process involved Frank taking a neuropsychological evaluation, which confirmed a diagnosis of dyslexia.
Frank has a vivid recollection of being one of only two girls in her first class at Windward, the fall of her second-grade year. “She’s still one of my closest friends,” she shared.
“And I remember just feeling really good about myself at Windward, which I think so many Windward students affirm, that sense of being in an environment that just is right and having your learning needs met in a way that is life changing.”
This environment, the close-knit atmosphere at Windward, stood out immediately to Frank: the School’s smaller class sizes, its supportive teachers, and the camaraderie among her classmates. “The School at that time was at 13 Windward Avenue, literally a house,” she remembered. “So, it was a very small, very warm little bubble.”
When the time came for Frank to move on from Windward, she and her parents knew the transition to Scarsdale Middle School—a large public school—would be a challenge; they were also confident in the fact that Frank was well equipped to rise to that challenge. Windward’s writing skills course, in particular, laid a foundation for a system Frank uses to this day. “As a teacher now, I still use the Windward teaching methodology for writing, because I think it’s the best, hands down,” she said.
Along with being explicitly taught these concrete tools and strategies, at Windward Frank had gained an understanding of her disability, as well as awareness of how to effectively selfadvocate. “If you’re in an environment like Windward during a formative period in your life, it becomes baked into your experience as a person. You know what you need to do to get supports that are necessary,” she reflected.
What Frank found in the mainstream educational space was that she didn’t need hefty supports or specialized instruction. She had an IEP, with extended time to take tests, for example, but she was successful without major accommodations. “It just goes to show that with the right strategies and tools, anything is possible. I went from being a person who struggled to learn to read to majoring in English in college,” she said.
This is a message that Frank has often shared with her students as a teacher: You can do anything and everything. “It’s not a question of can you or can’t you; it’s a question of are you willing to put in the time, advocate for yourself, and get the support to make it happen?”
Frank always knew she wanted to be a teacher, a motivation that propelled her through her Manhattanville College undergraduate program, her double master’s degree in childhood education and students with disabilities, and a graduate teaching assistant position at Windward. Her philosophy as an educator is to meet children where they are, to support them in the ways they need, which echoes the qualities she most admires about teachers she’s met along her educational journey. Her goal when meeting with students and
families is always to bring an invitational spirit to the table: “Let me understand this child, let me see where they’re at, and let me work together with them to find the right strategies for them to be successful.”
Inspired by the collaborative relationships she’d had with teachers as a student, Frank understands on a fundamental level how important that support can be. “It’s such an important piece of the puzzle for every child, just knowing there’s someone in your corner that wants to work with you,” she explained. Frank also leans into her lived experience—as a small child whose parents fiercely advocated for her to receive the instruction she needed—every time she meets with a family to discuss a student. “I want to hear from that parent, who is seeing them day in and day out, in multiple settings, at home and during unstructured times. Parents know their child the best. And to me, their insights are so valuable.”
Honoring the benefits she’d had as a student—her parents’ determination, Windward’s learning environment that encouraged her to believe in herself, and the care and support from every teacher she encountered throughout her journey—allows Frank to pay it forward in a way that impacts every single one of her students. And there’s that ripple effect.
“With the right strategies and tools, anything is possible. I went from being a person who struggled to learn to read to majoring in English in college.”
When We Know Better, We Do Better:
Why Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Are Relevant in a Windward Education
In her wisdom, the poet, writer, and civil rights leader Maya Angelou invites us to try our best with what we know while remaining open to new knowledge. Angelou says, “Do the best you can until you know better. And when you know better, do better.” Over the years, the research community has learned what works best for children with language-based learning disabilities. Without a doubt, Windward is among the best when it comes to teaching students with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities. This fact, however, does not make the School sit comfortably and take what we know for granted; rather, we remain curious and open to learning about what we could be doing better.
All our students are neurodivergent, meaning their brains process information in ways that are not typical. As a School, we understand that being neurodivergent is part of what makes our students who they are, and we embrace them because of it. Something we know is that neurodivergent people are more than their diagnosis. This can be explained by applying the intersectionality framework, which considers how various aspects of a person’s identity interact to create unique dynamics that can result in discrimination and/or privilege. Our students must be understood in all their identities (e.g., disability, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic class, religion, first language, nationality) and how their intersection impacts how they navigate the world. This understanding will mitigate the potential mistake of treating everyone as if they had the same needs. One size does not fit all.
Last spring, I took a group of Windward students to MOSAIC, a middle school diversity conference organized for independent schools in Fairfield and Westchester counties. For the first time in MOSAIC history, neurodiversity was included as part of their workshop offerings. This was thanks to Windward ninth-grade students who, with the guidance of their teachers, planned and delivered an informative and engaging workshop educating participants on the characteristics of neurodiversity.
And sharing their experiences as neurodivergent people was not our students’ only interest; another group of Windward ninth-graders presented on the involvement of girls and women in sports. Similarly, the seventh- and eighth-graders that attended as participants chose to join sessions where they discussed what it is like to be Jewish, Black, Latine, White, and multiracial students in independent schools. When we gathered to debrief the conference, students reflected on how meaningful it was for them to be in a space where they could safely talk and ask questions about their, and other young people’s, lived experiences. What is more, by the end of our meeting, all students were energized, wanted to continue the dialogue, and expressed interest in extending the conversation to the entire School community. Their reflections did not surprise me, as they aligned with education research findings that emphasize the importance of affirming students’ salient identities and opening spaces in schools for those identities to flourish.
Having a school experience where students see themselves reflected in the curriculum and pedagogy, while also learning about other people’s realities, promotes an environment where everyone sees themselves as a valuable member of the community. This matters, not just because it is what our students are interested in, but because it boosts their self-esteem and growth, and it encourages them to develop a more nuanced view of the world. Research has shown that learning about ourselves and others in ways that are significant helps reduce prejudice and stereotypes and increases empathy, another area where DEIB bolsters learning and growth. As the United States becomes more diverse, it is important for Windward students to acquire tools to interact with people who are different from them and expand their multicultural competence. How we prepare them for life after Windward will be key in their future endeavors, as evidence has shown that a positive experience with diversity provides global benefits, such as greater critical
“Do the best you can until you know better. And when you know better, do better.”
thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. Also, people who have been part of environments promoting equity and inclusion tend to be more invested in improving the lives of people in their communities.
In 2024, young people seem to be savvier in understanding issues of identity and differences, due in part to the internet and social media. The speed and availability of information today can stimulate growth, connection, and learning. However, we also know that the information young people are exposed to is not always appropriate, accurate, or conducive of healthy development. By creating space in schools for students to learn about topics related to hard history, current events, and identity exploration, we are giving them opportunities to receive complex information in ways that are not only age appropriate but also digestible. When sensitive conversations take place within a structure where the ground rules are clear and the adults have received the proper training, students tend to feel safer. They are then better positioned to receive and respond to challenging information. Some people argue that teaching children about issues of oppression, such as racism, only serves to perpetuate the problem. Why bring up something that they might not yet be thinking about? Research shows that not talking to children about race, for example, can lead to the normalization of racial inequalities. Children begin to observe and absorb what is happening around them quite early in life. If the adults in their lives do not bring it to the surface,
DR. PACHECO’S RECOMMENDATIONS:
— Maya Angelou
provide proper explanations, and give them the language to talk about it, children quickly begin to internalize those inequalities as “the way life should be.” Openly talking about differences and inequalities helps pave the path for solutions, as we have an opportunity to point out the many instances in which humans work to fix the problem. Overall, for Windward students to be seen and understood as people with disabilities is key for their growth and development, not to limit what they can do but to provide them with what they need to reach their full potential. Similarly, we must see and understand our students as complex beings with intersecting identities. Without doing so, we might miss supporting parts of themselves that are important to them, too. Creating an inclusive School where everyone has a strong sense of belonging is good for our students now, and it will be good for them in the future. I would like to invite you to complete a thinking routine that I often use when I deliver DEIB-related workshops: “I used to know...but now I know...” And when you know, you go on and do better.
Romina Pacheco, PhD, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
For adults: EmbraceRace Podcast https://www.embracerace.org/resources/embracerace-podcast
For younger readers: Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity: 25 Tales of Creative Thinkers (2024).
For teenagers: Nijkamp, Marieke (Editor) (2018). Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
Growing as Learners, Growing as People
Windward’s SEL Program Expands to Offer Students Even More Tools
Children are growing up in an increasingly interconnected world. Social media is now a ubiquitous presence in students’ lives, adding layers of complexity to their peer interactions. Compounding this issue are increased rates of anxiety and depression—with studies showing they may have as much as doubled—among youth in the last five years. These realities underscore how critical it is to give students tools that help promote their social and emotional well-being in both academic and non-academic settings. Practical, robust social and emotional tools lead to greater confidence and, ultimately, long-term academic progress.
Amid this shifting landscape, Windward recently conducted an extensive search for an evidencebased, data-driven SEL program. “When we look at how a thoughtful school community approaches socialemotional learning, we are talking about two categories: The SEL curriculum—at Windward, Social Skills, Group Guidance, GAINS, Advisory—and the SEL program, the school-wide approach to language, routines, and strategies,” said Coordinator of Student Support and SEL Dr. Anna Weiser.
Windward’s SEL program can be described as the daily choreography of how we as a community support the emotional intelligence of those in our buildings: how we greet one another, enrich emotional vocabulary, hone conflict resolution abilities, and cultivate essential social skills. These skills and tools are already being taught in our community, and adopting a structured program will enhance these efforts, creating a common language for the School’s community and its stakeholders to share.
Dr. Weiser noted, “Windward’s SEL curriculum is already strong, and incorporating RULER, a comprehensive school-wide SEL program, will work in tandem with that preexisting curriculum.”
WHAT IS THE RULER APPROACH?
The RULER approach, developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, is an evidencebased program that places a strong emphasis on developing emotional intelligence and social skills among students. As shared on its website, RULER is an acronym for the five foundational elements of emotional intelligence:
• Recognizing emotions in oneself and others
• Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions
• Labeling emotions with nuanced vocabulary
• Expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context
• Regulating emotions with helpful strategies
The RULER approach offers a well-researched, detailed, adaptable, and practical framework. Its focus on inclusivity and long-term impact, coupled with professional development opportunities, aligns with Windward’s mission, core values, and rigorous academic programs. Recognizing the diverse needs of students, RULER is particularly applicable to the School’s community of learners; the program offers tailored strategies to enhance communication, build positive relationships, and create a supportive atmosphere for all students to thrive.
The RULER program has a two-year implementation timeline, with the first year dedicated to training faculty and staff. The yearlong adult-only training in the RULER approach is crucial for educators and staff to fully embrace its principles, develop proficiency in its implementation, and foster a collective commitment to supporting students’ social and emotional growth effectively. The period also allows for ongoing reflection and refinement to ensure sustainable, impactful implementation with students.
In April 2024, a small team from Windward— comprising campus heads; the coordinator of student support and SEL; the director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; and four classroom teachers, one from each division— underwent initial training. This team will then train the academic leadership team and the student support team, who will, in turn, train all faculty and staff members beginning in August 2024 and continuing throughout the coming academic year. The program will be implemented with students in the 2025-2026 school year.
Introducing the RULER program signals a meaningful, positive shift for Windward, allowing the School to approach students’ social and emotional growth with the same rigor and evidence-based practices as it does academic remediation. BRINGING RULER TO WINDWARD
September 2023December 2023: Research, analyze data, and select evidence-based SEL programs for consideration. January 2024March 2024: The RULER approach is identified. Planning for training and implementation begins.
“I am deeply appreciative of the decades of dedicated work by those who have created our current program and I am thrilled to see what RULER brings to The Windward School.”
Dr. Anna Weiser
MULTI-YEAR PLAN ADDRESSING THE SCHOOL’S SEL NEEDS AND ENSURING THE EFFECTIVE INTEGRATION OF
April 2024May 2024: Training begins for Windward’s RULER Training and Implementation Team with RULER’s institute.
May 2024July 2024: Academic Leadership and Student Support Teams are trained in RULER, internally.
September 2024June 2025: All faculty/staff participate in a year-long study and training of the RULER approach. September 2025: Implementation begins with students and families.
Out of the Classroom: Learning by Doing
Learning happens in many ways at The Windward School. Windward students’ needs are different—their classroom requirements unique, their social-emotional journeys distinct. Part of the School’s approach to reshaping education is through field trips and Friday trips. Field trips are taken during school hours and are planned around the topics and themes that students are learning in the classroom. Friday trips, which are taken after school, help introduce students to the rich cultural opportunities in our region. Together, they give students additional learning benefits that cannot be acquired in the classroom.
Elly Steiker-Pearl, activities coordinator at our Manhattan campus, said, “Windward’s kids work incredibly hard. The academic program is rigorous, and students are constantly challenged. Most of our field trips are linked to the curriculum or are educational in some way, and it’s nice to change things up when you’re in a structured and routine daily environment.” For example, students often visit the Bronx Zoo to build upon lessons in their science classes; the Chinese Cultural Center has visited our lower schools to introduce important cultural concepts through dragon dance presentations and age-appropriate Q&A sessions. Classes have gone to planetariums and science centers to enhance their understanding of mathematics, and they’ve attended museums and history centers to better understand how topics like writing and history are influenced by the cultures of their times. According to Ms. Steiker-Pearl, “These robust offerings provide exposure to new interests and challenge the students to make more dynamic connections to classroom learning.”
Tom Kruze, activities coordinator at Westchester Lower School, believes taking trips makes learning more real. “Hands-on experiences are so beneficial,” he said. “Getting out into the field is exciting [for the students] and the field trips make a huge difference for kids who learn the way Windward students do.” Off-campus experiences bring learning to life and make connecting realworld situations and the topics discussed in class easier.
Field trips and Friday trips also impact the way students navigate their social-emotional journeys. “Kids open up more when outside school,” said Jason Steiker, activities coordinator at Westchester Middle School. “They get into fruitful discussions about things they may not ordinarily think about.” Field trips and Friday trips provide immeasurable opportunities for students to thrive and grow, both as learners and citizens of their greater communities.
Ms. Steiker-Pearl, Mr. Kruze, and Mr. Steiker agree that the trips, though beneficial as they are now, can expand even further. “There is definitely potential to touch more upon our DEIB efforts,” said Mr. Kruze. Ms. Steiker-Pearl shared, “We want to have a greater component relating to empathy, more of a connection to diversity.” This would mean more opportunities to visit spaces that highlight the unique experiences of others like the Tenement Museum, where students learn from the educational exhibits on immigration the struggles of immigrants, migrants, and refugees. These efforts will, from their perspective, help to create well-rounded citizens. “Those will be the moments that enrich a student,” said Mr. Steiker, “the moments that change the community.”
The Windward School Benefit Raises More Than $1M for Tuition Assistance and Teacher Training
On March 2, members of the Windward community gathered at Pier Sixty for Kaleidoscope, the School’s biennial Benefit. The event honored founders of Literacy Academy Collective (LAC) Akeela Azcuy, Ilia Edwards, Ruth Genn, Emily Hellstrom, Jeannine Kiely, Naomi Peña, and Freya Sakamoto; Assemblymember Robert C. Carroll ’04; and Windward student Eli Morrison (2014-2023). The Founders of LAC and Robert Carroll shared inspiring stories about their journeys, and attendees were all moved by the words of Eli Morrison’s parents, Hayley and Larry Morrison, who spoke about their son, Eli.
Current Windward parents Alejandra and Richard Gere, Zofia and Jean Reno, and Sascha Bauer kindly presented awards to the honorees.
Cate Smit, emcee and auctioneer, skillfully led the program, live auction, and paddle raise, which raised more than $1M for tuition assistance and teacher training at The Windward School.
DJ Christopher Sealey capped off the evening with a surprise set, and guests hit the dance floor en force.
Windward extends a huge thanks to all who participated, especially the Benefit cochairs—Ingrid Bateman, Noelle Umbro, Lori Squire, and Anike Wariebi—and the Benefit committee— Jessica Malone Atkinson, Liz Boutry, Sarah London, Christine Miller, Monique Newmark, Allison Sullens, and Shirin von Wulffen.
NEWS & MILESTONES
Windward Babies
Weddings
Westchester Middle School Teacher John Grogan welcomed Tatum Paige Grogan on August 1, 2023.
Manhattan Middle School Teacher
Elizabeth (Liz) Dwyer welcomed a baby boy—Noah Patrick Dwyer. Noah was born on November 26, 2023 at 7:14 a.m.
In July of 2023, Westchester Lower School Teacher Colleen Clarke got married with a fellow Grade 4 teacher, Ms. Enright, as one of her bridesmaids!
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Nicole Nearchou welcomed baby girl Giulia on September 14, 2023.
Associate Director of Development Meghan Kennedy welcomed Jack Thomas Kennedy on November 12, 2023. The newborn weighed 8 lbs. and was 21 in. long.
Executive Assistant to the Head of School Angeline Carelli had a baby girl, Ryan Carelli, on December 17, 2023. Ryan weighed 5 lbs. 10 oz. and measured 20 in. long.
Westchester Lower School Teacher
Marissa Sokoloski married Zak Sokoloski on August 19, 2023 at The Surf Club in New Rochelle, NY.
2023-2024 has been a very busy time for Admissions and Curriculum Support Laura Trifiletti’s family. Laura’s son Matthew married his fiancé Nikki on March 23, 2024. Laura’s daughter Adriana welcomed a little girl, Mia. And Laura’s 9-year-old grandson qualified and participated in the New York State Wrestling Championships in March!
Westchester Middle School Teacher Barbara Cantatore was selected as one of 50 artists to have her work displayed in Juried Artists Members Exhibition at the Edward Hopper House Museum for December 2023. The photo shows her next to her watercolor titled “Floral Splendor,” pictured above her and to the right.
On February 17, 2024, Westchester Middle School Teacher Brianna DiStefano married her best friend!
Westchester Lower School Teacher Jordan Cohen got married in November of 2023!
Mary Cott: Student, Teacher, Leader
Mary Cott was not always an outgoing person. As a younger student she was incredibly shy, and she was repeatedly invited by her instructors to participate more in classroom activities. This memory often influences her as a Windward teacher, but it is her attraction toward education that played an all-tooimportant role in her journey.
“When I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to go to a small liberal arts college, but I wasn’t set on a major yet. I realized I was always looking at a college’s education program,” she said. This interest grew as she navigated her way through higher education, minoring in the subject and even finding on-campus work in the SALT program: Students as Learners and Teachers. “I met with professors every week and held discussions about learning. We focused a lot on diversity, equity, and making education accessible. It allowed me to get a pulse on both the students and the teachers.” The effect of those experiences inspired her to contribute to her professors’ publications and, eventually, find her way to Windward.
“When I was looking at assistant teacher positions, Windward really stood out to me, because I love the language arts program, and because Windward keeps their teachers-in-residence (TIRs) after the two-year program is over. A lot of other schools don’t do that.” Ms. Cott just recently completed her own TIR program, taking a position as a lead teacher during the 2023-2024 school year. “I value all the lessons I’ve learned up until now, but I’m continually learning, and everyone here is so supportive.”
Ms. Cott has already made an impact on her students. Whether she’s checking in with them individually or as a group, Ms. Cott’s dedication to relationship building is at the forefront. “I bond with kids who were like me— quiet or shy—but it’s also so important to nurture comfortable relationships for all my students. What makes teaching so special for me is finding little moments
of connection, like making a silly joke without derailing class.” Those moments can occur during Ms. Cott’s favorite period of the day, read aloud, or even during what she calls the mindful moment:
“Ms. Sands suggested it during a faculty meeting one day, and I thought it would be a great thing to try when I noticed the students getting a little too wiggly. I just stop and say, ‘Okay, let’s have a mindful moment!’” These moments can be anything ranging from reaching up to the sky to watching a 30-second video. In many ways, Ms. Cott still sees herself as a student, with a continual awareness that there is always something new to learn.
Fostering Good Citizenship at Windward Through Community Service
Thanks to efforts spearheaded by the Windward Parents Association, each year Windward hosts CommUNITY Service Days in Manhattan and Westchester, in addition to other initiatives, to benefit local organizations.
These events not only present a great opportunity for students to learn about their communities, get involved with their neighbors, and engage in outreach, but it also creates a lasting impression on the children, who can see first-hand how impactful their efforts can be.
Students across campuses collaborated on a variety of projects:
• Collecting and organizing nonperishable food items for Meals on Main Street
• Creating toys for the dogs at Pet Rescue (Harrison)
• Making hygiene kits for people experiencing homelessness in New York City, to be distributed by Midnight Run
• Assembling “buddy bags” filled with lunch items for school-aged children, in partnership with Neighbor to Neighbor
• Packaging a kindergarten-level bilingual book with a stuffed toy to donate to Head Start
• Facilitating a book drive for Project Cicero, an organization that provides new and gently used books to public schools in under-resourced communities
• Spending a morning packing produce with Grassroots Grocery, to deliver directly to neighbors in need
Windward extends its thanks to everyone who helps make these events both productive and meaningful.
Homecoming 2023
The spirit of Windward was alive as the community gathered for Homecoming 2023 at the Westchester Middle School campus. With more than 150 people in attendance, the event was a testament to the enduring bonds that define the Windward community.
One of the highlights of the day was the inaugural alumni art show, where more than 20 talented alumni showcased their artistic endeavors, ranging from poetry to mesmerizing photography. It would not have been possible without the support of the Windward art department, whose faculty members shared, “Windward’s first alumni art show featured the wide range of talents and gifts our students have. Learning where students’ educational paths have taken them is so eye-opening, especially hearing about their accomplishments in high school, college, and, in some cases, even a successful art career!”
The College Planning Seminar with guest speaker and alumni parent Daniella Rosenblatt provided invaluable resources for high-school-aged alumni and their parents/guardians. Daniella empowered the attendees to navigate the college landscape with confidence and clarity.
Of course, Windward Homecoming would not be complete without some friendly rivalry. Due to inclement weather, the annual Westchester vs. Manhattan soccer game was cancelled. However, the athletic department pivoted quickly and hosted the alumni vs. faculty/staff kickball game in the gym. Faculty/Staff Team Captains Mr. John Ader and Mr. Matt Rollings led their team to victory for the third year in a row!
Alumni Team Captains Owen Hart ’27 and Fallon Costello ’26 noted, “although we lost the game, being around the Windward community felt like a win!”
To be involved in Homecoming or to display your artwork at next year’s show, please contact alumni@thewindwardschool.org
To stay up to date on all things alumni related make sure to follow Windward alumni on social media!
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The Windward School Alumni
Kendal O’Leary ’07 had an eventful year in 2023. She was a Meyers Grant Awardee at Columbia University’s Teachers College, was featured in a solo exhibit titled As I Am in Offit Gallery, the TC Gottesman library, and became a mom on December 13, 2023 to her daughter Cynthia Hohn O’Leary, who was 8 lb 1 oz., born in Lenox Hill Hospital.
As shared on Columbia University’s website: As I Am explores the fluid boundaries between identity and experience. How we see our world reflects how we see ourselves, and how we see ourselves shapes our relationship with our world. The title “As I Am” invites the question of who: to whom does the “I” refer? One might assume the “I” refers to the octopuses in the artwork, but the exhibit goes deeper. As the viewer explores the exhibit, they will encounter their own reflection in strands of dangling mirrors surrounding the prints moving in the space. Their movement sets the art in motion and their presence changes the environment. While the mirrors in the exhibit reflect the viewers, the octopus mirrors her surroundings in a state of continuous transformation. Her survival depends on her ability to perceive the surrounding environment and adapt.
Shapeshifting, extending, and mimicking textured surfaces of surroundings, she is defined by her creativity and sensitivity. As I Am invites a meditation on our current state of existence: How does what we see, feel and absorb define us?
Octopuses represent transformation: Each portrait in this exhibit is an homage to the “in between” and transitions we all experience. Never performative or posed, the portraits by Kendal O’Leary are a tribute to the often silent, but raw experiences that foster diversity and honor the creative community. Octopuses continually reinvent themselves, inspiring us to be more agile and ingenious.
1961
Judith Roberts Cohen is married to Eliyahu Cohen and they share a son, David Cohen. Judith volunteered in Israel, living there with family for 9-10 years in the 1960s through the1970s.
2000
Nicole Scharaga graduated from Pace Law School in 2020 before attending Bryant and Stratton. She currently works at the Westchester Department of Corrections as a corrections officer and general paralegal and is an avid volunteer, working on cold cases to help find missing people. She is also engaged to her boyfriend of seven years!
2003
Chris Gibbons attended St. Andrews in Scotland and graduated from SUNY Farmingdale. He married a wonderful lady from Paraguay and has two girls, Alanna (age 10) and Isabella (age 8).
2008
Scott Oltman attended Windward in Grades 2-8 and is currently living in Arizona. He is a tax manager for Ineo Tax Services and a West Realty Team Licensed Real Estate Broker. He has been married for 7 years and has a 3-year-old daughter.
2010
Nicholas Hunter Pantano is a chef and restaurateur.
2011
Mike Panella was excited to welcome his baby boy into the world in March 2024, “perhaps a future Windward lower school alumnus,” he shared.
Charlie Hinnant graduated from Fairfield Preparatory in 2014. He then attended the College of Charleston and recently just finished his master’s at Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies in Integrated Marketing and Communications. He just founded a company, Rave Me Away, dedicated to providing increased health and safety measures through its application and wearables technology at live events such as music festivals. The goal is to reduce response times for staff and EMT to locate and provide aid to consumers in the crowd.
Nicole Maratto graduated from Endicott College in 2018. She currently lives in Astoria and is an account manager, Creative Plus, Paramount in NYC.
Keith Mermelstein graduated from SUNY Binghamton undergrad in 2018 and then went on to get his master’s degree in human rights in 2022. He is currently a teacher with BOCES. and Craig Bartlett got engaged in Malibu
2015
Lexi Kaufman attended the University of St. Andrews in 2019 with a dual degree in art history and social anthropology. She received her master’s degree in art business from the Sotheby’s Institute in London. She currently lives in West Hollywood, California, as an art advisor and a member of the LACMA’s Future Arts Collective, recently formed as a way to engage and cultivate the next generation of philanthropists committed to fostering the careers of visual artists.
2016
Conor Hughes married Kate O’Callaghan Osbourne in Spring Lake in April 2023.
2017
Mal Warner graduated from Tufts University in 2022 after taking some time off to work for various political campaigns. Mal is now living in Brooklyn and working as a project manager for a housing developer focusing on affordable housing development in the five boroughs and Westchester.
2018
Caroline Adler graduated Magna Cum Laude from Syracuse University in 2022. She was a member of the the political science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha, and dean’s list. She is currently a legal assistant at Serling Rooks Hunter McCoy Worob and Averill LLP, a boutique entertainment law firm in Manhattan. She will be attending law school this summer.
Matt Friedman graduated from Tulane in 2022. He is currently the vice president of White Glove Memories. White Glove specializes in digitizing tapes, photos, and film. In 2021, they won the Business Today International Conference Impact Challenge.
In May 2023, Heather Smith graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornell University with a BS in biology and society (concentration in infectious disease communication). While studying, she worked passionately to help others with disabilities by raising and training two dogs for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. She continues to be an advocate for animals, service dogs, and others with disabilities, including those with dyslexia.
*Note: At The Windward School, a student’s class year is the same as their high school graduation year.
2019
Jamie Musoff graduated from University of Wisconsin in 2023 with a BS in human ecology and is currently an associate teacher at the Gillen Brewer School.
Brody Selman plays men’s ice hockey for University of Arizona: This year, the Wildcats swept Arizona State 6-5 to win the regular season finale. Forward Brody Selman finished the game with one goal and two assists.
Since graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in May of 2023, Ross Spellman has been pursuing a career in music. In Summer 2023, his band Whitworth completed its first national tour and will be hitting the road again this June. He also teaches music lessons.
2021
Sophia Ceparano is working towards her bachelor’s degree in communication and marketing, and in fall 2023 made the dean’s list.
Charlie Dillon graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in 2021. He currently attends University of Chicago and had a summer internship at Veritas Capital.
2022
Nick Calandros is currently a freshman at Ithaca College, studying sports management.
Zach Grann hosted an Instagram Live event in October 2023 called Dyslexic Hearts Club. The purpose of the event was to celebrate dyslexic songwriters (Lou Reed, Jewel, Florence Welch, and John Lennon) and celebrate dyslexia’s positive impact on creativity. He also performed a song he wrote called “Be the Angel” about his experience with dyslexia. “Windward always taught me that having dyslexia gives you a unique way to think and create, and I believe that students and parents will benefit from what I have learned about dyslexia’s effect on writing songs,” he said.
Ari Kass-Amsterdam went to Mamaroneck High School, where he received the Bronfman Fellowship in 2021 and Pace Songwriters Award in 2022. He is currently a freshman at Northeastern University in Boston.
Jenna Musoff is currently a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin.
2023
Diego Bey graduated from LREI: Little Red Schoolhouse/Elizabeth Irwin High School in 2023 and is currently a freshman at University of Chicago.
Jack Ryan committed to Sarah Lawrence for soccer.
Andrew Srulowitz is a freshman at Yeshiva University, where he received an honors scholarship. He is currently doing his freshman year abroad in Israel. From the start of the war, October 7, he has been volunteering at the Tel Hashomer Hospital, working with injured soldiers, families, and released hostages.
EJ Berman is graduating from Dwight-Englewood this year and attending University of Wisconsin in the fall.
Harry Conn will be graduating from RHS this spring and will be attending Colorado University, Boulder as class of 2028.
Matt Egelberg is attending University of New Hampshire beginning in fall 2024.
Sophie Harris will be graduating from the Trevor Day School this spring and attending Vanderbilt University in the fall, class of 2028! “Recently, I have been reflecting on my education and I truly believe that Windward changed my life,” she said.
Grace Jung is graduating from Suffield Academy and will be rowing with Hobart and William Smith next year.
Jack Pearl will be graduating from Tappan Zee High School this June and attending Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the fall.
Andrew Schwarz will be going to University of Denver next year.
Catherine Steers will be attending Holy Cross in the fall.
Toby Rosewater will attend Amherst College this fall, where he intends to major in English with a focus on creative writing. A 2024 graduate of Scarsdale High School, Toby attended two renowned creative writing workshops during his summer breaks: the University of Iowa Young Writers’ Studio and the Kenyon College Young Writers’ Workshop. At SHS, Toby served as senior managing editor of Jabberwocky, SHS’s literary and arts magazine, and consul (president) of the Latin Club. He is a member of the SHS Signifer Honor Society and received the Friends of Music and the Arts Elisa Draper Art History Award. Toby is the author of “Learning to Love Writing with Dyslexia,” which can be found on the University of Michigan’s Dyslexia Help website.
2026
Corey Van Etten is currently a sophomore at Trinity Pawling and has made the National Honors Society and Headmasters List.
2029
Teddy Hendrickson is currently in 7th Grade at Middlesex School. He enjoys basketball and plays for the Darien travel team.
Callie Leary is graduating from Millbrook in the spring and attending Boston College in the fall.
In Memoriam
The Windward School received the sad news of the passing of the following individuals. The Windward community extends its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. Please email alumni@thewindwardschool.org if you receive notice of a deceased community member for inclusion in the next issue of The Compass.
MARK LIPPMANN
Alumni Parent
WILLIAM ESH
Alumni Parent
ROBERT FRATTAROLA
Alumni Parent
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
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As an independent day school for children with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities, we believe difference is power. Through highly trained educators and evidence-based programs, we empower students in grades 1 through 9 with the skills and confidence to return to mainstream schools.
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