MKA Fall 2014 Review

In This Issue: Coming Home to MKA: Alumni Returning to Teach, Teachers Remembering Teachers, A Senior Sampler and Homecoming 2014

Plus Graduations & Commencement, Awards, Events and So Much More …

Review201 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ 07042

mka.org

Homecoming Weekend 2014 October 25 – 26 Cocktail Parties and Reunion Luncheon for the 4’s and 9’s

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Montclair Kimberley Academy

F A L L 2 0 1 4

Meet the Wallace Family: The MKA community has played a significant role in the development and growth of the Wallace family for three generations. The school’s relationship with this legacy family dates back to Jack Wallace, MA ’50. He then sent his children to his alma mater – first, son Tim, MA’72, then son David and daughter Joanne, MKA classes of ’79 and ’81 respectively. And now Jack has several grandchildren who are continuing the tradition: Katherine ’02, Jenny ’06, Alec ’10, Kelly ’12, Jessie ’14 and Annie ’17.

David and Marcie Wallace recently celebrated Jessie’s graduation along with daughters Kelly, Annie and son Dave. David feels that he and his family have all benefitted from the strong academic standards and exceptional faculty that are a hallmark of MKA. According to David, “The atmosphere of achievement was what drove me to do my best during my time at MKA, which I remember as the most challenging and rewarding of my academic career.” As parents, David and Marcie continue to be impressed by the dedication of the staff and faculty in working so hard with their children, both within and outside the classroom. “In particular, Community Service Day and the numerous volunteer opportunities support a message of caring and compassion for others that is unique to MKA and important to our family,” says Marcie. For these reasons, the Wallace family continues to support MKA’s Annual Giving appeal. “Without this additional support, I fear important programs would suffer,” adds David.

David’s relationship to MKA has grown since his children have attended. He has reconnected with many classmates on the sidelines of games and at back-to-school nights, and enjoys reliving the “glory days” which don’t seem as far in the past as they actually are! The Wallace family has a lot to celebrate. Kelly is at Boston College and is looking forward to spending her spring semester in Seville, Spain; Jessie will be attending the University of Vermont this fall; Annie enjoyed a successful freshman year at MKA, both academically and athletically

(earning all conference honors and being selected to the All Prep B Lacrosse team as a freshman), and Dave looks forward to following in his sisters’ footsteps in attending MKA in a few years. Marcie is committed to the “yoga life” – teaching, practicing operating Jaipure Yoga studio in Montclair. And after 12 years volunteering as a coach and board member for Verona youth lacrosse, David enjoyed a free summer playing golf and vacationing with the family on Lake Champlain.

MKA is fortunate to have the Wallace family as members of our community. We wish them much success in all their endeavors.

Meet Dennis Rodano ’87: Dennis attended Lafayette College where he earned a BA in Economics/Business and

History, and in 2010 earned an MA in Educational Administration from Caldwell College. Dennis has served on the Alumni Council since 2008, most recently as Treasurer. He and his wife, Geralyn, and their 11-year old daughter, Julia, live in Verona, and living close to MKA allows him to regularly return for Homecoming, other alumni

social events and for Alumni Council meetings. In recent years, Dennis has begun bringing Julia to see the Upper School Winter Musical, where they enjoy seeing a show together and he gets to relive his junior and senior years at MKA when he was a member of the stage crew.

After spending ten years in retail banking and strategic sourcing consulting, Dennis began a new career with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Since 2003, he has held a number of management positions within the Diocese and has also found the time to start a lacrosse program at DePaul Catholic High School. In mid-2013, Dennis moved to the Diocesan Center in Clifton as Project Manager where he is currently assisting with the

l-r: David, Annie, Jessie, Kelly, Dave, Marcie and Jack Wallace

Continued on inside back cover

renovation project of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Dennis credits MKA with challenging him to think critically and logically, skills that have aided him in facing and overcoming challenges, both professionally and personally. Today he views challenges as opportunities for solutions rather than daunting obstacles: “My memories from MKA are too many to recount here ... but if I had to pick one it would be the faculty and how they created an atmosphere that lead to my becoming a lifelong learner.” Dennis played soccer and lacrosse with “some of the greatest guys at MKA back in the mid-1980’s” and was fortunate to be part of the 1986 lacrosse team that won the Coaches Division in a thrilling triple overtime game.

When asked what he hopes his Annual Giving contributions will provide for today’s students, Dennis reflected on his six years at MKA. “I learned many valuable lessons both in the classroom and on the athletic fields. Every day at MKA brought a new challenge; a challenge that on some days was out of my comfort zone for which I had to work hard to create a solution.” Those lessons, coupled with the experience of feeling the accomplishment that comes from hard work, prepared him for both college and his professional life. “I hope that my contributions help afford the MKA students with the ‘same’ opportunities I had when I was a student. And by ‘same’, I mean that the students today experience and learn what they will need for the world of tomorrow.”

Alumni participation in Annual Giving supports that margin of excellence that distinguishes an MKA education from all others. Robust Annual Giving signals an engaged school community, dedicated to

improving our children’s lives and increasing the value for everyone. Please pledge your

support today at mka.org/giving.

Parent participation in Annual Giving supports that

margin of excellence that distinguishes an MKA

education from all others. Robust Annual Giving signals

an engaged school community, dedicated to improving our

children’s lives and increasing the value for everyone. Please

pledge your support today at mka.org/giving.

P R O F I L E S I N G I V I N G

MKA Board of Trustees 2014 - 2015President Michael V. Johnson Vice President Evelyn M. ColbertVice President Tracy E. HigginsTreasurer Jeffrey G. SzilagyiSecretary Michael P. Friezo

MembersJoseph V. Amato Merrick G. AndlingerKenneth W. Barrett James L. BromleyDaniel B. Carson ’83Christina A. CottonDavid A. CrichlowCarolyn N. EversonClifford B. Finkle IV ’92 Karen T. GulliverKathleen M. LoganSteven C. Milke

Thomas W. NammackEric F.S. Pai ’79 Kenneth S. RivlinLuke Sarsfield III ’91Amy L. SouthJaclyn V. Spedaliere ’00Linda H. Sterling Jonathan M. StrainChiming TseMei-Mei TuanElizabeth S. WeiswasserLori W. Yanes

Alumni Council 2014-2015President Jaclyn Spedaliere ’00 EVP Jessica Simpson Cook ’99Treasurer Dennis Rodano ’87Secretary TBDVP Networking Klaudia Pyz ’98

Members Alexandru Aldea ’95Bryan Becker ’96Brittany Berckes ’06Lindsay Braverman ’01Casey Breslow ’03Jonathan Bruno ’02Jared Cook ’01Rich Cosgrove ’84Pamela D'Amato Davis ’89Amanda Englander ’04Janine Garland ’82Lauren Hyman Kaplan ’93Andrew Kyrejko ’05William Martini ’98Andrew Murphy ’01Chris Noble ’84Diane Ridley-White ’84Rich Stanton ’87Lee Vartan ’96

Honorary TrusteesAubin Zabriskie Ames ’54John E. GarippaAlice M. HirshSusan H. RuddickNewton B. Schott, Jr.

Advisory TrusteesBarry W. Ridings ’70Robert L. TortorielloDavid L. Turock

AdvisoryDan Carson ’83Joshua Raymond ’89J. Kent Walker ’80

AdministrationTom NammackHeadmaster

Geoffrey BraniganDirector of External Affairsand Development

Lois Montorio Director of Alumni Relations

Keith WiggsAssociate Director of Development

Gretchen Berra Associate Director of AlumniRelations & Communications

Continued from inside front cover

Senior Breakfast 28

Student Awards 29 - 30

Cum Laude & Lifers 31

Athletic Honors & Awards 32 - 35

The Class of 2014 36 - 37

2014 Founders’ Cup Recipient 38

Faculty Shout-Outs 39

Retirements, Thanks You’s & Welcomes 40

In Memoriam: Evelyn “Ev” Martin 41

PAMKA’s Spring Gala 42

Cougar Pride Day 43

Meet PAMKA’s New President 44 - 45

Letter From the President 46 - 47

2014 Distinguished Alumni Award 48 - 49

On the Road in New York and Montclair 50 - 51

A Kimberley Fund Luncheon 52

MKA DAY 52 - 53

Alumni Games Day 53

Class Notes 54 - 76

Mission Statement Montclair Kimberley Academy is a Pre-K-12 coeducational day school with an exceptional college preparatory program unified by the concepts of our school motto:

Knowledge, Vision, Integrity. An MKA education is defined by the following commitments:

Letter from the Headmaster 2

Headmaster’s News 3

Letter from the President 4 - 5

In Memoriam: Philip McNeal 6

Coming Home to MKA:

Alumni Return as Teachers 8 - 15

Meet MKA’s New Director of Admissions 16 - 17

A Senior Sampler 18 - 21

Graduations & Commencement 22 - 25

Headmaster’s Schamble Golf Outing 26

Homecoming & Reunions 27

Knowledge

• To cultivate a love of learning in each student

• To develop independent and autonomous learners

• To establish a foundation of academic excellence

Vision

• To engage each student intellectually and personally with the world

• To graduate students who will excel in college and in their lives beyond MKA

• To recognize complexity and value empathy

Integrity

• To strengthen each student’s intellect, character, and confidence

• To promote each student’s full and active citizenship and leadership

• To secure a life-long sense of honor through academic, athletic, and artistic achievement

With traditions dating back to 1887, MKA was formed by the merger of Montclair Academy, Brookside School, and The Kimberley School in 1974.

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

headmasterFROM THE

NEWS

student NEWS

around MKA

faculty NEWS

parent NEWS

alumni NEWS

trustees

Cover photography: Kim Saunders

Review Editor: Debbie Kozak, Associate Director of Communications & Marketing

Assistant Editors: Debra Allen, Class Notes Secretary; Gretchen Berra, Associate Director of Alumni Relations & Communications; Lois Montorio, Director of Alumni Relations; Kim Saunders, Director of Communications & Marketing

Photo Credits: Debra Allen, Doug Allen, Gretchen Berra, Phil Cantor, David Hollander, Nick Kelsh, Debbie Kozak, Zandi Nammack, Kim Saunders, Keith Wiggs

Design: geministudio.com

MKA complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

2 F R O M T H E H E A D M A S T E R

headmasterFROM THE

“Coming home” is a powerful emotive prompt that includes the trigger for memories and feelings that we would rather forget as well as those that we treasure. Walking through a school that we attended ten, fifteen or fifty years ago can be like touring a battlefield now covered in a layer of the present that disguises what happened; who fought, who survived and who fell there. The drama and energy of the lives we led in the schools from which we have graduated evaporated long ago and remains only as a memory, and not necessarily a common one for us and our contemporaries.

Coming home to the place where we grew up or the school that we attended is about reconciliation as well as celebration, no matter how happy or challenging our experiences may have been. Returning to MKA can be a jolting experience for young alumni, so many new faces and the confirmation that others – new faculty, new students – have taken over the school. It is the equivalent of discovering that your parents really have rented out your room.

Yet, if you were able to stand in a busy hallway during the school day – just listening – you would hear fragments of yourself and your classmates: “..are they crazy? How am I going to write this paper now?” “..after practice, let’s get something to eat and study for tomorrow.” “There’s no way I can go to the city on Saturday, my parents are watching me like a hawk.” “I have the part, I can’t believe it!” “What a disaster that assembly was – what were they thinking?” And once in awhile, perhaps not every day or often enough, “I love this place.”

There is much to love about MKA in the past and in the present. Many people, students and faculty are nothing short of extraordinary. What is hardest for those with the longest associations with our school is that some of those exceptional friends and teachers are no longer just down the hallway, but are only names and memories in the present. There is, however, still the chance of an encounter at Homecoming with a treasured and long-lost classmate, or of turning a corner to see Ken Gibson,

Judy Nesbit, Sue Reiter, Ken Bishé, Sonia Tyson, Donna Blanes or some other exceptional person who has retired from MKA and just might show up for reunions. And every graduate of MA, TKS and MKA can be assured that there are teachers at the ready and in the making who are and will be that North Star for the current and the rising generations of MKA students.

At the Cum Laude induction ceremony this year, I mentioned to the seniors gathered there that a good life can be spent grappling with great questions rather than arriving at solutions and definitive answers. I brought up the big ones, “Where did we come from?” “Why are we here?” “Where are we going?” What makes coming home emotionally powerful for each of us is that it can bring those questions to mind. Returning to MKA, where we have mixed our accomplishments, efforts, failures and aspirations with those of our friends and teachers, reminds us that school is both a haven and a forge and a distinctly human and ennobling enterprise.

I hope to see you at school,

Sincerely,

Thomas W. Nammack Headmaster

3F R O M T H E H E A D M A S T E R

headmasterFROM THE

future forwardTHE CAMPAIGN FOR MKA

Reaccreditation Chair Diane Hulse introduces the Visiting Team to MKA

Thanks to the generosity of alumni, parents, colleagues, trustees and friends of the School, MKA has raised over $21 million toward Future Forward’s $30 million goal.

The $5.5 million raised in 2013-14 includes $1.4 million in Annual Giving and cornerstone commitments of $500,000, $1 million and $1.25 million for the new Upper School Academic Center. This transformative project, which integrates many of the components of an MKA education, is scheduled for completion in September 2015.

MKA continues to actively fundraise to support the Academic Center’s LEED Certification, which includes an interactive Green Roof to benefit the educational experience of students Pre-K-12. The new and renovated facility will be the first LEED Certified educational space for any primary, middle or upper school in Montclair. For more detail, please contact Director of Development Geoff Branigan: [email protected].

And while you are attending Homecoming Weekend 2014, please join the School community for the dedication of the Field House and renovated athletic facilities at Muenster Field on Saturday, October 25 at 10:00 a.m.

MKA Receives Reaccreditation Following an exhaustive internal self-study process that covered every facet of school life involving representatives from every MKA constituency, a joint NJAIS-Middle States Visiting Team spent four days on site at the end of April

reviewing MKA in action. The 65-page Report of the Visiting Accreditation Team includes commendations as well as recommendations. Upon the recommendation of the Visiting Team, which described MKA as “a vibrant, distinguished

school,” the NJAIS Committee on Accreditation has approved MKA’s accreditation through June 2024.

MKA’s response to the recommendations – concerning regular review of the school’s mission, continued work on creating a shared vision, measuring and celebrating the school’s success and continuing to work on strengthening the bonds among the three campuses – are due back to the NJAIS Accreditation Committee as an Action Plan by next April, which will form the basis for MKA’s next strategic plan.

A Board of Trustees Strategic Planning Committee, to be Chaired by trustee Kate Logan, has been established for the 2014-15 school year, with the goal and charge of taking a 50,000 foot view of the school, reviewing its mission and articulating a system for ongoing reviews that will help focus and clarify Board policies and strategic planning efforts over the next five to seven years.

An Update on Future Forward: The Campaign for MKA

4 F R O M T H E T R U S T E E S

trusteesFROM THE

In my role as President of the Board, I am fortunate to work with a remarkable group of dedicated, capable and talented volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of MKA. I would like to extend a warm welcome to five new trustees: Clifford Finkle ’92, Karen Gulliver, Amy South, Jaclyn Latzoni Spedaliere ’00 and Mei-Mei Tuan, and to acknowledge Lori Yanes for agreeing to remain on the Board beyond her tenure as PAMKA President.

A member of the Class of 1992, Cliff Finkle received a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University and an MBA from Georgetown University. He is Vice President and President of the Finkle family transportation businesses and enjoys fishing and skiing in his time away from work. Cliff and his wife have two children who attend MKA, a son in 2nd grade and a daughter in Kindergarten.

Karen Gulliver received a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and is a Certified Public Accountant. A member of Jack & Jill of America, Karen is also the PAMKA Middle School Campus VP, Co-Chair of the MKA Diversity & Inclusion Parent Committee and a tutor at TEAM Academy. She and her husband have two daughters, one in 5th grade and one in 8th grade.

Amy South received a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University and joins the Board as the incoming PAMKA President. Well-known among the MKA parent community, Amy has served PAMKA in countless capacities, including as Community VP, Chair of Captivating Conversations and most recently, as the Cougar Pride Day Chair. She is a volunteer with Toni’s Kitchen, the Montclair Human Needs Food Pantry and the Montclair Garden Club. She and her husband have a son in 8th grade and a daughter in 11th grade.

Jaclyn Latzoni Spedaliere ’00 joins the Board as the incoming President of the Alumni Association. An active

Council member for many years, she received a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University and a master’s degree from Rutgers University. Jaclyn is the Global Sales Operations Manager for Process Systems Enterprise, a software and consulting service. A member of Alpha Gamma Delta, Jaclyn enjoys running, sports and travel. She and her husband reside in Morristown.

Mei-Mei Tuan received a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and an MBA from Harvard University. A former investment banker, she is Co-CEO of Notch Partners LLC, a consulting firm, a Director of The Bancorp, Inc (TBBK), a Director of Friends of Thirteen, a member of the Business Leadership Council of Wellesley College and a member of The Committee of 100. She and her husband have a daughter in 8th grade and a son in 10th grade.

It is also with tremendous appreciation that we say farewell to three trustees: Tim Bozik, John Gaffney and Rich Stanton ’87.

5F R O M T H E T R U S T E E S

trusteesFROM THE

Tim Bozik departs from the Board after nine years of outstanding service, most recently as a member of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Facilities Committee and a member of the Finance Committee. Under his tenure as Facilities Chair, Tim oversaw an extraordinary number of Strategic Planning projects and was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the design and implementation of the Upper School Academic Center and other Future Forward projects. In addition, Tim was a driving force behind MKA’s growing awareness of, and action on, the need to be more environmentally and sustainably responsible. Tim’s diligence, humor, insight and intelligence will be greatly missed by the Board, and we wish him and his family well in their future endeavors.

John Gaffney retires from the Board after three years of service, most recently as a member of the Educational Programs

and Policies and Finance Committees. John has been a parent in the MKA community since 1992, and we look forward to many more years of his involvement – at least until the graduation of his youngest son in 2021!

Rich Stanton retires from the Board at the end of his term as Alumni Association President. A member of the Committees on Development and Facilities, Rich served his term with a passion for the school, representing the school’s alumni body with distinction at all times. We are delighted that Rich will remain involved in the life of MKA as a member of the Alumni Council.

Warm Regards, Michael V. Johnson

President, Board of Trustees

6 F R O M T H E T R U S T E E S

trusteesFROM THE

It was with great sadness that MKA learned of the tragic death of former trustee Philip McNeal, aged 60, on May 27, 2014 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

The son of Missouri’s first African-American State Senator, Philip began his career as an engineer before moving to J. P. Morgan, where he spent more than 30 years as a highly successful investment banker, most recently as a Managing Director and Senior Private Banker. Philip and his wife Glenda were long-time MKA parents; their daughter Sydney graduated in 2011, and their son Carter attended MKA through fifth grade. Philip

Make connections, ask questions & find out about experiences – all in a new, casual format. Join us from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Millenium Hotel in NY. Contact Gretchen Berra at [email protected] for more information.

Networking with Alumni TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Help the Alumni Council by sending in nominations for MKA’s: Founders’ Cup Award for Teaching Excellence, Distinguished Alumni Recipient Award and Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees. Online nomination forms for all categories, complete with more detailed explanations are available in the Alumni section of the website at mka.org.

Now’s the Time

served as a trustee from 2006-2011 serving as Chair of the Development Committee for three years, as well as serving on the Executive, Buildings and Grounds, Campaign Leadership, Finance, Investment Subcommitee and Strategic Planning Committees. In the words of Tom Nammack, Philip “was a deeply thoughtful and committed member of the Board. He served as Chair of the Development Committee at the outset of our campaign and worked hard to see that MKA was well launched in that effort.”

MKA extends its deepest condolences to Glenda, Sydney, Carter and other family members.

In Memoriam

7F R O M T H E T R U S T E E S

trusteesFROM THE

Trustees Eric Pai ’79 and Aubin Zabriskie Ames ’54 enjoy one another’s company in the ‘Robing Room’ prior to Commencement.

Board of Trustees Vice President Evie Colbert and husband, Stephen,

enjoying Commencement with their daughter

Madeleine ’14 and sons Peter ’16 and John ’20.

MKA trustee Kate Logan presided at Commencement and followed the tradition of presenting her graduating senior, Jon, with his diploma before gathering for a family photo with husband, Edmund Rung, and older son, Joshua Logan-Rung ’13.

8 A R O U N D M K A

around MKA

MKATOHOME

COMING

Home: the social unit formed by a family living together. a collegial environment.

a place of origin. (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary)

In this issue, the arrival of which traditionally presages the start of a new season and a new school year, we explore the theme of coming home. It’s a theme that is both tangible – after all, Homecoming 2014 is only weeks away and the school has just appointed an alumna to be the new Director of Admissions

& Financial Aid – and intangible – what is it about this school that

truly makes it a home that people continue to want to return to?

From the student graduation and Commencement speeches and the Senior

Sampler interviews, a vivid picture emerges of the intensely close social unit that forms

and marks the MKA student experience. From the passionate MKA alumni faculty profiles, the draw to and depth of the collegial environment stands out as a hallmark of MKA as a workplace, and from the dedication of alumni who have made their careers teaching in other schools to the successes of the Class of 2014 and the Distinguished Alumni Recipient, the school has undoubtedly been a defining place of origin.

When alumni return “home” to campus, they are struck as much by what has stayed the same as by what has changed: faculty-student relationships are still strong, families are still supportive, students are still challenged by teachers who love their subjects and the mission of the school remains to uphold the tenants of Knowledge, Vision and Integrity in preparing empathetic, empowered, honorable and confident young people to take their place in the world. And just as family traditions resonate through the generations, Cum Laude pins, John McVicar’s cane, the Academy Bell and the Maypole celebrations continue to have meaning for today’s students.

To outsiders – most recently the visiting Reaccreditation Team – MKA is marked by students “who love their school,” by parents who are “bursting their buttons with pride” and by faculty and staff who are “uniformly committed to their students.” In other words, it is a place that exemplifies the best qualities of a caring home. If you haven’t visited recently, please think about coming home soon – your MKA family would love to see you!

9A R O U N D M K A

around MKA

Over the years, MA, TKS and MKA’s traditions of excellence in teaching have inspired generations of new educators. Countless alumni have entered primary, middle and high school classrooms across the country to pursue careers as teachers and administrators. From public to private to charter schools, and from small to large institutions, they have made their mark, frequently building on the lessons learned from their own teachers. The experiences and memories of some can be read in this issue’s Class Notes section. Some others, however, have literally come home to their alma mater to teach or work. Here, we meet four current and one newly retired alumni member of the faculty who chose to “come home” and teach at MKA. And joining them, a member of the Class of 1999 who returns to MKA as an administrator this fall (p. 16).

S u s a n Aw e r d i c k ’6 8

How did you find your way back to MKA?

My children (Jason Awerdick ’94 and Megan Awderick ’97) were students at MKA and I was teaching at another

Alumni return as teachersschool. When I learned MKA was bringing back the Pre-K program, I jumped at the opportunity to be part of the team.

How different is the school from when you were a student and in what ways?

The obvious way is that it is now co-ed. In recent years, it’s the use of technology in the classroom. Technology has so changed the way children learn. Today’s five-year olds are digital natives. They are adept on iPads and other digital devices. Who could have imagined that, instead of reading a book about the life cycle of a butterfly, the children can see a video of the actual metamorphosis – as well as watching them actually hatch in the classroom!

What were the most enjoyable aspects of being a primary school teacher?

There is nothing more wonderful than Pre-K and kindergarten students. They love to go to school, and they

absorb so much. Not a day passes when there isn’t an “ah-ha” moment. In Pre-K, the children are learning to be independent and making friends on their own. They are learning how to problem solve and negotiate for themselves, often with outcomes different than if an adult had intervened. Without a doubt, witnessing those moments in kindergarten when writing and reading click for a child is incredible.

What is your fondest memory of being a student at TKS?

I have many joyful memories of my days at Kimberley. It was a much smaller school than the current school. Today’s Middle School library served as the study hall for all of the high school, with the exception of 9th grade.

Is there a teacher that you yourself had at TKS that you ever found yourself remembering or trying to emulate?

I think the thing that I most remember is how caring my teachers were and that I felt they knew me. Even as a student, I knew that they

cared about my education and my well-being. While it is hard to make comparisons between teaching middle and high school to Pre-K and K, I would like to think that I care about my students as individuals in the same way that I felt my teachers cared about me.

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around MKA

What are you going to miss most about the school?

I’ll miss seeing the many friends I’ve made over the years, but I am confident that we will keep in touch. I am going to miss seeing the children grow up. It is always such a

joy to see the children move from one grade to the next at the Primary School. The children are so little when they come to Pre-K in September. By the time they are leaving 3rd grade, they have grown up so much. It always amazes me to see how mature and competent they’ve become. I love seeing them in the concerts and their class plays. For the last two years, the Pre-K children have been paired with “3rd grade buddies.” This year, once a six-day cycle the children got together. The youngest students so admired their buddies, and the buddies were so attentive to them. One of the highlights of the year was picking vegetables at a farm and donating them to Toni’s Kitchen at St. Luke’s Church. We were able to walk from Brookside to the church because each Pre-K student had at least one 3rd grader’s hand to hold.

What are you looking forward to the most in your retirement?

I honestly don’t know how my retirement is going to play out, and that’s the exciting part. I know that I’ll spend

this summer at the beach and I am planning on going to Europe in September. I hope that I will be able to say yes to more volunteer opportunities than I have in recent years because now I will have the time.

L e o n S h a d e ’ 9 8

What roles do you currently have at the school?

I am a 7th grade Co-Dean, a PE and health teacher and a Middle School football coach.


After my baseball career was over, I knew I wanted to work with kids through sports. I had always worked at MKA’s summer camps so in some ways, I never really left MKA. Although I knew I wanted to work with kids, I never thought I would be able to become a teacher. I was fortunate to land a coaching job with the JV Baseball team and had so much fun that I had every intention of coaching again the next season, but a teaching position opened up at MKA, and

I applied. That was a proud moment for me, because it meant being back at a place that helped me develop, and now I was going to get a chance to help others develop.


One of the things I’ve noticed is how students are studying advanced material earlier and earlier. I think this makes them even more versatile and able to function at a higher level, but I think some of the core values of the school still remain. There is still an excellence that is expected in the classroom and supportive faculty to help with that effort. One of the big things I notice that is different is the effort to bring students together more often and the creation of greater community pride. I often wonder what House in the Upper School I would have been a part of or which Synergy assembly I would have performed at.

What are your greatest challenges as a Middle School teacher/coach?

I was taught to never let the person next to you down. If I have a challenge, it’s that I’m always trying to make sure

MKATOHOME

COMING

11A R O U N D M K A

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I do the very best I can for the person next to me – my team, my students, or whoever it may be. If not letting the person next to me down means I don’t get to eat lunch that day, then I won’t. That’s a hard thing to do and a hard way to go through a day, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

What are the most enjoyable aspects of being a Middle School teacher/coach?

Working with students who are young and malleable. Each day, I have an opportunity to teach or impart something to a student that might last forever. There are many teachers I remember fondly, and the reason I remember them is because of what they gave of themselves in order to make me better. When I have a connection with a student or make a student smile, I feel a sense of accomplishment in what I do. I needed so much to hear that I could do things in life growing up, and I want nothing more than to help students realize important lessons like this through skill building and encouragement.

What is your fondest memory of being a student at MKA?

There are too many to choose just one, so I’ll share something from my first year at MKA. Since I had come to MKA as a sophomore, I was going through a huge transition. I felt I was in over my head at times and was trying to find my place at MKA. The first time I really felt part of the community was when I was given an MKA sweater. It meant so much to me. I felt like I was doing something right and that people recognized me for the person I was trying to be. No one had ever given me anything like that before, so to be recognized in that way was very special.

Are there ways in which MKA prepared you to be a teacher?

MKA helped prepare me by showing me patience. I always felt the support of my teachers, and when I started working here, I remembered the support and the patience that was shown to me. I also believe that walking the halls and figuring out what it meant to be an MKA student has helped me as a teacher. Hard work pays off. It was true for me, and I believe it is true for students today.

Is there a teacher that you yourself had at MKA that you find yourself remembering or trying to emulate?

There are many teachers that I remember fondly. All of them believed that there was something good in me and

helped me to find it. I have carried them with me through these past 10 years. I remember Noll Klank, Jim Buckley, and Denise Brown Allen. Ralph Pacifico, Dave Flocco, Dick Rodin and George Hrab. And there was one teacher who stood out a little more – Amy Selinger. What she did for me during my time as a student at MKA cannot be repaid. She may not have been a teacher here long, but she was super. I try and use the lessons these teachers showed me and apply my own style to them. Having this well of examples to reflect on makes me feel more comfortable and confident as a teacher. Several times a year, I find myself thinking of their sayings and their motivating words, and I now use them because I believed in them.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life?

This is an easy question. My mom. Without her, I would be a shell of who I am today. I once wrote a letter to her apologizing to her for bringing home C’s for grades. It was a long letter explaining how I had tried my best but that I just wasn’t a good student. She saw right through that. My mom never let me believe that I was stupid or dumb. She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. With the help of my church family and my grandparents, she taught me faith - in myself, in people, in my students, in my players. My mom saved that letter and gave it back to me on my graduation day from MKA. What I wrote in that letter is what I love about Middle School. My students may be going through a similar time with their emotions and thoughts and, thanks to what my mom taught me, I can be there for them.

A l e x L a n g b e i n ’0 3


I am a Pre-K teacher, Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis Coach, and a member of the Primary School Technology Team.


After many years in New England - between college, grad school, and coaching – I was ready to return to this area to focus on my career. I started working in the Essex Fells school system in the fall of 2011 and a Pre-K position opened up at Halloween at the Primary School, which I was thrilled to secure!

this summer at the beach and I am planning on going to Europe in September. I hope that I will be able to say yes to more volunteer opportunities than I have in recent years because now I will have the time.

L e o n S h a d e ’ 9 8


I am a 7th grade Co-Dean, a PE and health teacher and a Middle School football coach.


After my baseball career was over, I knew I wanted to work with kids through sports. I had always worked at MKA’s summer camps so in some ways, I never really left MKA. Although I knew I wanted to work with kids, I never thought I would be able to become a teacher. I was fortunate to land a coaching job with the JV Baseball team and had so much fun that I had every intention of coaching again the next season, but a teaching position opened up at MKA, and

I applied. That was a proud moment for me, because it meant being back at a place that helped me develop, and now I was going to get a chance to help others develop.


One of the things I’ve noticed is how students are studying advanced material earlier and earlier. I think this makes them even more versatile and able to function at a higher level, but I think some of the core values of the school still remain. There is still an excellence that is expected in the classroom and supportive faculty to help with that effort. One of the big things I notice that is different is the effort to bring students together more often and the creation of greater community pride. I often wonder what House in the Upper School I would have been a part of or which Synergy assembly I would have performed at.


I was taught to never let the person next to you down. If I have a challenge, it’s that I’m always trying to make sure


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While I never attended the Primary School as a student, I did as a camper and then counselor at Brookside Day Camp (now STAR Camp). That being said, while a lot of the virtues of MKA still remain, a lot has changed. I left MKA with Dr. Peter Greer as Headmaster, and now work under the leadership of Tom Nammack. I have also seen each campus benefit from a nucleus of new faculty and now colleagues that I used to call teachers. Each campus has also received major facelifts since I graduated; two new turf fields, a new fine arts wing, and a dining hall to name a few. Finally, the use of technology and MKA being an Apple Distinguished School is also pretty amazing.

What are your greatest challenges as a Primary School teacher/coach?

At the Pre-K level, you are not only introducing the Primary School and the wonders of MKA to the children, but also, for the first time, to MKA families. While this is not a significant challenge, it is an important aspect of the parents’ “Pre-K experience.”

What are the most enjoyable aspects of being a Primary School teacher/coach?

I wake up every morning happy, excited and anxious to go to the Primary School. Previous students now

at the Middle School and Upper School students commonly refer it to as, “a magical wonderland.” That could not be closer to the truth. I enjoy spending my school day with 4-9 year-olds and then afternoons with Middle School students on the tennis courts. It’s a very nice balance. I have also been able to generate collegial relationships at different campuses. I also feel very empowered as an educator at the Primary School. The endless resources and professional development provided at our fingertips is extremely beneficial to my growth as an educator. In my three years, I have attended workshops at Columbia University, and traveled to Italy, thanks to MKA.


I truly enjoyed my Middle School years at MKA, being on sports teams of course and

the academic challenge. I think back and smile about Mastersingers at the Upper School. The bass and tenor sections were comprised of a real cast of characters…and I bet Mr. Svane would remember the entire crew. I now call him a colleague.


First MKA prepared me, invaluably, for college. The emphasis on writing and critical thinking definitely prepared me for success in undergrad and graduate work. Working with children, especially on the tennis courts both at MKA and in western Massachusetts, was something very positive but something I hadn’t considered regarding a long-term career. I always valued working with children, and realized this was the right path for me. It is ironic that I did my senior year May Term internship under the tutelage of now colleague, Sheila Pryor Smith and was coached in tennis by now fellow grade level teacher John Odell. Some of the same terrific teachers are at Brookside today, and the energy never stops.


I developed relationships with many wonderful teachers at MKA as a student. At the Middle School, Mr. Coronis consistently offered the best advice…always honestly and always supportive. I will never forget my true mentor,

MKATOHOME

COMING

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co-teacher, and fellow alumni Sue Awerdick ’68, who is retiring this year. I have been able to be a sponge and learn so much from her about curriculum and the dynamics of teaching. Finally, Dr. Flocco was a great college advisor. His guidance kept me steady and focused and he enabled me to make one of the best decisions of my life … to attend Springfield College.


I have had quite a few inspiring role models. I adore, respect and greatly admire those people who have been a part of my journey. When I ask my Pre-K children who they admire, love, or look up to, it is sometimes someone close to them, or personalities admired from afar. Regardless, a person of influence is a guide on how to live life. I am blessed to have a wonderful family. Without my mother and father, I would not have been able to benefit from such a rich education. I am so thankful and forever grateful for all that they do, and I owe my continued success to them.

J e s s i c a B i s h o p ’0 4


I currently advise 6th grade students and teach 6th grade social studies and 8th grade history. I also coach the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team and the Girls’ Middle School Volleyball Team.


The summer I graduated from college, I learned that MKA needed a girls’ JV basketball coach and a girls’ JV volleyball coach. I taught at St. Peter’s Elementary School in Belleville, NJ, my first two years out of college, while I coached both the girls’ JV Volleyball and Basketball teams at MKA; I was very fortunate to be offered a teaching position at the Middle School in 2010.


When I was a student at the Upper School, we didn’t have laptops and there was no Moodle, which comes as a shock to my students when I tell them, as these two learning resources have become an integral aspect of education at MKA. In addition to the more advanced technology, I’m amazed at some of the renovations and additions to all three campuses, specifically our athletic facilities. I will say though, something that has very much remained the

same is the love and dedication put forth by everyone who works here.


My greatest challenge is trying to make sure that every child in my classes and on my teams has a fun, meaningful learning experience, and that they feel valued and supported every step of the way. To meet this challenge, I think it’s important to get to know each student and player personally and find out what motivates them, to know how they learn best, and then to consistently maintain an environment where they can grow. This is no easy task, but I try to seek as much feedback from my students and players, and as much advice as I can from people whom I trust on how to ensure that everyone has a great experience.

What are the most enjoyable aspects of being a Middle School teacher/coach?

I absolutely love the faculty and the students here. I never refer to the administration, teachers or coaches at MKA as my “co-workers” or even my “friends,” because they are neither—to me, they are family. As for my students and players, two words perfectly sum them up: hardworking


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and hilarious. Not a day has gone by where one of my players or students hasn’t made me laugh or left me in amazement with an insight, a story or an accomplishment. It’s extremely gratifying to see students excel in the classroom, but it’s even more gratifying to be able to spend time with them outside of the classroom. Both my volleyball and basketball players are all heart, and I am always so proud of how they represent our school. I love watching my students play sports, and although I’m a huge sports fan myself, I am often left speechless when I watch their performances in the plays, band concerts or chorus concerts when their unique talents are showcased. Their personalities really come alive on stage, especially when they perform in the plays, and it’s simply awesome to be a part of that.


The times I spent with Al Rehus. In his role as a security guard, Al went above and beyond the call of duty each day at MKA. He was always there for everyone—he did the most simple things for people, but he did them with great love and great understanding.. The greatest lessons I learned at MKA were through Al’s modest example—always greet others with a smile, help someone whenever you can, be a good listener, be honest, have a good sense of humor, and above all treat everyone with kindness, no matter who they are or where they come from.


I think the teachers at MKA are exceptionally knowledgeable, but what prepared me the most to ultimately become a teacher was how incredibly supportive they were. If I ever had a question or if I needed extra help, I was always encouraged to meet with my teachers after class and to follow through on opportunities to improve the quality of my work. The teachers were always so understanding and helpful, but they also knew how to appropriately encourage students to become independent and to think for themselves.


There are just too many to name. There wasn’t a single teacher, coach or mentor I had at MKA who didn’t have a positive impact on my life in some way. Mr. Wolfson, my history teacher, and Mr. Kelly, my English teacher,

were hilarious; from them, I learned that you really need to create an atmosphere in the classroom that is fun and engaging. Mr. Valentine was so thoughtful and insightful in his approach in our Satire English class, and it really encouraged me to be thoughtful with my own work. Dr. Maxwell made me fall in love with history because she was so passionate about it, so I learned from her that, yes, knowledge is important, but passion is the real key. Mrs. Forbes would bring us tea to our British Literature class and make us feel at home, which is an incredibly important lesson. Mr. Hrab, my science teacher for two years, was just a legend and always made sure we were held accountable, and Mr. Branigan’s Political Theory class was probably my favorite class of high school because we really, really had to think. I always felt so close to all of my teachers, and it’s impossible to really explain what they all meant to me.


My parents. They are the two most hardworking and loving people I know, and not only have they made immeasurable sacrifices for our family, but they have worked tirelessly to help many other people along the way. Growing up, my parents always gave me invaluable advice whenever I faced any type of challenge. This advice almost always consisted of staying honest and true to myself while effectively working through problems to overcome adversity. As a student at MKA, my parents were always very encouraging of me, but I think the greatest thing they ever did was to always hold me accountable and make sure that I was always responsible for everything I did. I cannot say enough how much this has helped me as a teacher and a coach, and in my adult life in general, and I know that any success I’m fortunate to have I owe to them.

A l l i s o n Cu r r i e ’0 4


I am a 9th grade biology and Science Research Fundamentals teacher, co-advisor of the Peer Leader Program, Head Middle School Swim Team Coach, Assistant Varsity Lacrosse Coach, 11th grade advisor, and advisor to the Kindness Club.


When I graduated from college, I was not sure what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be. I actually emailed Todd Smith on the off chance that I could help with coaching the swim team since I swam through college. I

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emailed hoping for one coaching position, and was offered three! That first year, I took more classes at Montclair State and coached Middle School soccer, Upper School swimming, and JV lacrosse. I kept coaching while I went back to grad school for my masters in science education, and as luck would have it, there was an opening for an Upper School biology teacher right as I graduated from Columbia.


In some ways, it is very different, but in other ways it is exactly the same. The schedule is a huge change, but I really enjoy the block scheduling. I also love the new House system; we never had this, but I wish we had! The Survival Shop, Mr. Hrab, and the dress code are all the same!

What are your greatest challenges as an Upper School teacher/coach?

Keeping the kids motivated through adversity. When teams lose a few times in a row, it is tough to keep kids focused and positive. When a student stumbles a few times on assessments, it is tough to keep them engaged and confident in the performance in the class. Teaching a student or player how to keep going when the going gets tough is one of the hardest lessons I have had to teach.

MKATOHOME

COMINGWhat are the most enjoyable aspects of being an Upper School teacher/coach?

I love working with high school students! They are enthusiastic and inquisitive and always keep me on my toes. I love listening to the students share their own experiences and views on the world. What I love about coaching is seeing kids do what they love. They always show up to practice with so much energy and desire to improve, so it is very rewarding to see them succeed at something they have worked so hard to improve.


Ah, so many! My immediate thought is sitting in the locker lounge with friends, or being a part of the final relay when we won the Essex County swimming championship for the fourth year in a row, or lacrosse trips to Florida. One of my fondest memories is of Alicia Cuccolo’s sculpture class. It was such a welcoming and accepting atmosphere, and

I just loved being in that class and working on projects. She always made me feel like an artist, even though I would never describe myself as one.


The main way that MKA prepared me to be a teacher was by helping me develop organizational skills and teaching me how to plan ahead when you have a lot of things to complete. These have been invaluable skills in my first few years of teaching.


Mr. Hrab, absolutely. He loved science and it always made sense to me when he explained major concepts. I hope to pass on the same love of science to my students and to help them make connections.


Probably my mom. She is one of the kindest and most selfless people I have ever known, so I am always trying to be more like her.


around MKA

Alyson Waldman ’99 Alyson returns to MKA from working at The Dwight School in New York as Director of Admissions, Grades 1-8, for the past eight years. Announcing her appointment, Tom Nammack said: “After a nationwide search, it was clear to all who interviewed and met Alyson – administrators, staff, faculty, trustees, parents and students - that we had found an exceptional candidate for MKA. Alyson’s background as a teacher, her experience and expertise in the competitive world of Manhattan independent schools, her engaging and dynamic personality and her first-hand knowledge of MKA make her the perfect fit. We are fortunate and proud that Alyson has chosen to ‘come home,’ and we know she will do great things for MKA.”

Tell us a bit about yourself:

After graduating from MKA, I attended Hofstra University and received a dual-degree in Elementary Education and Psychology. I attended Graduate School at Columbia University’s Teachers College and earned an M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching. I became a classroom teacher, working in pre-school and 3rd grade before making the transition to private school admissions in 2006. Prior to coming to MKA, I worked at Dwight School, a private international baccalaureate school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, for eight years.

I am incredibly proud that my husband (Matthew Waldman, ’98), sister (Amanda Rosenthal, ’03) and brother-in-law (Louis Waldman, ’01) also graduated from MKA. Matt and I met during my junior year at MKA, married in 2008 and have a two-year-old son, Archer. We lived in Manhattan and Hoboken for many years and finally made the exodus to the suburbs over the summer. We are thrilled to be “back home”!

What aspects of private school admissions - particularly in regard to MKA - are the most challenging?

Private school admissions is very competitive. When you have a limited amount of time with each family, it is a challenge to communicate everything that makes a school distinctive. Every school needs to stand out and be unique in its own way. It is the admissions team’s goal to have each prospective family walk away with a greater understanding of MKA and why it could be the right fit for their family. There is a personalized approach to admissions that I believe is essential to a family’s experience. There are many good schools out there, but it is up to our community as a whole to showcase MKA and all of its strengths.

Looking in from the outside, how different does the school seem to be from when you were a student and in what ways?

Physically, one of the biggest transformations has been the Upper School locker/study area and the newly improved Arts Wing. Also, I am very impressed with the Middle School’s Dining Hall, as well as the main gymnasium and field space. It

MKATOHOME

COMINGMeet MKA’s New Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

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is so important for community spaces to be warm and welcoming to students. Fine and Performing Arts and Athletics were always showcased at MKA and it is wonderful to see that continue. MKA ensures that each student is well rounded and that is incredibly evident at all three campuses.

What are some of your fondest memories of being a student at MKA?

I remember being very proud to be an MKA student. My freshman year orientation was quite memorable. Everything from getting my locker, to navigating the halls with my friends - we felt like we were about to begin something transformative. Dave Flocco was a new faculty member at the time, so by the time we graduated, he had become an “unofficial” member of our class. I was involved in the Dance Program with Rick Kitts and always looked forward to our performances. I remember conducting experiments in the Chemistry lab with George Hrab and receiving endless words of wisdom from my advisor, David Hessler. It is easy to remember the infinite support and guidance that I received from my teachers.

Are there ways in which MKA prepared you to be an administrator?

Absolutely! To be effective in the role of an administrator, one must embody several qualities. I valued the collaborative classroom setting at MKA, which taught me to be a good listener and to respect the opinions of others. I am well known by my friends and family for always being on time and adhering to deadlines, and I give credit to my teachers for giving me confidence and instilling in me the life-skills needed to succeed in the real world. I have never handed in an assignment late in my life – ask any of my former teachers!

What are the aspects of returning to MKA that you find most exciting/are most looking forward to?

Returning to MKA is very meaningful to me. I made many lifelong friends who also share wonderful memories of their time here. Walking through the halls feels familiar and refreshing. I look forward to taking my positive experiences as an MKA student and translating them into my new role as Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. As an alum, it is so gratifying to share my fond memories and stories with prospective families and articulate how MKA made me into the person I am today.

Why MKA?!

I love this question because I will be answering it on a daily basis! MKA is committed to helping students become their best selves by not only providing a strong academic program, but by inspiring students to develop meaningful relationships, memories and a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.

The roll call of alumni who spent time “coming home” to work at MA, TKS and MKA at various points in their careers is remarkable. Just a partial list of the latter (with advance apologies to any whom have been inadvertently left out) includes:

Tom Adair ....................................... ’43

Margaret Madden .......................... ’50

Thomas Spence ............................... ’53

Barry Nazarian ............................... ’62

Peter Perretti ................................... ’72

Al Van Eerde ................................... ’73

Ken Foster ..................................... ’76x

Laurie Hoonhout McFeeley ........... ’76

Nicholas Marnell ............................ ’76

Chip Read ....................................... ’76

Barry Centanni ............................... ’77

Laura Bartlett ................................. ’81

James Windolf ................................ ‘82

Holly Felber .................................... ‘83

Janine Marnell Wishnow ............... ’83

Paul Nigro ....................................... ’83

Claudia Ocello ................................ ’84

Dorothy Stark ................................. ’84

Janis Girt ........................................ ’87

Karen Muenster Fanning .............. ’88

Tonia Walker ................................... ’91

Joya Smith Davidson ...................... ’93

Justin Blanes ................................... ’95

Amanda Wallace Filoso .................. ’98

Lesleigh Gennace ........................... ’98

Stefania Lambusta ......................... ’98

Karson St. John McGinley ............ ’98

Sandra Tritt .................................... ’99

Jenn Fink Oppenheimer ................ ’97

Dan Weller ....................................... ’01

Aasim Cunningham ....................... ’03

Ryan Boyea ..................................... ’05

Sarah Johnson ................................ ’06

Michael Strader .............................. ’06


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A Senior Sampler

As anyone who has spent their life around high school

students knows, every class has its own distinct

personality – a collective identity that comes

from the sum of its uniquely individual

parts. Here we profile six members of

the Class of 2015 – six individuals who,

between them, encompass almost every

facet of the Upper School experience –

the athlete and the artist, the scientist

and the writer, the Lifer and the newer

member of the class, the leader and the

behind-the-scenes hero. Together, they

not only provide a fascinating lens

into life at MKA, but also vividly

represent the spirit and personality

of their class as a whole.

Hometown: Montclair • House: Monjo Grade started: Pre-K

Can you tell us about the things you’re involved in – both inside school and out?

I’m involved in the Honor Council, I’m one of the production stage managers for the musical, I’m first chair cellist of the orchestra, I’m a Peer Leader, and I’m one of the co-presidents of the GSA. My favorite thing I do, though, is the musical. I love the community feel, and I really admire the program, plus working on the crew is something I really love and am passionate about.

“MKA feels like home to me because:”

I’ve spent so much time here developing relationships. So many people at MKA have impacted my life, and I truly can’t overstate how much the people I’ve met at MKA mean to me. The community at MKA has helped me grow and encouraged me to pursue everything.

What’s your favorite school subject and why?

Biology, because the human body is such an incredibly complex and intelligent system, and it’s amazing to study.

What have you learned from your experiences at MKA?

I’ve learned to pursue my interests and I’ve learned to create. I’ve learned to think creatively and be innovative, and I’ve learned to never leave my questions unanswered.

What are your dreams for the future?

It’s always been a difficult question for me, what I want my future to be, but writing has always been a passion of mine, creating and telling stories. To be able to do that would be my dream for the future.

Who is the person(s) in the world – past or current – that you’d most like to meet and why?

I’d most like to meet Jack Kerouac. I’m really inspired by the Beat Generation, and I really admire the movement and its values. I’d like to meet him and discuss his writing, where he draws inspiration, why he did what he did, etc. I just think he’d be an endlessly interesting person to talk to.

Your favorite book, movie or food?

My favorites change constantly, but my favorite book right now is The Likeness by Tana French and my favorite movie is Treasure Planet.

Hometown: West Orange House: Monjo Grade started: 1st Grade


I play football for the Cougars, I helped start the Boys Project, which raises money to build bathrooms in the Masai Mara, I’m the sports editor of the Academy News, I’m a Peer Leader and I am a House Captain for Monjo.


I’ve been at MKA since the first grade, and I really feel like a part of the community here. It’s a tight-knit group, and I couldn’t imagine myself going anywhere else.

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I’ve always enjoyed English, because I really enjoy stories, and I love to read. It’s probably been my favorite subject since I first came to MKA.


I’ve learned the importance of loyalty. At MKA, I’ve had the same friends since the first grade, and I really credit the stable environment of the school for allowing me to foster relationships that I’ll probably maintain for the rest of my life.


In the near future, I’d like to play college football and earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. A bit further in the future, I’d like to earn a PhD in psychology and sing in a death metal band. Even further in the future, I’d like to be a therapist and start a family. I’d also like to write the Great American Novel.


I’d like to meet one of the great nonviolent leaders, guys like Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., Henry David Thoreau. I think it takes a certain type of bravery to do what they did, and it’s something most people aren’t really capable of. I’d really love to pick their brains and understand what inspired that integrity.


Favorite book: Catch 22, favorite movie: The Big Lebowski and favorite food: steak and pasta.

Hometown: West Orange House: Monjo Grade started: 10th Grade


I have been a part of the Winter Musical, the Girls’ Tennis team, Unacommpanied Minors, the student founded a acappella group, and am a member of the Student Diversity Leadership Committee.

Outside of school, I work with the Jewish

Community Center in their annual Autism Awareness fundraiser, and have made efforts to expand my work and awareness into the MKA community.


My introduction to the community came on my first day when I was placed in Monjo house. Since that welcome, having such an active role in the school community, and being somewhere that has such close relationships among students and between students and faculty, has really made MKA feel like home to me. I can’t believe it’s my last year before it’s time to move on to my next big adventure.


I like calculus and chemistry. My strong sense of logic and reasoning has always ensured that math is a huge passion of mine, but my interest in chemistry was a more recent development. This past year, through several in-class lab experiments and a dedicated, passionate teacher, AP Chemistry has diversified my view of the sciences.


The greatest lessons that I have taken away from my classes is that to be proactive is to be productive, and to never shy away from a challenge.


I plan to explore my growing curiosity in biopsychology and I know I will hold what I have learned at MKA with me in the future.


If I could meet anyone in the world I’d most like to meet Susan B. Anthony. An issue that is important to me today is gaining equal rights for all under the law, especially for women. I admire Susan B. Anthony not only for her efforts to attain equality for this specific demographic, but to persevere in a time period where it was exceedingly hard to do so. Throughout history there have been several influential figures, but to me, Susan B. Anthony still represents an objective of upholding justice, and to hear her story would be both humbling and inspiring.


My favorite book at the moment is The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (made even more special because my mom and I read it together.) My taste in movies doesn’t change as often - The Sound of Music and Instructions Not Included are still probably my all time favorites.


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Hometown: Montville • House: Strong Grade Started: 6th Grade


I run tech for all MKA productions and events including the Winter Musical, Deetjen performances, dance concerts, assemblies and admissions and college counseling events. I’ve been President of the Film Club and Vice President of Challenge 20/20 since I was a freshman and I’m now involved in Student Government as the Secretary for my class.


For a few weeks a year, I spent seven days a week at MKA, usually without seeing the sun. MKA feels like home because I spend so much time there.


The communications classes have been, by far, my favorite courses to take at MKA. JC Svec has a knack for designing a curriculum that matches each unique group of students.


Murphy’s Law. Taking care of the auditorium has taught me that everything that could possibly go wrong, and even things that shouldn’t be able to go wrong, will go wrong. You can set up the lights after school one day, triple check that they work, and on Monday everything is busted again.

What are you dreams for the future?

I don’t really think too far ahead. I’ll head out to Hollywood after college and see what happens.


Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock, they are not only two of the greatest directors of all time but they also seem like they’d be a lot of fun to hang out with.


My favorite movie, if I had to pick just one, is probably Goodfellas. It does an amazing job of balancing drama and comedy. The editing is fantastic. It is one of those rare, near perfect films.

Hometown: Orange House: Bradley Grade started: 6th grade

Can you tell us about the things things you’re involved in – both inside school and out?

I am an artist through and through. I think high school is when I started to stand out as an art student in the MKA community, but I’ve always been interested in the subject. In school, I’m the layout manager for for Stylus, our annually published literary and arts magazine. Outside of school, I’ve spent my summers in art camps, taken weekly figure drawing classes, volunteered as a teacher’s assistant at the Montclair Art Museum, and tons more. This past summer, I received a Balfour Foundation Scholarship to attend RISD’s 6-week pre-college program. I’m a member of the Student Diversity Leadership Committee and also a House Captain for BRADLEY!


It is where I grew up. I have only become the person I am because I was privileged enough to attend such a great school.

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I think it goes without saying that art is my favorite subject and Studio Art Projects is my favorite class. I have taken two art classes just about every year but this one is by far my favorite. It is one of the few classes in which I can be honest with myself and others. I often express or share pieces of myself through my art that I would not normally have the chance to. It is still challenging, but I have a lot of fun in the process.


To think critically. A lot of the courses at MKA ask us to be careful thinkers and evaluate every aspect of a situation before forming an opinion. By encouraging me to be a critical thinker, MKA has helped me to become a perceptive and opinionated person.


This is a tough question to answer. I’m thinking of pursuing fine art, but that is a tough field. I just want to be happy doing whatever it is I do.


This is going to sound awful cheesy, but I think I would most like to meet Andy Warhol. I’m just very curious about who he was and what made him concede to the importance of consumerist culture. I also think he would deliver a very interesting and engaging conversation.

You favorite book, movie or food?

Immortality, by Milan Kundera, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and ice cream!

Hometown: West Orange House: Monjo Grade started: Pre-K


At MKA, I play football and lacrosse, and I’m a Peer Leader.

I love being active all of the time, whether it is playing a

formal sport, working out, or playing a game of ping pong with my brother.


I feel comfortable around all of my peers. I have many different types of friends, involved in many different activities, and we all get along. It seems like everybody knows each other at MKA, and when I walk down the halls I see many friendly faces.


Physics. It is the perfect subject for me because it combines the skills I have in math with my curiosity for how things work. Physics is a very applicable subject, and it has answered so many of my questions about the world I live in.


I have spent most of my life at MKA, and my experiences at the school have made me who I am today. MKA has made me a well-rounded individual, and it has helped me find my priorities in life. I have become a committed student, athlete, and person, and I am a competitor in all facets of my life. MKA has taught me to be ambitious, to try new things and to not be afraid to fail.

What are you dreams for the future?

I am on the college search and I don’t know what is ahead of me. I want to finish my high school career strong, both academically and athletically, and then hopefully find a subject in college that greatly interests me. One day, I see myself moving somewhere a little warmer than New Jersey, and working in a job related to physics or engineering.


My dad’s father. My grandfather died before I was born, but from the stories I’ve heard, he seemed like a remarkable man. I think it would be a pleasure to meet him, and it would also give me a better understanding of my father.


The Pendragon series, by D.J. MacHale. Fantasy has always been my favorite genre, and I fell in love with this series. I love the movies 300, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King and my favorite food is hibachi from a Japanese steak house.


around MKA

I’d like to think of my time at MKA like the hill in

front of the Upper School … the hill we climbed as

freshmen, looking at the intimidating seniors. The

hill we climbed hoping to meet new friends. The hill

we climbed dreading a test that we hadn’t prepared

for … the hill that I once found to be frightening

now seems like home. And it’s the hill that none

of us got up alone. All of the people here at MKA,

from the maintenance men to the administration,

from the CCO office to the nurse, from the

coaches to the directors, from the advisors to all

of our teachers. They all watched us roll in each

September, knowing it was going to be their duty to

give shape to our intellect and humanity ... Knowing

that their job not only affects our future, but also the

future of the world. That›s a giant responsibility,

and I’m sorry I didn’t appreciate how huge it was

until now. We cannot thank you enough.

- John Higgins ’14

I hope you embark on your journey with

an insatiable curiosity, a curiosity that is a

combination of enthusiasm for new experiences

Graduation and Commencements 2014 - In Their Own Words

and the goal of growth. I hope you never settle for

anything less than your best self. I hope you take

risks that previously wouldn’t have even occurred

to you, and find interests you didn’t know you

could have … I hope we take what we’ve learned

throughout our time at MKA and bring that same

sense of community to the next stage of our lives

because these next few years are our chance to live

those lessons … Spending the last four years with

this class has taught me lessons that extend far

beyond textbooks, essays and tests ... I can only look

forward to the next four years, where I hope each of

us can say with confidence that we have taken every

opportunity we could to better ourselves.

- Amy Parker ’14

Throughout our final year at the Middle School we

have all been reflecting on how far we have come

since we entered this school, many of us in 4th

grade. Each year, we met new people and bonded

with every student through different experiences

… each person’s Middle School experience was

different from the next, yet we still managed to make

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23A R O U N D M K A

around MKA

the best memories together. We all made the best of

these years whether we came to MKA in 4th

grade or 8th grade. Each different experience

we’ve shared has taught us as well and allowed

us to look towards the future.

- Joelle Crichlow ’18

As we look back on our years at the Middle

School, we realize we have many things to

be proud of. We have written history papers,

completed science projects, played on competitive

sports teams, starred in plays, sung in choral

concerts, played in band concerts, debated, run for

government, and had countless other wonderful

experiences. But mostly, we have grown as people

... we are so lucky to be here. The privilege that

has been given to all of us in the form of attending

this school is a gift. But along with that gift comes

great responsibility. That responsibility is for each

of us to dig deep and work hard to achieve our

dreams so that ultimately we can make a difference

in the world. This means taking risks, making

mistakes and being open to possibilities.

Graduation and Commencments 2014 - In Their Own WordsThere are so many opportunities to challenge

ourselves here. We’re looking forward to thinking

broadly, learning about ourselves and continuing on

this road to adulthood together.

- Ben Stuart ’18

Almost to a person, you told me that your class’

story is defined by a “coming together” as seniors

that is leaving you closer than you ever imagined

and that you feel a sense of sadness that your time

at MKA is coming to an end. You’ve established

strong friendships, accomplished great things and

undoubtedly leave here with the tools you need to

succeed “out there.” … The word most often used to

describe your experience here: transformative. Other

adjectives used include: enlightening, interesting,

memorable, worthwhile, and, of course, fun. The word

you most often used to describe your class: diverse,

not in a racial or ethnic sense, but in a multi-talented

sort of way. Others used often were: passionate,

energetic and dynamic. My favorite? Dramatic.

- Dr. David Flocco, Head of Upper School

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around MKA

Something in the field of aerodynamics plagued

even the most astute scientists – for decades … and

that something’s called “The Bumblebee Paradox”

– that by all scientists’ understanding of the laws of

aerodynamics … the bumblebee is aerodynamically

unsound … that because of its size and shape

and wing size, it should NOT be able to generate

enough lift to get off the ground and fly! Yet – the

little – rotund – bumblebee gets its wings going like

a jumbo-jet and flies to every plant its chubby body

can land on … and those aerodynamically unsound

bumblebees accomplish this through persistence.

They don’t know that they can’t fly … so they just keep

at it, defying science and the laws of aerodynamics

… and 8th graders, therein lies my message to you.

Nothing about your shape or wing size … It’s about

persistence … that is THE essential quality you need

to attain success as you move forward. So don’t

decide you can’t when you face that challenge …

when you see that obstacle … when you’ve made

that initial attempt and it wasn’t quite enough. Be

the bumblebee … get your wings moving and fly

… In fact … SOAR!

- Dr. Randy Kleinman, Head of Middle School

Through questions you examine life, you

become a better listener and you can make

the people around you stronger, happier,

better. Questions teach us that the worst

days don’t last forever – and that the best

days are to be treasured and remembered

for what made them special. I have some

advice about a question that you have

been asked hundreds of times – it is also

the most often asked question in the world – what do

you think it is? “How was school today?” When you

have been asked and answered that question – look

the person in the eye and say, “And how was your

day?” - and then listen to their answer. That will tell

them something about you.

- Tom Nammack, Headmaster,

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addressing Primary School students

25A R O U N D M K A

around MKA

You are the future, the community

leaders of tomorrow, the world

leaders and the caretakers of

the earth. You have the tools to

change the world.

- Ginger Kriegel, Head of Primary School

Just One Day for Alumni to Make a Difference!

See P. 52 for details!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17 MKA DAY

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addressing Primary School students


around MKA

2nd Annual Headmaster’s Schamble Golf OutingA great group of golfers drawn from the MKA community including parents, past parents, grandparents, alumni, administrators, faculty and staff, trustees and friends, gathered at the Montclair Golf Club on June 17 to enjoy a friendly game (albeit in the blistering heat!), contests and tee gifts. Co-chaired by Bryan Becker ’96 and Cliff Finkle ’92, the outing was a huge success that brought many more guests joining in for the fun and festivities at an evening cocktail party held on the club’s North Porch.

Head of Upper School Dr. David Flocco and parent Kevin Rendino are joined by Alumni Council member Jessica Simpson-Cook ‘01

Current parents Vikram and Shibani Gupta and Darren Francis and Diane Sheridan-Francis enjoy cocktails on the terrace

Henry Talbot ’72 and Erin Crawford ’74 prepare to play

Away we go! MKA’s Director of Physical Plant Jimmy Castelli being driven by the school’s Director of Strings Dimitri Hadjipetkov

MKA Middle School parents Gina Garrubbo (l) and Meg Columbia-Walsh (r) with guests,Carol Cuff and Lori Bindler

Event Co-Chairs, fellow alumni and current Primary School parents Cliff Finkle ’92 and Bryan Becker ’96

27A R O U N D M K A

around MKA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Middle School Dining Hall

MKA Legacy Family Brunch

MKA is proud and fortunate to have a

community that includes generations

of families whose members have

attended our founding schools of

Brookside, The Kimberley School,

Montclair Academy as well as

today’s Montclair Kimberley Academy.

Please join us as we recognize

and celebrate these legacy

families at a special brunch

that will conclude Reunion and

Homecoming 2014 Weekend.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25

10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Tours of the Kimberley Campus and the Upper School with Continental Breakfast

Alumni are invited to tour campuses with student ambassadors. Continental breakfast will be available on each campus.

10:00 – 11:30 a.m.10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Muenster Field Dedication

Upper SchoolHomecoming Reunion Luncheon Registration

11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Upper School Dining HallReunion Luncheon and Distinguished Alumni

Award – Years Ending in ’4 And ’9

All alumni are invited to celebrate with friends in reunion years ending in ‘4 and ‘9 at the Reunion Luncheon. Headmaster Tom Nammack

will provide an update on MKA today as well as present the Distinguished Alumni Award to Susan Schadler ’69.

5:00 - 7:00 p.m. ’4 & ’9 Reunion Years and Friends Cocktail Parties

All alumni are invited to join their reunion year friends as they celebrate at the following venues. Golden Circle Classes of 1939 -1964 – Montclair Golf ClubClasses of 1969, 1974 and 1979 – Pig & Prince RestaurantClasses of 1984 and 1989 – Fitzgerald’s 1928Classes of 1994 and 1999 – Egan & Sons, Montclair locationClasses of 2004 and 2009 – Halcyon Restaurant

2014MKA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HOMECOMING & REUNION

WEEKEND

28 S T U D E N T N E W S

student NEWS

The last formal day of class for seniors began with the traditional Senior Breakfast, hosted by the Alumni Relations Office. Alumni Director Lois Montorio officially welcomed the students into the MKA Alumni Association, explaining that while they are leaving MKA as students, they will be alumni forever.

Alumni Council President Rich Stanton ’87 introduced Mitch Decter ’94 to present an Honorary Alumni of Distinction Award to Primary School faculty member Donna Carrara and former faculty member Nixon Bicknell.

The HAD award was created to honor members of the MKA faculty and staff who have made “a significant, easily recognizable impact upon the MKA community and its students.” Donna began working at MKA in 1979 and after a brief time away, returned to the Primary School where she is now the Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction. Over the years, she has had a positive impact on the lives of countless children, including Mitch’s, and on receiving the award said, “It was such an honor to receive an award from the Alumni Council. Students and families, past and present, have been such an important part of my life and have made my life richer through my teaching years and my administration years. “

Former faculty member Nixon Bicknell unfortunately could not be

in attendance, but his award was accepted on his behalf by Director of Development, Geoff Branigan. Bicknell, who worked at MKA for 28 years, was Branigan’s former colleague and mentor for 26 of those years and was largely responsible for Branigan making his career at MKA. In a note read to the seniors, Bicknell wrote, “As you leave to pursue your education, you take with you one of the precious gifts of humanity: memories.” (Read more about Bicknell’s legacy on p.76.)

Associate Director of Alumni Relations Gretchen Berra described the various ways in which MKA supports alumni after graduation. Among them, the MKA app that enhances alumni networking capabilities through enabling alumni to search and connect with other MKA graduates who work in a particular field or at a particular company. The MKA app also allows you to see which other graduates are living in your area (or an area you are traveling to) or which alums are attending the same college you are.

Headmaster Tom Nammack ended the program with special words of gratitude for the Class of 2014 and gave them “swag bags” which included an MKA laundry bag and commemorative T-shirt.

Senior Breakfast

29S T U D E N T N E W S

student NEWS

Commencement Awards

The Rudolph Deetjen Award for athletics and academic achievement: Gina Guccione, Ryan Fennelly

The Ethel M. Spurr Award for cooperation, responsibility, service and citizenship: Kaila Fleisig

The Marjorie Winfield Easter Award for sportsmanship, self-discipline, and behind-the-scenes service: Margaret Dancy

The Robert Hemmeter Memorial Award for intellectual curiosity, love of books and sports and enthusiasm for living: Elliot Furbert

The Peter R. Greer Character Award for the habits of truthfulness, honesty, kindness, and promotion of mutual trust and friendship: Kelsey O’Connor

Senior Scholar Awards

12th Grade Avery Barras Distinguished Scholar (All A’s) – Elliot Furbert

12th Grade Mary K. Waring Scholars (A’s and A-’s): Madeleine Colbert, Margaret Dancy, Elizabeth Giles, Gina Guccione, Nicolas Harris, Genevieve Hughes, Ryan Kashtan, Kelsey O’Connor, Nadia Uberoi

Student AwardsSenior Department Prizes

Barras Prize in English: Nicolas Harris

Foreign Language Prize in Chinese: Carly Hickey

Foreign Language Prize in French: Emily Sauer

Foreign Language Prize in Latin: Tanner Gill

History Prize: Madeleine Colbert

William H. Miller Prize in Science: Tanner Gill

Nazarian Prize for Mathematics: Ethan Connelly

Fine & Performing Arts Awards Visual Arts: Elizabeth Giles, Mary Kate Turner

John Philip Sousa Band Award: Dylan Alonso

Louis Armstrong Jazz Award: William Bator

Strings Award: Emily Sauer

Vocal Award: Kelsey O’Connor

Communications: Nicholas Harris

Dance Award: Deja Lighty

Special Awards

Downsbrough Science Scholarship: Elliot Furbert

Margaret Jenkins Osborne Prize for Excellence in Science: Divya Dasani

Marilyn Faden Award for Excellence in the Theatre Arts: Drama: John Higgins

Musical Theatre: Kendal Barrett, Mauricio Toscano

James D. Timmons Scholarship: Mauricio Toscano

Bud Mekeel Memorial Scholarship: Iris Loureiro

Scott M. Johnson Memorial Award: Savannah Fusaro

Al Staph Award: Chandler Rohde

Everett Glenn Memorial Medal: Savannah Fusaro

12th Grade Community Service Award: Quinn Buchan

12th Grade Klein Awards: Bridget Stanton, Thomas Fusco

Head’s Awards: John Buckley, Chantal Greatorex, Sydney Larrier, Jonathan Logan-Rung, Amy Parker

Gold Award for Community Service Hours: Quinn Buchan, James Flint


student NEWS

Silver Award for Community Service Hours: Iris Loureiro

Bronze Award for Community Service Hours: William Bator, Kaila Fleisig, Carly Hickey, Sheena Kapoor, Ariana Puzzo

Awards for Underclassmen

The MacVicar Prize: Kristina Bylancik, Isabella Gerard, Heather Milke, Carrigan Miller, Isaiah Thompson

John Rabuse History Award: Sarah Weiswasser

Foreign Language Prize in Spanish: Payson Ruhl

The Frank Brogan Memorial Scholarship: Benjamin Rapsas

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal: Nikita Israni

The John Rabke Memorial Award: Nicole Romola

The Elizabeth O’Neil Feagley Creativity Award: Kristina Bylancik

Klein Awards: Grade 11: Morgan Smith, Daniel Yanes

Grade 10: Isabella Mendez, Robert Strain

Grade 9: Samantha Dowd, Benjamin Yane

Faculty Scholar Awards Grade 11: Nikita Israni, Ben Rapsas, Madison Rivlin, Joe Sierotko, Benjamin Wallach, Sarah Weiswasser Grade 10: Nisha Bhagwat, Morgan Booker, Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice, Julia Randall

Grade 9: Elena Gonzalez, Parker Richardson, Alex Rivlin, Jacob Sasfai

Gold Award for Community Service Hours Grade 11: Robbie Ladov

Grade 9: Hallie Ryan

Silver Award for Community Service Hours: Grade 11: Melissa Shelby

Grade 10: Hope Buchan

Bronze Award for Community Service Hours: Grade 11: Elizabeth Bowman, Christopher DeLara, Lisa Goldsman, Morgan Hersh, Nikita Israni, Morgan Katona, Juliana Larsen, Payson Ruhl, Skye Volmar

Grade 10: Nisha Bhagwat

Avery Barras Distinguished Scholars for 2013-2014 (All A’s) Grade 11: Nikita Israni, Benjamin Rapsas, Madison Rivlin, Benjamin Wallach, Sarah Weiswasser

Grade 10: Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice, Leah Murphy, Lauren Yagoda

Grade 9: Julia Elena Gonzalez

Mary K. Waring Scholars for 2013-2014 (A’s and A-’s) Grade 11: Emma Garcia-Miller, Morgan Hersh, Megan Massey, Heather Milke, Alexander Pai, Matthew Skolnick, Matthew Yacavone, Daniel Yanes

Grade 10: Lily Andres, Nisha Bhagwat, Morgan Booker, Dillon Carroll, Vikash Dodani, William Hughes, Audrey Lane, Julia Randall, Rachel Sobel

Grade 9: Katherine Alpert, Wyatt Blair, Jenna Donatiello, John Gouwar, Rohan Israni, Quinn Meistrich, Parker Richardson, Alex Rivlin, Jacob Sasfai, Jayson Thompson, Gus Wallach

The student inductees are: Top row l-r: Nic Harris, Carly Pickett, Maggie Dancy, Amy Parker, Savannah Fusaro, Elliot Furbert, Alex Levy, Ryan Kashtan. Middle row l-r: Joshua Blatt, Elizabeth Giles, Photeine Lambridis, Ellie Schaeffer, Gina Guccione, Madeleine Colbert, Jon Rubenstein, Tanner Gill. Front row l-r: Jack Renshaw-Lewis, Divya Dasani, Kelsey O’Connor, Nadia Uberoi, Kassie Fotiadis, Binoy Desai


student NEWS

Twenty-two seniors from the MKA Class of 2014 were inducted into the Cum Laude Society at a formal ceremony held at the Upper School on June 7.

Physicist Dr. Asher Kaboth, MKA Class of 2002, was the keynote speaker. Asher, a Research Associate in the High Energy Physics Group at Imperial College London, received an A.B. in physics in 2006 from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D in physics from MIT. He now lives and works in London and regularly travels to Japan to work on an ongoing experiment related to measuring neutrinos. In his address to the students, Asher emphasized the importance of following your passion, whatever it is, on hard work and on finding the goodness in your goals and most of all in others,

noting that being a good person and finding the good in others is the key to a happy and fulfilling life.

The Cum Laude Society, established in l906, is modeled on the Phi Beta Kappa Collegiate National Honor Society and recognizes the scholastic achievement of secondary school students. It is the highest academic honor bestowed on members of the graduating class.

The class of 2014 graduated 25 “Lifers” who gathered for a group photo at Senior Breakfast.

Cum Laude

Lifers

Back row l-r: David Kauffman, Aaron Sterling, Maggie Dancy, Kelsey O’Connor, Kassie Fotiadis, Madeleine Colbert, Kendall Barrett, Paige Pacifico and Bridget Stanton. Middle row l-r: Ryan Kashtan, Charles Roseman, Jon Logan-Rung, Max Nelson, Briana Crilley, Sophia Williams, Jack Renshaw-Lewis, Marshall Sandoval, Ariana Puzzo and Michael Melitz. Front row l-r: Gregory Hulse, John Higgins, Francesca Cassola, Savannah Fusaro, Luke Polizzi and Ryan Fennelly


student NEWS

Boys’ Basketball

Head Coach: Tony Jones (14th Year) Record: 14-12 Congratulations to Coach Jones who celebrated his 200th career game this season!

Max Nelson ’14 MKA Defensive Player of the Year Award; 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Chandler Rohde ’14 Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC

Jonathan Rubenstein ’14 MKA Winter Captain’s Prize; 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Kevin Brown ’15 MKA Offensive Player of the Year Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 3rd Team All-Junior Team Essex County, Star Ledger; 2nd Team All-Prep B

Joshua Chery ’15 MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 3rd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger; 1st Team All-Junior Team Essex County, Star Ledger; 1st Team, All-Prep B

Jack Ross ’15 Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC

Girls’ Basketball

Head Coach: Jessica Bishop ’04 (2nd Year) Record: 6-18

Gina Guccione ’14 1st Team All-Colonial Division, SEC

Isabella Mendez ’16 Honorable Mention All-Colonial Division, SEC

Boys’ Fencing

Head Coach: Kerry Verrone (10th Year) Record: 3-7

Aaron Sterling ’14 MKA Most Dedicated Player Award

Brandon Neglio ’15 MKA Coaches Award

Bobby Cottingham ’16 Honorable Mention All-Tri County Fencing League

Girls’ Fencing

Head Coach: Kerry Verrone (10th Year) Record: 2-7

Sydney Larrier ’14 MKA Most Dedicated Player Award; Honorable Mention All-Tri County Fencing League

Suzanna Bator ’16 2nd Team All-Tri County Fencing League

Maya Gujral ’16 MKA Coaches Award

Ice Hockey

Head Coach: Dustin Good (3rd Year) Record: 15-7-2 Congratulations to the Team! 2014 Montclair Cup Champions, 2014 NJIHL McInnis Division Champions, 2014 Star Ledger Essex County “Team of the Year”

John Buckley ’14 Honorable Mention All-Northern Division, NJIHL; MKA Coaches Award; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Robert Jaworski ’14 1st Team All-Northern Division, NJIHL; MKA Co-Most Valuable Player Award; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Brendan Pepe ’14 2nd Team All-Northern Division, NJIHL; MKA Co-Most Valuable Player Award; 1st Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

2013-2014 Cougar Athletic Honors & Awards

WINTER Congratulations to

Jonathan Rubenstein ’14, Captain of the Boys’

Basketball Team and recipient of the

Winter Captain’s Award


student NEWS

Stephen Zabrowski ’14 Honorable Mention All-Northern Division, NJIHL

Ike Osbun ’15 Honorable Mention All-Northern Division, NJIHL; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Conor Nolan ’16 3rd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Devin Pepe ’16 1st Team All-Northern Division, NJIHL; 1st Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Boys’ Indoor Track & Field

Head Coach: Tom Fleming (15th Year)

Billy Hughes ’16 MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team 3200m All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team 1600m, All-Liberty Division, SEC

Girls’ Indoor Track & Field

Head Coach: Tom Fleming (15th Year)

Lyndsi Ross-Trevor ’14 MKA Coaches Award; 1st Team All-Essex County Pole Vault, Star Ledger; 2nd Team All Non- Public Pole Vault, Star Ledger; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Essex County; Non-Public B Group Pole Vault Champion

Kathryn Correia ’16 MKA Coaches Award; 2nd Team 1600m Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team 3200m Liberty Division, SEC

Boys’ Swimming

Head Coach: Patrick Collins (6th Year) Record: 1-9

Henry Kelly ’16 MKA Most Valuable Swimmer Award; 2nd Team All-Essex County 500 Free, Star Ledger

Brian Hulse ’17 MKA Rookie of the Year Award

Girls’ Swimming

Head Coach: Patrick Collins (6th Year) Record: 2-7-1

Joanna Zak ’14 2nd Team All-Essex County 400 Free Relay, Star Ledger

Meredith Bagger ’15 2nd Team All-Essex County 400 Free Relay, Star Ledger

Morgan Smith ’15 3rd Team All-State 500 Free, Star Ledger; 1st Team All-Essex County 500 Free, Star Ledger; 1st Team All Non-Public 500 Free, Star Ledger; 2nd Team All-Essex County 400 Free Relay, Star Ledger

Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice ’16 MKA Most Valuable Swimmer Award; 2nd Team All-Essex County 100 Free, Star Ledger; 2nd Team All-Essex County

400 Free Relay, Star Ledger

MKA’s Essex County scholar athletes Gina

Guccione ’14 and Ryan Fennelly ’14


student NEWS

Baseball

Head Coach: Ralph Pacifico (23rd Year) Record: 9-15

Nic Harris ’14 2nd Team All-Prep B; Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC; MKA Cougar Award

Matthew McAuliffe ’14 2nd Team All-Prep B; Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC; MKA Most Valuable Player Award

Joseph Amato ’15 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Matt Napoli ’15 MKA Coaches Award

Robert Wong ’15 Honorable Mention All-Prep B

Jack Besser ’16 Honorable Mention All-Prep B

Conor Nolan ’16 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 3rd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Softball

Head Coaches: Jessica Sarfati (4th Year) Record: 15-8

Gina Guccione ’14 NJISAA “Female Athlete of the

Year”; MKA’s Female Essex County Scholar-Athlete of the Year; MKA Coaches Award

Paige Pacifico ’14 MKA’s “Best Teammate Award” presented by the Yogi Berra Museum; Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC; MKA Coaches Award

Nadia Uberoi ’14 MKA Spring Captain’s Award recipient, Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B; MKA Coaches Award

Morgan Katona ’15 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Prep B; 3rd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Sophie Silberman ’15 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC: 1st Team All-Prep B

Isabella Mendez ’16 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Emma Pacifico ’16 2nd Team All-Prep B

Boys’ Lacrosse

Head Coach: Paul Edwards (12th Year) Record: 12-9

William Bator ’14 MKA Lunch Pail Award

Ryan Fennelly ’14 MKA’s Male Essex County Scholar-Athlete of the Year; 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team All-Waterman Div., NJILL; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; Honorable Mention All-State Non Public NJILCA; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; 2nd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Thomas Fusco ’14 Honorable Mention All-Prep B; 1st Team All-Waterman Division, NJILL; 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; Honorable Mention All-State

Non Public NJILCA; MKA Klank Memorial Award; 3rd Team All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Spencer Turkington ’14 MKA Unsung Hero Award

Daniel Yanes ’15 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC; MKA Alumni Outstanding Teammate Award

Max Hall ’16 1st Team All-Prep B; 2nd Team All-Waterman Division, NJILL; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Sophomore Team, Star Ledger

Joseph Strain ’16 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC

Robert Strain ’16 2nd Team All-Waterman Division, NJILL; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC

Erik Zeug ’16 Honorable Mention All-Waterman Division, NJILL; 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC

Girls’ Lacrosse

Head Coach: Nate Green (1st Year)Record: 4-14

Erin Duca ’15 1st Team All-Prep B; 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Independence South Div., NJIGLL; Essex County All-Tournament Team; MKA Most Valuable Player Award

Rachel Hegarty ’15 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Independence South Division, NJIGLL

Monty Nelson ’15 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 2nd Team All-Independence South Division, NJIGLL

Spring Congratulations to Nadia Uberoi ’14,

Captain of the Softball Team and recipient of the

Spring Captain’s Award


student NEWS

Samantha Pai ’16 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; Honorable Mention All-Independence South Division, NJIGLL

Shannon Raff ’16 Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC; MKA Most Improved Player Award

Annie Wallace ’17 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; 1st Team All-Independence South Division, NJIGLL; MKA Rookie of the Year Award; 1st Team All-Prep B, Star Ledger

Girls’ Track & Field

Head Coach: Tom Fleming (15th Year) Record: 1-7

Drew Crichlow ’15 1st Team 800m All-Independence Division, SEC

Blake Lapin ’15 1st Team 3200m All-Independence Division, SEC

Ike Osbun ’15 1st Team Pole Vault All-Independence Division, SEC; MKA Coaches Award; Non-Public B North PV Champion; 2nd Team PV All-Essex County, Star Ledger

Billy Hughes ’16 Honorable Mention All-Independence Division, SEC; MKA Coaches Award

Max Goldfarb ’17 2nd Team 3200m All-Independence Division, SEC

Billy Massey ’17 2nd Team 1600m All-Independence Division, SEC

Boys’ Tennis

Head Coach: Val Azzoli (9th Year)Record: 14-9 Congratulations to the Team! SEC Liberty Division Co-Champions

Vineet Champaneria ’15 2nd Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Karan Juvekar ’15 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; NJSIAA B Division Champions; 3rd Team All Non-Public, Star Ledger

Alexander Pai ’15 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC

Jack Ross ’15 Honorable Mention All-Liberty Division, SEC

Dillon Carroll ’16 1st Team All-Liberty Division, SEC; MKA Most Valuable Player Award; NJSIAA B Division Champions; 3rd Team All Non-Public, SL

Golf

Head Coach: Jeff Beer (8th Year)Record: 11-4 Congratulations to the Team! NJISAA Prep B State Champions; SEC American Division Co-Champions; SEC Conference Tournament Champions

Gregory Hulse ’14 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC

Ian Notkin ’14 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; MKA Outstanding Career Award

Luke Polizzi ’14 1st Team All-American Division, SEC; MKA Most Improved Player Award

Ryan Napoli ’15 2nd Team All-American Division, SEC

Ryan Polizzi ’16 Honorable Mention All-American Division, SEC

Lyndsi Ross-Trevor ’14 1st Team Pole Vault All-Independence Division, SEC; 1st Team Pole Vault All-Essex County, Star Ledger, NJSIAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Madeleine Fleming ’15 Honorable Mention All-Independence Division, SEC; MKA Coaches Award

Kathryn Correia ’16 1st Team 1600m All-Independence Division, SEC; MKA Coaches Award

Caylie Privitere ’17 2nd Team 1600m All-Independence Division, SEC

Boys’ Track & Field

Head Coach: Tom Fleming (15th Year) Record: 3-5


student NEWS

Dylan Alonso Rider University

Jamie Atkins University of Wisconsin Madison

Kendal Barrett University of Southern California

William Bator The University of Texas at Austin

Katherine Bessey Colorado College

David Bezer Lafayette College

Joshua Blatt Lehigh University

Quinn Buchan Northeastern University

John Buckley New York University

Jordan Buren University of Miami

Edward Burns Boston College

Francesca Cassola Franklin and Marshall College

David Cocoziello Elon University

Madeleine Colbert Yale University

Ethan Connelly Haverford University

Briana Crilley The University of Scranton

Michelle Custode Villanova University

Christian Dalvano Loyola University Maryland

Margaret Dancy The University of Virginia

Divya Dasani Siena College

Gabriella Day Sacred Heart University

Binoy Desai Emory University

Sam Eisen University of Maryland, College Park

Rebecca Enright-Schur New York University

Sarah Esterow Lehigh University

Ryan Fennelly The George Washington University

Kaila Fleisig Northeastern University

James Flint West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Kassandra Fotiadis Brown University

Elizabeth Froelich Randolph-Macon College

Elliot Furbert The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Morehead-Cain Scholar)

Savannah Fusaro Duke University

Thomas Fusco The University of Arizona

Alexander Gever Arizona State University

Sydney Gever Tulane University

Elizabeth Giles Bates College

Tanner Gill Colgate University

Chantal Greatorex New York University

Emily Greenberg Bard College

Gina Guccione University of Pennsylvania

Nicolas Harris Yale University

Emma Hart New York University

Matthew Harwood Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison

Carly Hickey Bard College

John Higgins New York University

Genevieve Hughes Villanova University

Gregory Hulse Miami University, Oxford

Robert Jaworski Gap Year

Sheena Kapoor University of California, Santa Cruz

Ryan Kashtan Duke University

David Kauffman Lehigh University

Edward Kerner Case Western Reserve University

Jacob Kleinbaum University of Chicago

Photeine Lambridis Boston University

Anna Lane Cornell University

- C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 4 -


student NEWS

Sydney Larrier Northwestern University

Nicole Layne Boston University

Alexander Levy University of Pennsylvania

Tobias Lewis Howard University

Deja Lighty Temple University

Jonathan Logan-Rung Wesleyan University

Iris Loureiro Rutgers University

Matthew McAuliffe Lafayette College

Michael Melitz The University of Arizona

Justin Minion Cornell University

Jamie Mitrovic New York University

Hayley Morris Gettysburg College

Maximillian Nelson Northwestern University

Ian Notkin Babson College

Rachel Notkin Babson College

Kelsey O’Connor Harvard College

Paige Pacifico College of Charleston

Kelsey Palmisano Roanoke College

Amy Parker Northwestern University

Molly Peek Smith College

Brendan Pepe Gap Year

Heather Perkins University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Carly Pickett Boston College

Luke Polizzi University of Richmond

John Post Colgate University

Ariana Puzzo Fairfield University

Jack Renshaw-Lewis University of Pennsylvania

Elliot Richardson Wesleyan University

Chandler Rohde Westminster School (PG Year)

Charles Roseman Drexel University

Lyndsi Ross-Trevor Dartmouth College

Jonathan Rubenstein University of Michigan

Marshall Sandoval Babson College

Emily Sauer Lehigh University

Ellie Schaeffer Boston College

Ryan Schneider University of Delaware

Austin Schwed New York University

Nandita Shankar Tulane University

Vera Shipman New Jersey Institute of Technology

Vishal Shivnani Hofstra University

Sydney Silodor Villanova University

Aaron Stagoff-Belfort Wesleyan University

Bridget Stanton Villanova University

Aaron Sterling The College of Wooster

Alexander Stern University of Richmond

Mauricio Toscano Dickinson College

Spencer Turkington University of Richmond

Mary Kate Turner University of California, Los Angeles

Nadia Uberoi University of Pennsylvania

Jessica Wallace The University of Vermont

Sophia Williams Syracuse University

Spencer Williams-Fox Northeastern University

Helen Wilson Oberlin College

Alexis Yost Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Stephen Zabrowski Gap Year

Joanna Zak Wheaton College MA

Dianna Zaref Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Samuel Zinn Tufts University

- C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S T O T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 1 4 -

38 F A C U L T Y N E W S

faculty NEWS

MKA Upper School Latin teacher Dr. John Jacobs has been named the recipient of the 2014 Founders’ Cup for Teaching Excellence. This is the 22nd year that the award has been presented by the MKA Alumni Association, and is based on recommendations from parents, alumni, students and colleagues. Jacobs, who has taught for four years, is also the 11th Grade Dean and Middle School Soccer Coach.

In naming Jacobs, outgoing Alumni Council President Rich Stanton ’87 said, “This recipient embodies the very best qualities of MKA’s teaching excellence. He is a teacher “who always pushes students to do the best work possible and gives students an example to look up to. His unparalleled enthusiasm for, and expertise in, his subject is infectious and he consistently goes above and beyond – in getting to know his students, in giving extra help when needed and in showing care, concern and kindness to all.”

This year’s Yearbook was also dedicated to Jacobs, with one student describing him as, “an intelligent, respected and beloved teacher and advisor … You have a passion for the subject you teach, a staggering depth of knowledge and genuine concern for the learning experience of your students.” While another noted, “There is no one more deserving of the dedication than a man who puts in all of himself, every day, for his students.”

Founders’ Cup 2014

Below: Middle School Spanish teacher Veronica Toscano enjoys the graduation of her son, Mauricio, from MKA, together with husband Mauricio and daughter Emilia.

39F A C U L T Y N E W S

faculty NEWS

Upper School Systems Technician Damien Barrett who was featured in a TechTarget article about his expectations for Apple’s new Device Enrollment Program integration.

Middle School Theatre teacher Christian Ely whose play was selected to participate in the Last Frontier Theatre Conference (started in 1992 by Jo Ann McDowell, Edward Albee and Marshall W. Mason) in Valdez, AK. The conference gives playwrights the opportunity to hear their work performed by professional actors and Ely’s play, More Than Kin, Less Than Kind was read and received feedback form industry professionals.

4th Grade Teacher and Varsity Track Coach Tom Fleming for his induction into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in Utica, NY for the Class of 2014 on July 12.

Tri-Campus Strings Director Dimitri Hadjipetkov who was selected as a 2015 Grammy Educator Nominee based on nominations from his students.

Upper School physics teacher Tim Lynch who was a successful contestant on NPR’s Ask me Another quiz show in March. Lynch is a seasoned TV and radio quiz show contestant, having appeared on Jeopardy! and Win Ben Stein’s Money, as well as on NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!

MKA’s dynamic duo of Director of Educational Technology Dr. Reshan Richards and Assistant Head of Upper School and Director of Academic Leadership Stephen Valentine on the publication of their book, Leading Online, about organizational leadership, framed through the lens of school leadership. Adam Grant, Wharton Professor and bestselling author of Give and Take, describes it as “an innovative, interactive exploration of leadership in the digital age. Stephen Valentine and Reshan Richards, experts in academic leadership and educational technology, have produced something truly original and delightful. It’s more than a book: it’s a demonstration of how the Internet and social media can change the way we lead and learn.” (www.leadingonline.net)

The Upper School Spring Movie, Frankie, written and directed by faculty member J.C. Svec received a Bronze REMI Award in the Independent Short Films category at the 2014 47th Annual Houston Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival and a 2014 Hermes Gold Award in the Marketing Category for its poster design.

Congratulations & Shout Outs to:

Above: Primary School Director of Intramurals and Children’s Sports Programs and Head Varsity Baseball Coach “Coach P” aka Ralph Pacifico and his wife and co-STAR Camp Director, Amy Pacifio, celebrate the graduation of their eldest “Lifer” daughter, Paige, together with younger daughters Emma ’16 and Gina ’20.

40 F A C U L T Y N E W S

faculty NEWS

MKA bids a fond farewell to three deserving retirees: Sue Awerdick, who graduated from The Kimberley School in 1968, retires after 18 years (1990-94 and 2000-14) teaching Pre-K and Kindergarten at MKA. In a retirement speech in her honor, Primary School Head of Campus Ginger Kriegel, said, “For a total of 18 years, you have inspired, nurtured and loved every student who was lucky enough to have you whether they were in Pre-K or Kindergarten … You are not only a master early childhood teacher; you are most passionate about your commitment to teaching. During your tenure at MKA, you have served as both a mentor to students and colleagues alike - your wisdom and sound advice will be sorely missed.” Sue retires, not only as one of the Primary School’s cornerstone teachers, but also as the parent of two MKA graduates, Jason ‘94 and Megan ‘97. You can read more about Sue’s plans for her retirement on P. 9, and we wish her every happiness.

Alan Fraker retired from MKA at the end of March after 11 years as Director of College Counseling. Tom Nammack wrote, “The mid-year departure was his choice and part of his plan to see his final cohort of seniors through the college process. Along with able colleagues and parent volunteers, Alan developed excellent student and parent programming, brought college admissions officers from around the nation to MKA, and transformed MKA’s use of data.” Alan has returned to his home in Greenfield, MA, and we wish him well in his new life.

Robert “Bob” Tickle retires after a second career of teaching math and computer science at the Upper School for 13 years, following a successful first career at ExxonMobil. Bob and his wife are relocating to North Carolina to be closer to family. In faculty tributes, Bob was described as a teacher for whom his peers had enormous respect and fondness, someone who provided “an oasis of sanity” and as “someone who always spoke the truth – but always with care and warmth.” Head of Campus Dave Flocco noted that, over the years, Bob has touched the lives of countless students and that many of them, in their senior exit interviews, commented on his dedication, his concern for them, and “how he made them both better students and better people.”

Says “farewell and thank you” to: Shiva Behradnia (Middle School History), Deborah Branker (Middle School English), Phyllis Bresner (Middle School Learning Specialist), Heather Cannavale (Middle School Math), Iris Erlemeier-Gerald (Primary School French), Jennifer Haakmat (Upper School Learning Consultant), Luke Harris (Upper School PE), Nichole Foster Hinds (Middle School Math), Dr. Sophie Kan (Upper School Math), Shannon Raper (Athletic Trainer), Sarah Rowland (Director of Admissions & Financial Aid), Alina Yurkovsky (Director of Student Services)

And welcomes: Robin Dyer (Upper/Middle School Learning Specialist), Ebony Facenda (Middle School Math), Jean Jones (Upper School Math), Jaclyn Keker (Athletic Trainer), Daniella Kessler (Middle School Counselor), Robert Leather (Upper School Health/PE), Derek Morf (Upper School Math), Donna Starke (Middle School Math), Alice Marguerite Terrell (Middle School English), Erica Tricarico (Primary School Pre-K), Alyson Waldman ‘99 (Director of Admissions & Financial Aid).

Retirements, Thank You’s and Welcomes

41F A C U L T Y N E W S

faculty NEWS

MKA administrators enjoying PAMKA’s Denim and Diamonds Gala l-r: Head of Upper School David Flocco, Assistant Head and CFO Richard Sunshine, Gala Co-Chair Shelly Grossman, Director of Technology William Stites and his wife and former MKA faculty member, Brook Stites

Evelyn “Ev” Martin: Retired Primary School teacher Ev Martin passed away on February 16, 2014 at the age of 78. A long-time Brookside faculty member from 1979-1998, Ev had recently returned as a substitute teacher. In notifying faculty of her death, Primary School Head of Campus Ginger Kriegel wrote, “I met Ev 38 years ago when we taught in Essex Fells. Eventually, both of us ended up at Brookside teaching at different grade levels. Ev will always be remembered as someone who lit up a room with her laughter and good humor. Her students loved her, especially when she would dress up and appear as Viola Swamp, on days when her class needed a little re-direction. One could not travel down the upstairs hallway without a gleeful shout-out from Ev. I am so glad that many of you had a chance to get to know Ev during these last months. She quickly regained her popularity, both with the faculty and with the children. Whatever life brought, Ev would always make the best of it and move on. As one friend stated, “Ev was a treasure!”

MKA extends heartfelt sympathy to Ev’s children, Kathy, John and Thomas Boone and to her three grandchildren.

In Memoriam

Congratulations to Primary School Kindergarten teacher Sheila Pryor and MKA’s Director of Athletics Todd Smith who were married at Navesink Country Club in Middletown, NJ on Saturday, June 28, 2014.

42 P A R E N T N E W S

parent NEWS

It was a party to remember as MKA’s Parents’ Association celebrated their 40th birthday at the Denim & Diamonds Spring Gala held at McLoone’s Boathouse in West Orange on Saturday, April 12.

Under the inspired and creative leadership of Gala Chairs Shelly Grossman and Kerry Murphy and their dedicated team of parent volunteers, the night brought together some familiar PAMKA Gala ingredients - including a record-breaking online Silent Auction, an exciting Live Auction and Tuition and Basket Raffles - as well as some new twists. As the venue staff sported “PAMKA 40” T-shirts, attendees reveled in the casual dress code and atmosphere, enjoying a perfect spring evening on the deck, especially themed MKA cocktails, live music and the opportunity to relax and socialize.

“It was a slam dunk last night from beginning to end,” commented PAMKA President Lori Yanes. “I don’t think I’ve had more fun at a gala. Everything was absolutely beautiful, from the outside cocktail hour to the Silent Auction room to the servers in PAMKA T-shirts...the Chairs had thought of everything.”

The Spring Gala is PAMKA’s largest single fundraising event, and the proceeds raised support MKA’s faculty endowment, campus “Wish List” items and Faculty Trust Grants – PAMKA-funded travel opportunities for teachers to pursue their academic passions around the world.

The Spring Gala

Denim & Diamonds chairs Kerry Murphy and Shelly Grossman

43P A R E N T N E W S

parent NEWS

The Spring Gala Cougar Pride Day 2014

On a Cougar Pride Day that was nothing short of miraculous, the storm clouds blew away, the sun came out, and rain only

returned after breakdown to ensure a picture-perfect day that could be enjoyed by hundreds of people.

Under the expert leadership of PAMKA chair Amy

South and her Cougar

Pride Day Committee, over 100 parent, faculty and student volunteers organized and supervised a full schedule of activities for all ages. From new initiatives including an obstacle course, an orienteering challenge and a student vs. faculty Tug of War (which the students won), to the return of old favorites such as the family tennis tournament, climbing wall, Capture the Flag and Karaoke, the MKA

community came out in force to support and enjoy the carnival atmosphere and camaraderie of

this annual tri-campus event.

Alumni Council Winter Social - details to follow!

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9 Save the Date

44 P A R E N T N E W S

parent NEWS

Among the transitions at MKA this fall, PAMKA welcomes a new President, Amy South. Already well known to many among the parent community, here she tells us a little more about herself.

For the past 18 years, I have lived in Montclair with my husband, George, and my two children, Abby (16) and Max (13), After graduating from Hofstra University with a BA in psychology, I worked for approximately 10 years in various retail/fashion capacities at Bloomingdales, J. Crew and Boutique Industries..

Since moving to Montclair in 1995, I have spent a considerable amount of time volunteering for various organizations within the Montclair and surrounding communities. Since 2007, I’ve delivered food weekly to elderly and/or disabled residents for the Human Needs Food Pantry; I’ve volunteered for the Interfaith Homeless Network, co-chaired a Montclair Film Festival fundraiser

Meet PAMKA’s New Presidentevent and become involved with Toni’s Kitchen where I serve food and help with pick-ups at the Food Bank.

My family came to MKA in 2005 – the same year that Tom Nammack joined the MKA community! Somehow, just two months later, I was asked to handle RSVP’s for a Book Fair Luncheon featuring Ruth Reichel. That was pretty much the start of my continual employment with PAMKA!

I’ve chaired Gift Wrap, been the Primary and Upper School Community Outreach Chairs, chaired the Captivating Conversations Parenting Workshops, Academy Forum, served on the PAMKA Executive Board from 2009-11 as the Community Outreach VP, been the Student Government Liaison at the Middle School, and done “behind-the-scenes” work for Book Fairs and the Gala. Most recently, I chaired Cougar Pride Day! For about seven years, I was also a tutor at TEAM Academy, and I’ve helped with admissions work at the Primary and Middle Schools.

45P A R E N T N E W S

parent NEWS

Outgoing PAMKA President Lori Yanes and Finance VP Toni Friedman presented Tom Nammack with the results of PAMKA’s fundraising efforts for the 2013-14 school year – a check for $302,700 for Gifts to MKA.

I’m still shocked and honored that I was asked to be President! As you can see, I’ve always enjoyed being involved in organizations. I love being around people that inspire me and I try to be open to learning new things – whether it’s more about parenting or my interests or about the greater community. It’s truly incredible what we can all share and gain by uniting – and especially so at MKA, where I believe PAMKA’s remarkable success is a due to the fact that we’ve all made a conscious decision to select MKA and we’re all making relative sacrifices to have our children attend an independent school. We are all parents, and our children are a primary concern in this stage of our life. PAMKA somehow gathers people with common interests and goals and empowers them to enrich the lives of all our children and the school by sharing ideas, skills and hard work.

I’m really looking forward to my new role - to getting to know more parents, to learning more about MKA’s long

On the Ice (Clary Anderson Arena) & Courts (Upper School Gym): 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Post Game Reception at Tierney’s, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28

ThanksgivingIce Hockey &

Basketball Games

ANNUAL ALUMNI

Leading PAMKA for the 2014 school year are: Back row l-r: Patty Strain (Special Events VP), Nancy Wheeler (Community VP), Angela Privitere (Upper School Campus VP) and Tammi Branch (Primary School Campus VP) Front row l-r: Toni Friedman (Finance VP), Kirsten Lockyer (Secretary), Amy South (President), Lavina Datwani (Membership VP) and Karen Gulliver (Middle School Campus VP)

term goals and plans, to be inspired by the dedication and expertise of the faculty, staff, Board of Trustees and administration and to sharing that knowledge and awe with the greater MKA community so we can unite under PAMKA and help to be a small part of MKA’s success.

46 A L U M N I N E W S

alumni NEWS

MKA welcomes Jaclyn ”Jackie” Latzoni Spedaliere ’00 as the new President of the Alumni Association. A member of the Alumni Council since 2008, Jackie has been a key member of the Networking Committee, instrumental in the growth of that program and its associated events. Jackie also spearheaded the inception of what is now the Annual Alumni Spring Social held at Van Vleck House and Gardens, and has served on the Development Committee and participated in many Phonathons for the Council. Jackie works as a Sales Operations Manager for Process Systems Enterprise in Morristown, and she and her husband, Mark, will soon be moving into a new home in Basking Ridge.

From the President

Dear Fellow Alumni,

I would like to begin by thanking Richard Stanton ’87 for his service as the President of the Alumni Council for the past two years. Rich has been a dedicated leader to the Council and his contributions will be remembered. Thankfully, Rich plans to maintain his membership with the Council, and we look forward to the continued value he will add. Unfortunately, we bid farewell to Mitch Decter ’94 who held the position of Council Secretary and Cheryl McCants ’82, an active member of the Council for the last nine years. Their support and enthusiasm will be missed. Please join me in welcoming several new members of the council: Rich Cosgrove ’84, Janine Garland ’82, Andrew Murphy ’01, Jon Bruno ’02 and Brittany Berckes ’06.

I am excited to report that we will be sponsoring the first annual MKA DAY on Friday, October 17th. The purpose of MKA DAY is to rally our large alumni community on this one day when we can make a difference by making a gift to the alumni Annual Giving appeal. It’s not the amount that matters; it’s your participation. Picture one of those all-night-telethons hosted by the late Casey Kasem … now picture that all happening virtually – for the first time, we will also be using text messages as part of our campaign! There’s even going to be a fantastic challenge match as we reach higher levels of participation: a total of $20,000 when we reach 300 donors! I urge you all to participate in MKA DAY – no matter the denomination

every bit makes a difference. Don’t miss your chance to be part of MKA history and help us reach our goals!

Following MKA DAY, we will celebrate Homecoming from October 25th-26th. This year, we will be honoring the reunion years of classes ending in 4 and 9 but we have an action-packed weekend planned for all our alumni I look forward to seeing you at any one of the planned events details of which are on p. 27 of this magazine and available online at www.mka.org/homecoming2014.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the success that you have helped us achieve with our Alumni Networking and social events. This past May, we held our 5th Annual Alumni Spring Social at Van Vleck House and Gardens. Despite the weather, the event went off without a hitch! Special thanks to Jeremy Kidde ’96 and Jason Grizzanti ’96 for their delectable libations from Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery. On June 14th, we hosted the Klank Klassic and Alumni Games Day. Alumni from every class were invited to relive their athletic days of field hockey, lacrosse, or baseball. We closed this great day with a post-game celebration at Tierney’s Tavern. Winter athletes, look out for the Alumni Hockey & Basketball Games coming up on November 28th, 2014 with a reception at Tierney’s Tavern immediately following.

I look forward to meeting many of you younger alumni at our perennially popular Young Alumni Happy Hour on Wednesday, September 10th. This year’s venue is an exciting downtown spot, The Tippler in Chelsea.

47A L U M N I N E W S

alumni NEWS

As for upcoming Networking events, we’ve heard your feedback and have implemented a new format for these! You will have many opportunities to speak with alumni from many different fields in a casual, more open atmosphere. Don’t miss the next event on November 11th, at the Millenium Hotel in NYC.

Please keep an eye on your emails and the MKA Alumni Calendar, accessible through the MKA website; there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved and just have fun – including a new Winter Social event – details to follow!

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Best wishes,

Jaclyn SpedaliereJaclyn Spedaliere ’00 Alumni Council President

All in the Family! Among the class of 2014 were eight “legacy” students, l-r: Kassie Fotiadis, daughter of John Fotiadis ’82, Jessie Wallace, daughter of David Wallace ’79, Sydney Larrier, daughter of India Hayes Larrier ’80, Kelsey O’Connor, daughter of Kris Hatzenbuhler O’Connor ’83, John Post, son of Robert Post (deceased ’77), Maggie Dancy, daughter of Peter Dancy ’82, Francesca Cassola, daughter of Heidi Holt-Knudson Cassola ’83 and Sydney Silodor, daughter of Scott Silodor ’82.

For members of the classes 2000 – 2010. Join us at The Tippler, 425 West 15th Street, NYC. 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Alumni

Happy Hour

Young


alumni NEWS

The 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award

First, I signed up for an intro econ course in spring of my freshman year. In the first class, the professor prompted a free-for-all discussion about what students thought economics was. In those days, virtually no college students had taken an economics course in school, so the class launched into a far-flung discussion. Some students asserted conventional ideas but many, this being the spring of 1970, pressed some very off-the-wall ideas. At the end of this chaotic class, the professor made a very simple statement about what economics—at least the economics he was going to teach—was: it was, he said, a discipline that considered the allocation of scarce resources. Maybe it was the simplicity of this statement after the chaos of the class or maybe it was genuinely that the possibilities and complexity of addressing that issue caught my imagination, but I recall thinking quite simply, “Cool.”

The second thing was an exchange I had with my father when I first arrived home after freshman year. He walked into the kitchen where I was standing and said, “Well, Suz, what are you going to major in?” I truly had not given this question a moment’s thought. But I had done very well in the economics course and thought I should have an answer to the question. So I said “Umm, probably economics.” “Aww, that’s not a major for a girl,” he said. That moment set me on my course.

There were many twists and turns, and a lot of luck and hard work after that. Several individuals helped me, encouraged me and gave me nothing short of lucky breaks. Without them, who knows what would have happened. It never ceases to amaze me how some seemingly trivial statements or events can get a 20-something started in a direction.

Can you tell us a bit about your work?My career at the IMF began when I was recruited from the London School of Economics where I did my graduate work right after I left Mount Holyoke. At the time, I would have laughed in the face of anyone who told me I would stay at the IMF for over 30 years. But I did. I got caught up in the work: the IMF has probably the largest concentration of macro and financial economists of any institution in the world so the debate within the institution on just about every significant issue is constant and vibrant; with the IMF’s emphasis on moving its professional staff around to different roles, my work was varied and required continuous reexamination of my perspective; and I moved through the ranks fairly quickly so there was a nice pace in the increase in my responsibilities.

Almost every country in the world is represented on the IMF’s Executive Board, its political, decision-making body. The IMF staff runs the organization. It carries out annual evaluations of each economy, constructs the conditions on macroeconomic policy adjustments that countries in crisis must follow to receive emergency IMF funding, and conducts regular assessments of the global economy, highlighting developments that could, if uncorrected, disrupt the world economy as in the 2008-09 Great Recession.

In recognition of her immensely distinguished career in economics, the MKA Alumni Council is honored to present the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award to Susan M. Schadler, TKS class of 1969. A leading expert in the fields of sovereign debt crisis, global financial institutions, global capital flows and European emerging market economics, Ms. Schadler enjoyed a highly successful 30-year career at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – including eight years as the deputy director of its IMF’s European Department – prior to becoming a Senior Fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).

How did you first become interested in economics?How easy would it be to say that ever since I can remember, I wanted to be an economist, that somehow it was in my DNA or bloodline, that I picked up a Wall Street Journal when I was 10, read the lead article and at that moment knew I would be an economist, but my career took a much more happenstance route.

Thinking back, I can say that when I was at Kimberley in high school, I really liked both math and history, and in retrospect, what better could combine those two interests than economics, but in high school, I was interested in just about everything, so I really could have gone in any number of directions.

Kimberley was a pretty conventional school. A good portion of the graduating class went to all-girls colleges, the so-called Seven Sisters being plums. So I shipped off to Mount Holyoke without very much exploration of the options or with much of an intention to have a career. But once there, I did explore the academic options rather widely. This was not so much from a “choosing a career” perspective as from an “I should get a broad education” perspective. Then two things happened, each small, but significant.


alumni NEWS

I had many incarnations as an IMF staff member. I worked on and then led many “country teams” that interacted directly with Ministries of Finance or Central Banks, either for the annual assessment or, when a country fell into crisis, devising a program of policies to get the country back on the rails. Most of this work took me to Europe and Asia. The interaction between the country authorities and the staff team was typically intense and demanding in terms of diagnosing a country’s problems correctly and culling the best evidence from the economic literature on how to address those problems. This work was terribly frustrating at times, especially when it was clear what a crisis country had to do to correct its problems but political obstacles stood in the way. It was also deeply satisfying on the many occasions when a government was debating its policies, and, as part of the IMF team, you could help the right side win.

Other big parts of my career were spent as part of teams, and leading teams, responsible for setting IMF policies on issues as diverse as global reserve currency arrangements, the IMF’s role in countries converting from central planning to market economies, and how the IMF should position itself on capital controls. Addressing these issues involved anything from writing academic papers for publication to debating issues at the most senior and political levels of the IMF to shepherding recommendations through the Executive Board.

What did you most enjoy about your work - and what are you most proud of?I loved being part of an organization that I feel makes the world a safer place. The institution is big, not so much in terms of the number of employees, but in terms of the seriousness of the effort to understand what is driving economic developments and to steer countries to macroeconomic policies that are good both for their national interests and for the stability of the global economy. The debate within the institution and its capacity to listen to, learn from and apply the lessons from many countries to each individual country is rigorous and, in a word, awesome. These processes never existed in the history of the world before World War II. It was a privilege and immensely invigorating to have been part of them.

What are you occupied with now?Some of the non-professional things to which I gave short shrift when I was working – spending more time at my summer house in Maine, sailing, designing my garden – the list goes on. I am also doing a lot of consulting work. I spent a year as a research fellow at Oxford University and I am now a senior fellow at CIGI – a research institute in Canada – where I have written several papers and organized conferences on sovereign debt restructuring in financial crises.

In what ways did your TKS experience prepare you for the path your life has taken?Connecting the dots between my Kimberley experience and my career is not straightforward. A lot happens after high school. Where I think it really mattered was giving me academic self-confidence. This largely comes down to the imprint left by a few quietly spectacular teachers. Kimberley was a small school—there were some 30 girls in the class of 1969—so it was common to have one teacher for several years. We got to know each other pretty well. Almost all the faculty were women, many were single. Without it ever being explicit, they were probably not pressed to imbue Kimberley girls with the notion that they were the future leaders of the country (though this magazine certainly shows that ‘60s graduates had often remarkable lives).

What is amazing as I look back is how much self-confidence and feeling of ownership of a subject some of these teachers gave me. Carol Grieves, probably only six or seven years older than I was, endowed me a fearlessness about math and a wonder for its beauty. Barbara Thorsen, a very cynical and conservative observer of history, took us from Modern European History through American History and on to an in-depth study of post war issues, all along the way raising questions that I still think about today. Ruth Hamilton, who connected to literature in a way that only a single woman of a certain age could do, read to us, forced us to memorize and gave us ownership of the most amazing array of novels, plays, poetry and short stories. Betty Logan, again only slightly older than I, pushed my limited athletic skills on the hockey and lacrosse teams to the brink and made me a fundamentally more competitive person. And Evelyn Yamashita was the dynamo, recent college graduate who opened my eyes to just how assertive a young woman could be. These women were simply salt of the earth. In the most low-key ways, in an environment that could not have been more unassuming, they made me feel smart and adventurous.

What advice would you give today’s graduates who might be interested in a similar career?Remarkably little, given that I more or less stumbled into my life and that worked just about perfectly for me. Hard work and good fortune are important, but beyond that don’t worry if you don’t see a well-defined path immediately. Explore widely and try things seriously—one of them will stick.

One thing that I am sure was very important for me was having a supportive partner. I don’t think I could have had my career (which involved a lot of international travel and, at times, really long hours) and three kids without all of the patience (and impatience) my husband brought to our life. Also an economist (we met in grad school), he intrinsically understood the pressures on my time and energy, was a fabulous sounding board for any economic conundrum I faced, believed to his core that women should have every opportunity men did, and shared a solid 50-50 in making our family and home what it was. We were both the richer for the struggles we went through together.


alumni NEWS

“Neither rain nor snow nor dark of night …” could keep 70 New York City area alumni from gathering at the Friars Club on a stormy April 29th. Our gracious host for the evening was MKA alumna and Friar Melissa Cohn ’78. Headmaster Tom Nammack, and members of the Development Office joined the party as alumni from Montclair Academy, The Kimberley School and MKA enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones. Among the crowd were Kimberley graduates Lily Moureaux ’59, Barbara Dixon ’70, Barbara Sloane ’70 and Diana Utech ’75, while Montclair Academy was well represented by George Hertzberg ’53, Victor Bernstein ’65, Joseph Alessi ’68, David Cralle ’69 and Dean Paolucci ’73. Several of Melissa Cohn’s classmates were in attendance, including Pamela Zeug, Pamela Bolton and Alexander Adams. The Class with the greatest representation was 1997, represented by Greg Decter, Sean Duffy, Michael Thwaite, Adam Wartski, Alfredo Bequillard and Chris Bellapianta. And also from the ’90’s, Tom Nammack introduced MKA’s new Director of Admissions, Alyson Rosenthal Waldman ’99 and her husband, Matthew Waldman ’98 who received a rousing welcome from fellow alumni. Completing the evening was a surprise guest appearance of legendary comedian Stewie Stone, arranged by Friar Cohn.

On the Road in New York

Bill Martini ’98, Adam Wartski ’97 and Alfredo Bequillard ’97

Victor Bernstein ’65, David Cralle ’69 and partner David Fram

Erin Hotchkiss ‘02, Bobbie Dixon ’70 and Victoria O’Kane ’02

Classmates from ’78: Host Friar Melissa Cohn ’78, Pamela Bolton ’78 and Pamela Zueg ’78

Stuart Harwood ’07, Nick Andlinger ’07, Katherine Phillips ’09 and Max Rudnick ’07

The girls from ’07: Serena Azizo, Samantha Szwed, Jessica Ireland and Holly and Mathilde Battsek


alumni NEWS

The rain fell again on May 8th when MKA’s Alumni Council held their Annual Spring Social at Van Vleck House and Gardens, but it didn’t deter over 50 local alumni from attending a great event. Spanning the years from ’71-’05, alumni got together for a night of fun, great food and signature cocktails made by Warwick Valley Winery and Black Dirt Distillery owners Jason Grizzanti ’96 and Jeremy Kidde ’96. The Networking Committee of the Alumni Council, including new Council President Jaclyn Spedaliere ‘00, Jessica Simpson Cook ’99 and Klaudia Pyz ’98 spearheaded an unbelievable Tricky Tray with donations from fellow Alumni Council members and local alumni. Baskets included a widely coveted collection of premium wines and champagnes, Broadway tickets, golf lessons, fishing lessons, gym memberships, an array of gourmet cookbooks and goodies and gift cards from

local stores Barbara Eclectic and Olive That, to name a

few. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and many are already looking forward to next year’s event!

On the Road in New York ... and in Montclair

Joe Sullivan ’77, David Hughes ’76, Rob Hubsmith ’77 and Kent Walker ’80

Pamela D’Amato Davis ’89 with her husband Clifton, Dennis Rodano ’87 with his wife Geralyn

and Director of Development Geoff Branigan

Jason Grizzanti ’96 with Dave DeMatteis ’95

Alumni Council member Jared Cook ’01 and

Alumni Council President Jaclyn

Spedaliere ’00


alumni NEWS

Want to make a difference? Ready for something new? We’re excited to announce our first-ever MKA DAY on Friday, October 17th – a day where you can join the large

community of MKA alumni in making a difference in the lives of MKA students, present and future.

MKA DAY is an alumni focused day of giving, a 24-hour period when we hope alumni will come together and make a difference. This new trend in school fundraising provides alumni with a quick, fun

and easy way to make your annual fund donation, or a pledge that you can fulfill before the end of our fiscal

year on June 30, 2015.

Alumnae from The Kimberley School returned “home” to their former campus to attend a Round Table Luncheon at the Middle School on Saturday, April 5. Hosting the event was trustee and current parent Christina Cotton, together with Honorary Trustee and past parent Aubin Zabriskie Ames ’54 and MKA’s Director of Annual Gift Programs Talia Selove.

The alumnae participated in thoughtful conversation centered on the history and future of women scholars at MKA and the establishment of The Kimberley Fund dedicated to financial aid for young women. Other topics discussed included developing new programs that would engage Kimberley alumnae and encourage them to return to campus.

TKS Lunch

Joining the event hosts were Lucile Mason ’43, Janet Mason ’48, Gail Robertson Marentette ’51, C.Y. Mann Treene ’54, Diana Bethell Little ’58, Barbara Bywater Creed ’62 (by conference call), Susan McIntosh Awerdick ’68 and Dawn Geannette Cordo ’68. Former faculty member Judy Nesbitt was also present, along with Geoff Branigan, MKA Director of Development, and Lois Montorio, MKA Director of Alumni Relations.

If you would like to participate in future discussions, share your ideas or contribute to The Kimberley Fund, please contact Talia Selove, Director of Annual Gift Programs, at [email protected] or 973-842-2769.


alumni NEWS

It was a beautiful day for the 9th Annual Klank Klassic Alumni Games Day on June 14th.

The Klank Klassic lacrosse game is held each year in honor of MKA’s long-time, beloved lacrosse coach William “Noll” Klank who passed away suddenly in 2003. Special guests included Noll’s wife Sandy, daughters Kristen Dawes ’95 and Tracey Sylvester ’97, along with their beautiful families. It was a great, competitive game between current students and alumni players ranging from ’84 to our most current graduates of ’14. Teams were divided into odds and evens depending on their graduation year and, in the end, the odd team clinched the win over the even team.

Alumni Games DayAt halftime, Varsity Coach Paul Edwards recognized many of this year’s MKA current players for their outstanding seasons including Tommy Fusco ’14, who received this year’s W. Noll Klank Memorial Award.

Earlier in the day, Gia Nappi, MKA’s new head field hockey coach for the 2015 season, had a great group of current students and alums come together for the 4th Annual Alumni field hockey game.

After the games, players from both teams, along with their family and friends were invited to Tierney’s Tavern for a post-game, celebratory reception.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, check your inbox for our emails, reply to our text messages and please answer the phone when one of our alumni volunteers calls.

You’ll be able to watch a Progress Thermometer as live donations are received, and to check and see how your class is doing. Perhaps it’s time for a little class vs. class competition? Contests will run throughout the day with lots of MKA swag as prizes, and there will be some special videos on Facebook for your viewing pleasure.

As if MKA DAY was not exciting enough, there is a matching challenge component with $5,000 to be released

after the first 100 donations; $5,000 after the second 100 donations and $10,000 after the third 100 donations. Help us reach and surpass this goal and participate in MKA DAY on October 17th. Please contact Lois Montorio ([email protected], 973-509-7939) or Gretchen Berra ([email protected], 973-233-3014) in our Alumni Relations Office if you have any questions.

1931TKSMKA sends sincere condolences to the family of Gertrude Mount Mekeel, who passed away May 6, 2014 at the age of 100.

1935TKSMrs. Stewart Carpenter (Josephine Fobes)Crane’s Mill, Apt. 1419459 Passaic AvenueWest Caldwell, NJ 07006

1936TKSMKA sends sincere condolences to the family of Elisabeth Rhoades McCabewho passed away on January 20, 2014.

MAMKA sends sincere sympathies to the family of Walker Weed who passed away on April 26, 2014, at the age of 95 after a brief stay in Hospice. MKA was fortunate to have been able to cover Mr. Weed’s extraordinary accomplishments in the Spring 2014 issue of this magazine.

1937TKSSally Bausher Littlefield wouldn’t boast, but her son, Bill, has completed two decades of Only a Game, a very special sports radio show that airs on New England Public Radio’s WBUR. Alumni in New England are missing the boat, says one who asks to be anonymous, if they don’t listen in every Saturday. In May, a celebratory broadcast included noted sports figures paying tribute including Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.

MKA sends sincere condolences to the family of Margaret Richards “Terry” Chapman who passed away on February 13, 2014.

1939

75TH REUNION OCTOBER 25, 2014

1940TKSMrs. Joan Bayne Williamsc/o M. Bradley170 Delwin DriveNorth Yarmouth, ME 04097

1941TKSMrs. James F.C. Hyde Jr. (Enid Griswold)5402 Duvall DriveBethesda, MD 20816-1872

1942TKSMKA sends sincere condolences to the family of Margaret Krout Taylor who passed away April 17, 2014.

MAMr. Richard L. Charlesworth27 Whipple Farm LaneFalmouth, ME [email protected]

1943TKSMiss Lucile G. Mason142 North Mountain AvenueMontclair, NJ 07042-2350

Walker Weed ’36

Class NotesEditor’s NoteThe deadline for news for the FALL Review is May 1 and the deadline for the SPRING issue is January 1.

News can be submitted at any time in response to the Alumni Office annual mailing, on the back of Annual Giving remittance envelopes, via mail or email to the Alumni Director ([email protected]), the Editor ([email protected]) or your Class Secretary. We keep ongoing files for each class and welcome photographs in digital or hard copy.

If your class does not have a Class Secretary listed, please consider volunteering for the position! It is a great way to re-establish contacts with old friends, does not require a great deal of time and is essential to the ongoing vitality of the school.

Thank you.

• MA : Montclair Academy• TKS: The Kimberley School• MKA : Montclair Kimberley

Academy

54 C L A S S N O T E S

MAMr. Edward S. “Ted” Olcott23 Argyle CourtSummit, NJ [email protected]

1944


MAMr. Winterford J. Ohland39A Cambridge CourtLakewood, NJ 08701-6225

1945 TKSMrs. Leigh Berrien Smith847 Franklin StreetVineyard Haven, MA [email protected]

Leigh Berrien Smith writes: Cynthia Carswell Blair called me in May, delighted to catch up, as I was too. She’s enjoying her senior residence in NH to which she moved in 2012. She continuesto get to Fire Island with her daughter Gail (still in NJ) and Gail’s cute corgi, where she’s enjoyed the family place since childhood and continues cycling there. Her sister, now 90, remains outside Charleston, SC and Cynnie said a weather-related delay after the birthday gave her extra time to visit with her niece.

Happy to have reached our longtime secretary, Anne Feagley Wittels at her California home. While saying her “energy level is not what is used to be” she sounded extremely active. Origami is a daily pursuit, even with real copper. My first introduction to origami was in the 2nd grade at The Kimberley School. It was called paper folding then, and my first project was to make snow flakes. Later on, in 9th grade, we worked on origami again. Knitting and crocheting also on her agenda. Anne’s and Jerry’s son and daughter remain not far away, and Anne laughs when noting they each also have one son and one daughter. She was glad to have news of classmates, regrets not having seen any of us in too long a time.

Dorothy “Mike” Van Winkle Morehouse sounded well and happy when we had a nice long phone chat. Widowed since 1994, she copes with severe eye problems so she depends on others for going places including her son Schuyler and his wife Liza, who live in Hopewell, close to her

home in Rumson, NJ. They are parents of a son and daughter in their 20’s. Their daughter Elizabeth, who lives even closer in Fair Haven, has a son who’ll finish West Point in 2015 (yes, his dad served five years recently in the Army), and a daughter in high school. Mike’s daughter, Susan, is a happy Vermonter on a horse farm; we all recall Mike as a fine horsewoman in our Kimberley days. Perhaps Mike’s worst experience lately was Hurricane Sandy (Oct. 2012) which did a number on her Raritan Bay, NJ area home; she had two feet of water on the first floor. She had to stay with her daughter for six months during repairs and renovations. Overall, Mike looks back cheerily on a happy life that included a job she loved for 27 years, heading the Monmouth Museum and building two junior museum additions. Now she enjoys books on CD’s at home. She had many good memories of TKS ’45 friends, and appreciated news as she’s never liked reunion type doings, and prefers to recall us “as we were.”

I hope by the time you read this I may have seen Jane Hagan Farno. She summers at Harwich Port, and we’ve talked of a lunch get together for years. She feels very fortunate to have such helpful family members, living near son and teacher Clay in Florida winters, and having son Eric, teacher in CT, available summers. Greg and Peter and their families visit. Greg is a banker in Baltimore, and Peter is with Agra in Raleigh, NC. Jane’s family is too large to itemize, but twin great-grands must be mentioned. Jane’s only daughter Stephanie died much too young, but left three children; the twins are living in Texas but visiting in summer are Stephanie’s progeny’s offspring.

Sally DuBois Moberg continues to add great-grandchildren, and this year I was delighted to tell her I’m expecting my first, thanks to son Proc’s Charlie and Cath, married last October. That leaves four bachelor grandsons and an only granddaughter, a senior at Hobart William Smith, graduating in May 2015, and I hope to be there. Grateful I can still play at golf and piano. Daughter Pam moved to the Vineyard a year ago, buying a small house five minutes from me, and just in time say I. My short-term memory is terrible. Very glad long-term is still going strong.

Some may appreciate news of Rudd Trimble Kenvin’s family, and I’m thankful widower Roger has stayed in touch. Both grandsons finished high school spring ’14 and head for college, grandson Kyle to Yale and grandson Dylan to the University of California at Santa Cruz in his home state. Roger continues to live next door to daughter Brooke, her doctor husband and their daughter Zoe,

whereas Kyle and his mom, Heather, moved east. Roger planned to travel east for Kyle’s graduation and stay through the summer.

MAMr. William B. Grant7330 Westmoreland DriveSarasota, FL [email protected]

MKA sends deepest sympathy to the family of Robert G. Nebergall who passed away on February 18, 2014.

Bill Grant wrote: We are sorry to hear of the passing of Bob Nebergall earlier this year. Bob was a good friend and preceded me for about a decade as our Class Agent. He leaves a number of sisters who were Kimberley graduates. The MA Class of 1945 has funded one of the tiles for the new Muenster Field; be sure to look for it when visiting. I fondly remember watching you Kimberley School ladies, including my late wife Ann Snyder Grant ’45.

1946TKS Mrs. Eleanor Helm Ketcham4 White OakElon, NC [email protected]

Nancy Lockerty Hoffmann writes: “This is being written in May, which begins serious fire time in my area, and given that Southern California is having its worst drought in history, it is just the beginning, with a long hot summer looming ahead. I’ve been evacuated before ... over a week in the Cedar Fire here (in I think ’07), for floods in Hawaii and Thailand and for earthquakes in Manila. It’s never fun, and there is always the question of what will happen to everything you own while you’re gone. To date, I have been lucky – nothing ever did – yet! My only grandchild is now a successful junior-to-be at USC and is very happy there. Her folks (son Jim and his wife Chris) recently moved to Pasadena, so they are conveniently located for laundry and overnites. She has a fabulous internship pending in San Francisco this summer and when it’s over, she is off to Italy for a time. Not a bad plan!!!! Son Chip and his wife Claire are in Italy, contemplating a possible move to Singapore, and John continues to live in Hong Kong and work in China. All are busy and happy. I recently gave up my local and county Republican jobs to sell my home and move to Pasadena into a retirement community. But I haven’t decided yet which one! A whole new world awaits!

55C L A S S N O T E S

Abby Keebler Ryan called from a retirement community in Blue Hill, ME, where she lives with husband Art. Their oldest daughter, Judy, currently holds the position of Interim Financial Manager for the main campus of the University of Maine at Orono, which is not far away. And their other daughter, Ruth (who has long worked for Chubb Insurance), will visit next week and probably go bird watching with a Maine group at 5:00 a.m. Their son, Philip, is semi-retired from an international career, now teaching Finance a couple of days a week at NYU.

Christa Arnold Buergin reports that she and her husband still live in Eatontown, NJ, where they settled after her husband’s military career and much traveling in their middle years. They owned a home in Munich for many years. Now she says her traveling days are over, and she wishes her children lived closer. One son, a software engineer, was transferred away from Fort Monmouth when it closed in Eatontown and has moved to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Another son, retired from the FBI, is raising chickens and goats near Penn State University and her daughter and her husband live near Kutztown, PA. Christa would love to hear from classmates.

Connie Munoz Hirshon reported on her children too: son, Russell, owns a computer firm in Washington, DC, which designs websites, and also does photography for clients at night. He married a girl whose parents came to Washington from Scotland, so he, Jen, Tyler, age 15, and Dylon, age 13, will go to Scotland this summer. Connie’s oldest son is Harold, and he teaches in Gloucester, MA, while his wife designs interiors of major buildings for an architectural firm. Daughter Helen works for the US State Dept and recently bought a house in Falls Church, VA. Connie herself participates in a French class (!) and volunteers in the office of Palisades Village, near her home in NW Washington, DC. Here is how Palisades Village describes itself on their website: “A pioneering effort to help people over fifty stay in their own homes as long as possible—an attractive alternative to continuing-care communities and nursing.” MKA sends deepest condolences to the family of Andrea Schneidewind Walker who passed away on June 5, 2014.

MADr. Peter B. Lawrence4802 Olympic Lane N #D Wilson, NC 27896-9148

1947 TKSMrs. Louise “Weezie” Rudd Hannegan49 Canterbury LaneLakeville, CT [email protected]

MKA sends deepest sympathy to the family of Jay Smith Hague who passed away on October 28, 2013.

MKA sends sincere condolences to the family of Joan Cook who passed away on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

1949


TKSMKA sends sincere condolences to Mary Ann Nebergall Denny whose brother, Robert G. Nebergall ’45, passed away on February 18, 2014.

1950TKS Class agent: Mrs. Richard Lewis (Audrey Maass)4551 Gulf Shore Blvd. N, Apt. 804Naples, FL [email protected]

1951TKSMrs. Lloyd Marentette (Gail Robertson)93 Glen Avenue, Llewellyn ParkWest Orange, NJ 07052

Nancy Jones Trescot writes: We just got back from a lovely time at Niagara on Lake Ontario. For those who are not familiar with the Shaw Festival, let me recommend it most highly. A totally charming little village centered around repertory theatre – April thru October. There are three theatres within walking distance (two beautifully refurbished and one state-of-the-art new) and you can see two (sometimes three) plays a day. The restaurants are world class and geared to getting you to your seat on time. Homemade fudge, ice cream and pastries galore – proper high tea is offered in two hotels. Located near 12 wineries with

dining facilities and all sorts of locally grown vegetables and fruits – that soil will grow anything. Flowers, flowers and more flowers everywhere – little water bowls for dogs outside many of the boutique little shops. And most of all the theatre – actors, sets and production values to rival anything on Broadway at one-tenth the price. They do one musical (Cabaret) and one Shaw (Arms and the Man), one play in the big theatre (The Philadelphia Story) and 8 or 10 other plays every year – many I’ve never heard of but thoroughly enjoy.

Joan Jacobus Miller and David have just returned from a trip to New Mexico and are off to Africa on Safari. They are among the true travellers of the Class of ’51.

Miriam Eustis Irwin writes: For more than 20 years Ted and I have been indulging ourselves with world traveling. We’ve covered most of it. This winter, we were in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Java, Borneo and ending up in Singapore. In the fall we’re staying closer to home, visiting Quebec for a few days and then cruising down the east coast to New York. As I am writing this, I am looking forward to Easter with most of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren – yikes! We are fortunate to have Gail Marentette join us each year for this holiday. We still live in the same house in Essex Fells and continue to avoid any kind of assisted living!

Alice Brown Cleaves writes: I’m having a fine time in Wisconsin. I’m still working; my friends think I’m crazy, but I pay no attention to them. I’m head writer at Harken, Inc. and my thinking is, “why quit when I’m having fun?” I travel to Boulder, CO to see my daughter and grand kids several times a year. This year, Charlotte’s daughter, Amy, is graduating from high school so there are big going’s on. While I’m out there, I plan to run/walk in the Boulder/Bolder. I do it every year so am working out to prepare, five days a week in cardio, strength, yoga – love it! I travel the other way too, to spend time in our place on Cape Cod. I have kept in contact with my friend Eleanor Helm Ketcham ’46. We exchange visits between the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard. Also busy with my farm: chickens, ducks, horse, geese, pot belly pig and sheep. My fabulous collie, Lily, keeps everything under control. Cats keep mice under control.

Jane Bonner writes: Living in a Basking Ridge condo for the past 10 years has been delightful. It’s so easy to close the door, being able to catch up with two of my children in ID and CA and visiting friends and relatives in New England and FL. Fortunately, one daughter and her family remained in NJ. With three grandchildren,


I am trying my best to keep up with modern times. Texting is fun!

Another classmate who made a change is Gerrie Lockerty Hendricks. She now resides at Sunrise, a very lovely assisted living facility also in Basking Ridge. Gerrie is well situated as her daughters are not living close by, one being in London and one who recently moved from Barcelona to Brooklyn. My thanks to Gail for keeping our class together.

Patricia Overton Lee wrote: Not much has changed; that’s a good thing. A year ago, we took a Viking River Cruise to Paris and Normandy. Great way to travel. Just got back from two weeks visiting grandchildren. We love our time with all eight. A year ago January, our three and their spouses joined us at our favorite place in AZ to celebrate my 80th. This July, all 16 of us will be together to celebrate all kinds of milestones, our 60th anniversary among them (61st in November). We are still as active as we were when I wrote this; perhaps we are a little slower.

Gail Robertson Marentette writes: I just came back from a month in FL. On the way down I stopped in Williamsburg to see Lisa Landon Hewett ’50 and her husband, John Hewett. Then I went to Hilton Head to see another old friend. Vero Beach was a stop for three days – saw lots of old friends from Grosse Pointe. My last stop was Gulf Stream and then over to Boca Grande to a rented house. My niece, Gail, and her daughter, Frances, came along with a couple of others – we had a wonderful time. I play dominoes, twice a week am in a healing ministry at St. Peter’s in Essex Fells, and am a trustee of the Llewellyn Park Preservation Foundation. I spend some time at the shore and go to San Francisco every year for Christmas with my daughter, Franny, and her family. I go out to Grosse Pointe at least once a year. I love staying in touch with all of you. My days at Kimberley were great. It pleases me that we have all stayed in touch over the years.

Nancy Ehrhardt White said: We had ice and snow from December through the end of April! The ice continued on the driveway nonstop. I walked my little West Highland Terrier twice daily every day – my greatest accomplishment this winter was not once falling down! The last two weeks of April, I was the guest of my daughter, Alicia, her husband and children on a trip to Hawaii. We visited three islands, took boat trips to visit, swam with

the dolphins, manta rays (at night) and did much scuba diving. It was fun. Now back in VT to beautiful spring weather and no ice.

1952TKS Mrs. Clark Moran (Martha Gilbert)8011 Strauff RoadBaltimore, MD [email protected]

MA Class agent: Mr. Charles Sage435 Welch AvenueAmes, IA [email protected]

1953TKSMKA sends condolences to the family of Margaret McVay McCombs-Borjesson who passed away on October 6, 2012.

1954 60TH REUNION

OCTOBER 25, 2014

TKS Ms. Georgia Carrington 38 Silver Spring LaneRidgefield, CT 06877-5604

The Editor was thrilled to receive this news from MKA’s former Alumni Director and MKA parent (of David Austin ’89) Christie Austin: There was an unexpected MKA reunion here in North Carolina a couple of weeks ago. Aubin Zabriskie Ames and her sister, Gail Zabriskie Wilson ’56 (with husband Peter), stopped by to see their cousin Teeny Redfield Sander ’47, who lives in the assisted living place near us - their overnight was arranged by Claire and Sandy Brown MA ’42, who also live here. After drinks at our house, we all had dinner joined by Teeny’s son James Bryan ’71 and his wife. (If you really want the connection, Claire and Sandy Brown’s son is married to Gail and Peter Wilson’s daughter, making them co-in-laws!) Ingram and I were happy to catch up on Montclair

news via Aubin, and to learn who is, or isn’t, still in town. Or still extant. We are fine and about to go to Ireland. We chickened out of driving by ourselves and are taking a small-group tour.

Congratulations to CY Treene who was honored by supporters of the Montclair Scholarship Fund at an “Evening of Appreciation” gala held at Van Vleck House and Gardens on May 17, 2014. CY was a trustee of the organization from 1988-2012 and served as their longtime President from 1992-2012. Under her leadership, the Fund prospered and now provides up to 40 scholarships annually to Montclair High School seniors with financial need.

MAMr. Sheldon Buck51 Cornell RoadWellesley, MA [email protected]

MKA recently learned of the death of David Schapira and sends sincere condolences to his family.

MKA sends sincerest condolences to George Kramer whose mother, Adeline Kramer, passed away on March 28, 2014, ten days after turning 103.

Editor’s note: We offer our most sincere apologies to Barbara “Bobbie” Valbuena for inadvertently listing the passing of her beloved husband Dr. Julian Valbuena in Class Notes 1946 rather than 1954 in the Spring 2014 magazine.

1955 TKSMrs. Cecily Wilson Lyle433 Wright’s Neck RoadCenterville, MD [email protected]

MAMr. Lawrence MartinP.O. Box 1058 Lexington, VA [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Robert Brawer131 East 66th Street, Apt. 10CNew York, NY [email protected]


1956TKSMrs. Carol Barnard Ottenberg1420 41st Avenue, ESeattle, WA [email protected]

MA Mr. Eric JaeckelP.O. Box 20153Boulder, CO [email protected]

Class agent: Dr. Lawrence Nazarian29 Surrey PlacePenfield, NY [email protected]

Eric Jaeckel writes that he is retired but very active in a variety of community affairs. He decided not to move to Idaho to be closer to son Brad and grandkids, now staying in Boulder County CO, where he has lived for 14 years, and visiting his Idaho family three-to-four times a year. He has two grandchildren, Avery, now age 13 and Elis is 9, and both are doing well in school and athletics. He went to Alaska last September with a Navy friend, “Awesome state, but do not visit

in September due to rain and more rain. Skiing in CO this winter has been fabulous due to huge snowfall, we got in 40 to 45 days; not bad when you are in your 70’s with two new hips.”

Larry Nazarian is mostly retired but still teaches pediatrics at University of Rochester. He and Sharon celebrated their 50th Anniversary last year with a river cruise through central Europe. They are busy with her 10 grandchildren, filling a number of roles at their church, and doing a variety of community activities.

1957TKSMrs. Thelma “Tam” Miller Knight3001 Linton Boulevard, No. 201CDelray Beach, FL [email protected]

1958TKSMrs. Diana Bethell Little1-K Buckingham Rd.West Orange, NJ [email protected]

MAMr. Henry Agens86 Eagle Rock WayMontclair, NJ [email protected]

Mr. David Stroming82 Halsted DriveManchester, NJ [email protected]

MKA sends deepest sympathies to Fred Kramer whose mother, Adeline Kramer, passed away on March 28, 2014, 10 days after her 103rd birthday.

From Hy Agens: Many of you already know that our classmate Robert “Bob” Haney (Dr. Robert Russell Haney) passed away on March 9th at Carolinas Medical Center in NC. He was 75. Bob graduated from the University of Alberta in Canada, received his doctorate from the University of Mississippi, worked for the CIA and was also a college professor at Georgia Southern. He is survived by Sylvia (Matras), his wife of 51 years, his two sons David and Keith, his brothers Dan, Rick and Pete, and six grandchildren. We extend our condolences to his family. Dave Black wrote, “Bob was a wonderful friend, scrappy teammate and ‘had your back’ on and off the field. Never mind that he caused most of the trouble needing backup! Despite the everyday fun and

I never realized how much Betty Dallery gave to us until I tried to do the same for my own students. For many years, Mrs. Dallery directed the MKA plays, and her intelligence, energy and humor remain fresh in my memory. She opened her home for cast parties and other events, as I did with my students decades later, so we got to know her personally, a rarity in those days. By selecting interesting pieces and refusing to settle for shabby work, Betty taught us to stretch ourselves creatively and intellectually. Teaching and directing are always a challenge and often exhausting, especially if you have a family, but Betty never let us see that side, although I‘m sure she experienced it. Perhaps she got as much pleasure from working with lively teenagers as I did. I hope so.

From my first day of teaching in a very rough Manhattan high school, I adored my students, and I continued to do so until I retired, 30 years later. Most of my teaching years were spent at my local

high school in Glen Cove, NY, where I taught Theater Arts, Creative Writing, Minority Experience, College Prep and regular English classes at all levels and grades, to kids of all creeds and ethnicities – 150 every semester. I picked up a couple of degrees and a bunch of awards, but the greatest gift was my students. From the youngest to the oldest, they continue to enrich my life, checking in with me often. How lucky I was to have the chance to play in the fields of literature and drama that I loved, to create curriculum, to read great books and to direct musicals and plays that gave so many youngsters a chance to find themselves. I’d never have admitted it then, but I would have done it for free. (Considering my puny salary, I almost did!)

Betty Dallery recently passed away, at over 100 years of age. I wish I’d thought to find her and tell her how much she influenced me, and how her spirit carried over to my kids, so many years later. Maybe she knows.

Alumni Teachers Remember Teachers: Sally Bever Zwiebach, TKS ’56


laughs, Bob was a serious student. Invited forward or not, he liked sitting up front in Mr. Harrison’s study hall for the extra quiet time and to help monitor other student behavior. No doubt Mr. Harrison appreciated his assistance. We should have known he’d go on to earn his PhD in Psychology and become a professor himself. Having Bob a part of my life has provided a reservoir of entertaining stories and wonderful memories. I miss him.” Mike Chodorcoff remembered “Bob and his brother Rick used to pick me up and drive me to school. We would squeeze into his little two-seater red MG. Bob was a lot of fun. He had a terrific sense of humor and was a good athlete. Knowing him as well as I did at MA, and before that at West Orange, I marvel at his academic and professional achievements. I know his family must be very proud.”

MKA joins in sending deepest condolences to Robert Haney’s family.

Class President Fred Kramer writes: “Recently, I returned to Rio de Janiero (where I had created and produced the first English speaking television talk show in the early 1990’s). However, this time, it was my pleasure to attend the wonderful and exciting Carnival (an all night affair) and be among the 50,000 bleary-eyed attendees in the Sambodromo. Brazil has the only stadiums in the world devoted just to Samba and Carnival. This was as exciting and colorful event as there will ever be. The beat of the 1,000+ drummers in each Samba school is still echoing in my ears two months later, (not to forget mentioning the beautiful costumes and the ladies.) After traveling to a few more remote destinations, I then spent one week in an Eco Park an hour outside Manaus - down river tributary off from Rio Negro. This experience rivaled anything I have ever done, as I was deep in the heart of the Amazon with all of its natural wonders. Certainly, I could write many essays to Mr. Barras’s delight.”

Fred’s mother, Adeline Kramer, passed away in late March at the age of 103. She led a very active life involving herself in many charities and Temple Emanuel. Fred remembers that, after our 50th Class Reunion in 1998, his mom “wanted to visit the Academy.” The next day, “I drove her to Montclair where we sat in the car in the parking lot looking at the New York skyline and reminisced about ‘the good ole days.’ It was one of those rare moments when all time stood still and life seemed

to revert to our childhood days. Mom and I talked about all the inspiring teachers who help shape our lives. She remembered serving on various parent committees with Mrs. Connolly and how much she enjoyed knowing about the education we were receiving.” Mrs. Kramer is survived by two sons, George MA ’54 and Fred MA ’54; eight grandchildren including Larry ’78 and Andrew ’80; 10 great-grandchildren including Hannah and Isaiah ’16. Until that time, keep punchin’.

1959


TKS Class secretary: Ms. Jarvis Reilly Nolan15612 Via MarchenaSan Diego, CA [email protected]

Kathy Kuzmick Hansell writes: In August 2012, I retired from my double-barreled job at the University of Chicago Press - acquisitions editor for books on music and managing editor of the critical edition of the works of Verdi - a position I had held since April 1992. My plan was to sell my condo in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood and move as soon as possible to the East Bay area of California. I had done my Ph.D. at UC Berkeley back in the 1970’s and always loved the area, even more so since my son Peter and his family (including two granddaughters, ages 6 and 10) resided there. The real estate market in Chicago, however, proved difficult, and it wasn’t until May 2013 that I succeeded in selling the apartment. The day after the closing, on May 29, I loaded up my car with necessities for the next few months and started the 2,000-mile drive to CA. All the rest of my belongings went into storage until I could find a new home. I spent just about every day of the next two months searching for a house I liked and could afford. Even though I had the help of a very good realtor, the market here was the opposite of that in Chicago and no less difficult. Rather than bidding down the seller, as was the case in Chicago, prospective home buyers here always offered much more than the listed price. “Dear” Berkeley proved out of the question for me, finance-wise, but I kept looking in the surrounding area, hoping to find my dream of a mid-century modern

home with lots of glass and vaulted ceilings, preferably on a hill. Toward the end of July, I finally saw the dream come true and put a bid on my current home, located in El Sobrante, a small community 10 miles north of Berkeley and about a mile inland from the Bay. The house, on the top of a small hill, is built around an atrium, with big glass doors looking out to it and more glass at the back, facing a small wooded area of eucalyptus, live oaks, and other local fauna. From my front door I have a view of Mt. Tamalpais (across the Bay in Marin County). I closed on August 9 and spent some time painting and doing other jobs with the help of my son, while waiting the delivery of my things from Chicago. The moving van finally arrived on Sept. 9, and I moved in a week later. I’m very happy living here and being able to see my son and family so often, entertaining them here (now that I have three bedrooms, one entirely for guests), or visiting them in Sacramento – about 65 miles east. Having moved my entire library of professional books (in music and dance), I’m now enjoying getting back to the research and writing I found hard to accomplish while working at a full-time job. Being able to use the great libraries at Berkeley is a huge plus. Later this year, an Italian publisher will be putting out a collection of my writings on Italian theatrical ballet of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Then I aim to start on some new projects. Next month I’m making a trip to Hong Kong to visit my daughter Cristina (Tina) and her two lovely children (ages 17 and 12). Tina has worked in the U.S. Foreign Service for the last four years, first at the American Embassy in Moscow, and now at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong. We’ll make a side trip to Vietnam, including a cruise that she has arranged on the picturesque Halong Bay.

1960TKSClass agent: Mrs. Mary Anne Coursen Doty21 Juniper DriveQueensbury, NY [email protected]


Alumni Teachers Remember Teachers: Dr. Ellen Curtin TKS ’65

I began my career in education 45 years ago, and I continue to love the field of education and making a difference in the lives of young people. I progressed from being a high school teacher to a district-level reading specialist, became an Assistant Principal at a high school and then a middle school Principal in Maryland. From there, I moved to California, where I worked for the San Diego County Office of Education which supported 400,000 students, and I focused on the drop-out prevention programs and the support programs for English Learner Students. I then became Principal of a large middle school in northern California that, during my tenure, was recognized as a California Distinguished School.

I returned to southern California, where I was an Assistant Superintendent for 12 years. I have just now completed my sixth year as Superintendent of the Magnolia School District in Anaheim, California, where I am responsible for 6,700 students, 700 employees and 350 teachers. It is a very diverse and challenging district, in which 88% of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch and 52% are English learners. Offering academic and language opportunities to first generation Americans is something I find particularly exciting and worthwhile because you’re

also providing opportunities to their families. I still enjoy spending one full morning every week visiting classrooms.

My two favorite teachers at Kimberley were my Spanish teacher, Miss Bosshard and my English teacher, Miss Hamilton. They were both wonderful, and what has remained with me over the years was their genuine overall interest in their students and their enthusiasm for their subject matter. I still remember Miss Hamilton saying, “Hamlet is like an onion. Just keep on peeling the layers and you’ll learn more about him.”

There were 36 girls in my class at Kimberley and we were a very congenial group! Many of us have stayed in contact with one another, and when we see each other, it’s just like being back in the Smoker – the one place where we were allowed to close the door and sit and visit. TKS prepared me really well for college—we had a rigorous education at MKA and so it was a smooth transition. All the women in our class did really well in their chosen careers. We were among the first generation where women were actively encouraged to take on leadership roles in their careers, and my great friends Ellen Malcolm and Susan Debevoise Wright are examples of having achieved this.

1961TKS Mrs. Winifred Sage Wilson13819 Vidal Place, NEAlbuquerque, NM 87123-4729

Class agent: Mrs. Suzanne Scannell Hardy47 Bartlett ParkwayWinthrop, MA 02152

1962TKS Mrs. C. D. Creed (Barbara Bywater)1769 Forest View AvenueHillsborough, CA [email protected]

MA Mr. Doug Donald10156 Rivers Trail DriveOrlando, FL [email protected]

1964


MAMr. John [email protected]

MKA sends sincere condolences to the family of Peter Mayer who passed away on March 8, 2014, his 68th birthday.

1965TKSMs. Marilyn “Lyn” Schultz Blackwell3779 Center RoadEast Montpelier, VT [email protected]

MAMontclair Kimberley Academy sends deepest condolences to Gregory Hare whose wife, Judy, passed away in August 2013 from cancer. She leaves behind three sons and three grandsons.

Editor’s note: Ellen is part of an MKA legacy — her sisters Kate Curtin Lindsey ’72 and Kyle Curtin ’82 — as well as their mother, Ann Dixon Curtin ’39 are all alums!


Alumni Teachers Remember Teachers: John Hawley MA ’66

I have taught for over 33 years in Southern California, Boston and Nebraska, but I’ve been the longest here in San Jose at the Harker Upper School, where I’m now in my 16th year. Most of the time I have taught Latin, but in a couple of my stints, I have taught Latin and English, or all English. In fact, at Harker I was one of their first English teachers. That lasted about two years in combination with the Latin. I enjoy the interchange with students and I like to make what can sometimes be a difficult subject come alive for them. We have a fun time and I like it when we can enjoy a good laugh in class. My mentor in Latin, Ian Naismith, was in large part the person who steered me into the Classics, and that became my major after a brief foray into political science. The highlight for me was when I won the New Jersey State Latin prize in my junior year. I was also the photographer for the year book in 1966.

John Hawley and his wife, Claire, enjoy Huntington Gardens, Pasadena

News of the deaths of Frank Brogan, Larry Piersol and Charlie Faurot made me think: that the Academy (at my time) had remarkable people who set a standard that served as a example for success. Mr. Brogan made a couple of decisions that set my athletic course, Mr. Piersol and Mr. Faurot made it happen.

I was just one person who was involved in a program that went from zero to becoming a state powerhouse, setting records that lasted decades. The early swim team seems primitive in today’s context, but it worked. I never had Mr. Brogan in class, but his thoughtfulness and his willingness to hear me out and explain his thinking made a lasting impression. I wanted to play soccer and other sports involving contact, even though a doctor recommended against it. Mr. Brogan’s answer was a gentle but firm “no.” A little later, he said yes to a frustrated 8th grader who desperately wanted to be in an athletic program, but who was too young to be on a varsity team. Whatever buttons he pushed, I got on the team.

Enter Larry Piersol, who started with nothing except a group of kids and some pool time. True, we had Brant Switzler, who was on his way to becoming All-American and Bob Moir, also a winner in local AAU competition. Larry made them the examples, and got the program going. He could snap your head off, yet tell the best jokes. He motivated us and gave us direction. He was the same in class. His biology class prepared you. College biology was a snap, especially when as a 10th grader, I was selected for AP biology. Mr. Piersol was disciplined and instilled it. He visited my family in Vermont during the summer to make sure I was in training and not slacking. It made a difference.

Enter Charlie Faurot. So much talent in so many things. Two coaches were better than one. It was an uneasy situation, but we had progressed so far that all of us, coaches and swimmers, saw the prize was in sight. Charlie took us to Yale to swim with the greats. His stories about his own swimming exploits made greatness achievable. Even in defeat (I got my relay team disqualified

with a false start as we would have qualified for the eastern regionals), Charlie pulled me aside and told me about the time he false started. If he hadn’t, Charlie would have gone to the Olympics.

We didn’t go to the Olympics, but did become state champions in our group. We could hold our own against the dreaded Newark Academy, one of the best in the east. Charlie started us on water polo for conditioning, before it became a team sport at the Academy. The training, whether too many laps or the “fun” of water polo, was excellent. I was benched in college for being “too aggressive” in water polo, meaning I scored too many goals. We set records. We clocked collegiate times. We were good.

For me, it was the influence of these three men that got me into college, enabled me to be one of the prime movers on the swim team and to know success in life. I hope that this testimonial can bring back memories, but more importantly, serve as a reminder of what the Academy was, and MKA is.

A Testimonial from George Wilson ’67- Former Swim Team Captain

1966MAMr. D. Carter Fitzpatrick70 Eastern VistaSedona, AZ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. A. Craig Cameron11 Bay Point DriveOrmond Beach, FL [email protected]

1967 TKSMs. Margot Escott1818 Imperial Golf Course Blvd.Naples, FL 34110-1010

MAClass agent: Mr. Craig Perry3467 Pinestream Road Atlanta, GA 30327

1968TKSMs. Avie Claire Kalker2605 E. Windsor AvePhoeniz, AZ [email protected]

MAMr. Geoffrey (Geoff) Gregg6108 Percheron TrailSummerfield, NC [email protected]


Chris Kluge contacted us with the exciting news that his novel MAHTANTU was published in February. Available as an ebook from Amazon or in hardcover or paperback from LULU.com, Chris says the book is “All about our wonderful home state. I really think that 99% of the rest of the USA has no idea how much history is so easy to see, bike to, or today, cross-country ski to! I had great fun writing, and I hope that my novel will encourage readers to get off their couches and explore some mysteries/wonders right here in our backyards.”

Scott Brown sent this update: I’ve been living in Grand Isle, VT for 26 years. I have a one-man architecture practice called Flying Wedge Inc. working mostly on houses. Still playing rock & roll bass in two bands, we did a graduation party at Hamilton College. My oldest daughter, Jenny, graduated from St. Lawrence this year and my other daughter, Emily, just finished her first year at St. Lawrence.

196945TH REUNION

OCTOBER 25, 2014

TKSMs. Christine Hannon97 North StreetNorthampton, MA [email protected]

MADr. Edward A. Griggs Jr.8 Yates BoulevardPoughkeepsie, NY [email protected]

1970TKSMs. Leslie Bryan844 East Morningside Drive, NEAtlanta, GA 30324-5223

Class agent: Ms. Kim Kolbe38 Kent DriveRoseland, NJ 07068-3707

MAMr. V. James Castiglia3 Lark LaneOak Ridge, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Peter WebbMile Slip Farm48 Mason RoadBrookline, NH [email protected]

1971TKSMiss Philippa Bowles39 Orts RoadHamburg, NJ [email protected]

MAMr. Anthony Vitale10 North Wood Avenue, Apt. 601Linden, NJ [email protected]

Robert Benigno writes: My daughter is expecting our first grandchild in July. I still work part-time as a cardiologist and continue my interest in Italian language and culture. I have been taking an Italian course each semester at Rutgers University, and try to visit Italy each year. In March, we visited the regions of Puglia and Basilicata. The photo above is my wife, son and me in Matera where Mel Gibson had filmed The Passion of Christ. I believe the plane where we are standing is around the location where Christ was crucified in the movie.

Geoff Close is involved in the future of MKA. He writes: Dean Paolucci recruited me to serve on the Future Forward campaign with the goal to lead to more alumni engagement in the pre-merger alumni classes. The Alumni and Development Office estimates there are nearly 7,000 living alumni of MA, TKS and MKA; they have records of about

3,000. They are trying to build a case and eventually a culture for alumni support. For example, my son’s class of 2000 at Delbarton has over an 80% participation in the annual fund. Most classes from MA and TKS are in the teens. I hope to work with you to help Geoff Branigan, Keith Wiggs, Talia Selove and Lois Montorio in MKA’s Development Office achieve their goals.

Jon Golding writes: In addition to my usual work, I’m mentoring ESL adults in continuing education and developmentally challenged post-secondary students in job skill training in two programs at Stanford.

Robert Lipman continues to amuse as he writes: I have nothing new to report of interest. Layne and I are doing a meeting in London this week, and then from Thursday to Sunday we’ll be “down the shore” for my niece’s wedding. Then we’re back in Austin for two weeks before a trip to Istanbul, then back to Washington, back to Austin, and then back to Munich. THEN I hope I will have two weeks off. MKA sends sincere condolences to David Hoffman whose mother, Ingeborg Schraft Hoffman, passed away on March 24, 2014.

1972TKS Ms. Barbara Flessas140 Lorraine AvenueUpper Montclair, NJ [email protected]

Ms. Deborah Peck, Esq.128 Victoria Bay CourtPalm Beach Gardens, FL [email protected]

Bob Benigno ’71 and family in Matera


Class agent: Mrs. Linda Finney Williams6 South Pasture LaneBox 1446 Nantucket, MA [email protected]

Amy Nussbaum Mack writes: I moved to Washington State from New York City in 2009 and have never looked back! My “significant other” and I live on beautiful Vashon Island, which is a short ferry ride away from Tacoma and Seattle. I’m now the grandmother of three! Any Kimberley folk living in or visiting the Seattle area have an open invitation.

Secretary Deborah Peck writes: I have retired from the practice of law and am currently working full-time for my church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, MA. My eldest daughter graduated from University of Notre Dame this past May and is off to San Fran, CA to start as a business analyst in a Leadership Program at Levi Strauss. My youngest daughter, Virginia, just finished her first year at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, and is loving it! She is triple majoring in French, music (she plays the viola) and sleep deprivation. She was recruited to play tennis there and starts at number 1 or 2. I have heard through Facebook from several classmates, including Katie Curtin, Brewer Doran, Tacy Phillips, Robin Silver, Jackie Collier, Pamela Taylor and Barbara Peto. I invite all to friend any of us and join in the TKS community that we have created in sharing old pictures and current thoughts. There is a very active Facebook presence of TKS and MKA classes pre and post ’72. Contact me and you can join in the correspondence, picture sharing

and general life comments! I invite all traveling to the Palm Beach area to visit - especially when you need a getaway from the cold :) .

1973TKS Ms. Susan Read38 College Circle Staunton, VA 22401-237

MAMr. Gregory Lackey138 Paupukkewis TrailMedford Lakes, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Thomas C. Galligan504 Main StreetP.O. Box 2156 New London, NH [email protected]

1974


TKS Class agent: Ms. Erin Cuffe Crawford102 Buckingham Road Upper Montclair, NJ 07043-2307

Congratulations to Erin Cuffe Crawford who received the Platinum Award for her work at Keller Williams this past February.

1975Class agent: Mr. Paul Zukerberg1790 Lanier Place NWWashington, DC [email protected]

Former MKA Headmaster Peter Greer received the following news from John Sanders over the summer: “It’s remarkable how those MKA bonds endure – I never joined a fraternity, but I have the same type of relationship with the nucleus of guys I grew up with. You may have read that my classmate Paul Zuckerberg is now running to be the first Attorney General of DC. And if you go to see the movie Jersey Boys over the summer, the father of Darcel DeVito ’76 is the guy who played guitar for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.”

1976Mrs. Paul McFeeley (Laurie Hoonhout)3014 Ringwood MeadowSarasota, FL [email protected]

MKA sends deepest sympathies to Hilary Hoffman Fandel whose mother, Ingeborg Schraft Hoffman, passed away on March 24, 2014.

Deborah Peck ’72 and family over Christmas 2013

Joanne Mikulik ’75 sent us this photo of herself.


Hi ’76 classmates and friends. Paul and I hope you all are well. So sorry to have been among the missing in our class notes column. Life is good in sunny Sarasota; we’ve so enjoyed entertaining friends from NJ since our move south in July ‘12. Bill Dioguardi was down visiting investors in his new company Four Springs Capital and stopped by Paul’s office. Bob Rento ’79 met us for dinner when he was passing through on business. Sue Cole Furlong ’78, Joe Sullivan ’77 and Karen O’Connor Sullivan ’80 have hit the Sarasota hot spots with us. Malcolm Hall ’75 joined us for lunch when visiting his father-in-law here, and Larry Duca’79, Dave Wallace ’79 and Steve Milke (MKA trustee and current parent) came by while on a Sarasota golf excursion. Finally, Ken Foster ’76x (and a former MKA faculty member) and his new wife, Sharon, met us for a bite while on a belated honeymoon.

We now see Rob Pariseau and wife, Sadie, regularly as they live in neighboring Tampa. Their lives have been busy with a big house move, weddings past and future and their hosting a May ’14 family reunion for 18. Second son, Nat, was married in April ’13 and lives in Tampa. Oldest, Hank, will be married in Annapolis in September. He and youngest brother, Daniel, both live in DC, Dan a Strategy & Operations Consultant with Deloitte and Hank at Sanford Bernstein. Daughter Emily has just begun her junior year at Wake Forest and is a loyal Demon Deacon.

Brad Scott lives here in Sarasota and is often found cycling and competing in a variety of races with his crew called The Village Idiots; he remains in amazing shape! Brad has two sons and three daughters. Son Ryan graduated from high school in May, following daughter Noelle’s UC Boulder commencement earlier in the month. She has been accepted into the accelerated nursing program at University of Miami. Brad’s oldest daughter Ashley lives and works in Denver, Colorado and Christie lives in Texas.

Shout out to Charlie Talbert on getting fit and living healthy – you go Charlie!

Heartfelt condolences to the family of our classmate Rob Kennedy on his passing on October 19, 2013. Rob was a gentleman who loved family and friends dearly.

Belated but heartfelt sympathies to Margie Hollander Nash and her siblings (both MKA alums Mike ’79 and sister Barbara Hollander Edwards ’80) on the passing of their dad, Dr. Stanley Jules Hollander, on July 24, 2013.

Please send updates via FB or to my email and I’ll happily share your news in the next edition of the MKA magazine. Miss you all!

1977Mr. Andrew Pedersen1 Washington AvenueRumson, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Robert Hubsmith 16 Warren Road Maplewood, NJ 07040-1814

[email protected]. Pamela Zeug60 W. 57th Street, #15FNew York, NY [email protected] Class agent: Ms. Jane Lugaric Burkhard299 Crown Road Kentfield, CA [email protected]

Our deepest condolences go to the family of Jerome Torsney who passed away on April 4, 2014.

Our sincerest sympathy goes out to Lawrence Kramer whose grandmother, Adeline Kramer, passed away on March 28, 2014, 10 days after her 103rd birthday.

Proud mom Bonnie Post, with her sons, John ’14 and Robert Jr. ’07 at John’s graduation

While MKA noted the tragic passing of Howard P. Johnson Jr.’s (class of 1975) only son, Tyler, in the spring issue of the Review, family members Maggie Johnson Sliker TKS ’68 and Sydney Johnson Petty TKS ’71 asked us to inform classmates that there is a memorial in Tyler’s name to benefit the 12-step program that he served, in hopes of continuing his mission supporting people struggling with addictions of all kinds. Tyler Johnson, age 25, was a victim of the January 2014 shooting at the Columbia Mall, in Columbia, MD. For the past two years, he had served as the youngest member on the Board of The Serenity Center in Columbia, MD. Assisting others with recovery from addiction was his passion. In addition to his parents, Tyler leaves his sister Anna Eames Johnson (age 21), his maternal grandparents Bernard and Jean Ryan, devoted aunts, uncles, cousins and many, many friends. Donations in his memory can be made to the Community Foundation of Howard County, Tyler Johnson Memorial Fund, 10630 Little Patuxent Parkway, Century Plaza, Suite 315, Columbia, MD 21044, or online at www.cfhoco.org/give/donate/foundation. If anyone would like to reach out to the Sliker’s, Petty’s or Johnson’s, please email Lois Montorio at [email protected] for contact information.


197935TH REUNION

OCTOBER 25, 2014 Dr. John Brink1246 Beach Haven Rd.Atlanta, GA [email protected]

Mrs. Carlos Ortiz (Shawn Mahieu)2163 Gilbride RoadMartinsville, NJ [email protected]

MKA extends condolences to Mike Hollander on the death of his father, Dr. Stanley Jules Hollander, on July 24, 2013.

1980Ms. Mary L. Cole, Esq.1 Ferrous CourtChester, NJ 07930

Class agent: Mr. George Reimonn, Jr.199 Winter StreetHopkinton, MA [email protected]

MKA sends deepest sympathy to Estelle Osofsky McGonigle whose father, Jack Osofsky, passed away on March 25, 2014.

MKA extends condolences to Margie Hollander Nash on the death of her father, Dr. Stanley Jules Hollander, on July 24, 2013.

MKA sends deepest sympathies to Andrew Kramer whose grandmother, Adeline Kramer, passed away on March 28, 2014, ten days after her 103rd birthday.

1981 Class agent: Mrs. Laura Itzkowitz (Laura Reisch)37 Nottingham RoadManalapan, NJ [email protected]

1982Ms. Cheryl McCants7 Holly CourtBloomfield, NJ [email protected]

Mr. Thomas Robbins6 Bradford TerraceNewtown Square, PA [email protected]

Paige Cottingham-Streater ’79 hosted a group of MKA juniors on the annual class trip to Washington DC this spring, when they visited the Japan-United States Friendship Commission where she is Executive Director.

A true MKA legacy! Sydney Larrier ’14 celebrated her graduation from MKA surrounded by her family. Front row l-r: her sister Kendall, her father John Larrier, the graduate, her mother India Hayes Larrier ’80, and her brother Arrindale Larrier. Back row l-r: her grandfather Roland Hayes, her grandmother, 25-year MKA teaching veteran Rebecca Hayes, who retired in 1995, her aunt Rachael Hayes McDaniel ’82, her cousin Cameron McDaniel, her uncle Matthew Hayes and her cousin James Habron ’81.

Peter Dancy ’82 and his wife, Katie, enjoy the graduation of their “Lifer” daughter, Maggie ’14, together with daughter Hope ’12 and son Ryan ’18 who celebrated his 8th

Grade graduation a few days earlier.


Congratulations to Peter Edge ’82 who was appointed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Executive Associate Director, based in Washington DC, in May. After graduating from MKA and Rutgers, Peter, who has 30 years law enforcement experience, worked 12 years at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. In 2009, he was elected the special agent in charge of HSI in Newark and in 2011, was selected as the Deputy Associate Director of HSI. As Executive Associate Director he will lead HSI, which is the second largest criminal investigative agency in the country with 9,000 employees and

6,000 special agents based in 200 cities throughout the U.S. and 48 countries around the world.

In sharing the news with the Review, Peter noted: “My experiences at MKA helped to provide me with a foundation that resulted with a good work ethic and shaped my leadership skills at an early age. I’m looking forward to our agency continuing to provide the American people with a level of security that enables us all to enjoy the freedom that our great country was built upon! Through the superb investigative efforts of HSI, our men and women will continue to make it possible for the United States to enjoy great relationships with law enforcement around the world!”

John Fotiadis ’82 and his wife, Stacy Rubis, celebrate the graduation of their daughter, Kassie ’14. An MKA “Lifer,” Kassie was Senior Class President.

MKA sends sincere condolences to Jeffrey Osofsky whose father, Jack Osofsky, passed away on March 25, 2014.

1983Ms. Amy Felber Trapp229 Cardinal RoadMill Valley, CA [email protected]

Ms. Maureen Towers Natkin5 Riverview RoadIrvington, NY [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Walter J. Davis66 Oakwood DriveNew Providence, NJ [email protected]

1984


Mrs. Jennifer Jones Ladda110 Glen Rock RoadCedar Grove, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. William Stone99 Larch RoadEast Greenwich, RI [email protected]

1985Mrs. Susan Ciccone O’Donnell9 Andover Drive

N. Caldwell, NJ [email protected]

1986Ms. Sherry AhkamiP.O. Box 3187Rancho Santa Fe, CA [email protected]

Ms. Jennifer Remington-Knodel44 Hamilton Drive EastNorth Caldwell, NJ [email protected]

Another proud ’82 parent - Scott and Michelle Silodor with their daughters Sydney ’14 and Natasha ’11.


1987Mr. Dennis Rodano14 Wayland DriveVerona, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mrs. Lynne Y. Krest (Lynne G. Yellin)6212 Lewisand CircleRaleigh, NC 27615

1988Ms. Susan Bartlett RankinOne Barbaree WayTiburon, CA [email protected]

1989


Mr. Louis Lessig2009 Morris DriveCherry Hill, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Josh Raymond33 Oak PlaceNorth Caldwell, NJ [email protected]

The Alumni Office heard from Peter DeCandia who says: As you know, this year is the 25th reunion for the class of

1989. There have been a lot of emails from old friends about the event. One of which led to the pre-reunion get together of four classmates. Geoff Krouse ’89 hosted a weekend of golf, dinners and reminiscing at his home in Raleigh, NC. Attending were David Ames ’89, Dr. Mark Strobeck ’89 and myself Peter DeCandia ’89. Geoff is a Partner at Smith Anderson Law firm in Raleigh, is married and has three girls. Mark is the Chief Business Officer at Egalet Corp, a pharmaceutical company in Wayne, PA, is married and has two girls and two step-sons. Dave is the owner and director of MY GYM, a children’s fitness center in Norwell, MA, is married and has two boys. I have been trading equities at Citi for 20 years and am married with one girl and two boys. Mark and I were in Pre-K at Brookside together and these three gentlemen were all in my wedding party in 1997. I guess MKA friends do last forever!

1990Class secretary and agent:Ms. Meredith McGowan Zengo383 Middlesex RoadDarien, CT [email protected]

Ms. Lorelei [email protected]

Congratulations to Alden Jones on the publication of her latest book Unaccompanied Minors, a collection of short stories about young people growing up, that has received the latest New American Fiction Prize. Alden returned to her hometown for a reading at watchung Booksellers on June 12, 2014.

1991Ms. Dara Marmon330 E.39th, Apt. 21DNew York, NY [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Luke Sarsfield105 Franklin Street, Apt. 4New York, NY [email protected]

On May 17, Brooke Troisi competed in Curtain Call’s Dancing with the Stars on behalf of her company, NBCUniversal’s Stamford Media Center and Productions LLC, to raise funds for Curtain Call, a non-profit community theater organization. After graduating from MKA, Brooke was a theater major at The Catholic University of America, and her love for entertainment eventually landed her behind the scenes in television at NBCUniversal, where she

Pictured from right to left: 1989 classmates Mark Strobeck, Geoffrey Krouse, Dave Ames and Peter DeCandia

The tradition continues! Former Alumni Council President Kris O’Connor ’83 with her mother, former PAMKA President Marilyn Hatzenbuhler, husband Michael and daughter Kelsey ’14, an MKA “Lifer” who received the Dr. Peter R. Greer Commencement Award.


Alumni Teachers Remember Teachers: Matthew Iversen ’96

I have been teaching for 11 years and began my career as a 2003 Teach For America corps member in the Bronx, NY.

I am now the Assistant Dean of Instruction and a 1st grade teacher at SPARK Academy in Newark, NJ, which is part of TEAM Charter Schools - a KIPP school. Our network of schools will be changing its name to KIPP New Jersey in August.

I have always enjoyed teaching, learning and service. My current job allows me to do all three on a daily basis. As a classroom teacher, I work with students each day to guide their intellectual and social growth. I love nothing more than to see those “ah ha” moments when a student makes a connection or solves a tricky problem and the magic of learning takes place. In my role as a dean and a teacher, the learning never stops for me either. Each day, I am challenged to figure out a different approach to a problem, understand a curriculum idea, or present information to a student in way that will help them learn better. Finally, in terms of service, my job offers me the opportunity to find meaning in my work every day through direct service to the city of Newark. In 2009, I was part of the team that founded SPARK Academy with 100 students. Since then, we have grown each year adding 100 kids per year. We are now a fully fledged K-4 school with 500 students. As a network we will be opening our fourth elementary school in Newark in the fall, and our first elementary school in Camden, NJ. My job confronts a pressing social

issue: failing public schools. I get to serve by being part of the charter school movement in Newark that is changing lives by changing the quality of public

education. I enjoy my job each day because I get to do the things I love while at the same time contributing to something so much larger than myself.

At MKA, Pier Kooistra had a great influence on me as a student. He made learning serious and fun at the same time. He strengthened my already strong love of learning. He was excited about all that he did in his class and as a result it made us excited too. I learned that attitudes are contagious - both good and bad. He always brought a great attitude to everything

we did as students and as a result we all had fun learning. He encouraged us to push ourselves intellectually through challenging assignments. He led and guided lively class discussions. He never failed to give us honest feedback on our work so we could grow as students and individuals. I can remember many times sitting in his class laughing and learning at the same time. I think I learned so much in his class because it was always so much fun. I think I am the type of teacher I am today because of the type of teacher Pier Kooistra was to me back then - serious and challenging while at the same time engaging and fun. I always felt the teachers at MKA had my best interests in the forefront of everything they did for me. Coach Noll Klank made me run what felt like 1000 ball drills on the lacrosse field because it would make me a better player and it did. Mr. Buckley explained physics concepts to me over and over again always with a smile because he wanted me to really get it, and I did. Dr. Brown Allen guided me to solve a complicated math problem on the board in front of all my friends because she didn’t want me to lose my confidence in my math skills, and I didn’t. The high quality of the teachers and the kindness of their personalities is something I will never forget about my days at MKA.

has worked for the past 16 years. Today, Brooke is a Line Producer on Maury, starring Maury Povich. She lives in Bloomfield, NJ with her husband and two children, and is pictured below with her dancing partner, professional singer and dancer Ronny Dutra.

1992Mr. Enrique Neblett718 Ainsley CourtDurham, NC [email protected]

Ms. Tamar Safer 816 Chippewa TrailFranklin Lakes, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Ms. Anne Marie Verdiramo302 Timberbrooke DriveBedminster, NJ [email protected]

Congratulations to Cliff Finkle who was one of five trustees elected to the Partners for Health Foundation, in addition to being appointed to MKA’s Board of Trusteesthis fall.

1993Mrs. Renee Ciccarella (Monteyne)43 Veranda AvenueLittle Falls, NJ [email protected]

Editor’s note: SPARK and TEAM Academy are well known to many MKA parents who have a long-standing and on-going tutoring relationship with the schools.


Class agent: Mr. Damien Vena385 Grand Street, #L906New York, NY [email protected]

1994


Class agent: Mr. Jason [email protected]

1995Alex Joerger wrote: Just relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area for a new job! Very hectic to move 3000 miles with a four-year old and a one-year old, but looking forward to new opportunity out west.

1996Ms. Tanya [email protected] Ms. Erica Hirsch10 West 15th Street, #902New York, NY [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Lee Vartan3 Swayze LaneChester, NJ [email protected]

1997Kate Edelstein Corcoran’s father, Stephen Edelstein ’65, contacted Alumni Director, Louis Montorio, with the following news: In the recent, hotly contested Mayoral election in Newark, the main press person for each of the two campaigns was an MKA grad. Tai Cooper ’98 was the press person for Ras Baraka and Teresa Wells ’96 was the press person for Shavar Jeffries.

1998Class Agent: Ms. Gemma [email protected]

A huge shout-out to Tim Howard ’98x for his spectacular World Cup performance – his 16 goal saves was a record in World Cup History!

Kristen Connolly ’98 made a guest “In Person” appearance at the Montclair Film Festival in May, when she appeared with fellow NJ actor Ben Rosenfield in Homegrown: A Conversation with Kristen Connolly & Ben Rosenfield. Described as actors “rising in their field,” the event’s promotional materials went on to say: “Connolly is best known from House of Cards playing Congressional staffer Christina Gallagher. She recently completed shooting for the NBC pilot Tin Man and the History Channel miniseries Houdini… In this conversation, Connolly and Rosenfield discuss the craft of acting and their journeys from Montclair.”

199915TH REUNION

OCTOBER 25, 2014

Ms. Sandra Tritt300 E. SeminaryMercersburg, PA [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Alexander Holz538 E. 85th Street, Apt. 2ANew York, NY [email protected]

Alex Holtz let us know that classmate Dan Blake appeared with pianist Kenny Werner and Grammy-winning vocalist Esperanza Spalding in a Concert to Feed the Hungry on April 25th.

2000Mr. John Garippa2741 NE 58th StreetFort Lauderdale, FL [email protected]

Ms. Anna Labowsky5 Highview CourtWayne, NJ 07470-6271anna_labowsky @yahoo.com

Class agent: Mrs. Jaclyn Latzoni Spedaliere58 Burnham ParkwayMorristown, NJ [email protected]

2001Ms. Dana [email protected]

Class agent: Ms. Lindsay Braverman340 East 34th Street, Apt. 5ANew York, NY [email protected]

Congratulations to Louis Waldman on his March engagement to Abigail Hart Baird. The couple met in New York where Louis was completing his residency at Weill Cornell’s New York Presbyterian Hospital and his fiancee was completing her internship in medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The couple are now both physicians for Yale New Haven Hospital and a September 2014 wedding is planned.

2002Class secretary: Mrs. Melissa Fortunato Slomienski40 Holton LaneEssex Fells, NJ [email protected]

Miss Emily Santangelo27 Woods RoadLittle Falls, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mrs. Lauren Tortoriello [email protected]

Kerry Bishé continues to get noticed as her acting career goes from strength to strength. She was the subject of an extensive article in the May 27 Chicago Tribune which included comments and insights from MKA Middle School F&PA faculty member, Christian Ely, who was Kerry’s first theatre teacher. With stage and screen credits that already include an ensemble part in the Oscar-winning Argo and the recent lead role in the TV drama Scrubs, the Tribune focused on Bishé’s latest project: the lead role of computer engineer Donna Clark in a new AMC series, Halt and Catch Fire that premiered in late May and is available

Kristen Connolly ’98


online. The full article can be found at http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-kerry-bishe-halt-catch-fire-20140527,0,2025955.storyphoto credit: James Minchin III/AMC

2003Ms. Judith Ferreira819 Clifton AvenueNewark, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mrs. Melanie Braverman Bieber20 West 72nd Street, #302ANew York, NY [email protected]

Will Connolly saw the New York premiere of Fly By Night: A New Musical at Playwrights Horizons open in May. The production was co-written by Will and received rave reviews, including “Fly by Night is the most paradoxical of musicals - hilarious and bittersweet, deeply immersed in tradition but utterly original.”— Lawson Taitte, Dallas Morning News

Congratulations to Carla Franciose who got married on April 5, 2014 to Christopher Woldt in New Jersey overlooking the city, surrounded by family and friends. Congratulations and best wishes to Amanda Young Shortall McLamb ’03 and her husband Phillip! They were married in front of their loved ones in Anguilla in May 2014.

2004


Ms. Kate Santoro333 River Street, Apt. 539Hoboken, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Brendan McCaffrey240 Lafayette Street, Apt. 1New York, NY [email protected]

2005Mr. Manav Lalwani132 Blue Heron DriveSecaucus, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Edmund Kozak184 Noll Street, Apt. 4BBrooklyn, NY [email protected]

Belated congratulations to Jacqueline Bruno and Brandon Caroprese on their December 1, 2012 wedding. Nine months and 3 days later, daughter Giovanna was born on September 3, 2013.

It was a perfect early summer’s day when classmates Becky Beyer and Gerry Griffin were married on May 24, 2014 in North Carolina in front of family and friends. Many congratulations to another “MKA” couple.

And congratulations go to another “MKA couple” - Maggie Finkel and James Blake who tied the knot in Montclair on June 7, 2014.

Kerry Bishé ’02

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Woldt (Carla Franciose ’03)

Amanda Shorthall McLamb ’03and husband Phillip.

Lil’ miss Giovanna Caroprese, daughter of Jackie Bruno ’05

’05 classmates Becky Beyer and Gerry Griffin get married!


I first taught Preschool for three years at Bright Horizons in Hoboken, NJ. After that, I left to work for a non-profit in Newark, NJ called the “I Have A Dream” Foundation. As the Program Director, I was responsible for a cohort of 40 inner city youths. I worked directly with their teachers to help provide them with the supplemental educational services they needed, which included tutors, mentors and big brothers/sisters. I ran an after-school program for them to make sure they had a safe, quiet environment in which to get their homework done, receive one-on-one assistance and ask any questions. Currently, I am the Center Director at KinderCare in Livingston, NJ. I started here in April of 2013 as the Assistant Director, and was promoted to Director in November of 2013. The most rewarding part of my job is being able to interact with my families and their children. As a teacher, I was only responsible for a handful of parents, whereas now, it is up to me to make sure every family is receiving

the services they deserve. It’s great getting to know every child individually and being able to help in their development. I attended MKA from 4th grade, so there were many teachers who influenced me. At the Middle School, I have especially fond memories of Ms. Luna. As my 6th grade Spanish teacher and 8th grade advisor, she was like a second mom to me throughout those awkward years. My Upper School years were filled with great teachers from Mrs. Lambert to Ms. Khanna who always made English fun. Ms. Guiffra (Mrs. Branigan) and Ms. Spencer were two other teachers I always enjoyed, and of course Mrs. Estrada, who helped me through the college process.

My fondest memories of MKA are the times spent with my friends. The softball, step team and volleyball teams will always hold a special place in my heart, too. It is hard to pin down any one memory, as my time at MKA was filled with so many.

Alumni Teachers Remember Teachers:Lhenée Riddick ’05

Proud parents Lhenée Riddick and Shawn McKoy, Sr. welcomed baby Shawn Lee McKoy, Jr. at 1:00 a.m. on June 19, 2014, weighing in at 6lbs 8oz. All the family are doing well!

2006Ms. Natalie Azzoli60 Lloyd RoadMontclair, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Ms. Angela McCaffrey93 Rensselaer RoadEssex Fells, NJ [email protected]

Eric Gratz writes: At the end of 2013, I moved to Shreveport, LA (previously in Chicago, IL) for a Chemical Process Engineer role with Universal Oil Products (UOP), a Honeywell Company. We produce oil refining catalysts, and I am designing process projects and supporting plant design, expansion and startups in addition to new product introduction. My goal is to transition into “impact investing”, targeting the water and energy

industries by first getting my Professional Engineering license and MBA. Unrelated, I have had a few opportunities to travel, the most exotic places being Colombia and Rwanda. I’m hoping for the chance to travel to Shanghai for a couple months for work at the end of the summer but that’s still unsure. Feel free to contact: [email protected]

Lisa Vuono writes: I have adopted a puppy named Otto, whose personality constantly brings a smile to my face. I also have a new niece, Talia. She was born on April 27, 2013, so she is already a year old and walking! I have attached a photo of her, because I know my sister Theresa ’04 will never send in any update. I am teaching sixth grade science and social studies at Roosevelt School in Lyndhurst and assistant coach the MKA girls’ varsity basketball team with Jess Bishop ’04.

Editor’s note: Lhenée is the daughter of long-time MKA employee and Alumni Assistant, Debra Allen, who has been a member of the Development & External Affairs Office for 31 years, and is also the current advisor to the Step Team.


Caroline Crosland has a new job as a financial analyst with the World Trade Center redevelopment. Also, if anyone would like to give her a puppy, that would be awesome.

Stephanie Schreiber is still living in New York and has started business school at Columbia this fall.

Kristen Vdorick writes: I spent a few years training horses and riding full time in Virginia and now ride for fun and judge local horse shows. I currently work for the Department of Defense as the data analyst for the 633rd Medical Group at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, VA. And on the side, I am a Crossfit Level 1 Trainer and a strength and conditioning coach at Crossfit Hampton Roads. I also represent Crossfit Hampton Roads on our team at local and regional level crossfit competitions. I didn’t adopt a puppy recently but I do live with two dogs in a townhouse in

Yorktown, VA. Feel free to stalk my Facebook for picture updates!

Jamie Harwood says: Wow, a lot has happened in just the last year for me. I graduated with my Master’s in Social Work last May, then went on an eight-day trip to Japan with my father. I got my Social Work license in December, then got a job at an outpatient mental health program at a hospital and moved to South Jersey. I love my job, and am currently shopping for a horse.

Christa VanEerde shares her exciting news: I got engaged at the end of April! My dad was visiting me in London and had the camera ready to go when Calvyn dropped to one knee. No idea when wedding will be, have a few other things to sort out which are taking priority at the moment, such as Calvyn finishing his PhD and me not getting deported when my visa runs out at the end of August!

Congratulations to Tiffany Ashmawy, who was married in June 2013 to Kevin Ford. They have purchased a new home in Colorado but are hoping to move back to NJ soon.

Liz Miller writes: I’m still in NYC, working in digital publishing. I am actually planning on moving down to DC in the fall so it would be great to know if there are any MKAers down there! I went to pig beach in the Bahamas a couple months ago and swam with pigs ... probably the highlight of the past eight years of my life.

Jessica Del Vecchio is currently the Head Girls’ Basketball Coach at Verona High School.

Neal Day works at a non-profit in Montclair, Jazz House Kids. Also his band, Apparus, (https://www.facebook.com/ApparusBand) is going to be releasing an album in the coming months.

2007Mr. Brian May22 N. Bayard LaneMahwah, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Harry Raymond19 E. 7th Street, Apt. 3New York, NY [email protected]

Kudos to Harry Raymond, who has been busy creating and promoting (including a TV appearance) Shindig, a full-featured mobile app for the iPhone. Shindig is a mobile community of drink explorers who keep track of what they drink, share recipes and recommend brands. More than 5,000 people have already downloaded the app, and in May, Harry launched a successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to create an Android version.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hraymond/shindig-a-drink-explorers-club-for-android

2008Ms. Cara Placentra125 Upper Mountain AvenueMontclair, NJ [email protected]

Lisa Vuono ’06’s niece and sister Theresa’s ’04 daughter, Talia

Here’s Jamie Harwood ’06 at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Fushini, Japan

Calvyn proposing to Christa VanEerde ’06


Class agent: Mr. Matthew Metzger707 East Saddle River RoadHo-Ho-Kus, NJ [email protected]

Julian Waksal, an MD Candidate at Tufts School of Medicine, together with brother Zachary ’04 and Julia Fehrenbach, is one of the co-founders of Building Blocks for Change, a charity that is dedicated to setting up sustainable projects with international aid. Most recently, they have set up a health clinic and education facility in Kibera, Kenya, which Julian visited this summer. In a March update to classmate Matt Metzger, Julian, who heads up the sustainable healthcare development endeavors arm of the charity, wrote: “The childcare and nutrition class/feeding program is up and running. The benefits this will have on children’s development and nutrition is enormous. In addition, mothers have the ability to attend class and work throughout the rest of the day, which is an incredible benefit to the women of the community. This area of the program has already doubled since February, and the demand is outstanding. The HIV/AIDS testing, maternal care and cervical cancer screening will begin once we have health board approval, which we are waiting on now. We have the rooms set up now (2) and all equipment purchased for this Phase 1 launch. We plan to start the pilot phase this summer when I go to Kibera. We have a local nurse and community leader, named Lameck, dedicated to the project as well.” Find out more at Buildingblocksforchange.org.

2009


Ms. Jane Stanton240 South Mountain AvenueMontclair, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Brian Purcell89 Davis AvenueBloomfield, NJ [email protected]

Congratulations to Kaan Yarar on receiving a yearlong financial coaching fellowship at the Capital Good Fund in Providence, RI. Kaan, who graduated from the University of Rhode Island’s College of Business Administration in May, plans to join the Peace Corps and continue his quest to fight poverty around the world.

2010Ms. Devon Barrett109 Llewellyn RoadMontclair, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Matthew Palmisano51 Grover LaneWest Caldwell, NJ [email protected]

First and foremost, congratulations to the Class of 2010! It has been four years since our graduation from MKA, which means

that many in the class have just recently graduated. A special congratulations is extended to Matt Palmisano, who graduated from The University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership Studies and a double major in Politics, Philosophy, Economics and Law, concentrating in Economics. At graduation, Matt was the recipient of the Richard A. Mateer Award which is a Commencement Award given to the Richmond College senior who has made the most outstanding contributions to student life. Following graduation, Matt will be joining Governor Chris Christie’s Advance Team as a full-time employee.

Many Congratulations to Matthew Johnson ’08 on his marriage to Jackie Conese in Newport, RI on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Among the guests were many MKA grads: Back row l-r: Omar Ahmed ’08, Best Man Derek Philips ’07, Will Johnson ’10, the bride and groom, Sarah Johnson ’06, Kathrine Philips ’09, Annie Johnson ’19, Yaz Bhote ’13, MH Johnson ’13 Front row l-r: Andrew Culbreth ’08, Johnny Borbone ’08 and Mark Philips ’13

Jane Stanton ’09 (far right) with her parents, Tom and Anne, and younger sisters Bridget ’14 and Charlotte ’16 enjoying Bridget’s graduation from MKA.


Many classmates will be joining Matt in the workforce starting this summer or fall, including Jimmy Connell, an Economics Major from Villanova University who will be working with Thomson Reuters in the fall in their Financial & Risk Division as part of their Business Graduate Program.

Devon Keefe will be working as a national teaching fellow for Citizen Schools of New Jersey as a double major in Education and Sociology from Smith College.

While some of our classmates are starting their first jobs, others are focused on continuing their education. Rob Gelberg, an honors graduate from Macalester College, will be attending the Lir at Trinity College Dublin for his MFA in Playwriting, and Ian Pelse, a Chemistry graduate, will be continuing his studies in Chemistry as he pursues a PhD at Georgia Tech next fall. Lacey Silvano, a magna cum laude graduate from Quinnipiac University in Health Sciences, and Alexa Franco, a Duke graduate with a BS in Psychology and minors in Spanish and Biology, are both attending school in order to further their professional aspirations; Lacey will be heading back to Quinnipiac for her Masters in Occupational Therapy in the fall after interning at an occupational therapy rehab facility in Old Bridge this summer, and Alexa will be attending the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine starting in August.

Congratulations to all of our other classmates who have graduated this year, and to those of you who are still in school—good luck! The Class of 2010 would also like to extend a special message to the Class of 2014—

congratulations on your MKA graduation and best of luck over the next four years!

MKA’s favorite pro basketball player Kyrie Irving continues to impress. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ point guard, who played for MKA in his freshman and sophomore years, was selected MVP of the NBA All-Star Game on February 17 after scoring 31 points, racking up 14 assists and playing with the energy required to rally the Eastern Conference from an 18-point deficit in the second half of its 163-155 victory over the West. “It was definitely special, just being out there with all these great athletes,” Irving said. “There’s so many different MVPs out there on that floor, and to be named MVP amongst all those great stars is truly an honor.”

2011Mr. Seth Bynum32 High StreetWest Orange, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Ms. Carina Wong9 Deer Trail RoadNo. Caldwell, NJ [email protected]

Our deepest sympathies go out to Sydney McNeal whose father, Philip McNeal, a former MKA trustee, passed away on May 27, 2014.

Seth Bynum heard from Adria Spivack who has been busy this past year from being elected president of the honors society and making the dean’s list, to helping build a two story structure to the theme of Wreck It Ralph, that won second place (at Carnegie Mellon University it’s called booth). This summer she will be working in NYC as a structural packaging design intern for Fisher Price.

Justin Goldsman has been very busy at the University of Miami. He was elected Greek Week Co-Chair for the entire Greek Community, helping to raise a record-breaking $39,651.00 for United Cerebral Palsy of South Florida and breaking single day donor blood drive record. He was tapped into the Order of Omega, the oldest Greek honor society, is on the Executive Board of the chapter of Phi Delta Theta, was a student government Senator and is now Chair for Undergraduate Affairs,

The University of Richmond graduate, Matt Palmisano ’10.

Seen here at sister Kendal’s graduation, Devon ’10 and Paige Barrett ’09 with their proud parents Joan and Ken Barrett, a member of the MKA Board of Trustees


was elected to be the new Chair for The Association of Greek Letter Organizations and has begun planning the first ever Greek Alumni Reunion Weekend, and somehow found the time to make Presidents Honor Roll with a 3.925 last semester.

Rafi Bildner, a new farmer in Massachusetts, had an article published in the Huffington Post’s Food for Thought section about local food/agriculture non-profits, and the work they do for farms around the country. You can read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rafi-bildner/berkshire-grown-a-case-st_b_4905617.html

2012Ms. Casey Musicant573 Farmdale RoadFranklin Lakes, NJ [email protected]

Class Agent: Mr. Ed Rosini32 Edgemont RoadMontclair, NJ [email protected]

2013Class agent: Ms. Lizzie Amato64 Forest WayEssex Fells, NJ [email protected]

Class agent: Mr. Edward Bozik326 N. Mountain AvenueUpper Montclair, NJ [email protected]

2014Class Secretary: Ms. Savannah Fusaro37 Elizabeth CourtBloomfield, NJ 07003

Class Agent: Ms. Kassandra Fotiadis602 Highland AvenueMontclair, NJ 07042

Emma Sterling ’12 enjoys the graduation of brother, Aaron Sterling ’14, together with her parents, mother, Linda – a member of the Board of Trustees, and father Brian.

Welcome to our newest 2014 Class Agent, Kassie Fotiadis and Class Secretary Savannah Fusaro


KEEP IN TOUCH

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instagram.com/mkaathletics # instagram.com/mkaarts

MKA’s amazing Mobile Alumni App – contact Gretchen Berra for

more information

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ley-academy/id594941402?mt=8

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tails?id=com.evertrue.mka&feature=-search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEs-

ImNvbS5ldmVydHJ1ZS5ta2EiXQ

Marriages2003 Carla Franciose and Christopher Woldt April 5, 20142003 Amanda Shortall and Philip McLamb May 20142005 Jacqueline Bruno and Brandon Caroprese December 1, 20122005 Becky Beyer and Gerry Griffin May 24, 20142005 Maggie Finkle and James Blake June 7, 20142006 Tiffany Ashmawy and Kevin Ford June 20132008 Matthew Johnson and Jackie Conese June 7, 2014

In Memoriam1931 Gertrude Mount Mekeel May 6, 20141936 Elisabeth Rhoades McCabe January 20, 20141936 Walker Weed April 26, 20141937 Margaret Richards “Terry” Chapman February 13, 20141942 Margaret Krout Taylor April 17, 20141945 Robert G. Nebergall February 18, 20141946 Andrea Schneidewind Walker June 5, 20141947 Jay Smith Hague October 28, 20131947 Joan Cook February 15, 20141953 Margaret McVay McCombs-Borjesson October 6, 20121954 David Schapira 1958 Robert Haney March 9, 20141964 Peter Mayer March 8, 20141976 Rob Kennedy October 19, 20131978 Jerome Torsney April 4, 2014

Faculty, Former Faculty, Staff and Trustees1997-1998 Evelyn “Ev” Martin February 16, 20142006-2001 Philip McNeal May 27, 2014


Remembering Teachers: Malcolm O’Hara MA ’73 Pays Tribute to Nixon Bicknell

On Monday, July 2, 2013, my 16-year old son, Drew, and I set out for Wolfeboro, NH, a town where I spent every summer from 1968 through 1980 attending and working at summer camps. Although I wanted Drew to see the place of my fondest boyhood memories, the real reason for our trip was a “Tuesdays with Morrie” notion that my son should meet Nixon and Saundra Bicknell, remarkable people and long time members of the MKA Community. They were the best part of my Academy experience. Nixon was once the choir director at Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair. I had first met him in that role when I was eight years old. A few years later, when my parents sent me to MA, I thought of him as one of the few people I knew at this strange place. Nixon was as talented and dedicated a musician and educator as MKA will ever have. The 75+ all-male glee club of MA days (there were no try outs, all were welcome) was an impressive and disciplined group. Alumni my age and older will recall the opening of the Weiss Art Center and Saundra’s beautiful solo voice accompanying us. In my sophomore year, Nixon selected me for Mastersingers. I was

small, skinny and feeling very much on the outside of the wealthy, social and upscale scene at Montclair Academy. He gave me my first break. I would go on to sing more and eventually sang with the Colgate 13 at college, a lifetime association. I owe it all to him. Nixon was my guardian angel. Nixon was an “Okie from Muskogee” as he laughingly called himself when that song became popular in the early 70s. He had old-fashioned values and principals and he conveyed those to students. At the same time he enjoyed the all-male atmosphere which allowed him to share good fun and a very sharp sense of humor that would certainly not past muster in today’s politically correct world. Nixon exposed generations of Academy students to the best of classical and modern music. He remains an engaging and energetic person in his 80’s, only recently retiring as organist of the All Saints Episcopal Church in Wolfeboro, NH. His interaction with my 16-year-old was enthralling to me, and further evidence of his true gifts. Saundra remains timeless. MKA has been blessed to have him as part of its community and I, even more so, to have him as a lifelong friend.

Meet the Wallace Family: The MKA community has played a significant role in the development and growth of the Wallace family for three generations. The school’s relationship with this legacy family dates back to Jack Wallace, MA ’50. He then sent his children to his alma mater – first, son Tim, MA’72, then son David and daughter Joanne, MKA classes of ’79 and ’81 respectively. And now Jack has several grandchildren who are continuing the tradition: Katherine ’02, Jenny ’06, Alec ’10, Kelly ’12, Jessie ’14 and Annie ’17.

David and Marcie Wallace recently celebrated Jessie’s graduation along with daughters Kelly, Annie and son Dave. David feels that he and his family have all benefitted from the strong academic standards and exceptional faculty that are a hallmark of MKA. According to David, “The atmosphere of achievement was what drove me to do my best during my time at MKA, which I remember as the most challenging and rewarding of my academic career.” As parents, David and Marcie continue to be impressed by the dedication of the staff and faculty in working so hard with their children, both within and outside the classroom. “In particular, Community Service Day and the numerous volunteer opportunities support a message of caring and compassion for others that is unique to MKA and important to our family,” says Marcie. For these reasons, the Wallace family continues to support MKA’s Annual Giving appeal. “Without this additional support, I fear important programs would suffer,” adds David.

David’s relationship to MKA has grown since his children have attended. He has reconnected with many classmates on the sidelines of games and at back-to-school nights, and enjoys reliving the “glory days” which don’t seem as far in the past as they actually are! The Wallace family has a lot to celebrate. Kelly is at Boston College and is looking forward to spending her spring semester in Seville, Spain; Jessie will be attending the University of Vermont this fall; Annie enjoyed a successful freshman year at MKA, both academically and athletically

(earning all conference honors and being selected to the All Prep B Lacrosse team as a freshman), and Dave looks forward to following in his sisters’ footsteps in attending MKA in a few years. Marcie is committed to the “yoga life” – teaching, practicing operating Jaipure Yoga studio in Montclair. And after 12 years volunteering as a coach and board member for Verona youth lacrosse, David enjoyed a free summer playing golf and vacationing with the family on Lake Champlain.

MKA is fortunate to have the Wallace family as members of our community. We wish them much success in all their endeavors.

Meet Dennis Rodano ’87: Dennis attended Lafayette College where he earned a BA in Economics/Business and

History, and in 2010 earned an MA in Educational Administration from Caldwell College. Dennis has served on the Alumni Council since 2008, most recently as Treasurer. He and his wife, Geralyn, and their 11-year old daughter, Julia, live in Verona, and living close to MKA allows him to regularly return for Homecoming, other alumni

social events and for Alumni Council meetings. In recent years, Dennis has begun bringing Julia to see the Upper School Winter Musical, where they enjoy seeing a show together and he gets to relive his junior and senior years at MKA when he was a member of the stage crew.

After spending ten years in retail banking and strategic sourcing consulting, Dennis began a new career with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Since 2003, he has held a number of management positions within the Diocese and has also found the time to start a lacrosse program at DePaul Catholic High School. In mid-2013, Dennis moved to the Diocesan Center in Clifton as Project Manager where he is currently assisting with the

l-r: David, Annie, Jessie, Kelly, Dave, Marcie and Jack Wallace

Continued on inside back cover

renovation project of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Dennis credits MKA with challenging him to think critically and logically, skills that have aided him in facing and overcoming challenges, both professionally and personally. Today he views challenges as opportunities for solutions rather than daunting obstacles: “My memories from MKA are too many to recount here ... but if I had to pick one it would be the faculty and how they created an atmosphere that lead to my becoming a lifelong learner.” Dennis played soccer and lacrosse with “some of the greatest guys at MKA back in the mid-1980’s” and was fortunate to be part of the 1986 lacrosse team that won the Coaches Division in a thrilling triple overtime game.

When asked what he hopes his Annual Giving contributions will provide for today’s students, Dennis reflected on his six years at MKA. “I learned many valuable lessons both in the classroom and on the athletic fields. Every day at MKA brought a new challenge; a challenge that on some days was out of my comfort zone for which I had to work hard to create a solution.” Those lessons, coupled with the experience of feeling the accomplishment that comes from hard work, prepared him for both college and his professional life. “I hope that my contributions help afford the MKA students with the ‘same’ opportunities I had when I was a student. And by ‘same’, I mean that the students today experience and learn what they will need for the world of tomorrow.”

Alumni participation in Annual Giving supports that margin of excellence that distinguishes an MKA education from all others. Robust Annual Giving signals an engaged school community, dedicated to

improving our children’s lives and increasing the value for everyone. Please pledge your

support today at mka.org/giving.

Parent participation in Annual Giving supports that

margin of excellence that distinguishes an MKA

education from all others. Robust Annual Giving signals

an engaged school community, dedicated to improving our

children’s lives and increasing the value for everyone. Please

pledge your support today at mka.org/giving.

P R O F I L E S I N G I V I N G

MKA Board of Trustees 2014 - 2015President Michael V. Johnson Vice President Evelyn M. ColbertVice President Tracy E. HigginsTreasurer Jeffrey G. SzilagyiSecretary Michael P. Friezo

MembersJoseph V. Amato Merrick G. AndlingerKenneth W. Barrett James L. BromleyDaniel B. Carson ’83Christina A. CottonDavid A. CrichlowCarolyn N. EversonClifford B. Finkle IV ’92 Karen T. GulliverKathleen M. LoganSteven C. Milke

Thomas W. NammackEric F.S. Pai ’79 Kenneth S. RivlinLuke Sarsfield III ’91Amy L. SouthJaclyn V. Spedaliere ’00Linda H. Sterling Jonathan M. StrainChiming TseMei-Mei TuanElizabeth S. WeiswasserLori W. Yanes

Alumni Council 2014-2015President Jaclyn Spedaliere ’00 EVP Jessica Simpson Cook ’99Treasurer Dennis Rodano ’87Secretary TBDVP Networking Klaudia Pyz ’98

Members Alexandru Aldea ’95Bryan Becker ’96Brittany Berckes ’06Lindsay Braverman ’01Casey Breslow ’03Jonathan Bruno ’02Jared Cook ’01Rich Cosgrove ’84Pamela D'Amato Davis ’89Amanda Englander ’04Janine Garland ’82Lauren Hyman Kaplan ’93Andrew Kyrejko ’05William Martini ’98Andrew Murphy ’01Chris Noble ’84Diane Ridley-White ’84Rich Stanton ’87Lee Vartan ’96

Honorary TrusteesAubin Zabriskie Ames ’54John E. GarippaAlice M. HirshSusan H. RuddickNewton B. Schott, Jr.

Advisory TrusteesBarry W. Ridings ’70Robert L. TortorielloDavid L. Turock

AdvisoryDan Carson ’83Joshua Raymond ’89J. Kent Walker ’80

AdministrationTom NammackHeadmaster

Geoffrey BraniganDirector of External Affairsand Development

Lois Montorio Director of Alumni Relations

Keith WiggsAssociate Director of Development

Gretchen Berra Associate Director of AlumniRelations & Communications

Continued from inside front cover

In This Issue: Coming Home to MKA: Alumni Returning to Teach, Teachers Remembering Teachers, A Senior Sampler and Homecoming 2014

Plus Graduations & Commencement, Awards, Events and So Much More …

Review201 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ 07042

mka.org

Homecoming Weekend 2014 October 25 – 26 Cocktail Parties and Reunion Luncheon for the 4’s and 9’s

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Montclair Kimberley Academy

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MKA Fall 2014 Review

Documents

Transcript of MKA Fall 2014 Review