FALL 2014 1 Nightingale- Bamford School Volume 9 Issue 1 Fall 2014

FALL 2014 1

÷e Blue Doors TheNightingale-Bamford SchoolVolume 9Issue 1Fall 2014

2 THE BLUE DOORS FALL 2014 1

Learning with Christine SchuttSophie McManus ’96 reflects on the brilliant teaching of Christine Schutt.

through the plans for our new schoolhouse

12 | ReunionAlumnae celebrate Nightingale and one another at Reunion 2014.

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Contents6 8

I Read BecauseIn their own words, Lower School students explain why they read.

18 | HallwaysStories and photographs from around the schoolhouse.

26 | Class Notes

32 | Voices

Striving forExcellenceNicole Ubinas ’14 shares her personal story.

THE BLUE DOORSVolume 9, Issue 1Fall 2014

A biannual publication ofThe Nightingale-Bamford School20 East 92nd StreetNew York, New York 10128nightingale.org

We would like to hear from you! Letters to the editor, class notes, story suggestions, corrections, and questions may be directed to [email protected].

In an effort to save paper, we have been working to consolidate our mailing list; if you have received multiple copies of this magazine at your address and would prefer to receive just one, please e-mail us at [email protected]. Thank you for your help as we strive to reduce our impact on the environment.

DESIGNPentagram

LAYOUTCZ Design

PRINTING AND MAIL INGAllied Printing Services PHOTOGRAPHYAll photography courtesy of subject, unless otherwise noted:

Cover, Christine Schutt, yoga, advising, 3D printing, Kindergarten, Ally Week, Marquis Scott, and Oliver Scholars by Nicki Sebastian

Paul Burke and the Nighthawk by Meagan Ouderkirk P’27

Nicole Ubinas and Class of 2014 by Matthew Septimus

Reunion by Matthew Sussman

Cum Laude, World Religions, and Homecoming by Susan Tilson

Varsity Tennis by Jessie Page ’03

Technovation by Dan Ristea

On the cover: Mikaela Leith ’21


FOREWORD

It All Starts With a Girl

To repeat what has, perhaps, already become a well-worn phrase for me, the best schools are led by ideas first, and people second. Nightingale has at the center of its mission a powerful and galvanizing idea: we commit to the success of every girl by educating her heart and her mind. Miss Nightingale, in her first commencement address to a graduating class of four in 1925, called this sort of education the “rarest of its kind.” She asked the graduates to share their lives, “which means forgetting yourself, and thinking of other people, remembering that only in sharing and in service, and in sacrifice, may the radiant fullness of life be realized.” This life, that Miss Nightingale articulates so powerfully, comes via an education that considers character as well as intellect, the heart as well as the mind.

Miss Nightingale was speaking to graduates in an interesting historical moment. The world of 2014 is very different from that of 1925, but it is equally uncertain. In the wake of the First World War, the argument for America to go it alone held great sway in the parlors of Fifth Avenue, as well as in the plains of Middle America. No serious thinker makes that argument today. In today’s world, a Nightingale graduate’s success depends, at least in part, in her capacity to connect with, to learn from, and even to lead people who have been educated and raised in very different circumstances. This means that a Nightingale education must consider and enlarge Miss Nightingale’s ambitions; today, we are going global.

Global or not, an education at Miss Nightingale’s school begins and ends with a girl. A girl who understands that self-awareness and self-care are as essential to her current wellbeing as they are to her future achievement. A girl who recognizes that while inequities remain, opportunities are expanding for a well-educated woman of character. A girl who understands how technology can connect her to people and ideas that heretofore were not reachable. A girl who has written—and spoken—and questioned and analyzed to such a degree that critical thinking is less something she does and more something she is. A girl who has actively seen the world beyond 92nd Street. A girl who has seen New York for its awesomeness, without being blind to its injustices.

The Nightingale-Bamford School of today continues to educate that girl. Our physical footprint on 92nd Street is growing with our latest schoolhouse expansion, and we need to seize this moment. To make the most of every girl’s time inside our blue doors, we need to consider how new spaces can inform pedagogy, assessment, and content. We must embrace this moment for what it is: an opportunity to improve, to learn; a time for all of us to embody the very purpose of a school. To that end, we have four school-wide goals this year:

• We will gather insights from all school constituencies to assure that our efforts in support of community building, diversity, and inclusivity are intentional. We will place our every girl ideal at the forefront of this initiative, and believe that doing so will give us an even better chance of achieving our mission.

• We will articulate a K–XII vision for technology that will inform educational practices and behavioral expectations for students, faculty, and staff.

• We are thinking hard about some of the hardest years of early adolescence and using what we learn to inform practices across all three divisions. Internally, we are calling this our Middle School Initiative. Externally we say that we are committed to connecting our youngest students to their older counterparts, and the older girls with our alumnae.

• We are preparing for the latest version of our schoolhouse. We are taking this year to consider how the new building will inform scheduling, offerings, pedagogy, assessment, and curriculum.

There is much to do for sure, but this is good and exciting work. Miss Nightingale rightly called our school’s first graduates “pioneers,” telling them that “it will be your peculiar honor and privilege to set a high standard, to establish a noble tradition for this school.” If we pursue these goals together, we will have embraced the spirit of the pioneer. More significantly, we will have done well by all 569 of Miss Nightingale’s girls of 2014–2015, each one deserving of our very best.

Paul A. BurkeHead of School


project of our class, the stakes would always be high. English was an exploration of human values and desires; of the forces of fate and context. It was about how the pleasure and puzzle of language spanned the gap between the autonomous self and the commons, the singular and the plural. Life within the self, life beyond the self, with language as the electric bridge between the two. In a good class, the mystery only deepened. Ms. Schutt held intellectual risk far above tidy conclusion. Despite this, the old fashioned, full-length use of the word preparatory still comes to mind. What a trick for a teacher to pull off: Ms. Schutt made the project of empathic learning feel like an act of rebellion.

And what about the hours after class? We must now turn to no one’s favorite thing, homework. How I groused about the volume of work we were assigned at Nightingale! Little did I know, for each hour we toiled at home, our teachers logged three. Pretend you are a teacher. You have three sections of 15 girls. Each week they give you seven pages of writing. On top of lesson planning and college recommendation letter writing and whatever else, you are now committed to 315 pages of active reading. A week. How do you manage? You must move fast, with a check mark here or there, a grade scribbled hastily at the end. But, from Ms. Schutt! Each page was a wall of encouraging graffiti, concluding with: “Get this clean and back to me, pronto.” Dear reader, while raising a family and producing her own brilliant stories and books (an adjective both the Pulitzer and National Book Award committees have

By Sophie McManus ’96The word English seemed misapplied. I was in that slouched desolation known as the tweens, evaluating my new class schedule, and too particular about the correctness of things. In math we learned math; in Latin, Latin. But in English we did not learn English. Even as we improved upon our reading and writing, we spent most of each 45 minute period examining the stories of people we’d never met, from times and places we’d never been. What name might better suit this pleasant activity, closer to gossip than grammar? What were we meant to learn?

The answer came by way of Christine Schutt. Her eighth grade literature class—the first of two or three Schutt classes most Nightingale girls would take on the way to graduation—was preceded by an unusual hum, a rumor of lightning on the curricular horizon. To begin study with Ms. Schutt signaled one was old enough for the real stuff, the big stuff, whatever that might be. The daring and clear-eyed creative writing by the older girls in Philomel confirmed it; so too did watching a Schutt class file unhurriedly out after the bell, their copies of Wuthering Heights or American Short Story Masterpieces increasingly cracked and dogged with love and marginalia as the semester wore on, their class discussions continuing down the hall, down the stairs, through the day.

Our turn came and did not disappoint. Here was Ms. Schutt, listening with her head tilted and with that sphinx-like smile all her students will remember. Hers was

from time to time agreed with), Ms. Schutt spent nights and weekends with our writing. And then she asked to see it again. An act all the more generous for its invisibility.

I took a haphazard poll of alumnae, asking for reflections on Ms. Schutt’s teaching. From her first class in 1984 to her last in 2013, each student’s reply began with the exclamation,

“Oh, Ms. Schutt!” Unanimous, too, was the certainty—vivid and fond—with which they spoke of her influence. Many rattled off the titles of books that matter to them still. All asserted how reading and writing are essential to who they are. English: the class might have been called Human Being. Those teenage years of change and tumult, when the self is daily forged, how we learn to read and write—to think—may matter more to who we become than any other time. In her 30 years at Nightingale, roughly one thousand girls, now women, learned from Ms. Schutt. Hers is no little story. It’s a great one, wide as it is deep.

Sophie McManus ’96 is a writer living in New York. Her novel, The Unfortunates, will be published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in June 2015.

In recognition and celebration of Ms. Schutt’s enormous contributions to our community, an endowed fund has been established to support the Christine Schutt Creative Writing Program, which will bring visiting writers to Nightingale to work directly with students.

a deep and concentrated regard, mixed with a slight, almost private merriment. Her responses often began: “Yeeeees…” with an appreciative under-laugh, as if her student’s observation was far more important and—to borrow one of her words—edgier than they knew. That yes was often followed by an and, for in her class a good answer invariably contained another question, in the generous, collaborative, and rigorous spirit of real learning. In discussions of, say, Othello, or A Good Man is Hard to Find, the stakes were high. Because—and here was my answer—it turned out English was about life. It was about how to be a person, about how if one walked into life paying attention, which seemed to be one

Learning withChristine Schutt

Christine Schutt, center, with English department colleagues Laura Kirk ’94, left, and Betsey Osborne at Authors’ Night 2012

To begin study with Ms. Schutt signaled one was old enough for the real stuff, the big stuff, whatever that might be.

After nearly 30 years as a member of Nightingale’s English faculty, award-winning author and beloved teacher Christine Schutt retired in June 2014. A record-setting three-time yearbook dedicatee, Ms. Schutt influenced generations of Nightingale girls with her inspired teaching.


Nicole Ubinas ‘14 is a freshman at Brown University. Last June,she was the featured speaker at the Lilac Ball, an annual event to benefit Prep for Prep, which places promising students of color in independent schools in New York City and boarding schools throughout the Northeast. In her remarks, included below, she shares her story of perseverance and triumph.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Nicole Ubinas, and in three days I will graduate from the Nightingale-Bamford School. After graduation, I will begin my third summer as a Preparatory Component advisor. I cannot think of a better way to spend my last summer before college than with my Prep family.

I became an advisor, a mentor to middle school students preparing for independent school, the summer after my sophomore year. This role was something that I’ve wanted since those first 14 months of crucial guidance from my own advisor, Bianca Nuñez. As many survivors of the Preparatory Component can attest, those years are really trial by fire, a period during which you pat yourself on the back for not getting a C. At least, until my advisor revealed to us that she never even got a single unprepared—a demerit students receive for incomplete or missing assignments. From then on, I realized the bar wasn’t just about being good—it was about being excellent. I’ve taken this lesson to heart ever since, and this summer I will rise to the position of assistant head of advisory. Over the years, I’ve helped my students navigate through basic things like time management, and not so basic things like divorces, unsupportive friends, and low self-esteem. Serving as an advisor meant not only helping young girls at a critical time in their lives, but it was also a chance to relieve my mother from some of her burdens.

My mother, like my advisor Bianca, strives for excellence: not to be merely good, but to go beyond expectations, in spite of all obstacles. Although she is a single mother, I never wanted for anything. As soon as I learned how to read, we would ride the train from Washington Heights to the 14th Street Barnes and Noble so I could sit with my books for hours. She was always there to deliver me to a ballet rehearsal or taekwondo class or whatever my passion of the moment was, never expressing disappointment when I no longer wanted to become a prima ballerina or a black belt. When I was admitted to Prep, my mother would wake up early on Saturday mornings to take me to classes. She was baffled when she had heard the mother of one of my public school classmates say, “I would never wake up that early on a Saturday—it’s my day to sleep in.” There was no sacrifice my mother deemed too great for my success, and I wanted to provide for her just as she had done for me.

You see, by the time I began in the advisory system as a sophomore, it was the third job that had given me the opportunity to help my mom with the rent. My first was working as a counselor at Nightingale’s day camp. I was 14. When I received my first paycheck, I immediately knew what I was going to do with it. I was so excited to hand it over to my mom and watch as her eyes lit up with joy. But instead they swelled with tears. She was ashamed that despite

working seven days a week, ten hours a day as a home health aide, she couldn’t make ends meet. However, I was not ashamed—not of her nor my role in my family. I assumed my responsibility as a second provider of our three-person household, which includes my grandmother. In 2011, we suffered a severe financial crisis that almost left us without a home. It motivated me to work harder inside the classroom and out, in the hopes that one day my family will not want for anything.

Some of you may be expecting me to lament having to work at 14, having to provide during an age where most children expect an allowance. On the contrary, I feel privileged: I am privileged to have a mother who cultivated my love of learning and an expectation for excellence. I am privileged to be attending an amazing school that I can call my second home. And I am privileged to be part of the supportive and nurturing family that is Prep for Prep. This is not the case for some of the youth I would see in my neighborhood. One of my neighbors, a girl that I’d played dolls with as a child, became a mother at 14, and the little boys I used to see playing ball are now young men, lurking on street corners.

I have come to understand that Prep for Prep’s short-term goal may have been to place me in an independent school,

but its long-term goal was to mold me into a leader. I took full advantage of all of the opportunities I had to better myself and my community. At Nightingale, I was the vice president of the student body and co-head of the Women’s Rights Club. I was a peer leader, a member of the varsity dance team, and served as an ambassador of Nightingale on numerous panels. My mother was amazed by the school trips I took with my classmates to England and Italy, places that she’d only read about in her novelas. Nightingale encouraged me to take

risks and recognize my full potential, so I challenged myself with languages like Mandarin and took multiple Advanced Placement classes. I was honored to receive a Mandarin Prize, the Wellesley Book Award, and two Nightingale-Bamford Citizenship Awards for leadership.

My mother’s biggest dream—really, what she left the Dominican Republic for—was to see me go to college. I thought she would pass out from excitement when I told her I would be attending Brown University in the fall. Instead, she gave me a loving but confused look: “Brown? Marrón? Why is it named after such an ugly color?” While she was pleased with the fact that I was going somewhere, she did not have enough familiarity with American schools to recognize my achievement. A few weeks later, I invited her to a Brown admitted students reception at a gallery in Chelsea, where she met a Brown alumna and parent from Cuba who gracefully took my mother, who had been shyly clinging to me all evening, aside. “You know, your daughter is one of 8% of students that Brown accepted this year from an applicant pool of over 30,000 students,” the alumna said to her in Spanish excitedly. My mother’s eyes started to well up, this time tears of utter joy and pride. I hugged her, looked into her eyes and said “Lo hicimos, Mami. We did it!”

Striving forExcellence

I hugged her, looked into hereyes and said “Lo hicimos, Mami. We did it!”

Nicole Ubinas ’14 and her mother, Yomaira Ticona, following Nightingale’s graduation ceremony on June 12, 2014


Why do YOU read? In anticipation of the book fair last April, Lower School girls were asked to answer that question by completing the sentence

“I read because…” with their own words and drawings. The thoughtful responses that appear on the following pages are just a sampling of the wonderful work that filled the schoolhouse stairwells last spring.

I Read Because



Alumnae gathered at the schoolhouse on May 16 for Reunion 2014, which featured a new one-day format. Returning alumnae had the opportunity to reconnect with classmates and faculty as they visited classes in all three divisions, enjoyed lunch with Head of School Paul A. Burke, attended the Founders’ Day assembly, and celebrated athletics at Nightingale at a festive evening cocktail party.

At the annual Founders’ Day assembly, Liz Levitt Hirsch ’69 received the Distinguished Alumnae Achievement Award for her groundbreaking work both for Levitt Pavilions and generally in the world of philanthropy, and Nancy Adams Downey ’59 was honored with the Distinguished Alumnae Service Award for her lifetime of service to Nightingale.

The all-alumnae cocktail party on Friday evening provided the opportunity for reconnecting with old friends, as well as current and returning faculty; introducing the newly created Athletic Hall of Fame; and celebrating its first inductee, former athletic director Jenny Smith! The crowd surprised Jenny by donning special sweatbands adorned with her signature “P-S-Y-C-H-E-D” cheer and toasted to her long and successful career at Nightingale.

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Reunion 2014 4

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Photos Online!

All photos from Reunion 2014 are available

at nightingale.org/alumnae or through the

Nightingale Alumnae app. Questions about the

app? Visit nightingale.org/alumnae and click

on “Alumnae App” for more information.

1) Brooke Brodsky Emmerich ’91, Nancy Adams Downey ’59, Liz Levitt Hirsch ’69, and Head of School Paul A. Burke2) Mimi Cheung ’04, Christine Henderson Brodnan ’04, and Samantha Kleinman ‘043) Emily Schor ’04, Serda Yalkin ’04, and Arielle Cohen ’044) Top: Danielle Sapse ’94, Ayana Brown ’94, Katie Kessler ’94, Laura Kirk ’94, Bethany Eppner ’94, Jenny Kosovsky Flandina ’94, Liz Boehmler ’94 Bottom: Jean Boehmler Reynolds ’94, Alice Birnbaum Roebuck ’94, and Emily Levin Hammann ‘945) Jeanne Finnigan-John, Millicent Hennessey ’12, Katherine Lipman ’12, and Ali Gale ‘126) Elizabeth Riley Fraise ’98, Krissie McGuire ’98, Kate Dockery ’98, and Emily Levin Hammann ‘947) Stacy Calder Clapp ’91, Jennifer Wilder Belew ’90, Amie Rappoport McKenna ’90, Hope Perelman ’91, and Rosanna Jones Anderson ’90


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8) Marea Adams ’74, Victoria Lasdon Rose ’74, and Julie Sogg Seymour ‘749) Ann McChord, Emma Carron ‘08, and Candace Graff ‘0810) Christina Kirk ’89, Natasha Fekula ’89, Laura Mann-Lepik ’89, and Joanna Griner Cawley '8911) Head of School Paul A. Burke greets Christina Henderson Brodnan ’04, with Jennifer Seley ’04 looking on12) Gail Harvey ’64, Barbara Joy Langer ’64, Alexandra Obolensky ’64, Laura Gore Ross ’64, Roxanne Wickware Flornoy ’64, and Kathleen Miller ’64 meet with their pen pals from Class IV13) Former Director of Athletics and Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Jenny Smith addresses the crowd14) Sara Allan ’11 and Amanda Matland Allan ‘71 15) Krissie Mulvoy Williams, Ana Iglesias ’09, and Caroline Couch ’09


CLASS OF 2014 Congratulations to the 39 girls of the Class of 2014 (seen here posing for their class photo on graduation day) who are now attending the following colleges and universities:

Amherst College Binghamton University (SUNY) Brown University (2) Carleton College (2) College of Charleston Cornell University (2) Dartmouth College Davidson College The George Washington University (2) Hamilton College

Harvard College (3) Johns Hopkins University Macalester College Maryland Institute College of Art Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2) University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Michigan New York University (3) Northwestern University Oberlin College

Pennsylvania State University, Altoona Princeton University Skidmore College Trinity College Vassar College Washington University in St. Louis Wesleyan University Wheaton College (2) Whitman College


Ha l l w a y s

Stories and photographs from around the schoolhouse

As part of the PE curriculum, faculty members Lisa Campbell, Jeanne Finnigan-John, and Allison Trotta help to educate, relax, and strengthen the hearts and minds of girls in Classes VIII–XII during weekly yoga classes. Here, Xixi Wang ’18 works on her parsvakonasana (side angle pose).

cum laude society inducts new members

On April 25, 2014, Sophia Jenkins ‘14, Jacqueline Kumble ‘14, Lindsay Kumble ‘14, Arlene Casey ‘15, Evelyn Elgart ‘15, Marlo Knapp-Fadani ‘15, and Rebecca Lin ‘15 were inducted into Nightingale’s chapter of the national Cum Laude Society, which celebrates the academic excellence of juniors and seniors with exemplary academic records. India Dasbach ‘14, Olivia Herrington ‘14, Hope Lutwak

‘14, and Sydney Sieh-Takata ‘14 had previously been inducted into the Cum Laude Society at the end of their junior year.

The featured speaker at the Cum Laude Assembly was Samantha Kleinman ‘04, who works for the National Football League as manager of player engagement, where she specializes in the personal and professional development of current and former players. Reflecting on the values of truth, friendship, and loyalty that were stressed throughout her Nightingale education and remain critically important to her today, Ms. Kleinman encouraged all of the girls present at the assembly to remain true to those values and to look for others who share them as they move beyond the blue doors.

students recognized for excellence in latin

Nightingale students have consistently done well on the National Latin Exam, and this year was no exception. Under the joint sponsorship of the American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League, the annual exam was given in February to over 140,000 students from all 50 states and 17 foreign countries.

In their first year of exam eligibility, 30 seventh-graders earned a ribbon and certificate for outstanding achievement in the Introduction to Latin Exam, and another nine received certificates for achievement. Students in Classes VIII–XII earned 31 summa cum laude certificates and gold medals, 19 maxima cum laude certificates and silver medals, 10 magna cum laude certificates, and 10 cum laude certificates. In addition, special recognition was given to 14 students for earning a perfect score.

Two Nightingale students also received special book prizes for their consistently excellent scores on the exam over a number of years: Evelyn Elgart ’15 and Olivia Herrington ’14 were recognized for winning gold medals for four and five consecutive years, respectively.


spring nighthawks teams finish strong

Nightingale’s varsity athletes reached new heights last spring, achieving tremendous success across all sports. After a strong season in track, the Nighthawks had an impressive showing at the AAIS varsity track championships last May, placing first in three events and third in another. In softball, the varsity squad capped off their regular season tied for first place in the league and made it to the finals of the AAIS tournament, and varsity lacrosse finished second in the league and won the AAIS tournament! Not to be outdone, varsity tennis had nothing short of an outstanding season: they won the league with a perfect 13-0 record and received an invitation to compete in the prestigious Mayor’s Cup All-Scholastic Tennis Championships, advancing all the way to the finals before falling to Beacon High School.

advising program launches in middle school

The Middle School has introduced a new advising program this year, which has taken the place of the homeroom teacher system. In order to provide a greater level of support for every Middle School girl, classes are no longer divided into two homerooms, but instead have been divided into advisory groups of nine or ten girls; each group meets twice a week and is led by a faculty member. The 19 faculty advisors working with Middle School girls this year are all talented and caring adults who have experience with and understanding of the unique developmental needs of early adolescent girls, and they are tasked with overseeing the social, emotional, and academic wellbeing of each girl in their advising group. In addition to their formal bi-weekly meetings, advisors are a daily part of their advisees’ lives, with several points of connection throughout the week.

class vii joins world religions class on sept 12

On September 12, Class VII joined juniors and seniors in Dr. Kasevich’s World Religions elective to learn more about Hinduism from Hindu urban monk and Columbia University chaplain Gadadhara Pandit Dasa (known as Pandit). Pandit gave the girls an overview of Hinduism, discussing various aspects of the religion including karma, reincarnation, and vegetarianism. The special joint class allowed the Class VII girls to share a classroom experience with Upper School girls and to deepen their understanding of Hinduism, which they were studying in history class.

ms 3d printing club explores exciting new technologies

Girls in the Middle School 3D printing club are enjoying the opportunity to dive into the emerging technology of 3D printing through hands-on learning and skill development. They began by exploring 3D scanning technique, first scanning their bodies into the computers and then printing scaled replicas of themselves, using the Makerbot Replicator 3D printer. After that initial project, the girls have been engaging in the 3D design process and using online modeling software to design anything from cell phone cases to jewelry; each girl prints her design using the 3D printer and eagerly awaits the result!


kindergarten welcome One of Nightingale’s most beloved traditions is that of the seniors welcoming the Kindergarten girls into the community by greeting them at the blue doors on their first day of school and escorting them to their classrooms on the fourth floor. On September 5, the young women of the Class of 2015 met each member of the Class of 2027 with a smile and an outstretched hand.

homecoming 2014 Nighthawks spirit was everywhere for Homecoming weekend on September 19 and 20. Fans filled the sidelines and stands to capacity to support our student-athletes as they competed strongly against their counterparts from Spence. With wins from varsity soccer and JV volleyball and an impressive showing by varsity volleyball against Spence’s NYSAIS championship-winning team, there was much to cheer about!

The weekend began with a festive in-school pep rally for Upper School students, followed by a jam-packed poster-making party for Lower School girls before the soccer game. Many fans traveled by bus to Asphalt Green for the game and enjoyed snacks and treats at the joint Nightingale-Spence “tailgate” party just outside the field. The fun continued back at the schoolhouse on Saturday, when more than 300 people came to take in the volleyball matches, hear the Upper School Chamber Chorus sing a beautiful rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” and enjoy a delicious barbecue lunch at our all-school party on the roof!

ally week at nightingale Nightingale students joined schools across the nation the week of October 13 as active participants in Ally Week, with programming led by Spectrum, our Upper School Gay-Straight Alliance. Ally Week is an annual event sponsored by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) and is dedicated to identifying, supporting, and celebrating allies who speak out against anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. To kick off the week, Middle and Upper School students were invited to sign the Ally Pledge, and Upper School girls sported rainbow ribbons to identify themselves as allies. In addition, Middle School students had the opportunity to hear from the co-heads of Spectrum and a panel of Upper School girls who shared their own experiences serving as allies. Later in the week, Spectrum and CAFE hosted a student-led discussion on the coming out process. Students and faculty members shared personal stories, opening the space for all participants to share their thoughts and experiences.


Nightingale welcomed Marquis Scott as director of information technology in July. Mr. Scott comes to Nightingale with a wealth of experience: he spent the last 12 years at Newark Academy, an independent school in Livingston, New Jersey, moving quickly from the position of academic technologist to director of information technology, the role he held for nearly nine years. During his tenure at the school, Mr. Scott also served as a diversity coordinator and director of Newark Academy’s Summer Bridge program, a six-week summer educational enrichment program.

A graduate of the Hotchkiss School and Union College, Mr. Scott exemplifies the idea of a lifelong learner. He holds an MA in educational leadership from Montclair State University and expects to receive an MBA in strategy and leadership from Rutgers Business School in May 2015. In his own words, “professional development is important in ensuring success in education and, especially, if we are to be role models to our students.”

Mr. Scott has arrived at Nightingale at a time of great excitement and innovation with respect to the use of technology both in and out of the classroom. From the 1:1 iPad program for Classes III–XII to our highly successful Middle and Upper School Technovation teams, there is much to build upon in the area of technology, and Mr. Scott has moved quickly to evaluate and expand the school’s existing program. “Our goal,” he says, “is to integrate educational technologies in a way that maximizes teaching and learning for teachers and students and—equally important—ensures that our girls are equipped with the hard and soft technology skills they need in their digital world.”

Marquis Scott Joins Nightingale as Director of Information Technology

success at technovation challenge world pitch 2014

Last spring, five Upper School girls and five Middle School girls participated in a mobile application development program after school to develop two exciting new apps, SafeTeen (created by Anna Maria Stebbins ‘14, Isabel Velazquez-Acero ‘14, Annie Jacobson ‘15, Isabel Geddes ‘16, and Nicole Lopez ‘16) and FieldTripper (created by Jackie Luke ‘18, Isabelle Wood ‘18, Emma Contiguglia ‘19, Maria Eduarda (Tutu) Jereissati ‘20, and Summer Williams ‘20). The students were challenged to identify a need within their community and to create an app to address that need. In response to that challenge, the Upper School girls created SafeTeen to connect teenagers to local teen hotlines and safe spaces, while the Middle School girls developed FieldTripper, which simplifies field trip logistics for all participants by putting all trip-related information, such as permission slips, packing lists, and medical forms, in one, easily accessible, place.

Alongside more than 350 other teams from around the world, the girls submitted their apps to Technovation Challenge World Pitch 2014, the world’s biggest app development competition for girls. Each team’s submission to the competition included not only the mobile application itself, but also a business plan, a website showcasing their work, and two videos explaining the apps to the judges. As part of the program, the girls also explored various facets of the tech world, attended a hack day, and worked with designers, developers, and business analysts to improve their overall application.

This was the first entry into the competition by a Nightingale Middle School team (or any middle school team, as the category was newly established for the 2014 challenge) and the second for an Upper School team: last year’s

class viii students explore art for social change

After examining the effectiveness of The New Yorker magazine covers as a tool to promote social change, Class VIII students in Ms. Tobin’s Art for Social Change elective explored a wide range of current events—including domestic violence by NFL players, the drought in California, actress Emma Watson’s address to the United Nations about feminism, and climate change—before choosing one to research and discuss with the class. Each student then used her chosen topic as the inspiration for her own magazine cover.

team won the global competition with Arrive, an attendance-taking app that allows students to check in at school with their phones, sends text messages to parents to let them know their children have arrived safely, and tracks attendance and late arrivals for school administrators.

Inspired by the success of Team Arrive, both of this year’s teams worked very hard on their applications and both were named as top 10 finalists in their divisions! All finalists received invitations to travel to Silicon Valley and present their apps at World Pitch Night; on June 18, at Intel’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California, both teams pitched their apps before an audience of 250 Silicon Valley technologists and entrepreneurs, defending their ideas in front of judges and venture capitalists. While in California, the girls also had the opportunity to visit with technology experts and pose career and tech related questions at Stanford University, Draper University, Mozilla, Facebook, and Google.

Both teams delivered impressive presentations and represented themselves and Nightingale extremely well. Team SafeTeen placed eighth out of more than 200 teams in the high school division, and Team FieldTripper won the middle school division, placing first out of 150 teams and winning a $5,000 cash prize to help them bring their app to market!

Nightingale teachers, as well as mentors from the innovative software design company Thoughtworks, committed endless hours of time and energy to guiding the girls through their projects; in particular, Dan Ristea, Tiffany Lentz, Amy Schantz, Elina Simonetou, Rachel Laycock, and Cassandra Shum deserve special mention.

Congratulations to everyone involved in making both apps a reality. This incredible achievement is a testament to the girls’ and their mentors’ hard work, innovative ideas, and dedication.


I can’t begin to think about boxes of memories already packed and in storage and years worth of stuff to go through at the other end. It’s daunting indeed, but it will be fun to weed it all out and simplify. I will report back when it’s all over and we are settled in!”

Virginia Kirkland Stuart ’63 is happily retired in Saugatuck, Michigan, sailing, doing community theater, and tap dancing. She and Laird also got to spend last winter in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and plan to return again this spring.

Diane Falk ’65 continues to work as a research writer, editor, and educator for scholarly publishing projects, reading and editing PhD dissertations and writing articles for online encyclopedias, including book reviews for the WorldandI.com. Diane writes: “The English teachers at Nightingale really enabled me with writing proficiency and ability.” Diane also works extensively with local, national, and international education and community service projects.

Elizabeth Cary Mungall ’66 writes: “After a year of monthly spot checks and waiting, we got back the GPS radio collars that my project had put on African Dama Gazelles living as protected exotics in West Texas. As we decode the collar data, we can finally see how these bucks use their rangeland.”

Lisa Purvin Oliner ’72 writes: “While I did not graduate with my class in 1972, I attended Nightingale from third through ninth grade and have many fond memories of the numerous multimodal literacies I learned

the Adirondacks, my family's ancestral summer digs, is equally accessible, as is NYC, two hours to the south. Thus positioned in lovely, exciting Hudson, I spend my time painting in my studio and taking lots of walks—when I'm not traveling east, west, north, or south to visit family and friends! I'd be delighted to hear from any of my old (!) pals from Nightingale who would like to get in touch with me. If in a 200 mile or so radius, perhaps we could plan a get-together!” Hedvig may be reached at [email protected].

Patricia Lee Eoyang ’57 writes: “Spending the fall semester in Hong Kong, as my husband teaches a translation seminar for MA students here each year. This allows us to maintain our permanent residence status (we lived in Hong Kong from 1996–2008) and make side trips in the area. We just came back from Singapore (where our older son is based) and Borobudur, Indonesia (an amazing temple in a depressing country); [we] leave at month’s end for New Zealand to attend a niece’s wedding at Hawkes Bay and will travel to Thailand around Thanksgiving to visit friends at Chiang Mai University. We return to the US in mid-December via Kona, Hawaii (where our older son has a home), and will just miss seeing Jill Hyde Scott ’57 by a day, as she flies in the day before we leave. We did visit Jill and Denny in Providence in the spring, and enjoyed catching up. Another classmate I keep in touch with is Dede Bonnett Guessous ’57, who lost her husband recently after a long illness. She is returning to live in the US after spending the last 45+ years in Morocco. The recent protests in Hong Kong were indications of the strong feelings of the local people, but it is very unlikely China will change its stance.”

Marin Jones Shealy ’46 writes that she keeps in touch with Marjorie Stradella Hodgman

’46, Joyce Waley Morton ’46, DG Bancroft Gowin ’46, and Eleanore Hoepli Didriksen ’46.

Cornelia Manierre Baddeley ’47 writes: “Getting old is no fun. My husband, Bill, died in November [2013], and I am in a retirement home in Memphis near our son Will and his wife (who is a nurse).”

Brook White Martin ’48 writes: “Entered at seventh grade—the best education I had! Miss Hill, Miss Ball, Madame Stevenson, Miss Wade, and Miss Keyser— all excellent! LOVED class work but wouldn’t go home and learn it! My deepest regret in life!”

Janine Jordan ’51 recently retired her kitchen and bath design service, JJ Interiors, Kitchen & Bath Design by Janine, and was awarded emerita status by the National Kitchen & Bath Association in August 2014.

Annabel Stearns Stehli ’57 writes that her son, Mark Stehli, is assuming leadership of the Georgiana Institute, the non-profit organization that Annabel founded in 1991. Mark is a trader with Citadel, a hedge fund in New York. Annabel is thrilled to have been invited to be the keynote speaker at a conference on the Berard Method of Auditory Training in London in March. She writes: “The host, Rosalie Seymour, an audiologist/speech pathologist in the UK, says I haven’t been celebrated enough for starting the whole thing.”

Joan Umpleby Salm ’62 writes: “Guenther’s and my adventure this year is a real estate one...we have both our condo in Westchester and our lovely waterfront home in Shelter Island on the market. We will be moving to the Old Lyme, Connecticut area at some point, but we are currently having a crazy period of limbo. It’s all good and the right thing to do, and we have come to terms with this major change. We are both retired now and have no need to be in a one bedroom condo, which was a perfect perch for my 23 years of commuting to my job in NYC. In Connecticut we will be closer to both daughters in Maine and Cape Cod, and my sister lives in Essex, CT. We will have a big enough house to accommodate family gatherings and have easy access to NYC via Metro North and to Shelter Island via the ferry from New London...it seems like the perfect solution.

She is the only certified kitchen designer in North Carolina to hold such status. Janine writes:

“I occasionally still tickle the ivories playing improv jazz… I grew up in that era of blues—[I] will be 82 on October 12! Yay! Made it this far in good health!”

Marianne Aebli Farmer ’52 writes: “It is hard to believe that 62 years have passed since we were at Nightingale, and I wonder where are my old classmates and how are they doing in our old age. I still play golf although I am terrible, but I like to be out with my friends and I like to spend time with my children and four granddaughters, two of whom are in college and two graduated and employed.”

Patricia Tucker Ewert ’55 reports that she had lunch in New York with Joan Davis Baekeland ’55 and Jean Hope ’55, who was visiting from her home in Rome. Pat writes: “I also had a lovely visit in Tucson with Barbara White Walker ’55 and her husband. On various occasions over the last year, I have seen Mary Hyde Ottaway ’55, Marcia Tuthill Palmer ’56, and Annabel Stearns Stehli ’57, who was given a fun party for her 75th birthday.”

Hedvig Lockwood ’56 writes: “My news is simply that I’m now living in Hudson, NY, a few hours drive from Ithaca, where my daughter, Zoe Hare, and her family live, and a few in the other direction from close relatives in southern Massachusetts. Heading north, Keene Valley in

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c l a s s n o t e s

Class notes are published twice a year in each issue of The Blue Doors. If you have any

updates you would like to share with your classmates, please e-mail them to [email protected].

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there. I do not think it an overstatement to say that without that early exposure to the rich Nightingale curriculum, I would not be where I am today.” Lisa will be speaking in November at the annual convention of the National Council of Teachers of English in Washington, D.C.

Belinda Aberbach Stevenson-Agar ’72 writes: “My oldest son, Elie, and his wife, Stephanie, had their first child—and my first grandchild—Julian Henry Stevenson, born Sept. 23, 2013. Julian just had his first birthday! What a joy.”

Sarah Hearn ’74 writes: “This past year has been very busy for me. I continue in my work as a federal public servant, reaching 28 years of service (which entitles me to six weeks of annual leave—woot!) in June of this year. I can’t believe I will be able to retire in fewer than two years. On a more personal front, our second grandchild was born in March, missing sharing a birthday with her Grandpa by one day. I have also been very busy in my “other life,” the theatre, directing three plays and acting in two others between February 2013 and September 2014. In 2012–13, the Ottawa Little Theatre celebrated its 100th season and I was honored to direct the play representing the sixth decade, Come Blow Your Horn by Neil Simon, and I reprised my role as Dotty Ottley in Noises Off, which represented the ninth decade. This summer, I directed the world premiere of The Lights of Shangri-La, a play by local playwright David Whiteman, for TotoToo Theatre, the LGBT theatre company in Ottawa. We had wonderful reviews (“discerning direction”) and highly appreciative audiences. I have also revived my love of embroidery and needlework and am simply waiting for my right hand to recover from surgery before I return to it.”

Lori Weiner Lander ’74 was recently awarded the Spirit Award by the Maud Morgan Art Center in Cambridge, MA. The citation that accompanied the award read:

“In her art and life, Lori Lander embraces community. Her series of paintings, Rhythms and Rituals: The Work of Women, captures everyday moments in communal gathering places such as markets, rice fields, and festivals around the world, particularly on the Indonesian island of Bali. Lander is also the co-founder of Many Helping Hands, the Cambridge

Nicole Kohn ’78 had a solo painting show at OCHI Gallery in Ketchum, Idaho. Her work (a sample of which is above) may be seen online at ochigallery.com/nicole-kohn.

Christina Wright Lowenstein ’79 is a private educational consultant and the founder of TheWrightTutor.com. She guides families through the college admissions process, advising students on course selection, standardized testing, extracurricular activities, meeting community service requirements, and summer options—always adhering to the philosophy that the best route to college acceptances is for students to pursue what they love. Christina also coaches students through the application process itself.

Zoe Weil ’79 writes: “The Institute for Humane Education, where I’m president, is working with a team in New York City to open a preK–12 Solutionary School dedicated to educating students to be engaged and joyful problem-solvers for a better world. The school will be opening in 2016. Meanwhile, I’ll be receiving an honorary doctorate from Valparaiso University at their graduation this spring.”

non-profit behind the Cambridge Martin Luther King Day of Service, which drew 2,300 people for an afternoon of hands-on service last year. Lander believes ’when people come together with others in their communities...there is little that they can’t accomplish.’” Lori writes: “This award has roots in my experience as a student at Nightingale. I first became involved in community service work in Middle School with the Nightingale Social Service Club, led then by Miss Hamilton. I have been deeply involved in community service ever since. I began painting at Nightingale and had wonderful art teachers—including Miss Basilevsky—who taught me how to draw and first introduced me to oil painting. Lastly, our seventh grade teacher, Mrs. Williamson, showed our class a film made by the anthropologist Margaret Mead about her work in Bali, Indonesia. I carried those images with me for years, and finally went to Bali in 1978. I have returned many times since and many of my paintings are of women at work there. My paintings can be seen on my website at lorilander.com.” Lori also adds that her daughter, Jessica Lander, has just published her first book, Driving Backwards, a non-fiction portrait of the small New Hampshire town that was the inspiration for the novel Peyton Place.


English countryside with Cookie, our new dog. You can read about life in the English countryside on my blog at mandolyna.blogspot.com. I am still working as an interior decorator in London and running Taki’s Magazine.”

Gillian Grady ’95 gave birth to a son, Breccan Andrew Misenheimer, on June 11, 2014. Breccan weighed in at 8 lbs 13 oz and was 21 inches long.

Hilary Koyfman ’95 gave birth to a daughter, Ruby Grace Koyfman, on July 20, 2014.

Amanda Potters Schumacher ’95 and her husband, Steven, welcomed their second daughter, Reese Henrietta Schumacher, on October 9, 2014. Amanda writes:

“So far, Reese is such a sweet, easygoing baby, but we're only one week in, so fingers crossed. Sydney is loving being a big sister and is so sweet with Reese.”

Samar Alghanim Beloberk ’96 and her husband, Sanjin Beloberk, welcomed Aidan “Edo” Andreos Alghanim Beloberk in March 2014.

Devon Saunders Mennella ’97 and her husband, James, welcomed a second son, Leo Martin Mennella, on May 8, 2014. Devon writes that “big brother Henry (3 years old) is thrilled.”

Heather McLaughlin ’86 writes: “We celebrated my Daddy’s 80th birthday in Ireland and London this summer—his fifth visit to Ireland and my children’s first! They loved seeing all the sheep everywhere, staying in a real castle, and even kissing the Blarney Stone—it was grand! Hope everyone is well and wishing you all an early Merry Christmas and happy holiday season!”

Stacey Street ’86 writes: “After working for three years at Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific, where I directed an expansion campaign that raised $6.5 million to build two new regional health centers and expand education and advocacy services, I am now serving as the Chief Development Officer for Richmond Community Foundation based in Richmond, California. Although my primary focus is still fundraising, it is extremely interesting to work for a community organization that not only provides grants and training to local nonprofits, but also participates in collaborative work to support effective community

“Science is never repetitive. Research is a hard, challenging career but extremely rewarding. I can go to work every day and learn something new. There are not many career paths like this— I was hooked.”

Marta Wegorzewska ’03 is passionate about science. Currently completing her post-doc in immunology at

Washington University in St. Louis, Marta is continuing to build a career in scientific research that began in high school.

When she was only a sophomore, Marta was accepted to a program at Cold Spring Harbor Lab where she studied molecular biology techniques. As a junior and senior, she interned at Mount Sinai where she studied factors that drive the differentiation of cancer muscle cells. This experience at Mount Sinai helped seal Marta’s interest in research and also marked the first time she was published as an author; her study appeared in Molecular Carcinogenesis.

Although she has always had an inherent interest in science, Marta said it was the inspiring support of her teachers and mentors that encouraged her to forge such an impressive path so early in her life.

“Nightingale not only encouraged me to follow my interests, but provided me with the opportunities to experience those interests.”

Recognizing her passion and talent for research, the Nightingale science faculty pushed Marta to apply to the Cold Spring Harbor Lab program. The school also introduced Marta to Dr. Robert Krauss P’12, whom Marta credits as not only an incredible mentor, but also “the reason why I am in research and went to graduate school.”

Proving the effectiveness of providing young students with experiences that may at first seem daunting, Marta’s high school internship at Mount Sinai was extremely enriching. Her project on cancer muscle cell differentiation taught her how to develop different techniques and how to think about and interpret data. As Marta explains,

“it taught me how to critically think about science.” This internship is what led to Marta’s first published journal article; she also presented her findings at a Nightingale Upper School assembly.

Reflecting on her education and career, Marta stresses the importance of being able to recognize mentors who are able to both challenge and help you. “With science, you are often independent in your work, so mentors who know how to both push you and provide space are instrumental. The experience of analyzing your own data and then presenting it taught me how to be independent and confident in my work.”

Lisa T. Alexander ’90 is a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Her opinion piece, “To Save Neighborhoods, Get Creative With the Law,” appeared in the Room for Debate section of The New York Times on April 15, 2014. Lisa is the author of the legal research papers “Hip Hop and Housing: Revisiting Culture, Urban Space, Power and Law” and “Occupying the Constitutional Right to Housing.”

Marjorie Crigler ’90’s memoir, Get Me Through Tomorrow, will be published by the University of Nebraska Press in April 2015. When a brain hemorrhage left Marjorie’s brother Jason (Collegiate ’88) immobile and unresponsive, doctors said nothing could be done. But the Criglers—Marjorie, their parents, and Jason’s pregnant wife—were sure that he was still there, trapped but alive. Get Me Through Tomorrow is the story of Jason’s harrowing decline and miraculous recovery.

Susan Sullivan Neubauer ’90 welcomed son William Neubauer in May 2014.

Erin McGrath ’91 serves as legal advisor to Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O’Rielly for wireless, public safety, and international issues. In a press release announcing her appointment, Commissioner O’Rielly stated,

“Erin has a unique command of both wireless and media issues and will be an incredible asset as the Commission tackles many novel wireless matters.”

Gigi Stone Woods ’91 writes: “I am working at CBS News and just had my second child (a girl this time!) named Waverly with my husband, Ian Woods.”

Mandolyna Theodoracopulos ’94 writes: “I recently got married to Andrew Bancroft Cooke. We were married at St. James’s Church in London on May 3, 2014. Andy is a musician and we have moved to Hampshire in the

Indeed, Marta has taken her appreciation for mentorship and education and applied it to several inspiring initiatives.

While completing her PhD in immunology with a focus on women’s health at the University of California, San Francisco, Marta took her learning and knowledge and created a blog (StorkPhD.com) that educates women about pregnancy and also asks readers to contribute their own personal histories and questions to foster a dialogue.

Marta believes that people are hungry for information and she is interested in providing scientific and health knowledge in a format that is both fun and easy to understand. She recognizes that improving communication between the science community and the public is a challenge, but it is one that she is interested in surmounting.

“I love science and want to share it with others. Unfortunately, I sense a fear of science among the general public. This fear may stem from a lack of understanding. As a scientist, I believe it is my responsibility to engage with the public to promote science education.”

It is so important to educate and engage the public community because increased support from citizens leads to crucial government funding for scientific research. This research is what drives advances in health and technology. As Marta explains: “the support of the public starts with education.”

In addition to her blog, Marta is also leveraging technology and its ability to connect with the public through educational videos. Last spring, Marta and a few of her colleagues created a wonderful, entertaining video on the importance of funding basic science research. The project won multiple prizes, including The Michael E. DeBakey Journalism Award from the Foundation for Biomedical Research, as well as first place in the Stand Up for Science competition. The video (available online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmhD-RWNL6c) has also educated and charmed tens of thousands of people.

Marta looks forward to continuing her research career, as well as engaging with the public to help spread scientific knowledge.

“My mentors are a huge reason for why I have ended up on this career path. I have great respect and admiration for those who have guided me, and I strive to be as great of a mentor [to others] as I pursue my research career.”

Sarah Taub ‘06 is currently a digital marketing analyst at Ralph Lauren, where she has worked for the last two and a half years. She enjoys being a member of Nightingale’s Young Alumnae Committee.

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development. I am learning a great deal and look forward to helping them grow funds to be able to do more great work! Not long after starting the new position I was thrilled to visit NYC with my husband, Don, and daughter, Alyssa, who just turned 10! In addition to visits to the Empire State Building and Museum of Natural History, we had a lovely visit with Emily Robbins ’86, who had much in common with my stepdaughter Charmaine, who is in graduate school at NYU for Russian Literature and Language.”

Choreographer Francesca Harper ’87 has been invited by the Attaca Quartet to set the dances to composer John Adams’s “John’s Book of Alleged Dances,” which will be performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on March 24, 2015.

In January, Kirsten E. Wood ’87 will assume the position of Graduate Program Director in the Department of History at Florida International University, the public research university in Miami. In addition to helping to shepherd students towards their MA and PhD degrees, she is continuing to work on a book about early American taverns. On the home front, she and her husband, Tom Leness, are raising George (8) and Anne (5). Kirsten writes that her children are growing up fast and enjoying their “red door” education at St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School in Coral Gables.

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Alumna Profile: Marta Wegorzewska ’03By Sarah Taub ’06

As a scientist, I believe it is my responsibility to engage with the public to promote science education.

Heather McLaughlin ’86 and her family in Ireland


Elizabeth Guile Orr ‘38 died at her home in Quogue, New York, on December 10, 2013, at the age of 93.

Surrounded by her family, Audrey Perry Burnier ‘40 passed away on May 14, 2014 at the age of 92.

Pamela Marsh Heinzer ‘49 passed away on November 24, 2013, in Stamford, Connecticut.

Nancy Wellington Lee ‘49 passed away peacefully on April 23, 2014. She is survived by her twin sister, Patricia Wellington Barron ’49, as well as her husband, four children, and five grandchildren.

Mary-Chilton (“Mimi”) Winslow Mead ‘51 died peacefully on May 7, 2014, at the age of 79. Mimi was a daughter of the late Natalie Wales Douglas-Hamilton

’28, who posthumously received Nightingale’s distinguished alumnae achievement award in 2013 for her humanitarian work.

Jane Dale Owen ’60, an environmental activist and philanthropist, died on June 10, 2014, at her home in Dallas. She was 71.

in memoriam

Riley Sandler, a treasured member of the Class of 2023, died on August 18, 2014, after going into respiratory arrest on her last night of sleepaway camp. Riley was the light of her parents’ lives and an enthusiastic member of her class, with a wonderful positive energy and an admirable openness to forging new friendships. The quintessential Nightingale girl, Riley was

an eager student who always strove to do her very best, and her teachers took great pleasure in watching her take pride in her hard work. Riley loved her school—and we loved her. She will be part of the Class of 2023 forever. Her passing is an incalculable loss for our community and our world, and our hearts go out to her parents, Ian and Mackenzie, and her younger brother, Brody. To honor their beloved daughter, Mackenzie and Ian have established the Riley Sandler Memorial Foundation, Inc., a charitable foundation formed to promote and support the health and welfare of children, and to support charitable organizations that assist children in need. Contributions in Riley’s memory may be directed to the Riley Sandler Memorial Foundation, Inc., c/o Brian Raftery, Esq., Herrick, Feinstein LLP, 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016, or made online at http://www.youcaring.com/memorial-fundraiser/the-riley-sandler-memorial-foundation-inc-/221100.

remembering riley sandler ’23

Faculty member Naomi Hayashi and her husband, Ben Eldredge, welcomed Eloise Marie Eldredge on July 26, 2014. Naomi writes:

“Mom and Eloise are doing great. Dad, admittedly biased, thinks she’s the cutest ever!”

Classics faculty member Jeff Kearney and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, welcomed their first child, William Bruce Kearney, on May 26, 2014. William weighed in at an even 7 lbs and was 20 ¾ inches long.

Lizzy Appel Linton ’04 (see class notes)

English faculty member Catherine McMenamin and her husband, Paul Trevillion, welcomed twin boys Henri and Christopher in May, 2014.

Jessie Page ’03 (see class notes)

Maya Popa ’07 (see class notes)

Modern Languages faculty member Jia Situ welcomed a daughter, Amber Situ Huang, in August 2014.

Music Department Head Abby Balafas and her husband, Evan, welcomed their first child, Margaret (“Maggie”) Eleni Balafas, on January 29, 2014. Maggie weighed in at 9 lbs 6 oz.

Former Middle School Dean of Students Nancy Wheeler Dickson and her husband, Elliot, welcomed a son, Graham Whitman Dickson, on July 28, 2014. Graham joins big sister Eloise (2).

Art faculty member Kira Lynn Harris was one of only ten women this year to be awarded a $25,000 “Anonymous Was a Woman” grant, which is intended to enable women artists over 40 years of age and at a significant juncture in their lives or careers to continue to grow and pursue their work. It is given in recognition of an artist’s accomplishments, artistic growth, and the quality of her work.

Over Columbus Day weekend, Director of Finance Marina Radovich traveled to the Grand Canyon with her family—including Technology Support Specialist Aleks Radovich and Science Department Head Nikki Vivion—to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her family’s immigration to the United States.

faculty and staff notes

Priscilla Aquino Garza ’97 and her husband, Jorge Garza, welcomed their daughter, Zaela Luz Garza, on July 25, 2014. Priscilla writes: “She is healthy, opinionated, and feisty! Big brother Zacarias is enjoying his new partner in crime.”

Jane Hegleman ’98 got engaged on September 12, 2014, to her boyfriend of three years, Heath Freeman.

Elizabeth Angermeier Anderson ’99 and Neel Lohit Ray were married on July 12, 2014. The couple both work for the financial services firm TIAA-CREF in New York, where Lizzie is a director of public relations and Neel is a senior director of mergers and acquisitions and corporate development.

Anna Cheung ’99 and her husband, David Shih, welcomed a son, Alexander Shih, on July 25, 2014. Alex weighed in at 6 lbs 13 oz and was 20 inches long. David writes: “Alex and his mother are both doing very well. His favorite activities now include (in no particular order) crying, pooping, sleeping, and looking absolutely adorable all the time.”

Mary Cohen ’99 writes: “Sorry I missed the 15th reunion but I couldn’t get back east. I had work exhibited at San Diego Comic Con 2014 and have photographs on display at the Brentwood Bar and Grill in Los Angeles through April 2015.”

Amanda Field Jordan ’99 writes: “My husband, Jonathan, and I welcomed our second daughter, Elizabeth Nicole Jordan, on October 2, 2014. We can’t wait to introduce her to the Nightingale community.”

Adrienne Ellis Renteria ’00 and her husband, Ryan, welcomed their first son, Rafael Ellis Renteria (“Rafa”), on December 27, 2013.

Catherine Ollinger ’03 writes: “I moved to Denver with my fiancé and am currently working at Defy Media. We will be getting married in New York in July 2015.”

Jessie Page ’03 married Jett Greenberg on July 19, 2014 at a private residence in Bridgehampton, NY. Many Nightingale friends were in attendance, including maid of honor Tanya Kaufmann ’03. Jessie has been working at

Nightingale for the past three years as the advancement associate in the office of institutional advancement.

Meredith Blank ’03 married Mason Thalheimer in New York on May 10, 2014.

Emily Kessler ’04 recently launched her website—emilykessler.com—for her private chef company, which provides culinary services to people with restricted diets. She says that this has been an extremely exciting new journey for her.

Lizzy Appel Linton ’04 married Alex Linton on July 26, 2014, at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York.

After living abroad for seven years, Lisa Chanos ’07 has moved back to New York City and is the CEO of TSL Management, a hospitality company that manages The Surf Lodge in Montauk. Maya Popa ’07 recently placed second in the sixth annual Narrative poetry competition. In addition, her review of “Taking Mesopotamia” by Jenny Lewis is forthcoming in the literary magazine PN Review.

Romy Solomon ’07 has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship in Romania, where she will conduct research on innovative new methods of human trafficking prevention.

Madeleine Stix ’08 is living in Atlanta and working as an associate producer at CNN.

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Voic

es

Paul Mondesire is the manager of foundation, corporate & public relations at the Oliver Scholars program, which has had a close relationship with Nightingale for the past 16 years.

“I often wonder where I’d be today if I never became an Oliver Scholar. I would have gone to a public high school, somewhere in Brooklyn. I wouldn’t have toured Spain at 14 years old, performing in a choral ensemble. I wouldn’t have taken AP Art History with Mr. Loughery and felt like I’d traveled the entire world. Would I have led groups, like I did with CAFE and Gospel Choir? Had a Peer Leader, or been one myself? Would I have gone on to attend the top public university in the country?” —Sage Garner ’04

Now in its 30th year, the Oliver Scholars program prepares and enables high-achieving New York City students of color who come from families of modest means (the average annual family income for Oliver students is $48,000) to attend leading independent high schools. The program prides itself on recognizing and nurturing future leaders; approximately 99% of last year’s graduating class of Oliver Scholars are now attending college, and 32% of them—including the two Oliver Scholars who graduated from Nightingale—are at an Ivy League school.

Fifteen Oliver Scholars have attended the Nightingale-Bamford School since 1998. The road to Nightingale is not easy: the program requires a lengthy application and interview process, followed by two intensive five-week summer programs. The demands of the program are worthwhile, however; by the time Oliver Scholars enter Nightingale as freshmen, they are well prepared to embrace and be challenged by all that Nightingale has to offer. Current Oliver Scholar Yacine Niang ’15 recalls watching her sister, Arame Niang ’12, go through the program:

“I remember [seeing Arame] working hard during those summer months. I always thought ‘Why would she do that to herself? That would never

be me.’ But after seeing her at Nightingale during her first year, I changed my mind. She went to London in her first semester, followed by an internship at the Roosevelt Institute. I never thought a high school could give me the opportunity to become globally aware. Now that I am at Nightingale I am able to enjoy those privileges and more.”

It is no surprise that Oliver Scholars excel at Nightingale. Our team works closely with Nightingale faculty and staff to provide our Scholars with the support necessary to excel at school and, eventually, in the world beyond the blue doors. It’s not always easy. Ivanna Gaton ’11 says: “My time at Nightingale was an uphill climb. My freshman year was a difficult transition, and I’m forever grateful to my Oliver counselor for giving me recommendations of what could make my experience at Nightingale more rewarding. I learned how to ask for help and manage my time effectively. By the time I was a senior, I served as class president [and] was a lead in the school musical, all while taking Dr. Cohen-Nicole’s literature class and completing an Independent Study Project.”

The partnership between Oliver and Nightingale is poised to grow even stronger with the addition of Nightingale alumna (and former associate director of admissions) Melissa Providence ’02 as Oliver’s new director of placement. Of her move to Oliver, Melissa says

“One of my goals is to bridge the independent school world with the Oliver mission. I want to help students of African and Latino descent understand and navigate the challenges and opportunities of independent school. As a former admissions representative, I believe in the impact that Oliver has on both students and partner schools in delivering its mission.”

We at the Oliver Scholars program look forward to our continued relationship with the Nightingale-Bamford School, and to working together for the benefit of our students.

Here we feature the voice of someone in the Nightingale community. If you would like to share some of your thoughts or experiences with others in the community, please contact us at [email protected].

Oliver Scholars Skai Konyha ’16, Yacine Niang ’15, and Amanda Cortes ’16

HEAD OF ScHOOLPaul A. Burke

BOARD OF TRUSTEESRebecca Rasmussen Grunwald, President Blair Pillsbury Enders ‘88, Vice President Elena Hahn Kiam ‘81, Vice President James D. Forbes, Treasurer Gregory Palm, Secretary Paul A. Burke, Assistant Secretary

Graciela BitarJames S. ChanosStacy Calder Clapp ‘91, Ex-officioBrenda EarlBrooke Brodsky Emmerich ‘91, Ex-officioAlexander EvansDouglas FeaginMark GreeneShoshanna Lonstein Gruss ‘93John HallPatricia Gilchrist Howard ‘62Steven B. KlinskyPaul LachmanThomas McGinnRenan PierreDina PowellAlice Birnbaum Roebuck ’94Howard SilversteinMonica SpencerHenry TimmsMary Margaret Trousdale

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERSJerome P. Kenney Nina Joukowsky Köprülü ‘79 Susan Hecht Tofel ‘48 Grant F. Winthrop

HEAD OF ScHOOL EMERITADorothy A. Hutcheson

PARENTS ASSOcIATION OFFIcERSStacy Calder Clapp ‘91, PresidentRomi Gottfrid, Vice PresidentNatalie Stange, Secretary/Treasurer

ALUMNAE BOARDBrooke Brodsky Emmerich ‘91, President Zoe Settle ‘00, Vice President Elizabeth Victory Anderson ‘88, Secretary Amie Rappoport McKenna ‘90, Chair, Alumnae Fund

Paul A. Burke, Ex-officio Elizabeth Boehmler ‘94 Elizabeth Riley Fraise ‘98 Sage Garner ‘04 Hillary Johnson ‘76 Siena Kissel ’06Elizabeth Friedland Meyer ‘89 Palmer Jones O’Sullivan ‘94 Gaby Santana ’06Melissa Elting Walker ‘92

OFFIcE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANcEMENTMary Richter ‘93Director of Institutional AdvancementJessie Page ‘03Advancement AssociateAndrew PetersonDatabase ManagerKaty RitzDevelopment OfficerNicki SebastianDirector of Digital CommunicationsSusan TilsonDirector of Publications

34 THE BLUE DOORS

The Nightingale-Bamford School

20 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128

nightingale.org

Nightingale

Documents

FALL 2014 1 Nightingale- Bamford School Volume 9 Issue 1 Fall 2014