As I write this article the students, staff, and I are gearing up for the end of school and, of course, the upper school graduation, which will be MMFS’s sec-ond upper school graduation. Of the 27 students who are graduating, 19 will be attending college in the fall, one has enlisted in the Navy, one is heading into a transitional program, two have been accepted to college but have deferred their attendance for one year, and three are taking time off. Among the fantastic colleges our seniors will be attending are Clark University, SUNY Bingham-ton, Haverford College, Guilford Col-lege, FIT, Adelphi University, and Muhlenberg College. Words can’t express how proud we are of them!

The 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony recognizes what an important milestone it is to complete middle school and enter high school. The celebration will include a Meeting for Worship for 8th grade stu-dents, teachers, and families, musical performances, speeches, and a special slide show featuring the 8th graders’ baby pictures. The students then receive “certificates of completion” of middle school and the ceremony will conclude with a celebratory brunch.

The End of the Year Ceremony on Fri-day will celebrate the achievements of all our students. The ceremony will take place at 10:00 a.m. at the Long Island University Paramount Theatre and will feature musical performances from the elementary school chorus, the chamber chorus, and the upper school band, and two dance performances from the mid-dle school. We’ll also hear students in “transition years” – those in the upper elementary classes, the 8th Grade, and the 11th Grade – talk about their experi-ences at MMFS. As always, the ceremo-

ny will conclude with MMFS’s ever-pop-ular end-of-year slide show, in which every student appears. We hope you can join us as we celebrate the terrific work of our students and bring yet another school year to a close.

Looking ahead to next year, with Mark Doty moving into the role of Upper School Director next year, Courtney Jimenez, Beth Schneider, and I have been discussing who should replace him in the middle school. After careful con-sideration, we have decided to change the structure of the middle school lead-ership. Rather than co-direct, Courtney will serve as the division’s sole director. A strong, exceptionally capable leader, she is deeply committed to the social, emotional, and academic success of our students. As Middle School Director, she will be responsible for the overall man-agement and supervision of the divi-sion.

Kira Kingren will become the division’s Assistant Director of Curriculum and Technology, a new position at the school. A faculty member since 2008, Kira will be responsible for supervising curriculum development and managing the connection between technology and curriculum. She is already supporting teachers at the middle school in her cur-rent role as Educational Technology Coordinator. Guiding, inspiring, and assisting faculty members comes natu-rally to Kira, who has prior experience teaching teachers at Bank Street College.

In addition, Jim Signorelli will become the new Middle School Dean of Stu-dents. In this capacity he will oversee student life and academic support. Jim has been a teacher at MMFS since 1999 and in the middle school since it first

Debbie’s Note 1Alumni Spotlight 3Student News 4College Guidance Corner 6From the Development Director 7MMFS Fund Donor List 7PA News 8US Sports Banquet 9Lightning Spring Season 10Performing Arts Photos 12News From the Divisions 13Arts Night Photos 18

MMFS News is published the first Friday of each month by Mary McDowell Friends School, a K-12 college prep Quaker school for students with learning disabilities.

Mary McDowell Friends School20 Bergen StreetBrooklyn, NY 11201 718-625-3939www.marymcdowell.org

JUNE 2015

In This Issue

DEBBIE’S NOTE

news

A Monthly Newsletter for Parents

Continued on page 2

Congratulations to the Class of 2015

on their graduation, June 9th

2

Upper School

Production of

AnnieFor more photos, go to the Flickr galleries on the MMFS website or click here.

opened in 2005. Most recently he has served as Head Teacher in the Crandall House in the 8th grade. Helping students meet their academic challenges and working with parents are Jim’s forte, and he excels at both these.

We’re very excited about this new, dynamic middle school team and the many ways this structure will benefit our students. Please join me in welcoming Kira and Jim in their new roles next year.

Sadly, we are saying goodbye to our wonderful Director of Admissions, Heather Burchyns. Heather first began working at MMFS as a young teacher in 2001. She was recommended to me by my good friend Jim Clay, who runs a Quaker nursery school in Washington DC where Heather worked at the time. Since then she has grown immeasurably with us, graduating from a classroom teacher to head of the lower elementary division to direc-tor of admissions. Heather is a much loved and very spe-cial part of this community. She is smart, caring, empath-ic, and extremely dedicated to her work, her students, and her community. Heather is leaving us to become the Site Director at Duane School at The Washington Market School, an independent preschool and kindergarten for children ages 2-5 in lower Manhattan. Though we’ll miss her terribly, we’re extremely proud and excited for her as she begins this next phase of her career.

Beginning in August, Susan Jackson will be taking over as MMFS’s Director of Admissions. I know Susan from many years ago, when the two of us were just starting out as teachers at the Churchill School. I moved on but Susan built her career at Churchill, eventually becoming their middle school director. A few years ago she retired, but she recently decided to return to work, and to try some-thing other than being a division head. Timing is every-thing, and I heard about Susan’s search shortly after

Heather gave notice. A seasoned professional, Susan brings over forty years of experience in the special educa-tion world and extraordinary gifts as an administrator. We’re thrilled she’ll be joining the MMFS team and look forward to working with her in the years ahead.

As I’ve mentioned in past newsletters, a number of us have been exploring the topic of homework at MMFS. For the past twelve months a committee of teachers, adminis-trators, and I have been meeting to examine this impor-tant topic. Faculty members from all three divisions have been a part of the discussion. Our goal is to make sure that we’re giving meaningful, engaging homework that supports student learning and promotes academic suc-cess. That means homework must be developmentally appropriate, neither too difficult nor too easy, and indi-vidually tailored to fit each student’s unique learning needs. The committee is currently developing a school-wide homework philosophy, as well as more specific guidelines, to clarify the responsibilities of students, teachers, and parents. These guidelines will be shared with you in the Family Handbook sent out over the sum-mer and at Back to School Night in the fall.

Finally, the 2nd MMFS Faculty and Family Civil Rights trip is now full and we have begun a waiting list for those who would still like to attend. So many people have expressed interest in coming that we’re considering hir-ing a second tour bus so that everyone can come. If you’d like to go on the trip but haven’t signed up yet, please let me know as soon as possible so we can decide whether or not to get another bus.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer!

In Friendship,

Continued from page 1 (Debbie’s Note)

3

Some of the 2014 MMFS graduates have come to visit us this year and we are always so happy to see them. We love hearing from our alumni and we are so proud of them.

I talked to Maddie Radcliffe in December. She is studying art at Pace University in Manhattan and the experience has been fantastic for her. She is very happy and thriving.

I also spoke to Nikolas George Brown and Karina Rubin. They came to see the upper school’s pro-duction of Annie on May 21st.

Nick is a theater major at Webster University in St. Louis, MO. He said that his education at MMFS has made a huge difference and he feels that MMFS prepared him very well for college.

Karina is attending McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. She has already declared a dual major in Theater and English. She is taking advanced English classes and she credits her English teacher at MMFS, Abraham Maneri, for helping her develop the writing skills that have earned her praise from her professors at McDaniel College.

We hope that they all have an amazing summer and that they have more fabulous experiences to tell us about next year.

Ana CorderoAlumni Relations Coordinator and Development Assistant

Some Notes From the Class of 2014

Left to right, Karina Rubin, Nicholas George Brown and Maddie Radcliff, on their graduation day, June 10, 2014

Myrtle is on hiatus until September, when he will be ready to answer your questions once again.

Wishing everyone a relaxing summer. See you in September.Your Friend,Myrtle the Turtle

A Column for Our Students

4

Colleges and Universities

Adelphi University (3)American University (2)Bates CollegeBorough of Manhattan Community CollegeClark University (8)Clarkson University Connecticut CollegeCurry College (3)Drew UniversityDrexel UniversityEarlham CollegeFairleigh Dickinson UniversityFashion Institute of TechnologyGoucher CollegeGreen Mountain CollegeGuilford College (3)Hampton UniversityHaverford CollegeHobart and William Smith CollegesHofstra University (4)Ithaca College (2)Johnson and WalesJohnson State CollegeKenyon College

Kingsborough Community CollegeLandmark CollegeLincoln Memorial UniversityLoyola Maryland (2)Lynn University (5)Marist College (3)Marymount Manhattan College (3)McDaniel College (5)Medgar Evers College of the CUNYMichigan State UniversityMitchell College (2)Monmouth UniversityMuhlenberg CollegeThe New SchoolPace UniversityPoint Park UniversityRider UniversityRochester Institute of TechnologySaint Joseph’s UniversitySaint Mary’s College of CaliforniaSaint Michael’s CollegeSan Francisco Art InstituteSarah Lawrence College (2)Savannah College of Art and Design (2)School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Sterling CollegeSUNY AlbanySUNY BuffaloSUNY BinghamtonSUNY CobleskillSUNY FredoniaSUNY New PaltzSUNY PolytechnicSUNY PurchaseSUNY StonybrookSwarthmore CollegeUnion CollegeUniversity of Arizona (2)University of MissouriUniversity of Northern ColoradoUniversity of TampaVassar CollegeVirginia Commonwealth UniversityWashington CollegeWheaton College (5)Williams College

Transition Program

NYIT VIP Program

2015 College and Transition Program Acceptances for MMFS Seniors

MMFS’s Class of 2015

MMFS seniors have received acceptances from 72 colleges and one transition program. See list below. Based on what students have reported, they have been awarded cumulatively more than $3 million in merit scholarships! This is truly impressive. We are very proud of all the students in our second graduating class. Here is a list of the colleges, universities, and transition programs they have chosen to attend.

Adelphi UniversityClark University (3)Guilford College (2)Haverford CollegeLandmark CollegeLoyola University MarylandLynn University (2)Medgar Evers CollegeMuhlenberg College (Gap Year)

NYIT’s VIP ProgramSavannah College of Art and DesignSt. Joseph’s UniversitySt. Mary’s College of CaliforniaSUNY BinghamtonSUNY F.I.T.SUNY OswegoThe University of TampaUS Navy

5

... Continued

During National Poetry Month this April, middle school teacher John Denton’s literacy group memorized poems and wrote letters to poets as part of the Dear Poet project. Of the more than 1,500 letters submitted to the American Academy of Poets, Ethan’s was one of 13 that were selected for response and publication. More information on the project is here, and Ethan’s letter and response can be found here.

“I am so proud!” said John, “You should have seen the grin on his face when he ran into the room to show me ... priceless!”

The letter from the American Academy of Poets notifying Ethan is reprinted below.

MMFS Seventh Grader Ethan Wasserman’s Letter is Published on poets.org in Honor of National Poetry Month

6

Curry CollegeLocated in Milton, MA, within the Greater Boston metro area, Curry College is a four-year, residential, private, liberal arts-based, coeducational, degree-granting institution. The college serves over 2,000 full-time and 1,500 continuing education students, and offers 22 undergraduate majors and more than 65 minors and concentrations. Classes are small with an 11:1 student-faculty ratio.

Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL)The Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL) is designed for students who have a primary diagnosis of a language-based learning disability and/or AD/HD and who have at least average to superior intellectual ability. Throughout the academic year, students in PAL are fully mainstreamed in their classes and receive additional support on a proactive basis. Students work in individual and/or small classes with a PAL faculty member developing strategies in areas such as reading comprehension, written language, speaking, listening, organization, and time management.http://www.curry.edu/

Pennsylvania College of TechnologyPennsylvania College of Technology, a special mission affiliate of Penn State since 1989, is a public institution providing comprehensive, hands-on technical education at the baccalaureate and associate degree levels. Located in Williamsport (Central Pennsylvania), the college enrolls nearly 6,000 students in bachelor, associate, and certificate

programs relating to more than 100 different career areas. In addition, Penn College manages the state’s largest worker training program through its Workforce Development and Continuing Education unit. The modern campus offers students hands-on instruction and access to the latest equipment, leading to excellent graduate placement and “degrees that work.” Penn College offers a full college experience includes on-campus housing, athletics, and activities. Small classes and excellent faculty-to-student ratio ensure personal attention, and a variety of support services assist students during their college experience. https://www.pct.edu/ Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)Founded in 1824, the university offers degrees from five schools: Engineering; Science; Architecture; Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; and the Lally School of Management; as well as an interdisciplinary degree in Information Technology and Web Science.

Students are encouraged to work in interdisciplinary programs that allow them to combine scholarly work from several departments or schools. RPI focuses on five signature research areas: biotechnology and the life sciences; energy and the environment; computational science and engineering; nanotechnology and advanced materials; and media, arts, science, and technology.http://www.rpi.edu/

COLLEGE GUIDANCE CORNERwith Amy Salomon-KohnDirector of College Guidance

MMFS students have a wide range of interests and passions. This column highlights some post-secondary options that may be of interest to our multi-faceted student body.

Upper School Dancers

Performing During the

Upper School Performing Arts Night

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I have received several questions recently about the various funds that support our school. The Mary McDowell Friends School Fund is our school annual fund. It is the cornerstone of our fundraising efforts. Each year all of our constituencies (parents, Board members, alumni, friends, and more!) support school operations with their financial gifts. MMFS Fund dollars are spent in the year that they are raised; this year’s goal is $430,000.

Restricted gifts are those dollars given for specific purposes, such as the senior class gift fund, or a con-tribution to a scholarship fund. The third type of fun-draising is special events, such as the gala. All three components are critical for our operational success.

We’re grateful to the hundreds of generous supporters who have made gifts to the MMFS Fund, made gifts for specific needs, and/or donated in-kind gifts. A list of this year’s MMFS Fund donors can be found below. Gifts for restricted purposes, the capital campaign or the 2015 Gala will be recognized in the Head’s Report, which will be published in the fall. If you are not a Fund donor yet this year, there is still time to make your gift before the end of the fiscal year on June 30th. Click here to make your gift online, or mail a check to the Development Office, Mary McDowell Friends School, 23 Sidney Place, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

As another school year comes to an end, it is time to re-flect and express gratitude for all those who have given to MMFS this year. To those of you who have given your time, your talents, or made financial gifts – any one of or all of these things – THANK YOU. On behalf of our students and their families who benefit from all you gave this year, thank you. You have made a profound

difference in many lives.

The 30th Anniversary Gala last month raised more money than any event in our history. Thank you to all who had a part in our success as an attendee, donor, auction item purchaser, or volunteer; you made it hap-pen, and it is very much appreciated.

From the Development Director

George AbramsRichard AckerJulie Ackerman-HovisLisa Aguilera del Puerto and Fernando del PuertoLouis and Arlene AlfieriAllegra C. Ford-Thomas FoundationHale and Mildred AlpernAlan Alpert and Linda TrottaMark and Sandy AndermanisDana AnthonyRichard and Donna ArkingEileen AylingLore and Murray AzariaHarry and Maud BanksFreddi and Edward BaranoffChristina Barbieri and Michael AdlerRobert and Theresa BarclayLauren BaumRichard Bearak and Adrianne Wallace

Rebecca BeckJulie Beglin and Dan HoranAlbert and Drusilla BelmanAntonia and David BeltSharri BergFran and Michael BeriniAdam Berish and Alissa Kail-BerishRonnie BerishWilliam BernsteinJudith BickartStephen and Kimberly BiehleStephanie BishopCharlotte BlankfieldLinda BlockJanice Bloom and Adam GrumbachPatricia BlumenfeldNancy Bodurtha and Domenick D’AngelicaIrmgard and Kai BornerEllen and Howard BrecherTravis and Suzann Broesche

Peter and Cathy BrownTanja Bruestle-Kumra and Vijay KumraMary R. BuchnessCornelia Buckley Marakovits and Bob MarakovitsMarilyn BuckleyHeather Burchyns and David CantonMarlene BurkeShauna Burke and Erik MandellTim BurkeJoe and Jean ButeraRosalie ByardJudith ByrdRoger CalifanoDanielle Caminiti AidalaHeather and Peter CampbellDavid and Kathryn CantyMichelle CarfagnaMaureen and Richard Carruthers

Donors to the MMFS Fund, July 1, 2014 – June 3, 2015

T hank Y ou !

Continued on page 16

8

Hello Mary McDowell Friends School Families! May has been jam packed full of activities for MMFS stu-dents and families. It’s hard to believe that we have come to the end of the year so quickly.

Here are the Parents Association highlights for the month.

The Carnival! on May 9th was a huge suc-cess. Students, families and staff had a blast on the rides and eating hot dogs! The weather was perfect with only a few early drizzles. The spirit of fun was shared by all as the artistically inclined were attracted to face painting, spin art, and a photo booth and the more athletic members of our community played in the Bouncy Castle, the obsta-cle course, and the buck-ing bronco. Thanks to all the families and staff for their help. Mostly, a big thank-you goes to Gigi Sharp for chairing this event again!!!

Speaker Series: The first two speakers on Comple-mentary Therapies spoke in May.

Natalie Weder, PhD, from the NYU Child Mind Institute presented on Psychopharmacology 101 offering the audience of families and faculty an introduction to how medication works in the brain and body of an individual with ADD/ADHD or anxiety. The presentation was informative and families were able to ask questions.

Two weeks later, Ethan Greenberg, Debbie Zlotow-itz’s son, spoke about Living with ADHD – To Medicate or Not to Medicate. Sharing the floor with his parents, Debbie and Rick Greenberg, the audience had the rare opportunity to learn about a family’s intimate experience deciding to use medication and Ethan’s personal experience as an elementary, middle, and high school student, and finally a college student, while taking medication. It was a unique perspective for all participants, and everyone appreciated the candor and humor of

the presenters.

The PA Council plans to continue the Complementary Therapy series next year. Some of the topics on the drawing board are: Yoga, Exercise and ADHD, Medi-tation, Diet, and likely more.

Thanks to all of you who responded to the survey about preferred starting times. Next year’s calendar will be scheduled with your preferences in mind. Our universal start time next year will be 6:00 pm!

In May, we invited the MMFS teachers to ap-ply for a grant to assist in their professional development pursuits over the summer. The Grant Committee reviewed the applications from all three divisions and distributed $7,000 worth of grants to faculty for topics ranging from developing curriculum, travel-ing for study in Argentina and California, participating in courses at Landmark Col-lege, and developing an assistive technology program in the elementary school to name a few. More information about these grants will be published in next year’s monthly newsletters.

Lastly, thank you for your contributions to the end of year teacher and staff gifts. It is a great way for us to demonstrate our deep appreciation for the remarkable work and care by everyone at MMFS.

The final PA Council was held June 5th. It has been a great year with parents bringing lots of energy to multiple events at our school. Please consider attend-ing the meetings in the fall or volunteering to help with some of the events. It is a great way to get to know fellow parents and staff.

Warm regards,

Danielle CaminitiPA Council Co-Secretarydannieesq@gmail.com

Holly KilpatrickPA Council Co-Secretaryhollyjanekilpatrick@gmail.com

PA News

9

The 2015 Upper School Sports Banquet was held to honor the hard work and dedication of MMFS ath-letes, teams, coaches, and families. There was a great turnout with approximately 130 athletes and family members in attendance. During the event, athletes, family members, coaches, and administrators en-joyed a tasty Italian cuisine buffet while mingling and watching a fabulous slideshow highlighting all of our upper school athletic teams and players. Family mem-bers also had an opportunity to purchase spectacular framed canvas prints of our athletes. These photos were a big hit and proceeds from the sale will go di-rectly towards decorating the halls of 23 Sidney Place with canvas prints of our athletes in action!

Coaches for each team were introduced to the crowd and gave impassioned speeches about their teams be-fore presenting participation awards to their players. Upper School Director, Kirk Smothers, presented the Scholar Athlete Award to seventeen student- athletes who maintained an “A” average throughout the year. I presented the Three-Sport Athlete Award to three hard working athletes who participated in every ath-letic season of the year. Senior athletes were thanked and recognized for their athletic efforts during their tenure at MMFS. The night concluded with the presentation of a new award – the Commitment to Excellence Award – to ten athletes who consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence, a positive attitude, and team-first spirit with exceptional prac-tice attendance and overall dedication during their

2015 athletic season. It was great to see so many well dressed student-athletes and their families enjoying the night and celebrating the hard work of all of our athletes and teams!

Senior RecognitionBen Lefkowitz, Shira Silver, Tae-Chul Southwick, Mat-thew Wheelock, Christiana Bynoe, Loren Kruth, Louise Castronovo, Andy Petridis, and April Simmons

Scholar Athlete AwardJacob Price, Cole Philip, Lauren Liew, Catie Gallagher, Matthew Wheelock, Eli Zaretsky, James Ayling, Chiara Bowker, Christiana Bynoe, Clara Goldiner, Lily Horan, Sally Illig, Ezra Potter, Emelia Signorelli, April Sim-mons, Sabastian Villicana, and Jill Smida Wood

Three Sport Athlete AwardJill Smida Wood, Lauren Liew, and Frankie Bruno

Commitment to Excellence AwardHenry Puma, Niles Cooper, Ellis Thompson Gunter, Eli Zaretsky, Sally Illig, Jill Smida Wood, Matthew Whee-lock, Lily Horan, Loren Kruth, and Christiana Bynoe

Justin SchuhmacherAthletic Director

Upper School Sports Banquet

Justin with the recipients of the Commitment to Excellence Award

10

The 2015 middle school softball team has just finished another incredible season. It never gets old to report to the community that this year’s team finished the regular season undefeated, yet again. This has been such an unbelievable run for these students, who finished the regular season with a 7-0 record. The players not only won each game but did so in a convincing fashion with 89 runs scored and only 16 runs allowed. They played amazing defense behind our pitch-ers, Mike T. and Andrew C. When they were unavailable for two games because they were on the Nature’s Classroom trip, Colm moved from his familiar position at shortstop and pitched a one-hit shutout! The talent on this softball team was undeniable but what made them such a joy to coach was that they were truly great teammates who supported each other throughout the season. Each individual strived to improve but always put the team first. This team-first attitude has enabled them to have such a successful and memorable season. Our powerful offense featured hitters up and down the line-up, including David, George, James, Brianna, Zoa, Scott, Mike T., Christian, Davis, Andy, Colm, Da-vis, and Mike B. Last Tuesday, we played the championship game at our home field in front of so many of our wonder-

ful fans. We played City and Country for the third time this season, and, on that particular day, they were the better team. We couldn’t find the offense that was so potent during the regular season and we lost an exciting, but disappoint-ing game, 6-3. We were in the game until the last out at the bottom of the last inning. Winning in convincing fashion is fairly easy to do. Losing, however, is not easy to do and you would have been proud of this team on that day as they dis-played the sportsmanship and camaraderie that we expect from our student athletes. No one lost their cool and they congratulated the other team on a job well done with grace and poise. We are so very proud of this special team and this special season. Hats off to our departing 8th graders – Colm, Brianna, David, James, George, Andy, Mike B., Christian R., Scott, and Nicky M. Kudos to the returning 7th graders – Zoa, Mike T., Andrew C., Nick P., Davis, Justin W., Roman P., and Finnley. Special thanks to the students, faculty, friends and family members who supported us at each and every game.

Earl Hall and Jim SignorelliMiddle School Softball Coaches

Middle School Softball

Lightning Spring Season

Continued on page 11

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The 2015 MMFS track season was successful on numerous fronts. Many team members ran personal bests and a few were close to qualifying for the state meet. Also, the team made school history with an outstanding Boys Varsity victory in our first race of the season at Red Hook. The boys ran in every race we entered them into, methodically added points to our total, and at the end of the day we edged out Birch Wathen Lenox by two points!

More than 30 runners gathered in late February to begin training. While we were forced to practice in the gym and stairwells of 23 Sidney Place, the runners worked hard building strength and team spirit. Upon our return from spring break, mother nature finally relented and we headed to Cadman Plaza and Brooklyn Bridge Park to get in some more serious training. It was there that the runners got to work on sprint technique, put in some longer training miles, and do repeats to build strength.

As usual there were some disruptions to the schedule including a sojourn to Germany and Paris for the freshman, thespians working on Annie, and some perfectly timed rain storms, but the team took the disruptions in stride and continued to push themselves.

We had some attrition throughout the year, but we showed up to the championship meet with 15 runners

focused on pushing themselves to new heights. While we didn’t win any championship races, the runners gave their best effort. Some of the more outstanding performances during the championship were Sam’s 5:23:37 in the 1600m and Jill’s 1:24:52 in the 400m. Other notable performances during the year were Ian’s 2:29:02 in the 800m race on 4/9,Tae-Chul’s 28:06 in the 200m on 4/9, Ian’s 5:25:90 in the 1600m on 4/9, Shira’s first place time of 16:34:88 in the 3000m on 4/16, and Sam’s 2:25:34 second place finish in the 800m on 4/30. Finally, we were so impressed with Loren’s desire to race in almost every scheduled event during each meet!

We would like to thank the runners who worked hard and stayed committed all season long. Your trust in the program and your dedication to improving your times made both of us very proud. Finally, we would like to thank the many parents and faculty members who came to support us throughout the season.

We look forward to another strong season next year as the runners continue to build on the sturdy foundation they built this year.

Tommy Mulvoy and Gabe Morden-SnipperUpper School Track Coaches

Upper School TrackContinued from page 10 (Lightning Spring Season)

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Middle School Spring Music Night

Elementary School 5th Floor Rock Concert

Middle School Production of Cinderella

For more photos, click here.

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Elementary SchoolTrips to Fairview Lake

Every May, the oldest elementary division classes go on community building overnight trips to Fairview Lake Environmental Education Center. Students ages nine to eleven and their teachers spend two nights and three days together at Fairview Lake learning about nature, developing outdoor skills, and collaborating in fun activi-ties. You can read some teachers’ reflections on this year’s trip below, and you can see more photos of the trip here.

Our recent trip to Fairview Lake was great. It might seem silly to talk about a student experiencing growth over a short three-day span, but for many that’s just what happened, even if it’s not how they would de-scribe the experience.

From the student who has a brand-new experience on the climbing wall, to the student who adds to her knowledge of plants, or holds a salamander while learning from the environmental educators, students have broadened their horizons just a little. For the student who slept away from home for the first time (for two nights!) or who had to navigate the com-promise and consideration of others that come with sharing a space with seven bunkmates, resilience and maturity are strengthened just a little.

Greg Hill-Reis and Kristin FadePenn Room Teachers

The best feedback we could ask for was from stu-dents who were nervous about going and who ended the trip saying, “I wish I could stay here longer.” Ev-eryone returned with stories and memories that have continued to be shared in the weeks since, which un-derscores what a collective experience it was. We are grateful for all of the teachers, staff, and especially students who made it such a meaningful trip.

Ned Milligan and Heron HaasLevi Room Teachers

Middle SchoolHistory

History came to life in the last week of April as middle school students explored the Metropolitan Museum of Art, visited Philadelphia, and met with honored guests – sur-vivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Students had the opportunity to admire ancient artwork, walk in the footsteps of our founding fathers, and look into the eyes of those who experienced history first-hand. Below are summaries of students’ unique learning experiences.

6th Grade

On April 29th, the sixth grade took a trip to the Metropoli-tan Museum of Art as part of our study of ancient Greece. We started the trip with lunch in the park, Olympic-style relay races, and a Simon Says game with a mythologi-cal twist. Students started noticing the Greek-inspired architecture of the museum right away. Some students pointed out the columns inside and outside the building and could identify the different types (Doric, Ionic, and

Corinthian, in case you were wondering).

When we got inside the building, each group participated in a scavenger hunt. They found different sculptures

Compiled from posts on the Mary McDowell Friends School website

News From the Divisions

Continued on page 14

14

and pieces of pottery, and then answered questions that made them think carefully about each artifact. When each group finished its scavenger hunt, students chose another part of the museum to visit. The Sultans of Deccan India, Arms and Armor, and the Temple of Dendur were popu-lar choices. Click here to see photos.

Upon completing a homework assignment reflecting on their experiences, students shared their discoveries and made important connections. One student said, “A lot of the statues were made of marble, which is complex to sculpt.” Another wrote, “One interesting fact I learned about the terracotta volute-krater was that Sophilos was one of the first Greek artists to sign his work.” Some stu-dents even made connections between our unit on Egypt and the Greek artifacts they saw, noting the similarities between Egyptian and Greek sarcophagi. Many students said they are hoping to visit the museum again to explore the rest of the halls!

Beth Duffy and Danielle PepinMiddle School Teachers

7th Grade

On Wednesday, April 29th the seventh grade had a tre-mendous experience in the historical city of Philadelphia. We walked in the footsteps of our founding fathers as we experienced the sights and sounds Philadelphia!

After a rather long bus ride, we arrived in Philadelphia around 10:00am and headed right to the National Consti-tution Center. Inside, we saw an inspirational one-person show called “Freedom Rising,” in which we experienced the events that led up to the writing of the Constitution in a high-tech and engaging style. We then headed into the main hallway of the National Constitution Center, where we participated in interactive displays. We voted for the major issues of the day, got sworn in as President of the United States, participated on a mock jury, and saw an enormous stack of legal books that stretched from floor to ceiling! At the end of the hallway was a room called “Signers Hall.” In this room, we saw life-size bronze stat-ues of many of the signers of the Constitution. It was awe-some to compare how tall we are to how tall they were and pose for pictures with the statues. After that, we got a rare chance to see one of the original copies of the Bill of Rights, on display at the National Constitution Center for just a short time. We were stunned by how small the writ-ing is and how old the paper looks.

After the National Constitution Center, we headed to Pat’s King of Steaks restaurant where we chowed down on some amazing Philly Cheese Steaks! For many of us, this was our first time having a cheese steak. Shouts of “these are soooo goooood” and “these are amazing!” filled the air and we definitely recommend to anyone going to Philadelphia. After lunch, we walked to Independence Hall, where we recited the first line of the Declaration of Independence from memory while looking at the very building in which these words were read for the first time

ever! After that we took a short walk to the Ben Franklin Museum, where we got an in-depth look at some of the major accomplishments and inventions of Ben Franklin’s life. We really enjoyed this museum and we recommend it to anyone visiting Philadelphia. Our trip concluded with a run up the famous “Rocky Steps!” We are proud to report that every seventh grade student and all the teachers made it to the top of the stairs. Many of us thought it was going to be harder than it actually was!

This was a really good trip for the seventh grade to come together as a group and review a lot of what we have learned in American History class this year. We are thankful for this experience and for having the opportu-nity to experience history in the very city where so much of it was made! For photos of the trip, click here.

John Seifert and Jenny ArmstrongMiddle School Teachers

8th Grade

On Wednesday April 29th, the eighth grade had the dis-tinct privilege of meeting two members of Hibakusha, a group of people who survived the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dedicated to the abolition of nuclear weap-ons, this group has come to the United States every five years to speak to the United Nations and to share their stories in schools. This was their last trip to the United States, and, thanks to Cecily who had met them at a peace rally the weekend before, MMFS was lucky enough to be the last school for them to visit.

Ms. Fumie Kakita, a second-generation survivor, shared her mother’s incredible story of survival as well as her commitment to ending nuclear weapons.

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Next Mr. Nakayama Takamitsu shared his harrowing first-hand account of the bombing as well as his life-long fight for peace and a nuclear-free world. Cecily’s mother was there to translate for him as he vividly recounted

what he had witnessed on that fateful day August 9th, 1945. Several students stood up and asked questions which were then translated into Japanese. He answered their questions openly and spoke passionately about peace. There was a moment of personal connection when he mentioned traveling to Costa Rica, the only country in the world that does not have a military, and the eighth graders shared that they had been there in January. At the end of the presentation, Mr. Takamitsu came around and shook hands with each person in the room. Soon, a group of students gathered around him and began hugging him. The room was overcome with emotion and a deep sense of history and humanity. Later, he told Cecily that he had never had students show him such love and respect. It was a memorable and moving experience for everyone involved, and we are grateful to Hibakusha and Cecily for making it happen.

Margot Stein, Rosalie Osborn and Cecily MoyerMiddle School Teachers

Upper School Quaker Life at the Upper School

Quakerism is a vibrant part of upper school life. Two out of every seven days, the community gathers in the gym for Silence. Students lead Silence and present queries, which are thought-provoking questions that begin Silence. Recent queries have included “How do you remember someone who has passed away?” and “What can we learn from events in Baltimore?” These queries are generated by a group of students and faculty members who make up the Quaker Life Committee.

All tenth graders take a Quaker History and Practice course. Recently, students investigated the lives of fa-mous Quakers and discussing their work in the context of current events. For example, after learning about prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, students discussed current issues and debates related to the US criminal justice system.

In February, students and faculty members traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia to attend the Quaker Youth Leadership Conference. They enjoyed two days of work-shops, community service, and games. The conference was a great opportunity to connect with others at Quaker schools along the east coast.

Kirk Smothers Upper School Director

Honors Program

The Honors Project allows qualified junior and senior students to delve more deeply into an academic or artistic area of interest that goes beyond the scope of the regular curriculum.

Students who demonstrate that they are able to pursue work in a particular area with significant independence

are eligible to work with one of their current teachers to design an Honors Project in the second semester. Projects are directly tied to the content that they are exploring with their supervising/evaluating teachers; however if there are compelling reasons, a teacher can approve a topic that goes outside the scope of the course. Students develop a proposal and present it for consideration to the Honors Committee. Upon approval, they work under the guidance of their teachers to complete projects. Each project culminates in a public exhibition of the product (i.e. presentation, research paper, experiment, et cetera). This year two juniors and two seniors completed the five-month independent study project.

On June 3rd, Kyra Novick ’15, Eli Dorf ’16, Eli Rosenblum-Stephens ’16, and Matthew Wheelock ’15 presented their Honors Projects at the upper school to an audience of faculty, students, and parents.

Kyra presented her findings on Gastric Dilation-Volvulus in dogs. She did a PowerPoint presentation and wrote a 12-page paper. Eli D. followed with his own short story, The Pillars of Silence, written in the style of Franz Kafka. His advisor, Abe Manieri read the story to the audience, and Eli followed up with analysis and discussion of his literary devices. Next, Eli R.-S. presented his work, which included a PowerPoint presentation and a wooden model of the Parthenon that he built. Eli, who has a passion for woodworking, focused on the Fibonacci Sequence and its relevance in the world of art and nature. Matt finished the informative afternoon with his exploration of LGBTQ rights in Uganda. Matthew’s presentation included a Pow-erPoint and a paper. Please join us in congratulating Kyra, Eli, Matt, and Eli on their impressive accomplishments!

Amy Salomon-KohnUpper School Director of College Guidance

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Vincent Cartelli and Michele Gatti CartelliKaren and Andre CarterAlan CarverDeborah CarverDorothy and Herb CarverCecile Casablancas and Ara ArslanianMary Ann Cassidy and Kenneth WestlundFrances and Joseph CastroSamantha ChartierRichard Chasin and Laura ChasinHisoo Choe and Jonathan VyorstMarvin and Ellen CiporenNell ClarkDale CochranKaren Coe and Richard HeapsMarya Cohn and Tjebbo PenningAnnika and Gregory ColstonAndrea and Paul ComptonEverald and Helen ComptonMarie Ann and James ConnollySheila Connolly and Thomas O’SheaErin Courtney and Scott AdkinsNicole and Brian CoxKate Crane and Michael CraneCynthia Crossen and James GleickMelissa Dadourian and Marcello FerriBevin DalyBeth Ann Day and Ben RinzlerJohn DentonMary Jane DenzerLoretta and Curt DillPaul DiLorenzo and Sandra GoldbergBranka Djurkovic and James ButlerGary Dolan and Wendy BellusJerry and Harriet DorfOrla Dunstan and Robert SalmieriDeborah Edel and Teddy MinucciBonnie Eissner and Joseph O’ConnorJudy and Bruce EissnerJason EkairebBridget Elias and Townsend DavisVirgie Bright EllingtonMarc Elovitz and Andrew FieldsIrene and Eugene FaynNancy Fedder and Sandy GoldsheinNancy FeinbergNicola and Nuno FernandesDr. Joseph Fidelibus and Daniel GradyDaniel Fisch and Babette Coffey FischYves Denizé and Susan FoxRabbi Daniel FreelanderMarilyn and Lawrence FriedlandFelice and Darrell Friedman

Muriel L. FrischerJennifer GalangJames and Lee GallagherMario and Phyllis GattiKeith GaugerKaren Geer and Paul FriedmanCraig George and Kevin BrownLynn Gernert and Susan WeilerLisette and David GetzlerCadence Giersbach and John TerhorstDavid and Camille GillespieBrenda GilpinAlice Longobardi Givan and Curtis GivanRebecca K. GivanSamantha GlasserMarilyn Gold-Mandell and Andrew MandellPaul Goldberg and Maxine LubnerJennifer GoldfrankAmy Goldin and Nancy LuHenry Goldschmidt and Jillian ShaganJoseph Gosler and Sheila WolperEric and Carolyn GouldRose GreenFrancis Greenburger and Isabelle AutonesGeorge and Antonia GrumbachZeph GrunschlagCeleste Gudas and Stuart KagelSarah GundJohn and Gina GutzeitPeter and Margarita HalloranSheila Harley and Mark SimonianHolliday HarriganKellie Hart and Alasdair PhilipWilliam HarveyDon and Helen HengleinAvis HinksonMolly Hoagland and Rufus CollinsDr. James HodsonDiego HojrajMark Houtzager and Prem KosterMichael and Betty HuberDana and Scott IalacciSharon and Barton InkelesAmy and Thomas JakobsonCaroline JanoverAnn and Brian JenningsAnne Jennings and John WeberJoseph and Joan JulianoSandra and Jeffrey JustinSeth KahnHolly and Craig KanePaula Katz and Rick MandlerAndreas Killen and Marie SaccoHolly Kilpatrick and John Cimperman

Anthony and Tania KlecknerLaurin and Norman KleimanAdam Klipple and Angela FungHorace KnightKristina Koch and Salem AvanEva Kolodner and Eliza ByardLyn Koppe and Stewart OtleyArline KrisbergYael KropskyJames L’HeureuxJoseph and Andrea LaRoccaChristine LaSala and Ellen LipschitzFranziska LaskarisMichael C. Lasky and Peggi EinhornChristine and Vinny LattugaStephanie LazzaraSuzanne LeakeThomas Lee and Joan GiambussoHal and Marilyn LefkowitzFay LeoussisAmy LevineJennifer and Andrew LevineEleanor LiStephen Lichtman and Amy HausknechtDavid and Marlene LiebermanOswald Liew and Betty LeeDavid and Mary Jane LifsonAmin LinderColette Linton-Meyer and Robert MeyerDavid and Elizabeth LipmanWendee LipnickBeverly LitskyFinlay LoganAjay and Malini LoganadanRobert and Eileen MagnavitoAbraham ManeriRonald and Allison MannMatthew Nierenberg Memorial Foundation, Inc.Lois MatthewsMaurice & Carol J. Feinberg Family Foundation, Inc.Bernie McCormickRaymond McDaniel and Lori BuchbinderAnn and Alton McDowellEileen McPartlanJane Melnick and Eileen WillenborgChristine and Andrew MerolaGeorge Michael and Miriam MayersonJohn MichelClaiborne and Benjamin MildeEdward and Mary MillerJulie and Jesse MillerNed Milligan and Jamie Auriemma

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Gloria MitchellLaura and Neil MitchellCatherine and Cathal MooreGabriel Morden-SnipperCecily MoyerThomas MulvoyFred Myers and Faye GinsburgDebbie and Ron NatoliTalmadge and Edith NeeceKathleen NeiberClaire and Sam NitzeJohn NuzumHaruko and Shinji OkadaToby R. OrenbuchGail O’RourkeTom Ott and Peter BinghamGeorge Palesano and Nicole PalesanoLaureen ParkLinda PellagriniAntonio Perez and Myriam JuarbeGinny PerrinRebecca Perrin and Michael GulasGregory Petrick and Cynthia SmithMarjorie Slobetz and Donald PickeringAndrea Davis Pinkney and Brian PinkneyTracy PlauskiKaren and Kears PollockNathan Potter and Karen LevenbergDonna PowellGrayce PrestipinoJonelle ProcopeRebecca PryorBarbara Friedlander and Jill RabinPamela and Gabriel RabinoviciRayna RappPaul and Beverly ReeseMeredith and Demian ResnickLeslyn and Don RigoniLinda and Anthony RigonoCaroline and Laurent RimmenHeidi and David RobbinsRobin RobertsAlbert Roker and Deborah RobertsAndrew Rosen and Brandi BeckCaitlin RosenNeal H. Rosenberg

Joshua and Alexandra RosensteinCarolyn and Ernie RothNathaniel Rubin and Margaret LeeCordy and Raquel RymanRollene SaalHarriet SadowAkhtar SamadYolanda and Joseph SaracenoMarianne SavareseJodi ScheurenbrandLois SchifferFrank and Linda SchimentiMarilyn and Ken SchleifeBeth Schneider and Steve McFarlandLise and Joshua SchreierJustin SchuhmacherClaire Schultz Yaffe and Rick YaffeAnne SchulzingerJohn SeifertDon and Lori SellittiGigi Sharp and George GilpinDelicia Shaw-Hitchcock and William HitchcockJane and Frederick SillmanRobert and Vera SilverAlan and Lisa SinsheimerWarren and Flo SinsheimerMilt Sleeter and Joel HermanLorraine SmallJames and Jean SmidaGayle SmithPatricia Smith and James SignorelliKirk Smothers and Sarah ClarkePaula and Alfred SmouhaKatherine SorelErica and Scott StaufferLinda StoneCynthia StuartIna M. SturdevantNaomi TamGwen Tarack and Nick JurmanJennifer and Elliot TerziAniru ThomasCaitlin Thomas and David ClarkPauline ThomasGabriella ThurstonGeorge TraskJennifer Ulrich and John Patterson

Roxanna and Edward VelandriaAnnaLisa VillanuevaBarbara von SalisLyn WalkerReverend Jeffrey B. Gamblee and Patricia A. WallendjackDan Walworth and Hilary KlirosJanee Waner-SzekelyLeah WassermanAnn Weathersby Cooney and Michael CooneyJonathan WeinerSusan L. WeinerSherri Weiser-Horwitz and Michael HorwitzValerie West and Breffny FlynnCarol and Kenneth WestlundRobert and Jennifer WheelockKaren and Patrick WhiteBasil Williams and Heather ShamsaiBill and Louly WilliamsWarren and Grace WilnerHannah and John WiltshireBeverly WindMolly and Stewart WinterRobin WinterRosa WitsellFrank Wolf and Steve AbelSue WolfeChih Kang Wong and Xiao Yan DaiPamela WoodBob and Mary Jane WoodwardLiz Yamin and Ron SingerFran and Dwight YellenConnie and Koray YilmazAmy and Albert ZaccaiBernard and Shirley ZlotowitzDebbie Zlotowitz and Rick GreenbergRobin Zlotowitz

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Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this report. If there are any errors, please accept our apologies and notify the Development Office at 718-855-0141, ext. 4106.

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End of Year Ceremony For all Students and FamiliesFriday, June 12, 2015

10:00 am - 12:00 pmLong Island University Paramount Theatre

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11201(Flatbush & Dekalb Avenues)

Dismissal for all students from Paramount TheatreNo busing available

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Arts NightFor more photos, click here.