Intuitive Mathematics Problem Solving at EMS

appletreeSummer 2010A publication of The Elisabeth Morrow School

b

Mission

The Elisabeth Morrow School pursues the highest educational standards in a supportive,creative environment. We challenge our students’ intellects, promote academic excellence,encourage independent thinking, and cultivate individual talents. Our dedicated, experiencedfaculty fosters moral growth and social responsibility. In our culturally diverse community, wevalue tradition and innovation and the joy of lifelong learning.

Core Values

• An educational environment committed to academic excellence and child-centered learning;• An educational process symbolized by the Four C’s (courtesy, consideration, cooperation and compassion) that focuses not only on the intellectual, but also upon the social and character development of children;

• A passion for learning;• A strong sense of community among students, teachers, families, administrators and staff.

Vision

• The Elisabeth Morrow School will educate three-year-olds through eighth graders in a supportive, child-centered environment of restricted class size.

• The Elisabeth Morrow School will prepare students to be proficient academically and strong of character.

• The Elisabeth Morrow School will attract, develop and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administration.

• The student body and professional staff will reflect diversity of ethnicity, heritage and economic status.

• The Elisabeth Morrow School will be in a position of financial strength.

The

Elisabeth

Morrow

School

435 Lydecker Street

Englewood, NJ 07631

www.elisabethmorrow.org

appletree is a publication of The Elisabeth Morrow School

Editorial Committee

Beth Anne BrennanDirector of Early Childhood Programs

Evan BrownDirector of Communications and Alumni

Aaron CooperAssistant Head of School

Germaine DiPaoloPrincipal of Morrow House

Dr. Allison EgertDirector of Special Learning Services

Liza Jones HardsDirector of Auxiliary Programs

Penny LippeDirector of Development

Dr. David M. LowryHead of School

Richard PaganoBusiness Manager

Jane PhendPrincipal of Little School

Blair Talcott OrloffDirector of Admissions and Financial Aid

Photography and Photographic ContributorsEvan BrownShannon BrownAmber CoeChristine Fiocchi Liza Jones HardsDr. David LowryLacy Muhlfeld ’91Eric PoggenpohlMary Ann Rota Lara Setrakian ’94Joshua Silverstein ’00

Editorial AssistanceAdrienne Buda (’79) AndersonJennifer BrownAaron CooperJan KeshishianPenny LippeCasey Mason

Design

Evan Brown

Cover:Fourth graders Ava Chiocco andMariella Williamstake chalk in handon the Grace MullerCourtyard to see ifthey can solve the“King Arthur”problem.

appletree2. Letter from the Head of School

3. Beyond 3:00 PM: Auxiliary Programs at The Elisabeth Morrow School

by Liza Jones Hards, Director of Auxiliary Programs

7. Elisabeth Morrow By Bus: Getting Here Is Easy

by Blair Talcott Orloff, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

8. The Elisabeth Morrow School Class of 2010 - Commencement

11. Intuitive Mathematics: Problem Solving At The Elisabeth Morrow Schoolby Aaron Cooper, Assistant Head of School

16. Capital Reflections: Insights And Images From The Eighth Grade

Trip to Washington, D.C.

22. Benefit 2010

24. The Elisabeth Morrow School Spring Sports Review

Elisabeth Morrow Alumni

26. Profile: Josh Silverstein ’00

27. Profile: Lara Setrakian ’94

28. 2010 Annual Alumni Party

30. Class of 2006 - High Schools And Colleges

31. ClassNotes

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I have just read over a draft edition of this appletree on-line in PDF format. Myeyes are tired (I still prefer print), but my mind is spinning! There is so much goingon in these pages. From our auxiliary programs to the eighth grade trip toWashington, D.C., including a visit with Justice Sotomayor; from math problemsthat confound me but are solved by fourth graders, to a celebration, a graduationand an alumni reunion; from sports teams to alumni profiles; this place is alive withactivity and enthusiasm.

The Elisabeth Morrow School goes beyond the expected. I hope that you willfind the opportunity to read through this publication, over several sittings if youwish, to take in all we are up to. More importantly, I want you to sense some of thethemes that can be pulled from what might seem like unrelated activities:

• Academically, The Elisabeth Morrow School goes beyond textbooks and classrooms, leading students into unexpected and challenging realms that require original and deep thought;

• Members of the EMS community go beyond themselves and work collaboratively, whether on a sports team, putting on a benefit, solving math problems or exploring our nation’s capital;

• EMS graduates go beyond the ordinary and achieve success, whether it’s moving forward in their education or in their careers;

• Students here go beyond self-interest, respecting and appreciating what others have contributed to their lives.

I invite you – parent, alum, past parent, former teacher or friend of the School –to come by anytime and see what we are up to. Pages of a newsletter hardly dous justice!

My best,

Dr. David M. Lowry

Letter from the Head of School

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BEYOND 3:00 PMAuxiliary Programs at The Elisabeth Morrow School

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There is much more going on at The ElisabethMorrow School than just classes. Beyond 3:00p.m., as many of our students gather their thingsto head home for the day, some of our studentslook forward to sticking around and gearing up forexciting adventures of a different kind (some evenstay during school breaks!) Whether it’s aviationclass, intramurals or just heading out to theplayground for the afternoon, the goal of ourprogram is to offer students a chance to exploreinterests and hobbies, while learning new skillsand spending time with their friends and favoriteteachers.

AFTER SCHOOL

Between Child Care and After School Adventuresclasses, there is plenty of action on campus until6:00 p.m. every school day. This year we addedmany new classes to our after school lineup. InDigital Photography, students learned the basicsand then showcased their work in a portfolio show.Parents were able to come see their child’scollection of images as well as those of theirclassmates. Beginning Chess gave students thechance to learn techniques and strategies of thegame from a professional instructor. The Aviationclass, run by the Hobby Quest Aviation Club(Ridgewood, NJ), provided students theopportunity to build their very own model

airplanes. Students learned to read blueprintplans and used tools to cut, level and sand piecesof the model aircraft. After building, studentstested their designs, making adjustments inbalance, air flow and weight as they flew theirplanes.

After School classes are also about just havingfun. Each week, students in our Friday Fun classparticipated in creative and fun-filled activities.Among other things this year, they went sledding,had a scavenger hunt, planted flowers around thecampus, roasted marshmallows and sang songsaround a campfire. Another fun offering this yearwas EMS Cooks, a class where various facultymembers shared their favorite recipes and cookedup delicious treats with the students. Intramurals,led by Elisabeth Morrow Athletic Director, AndyEscala, provided fourth and fifth grade studentswith an introduction to the middle school sportsprogram. Finally, the Homework Club (seesidebar on page 6) was a popular and productiveoffering this year.

Students also have the option to stay beyond3:00 p.m. as part of our Child Care program,known as Busy Buddies in Chilton House andEMS Friends in Little School (The Morrow Houselibrary offers study time for middle schoolstudents). Busy Buddies and EMS Friends offer amixed-age environment where children can playtogether, have snacks and even get some of their

homework completed. Elisabeth Morrow models its ChildCare program on the “neighborhood experience” philosophyof years ago, where older and younger children playedtogether, creating games and activities, while learning therules of play from watching each other. Our Child Careprogram is also available on certain days when the school isopen but classes are not in session, including faculty studydays and parent-teacher conference days.

BREAKS AND CAMPS

Elisabeth Morrow offers a number of programs beyond theacademic calendar. Our Spring Break Mini Camp, now in itsfifth year, is held during one of the two weeks of Spring Break.During this exciting camp, students participate in enrichmentactivities centered on a particular theme. In 2009, the focuswas on “Going Green,” and activities included recycled artprojects and learning how to reduce our energy usage. Thisyear the theme was “Amazing Animals” and included fieldtrips to Flat Rock Brook Nature Center and the Central ParkZoo in New York City.

June Express is offered to students in prekindergartenthrough grade five in the two weeks between the end ofschool and the beginning of Summer Explorations. Studentscook, play games, do arts & crafts, and have fun with friendsin a relaxed atmosphere from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Students are also welcome to attend String & Jazz Week inthe mornings and/or Eagle Sports Camp in the afternoonsduring the first week of June Express.

In the months of June, July and August, our SummerExplorations program is in full swing. Students from ElisabethMorrow, joined by students from other schools, come to ourcampus as “campers,” ready for new experiences and

AFTER SCHOOL

ADVENTURES

After School Adventures takes

place every day of the week

for grade one through grade

five. Last year’s enrichment

offerings included:

• Sports

• Art

• Aviation

• Photography

• Chess

• Cooking

• Science

• Keyboarding

• Computer Programming

After School Adventures is also

available to our kindergarten

students, twice weekly. Last

years classes included:

• Magic

• Creative Movement

• Art

5

6

learning opportunities. Offered in two three-weeksessions for children between age three andgrade six, Summer Explorations campers makeuse of all the amenities of our campus.

Our youngest campers have sing-a-longsaround a campfire, explore summertime themesthrough books and art, and participate in dramaand music classes. They even harvest herbs andvegetables from our many gardens and use thefresh-picked ingredients to cook delicious dishes.Our older campers explore new interests andactivities through various workshops during thesessions. Filmmaking, Chinese brush painting,cupcake decorating, scrapbooking, math games,and writing are just a few of the many choices.Afternoons are spent in arts and crafts, naturestudy, sports, games, and playground time.There are also opportunities to venture offcampus to take tennis or ice skating lessons or totake a trip to a minor league baseball game.Every Friday, campers dive into theme days suchas Pajama Day, Beach Day and the excitingSummer Explorations Camp Carnival.

WHY AUXILIARY PROGRAMS?

An increase in student interest, popularity ofchoices and the fundamental need for after-school care for students of working parents hasresulted in the significant growth of our AuxiliaryPrograms over the past several years. To us,these programs mean more than entertainmentand filling time until parents come to pick up theirchildren. Our After School, Child Care andSummer Programs strive to provide the samequality of excellence Elisabeth Morrow studentsreceive during the school day. According to aparent of a Summer Explorations camper, “thevariety and level of each of the classes creates awonderful and exciting atmosphere that eachchild would look forward to every day.” AtElisabeth Morrow, providing opportunities forchildren to learn, especially when they are havingfun while doing it, is important for us and thatshouldn’t have to end because the clock strikesthree, or the calendar rolls into June.

HOMEWORK CLUB

Another new addition to our After School

program was Homework Club. Lead by two

Elisabeth Morrow teachers, Sylvia Lustberg and

Kathy Keller, Homework Club helped students

in second through fourth grade master “the

basics” of homework, such as learning good

organizational skills, following directions, having

the right materials and getting a good start on

their daily assignments.

7

by Blair Talcott OrloffDirector of Admissions and Financial Aid

Many parents and graduates remember TheElisabeth Morrow School when the studentpopulation was comprised mostly of Bergen Countyresidents. Today, our students come fromRockland, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Union andHudson counties, as well as parts of the fiveboroughs of New York City. This geographicexpansion is thanks, in part, to the private andpublic school bus options available to our families.For the first year in the School's history, we areproviding a school bus that transports students fromboth the east and west sides of Manhattan. Thiscommute is surprisingly convenient, coveringapproximately ten miles and traveling against theinbound and outbound traffic. The School hasmade a concerted effort to increase transportationoptions for its families from this and othergeographic areas. We expect to see more studentsfrom the surrounding counties in years to come.

GETTING HERE IS EASY...

Not So Great Divide:The Elisabeth Morrow Schoolis a ten-minute drive from the

George Washington Bridge.

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The Elisabeth Morrow School CLASS OF 2010Top Row: Luke Buquicchio, Niall Higgins, Samuel Loring, Ryan Kitts, Jaeho Lee, Daryl Johns, Jalen HenriquezThird Row: Gregory Hyer, Rebecca Federman, Zachary Walsh, Sofiya Joseph, Joseph Del Rio, Lena Woo Second Row: Ashley Bryan, Bryan Rubin, Mimi Goss, Natasha Nouri, Andrew Abrahamsen, Jakob Solheim, Emily LatinskyFront Row: Taylor May, Samantha Kirsch, Isabella Oropeza, Caitlin Ferrarese, Colette Daibes, Michael Anagnos, BenjaminKesslen, Phoebe Mattana, Rachel Park, Phoebe Gennardo, Natsuko Takashima, Zoe Homonoff.

Above:Jalen Henriquez,

Mr. Cooper, Joseph Del Rio, Ryan Kitts, Luke

Buquicchio.

Right:Samantha Kirsch,

Mrs. Nicolaou, AndrewAbrahamsen.

Far Right:Ashley Bryan,

Phoebe Gennardo.

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“The value of this

fieldwork cannot be

Far Left:Graduation Speaker andTrustee, Martha Loring,has the honor ofpresenting an ElisabethMorrow diploma to her son,and graduate, Sam.

Left:Head of School, Dr. DavidLowry, presenting a plaquein recognition of the Classof 2010’s fundraisingefforts for disaster relief inHaiti to Student CouncilPresident Jakob Solheim.

Commencement Reception:Faculty, parents and newly-minted alums, theClass of 2010, gather in the Morrow HouseCourtyard for congratulations and farewells.

Far Left: A Commencementtradition, Rachel Parkdelivers ElisabethMorrow’s favorite Psalm.

Middle Left:Daryl Johns shows off hisdiploma.

Left: Caitlin Ferrarese, IsabellaOropeza .

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Good afternoon Graduates, Parents, Faculty, Administratorsand Trustees. It is my honor to have the privilege ofaddressing you on this special day. Today we celebrate thetremendous accomplishments of the Class of 2010, but inthis commemoration we must also applaud the wonderfulteachers and parents that guided them along the way, fromMrs. Rota’s trademark krypto games to the first violinconcert, where performances did not include playing theviolin but featured us standing up and raising our bows inunison and holding the violin properly. The room waspacked with adoring and involved parents. There are certainthings about EMS that you will never forget, theKindergarten Circus, sugarless Wednesdays, the fifth gradesleepover and so much else that shaped who you are todayand who you will be tomorrow.

Next year, you will realize the impact that your EMSyears have had on you and the ways in which those yearshelped form you. You will find the academic transition to be asmooth one. EMS encouraged excellence in all areas partlyby designing an education that nourished the minds of everyindividual. How better to study science in Chilton House thanby hatching baby chicks? You will be an active participant incharged history debates because of the years you spentdiscussing current events. You learned to care about thelarger world and how to stay informed. I know fromexperience that an election year can be a struggle for thosestudents who have Mrs. Bower. There is nothing that makesher happier than an election year. (Parents, you deserve anextra clap as you were the ones to make so many trips toStaples for all those election posters we had to make.)However, the election of Barack Obama was especiallymeaningful to me as a result of my Bower years.

You will find the social transition to high school to besmooth as well. As you meet new people, you will realizehow your compassion and consideration for others,influenced by the Four C’s, and EMS parents and teachersalike, will facilitate making new friends. You will appreciatethe close and respectful relationships that you developedwith your fellow students and your teachers as you will beenthusiastic about participating in all aspects of your newschool: the clubs, student government, and the musical andathletic fields.

In thinking about talking to you I revisited an essay that Iwrote for Mrs. Cohen titled “My Philosophy of Life.” While itwas written in the language of a fifth grader, it has remainedon my bulletin board guiding me through my high schoolyears. The tone of the essay, as well as the advice it offers,accurately reflect and embody the type of morals that EMSpromotes, morals that will guide you through high school andbeyond.

In fifth grade my philosophy was:

First: Be generous to others. For example, ifsomeone asks you if they can be in your group, youshould say yes.

Second: Follow rules because if you don’t follow therules you will get in trouble, which may hurt youemotionally for a long time or even life.

Third: Listen to your parents and teachers or youwon’t have a happy life.

Fourth: Think before you speak because that may bethe key to having a good reputation.

Fifth: Always be yourself and no one else or peoplewon’t know you for who you are.

Sixth: Believe in others because that’s what friendsare for.

Seventh: Don’t be a pessimist. Be an optimist or youwon’t see the good parts of life.

Eighth: Don’t let others make you feel bad about youor you will soon not have control of your life.

Ninth: Feel good about your religion and backgroundand never wish you were something else.

Tenth and Finally (spelled “finnaly”): Commit to yourgoals in life and never give up.

On that note, I encourage you all to remember this daynot only because it represents everything that lies ahead, butalso for the wonderful community, and thought provokingwriting assignments, you are leaving behind. Keep in mindthat while today marks the last day you get to see your EMSfriends and teachers on a daily basis, the bonds you haveformed throughout your EMS years are bonds that will neverbe broken.

Stay in touch, visit every so often, and keep a specialplace for EMS in your heart. I know it will always hold one inmine. Thank you for your time and CONGRATULATIONS tothe Class of 2010.

GRADuATION ADDRESS

Oliver Marvin ’06

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INTUITIVEMATHEMATICSProblem Solving at The Elisabeth Morrow School

By Aaron CooperAssistant Head of School

At The Elisabeth MorrowSchool, in addition to buildingskills and knowledge aroundfacts, equations and algorithms(math as most of us know it),students regularly confrontproblems that require them towork collaboratively, iterativelyand logically. Finding “theanswer” is the lure, true, but

what really matters is whatoccurs in the minds of eachstudent and what occursbetween students on the road tothat “answer.” Using the wordsof ninth grade math teacherDan Sherman (see next page),math is “mental weight training”at Elisabeth Morrow. It ismoving beyond textbooks andworksheets into a morecollaborative and cognitiveactivity. Struggling, attempting,

evaluating, succeeding,correcting and reflecting: all arevaluable and essentialcomponents in the process ofproblem solving and providewonderful opportunities fordiscovery.

Here then, are six grade-level math experiences witnessed during the last fewweeks of school.

The Three-Year-Old Program

How Can I Find Out?

On a May morning, a student entered her classroom tofind a small group of classmates playing in the sandbox.She counted five children (including herself). She askedher teacher how many students had not yet arrived atschool. The teacher asked herif she could think of a way to findthe answer to that question.The student thought for amoment before walking to thecubby area. After rememberingwhich students were playing inthe sandbox, she begancounting the cubbies of thechildren who were not present.Once she finished, she proudlyannounced that nine of thechildren had not yet arrived.The teacher asked her how shecame up with that number. The student said she countedthe cubbies of the nine missing children. When sheadded those nine to the five children present, the answerwas the magic number, fourteen (the total number ofstudents in the class).

Kindergarten

Would I Be Able To?

Taking polls and making graphs has been a focus for thekindergarten students throughout the year. Students areasked to answer questions by placing a colored cube inthe appropriate column in a bar-graphing board. Forexample, this year students predicted whether certainliquids would freeze in the winter (juice and paint, yes; oil,no) and in another example, identified their preferred Jack-O-Lantern face, scary or happy (scary was preferred by alandslide).

One student in the class was planning a birthdaycelebration. He wanted to makecupcakes for his class, frosted witheach student’s favorite flavor. Hebrought colored stickers and a list ofhis classmates to school onemorning and set about taking a poll.His teacher asked him how he wasgoing to keep track of the group’spreferences. Remembering hisexperience with graphing, hedecided to use the same method tokeep track of his classmates’ frostingchoices for his special day. Heoffered the choices, used the bar-

graphing board along with the cubes his class had used allyear long, and graphed the results. The student noticedthat chocolate was the most popular frosting, and hisgraph made it possible to see at a glance how many

cupcakes of each flavor were required.

My grade 9 students have difficulty appreciating the usefulness of the standard form of the

equation of a line, prompting them to ask, ‘When are we ever going to need this?’ This question

used to really bother me, and I would look, as a result, for justification for everything I taught.

Now I say, ‘Never. You will never use this.’ I then go on to remind them that people don’t lift

weights so that they will be prepared should, one day, [someone] knock them over on the street

and lay a barbell across their chests. You lift weights so that you can knock over a defensive

lineman, or carry your groceries, or lift your grandchildren without being sore the next day. You do

math exercises so that you can improve your ability to think logically, so that you can be a better

lawyer, doctor, architect, prison warden, or parent. Math is mental weight training. It is a means

to an end (for most people), not an end in itself.

~Dan Sherman

(from the book “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Dan and Chip Heath)

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Grade Two

Did I Do Something Like This Before?

In second grade, our children develop problem solving skillsin geometry by learning to identify and name various shapes.In one activity, the students were given a set of four trianglesand four rectangles previously cut from a four-inch square ofpaper. The students were asked to name the shapes theysaw and identify similarities and differences between them. The class agreed that all the triangles were congruent (in theirwords, “exactly the same size and shape”) and noticed that allthe rectangles were congruent as well. Then, the students

were given a pair of scissors and a new, unmarked four-inchsquare piece of paper and asked to cut four congruenttriangles and four congruent rectangles from it with no leftoverpaper (fig.1). Teachers noted that there was plenty of extrapaper, if needed.

Some students got to work folding and cutting by trial anderror. Others tried to envision the problem before beginningto cut. One student tried to start cutting out shapesapproximately the correct size. After getting two triangles andtwo rectangles, none exactly the same, she was left withscraps of paper littering her desk. A teacher approached her,and they started a discussion. The teacher asked if sheremembered the quilting squares project they completed acouple of week before. The student did. “Now, what shapeswere on that quilt? How did you make those shapes?” Thestudent remembered that there were rectangles and trianglesand that she had folded the paper first before making herquilting design. Off she went, folding and cutting. Fiveminutes later, she proclaimed happily, “I got it!” and showed

off her eight shapes with no leftovers.

fig. 1

minutes later, most had determined that seat #29 was the luckyseat.

The second part of the problem asked students to figure outa winning strategy for a more complex game. If I were a knightwishing to be chosen to marry the king’s daughter, and I did notknow in advance how many knights would be at the table, is itpossible for me to figure out where is the best place to sit? CanI show up the day of the competition, count the knights, think fora minute, and then take a seat that I know will make me thewinner?

Before the students got to work, the teacher asked whatstrategies they might use to solve problems like this. Studentscalled out possibilities. “Draw it!” said one. “Try to find aformula!” and “Use a calculator!” said others. The teacherasked if the students remembered how they had solved arecent problem called, “The Ice Cream Problem.” A studentsaid, “We tried to find a pattern; maybe that will work here.”The teacher agreed.

When the students scattered to begin searching for thepattern, they agreed on asystematic approach tosolving the problem: startwith one knight at the table,continue adding a knight andtracking the “magic” seat untila pattern emerges.

It is quite a complexpattern but the students wereable to get at it bit by bit.First, they noticed that thefirst knight wins again andagain. Then, the studentsnoticed that an ever-increasing sequence ofconsecutive odd integersgave the place of the winningknight. As can be seen in fig.2, the odd integers, startingwith one, repeat themselvesto give the place of thewinning knight. Each time,the string of odd integerslengthens. Eventually thestudents noticed that the firstknight wins when there aretwo knights, four knights,eight knights….. and on andon as the number of knightsdoubles, beginning with two.

After much discussion, they learned to predict the correctseat for a given number of knights. While not explicitly writing aformula, the students realized that they needed to find thehighest power of two that was a part of the number of knights atthe table. The number left over from that power of two was thewinning position! Explicitly formulating the problem wouldrequire the use of logarithmic functions, a high school mathtopic often learned in pre-calculus courses.

Nevertheless, our fourth graders were able to appreciatethe pattern and use it to model the problem. This kind ofthinking lays the groundwork for a much deeper understandingof such problems when encountered in more advanced classes,

where the actual formula will be the end product of the exercise.

fig. 2

Grade Four

Is There A Pattern?

On a beautiful June morning, fourth grade students gatheredin the Grace Muller Courtyard to work on a problem aboutKing Arthur selecting a knight to marry his daughter. At first,there were thirty knights around the table. King Arthureliminated every other knight, starting with the second knightand continuing around the table until there was only oneknight left. What was the seat number of the lucky knight? Students scattered in pairs around the courtyard, armed withsidewalk chalk and a copy of the question. They drew circles,made slashes, used multiple colors and checked their workusing different methods. When they gathered together five

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The students began by using the tried-and-true methodfrom the original problem, writing out all the possible numbersequences that are divisible by three. As students called outnumbers and the teacher wrote them on the board, somestudents began to wonder if they’d chosen the best method.They asked, “How can we be sure that these are the onlypossibilities?” and “Is there a better way to do this?” “All thiswork, and we’ve probably got it wrong,”said some. Though the students madegood progress on the problem, they soondiscovered that their original methodswere unreasonably time consuming anddifficult for this extended problem. In theend, they were close. The studentsfound forty sequences divisible by three,yielding 218 combinations. There are,actually, forty-two sequences yielding 228combinations and a probability of 19/54(approximately 35%) of getting a numberdivisible by three.

When mathematicians encounter asimilar issue – known methods being overlycumbersome, they have two options:automate the original method, if possible, ordevelop a stronger method. The students’recognition that there must be a simplerway to solve the problem and subsequentattempts to identify that method is animportant step in the development of theirmathematical minds.

The solution requires a more advancedform of combinatorics, usually studied inhigh school pre-calculus classes. Thestudents saw how the more advancedproblem is motivated from the simpler problem. Further, theybegan to explore the more advanced problem and developtechniques for solving it. Both of these experiences shoulddeepen their understanding of the topic when they come tostudy it in a more formal fashion in high school.

“Divisibility

by 3” Rule:

To determine

whether a

number is

divisible by

three, simply

add the digits

of the number.

If the sum is

divisible by

three, then

the original

number

is too!

Grade Six

There Must Be An Easier Way.

A sixth grade class starting their study of permutations andcombinations had completed the following problem forhomework: “The digits 1,2,3, and 4 are written on slips ofpaper and placed in a hat. A three-digit number is drawn atrandom from the hat. What is the probability that the three-digit number is divisible by the number three?”

Students presented their methods for solving the problem:“I wrote out all the possibilities of a three-digit number – thereare 24,” and “I did 4! (four factorial - i.e., 4x3x2x1) to determine

24 possibilities.” Another student notedthat each number sequence (such as{1,2,3}) had six possible combinationsand that no matter the order, each ofthose numbers will be divisible by three.{2,3,4} was another set of numbersdivisible by 3 with six combinations. So,the class agreed that the answer was ½:12 out of the possible 24 combinationswould be divisible by three.

During the ensuing conversationabout how students checked theiranswers, a hand shot up from the side ofthe classroom. “What if there were1,000 numbers in the hat instead offour?” Mathematicians love this type ofquestion. They call it the “natural” nextstep, a more difficult question of thesame type. The teacher, knowing thatthis is what mathematicians do, engagedthe question. “Okay,” she said, “Let’schange it. Instead of four digits in the

hat, there are ten. Zero through nine. The other parametersare the same. Get to work.”

Factorial (!):

the product of

positive integers.

example:

The set of numbers

{1,2,3} can be

written in six

different

combinations: 123,

132, 213, 231,

312, 321 - the sixth

graders also noted

that 3! (3x2x1)

determines this.

Working the ProblemFourth graders looking for

creative ways to solve adifficult math problem.

15

Grade Eight

It’ll Be Some Crazy Shape…

Or, Maybe, A Parabola.

Towards the end of the school year, an eighth grade mathclass began with the following pep talk: “You all know a lot at

this point in the year. Now, canyou work on a problem thatcould use any of the thingsyou’ve learned? Even if I don’ttell you which of those thingsyou’ll need to use? Trust me,you know how to do this. It maylook strange and feel strange,but you’ll figure it out. You knowhow.”

The teacher then askedstudents to remind one anotherabout two concepts that theyhad derived the previous day:

how one finds the distance between two points on a graph(fig. 3) and how to determine the shortest distance between apoint and a line (fig. 4). Afterwards, the teacher continued,“Good. Now, suppose I have a point, F, at (0,4) and ahorizontal line, l, with the equation y=-4. Find a point orsome points that are equidistant from F and l.” A student’shand shoots up. “I got one! (0,0) is four units away from boththe line and the point.” The teacher responded, “Excellent.Now, can someone get another?”

After a number of guesses – manyclose but none correct – studentsbegan thinking of the shape thatmight appear. “It’ll be some sort ofcrazy shape...or, maybe, a parabola.”“Yeah, maybe the origin, (0,0), is onthe axis of symmetry,” and “Youcould reflect the other points.” Theteacher re-centered them, “Okay, butso far you’re guessing. Let’s findanother point that we are sure aboutand go from there.”

The distance formula between

two points on a graph is

derived from the

Pythagorean Theorem

fig. 3

Length of perpendicular

segment = distance

between point and line.

fig. 4

fig. 3

Another minute passed. A different hand shot up. “I gotone! (4,1) is five units above the line and, if you use thedistance formula, you find that it is also five units away fromthe point F.” “Very good.,” said the teacher. Another studentoffered, “And its reflection, (-4,1), also works!” Soon, anotherstudent had found two more points, (8,4) and (-8,4), that werealso equidistant from F and l. The teacher, cycling back to thestudents’ previous hypotheses, said, “Excellent. So, we havea lot of questions. Is this a parabola? Is it a parabolasegment? Is it some sort of ‘V’ shape? What is it? There area variety of conjectures, but the strongest consensus isbehind the idea that all the points together will form aparabola. So, how do we confirm this conjecture? This is thenext step. Let’s take a sliding point, (x,y), that satisfies thegiven requirements, but that could be anywhere on theresulting shape. Find out how far the point, (x,y), is from Fand how far it is from l.”

The students got to work. After ten minutes ofconversation, of building on one another’s ideas, of tryingsome thoughts that proved incorrect and others that provedhelpful, the students were able to determine the distancesthat (x,y) is from F and l.

They then realized that to get the equation describing theresulting shape, they would need to set the two expressionsequal. The students had taken a similar approach whenderiving the equation for a straight line earlier in the year.Although this problem was significantly more difficult, theywere able to come to that realization with only very littlereminder.

The next day, they completed the problem (fig. 5) anddiscovered that they had indeed derived the equation of aparabola (fig. 6).

fig. 6

fig. 5

Counting Kernels: Second graders working in groups to learngroupings in multiples of ten (10’s, 100’s, 1000’s, etc.).

CAPITAL REFLECTIONSinsight and images from the eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C.

A highlight of the eighth grade experience at Elisabeth Morrow is theWashington, D.C. trip, which serves as the culmination of their course inAmerican history and a complement to their ongoing study of current events.Students visit museums and memorials and see the centers of each of thethree branches of U.S. Government: the Capitol (Legislative), the WhiteHouse (Executive) and the Supreme Court (Judicial).

At the Supreme Court, this year's class had the unique opportunity tohear oral arguments in the case City of Ontario v. Quon and meet with JusticeSonia Sotomayor afterwards. What follows are excerpts from the students'impressions of their Washington experience along with some photographsfrom the trip.

Note: Unfortunately, due to Supreme Court regulations, we are unable to publish

the picture of the class with Justice Sotomayor.

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We went to the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol, the WhiteHouse, the Washington Monument, and we saw thebeginning stage of the structure for the Martin Luther King, Jr.Memorial. As the monuments are lit up at night, thisenhances the power of each monument. It resonates astronger feeling for all the effort we went through to be free,and to have a government of the people, for the people, andby the people. While at the Lincoln Memorial we recited theGettysburg Address, and I know we made Lincoln proud.

~Natasha Nouri

I loved seeing the Washington Monument, especially at night,because as a child I had seen pictures of it and it wassignificant for me to be able to see it in person. I feel as if theWashington Monument is as important as the Statue ofLiberty because they are both important symbols of theUnited States of America that are recognized around theworld. As well, I will never forget going to the LincolnMemorial because the entire eighth grade was required torecite the Gettysburg Address in front of everyone at the site.It was a funny and somewhat embarrassing memory.

~Ashley Bryan

I enjoyed going to the Lincoln Memorial. The reason I foundthis place interesting was because I have always found thestatue of Lincoln intriguing. It was cool the way they designedit so that one of his hands was closed and the other was opento show his welcoming and dignified side. I also could notstop looking into the eyes of the statue. I think theydeliberately put a stubborn look on his face to symbolize anever-ending fight for our country’s freedom.

~Jalen Henriquez

My other favorite part of the trip was when we visited theVietnam Veterans War memorial.…So many people madesacrifices. I think that memorials don’t have to be large anddramatic, with superfluous detail to mean something. Ibelieve that even a simple memorial can have the same ormore meaning as a large and complex one.

~Sam Loring

I thought, however, seeing the Vietnam Veterans Memorialwas one of the most moving experiences of my life. Though Ihad been there before, at the age of seven, I didn’t appreciateits meaning. It is not as lavish as the World War II memorialbut it is still equally moving. Standing in front of a wall ofnames seeing my reflection, at eye level, I felt like I was in agrave, looking at a tombstone. The most heartwarming partwas seeing the cards and objects left by people in front of thewall. There were little cards written by children saying,“Grandpa, you are my hero, thank you for your service.” Andthere were letters written by friends and family saying, “Inever felt as though we had closure and here was the onlyplace I felt we could.” These sentiments demonstrate thepower of the wall. The Vietnam Veterans War Memorial wasan amazing and poignant experience.

~Benny Kesslen

We went to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; the number ofpeople that died was so overwhelming and disturbingbecause of the massive black, shiny walls with the names ofall of the dead. We went to the Korean War VeteransMemorial as well; there were statues there, standing likeghosts, which made a very deep impression. The World WarII Memorial was the most memorable for me because of one

Most of all, I thought that the tour guide was the best. Hekept us captivated with his words and stories. He toured theclass around the White House and through all the memorials,with the exception of the Arlington Cemetery. He wouldexplain what he knew in a very detailed way and he never gotsidetracked. It mattered to him that his audience knew whathe was talking about. He also thought it was a good idea tosay thank you to the veterans at the WWII memorial. Ourclass did as well. So we all shook their hands and said “thankyou very much for fighting for freedom” and that wassomething that will stay with me for a long time.

~Andrew Abrahamsen

I’ve always felt immense respect for the brave men andwomen who fight for our country in war, but never had I beenmore moved by their courage and determination than whenour class went to the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial…theemotions I felt were enough to make me remember thatmonument forever.

~Zach Walsh

simple thing: I got to shake the hands of two World War IIveterans. It is likely that in ten years, veterans like them willbe so rare to come by and that is so sad to me.

~Luke Buquicchio

The annual Washington, D.C. trip was lots of fun this year.Six days was a long time to be with your classmates twenty-four hours a day though….The Vietnam Veterans Memorialwas pure genius. The reflective, black, stone walls weredramatic without trying to be. All the names carved into thewalls made it personal, especially with all the cards andflowers left behind. I came very close to crying when Mr.Pitch (our tour guide) told us the stories of what he had foundthere and the notes. Also, meeting Justice Sotomayor waswonderful; I can't believe she met with us! I liked how laidback and down-to-Earth she was.

~Samantha Kirsch

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After we witnessed the intense oral arguments in theSupreme Court, we met Justice Sotomayor in a nearbyconference room. I really enjoyed meeting her andhearing what she had to say. She told us how difficult itwas from going from a state judge to a Supreme CourtJustice; she said it took a lot of work. The number ofcases that she has to go over and analyze is unbelievable.Meeting Justice Sotomayor was a once-in-a-lifetimechance and it was very inspiring, especially because Iwant to work in law.

~Ryan Kitts

Going to the Supreme Court was my favorite place wewent to in Washington. Although I had to sit in the last rowand I could barely see the Justices and Quon, I still lovedsitting in the room and listening. I found Chief Justice JohnRoberts funny. I thought the case that we sat in on wasalso extremely interesting and thought that the subject oftexting was something we could all relate to.

~Isabella Oropeza

On our first full day in D.C., Monday, we visited theSupreme Court, where we listened to the oral argument ofCity of Ontario v. Quon. I found listening to the Justicesvery interesting, the way that they phrased questions andformulated their idea and views. I understood the drift ofthe argument well, and I was surprised at how informal theargument was, as I had expected it to be very official andproper. After the oral argument we had a short tour, andthen, finally, we met with Justice Sonia Sotomayor. AsJustice Sotomayor walked in it felt as if I knew her fromsomewhere, for she was exactly like Mrs. Nicolaou fromschool. They looked similar, they sounded the same, andthey said the same kinds of things. I found meetingJustice Sotomayor a fascinating experience, and heranswer to a question about the necessity of oralarguments made me look at oral arguments in acompletely new way, as I now realize their importance inhelping each Justice know the other Justices’ views.

~Jakob Solheim

One of the things I liked the most about Washington, D.C.was meeting justice Sonia Sotomayor. I loved the fact thatshe actually was interested in my classmate’s questionsand she didn't treat us any different just because we wereeighth graders. Now I can say I have met a SupremeCourt Justice, something most people can't say.~Joseph Del Rio

I remember when Sonia Sotomayor walked into the roomwe all stood in her honor, and I could not wipe the smilefrom my face. Prior to meeting Justice Sotomayor I hadthought I would be nervous to be around such animportant figure, however, my reaction was entirelydifferent. I was jubilant and thankful to have met her andlisten to her speak. Towards the end of our visit, Mrs.Bower presented her with the scrapbook Rachel andNatasha had worked on for her. The book was filled withthe whole grade’s Supreme Court briefs! At this point I wasproud of my classmates and myself.

~Caitlin Ferrarese

The famous eighth grade Washington, D.C. trip turned out tobe everything I thought it would be. I saw almost everyhistoric landmark, from the Washington Monument to insidethe White House. I had many interesting experiences, suchas tasting Native American food and hanging upside downon an airplane simulator at the Air and Space Museum. Ialso met a Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, whichwas an experience most Americans never have, and it is onethat I will never forget. This was a trip of a lifetime that gaveme memories I will cherish forever.

~ Lena Woo

On Monday, I observed the Justices make witty remarks,keen observations and ask resilient questions. We werepresent at the place in which the founding fathers built theirvision of a country where unity, justice and prosperity ruled. Ibegan to perceive that my ancestors along with all thedissimilar personages in my grade were a part of creating acountry where everyone is truly equal.

~Mimi Goss

Then, when Justice Sotomayor walked in and began to talkto us, I felt really connected to her. Her speaking waspowerful and very thoughtful, yet with a very kind tone to it.Sitting in the same room, less then ten feet away from one ofthe nine most important judges in the world, was almostnauseating. The fact that a Supreme Court Justice was soclose to us overwhelmed me. Even though her talk with uswas short, it was a powerful talk I will never forget.

~Niall Higgins

The Supreme Court took your breath away, even whenstanding outside of it. It stood majestically and dignified, likesomething out of a book about Ancient Greece. When firststepping into the courtroom I was amazed by how small thearea was, yet how high the ceilings were. The sight of thenine Justices helped me understand the enormity of theprivilege it was to sit in this historical building and witness thecourt in session.

~Greg Hyer

Most importantly, we had the privilege of meeting withSupreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She was likableand completely at ease with us, and her audience listenedattentively, with respect. She described how working in sucha demanding job was a challenge that she whole-heartedlywelcomed. She gave us some advice about law which wouldbe very helpful to potential lawyers. I am glad that the mostpowerful court in America has justices that are as devoted tofairness and equality as Justice Sotomayor.

~Sofia Joseph

When we met with Justice Sotomayor, I was antsy andnervous. However, I was surprised that in person she wasfriendly and warm, and in the words of one of my classmates,“like Mrs. Nicolaou.” It was enjoyable when she answeredour questions, never saying that they were too hard or shedidn’t like them. The highlight of our visit was when wepresented her with the scrapbook that several students madewith all of the briefs we had written. I could see that she wastruly touched by this gesture.

~ Jaeho Lee

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On the day after arriving in D.C., we were fortunateto have a private question and answer session withthe newest member of the Supreme Court, JusticeSotomayor. Upon entering the conference room,we were all very surprised to see that she lookedvery similar and has the same personality as oneof our teachers at EMS, Mrs. Nicolaou. Sheimpressed me with her honesty, that sometimesjustices look back at cases and have regrets withtheir decisions. She is truly a remarkable woman.

~ Bryan Rubin

Meeting Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayorwas really the highlight of the trip for me. She hasaccomplished so much and still keeps such a coolair of modesty about her. She has becomesomewhat of a role model for me. She said this atthe beginning of our meeting: “Every time I go intocourt, I get nervous. I hope that those nervesnever go away.” Those words spoke to me; I thinkin a way she was saying she hoped the anticipationis never replaced by boredom. I will never forgetshaking Justice Sotomayor’s hand. From theSupreme Court to the Newseum, I enjoyed it all.Our tour guide, Mr. Pitch, said that Washington wasa place of magic. I believe he was telling the truth.

~Phoebe Gennardo

The highlight on this trip was, by far, our visit to theSupreme Court. I had a better understanding ofwhat was really occurring before my eyes becauseof all the pre-trip prep work we did. I was literally inshock when got a view of, arguably, nine of ourcountry’s most influential people. Then, after thegreat oral argument, the day got ten times betterwhen Sonia Sotomayor walked into the meetingroom to visit with us. Being in the presence of suchan important figure and listening to the precise wayshe answered each question made my trip.

~Michael Anagnos

Another great experience I had on the Washingtontrip was our trip to the American History Museum.Two of my favorite exhibits were the First Ladies’dresses and Julia Child’s Kitchen. Every dress inthe showcase was stunning and elegant ; like anyother girl, I enjoy looking at gorgeous clothing.

~Phoebe Mattana

One of my favorite trips was the visit to theNewseum. The movie at the beginning of the visitwas great, and I really enjoyed the view of theCapitol from the balcony on the sixth floor. I wasawestruck when I saw the 9/11 exhibit. To see all ofthe front pages of national and global newspaperspublished the day after September 11, 2001 wascompletely captivating.

~Rachel Park

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I have to say, honestly, my favorite part was going to themuseums on Tuesday; I saw amazing exhibits at the AmericanHistory Museum, witnessed adorable creatures at the zoo, andeven got to take some cool flower pictures at the BotanicalGardens. This was my favorite museum, the BotanicalGardens, because I got to explore the plants and flowers fromall over the world, and I enjoyed taking lots of interestingphotos.

~Zoe Homonoff

One of the exhibits that stood out to me was the section of thelunch counter that was central in the struggle for civil rights forAfrican Americans (Woolworth’s Lunch Counter, Greensboro,NC, 1960). It stood out because we were just studying thisprotest and to see it in front of you really puts it in perspective.I understood that it was real but reality hits you when it’s rightin front of you.

~ Emily Latinsky

I thought one of the best occasions of the trip was going towatch the musical, Little Shop of Horrors. It was a highlight ofmy trip because we saw the musical at Ford’s Theatre wherePresident Abraham Lincoln was shot. Since we learned aboutthis event in history class, it was exciting to be able to see theactual place. I also enjoyed seeing the balcony where he wasshot set up exactly as it was on the day it actually happened.

~ Natsuko Takashima

Another highlight was seeing a play at Ford’s Theatre. Thenight was a two-in-one experience. First of all, we got to seeLittle Shop of Horrors, which was an amazing play. Second,that were watching this play in the theatre where AbrahamLincoln was shot only made it better. During the play I keptglancing up at the place where Abraham Lincoln last sat, tryingto imagine the chain of events surrounding his assassination.

~Rebecca Federman

Even when I am a senior citizen like the WWII veterans, I willstill remember the educational yet enjoyable experiences I hadon my eighth grade trip to Washington: the bunks, themuseums, the history, the flight simulators (at the SmithsonianNational Air and Space Museum), and most of all, the magic ofit all.

~ Daryl Johns

All in all, I think the trip was a success. Aside from getting tosee all the memorials, monuments, and historic buildings, Ithought it was fun playing Mr. Cooper and Mrs. Bower in airhockey. The six day trip was fun, educational, and exciting allat once, and I definitely won’t ever forget it.

~Taylor May

Prior to meeting Justice Sotomayor I had thought I would be nervous to be aroundsuch an important figure, however, my reaction was entirely different. I was

jubilant and thankful to have met her and listen to her speak.~Caitlin Ferrarese

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The Elisabeth Morrow School extends thanksand congratulations to Adrienne Anderson,

Heide Ilgenfritz and Jennifer Shaia (picturedbelow) for their extensive time and talents in

chairing Benefit 2010. As well, a specialthank you to Jenny and Jon Steingart whodonated their portion of the winnings in the

50/50 raffle back to the School. Finally, thankyou to our faculty for donating their time andactivities to this event. Nearly $120,000 was

raised for faculty compensation.

BENEFIT 2010The Elisabeth Morrow School

Above Top: The Loetschers lookingover a few items in the SilentAuction.

Above : Winner of the 50/50 raffle, Jenny Steingart, and herhusband, Jon.

May 6, 2010Alpine Country ClubAlpine, New Jersey

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Far Left:Melinda Insana, Kelli Agresta, HeideIlgenfritz and Amelia Gold.

Left: Tom Rivoir and Aidan Quinn.

Below Left:Nancy and Mitchell Lynn, Judy andGeorge Couri, Ashley and RonaldGrant.

Below:Jennifer Buquicchio raises her hand

to bid at the Live Auction.

Above: Kim Agresta Chiocco,Jasmine Jaswal, Hanita Walia.

Middle: Assistant Head of SchoolAaron Cooper thanks theattendees for their generosity.

Right: Anna Williams andKyungae Chung.

24

EMS SPRING SPORTS REVIEW

Above:Tennis player ZachCanelos.

Below:Girls’ Lacrosse playersEmma Loring andIsabella Oropeza.

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Boys’ Tennis

The inaugural season for boys’ tennis was a positive one.Fourteen boys in sixth, seventh and eighth grade made thedaily jog down the hill to the Englewood Field Club forpractice (and back up again afterwards). The group includeda mix of experienced and inexperienced players alike andpractices focused on tennis basic skills such as groundstrokes, serves, volleys and match strategy. Our schedule ofsix matches pitted us against very good teams fromDwight–Englewood, Saddle River Day and Horace Mann.Though the boys battled valiantly, we were unable to secureany wins during the season. We did, however, have a fewnotable moments, including seventh grader Zach Canelosplaying first singles beating his counterpart fromDwight–Englewood and going deep into other matches; andeighth grader Sam Loring and sixth grader Jon Candlerteaming up at first doubles to win their match against SaddleRiver Day School.

~ Coach Aaron Cooper

Girls’ Lacrosse

Lacrosse had our best season yet with a record of 3-3! Wewon two games against Dwight–Englewood and one gameagainst Columbia Prep. Our key scorers were IsabellaOropeza, Caitlin Ferrarese and Egan Sachs-Hecht. Togetherthey were a powerhouse of speed, with Sofiya Joseph andAshley Byran right behind them. Our goalie, Sara Merker,proved to be invaluable in the net.

New to the team were sixth graders, Abby Kwak,Anakatrina Zeidwig, So Young Jang and Emma Loring.Emma was a speed demon and fearless coming down thefield, scoring three goals for the season. They were versatileand eager to jump into the game at any time.

The rest of our offensive team consisted of Kensley Lipkaand Jane Buquicchio sharing the point position, and NatsukoTakashima anchoring second home. Our defensive teamwas anchored by the steady, smart play of Samantha Kirschand Rachel Park. Emily Latinsky served as both defenseand goalie when needed.

Eva Gurian, Selen Nehrozoglu, Jaclyn Schmaus andMimi Goss rounded out our strong, supportive bench.

We are looking forward to our sixth and seventh gradegirls returning next year. Good luck to our eighth graders ontheir journey beyond EMS. Congratulations team on aterrific season!

~ Coaches Martha Loring and Liz Gabriel

Girls’ Softball

Girls’ softball was revitalized in 2010 with the formation of abrand new team. Fourteen girls came out from sixth througheighth grades and joined together to create a supportiveteam and cohesive group.

The season provided our girls with learning experiencesas they became familiar with the game and its many rules.Five girls had played before and they made up the bulk ofthe infield. Eighth graders Rebecca Federman (1st base)and Phoebe Mattana (shortstop) led the infield, whileseventh grader Shira Federman (2nd base), sixth graderCasey McConville (pitcher) and sixth grader Abigail Rivoir(pitcher/catcher) added depth to the field.

Although the team experienced a losing season (1-5), thehighlight of our season was a win against Dwight–Englewoodwith only nine players on hand. Other highlights includedRebecca Federman hitting a home run in the first game ofthe season against Horace Mann, and back-to-back triplesfrom the Federman sisters (Shira and Rebecca) againstTeaneck Charter School. All of our novice players gainedinvaluable experience on the field and at bat. Colette Daibesproved to be a fast learner behind the plate, Viveca Rileymade some great plays at third base, and Ali Meyers backedup the infield at short centerfield. The outfield was acombination of Nicole Lugo, Julia Hyman, Taylor May,Catherine Grieco, Emily Insana, and Daniella Sheerins, whoall made excellent progress and developed their skills.

2010 proved to be a successful building year for girls’softball here at EMS and we look forward to the return of ournewly seasoned sixth and seventh graders next year.

~Coach Ginny Smith

GO EAGLES!

Boys’ BaseballThe 2010 baseball team finished the season with a winningrecord (4-3). The team swept the season series againstTeaneck Charter School and Saddle River Day School, andthey lost close games to St. Bernard’s and MontclairKimberley Academy. Joe Del Rio was the team’s top pitcherthis year. Eighth graders Ryan Kitts, Zach Walsh, MikeAnagnos, and Joe Del Rio were the top hitters on the team,while sixth grader Carter Hirschhorn was one of the bestplayers on the team, playing short stop and batting in thelead-off position. Newcomers Basil Williams, Jacob Hyman,and Nik Menne played key roles both offensively anddefensively.

~Coach Andy Escala

Gates Scholar:

JOSHUA SILVERSTEIN ’00

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ELISABETH MORROW ALUMNIEvan Brown, Director of Communications and Alumni · 435 Lydecker Street, Englewood, NJ 07631 · 201-568-5566 · alumni@elisabethmorrow.org

I have spent the past four years at Yale University, where I ama history major in Jonathan Edwards College. I fell in love withYale before I even knew if I had the grades to make it thereand I have never once doubted that it was the best place forme to spend my "bright college years.” I chose Yale because Iwanted the most challenging and rewarding experience I couldpossibly achieve and I have been blessed to attain both ofthose goals.

I was inspired to apply for the Gates CambridgeScholarship during my junior year. The application process isa long and rewarding journey of applications for those who canstomach it. Like its Oxford counterpart, the Rhodes, the Gatesis a full-cost scholarship program to Cambridge that seeksmen and women of intellectual ability, capacity to lead in theirfields, and a desire to use their knowledge to contribute tosociety.

The process begins with your application to the Universityof Cambridge. I chose to apply for a Masters of Philosophy inInternational Relations (IR). This is a one-year degree on thehistory, theory and practice of international relations, gearedfor those who seek to become practitioners in the field. Basedon my deep interest in matters of war and peace, and foreignaffairs at large, a degree in IR thus seemed perfect. I will be offto England in October after a retreat with the rest of theAmerican and international class of 2010 Gates Scholars.

After Cambridge, the sky is the limit. I have not yet decidedwhere I will go or what I will do. I will likely return to the UnitedStates to pursue a professional degree, either in law orbusiness, or stay on at Cambridge for a Ph.D. Ultimately, Ihope to pursue a career in either politics or policy inWashington, D.C.

I graduated from Elisabeth Morrow in 2000 and attendedmiddle school and high school at Ethical Culture FieldstonSchool in the Bronx. In looking back, my memories are

shockingly vivid. I remember sitting in the music room beingtested on my knowledge of classical music by Mrs. Deats (Ican say with certainty that none of my friends from Yale havea similar story). I remember playing timpani in what I stillconsider to be a world-class orchestra that demanded poiseand excellence from even its youngest members. I rememberlearning about the battles of the Persian Wars by reenactingthem in front of Morrow House's sloping lawn. I rememberlearning about environmentalism and conservation from Dr.Day. I remember developing a deep and abiding love for allthings cultural, musical, and culinary through the school'smany attempts to introduce its students to new horizons anddifferent worlds. I remember the “city game” with GeorgePenny and the shocking discovery that history was alive andthat its stories and lessons were important today. I rememberour Greek Olympics and learning the Aristotelian principles ofGreek tragedy and then attempting to apply them in my ownGreek play–yes, we even muddled through reading Aristotleas sixth graders! I remember the way Mr. Penny graded histests - every fact is worth a point, every fact counts. Iremember being inspired by this system to study voraciouslyuntil I could recite the textbook word for word and score morepoints than he did on many a test. However, Mr. Penny'spoint was not to indoctrinate his students or foster rotememorization, but rather to inspire an unquenchable thirst forknowledge, to make the acquisition and transmission ofwisdom, (even if in the form of tiny factoids) an impressiveand significant accomplishment even for someone as youngas 12.

Throughout my seven years at EMS, a community ofcaring and compassionate teachers helped me to find mypassion, and I realized I could accomplish any goal I set inmy sights. I left Elisabeth's Morrow's leafy campus with anunshakable sense of my own potential and the power ofperseverance. Thus, in a way, my current perception thatthere is no challenge too great to be overcome can be tracedto my experience at The Elisabeth Morrow School.

· The Elisabeth Morrow School, Class of 2000· Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Class of 2006· Yale University, Class of 2010,

• Phi Beta Kappa• Summa Cum Laude• William H. Schubart Prize for distinguished writing• Jonathan Edwards College Fellows Prize

for scholarship· University of Cambridge, attending fall 2010

• Gates Scholar

• Masters of Philosophy, International Relations

27

I do a job I love, one that involves going deep into foreign cultures andwatching America’s role in a changing world order. I live in Dubai, reportingon Iran and the Arab world for ABC News. The way I work reflects how myfield is changing: I file for television, radio, and web, some days with a fourperson crew, other days with just my laptop and a microphone. But it is thesame fun challenge of journalism, responding to breaking news, getting upto speed on relevant issues, then presenting complex information andanalysis in a clear and accessible way.

Naturally, reporting from abroad adds several dimensions to how I thinkand work. I need to be sure that what seems interesting and important fromhere, in my front row seat, connects to an audience thousands of milesaway. On the ground there is a balance of being the bold, go-gettingreporter that I am, within in a culture that has very different ideas aboutwomen’s behavior and the value of critical journalism.

Wherever I go I am constantly culturally sensitive; that means beingaware of local norms and watching out for how I’m perceived by thosearound me. In Iran I need to cover my head with a headscarf, or ‘hejab.’ InSaudi Arabia I must cloak my whole body in an ‘abaya,’ the black Islamicrobe that’s especially common among Arab women in the Gulf.

More than the physical changes, it is the exercise of sensitivity andbehavior that, when done right, can hugely enable my work. As a woman,I’m not necessarily at a disadvantage; given the separation of the sexes inconservative Muslim countries, I have more reach into stories about womenand how they live. That has led to some of my favorite moments: fromprofiling Iran’s female Tae Kwondo champion, heading to the 2008 BeijingOlympics, to filming a factory on the outskirts of Riyadh, Saudi Arabiawhere low-income women covered in black were working the assembly line,earning a living wage. In conservative Saudi Arabia, where women havelong been locked out of the workplace, that is the sign of a quiet revolution.

I owe a lot of my curiosity to Elisabeth Morrow, especially to GeorgePenny, the sixth grade teacher who woke me up to the world. He wouldmake us mine the New York Times for current events, then quiz us on itscontents. Another graded task involved memorizing the countries of theworld, a continent at a time, along with their currencies, capital cities, andother demographic tidbits. Beyond forcing us to crack open a map – it waseasiest to memorize when you could visualize – Mr. Penny made knowingthese things cool. That’s in part because we kids thought Mr. Penny wascool. But it was also a testament to the school itself: it created anenvironment where academic success was reinforced with positivefeedback. Learning at a young age from a broad base of activities – withthe range of classical music to Greek theater to environmental science –gave me an early taste for interdisciplinary thinking.

It also set a very peculiar expectation in me, that life should bestimulating and fun and hard work. That, I believe, led me to journalism.When a CBS News/60 Minutes producer named David Gelber came tospeak at Horace Mann, where I was in the eleventh grade, I jumped at thechance to be his summer intern (I had to create the chance, writing anearnest letter asking him to take on a high school student when mostinterns were in college). That landed me on the production team for EdBradley, a legendary correspondent who advised me that ‘to be good at TV,you should start by being good at radio.’ I took his advice, and spent myenergies at Harvard College running news broadcasts on our campus radiostation. During a sophomore summer at ABC News I had the gumption topitch story ideas to the network’s top anchors and producers; to my happyshock, some of those ideas made air. When I came back to interview atABC News, after working a year as a management consultant, there was afeeling of rightness in the pit of my stomach. I followed the feeling, workedhard as an off-air reporter at the ABC News Law & Justice Unit, starteddoing on-air work, then raised my hand when the opportunity arose to liveand work in the Middle East.

In the path toward a happy life there are certain constants: resilience,creative thinking, confidence in our abilities and in the risks we take.Elisabeth Morrow has helped me develop that set of skills. I keep workingat them over time, but remain deeply grateful that the school gave me ahead start.

· Elisabeth MorrowClass of 1994

· Horace Mann SchoolClass of 2000

· Harvard UniversityClass of 2004

LARA SETRAKIAN ’94

ABC NEWSFOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

FOR THE MIDDLE EASTDUBAI, UAE

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The Elisabeth Morrow School

ANNuAL ALuMNI PARTY April 8, 2010

Bowlmor Lanes

union Square, NYC

This year’s Elisabeth Morrow Annual Alumni Party was held at Bowlmor Lanes and Carnival at Union Square, in New York City.We had a good turnout and it was great getting to meet and shakehands with a wonderful group of alums. I hope you had a goodtime; it looks like you had a lot of laughs as you rolled a few ballsand chatted with former faculty and old friends. Special thanks toEric Piazza ’94 who did all of the legwork in finding a fun venue forthis event.

The Elisabeth Morrow School takes pride in its alumni. Pleasetake the time to keep us updated on your news. It’s always greatto hear from you and we look forward to seeing you all again (orperhaps for the first time) at our next alumni gathering.

All the best,

Evan BrownDirector of Communications and Alumni

ebrown@elisabethmorrow.org

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NAME

Suzanne AbuhadbaAkosua BonsuRachel BorghardNicholas BrownLauren CarrilloIn Sang ChangEmma EllisGoh EndoAlexander EvansMallory EvronKatherine HeaneyJohn KwakChristopher LavinioMax LesserJared LevineCarl LorinsOliver MarvinMoses MusaelianJason PakJeremy ScherGregory SchmausKatherine SiegelSophia SignorelliGregory TedescoAndrew TigheLaney Yang

SECONDARY SCHOOL

Montclair Kimberley AcademyChoate Rosemary Hall ’11Frisch School Dwight-Englewood School Sage School Dwight-Englewood School Northern Valley Regional High School The Masters SchoolGreen Meadow Waldorf SchoolDominican Academy Bergen County AcademiesPeddie School Dwight-Englewood SchoolBergen County Technical High School Riverdale Country SchoolDwight-Englewood School Horace Mann SchoolDwight-Englewood School Horace Mann School Tenafly High SchoolHank Haney Golf Academy/Heritage AcademyBergen County Academies Ethical Culture Fieldston SchoolDwight-Englewood SchoolYork Preparatory SchoolSt. George's School

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

Seton Hall University

Pratt InstituteAmerican UniversityRamapo College of New JerseyCarnegie Mellon University Colgate University Rutgers University Vassar College Rutgers University Yale University Franklin and Marshall College The George Washington University The George Washington UniversityDenison University The George Washington University Union College Carnegie Mellon University Vanderbilt University Rice University University of Houston Wellesley College Eugene Lang–The New School for Liberal ArtsColumbia University University of Hartford University of Michigan

The Elisabeth Morrow School · Class of 2006

To our first eighth grade graduates, the Class of 2006: We remember you well. The Elisabeth Morrow School sendsyou our congratulations, and we wish you best of luck as you head off to college this fall.

Back Row: Jason Pak, Rachel Borghard, Mallory Evron, Jared Levine, Goh Endo, In Sang Chang, Gregory Tedesco, Suzanne Abuhadba, John Kwak, Gregory Schmaus, Max Lesser, Moses Musaelian, Sophia Signorelli, Lauren Carillo, Katherine Siegel, Jeremy Scher Front Row: Katherine Heaney, Carl Lorins, Emma Ellis, Andrew Tighe, Christopher Lavinio, Alexander Evans, Oliver Marvin, Laney Yang, Nicholas Brown, Akosua Bonsu

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Pat Hooven ’33: “It’s so great to see so many of myformer first-grade students who are now parents ofstudents at the school. We could almost have hadour own reunion. I have been working part time atEMS doing the Before and After School Programs.Next fall I will be working with the North AmericanRiding for Handicapped Association–an internationalorganization that uses horses as partial therapy forchildren with disabilities.”

Keats Smith ’39: “I still remember my days at theLittle School on Lincoln Avenue. In Miss Abraham’sclass there was a blue wing chair, just like an adultchair, but it was just my size. I missed being thetightrope walker on Fair Day; I guess I was sick. Itwas a great disappointment.”

Tina Hahn Jacobson ’65: “I have three daughters:ages 26, 23 and 20. My oldest married in May of2009 and is in law school at Michigan. My youngestattends Columbia and my middle daughtergraduated from Columbia in 2008. She currentlytrains in Atlanta with hopes of making the U.S. 2010Olympic Fencing team. Are there any other EMSfencers?”

Cathy Chapman ’69 works as a PediatricNeurologist and has recently celebrated her 25thwedding anniversary with Vic Polk. She has twochildren: Abe, who attends Boston University, andEmily, who recently graduated from high school.

Lisa Diaz Nash ’70: “Back in Englewood in Maywhere I was Dwight-Englewood’s graduationspeaker, I saw Diane Barzman Heiman and CindyFrank Edelson. Also, I received the DistinguishedAlumni Award. I am now CEO of Blue Plant Run(www.blueplantrun.org). We manage safe drinkingwater projects around the world. Please join us.”

Jonathan Halpern ’70: “I am a partner at the lawfirm Bracewell and Giuliani, LLP., New York, where Irepresent companies and executives in governmentinvestigations and other white collar defensematters.”

Brad Clifford Cosman ’74 reports that he finishedhis first ultra-marathon back in February—the PonyExpress 50-mile run in Cameron Park, California.

Jennifer Gersten Price ’77: “My twins, Lizzie andHarry, are in the fifth grade at Horace Mann. Theyare 10 years old. I would love to hear from otherEMS alums.”

Thomas G. Johnson, Jr. ’79 has been living in theWashington, D.C. area for the past twenty years withhis wife, Lisa, and sons, Carter (3) and Calvin (10months).

CLASSNOTES

Rushika Conroy ’87 is finishing up her pediatricendocrinology fellowship at Columbia UniversityMedical Center. She is married with two children:Nevin (2) and Amalia (5 months).

Jared Hertzberg ’87 successfully defended hisphysics dissertation and will receive his doctorate inDecember at the University of Maryland. He iscurrently a postdoc at Cornell in the PhysicsDepartment. Jared’s research was recentlypublished in Nature Magazine.

Ned Puchner ’88 is currently working on his Ph. D.dissertation in American Folk Art at IndianaUniversity and was married to another Ph. D.candidate (in Art History) this past June.

Shailaja Koppolu ’89: “My husband, Dr. ElliotFarber, and I are anesthesiologists in Phoenix, AZ.We moved here from Boston last year and celebrateour third wedding anniversary this fall.”

Kavita Shah Bafana ’90: “I have moved back toNew Jersey after living in Chicago and Mumbai.Have started a music class for children called LittleUstaads and I have twin boys.”

Lacy Muhlfeld ’91 married Daniel Royer on October3, 2009 in Amagansett, NY. Ali Muhlfeld ’90 wasthe maid of honor. All reside in the Washington, D.C.area.

Ali (’90) and Lacy (’91) Muhlfeld, at Lacy’s wedding in Amagansett, NY.

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Rena Harper ’93 is attending the Tuck School of Business(at Dartmouth College).

Karissa Chen ’94: “After doing four years of PR, I quit myjob to do some travelling and volunteer work in Vietnam,teaching English and helping out in orphanages. I spent ayear in San Diego and have now moved back to the NewYork City area where I am pursuing an MFA in creativewriting and fiction. I am working on a novel.”

Charlotte Adams ’96 works for Sesame Workshop, thenon-profit behind Sesame Street, in New York City.

Michael E. Gruen ’96: “Three truths and a lie: 1. WroteTwitter for Dummies; 2. Date one of your current teachers;3. Hired as CEO of a healthcare technology company; 4.Invented a new type of toaster strudel.”

Mariella Soussa ’97 reports that she graduated fromFordham Law School in May.

Jordan Levine ’01 is president of the Penn Democratsand writes that he has met President Obama a few timesthrough this organization. He is also volunteering oncampus to teach underclassmen the art of public speaking.

Alexandra Levine ’02: “I am writing for severalstudent publications at U Penn and I am participatingin gymnastics. I would love to hear from old EMSclassmates.”

Kurtis Rhee ’06 just wrapped up his senior yearHorace Mann and will be attending Cornell Universitythis fall, a member of the Class of 2014. While atHorace Mann, he was the captain of the varsitytennis team.

Adam Sands ’06: “I graduated from RiverdaleCounty School and will be attending ColumbiaUniversity in the fall. I was recruited to theirneuroscience program and was selected to be partthe Undergraduate Science Scholar Program. I amreally excited to go. Last year I was lucky enough toco-author a paper with Nobel Laureate Dr. PaulGreengard which was published in the NationalProceedings of Science Journal. This summer, I amtravelling across Europe with my best friends fromRiverdale.”

Christina Ho ’07 writes that she will be entering hersenior year at Dwight-Englewood this fall.

Joshua Levine ’08: “I am playing water polo andskiing for Horace Mann.”

Shree Jayesh Patel ’09 sent a note saying that sheis entering her sophomore year atDwight–Englewood School.

A Very Special Thank You...The Elisabeth MorrowSchool would like to extendits thanks to the 2009–2010Parents Association Board.Thank you for all your hardwork and dedication to theSchool.

Back Row: Annitsa Philliou,Donna LoBue, DaphnéHelm, Jennifer Buquicchio.

Front Row: Jodee Fink,Hillary Hirschhorn, WendyKwak, Kelli Agresta.

Missing: Christine Benanti.

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CONGRATuLATIONS TO OuR NEWEST ALuMNIYour Faculty and Friends at The Elisabeth Morrow School wish you well

Andrew Abrahamsen · The Dwight SchoolMichael Anagnos · Riverdale Country SchoolAshley Bryan · Dwight–Englewood SchoolLuke Buquicchio · Hackley SchoolColette Daibes · Northern Valley Regional High SchoolJoseph Del Rio · Bergen Catholic High SchoolRebecca Federman · Riverdale Country SchoolCaitlin Ferrarese · Convent of the Sacred HeartPhoebe Gennardo · Horace Mann SchoolMimi Goss · The Masters SchoolJalen Henriquez · Paramus Catholic High SchoolNiall Higgins · The Masters SchoolZoe Homonoff · Bergen County AcademiesGregory Hyer · Fordham Preparatory SchoolDaryl Johns · Dwight–Englewood SchoolSofiya Joseph · Dwight–Englewood School

Benjamin Kesslen · Riverdale Country SchoolSamantha Kirsch · Bergen County Technical High SchoolRyan Kitts · Bergen Catholic High SchoolEmily Latinsky · Dwight–Englewood SchoolJaeho Lee · Columbia Preparatory SchoolSamuel Loring · Blair AcademyPhoebe Mattana · Dwight– Englewood SchoolTaylor May · Saddle River Day SchoolNatasha Nouri · Dwight–Englewood SchoolIsabella Oropeza · Riverdale Country SchoolRachel Park · The Lawrenceville SchoolBryan Rubin · Dwight–Englewood SchoolJakob Solheim · Champlain Valley High SchoolNatsuko Takashima · Horace Mann SchoolZachary Walsh · Hackley SchoolLena Woo · Horace Mann School

CLASS OF 2010

The Elisabeth Morrow School435 Lydecker Street

Englewood, NJ 07631

www.elisabethmorrow.org

201-568-5566

Return Service Requested

BYE BYE BLUESTONEThe Grace Muller Courtyard will look a little different whenyou return in the fall. That’s because the entire patio isgetting a much needed facelift. The old andcrumbling stone tiles will be replaced withpavers, giving a fresh look to one of ourattractive campus highlights.