Oak Leaves Fall 2011

Fall 2011oakleaves575 Washington Lane, Jenkintown, PA 19046

Alumni Basketball Game: January 7

Middle and Upper School Concert: January 11AFS Community Wrestling Event: January 17

AFS Community Talent Show: February 11Middle School Play: March 8-9Parenting in the 21st Century:March 17All-School Science Night: April 11Upper School Play: April 19-21Upper School Concert: April 25Reunion Weekend and Roo Fest: May 4-5Middle School Concert:May 24Commencement: June 13

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHorsham, PAPermit No. 90

Calendar Highlights The Strategic Vision for AFS

Education for a Changing World

Vision in Action Campaign WrapupReport on Gifts SummaryAlumni ReunionsClass Notes

Together we can reach our goal of: $450,000And 65% parent participation

EVERY GIFT MATTERSLearn more about the Annual Fund and opportunities forgiving and volunteering at www.abingtonfriends.net

it’s for everyone

THE AFSANNUAL FUND

Upcoming Alumni EventsHomecoming 2011: November 23, 2011

Alumni Basketball Game: January 7, 2012

AFS Community Talent Show: February 11, 2012

Boston Alumni Event at the MFA: March 14, 2012

Arbor Day: April 27, 2012

Reunion Weekend and Roo Fest: May 4-5, 2012

Commencement: June 13, 2012

Questions? Please contact Anna S. Glass, Director of Alumni Affairs at [email protected] or 215.576.3966.

Please see the AFS Website, www.abingtonfriends.net, or the AFS FacebookGroup “Alumni of Abington Friends School” for additional event details.

AFS Upfront

1

12Vision in Action CampaignFinal Report

Annual Report

Classnotes

Oak Leaves is a publication of the AFS Development and Communications Offices.

Richard F. Nourie Head of SchoolDebbie Stauffer Associate Head of SchoolJon Harris Assistant Head for Institutional AdvancementJudy Hill Director of Communications, EditorMarji Burke Communications AssistantGabrielle Giddings Assistant Director of DevelopmentAnna Stiegel Glass Director of Alumni

Peapod Design Publication Design

in this issue

Life at AFS: Six Month Scrapbook

4

Alumni Events38 41

In Memoriam44

18

15 Education for a Changing WorldThe Strategic Vision for AFS

22

AFS, we believe that the combination of

inner strength and outward engagement

that are at the core of our Quaker vision for

education is exactly right for the world our

children are entering.

By inner strength, we mean cultivating

habits of reflection and coming to know the

spiritual dimension of our lives as a source

of lasting strength. In a world of constant

change it is a great gift to know one has a

place to go to internally for perspective,

encouragement and a sense of deeper

meaning. The Quaker practices of silent

reflection, of searching for truth and of

building trusting relationships create a

we are more clear than ever that we are

educating in and for a changing world, one

of great promise but also of great questions

and a renewed challenge to discover and

nurture a full and generous definition of

who we are as human beings.

We know that we are educating our children

in and for a world that is more dynamic,

diverse, entrepreneurial and interdependent

than at any time in history. Education for

this world must be equally dynamic and

engaging and foster the types of deep

strengths and ways of seeing the world that

will help our students thrive, lead and help

create a more just and humane future. At

2 OAK LEAVES SPRING 2011

letter from the

On a crisp, timeless fall evening,with a gorgeous harvest moon silhouetting the Grove’s oak trees,we entered the Meetinghouse forthe Upper School production ofThornton Wilder’s Our Town. Inside was a simple stage set withjust a few chairs and a couple of tables, the room warm and cozyafter the brisk air outside. The play was magical, creating a spellbinding illusion of small town life in Grover’s Corners,New Hampshire.

Written in 1937, Our Town remains powerfully

resonant today as a meditation on the essence

of human life in a time of irreversible change.

The Meetinghouse was the perfect setting,

itself a testament to the resiliency

of a spiritual center that has witnessed 300

years of families living their lives through

generations of change. I was mesmerized as

I watched our students bringing the simple

stories of an earlier era to life and creating the

haunting reminders of what is left after getting

down to the essentials of our existence.

Our Town was a wonderful choice by theatre

teacher Megan Hollinger, especially given our

collective recognition at AFS of the profound

changes we are living through in this current

generation. After a year of reflective inquiry

and planning for the future of our School,

head of school

understanding, challenging assumptions

and coming to recognize patterns of

privilege and bias creates the context for

genuine openness, respect and willingness

to learn from others.

We also strive to make learning relevant and

authentic for our students by getting them

out into the world for experiences in service,

the arts, workplace internships, travel and

extended research and study. The ECCO

program, as profiled in its fourth year in this

issue of Oak Leaves, continues to prove the

power of such authentic learning, complete

with real-world challenges and setbacks as

well as experiences of genuine discovery and

profound new insights.

An exciting new dimension of powerful

learning we are exploring from our strategic

plan research is that of outdoor learning.

We are inspired by new evidence that shows

the value of outdoor play, exploration,

movement and study for children’s

development. In an over-mediated world,

the experience of being outdoors, navigating

physical challenges, honing observational

skills, witnessing the cycles and patterns of

the natural world and grounding academic

skills in physical terms are invaluable to

children. We are excited about plans to

develop the campus for a serious extension

of the ways in which our children learn.

Overall, we have become convinced that

a spirit of ongoing discovery, continual

learning and openness to an unfolding

understanding of the world around us best

strengthens our work in educating for a

changing world and best prepares our

students for thriving in the here and now

and in their unknowable futures.

This edition of Oak Leaves shines light on

some of these projects in ongoing and

experiential learning among adults and

children alike. I cannot tell you how inspiring

it is to be a part of this vital community on a

day-to-day basis. If you haven’t been back to

campus in a while, please give me a call and

come visit. I’d love to share first hand the

excitement of the learning community of

AFS with you.

Rich Nourie, Head of School

profound context for growth over the

course of childhood and adolescence.

When we talk about outward vitality, we are

speaking of cultivating a spirit of authentic

engagement, initiative and leadership along

with skills of collaboration and making the

most of resources for continual learning and

high quality work. The experiential nature

of our program is key to this, and will

continue to grow as we carry out our new

strategic plan.

One locus of this transformative learning is

in our diversity as a school community. It is

not uncommon to believe that living in a

diverse world requires merely an attitude of

openness, tolerance and respect. What we

know is that being successful in managing

multiple perspectives, connecting meaning-

fully with people of varying experiences and

making positive change in the world has far

more to do with experience and the building

of concrete skills. Sharing life stories,

doing the hard work of coming to shared

3

“At AFS, we believe that the combination of innerstrength and outward engagement that are at thecore of our Quaker vision for education is exactly right for the world our children are entering.”

Into the WoodsThe Middle School musical this year was a

joyful production of Stephen Sondheim’s

Into the Woods, a musical that blends many

familiar fairy tales with an original story of a

childless baker and his wife who attempt to

reverse a curse in order to have a child.

»

Sixth Grade Viking RaidWhat better way to get into the Viking

mindset than to stage a raid! The chaotic,

boisterous but always good spirited raid,

part of Middle School Social Studies Teacher

Mark Smith’s unit on Vikings, has become

a treasured Middle School tradition.

Candlelight Dinner «The torch of leadership was passed to the

class of 2012 during the annual Upper

School Candlelight Dinner, an evening

celebration that included student

appreciations of their advisors, a themed

meal and the all-important candle

lighting ceremony that took place in the

Meeting House.

»

6life at AFS:

4 LIFE AT AFS: SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK

march Mold SymposiumAFS hosted the 30th Annual Mold

Symposium, a daylong fourth-grade

celebration of all things mold. This year

we were joined by Plymouth Meeting

Friends School and Penn Charter. Each

student began with a question—“Does

mold grow better on a lemon or a lime?”

“Will more mold grow on cauliflower or

bread?”—designed an experiment and

presented posters describing their

research findings.

»

month scrapbook

5

A Midsummer Night’s DreamThe Upper School theater production of

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

incorporated live and recorded Beatles music,

magical elements and a bit of cross-dressing

to the delight of a packed house. As the

closing production of the year, it was also the

opportunity to welcome several freshmen into

the theater program and bid a fond farewell

to several talented graduating seniors.

»

All-School Science NightFor Middle and Upper School students, Science Night is the opportunity to share their

long-term independent research projects on self-selected topics including, this year, the

effects of road salt and motor oil on plants. Lower School students presented their projects

a week earlier and also participated in activities sponsored by the Academy of Natural

Sciences, Briar Bush Nature Center, AFS parent and scientist Jeff Peterson and papermaker

Dottie Baumgarten.

»

Earth DayAFS Kindergarteners and their teachers

kicked off Earth Day 2011 with a parade

where they carried banners and shared their

song, “Earth Day is Every Day.” Kristina

Denzel’s Upper School Sustainability class

hosted an assembly where they shared

excerpts from the documentary film King

Corn and highlighted key discoveries made

during their yearlong study of the food

system. They also announced the launch of

AFS’ own organic vegetable garden.

»

EGIS «AFS eighth graders captured the attention of

their teachers, families and guests with their

project presentations during Eighth Grade

Independent Study Night, the culmination

of their yearlong adventure in self-directed

learning. This year’s projects ranged from

shaping a surfboard to designing a dog-

house to creating a solar panel.


Rudin LectureThe 2011 Rudin Lecture featured Gary

Hirshberg, chairman, president and self

described CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm, the

world’s leading organic yogurt producer. In

his lecture, Hirshberg addressed sustainable

economic development, organic agriculture

and the profitability of green and socially

responsible businesses to a packed house.

He also met privately with members of

Kristina Denzel's Sustainability class,

who peppered him with questions about

renewable resources, the "100 mile diet"

and other issues of sustainable living.

»

Arbor DayOn Arbor Day, May 6, the entire school

community—students, faculty, staff and

many families—convened to celebrate the

blessings of spring and reaffirm the School's

commitment to caring for the earth. The

first formal occasion of the year in which

the graduating seniors are paired with

their first grade pages in preparation for

Commencement, Arbor Day also begins the

series of events in which seniors transfer

leadership onto the junior class.

»

may

Roo FestThe sun shone brightly on Saturday, May 7,

for the AFS annual spring fair known as Roo

Fest. Present and past members of the AFS

school community gathered to catch up

with one another while enjoying carnival

games, pony rides, kids crafts, a classic car

display, delicious food and a plant and used

book sale.

»

7

State Champs! »With their 6-3 defeat of Penn Charter on May

28, the AFS Varsity Softball team became the

2011 Pennsylvania Independent Schools

Athletic Association tournament champions.

The team also won the 2011 Friends Schools

League championship, making it a truly

winning season for the girls.

TEDx AFSA day of talks, screenings and performances in

the spirit of TED (Technology, Entertainment

and Design). TEDx AFS featured riveting talks

and performances on topics including abstract

art, mourning, music copyright, vitamins and

folk music. Plenty of time was also built into

the day for discussion and lively conversation.

»

Third Grade Family History Night »Third grade students, their teachers and

families gathered to celebrate Family

History Night. Student work represented

four months of intense research and

featured artfully crafted nonfiction writing

pieces, family artifacts, timelines, drawings

and poetry.

First Grade Reading BreakfastAFS first graders shared their

yearlong collection of writing

and poetry with their families.

Student portfolios featured an

observational journal on the

Monarch Butterfly, an Animal

Research Alphabet Book, a variety

of poems and a Book About Me.


On June 10 family and friends gathered on a hot and steamy (butthankfully rain free) afternoon in theGrove to honor the 83 members ofthe Class of 2011, the largest class inthe School’s history. The junior classformed the traditional daisy chainand flanked the first-grade pages asthey processed down the aisle.

Our senior student speakers Genesis

Feliz and Gabe Sansone talked about what

they had learned during their years at AFS

and Nikolas Regalbuto and Bria Howard

introduced Keynote Speaker Jared

Solomon ’97 who spoke about his life in

public service, his work on Democrat Joe

Sestak’s campaign and what motivated him

to form the now flourishing community

group Take Back Your Neighborhood in

Northeast Philadelphia. Ellen Carney pre-

sented the class gift, a large clock to grace

the Stewart Lobby and a donation to fund

the School’s new sustainability gardens, to

Upper School Director Martha Holland.

Musical accompaniments included Jennifer

Mamrol playing a flute solo by Debussy and

a moving rendition of Joni Mitchell’s The

Circle Game sung by Ellen Carney, Dana

Campbell and Rebecca Greenberg.

9

september

Medieval Feast «Sixth graders celebrated the completion of their unit of study on medieval life with a grand

Medieval Feast that featured a wedding ceremony, poetry readings, a magnificent banquet and

a series of entertaining and original puppet shows. Students joyfully brought two adjoining

classrooms alive with banners, “stained glass” windows and heraldic shields in the manner

of a 1300s Great Hall.

ShakefestMiddle School students gathered in the Faulkner Library to act out scenes from Romeo and

Juliet, Julius Caesar and Midsummer Night’s Dream. As always, the performances were

spirited and lively, with a healthy dose of middle school humor.

»

Third Grade China UnitAs part of the third grade's study of China,

our students engaged in several hands-on

activities to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon

Festival including their hands-down favorite,

making (and eating) moon cakes.

»

Field DayThe Blue Team prevailed in the end at Field Day 2011, but students from Lower, Middle and

Upper School all had fun during this day of friendly competition. The faculty took the honors

in the Tug of Conflict and this time, thankfully, the rope held.

»


octoberAFS Book Fair »Once again, the Book Fair drew crowds of

delighted book lovers to the Faulkner Library.

The traditional Human Chess match and a

performance by the Upper School jazz

band added to the entertainment. In the

classrooms, we had visits from a variety of

authors, as well as a comic book artist.

Golf Outing «Rescheduled twice because of bad weather, the Hank Faulkner Memorial Golf Outing took

place on October 17 at the Huntingdon Valley Country Club, drawing 65 players for a beautiful,

sunny early fall day of golf in support of student tuition assistance.

Marshall ConcertThe acclaimed Jasper String Quartet took to the Muller Stage for this year’s Marshall Concert,

captivating an Upper and Middle School audience with gorgeous renditions of pieces by Ravel,

Shubert and Berber. The quartet later worked with Lower School students just starting out with

stringed instruments.

»

11

SukkotFamilies gathered behind the Muller cafeteria

for a potluck to celebrate the weeklong Jewish

festival of Sukkot. The School’s Jewish

Families Affinity Group, headed by D’vorah

Horn-Greenberg and Robin Shane, planned

the Sukkot potluck as an opportunity to both

celebrate and educate. Students from Lower,

Middle and Upper school were all involved

in building the Sukkah, the temporary hut

constructed for use during the festival.

»

Copenhagen Girls’ Choir Visits AFSThe Copenhagen Girls’ Choir visited AFS on

April 8, filling the halls of the PreK through

Upper School divisions with their delightful

and impromptu vocal performances. Choir

members also attended Upper School lan-

guage, poetry and physics classes, participated

in a joint rehearsal with AFS choir members

and capped off their day with a full-length

performance in the Muller Auditorium. The

girls hailed from Sankt Annæ Gymnasium,

Copenhagen’s Municipal Choir School. AFS

Middle and Upper School Choral Director

Stephen Spinelli arranged the visit.

AFS Welcomes 13 Students from Mainland ChinaAFS welcomed 13 international students this fall. These newest members

of the student body are natives of Mainland China and come to us

through Ivy International. The students reside at The Plaza Apartments

in Jenkintown, where they live under the guidance of counselors who are

employed by Ivy International and serve as their parents in absentia.

On-site ESL (English as a Second Language) support is available to the

students through the program as well.

Bill Newman, Director of Admissions and Tuition Assistance at AFS,

said that competition for admission was steep, with 35 Ivy International

students seeking the 13 available slots at AFS.

“These students and their families were attracted by the deeper and more comprehensive nature of our school’s curriculum and were

looking for an opportunity to explore the kind of lateral thinking we do here, the way in which we look at problems from many different,

novel or creative angles, instead of tackling them in the head-on, or linear, fashion to which they are more accustomed.” He also noted

that the small class sizes, strong student-teacher relationships and focus on service that are hallmarks of an AFS education held great

appeal for the students and their families.

afs upfront

12 OAK LEAVES FALL 2011

National Day of SilenceAbington Friends’ Gay Straight Bisexual Alliance once again organized the Middle and

Upper School’s observation of the National Day of Silence held in April every year. The

purpose of the day is to recognize the discrimination and harassment, in effect the

silencing, experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students and their allies.

Students and faculty members participated in the National Day of Silence on a voluntary

basis, either by taking a vow of silence for the day (or part of the day, for 6th and 7th

graders) or by wearing a rainbow ribbon to show their active support.

The Day of Silence began after morning assembly and continued until the end of the day

when the students lit candles and broke their silence in a special Meeting for Worship

where they reflected on their experience of being silent.

Many students spoke of the difficulty of the day and how they had felt ostracized and

isolated because of their inability to speak up and respond to situations throughout the

day. One student talked of her acute embarrassment when she accidentally broke her

silence and her subsequent realization that her momentary discomfort was nothing

compared to the daily discomforts felt by those in the LGBT community. Another student

spoke of how grateful she was to be in a community that accepted her for who she was.

Several teachers also talked about how struck they were by the loss of students’ voices

and contributions in class and how it made them appreciate the openness of expression

and discourse typical in an AFS classroom.

13

Many Voices One Community DayNow in its fifth year, AFS’ “Many Voices

One Community” (MVOC) day, took place

on March 18.

“This day is a powerful extension and

celebration of the work we do here every

day, all year long,” said AFS Spanish teacher

and PRIDE sponsor Cyndi Silverman. The

PRIDE group, which sponsored MVOC, is

a delegation of student representatives

from each of AFS’ affinity groups including

Black Student Union, Gay Straight Bisexual

Alliance and the Latino, Jewish, Middle

Eastern Asian Pacific, Men’s and

Women’s Groups.

Activities included work in small groups

facilitated by student leaders who had spent

time in diversity training with Chonika C.

Coleman-King, Ph.D., from the Graduate

School of Education at University of

Pennsylvania. The training was funded by

the E. E. Ford Foundation grant that AFS

received in 2009 to develop multicultural

pedagogy in the classroom.

Bejing OperaIn September, actor and choreographer Jamie H. J. Guan visited

AFS and provided a special demonstration of the Beijing Opera’s

Magic of the Monkey King. Mr. Guan graduated from the Beijing

Institute for Performing Arts and performed with Peking Opera

Troupe No.1 for 15 years. He made his Broadway debut as actor

and choreographer in the Tony award winning M. Butterfly and

has performed and choreographed nationally and internationally

in theater, film and television. He specializes in martial arts roles.

The performance was followed by a question and answer period.

Students learned that performers train for eight years and must

master more than 200 dances before being accepted into the

Beijing Opera.

Later in the day, AFS third graders, who recently embarked on a

unit study of China, as well as Middle and Upper school students,

had the opportunity to learn from and practice with Mr. Guan and

his assistant.

14 AFS UPFRONT

Scarf SolidarityLast spring Yusra Aziz ’11, a Muslim-American, coordinated AFS’

participation in the International Scarves in Solidarity Day, an event

that drew more than 5,000 participants worldwide. The goal was to

help clarify the misperceptions surrounding the wearing of the hijab

(head scarf) or niqab (face veil) by Muslim women both here

and abroad.

“We wanted to educate people and to ask those who agreed with

us to stand in solidarity by wearing a scarf and engaging others in

discussion throughout the day,” Yusra said. “Our goal was to create

a respectful event, one that offended neither Muslims or non-

Muslims.” Here at AFS, numerous staff and faculty members as

well as Middle and Upper school students dressed in support.

Yusra noted that when she wore the scarf on April 21 many fellow

students stopped dead in their tracks. “People froze, then started

asking me questions which is exactly what I had wanted to see

happen. I had some great conversations and a chance to negate

some of the misperceptions that I find most disturbing,” she added.

“We wanted to educate people and to ask those who agreed with us to stand in solidarity by wearing a scarf and engaging others in discussion throughout the day,”

what we achieved

15

We began the Vision in Action Campaign three years ago with somevery clear goals: to empower students,invest in faculty and connect ourcommunity. All of these goals havebeen accomplished, and beyond thatour learning community has been invigorated and inspired with a powerful surge of collaborative energy and ideas that set the stage forcarrying out our strategic vision forthe School over the next five years.

Hearing Rosanne Mistretta speaking about

modeling life-long learning to her students,

John Rison sharing how an investment in

technology infrastructure has radically

shifted how we share resources with each

other and with students, Toni Vahlsing

explaining how a dynamic library can allow

students access to literally a whole world of

research, Medha Gosh ’12 detailing her

experiences with the ECCO program and

Rachel Kane describing a process of faculty

collaboration are all reflections of how this

campaign has engaged the heart of our

school community.

To hear all these voices and more, go to

our Vision in Action campaign website at

www.abingtonfriends.net/visioninaction/

visioninaction.

AFS has become “theplace” to teach in the region and our studentsare thriving.

final report:

16 VISION IN ACTION CAMPAIGN

Empowering our StudentsWe live in a world of opportunity and

possibility. Students who are empowered

to understand themselves as learners, take

initiative and explore these opportunities are

best suited to succeed in today’s resource rich

world. Central to the Vision in Action Campaign

was support for planning and strengthening our

comprehensive support, enrichment and

long-term advising program for all our students.

Today, as we stand on the cusp of the next

phase of the strategic plan, our internal work

on developing a ground-breaking student

support and enrichment program and our

innovative ECCO program provide the strong

foundation for bringing the final stages of this

work to completion. The ECCO program was

created to encourage students to explore,

connect and commit to opportunities (ECCO)

of personal interest as a way of further

developing their distinctive identities and

full potential as passionate learners.

Read more about the ECCO Program on page

29 and on our Vision in Action campaign

website at www.abingtonfriends.net/

visioninaction/visioninaction.

Student support and enrichmentOver the course of the Campaign, our

charge was to take an already strong

program of student support and develop a

comprehensive support, enrichment and

long-term advising program that would

fully engage our entire student body.

Three years ago, the work began with a

team of administrators, learning support

specialists and teachers documenting our

current programs of advising, support and

enrichment and researching and investigating

best practices and models. Their goal: to

recommend a model program that

encourages all students to be active,

resourceful and self-knowledgeable learners.

Today, this work has provided the framework

for designing the standard-setting Early

Childhood and Lower School program; team

based Middle School program and visionary

Upper School program at the heart of our

next strategic plan (see page 22).

The ECCO program was created to encourage students to explore, connect and commit to opportunities (ECCO) of personal interest as a way of further developing their distinctive identitiesand full potential as passionate learners.

17

Investing in FacultyWhen we kicked off the Vision in Action

Campaign, our goal was to support a ground-

breaking model of faculty learning and

research at AFS that would bring the very

best teachers into our classrooms and

support their work. Today, with innovative

programs like summer curriculum

fellowships, professional learning cohorts

and critical friends groups coupled with

access to critical technology and increased

faculty salaries that allow us to attract and

retain outstanding teachers, AFS has

become “the place” to teach in the region

and our students are thriving.

Summer Fellowships

The summer fellowship program saw

significant change during the Vision in Action

Campaign, emerging as an innovative program

that supports team driven collaborative work

among faculty members over the summer. At

the close of the Campaign, over half the AFS

faculty is engaged in meaningful summer work

supported by the summer fellowship program.

Professional Learning Communities

Each month, 10 different groups of faculty

from all divisions of our school have been

gathering to grapple with questions of

teaching practice. While faculty participation

in these professional learning communities is

voluntary, the groups are widely subscribed,

with more than 100 participants across the

school participating in a Critical Friends

Group, Action Research into Multi-Racial

Pedagogy, or BUS 21(Building Understanding

for Students in the 21st Century).

We know that faculty learning happens best

when it is sustained over time, is shared

among colleagues, and is grounded in

trusting relationships. Together these groups

support a culture of continual, collaborative,

engaged faculty learning.

Read more on our Vision in Action campaign



Connecting CommunityWe began the Vision in Action Campaign

with a pressing need to provide space and

flexibility for our wonderfully diverse, multi-

age community to connect with each other.

Today, after a complete all-school overhaul

of how we schedule the school day for

students, we have created both physical and

logistical spaces that allow Lower School

students to enjoy the same cafeteria setting

and options as our Upper and Middle

School students, given Upper School

students the opportunity to share one lunch

period, and created flexible time in the

school day for Upper and Middle School

students to engage in activities and student-

teacher collaboration.

A renewed emphasis on healthy choices and

sustainability led to a partnership with a new

food service vendor who shares our values

around food and community connection,

providing better dining choices for each of

our divisions. And a glance outside the

windows of the Muller Cafeteria reveal the first

stages of a community garden well underway.

Last fall, we adopted a new seven-day

schedule that allows for higher quality

teaching time, so that our classrooms can

be as active, experiential and resource-rich

as our faculty envision. The new schedule

adds teaching time, more opportunity for

connection between faculty and students and

a more humane pace to the day, particularly

for the younger members of our community.

Read more on our Vision in Action campaign



We know that faculty learning happens best when itis sustained over time, is shared among colleagues,and is grounded in trusting relationships.


Abington Friends School

Annual Fund

HighlightsIn 2010-2011 we raised $499,815

146 alumni, parents and friends gave

to the Annual Fund for the first time

721 donors made repeat gifts to the

annual fund

$576.49 was the average gift per donor

94 donors gave gifts equal to or greater

than $1000

63% of our parents contributed to the

annual fund

16% of our alumni contributed to the

annual fund

75% of our faculty and staff contributed

to the Annual Fund

Our deepest thanks to our 867donors for making 2010-2011 ourmost successful Annual Fund ever.

Vision in Action

HighlightsCapital Funds pledged $1,549,267

Goal: $1.7M

Annual Fund raised and pledged: $1,437,776

Goal: $1.3M over 3 years

Total Raised for the Vision in Action

Campaign: 2,987,043

Goal: $3M

For a full report on the success of the

Vision in Action Campaign, please visit

www.abingtonfriends.net/visioninaction/

visioninaction.

annual report of gifts

19

Dear Friends,

As we look forward to the new year, we can beproud of the fact that we accomplished a lot in2010-2011. We set a new goal for the AnnualFund, raising nearly $500,000 and we completedthe Campaign (Vision in Action: People, Program & Potential).

What is most gratifying is to see how our students and

teachers have reaped the benefits of the community’s

philanthropy. As I walk the halls of the school, I see

teachers whose enthusiasm and excitement for engaging

our students was positively enhanced by the Campaign’s

investment in faculty professional learning and

compensation. I also see students who have more

resources at the ready. We have new technology, new support systems and the ECCO Program

(Explore, Connect and Commit to Opportunities) to name just a few of the many improvements

to the overall program.

But more on the Annual Fund, the most important cog in the development machinery of the

School. We are very happy to have raised close to $500,000 and we did that thanks to the

outstanding support and loyalty of our School Committee, 63% of our parents, 16% of our

Alumni and 75% of our fulltime faculty and administration. So, let’s do the math. What if we

could get even more of our community to understand the impact of their donations to the

School and we thereby reached higher levels from our constituent groups. For example, what

if we were able to have our alumni reach a participation level of 25%? And then couple that

with an increase in our parent giving to a level of 80%! We have the ability to do more for our

students and so my challenge to our community is to keep reaching for higher participation

levels. The more we participate in the Annual Fund, the richer our program becomes and the

better it is for each and every student at AFS!

In addition, I am pleased to report that we raised over $140,000 for tuition assistance in our

PAEITC Program (Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit Program) and about

$20,000 from the Third Hank Faulkner Golf Outing. Finally, several more of the Athletic

Projects from the Momentum Campaign were funded by parents and friends of the School,

notably the baseball infield and the Thode Gym.

I look forward to seeing you on campus and thank you very much for your support of AFS!

Jon M. HarrisAssistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement

Total Contributions to AFS for the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year: $1,546,293

Vision in Action Donor Honor Roll We are grateful to the members ofour community who have madepledges to the Vision in Action Campaign, accelerating our ability tohave an immediate impact on everystudent on a daily basis by investing in our faculty, empowering our students and connecting our community. This listing reflects combined gifts and pledges to boththe Capital and Annual Fund portions of the Campaign.

$200,000 and above

Rodney and Tracey Sandmeyer

Sheares Family Charitable Foundation

Bradley Sheares and Adrienne Simmons

$100,000 to $200,000

Anonymous

Mark and Heather Garrison

Kevin and Margaret McGlynn

Patrick Mutchler and Ann Thompson

Susan Salesky Rudin ’57 and Jack Rudin

Irvin and Anita Schorsch

Peter ’75 and Bonnie ’75 Schorsch

$50,000 to $100,000

Anonymous (2)

David and Gwen Campbell

Gail Faulkner and John Oyler

Steven and Ricki Fisher

Jeffrey and Suzanne Kahn

Wilf Family Foundation

Jane Frieder Wilf ’84 and Mark Wilf

$25,000 to $50,000

Steven and Ilene Berman

Robert and Patricia Delany

Myrna Goodman and

Hilary Goodman Sperling ’99

Janet Israel

Eugene Lugano and Marcia Boraas

Robert and MaryAnn Watson

Edwin S. Webster Foundation

Jon M. and Cynthia Harris

Sandy Harris

2010-2011 Annual Fund Donor Honor RollAFS relies on leaders within the Annual Fund to help build a strongfinancial base for today and the future. The Leadership Giving categories listed below acknowledgethose donors who have made substantial gifts in support of the Annual Fund. We are grateful fortheir support.

Annual Fund The John BarnesLeague – ($20,000.00 +)

Anonymous

Faulkner Family Foundation


Harry Faulkner ’00

Juliet Faulkner ’95

Lucinda Faulkner Friedman ’98

Jocelyn Faulkner Casey ’97

Kevin and Margaret McGlynn

Rodney and Tracey Sandmeyer

Peter ’75 and Bonnie ’75 Schorsch

Sheares Family Charitable Foundation


Fourth Century League –($10,000.00 +)

David and Gwen Campbell

Mark and Heather Garrison


The Rhode Island Foundation

Margaret and Andy Zuccotti

Susan Salesky Rudin ’57 and Jack Rudin

Irvin and Anita Schorsch

Steven Winokur

Heritage Society – ($7,500.00 +)

Steven and Ricki Fisher

Mrs. Myrna Goodman and

Hilary Goodman Sperling ’99

Jeffrey and Suzanne Kahn

Doris Ervien Marsh ’38

Oak Tree Society – ($5,000.00 +)

Anonymous

Abington Monthly Meeting of Friends

Steven and Ilene Berman

East Bay Community Foundation

Frieder Family Gift Fund

Samuel Frieder ’82 and Wendy Frieder

$10,000 to $25,000

Marilyn Amento

Robert and Naomi Atkins

Rick Bedrick and Amy Brantz-Bedrick

Scott Erman ’86

Stewart and Susan Fisher

Robert and Elizabeth Henske

Benjamin and Karen Hoyle

Joseph C. Scott Foundaton

Patricia Sinclair Scott

Trent Scott ’92

Charles and Barbara Kahn

Peter Kollros and Barbara Konkle

Eric and Maria Rieders

Donald and Dawn Salmon

Mitchell and Beth Sargen

Diane Vernon

Peter Wellhofer and Joanne Lahner

$5,000 to $10,000

Kenneth and Diane Ahl

Mitchell and Kathleen Alden

Brad and Andrea Heffler

Richard and Robin Nourie

Salvatore Rotella and Maria Kiernan

David and Carina Urbach

$1,000 to 5,000

David and Nina Bisbee

Lee and Renee Fleisher

Carol and Sam Frieder

Jose and Maria Gonzalez-Heres

Suzanne Alston Hodges ’85 and

Keith Hodges

Megan Bellwoar Hollinger and

Michael Hollinger

Richard and Molly Logan

Kristine Byrne Long

Elizabeth and Keith Mosley

Eric and Linda Podietz

Joseph and Lynn Pokrifka

Richard and Elizabeth Soltan

Michael and Chelsea Sperger

Joel Sweet and Orit Netter

Susan and David and Susan Wolk

Carol and Mark Honigman


David and Stephanie Newman

Edwin S. Webster Foundation

Jon M. and Cynthia Harris

Founders’ Society – ($2,500.00 +)

Anonymous

James Archbold and Elizabeth Belk

Culinart Incorporated

Robert and Patricia Delany

Stewart and Susan Fisher

Janet Israel

Korein Foundation, The

Jonathan Korein and Jane Rovins

Kristine Maglietta

Eric and Maria Rieders

Donald and Dawn Salmon

Debbie Stauffer and Carol Palmer

Diane Vernon

Robert and MaryAnn Watson

Peter Wellhofer and Joanne Lahner

1697 Circle – ($1,697.00 +)

Rick Bedrick and Amy Brantz-Bedrick

Lucille Prock Dean ’33

Scott Erman ’86 and Nancy Erman

Lee and Renee Fleisher

Elizabeth Sears Gadsden ’71

Charles and Barbara Kahn

Kenelm Foundation

Bonnie Drummond Gross ’61

Peter Kollros and Barbara Konkle

William and Susan Lockwood

Richard and Robin Nourie

Corinne Romig Roxby ’53


Irvin G. and Marilyn Schorsch

Robert Silverman and Randi Leavitt

James and Jennifer Zega

20 ANNUAL REPORT OF GIFTS

Head of School Circle – ($1,000.00 +)

Mitchell and Kathleen Alden

Marilyn Amento

Michael and Lauren Arnold

Robert and Naomi Atkins

Tom Avril and Karen Cheney

David Ball and Debra Schaeffer

Allison Kanofsky Berg ’89

Mark and Amy Bierhoff

John Binswanger

David and Nina Bisbee

Ned and Caren Borowsky

Michael and Maureen Caulfield

Paula Cohen-Corbman

Rebecca Drees Coyne ’89

Paul and Lisa Dougherty

Mary Lynn and Paul Ellis

Mitchell and Lucy Fineman

Penny Grossman Fox ’49

William and Phyllis Gallagher

Jose and Maria Gonzalez-Heres

Matthew and Audra Gurin

Martin Foundation

George and Linda Hartnett

Michael Hecht ’89

Benjamin and Karen Hoyle

Beth Felton Junkin ’61

Stefan Keller and Donna Bleznak-Keller

William A. Lockwood ’92

Lynne Koolpe Mass and Burton Mass

Barry and Holly Myers

Joan High Putney ’57

Salvatore Rotella and Maria Kiernan

Barbara Ruch ’50

Barry and Lisa Steinman

Trustees, Abington Monthly Meeting

David and Carina Urbach

Stephen Venetianer and

Susan Ulrich-Venetianer

Annual Fund Lifetime DonorsWe gratefully acknowledge thosedonors who have provided consistentlong-term support of the School withover a decade of consecutive year giving to the Annual Fund. We arethankful for their ongoing generosity.

25 years or more

Mary Buckman ’74

Marsha Cohen ’82

Anita Scott Duke ’41


20 to 24 years

Abington Monthly Meeting of Friends

Kathy Adams-House ’65

Anne Schreiber Collins ’48

Richard and Molly Logan

Elizabeth and Keith Mosley

Sindy Paul Paul ’75

Alfred and Elayne Toizer

Christine Washington

15 to 20 years

Marjorie Adams Alexander ’54

Ann and Scott Botel-Barnard

James Burke and Cynthia Gawron-Burke

Arthur and Marcia Chernoff

Sue Zurn Collins ’68

Lucille Prock Dean ’33

Christine Lapp Donahower ’56

Marsha and Joseph Dratch

Mary Lynn and Paul Ellis

Mary Eno and Dan Wagner

Scott Erman ’86

Anne Fields

Penny Grossman Fox ’49

Judith Chestnut Fuss ’63

Jane Stone Horn ’47

Jean O’Neill Huntington ’44

Margaret Williams Kelly ’49

Keith Levinson and Paulette London

Charles and Clarabon Logan


Kathleen O’Neill MacInnes ’38

Virginia R. Martin

Lynne Koolpe Mass and Burton Mass

Elizabeth Mayers ’63

Carolyn Anderson McGuckin ’53

Sandra Scott Mraz and Dave Mraz


Dana O’Brien ’70

Jason Pizzi ’93

Mimsey Peterson Potts

Corinne Romig Roxby ’53

Irvin G. and Marilyn Schorsch

Robert and Beverly Sitrin

Alan and Ruth Smith

Deirdre Rhoads Snyder ’62

Debbie Stauffer and Carol Palmer

Susan Gerlitz Tam ’64

Linda Hano Weintraub ’55

Joan DePaul West ’55

Brent Whitman ’80

Susan Yannessa ’71

10 to 14 years

David and Patricia Baron

Renie and David Campbell

Marnie Christian

Laura Conkey ’69

Marc and Janet Crespi

Robert and Doris Fanelli

Samuel Frieder ’82

Victoria Hartung ’58

Mary Jimenez

Wayne Kurtz and Lisa Treadway-Kurtz

William A. Lockwood ’92

Kristine Byrne Long

Kathryn Lopez

Jane and David McVeigh-Schultz

Alan and Marcy Nadel

Joseph and Lynn Pokrifka

Doris Drummond Pyle ’49

Victoria Decker Rosskam ’71



Robert Silverman and Randi Leavitt

Jane Smith ’80

Tom and Carolyn Spencer

Oung and Leela Thain

Mary Hutchinson Tucker ’56

Diane Vernon

Lisbeth Lorenz Wagner ’59

Joseph and Leslie Ward

Susan and David and Susan Wolk

Marianne Zurn ’66

21

he 2006 Strategic Plan and the Vision in Action Campaign that followed (see page 15) invested energetically in supporting teachers and students alikeas active, creative learners in a resource rich world.Driven by the guiding principle that “great schools arelit from within,” we have grown into a powerful cultureof new learning, innovation and engagement with the

world around us. After a year of research and collaboration across all constituenciesand with deep confidence in the power of the AFS vision for education in the 21st century, we are excited to share our 2011 Strategic Plan for Abington Friends School.

education for achanging world

The Strategic Vision for Abington Friends School


Our dynamic culture of learning and

discovery, grounded in Quaker wisdom and

practice, has led us to an exciting set of next

steps that will further unlock the power of

collaboration in our community, create

additional innovative and engaging learning

spaces, improve our beautiful campus,

continue to develop contemporary strands of

curriculum and fully realize an exceptionally

compelling–and distinctly AFS–vision of

education for a changing world.

Design for Learning:ProgramOur VisionA Community Designed for a Contemporary Quaker Education

At the heart of our plan is a new blueprint

for our Early Childhood, Lower and Middle

Schools and ambitious plans for our Upper

School that promotes collaboration, deeper

connections in the curriculum and with

families and a close focus on creating the

ideal environment for each age group.

Early Childhood/Lower School: An Innovative Integrated Program

Our nationally known and state recognized

Early Childhood program will finally be fully

integrated into our main campus, creating an

Early Childhood/Lower School program and

community that fulfills our ambitious dreams

for a world-class learning environment for our

younger students.

Featuring newly designed classroom spaces,

an outdoor classroom designed and

accredited by the Arbor Day Foundation

(the first of its kind in Pennsylvania) and a

child-centered curriculum rooted in building

skills of observation, problem-solving,

inquiry and richly developed numeracy and

literacy, the new division will serve children

ages 3 to grade four.

Middle School: Ideally Designed for Each Developmental Stage

Our plan for Middle School includes a new

learning community and program that is

perfectly designed for 5th and 6th graders.

Ten and eleven year olds share a joyful and

industrious spirit at the peak of their

developmental stage.

A classroom environment and curriculum

that takes full advantage of this age group’s

readiness for new learning, new

opportunities in athletics, arts and activities

and marked academic growth is our goal,

building on the outstanding programs we

have created in each grade over the years.

A beautifully designed suite of classrooms

and flexible spaces indoors and out

complete the vision.

An equally apt environment for the growing

independence, leadership, range of interests

and readiness for new academic challenges

is the plan for our 7th and 8th grade

students, again building on a very strong

Middle School foundation and philosophy

that has developed over many years at AFS.

23

Upper School: A Complete Education for a Changing World

Our plans for Upper School are powered by

our vision for education for a changing world

and our conviction that readiness to lead

and thrive will come from outstanding,

contemporary academic preparation,

opportunities to connect meaningfully with

the outside world during high school, an

advisory system that leads to the right

opportunities at AFS and college and a

comprehensive approach to building skills

for reflection, discernment, leadership and

empowerment in a diverse world.

Our ideal Upper School builds on our

current strong program to include emerging

offerings in STEM (science, technology,

engineering and math), languages,

sustainability and digital production; an

enhanced college guidance program that

moves students thoughtfully toward the best

opportunities available to them for college

placement; continued growth in the

innovative ECCO program to connect to

transformative experiences in the larger

world; a re-designed service program to

build initiative, leadership and meaningful

contribution and efficacy in the real world.

Design for Learning:CampusAFS has occupied the same beautiful

grounds for more than 300 years. We are

blessed with abundant green space,

magnificent trees, a winding creek and a

built campus that has grown over time to

serve our evolving needs.

Through the strategic planning process, and

with input from the Friends of AFS Athletics

Committee, we have identified a range of key

facilities investments that will transform our

students’ daily experience of the campus and

create a perfect environment for learning.

A Master PlanAthletics Facilities Improvements:

» Expansion of the Hallowell Gym

» An all-weather track facility

» A multipurpose field house

» Development of the Abington

Club Property

Arts Facilities Improvements:

» Expansion of the Muller Auditorium to

include technical theater and expanded

rehearsal spaces

» Addition of air conditioning to the

Tyson Arts Wing

Academic Facilities Improvements:

» Bold development of the outdoor campus

as a resource for learning and sustainability

initiatives including the development of

outdoor classrooms for the Lower School

and the continued development of a

vegetable garden as part of the Middle and

Upper School curriculum, and to supply

produce for the cafeteria.

» Full integration of SmartBoard technology

and one-to-one computing support

» Substantial renovations to Upper School

classrooms that were not completed in the

last campaign

» Expanded resources and equipment for state

of the art math and science programming

Design for Learning:CommunityWe see the power of experiential education

to fully engage and inspire our students. In

the last several years we have been rapidly

expanding an ongoing series of partnerships

through which our students have participated

in transformative internships, travel, arts and

athletics opportunities beyond the walls of

the School. We have also been developing our

voice of professional leadership in the field

of education, sharing our vision and findings

widely in national conferences, publications

and in professional development offerings

on the AFS campus. We envision becoming

a leading resource in sharing our distinctive

educational vision and programs with the

surrounding community and within the larger

world of independent education.

Our VisionAFS will develop:

» An ever broadening landscape of learning

and involvement for our students through

service learning and independent study

connections and relationships in the region

» New opportunities for the surrounding

community to take part in AFS programs as

students, parents, community partners and

education professionals

» A growing voice of leadership in the

independent school world through regional

and national conferences

» A richer range of partnerships for our

students and faculty in our surrounding

neighborhood and region

Read about the Strategic Vision for

Abington Friends School in detail at

www.abingtonfriends.net

Strategic Planning Committee

Margie McGlynn, clerk

Crissy Cáceres

David Campbell

Heather Garrison

Mark Garrison

Martha Holland

Peter Schorsch

Michael Sperger

Debbie Stauffer

Rich Nourie

24 EDUCATION FOR A CHANGING WORLD

We are excited to be bringing our Early

Childhood philosophy and program into the

Lower School environment and our faculty

is already inspired by the possibilities this

integration will inspire. That’s because our

Early Childhood program has long been a

source of great pride for our community and

has become a model for the distinctive child

centered approach put into practice by Early

Childhood Director Debbie Green and her

faculty over the last eight years.

What does that child-centered approach

look like? Well, it can look like all kinds of

different things. Here’s one example,

provided by Debbie Green:

A couple of children in one of the three/four-

year old classrooms were moving to new

homes and talking about the toys they would

take from their old house. They started

25

Building an Early Childhood ProgramOne Block at a Time

Acritical component of our Strategic Vision for AFS involves integrating our Early Childhood Program with the LowerSchool division to create a program for children ages 3 to fourth

grade. By doing this, our nationally known and state recognized Early Childhood program will finally be fully integrated into our main campus, creating an EarlyChildhood/Lower School program that fulfills our ambitious dreams for aworld-class learning environment for our younger students.

25

drawing pictures of homes in the art center

and building structures of houses in the block

area. The teachers noticed their interest

and took the children on a walk around

Jenkintown where they took digital photos of

the different types of houses. Next they read

The Three Little Pigs and made structures with

various collected materials, including sticks,

straw and bricks and mixed mortar, all of

which they tried to knock down with wind

from hairdryers. That led to a discussion

about what it would be like if you did not

have a home, and before long the class was

collecting pennies for the homeless.

“It’s a challenging way to teach because its

not planned in advance,” says Debbie. The

study may last two weeks or it may go in

many different directions that might go on

for months. “That’s what’s cool, the element

of unknown.”

Child-centered learningThis focus on the child having an important

voice in what they are learning—rather than

the teacher following a canned curriculum—

has been central to Debbie’s approach in

the Early Childhood Division. Listening to

children’s ideas is critical, she says,

because children learn best when they’re

involved in the process. As obvious as that

may sound, it involves a huge shift for teachers.

“In the early childhood world the month of

October means you study the color orange

and pumpkins and in November you study

pilgrims and Indians,” says Debbie. “It’s so

often a holiday based curriculum. That’s the

commonality that links many early childhood

programs together. To take this divergent

path is a huge difference.”

What Debbie found, though, as she began to

introduce the child-centered (or emergent

curriculum) approach, was that it was not

only more interesting for the children, but

also for the teachers. “If the children are

interested in birds the teachers will have to do

research. They become researchers alongside

of the children. Whereas there’s not all that

much you can learn about carving a jack o

lantern. Every year. So although it was a shift

in thinking, they embraced it.”

Down by the creek with Early Childhood

Teacher Carol Wolf.

Early Childhood Teacher Tamara Clark enjoying some messy play with students in the Turtle room.

30 Years in Early Childhood EducationSince arriving at AFS in 2003, Debbie has

taken the division through many “shifts in

thinking” as she has worked to make it a truly

world class program. And if anyone had the

level of experience to do that, it was Debbie.

This year she celebrates her 30th year in early

childhood education. Prior to AFS she taught

kindergarten at the Philadelphia School, and

before that she was involved in setting up

employer sponsored childcare programs and

in quality improvement initiatives in early

childhood programs in low-income

neighborhoods. She owned her own program

with more than 100 children in the Art

Museum area, one of the first in the state

to become accredited by the National

Association for the Education of Young

Children (NAEYC). She has taught classes in

Early Childhood Education at the University

of Pennsylvania and is in her 15th year of

teaching classes in early childhood leadership

at Community College of Philadelphia.

involved being steeped in a lengthy self study

process, looking at all aspects of the

program from classroom design to teacher

interactions with children to curriculum.

Gaining NAEYC accreditation instantly put

the program in a select 8 percent of all early

childhood programs in the country. “Once

the program becomes accredited,” says

Debbie, “You start getting calls from places

all over the country to come and see what

you’re doing.” Somewhere around this time

Debbie also became familiar with the

Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood

education, which emphasized a child

centered approach and the importance

of environment.

Setting up spaces for learning“One of my biggest early areas of focus,”

says Debbie, “was treating the classroom

as a ‘third teacher,’ setting up the space

very intentionally, with a focus on natural

materials and the goal of creating a calm,

peaceful atmosphere. We want the

classrooms to be spaces that inspire both

awe and wonder, everyday.”

Just as important as the indoor classrooms

are the outdoor classrooms. “We sit on 50

acres of land and we use it all,” says Debbie.

“We believe everything that can be learned

inside can be learned outside and we help

children become familiar and comfortable

in being outside. Many of our themes that

develop are related to the outside world, to

things children experience. They tend to be

very concrete things like trees or water or

outside animals as opposed to the Chinese

New Year or the rain forest. It’s about

here and now as opposed to long ago and

far away.”

And the exploration of those themes, using

the emergent curriculum approach, can take

as long as the children’s interest dictates. At

one point, says Debbie, a tree study lasted

an entire year. “It started with the leaves

falling down and the children looking at the

leaves, and then went into a multitude of

directions that included everything from why

the leaves change color, to the animals that

live in the trees to products that come from

trees, recalls Debbie.


Getting her own program accredited and

running it for 14 years gave Debbie a deep

familiarity with best practices in the

constantly evolving and changing field of early

childhood education and the importance of

professional development of teachers to

keep them learning and adapting their

classrooms to the ages and stages of

childhood development. Debbie served as

an accreditation validator for NAEYC, and

once she started visiting other programs that

were seeking NAEYC accreditation she says

she got a big wakeup call. “I got to see

hundreds of programs and I realized that

the best programs could be in church

basements and the worst could be in very

fancy corporate settings. An excellent

program has to do with the people, their

understanding of best practices and the

environments that they create.”

When Debbie came to AFS she was

immediately impressed by the caliber of the

teachers. One of her first goals was to get

the program accredited by NAEYC. “I saw

potential for creating beautiful environments,

increasing professional development and

having our own teachers begin to talk about

best practices to others, for this program to

be a leader in early childhood where other

educators could come to stay on the cutting

edge and learn best practices.” Within the

first two years of her tenure, the program

received its NAEYC accreditation, which

“We believe everythingthat can be learned inside can be learnedoutside.”

Early Childhood Director Debbie Green looks on as Tamara Clark leads circle time in the Turtle room.

27

Weaving skills through the curriculumTo make a child centered program work, you

have to look at time in a very different way,

with large blocks of unstructured, unscheduled

time for ideas to develop and for children to

freely explore. The academic skills, explains

Debbie, are deeply woven throughout each of

the themes. “It doesn’t matter what the theme

is, the skills are always in there. So literacy

skills and math skills can be woven in. If the

class is involved in a study of insects, you’re

counting the insects, you’re reading insect

books and you’re naming and writing about

the bugs. Our teachers pay very careful

attention to that. Learning literacy skills does

not need to be a worksheet with the letter b

and everyone colors in the blue balloon.”

Along with the child-centered approach and

the importance of environment, another key

component of the Early Childhood program

that will be increasingly evident in next year’s

integrated program in the Lower School is

documentation. The word sounds dry, but the

purposes of documentation, says Debbie, are

broad and vital. “One is making learning visible

for the outside world, for families and visitors,”

she says. “Another purpose is assessment of

children and another is for planning.

It has become second nature that cameras

are another appendage of our teachers. A

teacher might take 100 photographs a day

and she’ll see things in those photos that she

might not have seen otherwise.” The Early

Childhood teachers currently also work on

daily blogs (including both photos and

language about what the children are doing)

that are shared with families and give them

a priceless window into each day.

A national leaderThe Early Childhood Division under Debbie’s

leadership has become increasingly well

known both locally and nationally. Debbie

herself has always been active in the external

early childhood community, serving on the

board of the Delaware Valley Association for

the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC),

early childhood advisory committees for

several organizations and attending (and

presenting at) conferences and workshops

regularly. Several members of her faculty

also enjoy presenting at conferences, further

increasing the visibility of the program. “In

addition,” says Debbie, “a lot of programs

out there want to do these things differently

but need to see it in action. It starts with us

presenting and then those audience

members want to come in and see what

we’re doing. That continues to widen the

network. One of our hopes is to lead some

national conferences on the things we have

been doing and I am confident that we will

be doing so.”

Looking forward, Debbie hopes to build on

the ideas she has developed and move them

throughout the Lower School in collaboration

with Lower School Director Crissy Cáceres.

They are both excited at the prospect of being

able to bring together three and four-year olds

in multi-age classrooms. “This has been a

powerful vision for many years because

children have the opportunity to be in a

classroom with their teachers and peers for

two school years. The multi-age grouping also

more closely resemble family units, where

older and younger children learn from one

another in natural ways. They become a

‘family of learners’ who support and care for

each other.”

An Integrated Early Childhood/Lower School Program School Year 2012-2013

» The Early Childhood Program will be moved to the Lower School to better support

the program and to fully integrate it into the life of the School.

» A Lower School experience that begins at age three and goes through fourth grade

will be created. Ages 3 and 4 will be in mixed-age classrooms, best supporting

current early childhood research and allowing for flexibility in enrollment.

» Early Childhood pedagogy and practice, particularly the influence of emergent

curriculum, documentation and Reggio Emilia philosophy, will be integrated into

the Lower School experience with Debbie and Crissy’s guidance.

» There will be a continued and growing focus on Early Childhood philosophy and

practice that will influence all aspects of the 3-year-old through Kindergarten

experience, led by Debbie Green.

» There will be continued growth in our strong elementary practice, grades one

through four, led by Crissy Cáceres.

» There will be an expanded focus on the beauty of our outdoor setting. We will create

a state of the art outdoor classroom experience for all Lower School students at AFS.

» A year of intensive and intentional professional development opportunities will be

provided to faculty in preparation for a strong and healthy transition.

“Literacy skills and mathskills can be woven in.You’re counting the insects, you’re naming andwriting about the bugs.”

Academic skills are deeply woven throughout

the curriculum.

A Conversation with Lower SchoolDirector Crissy Cáceres and EarlyChildhood Director Debbie Green

growth that the Early Childhood Division had

already done on making learning visible and

the Reggio Emilia philosophy, Debbie and

I knew that creating a shared experience

between Lower School and Early Childhood

was simply right.

Points of ContinuityDebbie Green:We’ll continue the wonderfulprogramming and brilliant teachers

we’ve had for many years at AFS. It’s a

continuation of what’s already really good,

with programming that always allows for

children’s voices.

Another point of continuity is our focus on

our Quaker values and how central they are

as well as the fact that we see families as

integral to their children’s educational

experience. Our use of the outdoors is both

a point of continuity and evolution and

growth in terms of how intentionally we’re

going to be engaging with it.

Embracing ChangeCC: I am excited about the impact on the energy of our faculty at this stage. They

are embracing the change and asking

challenging questions. They are immersing

themselves in Reggio Emilia philosophy as

it can extend through Lower School and are

willing to be pioneers in the independent

school world. We are really stepping outside

of the box and putting ourselves out there

as models of risk takers in the world of 21st

century learning. All of this is only possible

because they are trusting a vision. Debbie

and I are allowing for their voices to shape it.

DG: Our faculty are very excited about joining forces with the Lower School. It

allows for an expansion of resources and

also access to resource classrooms and

faculty and additional professional

development. That’s really a huge piece

for them. For those coming, they are very

excited about it.

The VisionCrissy Cáceres: As a part of an administrativeretreat two summers ago, Rich asked the

administration to think about their ideal

vision for their divisions. What would allow for

the most powerful and engaging experience

for our students and their families?

The Outdoor Classroom CC: Currently in Lower School the scheduleallows for two outdoor experiences a day.

Those are mostly social engagement and

free exploration rather than an intentional

connection to the outdoors as a resource.

We also have creek walks, butterfly studies

and other outdoor studies that are part of

the curriculum.

Our new focus on outdoor learning involves

a mindset shift. We will be expanding on

what we already do to make it more

intentional. We are eager to create a

distinctive outdoor classroom—the first

in the state certified by the Arbor Day

Foundation—that builds upon our already

beautiful setting with a natural playscape

that includes hills, clusters of shrubs and

trees, flower and vegetable gardens, trails,

secret paths and more.

DG: An important thing to note is that theoutdoor classroom concept is not a

playground. We’re talking about an indoor

environment being replicated outside, with

opportunities for art, for music, for dramatic

play on stages. All the things they can do

indoors they will now be able to do outdoors.


Lower School Director Crissy Cáceres

Early Childhood Director Debbie Green

We split into pairs and that was the start of

an intense conversation between Debbie

Green and myself about immersing our

students in the best possible experience that

would speak directly to their developmental

needs and strengths. I’ve had such

tremendous respect for the vision, growth

and cohesion Debbie has managed to create

in the Early Childhood Division.

Having worked for the first several years of

my time at AFS on cultivating a positive

culture of heightened curiosity, creative

curricular design, reflection and collaboration,

I wanted very much to add to this the aspect

of visible documentation of children’s

learning. Knowing the amount of work and

ECCO Director Marnie Christian says the

program’s power rests not only in the actual

placements that students experience but in

the reflective dialogue and intense self-

examination that takes place both before

and after the placement.

We recently sat down with Marnie to talk

about the program’s evolution over the last

few years.

Q. The ECCO Program is now in itsfourth year. What insights have yougained in your work with studentsover this time?

A. One thing I have come to more fully appreciate is that this is not “once and

done.” My work with students often calls for

a building approach over time. For example,

a student who has never been away from

home but has a passion that he or she

wants to pursue might initially favor a local,

short-term experience that is tightly

structured, with a clearly defined outcome.

One year later the same student might knock

at my door ready to embrace a much greater

challenge, perhaps one that requires travel

abroad, a longer time commitment or a

greater level of autonomy.

So, an important aspect of my work is

helping the student find the right challenge

now, at his or her current stage of

development. The progression our students

engage in, indeed the entire ECCO Program,

ties in nicely with the Quaker belief of

continuing revelation.

29

Experiential EducationThrough ECCO

Launched in 2008, the ECCO Program has rapidly expanded sinceits inception, introducing our Middle and Upper School studentsto an ever-broader landscape of learning beyond the walls of the

School. ECCO (Explore, Connect and Commit to Opportunities) has alreadyengaged and inspired dozens of students through transformative internships,travel, arts and athletic opportunities that have helped them develop their distinctive identities and pursue their emerging passions.

ECCO Program Director Marnie Christian talks about opportunities with senior Dan Feinberg.

Q. What are you hearing from ourstudents? Are there common themes or insights emerging in your conversations with them?

A. Absolutely. One theme that has surfaced in a very powerful way is how experiential

learning accelerates our students’ personal

growth, I mean truly catapults them into a

whole new level of development and allows

them to gain a glimpse of their future, so to

speak. I see the transformation take place,

sometimes within a very short time.

Another thing students often speak of is the

exposure to risk that their ECCO experience

has afforded them. They have gained an

important realization that a perceived

“failure” does not need to derail them, but

can instead strengthen and motivate them

to further action. A student’s perception of

failure can take many forms. Sometimes a

student might not get into a program that he

or she coveted, for reasons that lie outside

of their control. Perhaps too many students

from a similar background are interested

in the same program and the program

directors are looking to diversify the pool

of participants. That happens on occasion,

but the important lesson is to not let that

disappointment dampen one’s enthusiasm.

So the next question quickly becomes

“Where do I go from here?” Other times

“failure” comes in the form of the student

missing a flight and having to deal with that

on his or her own.

“Many students speak ofthe joy they discover in the real-world experience…they realizethey can make a difference, that they arecapable, confident andindependent individuals.”

EDUCATION FOR A CHANGING WORLD

The ability to bounce back from failure, to

remain resilient, is a critical life skill and it

comes to us only through life experience, which

is exactly what the ECCO Program offers.

Many students also speak of the joy they

discover in the real-world experience.

Whether it is working in a rice field in

Thailand or performing community service

in a national park. They realize they can

make a difference, that they are capable,

confident and independent individuals.

Q. What about the issue of access?

A. At AFS, we are deeply committed to providing access to education for students

of every background and our commitment

extends to the ECCO Program. Fortunately,

we have relationships with many wonderful

organizations that share our values. We work

hard to identify programs or opportunities

geared specifically for students of color,

young women or any underrepresented

population in certain interest areas.

Q. What are the most rewarding aspects of your work with ECCO?

A. I never question the value or meaning of my work. It is exciting for me to be there

when our students experience those

important ah-ha moments and to watch

them set off on their own.

To learn more about the ECCO Program,

visit the AFS website.

Medha Ghosh12th grade

As a sophomore, Medha volunteered at

Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC). In her

junior year, she applied and was accepted

to FCCC’s yearlong High School Student

Scientist Program. She currently works

four to six hours a week in the lab of

Jonathan Chernoff, M.D., PhD., where the

focus is on finding therapeutic treatment

for a rare cancer, neurofibromatosis type 2.

“I’ve been really surprised bythe reaction of others in thelab. Everyone treats me as anadult here. It’s not as if I amoff to the side cleaning testtubes. I have outside reading todo, and I’ve learned to writeup all of the procedures. I haveto say that learning the mathwas pretty stressful at first, butDina Stepanova, my mentor,has been gracious about mymistakes. She’s very strictthough and has really taughtme how to focus.”

Sam Pardys 10th Grade

Sam participated in a 15-day service,

learning and camping experience in

northern California this past summer

that included serving meals to San

Francisco’s homeless population,

leading sports activities for school age

children, maintaining trails near the

Lake Tahoe region, exploring Yosemite

National Park, surfing and more.

“I loved all of the serviceprojects we worked on, butespecially the ones where wespent time reading storiesand playing sports with little kids. I really bondedwith my peers in the program. We stay in touchand are already planning totravel abroad next year.”

ECCO Student Experiences

30

Dan Gorziglia12th grade

Dan attended a five-week residential

learning experience in computer science

at Drexel University Computing Academy

(DUCA) where, as his group’s project

manager, he oversaw the development of

an iPhone application from Beta model

through proof of concept.

“My summer experience at DUCA introduced me to allfields of computer science, including computer engineering,robotics, programming, information systems, databasemanagement and human-computer interaction. It helpedme clarify what it is that I want to study in college. Before, I was torn between computer science or computer engineering,and now I know it’s the engineering aspect that I am more attracted to.”

Rebecca Fisher11th grade

In the summer of 2009, Rebecca, then a

rising sophomore, participated in a French

language immersion program at Middlebury

College in Vermont. In summer 2010, she

traveled to France for a photography and

language immersion experience that involved

a homestay. This past summer, Rebecca

traveled to Thailand where she farmed in

rice fields, helped build homes, volunteered

in a Thai orphanage and practiced her

French while visiting other countries in

southeast Asia.

“I am less concerned with following the crowd than I usedto be and more open to tryingthings that aren’t easy. Therewere a lot of compromises that Ihad to make during my time inThailand. I learned that thingswill go wrong at times and – sowhat – you have to compromise.I learned to put aside my self-interests and social discomforts.”

31

Bria Biddle 11th grade

Bria attended a four-day residential

program in sports medicine at the

College of William and Mary where she

worked in the school’s athletic training

room, learned CPR and how to administer

the automated external defibrillator. She

enjoyed her experience so much she plans

to enroll in a more advanced training

program there next summer.

“When my parents dropped me off, I realized that I wasprolonging our good-byes. I really didn’t want them to leave,but I met kids from all over thecountry and made friendsquickly. I’m still in touch withthem through Facebook. Another girl and I are planningto enroll in the advanced program next summer.”

Here, you can read about several teachers

who have become fully absorbed in their

learning lives. Many of these stories began

with a summer fellowship, where the School

supports faculty who want to explore and

develop a particular aspect of the curriculum.

In every case, though, the learning took off

with stunning velocity, taking the faculty to

unexpected and inspiring places in their

thinking and leading to new avenues of

exploration they will happily spend many

more months or years navigating.

As our faculty become immersed in their

own learning lives they are also sharing

their vision and findings increasingly with

the wider world through conferences,

workshops and publications. As we

realize our Strategic Vision over the

next few years, we foresee becoming a

leader in sharing our learning with the

community and within the larger world

of independent education.

Creating a Faculty Mentoring ProgramBy Jenny Burkholder, Upper School English Teacher

Compassion for the self and others is at the

root of a yoga practice. Often I find myself

getting in my own way, and I am easily

frustrated by my body’s inability to do a pose.

It is here, in this moment of awareness, that

I must remember to be compassionate, to

let go of expectation, and to accept who and

what I am in the moment. I work on this

every time I practice, and I have begun to

bring this same awareness into my teaching.

I came to AFS eight years ago knowing that I

could practice being a reflective practitioner.

Being a reflective practitioner is imperative

to teacher’s and student’s success. In a

classroom, a teacher must consistently be

reflecting on practice, asking difficult

questions about the value of lessons, the

methodology, and how well the students

are engaged and learning from lessons.

Questioning oneself and one’s ideas and

assumptions takes enormous courage and

an ability to admit you were wrong or

misguided with an idea, lesson, or

preconceived notion. For me, admitting I am

wrong or biased is very difficult, but I look at

teaching and learning as a recursive process.

Mistakes can become successes. When I

enter the classroom, I try to remember this

idea and instill it in my students.

For me, the idea of a mentoring program

became an excellent way to see my own

practice in a new light. The intentional

work needed to foster our new teachers’

acclimation into the AFS community and

to help them to deepen their practice as

educators was exciting. Now, I was able to

develop a teacher-to-teacher support

program that valued the insights of my

experienced colleagues, who are able to

model AFS values and provide a bridge

between their mentees’ former experiences

and their experience here. For the mentees,

this program would help them to feel

Faculty Focus:AFS faculty are exploring, discovering and thinking in ways

that are transforming our School from within

Our ability to “dream big” in our year of strategic planningwould have been unthinkable without the energy and innovative thinking of our faculty. More than ever, we are

a community of learners of all ages, and our adult learners are modeling an excitement, curiosity and vitality in their pursuit of knowledge and experiencethat is inspiring to all.


Upper School English Teacher Jenny Burkholder with colleagues, from left, Duran Perkins,

Don Kaplan, Dina Cohen and Andrew Bickford.

33

empowered as a new community member

and valued for the skills they bring. In

typical AFS fashion, one day I stopped into

Debbie Stauffer’s office, told her of my

thoughts, then met with Martha Holland to

brainstorm ideas, and suddenly, the whole

project was mine!

As I ate chips and salsa from the back of

Drew Benfer’s Volvo in the parking lot at a

Union game, my research began. Here’s

where I met Reid Pritchett, Headmaster

of Bryn Athyn Church School. He and I

discussed our professional lives—even

though it was summer—and I told him

of my charge: to design our new teacher

mentoring program. His doctoral work at

the University of Wisconsin was in this area,

so he sent me an article he co-authored,

“The Practical Wisdom of New Faculty

Orientation at Brooks School.” This

indispensible work examined how a teacher

mentoring program integrated new faculty

into the fabric and “network” of the

community. Their challenges were our

challenges: how to design a program that

included the input of experienced teachers;

form: What do teachers new to AFS struggle

with? What should we be discussing with

mentors/mentees? What are the implicit

ideas about AFS culture and philosophy that

we all take for granted but a new teacher

would not know? And what are the

challenges of mentoring in our culture? I

presented my work to my virtual committee,

a group of my highly valued middle and

upper school colleagues who had agreed to

be a part of this mentoring project. We met

on a Google doc for weeks to respond and

discuss these questions. It was summer,

after all!

Exploring these connections benefitted our

work and helped us to think more critically

about what a mentoring program at AFS

should look like. Mentors welcomed our

cohort of mentees on a balmy August

afternoon at the Drake Tavern. Here in an

informal setting, we had a chance to get to

know our new colleagues. The afternoon

drifted away as we listened to stories of

moving, children, travels, fears and joys, and

we shared with them about our lives both

in and out of the AFS community. As the

monthly, focusing on an idea or issue that

pertains to the whole group, so we benefit

from the wisdom of the whole group. So far,

we have welcomed Debbie Stauffer and Renie

Campbell to discuss the student support

team and how this “team approach”

supports our students on social, emotional

and intellectual levels. We also have tackled

the challenges and rewards of advising,

using each other as resources in order to help

our students. Our upcoming discussions

include Quakerism and Quaker decision-

making, multicultural work and professional

development. Some of our teachers who are

new to Quaker schools will also have a

chance to attend the Educators New to

Quakerism workshop in the spring. We

sometimes share lunches or breakfasts to

informally share our experiences or lean on

each other for support. In addition, we plan

to visit and observe one another’s classes,

so we can truly be reflective practioners.

Each time I return to my yoga mat, I am

challenged to cultivate my “beginner’s

mind,” an attitude of openness and

eagerness without preconceived notions.

I am challenged to “let go” of that which

came before and live in the present. In those

moments of true awareness, we are our

“best selves.” My practice on the mat, in the

classroom and with this mentoring program

is a work in progress. Mentors and mentees

learn and grow from each other, sharing

lessons and insights about life at AFS.

Already our new faculty has shown us new

ways to think or imagine existing practices,

and we have become a richer culture

because of them.

“As the mentors handled questions about facultydress code and upper school retreats, middle schoolhomework assignments and whether or not tobring or buy lunch, they were helping our newteachers find their way and learn the lingo of AFS.”

how to build and develop a “collective

identity” as a community; and how to tailor

a program to each individual’s needs.

My journey also took me deeper into the AFS

community. For two full weeks, while my

girls were at AFSEP for the first time, I

worked at school and interviewed my col-

leagues. I interviewed faculty who had been

in the community for a long period of time

and some who had recently arrived. It was

from them that I began to develop my

thinking about what this program should

look like. The essential questions began to

mentors handled questions about faculty

dress code and upper school retreats,

middle school homework assignments and

whether or not to bring or buy lunch, they

were helping our new teachers find their

way and learn the lingo of AFS.

Since this meeting, we have developed a full

mentoring program. It is a faculty-orientated

structure meant to support and direct

incoming AFS teachers. The program

focuses on cultivating a shared knowledge

of AFS culture, values and goals, as well

as our beliefs about teaching. We meet

Learning as an Attitude ShiftLeslie TranMiddle School English TeacherYears at AFS: 5

Learning LifeLeslie is pursuing a masters’ degree at the

University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate

School of Education. Leslie has been closely

involved with MAP (Multi-Racial Action

Pedagogy), a two-year initiative at AFS

focused on multi-racial pedagogy and she

will present on this work at the National

Association of Independent School’s

People of Color Conference in Philadelphia

this December.

Learning on the jobWhen I was in college I had this one teacher

who said her best training as a teacher was

waitressing at a restaurant because it’s all

about multitasking and when you’re with a

person it’s about giving them one on one

attention. I spent time working at Eastern

Mountain Sports and l learned so much in

that job in terms of listening to people.

The learning comes in the lifelong skills

you’re acquiring.

Classroom as laboratory: Professional learning is not just about attending a

conference and coming back but more about

always seeing how the things around you

connect to your classroom. It’s about taking

an inquiry stance to everything you do and

asking questions. It ‘s about a disposition

that you adopt as a lifelong learner.

In my graduate work I’m looking at

sustainability in schools and school

leadership. I’m on that bridge between

theory and practice. I’m able to do the

reading and immediately think about how

I’m going to try something out in the

classroom. Last year, for example, I had a

course on gender in education. For a long

time I’ve been interested in the intersections

between race inequality and education.

This helped me think about the intersection

between race and gender and see it play out

in my fourth grade classroom. With each

semester my classroom has always been

my laboratory.

Taking risksAfter my first year at AFS I found out that the

Wissahickon trail was a mecca for mountain

biking so I went to Keswick Cycle in Glenside

and bought a mountain bike hoping I could

engage in that sort of risk. As teachers we

often say you learn by taking risks but I

myself wasn’t taking risks. So I learned how

to hop logs and ride the trails. I felt it was

important as a teacher to take risks myself

and to see what it’s like being a student.

In the school leadership program I’m doing

I’m often asked to do things I have not really

done like give a speech in front of people or

do data analysis of a standardized test. I’m

learning what it means for an introvert to be

a public leader. When I put myself in the

shoes of students it helps me understand

the craft of teaching and what kind of safe

space they need to develop and be able to

step outside of their comfort zones.

AFS and learningWhen I was applying to different schools one

of the questions I asked was what are the

professional development opportunities that

you have for your faculty and I chose to work

at AFS because it was so flexible. The

leadership allows you to choose your own

learning path and they support you. If I’m

interested in media literacy, for example, I

can just submit a proposal as opposed to

being forced to go to something. So the

learning here is both teacher centered and

student centered.

I also recognize the importance of

leadership. It was amazing working with

Crissy [Lower School Director Crissy

Cáceres] because she put those things in

front of me. She said I know you have these

strengths and I want to challenge you. The

leadership in the school has allowed me to

grow as a student.

“The leadership [at AFS]allows you to choose your ownlearning path andthey support you…the learning here is both teacher centered and student centered.”


35

Creating aScience WebsiteJordan BurkeyUpper School Physics TeacherYears at AFS: 12

Summer Fellowship ProposalTo develop the idea for a website featuring

videos with explanations of a variety of

academic concepts and topics for students

who need reinforcement.

How the idea evolvedI came up with the idea last spring when I

was looking at a website with video tutorials.

I thought I would love to do something like

that called Roo U that would link to our

website. I spent the summer working on a

design and figuring out how to make a

website. In the end I decided I would love it

to be a community thing, with the kids doing

the filming and editing. We would have

teachers explaining on video how to do a

problem. Kids that are really confident we

could have them be the teacher.

The most obvious use would be if a kid

misses class. They could watch a video of

the concept or principle that was taught.

Sometimes kids are tired or not paying full

attention. They could play the video over

again that night. It would be great for

reinforcement. And once they watch a video

they can go to a quiz on that topic. It would

be a real learning resource for them to use

at home. They could pause or rewind and

add to their notes.

The fact that I teach physics was part of

what made me want to do this. It’s a difficult

subject. Some kids always get it while others

need to see something three or four times

and we just don’t have time in class. So the

idea that they could have a resource where

they could watch it again at their speed was

very appealing.

Community buy-inI presented the idea at a faculty meeting in

the fall and got a great response. Twelve kids

also signed up to work on it as an activity.

Probably within the next month or so we’ll

videotape our first lesson and load it on to

an internal website. By the end of the year

hopefully we’ll have a dozen or so physics

videos on it. I also want to be able to give

tutorials to other teachers on how to do it,

so that other teachers can feel comfortable.

Becoming a technophileThe technology has been a little intimidating,

I’ll admit. Over the last three or four years

I’ve been trying to incorporate technology

more and more. I’ve had a hard time turning

that corner and really embracing it. The fact

that we now have laptops and all the

training John Rison [AFS Technology

Director] has given us has really helped.

And this is how we need to communicate

with kids. As faculty we need to try to

embrace it even more and look for ways to

get on the electronic bus.

Being a learner at AFSIt’s really hard to put a finger on but there’s

just something about teaching and working

here. Martha [Holland] as head of the Upper

School has really reinvigorated our broader

thinking and gotten us all wanting to make

the school the best we can make it and think

about bigger topics.

Exploring Outdoor LearningA group of Lower School teachers spent

the summer exploring outdoor education

through research. Their work began with a

visit from the Arbor Day Foundation, a non-

profit organization that helps educators find

ways to connect students with nature. Over

the summer months four teachers—

Science Teacher Rosanne Mistretta, Art

Teacher Samantha Matlock and Kindergarten

Teacher Kathy Lopez—spent time reading,

rediscovering Abington Friends’ outdoor

spaces and traveling to off-campus sites

for inspiration.

Looking at what we haveThe teachers spent time exploring our

campus to reacquaint themselves with the

riches we have on our own property. “We

looked at the whole campus,” says Rosanne,

“and what kinds of things you could do in

different areas of the campus utilizing what

we have across all divisions. We looked at

math, science, language arts, music, phys

ed. The stream, we realized, could be a

restoration project, and we have so many

incredible trees, we could start an arboretum

project. We also looked at the meadows, the

gardens around the Lower School science

room and Kathy’s room and outside the

cafeteria. It really made me look at our

campus with new eyes because we tend to

take so much of our campus for granted and

we have a wealth of resources here that we

really need to utilize. Just by walking through

the campus it was really eye opening.”

Gathering inspirationKathy Lopez traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska

to see first-hand a fully developed outdoor

classroom space created by Dimensions

Educational Research Foundation. “They’ve

created a huge outdoor classroom,” she

says, “with an art area, a messy area, a

climbing area, a stage and four marimbas.

There were scarves hanging from trees, a

bridge that made noise when you walked

across it and pathways of different textures.”

How to get other teachers excitedThe teachers wanted others in their division

to experience some of their learning and

came up with the idea of hosting a day at

Briarbush Nature Center, where much of

what they had been discovering about

outdoor learning has been put into practice

with “outdoor classrooms.” It proved to be

an inspiring day, with the teachers able to

see all the possibilities, including how to

include volunteers in the community.

Throughout the morning, teachers cycled

through different activities, with learning

areas set up for writing, journaling, math,

language arts and music.

Big takeawaysBefore we can get children interested in

saving the earth, they have to learn to love

it. That was the big takeaway for Rosanne.

“How can you save something if you don’t

love it? We have to shift our focus. You want

kids to love being outside.”

Samantha was struck by the idea that we

need to eliminate kids’ fear of being outside.

“Many of them are afraid of bugs, worms,

getting dirty,” she says. “We have to get

them out there, get them to look at and

appreciate bugs and their beauty, open their

eyes, allow them to get dirty.”

Kathy was excited at the number of ways

they found to incorporate the outdoors into

the curriculum and looks forward to being

a resource for teachers and perhaps

curriculum guides for outdoor learning in

different subject areas.

On working together“Working with Rosanne and Sam was

awesome,” says Kathy. “Every time we talked

about it somebody had to rein us back in.

There are just so many ways to go with this.”

It’s our passion, agrees Sam, “and the

possibilities are endless.”

“I feel in some way my whole career has

been building toward this,” adds Rosanne,

“because it feels like it’s a culmination of all

the right thinking.”


Why connect kids with the outdoors?Although we tend to instinctively feel that

being outdoors is good for children, the

Lower School teachers wanted to find clear,

research-based evidence. It turns out, says

Kathy, that a lot of research has been done.

“Even for kids with ADHD, it helps them be

better able to focus. When kids work in

planting a garden, they’re more inclined to

eat healthier. And kids outside tend to play in

groups and teams, so it fosters a sense of

teamship. The research surprised me a bit.

I knew nature was good but didn’t know it

helped kids focus more and fostered social

skills. You think it’s a treat to be outside but

it’s eye-opening to learn the specifics.”

37

alumni reunions

The Class of 1961 How could 50 years have passed since our Class of 1961 wasgraduated from AFS? Many of us had seen each other over theyears, but this was the largest gathering ever. We had 23 of us attending the three-day event at The Joseph Amber Inn. Becky Conlon Brown travelled the greatest distance from theUK. We felt fortunate to have so many attend, as seven of ourclassmates are deceased.

We began on Thursday evening with a casual dinner for early arrivals.

Friday was an open day with many arriving, some going to Arbor Day,

Longwood Gardens or just relaxing. The evening was our celebration of the

‘50s with music, dress and decorations recalling those happy memories.

Head of School, Rich Nourie came to dinner and welcomed us back.

On Saturday we were up early to go to AFS for meeting at the Little

Meeting House across from Jenkintown Manor. The Meetinghouse we knew

was booked for a wedding. Then it was back to the school for tours, lunch

and our class picture.

Saturday evening was our “elegant dinner” and silent auction at The Joseph

Ambler Inn. The silent auction along with a matching gift raised $3,000 for

us to gift to the school.

Sunday morning we gathered in the parlor of The Joseph Ambler Inn for our

own class meeting for worship. Just as our meeting held five years ago in

Florida was emotional and fulfilling, this meeting was, too.

Following meeting there were many emotional hugs and tears and meaningful

memories in our hearts and minds of a beautiful weekend. We left in peace.

«

Clockwise (L-R): Susan Phillips Vaughen, Linda Latta Williams,

Mary Sullivan Fairbanks, Becky Conlon Brown, and Terri

Margolis Mishalove; Janet Kaufman Nagel, Lydia Potts Quill,

Mary Jo McConnell Melberger, Sandy Van Anglen Freshcorn,

Susie Phillips Vaughen; Terri Margolis Mishalove, class president

38

Class of 1991 The class of ’91 enjoyed their 20th reunion on April 30 atDrake’s Tavern in Jenkintown. It was great to catch up with old friends! Those in attendance were Andy Behrend, Judith Gold Friedman, Josh Grabar, Jennifer AbramsonGreen, Fatih Gurk, Mark Sandos and Marc Waterman.

Above (l to r): Judith Gold Friedman, Jennifer Abramson Green

Top (l to r): Jennifer Abramson Green, Judith Gold Friedman,

Mark Sandos, Marc Waterman (2nd row): Andy Behrend, Josh Grabar

«

The Class of 1957Four of us had a mini-reunion this past July. JoanHigh Putney had recently moved to nearby RydalPark, and Judy Hawley Hughes, Carolyn ParryDecker and Liz Coburn Cole gathered to check outher new digs. It’s always special when even a few of us share lunch and a lot of conversation together.

Gwen Gehring retired at the end of 2009 from working for theCity of Virginia Beach. She reports, “I’ve been killing myself

working in the garden ever since.” Come on, Gwen, you’ve

been swimming in that pool too, right? She enjoys her several

cat and dog pets. A big fan of New Orleans and its Saints

football team, she just returned from vacationing there. Next

spring she and a friend plan a cruise in the Caribbean with a

friend. Son Richard Clark is a lawyer. Daughter Melissa Clark

Wool and husband have a daughter, who is currently a

freshman at University of Alabama. They all live nearby.

Ginny Wriggins Hochella and husband Norm are living indaughter Mary’s home, which has been expanded to

accommodate them. Both are limited physically, but Ginny

helps Mary, now a single mom, with meals and kids. Harper is

7, has Downs syndrome, and is in first grade learning her al-

phabet and socializing with other students. She participates in

horseback riding therapy and loves it. Mary takes Elijah to day

care near her job with Follett, publisher of textbooks, two hours

away. Coincidentally, Ginny worked at the same facility – well, a

few years back. The sound of little feet paddling down the hall

to visit Ginny and Norm are a daily joy. Ginny, with a degree in

Biology, also enjoys a pond out their window, and recently had

a visit there from a Great Blue Heron.

We have a 55th reunion coming up in the spring, ladies.

Start planning now, and we’ll get details to you later!

ALUMNI EVENTS

39

Class of 1986 »The Class of 1986 held its 25th Reunion in Jenkintown on May 7. Some of usgathered on Saturday morning at the Little Meetinghouse at the Abington ArtCenter, where we were able to join in Meeting for Worship with alumni of allages, reunite with each other and a few of our beloved teachers like BruceBrownell and Larry Wilkins.

After Meeting, we strolled over to the festivities of Roo Fest on the school's campus. This

all-school carnival is a smorgasbord of activities for kids of all ages. Student musicians

serenaded us from the Grand Stage as we ate a delicious lunch and met MORE of our teachers

(who are still at AFS!): Kristine Long, Debbie Stauffer and Carol Palmer, to name a few.

To walk on the campus of AFS, it seems that everything has changed ...and nothing has

changed. Later that evening we hit the "hot spot of Abington" –The Kitchen Bar—for drinks,

photos and lots of catching up. To those who were there, thanks for taking the time to join us!

For those unable to join us, you were missed. Hope to see you before the 30th!

Send in your Class Note and keep in touch. Special thanks to Jeanie Engelbach, Karen Cherry

McGann and Wendy Goldberg for all their help in getting our class together.

Jenny B. Hammond

Scott Erman, Pam Hamburg Helzner

Below: Left: Jenny Bornholdt Hammond, RooJ

Right: Jeanie Engelbach, Matt Sherman,

Jeanne Jackowski Tal

Jackie Schultz, Binnie Shusman Dawn Weiss Penner, Scott Erman

40

1934Natalie High Loomis writes, “I am 94, livingalone in my house on the water. I keep busy

doing volunteer work and seeing my family! I

have eight great grandchildren!”

1941Emilie Walker Oppenheim sketches images

in postcard format.

1945Nancy Goldman Koenigsberg has a new website: www.nancykoenigsberg.com.

1952Joan Schneiderwirth Daw’s photos were displayed in the library. Along with many

archival items such as her Commencement

invitation, diploma, and school photo.

1966Frances Conkey Trafton writes, “Laura ’69and I are spending considerable time with our

mother, Alice Conkey (AFS faculty and admin

1960-1983, I think!) with plans to take her to

the lake in Maine for the summer.”

1974Jill Berger and Paula Webster Grant write,“Paula and I are working with a talented

singer/songwriter, Rob A (Robert Allen).

Rob worked on two of this year’s Grammy

nominated contemporary R & B albums, R.

Kelly’s Untitled and Chris Brown’s Graffiti.

Another client, Harold S. Reed Jr., author of

Find a Way To Make a Way: You’re Either Part

of the Problem or part of the Solution, a

motivational book with a new twist, has had

a busy year with many book signings, two of

which were at the famed Harlem Hue-Man

Bookstore & Café. Harold is currently working

on his second book. Paula and I are looking

forward to the new opportunities currently on

the horizon for phillybass’d Entertainment.

(www.phillybassdent.com).

1986Jennifer Bornholdt Hammond writes, “I continue to work at Deerfield Academy in the

Alumni Relations office. It's great fun and

there's never a dull moment. One of the better

moments was being able to road trip with AFS

alumni Melissa Perkins ’10, Elena Coleman ’09and Meghan Daly ’10 for the Boston AlumniReception on March 3, 2011. Western Mass was

there to represent :-). In other news, our Class

of 1986-25th Reunion in May started out with

Meeting for Worship, continued on campus and

ended with drinks in Abington, PA. Two short

weeks later, I marched in the Smith College

Alumnae Parade as an honored guest, receiving

the Smith Fund Award for Exemplary Leadership.

What a great month to connect with long-time

friends both at AFS and Smith. As always, I

would love to hear from any and all AFS folks!

30th Reunion

REUNION CHAIRHeidi Miller Garnick ’82: [email protected]

25th Reunion

REUNION CHAIRSBob Topkis ’87 and Gary Carter ’87:[email protected]

Melissa Jacoby has been named the GrahamKenan Professor of Law at the University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also

won the inaugural Robert G. Byrd Award for

Excellence and Creativity in Teaching. She

teaches and studies bankruptcy and

commercial law. She lives in Chapel Hill with

her husband Mark Weidemaier, who also is

a professor at UNC.

1988Sara Dworski Kleiner writes, “I am stillteaching at Rydal Elementary and enjoying

every minute! Julie (15), Sam (13) and Lauren

(6) love AFS ... almost as much as I did!”

1991Oren and Judith Gold Friedman welcomethe birth of Maya on May 17, 2011. Maya

joins her big brothers Benjamin (3) and

Micah (2). Judith and Oren recently moved

back to Philadelphia after living in Rochester,

MN for 8 years. “With 3 kids, we decided it

was time to live close to grandparents

again! We are really enjoying being back in

Philadelphia. Oren is the Director of Facial

Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery at

University of Pennsylvania.”

20th Reunion

REUNION CHAIRSMichelle Yorkman ’92 and Molly Foley ’92:[email protected]

87

82

92

classnotes

41

1996Danielle Barsky writes, “Hello AFS Alumni!My husband and I are now owners of the

Signs By Tomorrow store in Bryn Mawr, PA.

We look forward to hearing from you!

15th Reunion

REUNION CHAIRJared Solomon ’97:[email protected]

Brian Ford writes, “A few quick updates: Thispast August I became a Pennsylvania Special

Education Hearing Officer. Our second son,

Samuel, was born this past May. Emily,

Alexander, Samuel and I moved to Allentown

this past July and things have finally started

to settle down.”

Michael Haberman writes, “Happy to sharewith you that Brandon William Haberman

was born Friday 10/15 at 10:20 p.m. Mom

and Brandon are doing well and resting…

He was 7lbs, 12oz, 21 long and like many of

us Phillies fans he could barely watch the

bottom of the ninth, but he is thrilled to see

the series come back to Philly.

Andrew Repasky McElhinney successfully defended his PhD dissertation, Second Takes –

Remaking America: A Psychoanalytic Reading of

English Language Cinema, 1931 - 1998 at The

European Graduate School, Switzerland.

1998Shalimar Reddy writes, “In January 2011 I

graduated with my MBA in Healthcare

Management from Temple University’s Fox

School of Business. I am currently working

fulltime while pursing a Fellowship for the

American College of Healthcare Executives.

My daughter Taylor is currently in 6th grade at

Abington Friends and loving every minute of it.”

2000Corey Heller and his wife

Rachel welcomed

a beautiful baby

boy, Joey, on

9/28/2011.

Mom and baby

are doing great!

97

2001Rebecca Ballmarried Jack Blacketer on August 7, 2011.

Melissa GreenPresent writes, “I am excited to

share that my

husband Josh and

I welcomed our

son Harry

Jonathan Present

on August 20,

2011. He is doing great and cannot wait to

make his first trip to AFS soon!”

2003Middle school sweethearts Melissa WardSchorsch and Adam Schorsch tied the knot in July of 2010 where it all began, at

Abington Monthly Meeting. Laura Manno ’03, Jon Wessel ’03, ChristinaSchorsch ’10, Hannah Schorsch ’13, Nick Schorsch ’04 and Alison Simon ’03were in the wedding while many alumni

attended the celebration. Melissa and Adam

live in Manhattan’s East Village where she

works as a magazine editor and writer and

he works in commercial real estate finance.

Who knew they’d go from seventh grade to

down the aisle?

2004Becky Molotsky writes, “I’m pursuing my MPH in health policy at Columbia

University and working at the American

heart association.”

David Waterman writes, “I’m getting myMasters in Information Systems

Management at Carnegie Mellon University.”

2005Matthew Ball is a software engineer living inProvidence, RI.

Christopher Salata graduated from the University of Utah with a B.S. in Economics.

He resides in Salt Lake City, UT.

2006Jeff Kahn proposed to Liz Myrtetus ’07 theevening of May 19 at the Philadelphia Art

Museum. They started dating 6 years ago at

AFS when Liz was in 10th grade and Jeff in

11th. They now live in South Philadelphia and

attend Drexel University for graduate school.

Jeff will be earning a PhD in Mechanical

Engineering and Liz a PhD in Applied

Cognitive and Brain Sciences. Their beloved

rescue-Akita, Oki, will be serving as the

ring barer at in the September 2012 Quaker

wedding service.

2007Katy Wolfe graduated cum laude from Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS),

with a double major in English (creative

writing focus) and Africana Studies and

double minor in Political Science and Peace

Studies. She completed a poetry manuscript

as a Senior Independent Study (with a

grade of A+, giving her a 4.0 over her last

semester) and was encouraged to try to

publish it. She also completed two

independent senior projects: publishing a

magazine she created called “Please Pass

the Peace and Carrots” featuring writings

and artwork about peace, and developed a

“Pathways to Peace” short-term study

abroad curriculum. As a junior, she received

the Alice Brandt Deeds ’45 Prize for

Creative Writing, and this year received the

Elizabeth and Ruth Young Peace Prize and a

42 CLASSNOTES

President’s Civic Leadership Award. Last year,

she studied abroad at the University of Ghana

and in Egypt. She also studied Arabic until

this year. She and her boyfriend decided to

spend another year living in Geneva working,

while Katy takes the GREs and applies to grad

school. She just accepted a job working with

delinquent youth in a residential

treatment center.

2008Meredith “Merry” Dixon has been acceptedto Tufts University Cummings School of

Veterinary Medicine “Adventures in

Veterinary Medicine Program” for

undergrads this summer. AVM is a career ex-

ploration program where students will

attend classes, labs, and have hands-on

experience with a variety of animals. Merry

is a junior and Dean's List student at

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Max Manstein is going into to his fourth season as a member of the Hobart Rugby

Team and was recently selected as Captain

of the squad. Max has started at the position

of scrumhalf for Hobart for his entire Rugby

career. In their season opener, Hobart

defeated Alfred University in dominating

fashion. With a score of 25-5, Hobart looks to

work off this momentum for the upcoming

league game against Buffalo State University.

Coming up only one win short of making

the Division II national tournament last

season, Max and the Hobart Rugby team are

working hard to avenge the unwanted end

to the season.

2010David Zaslav was the Musical Director for theTufts University production of The Fantasticks,

which was presented April 23 and 24, 2011.

Ellen Carney: “I don’t even know where tostart. The relationships I have formed withthe people in my class are too great to evenput in words. While I will not see you all on adaily basis, please know that you will foreverbe a part of me and a part of the person Ihave become. I have changed so much overthe years, I like to think for the better, andyou have all been a huge part of that. I willmiss you all so much but I know wheneverwe come back home to AFS our relationshipswill be just as strong as they were the day we graduated.”

Emily Delany: “Best of luck to all of myfriends from the class of 2011! Thank you to all of the teachers at AFS who havechanged my life, and shaped my future for the best.”

Genesis Feliz: “AFS Class of 2011, we did it, fina11y!”

Arielle Fisher: “Take the opportunities given.”

Zachary Fisher: “Love y’all just remember toshoot for the stars but stay safe and do yourbest in life.”

Margaret Furlong: “Love as long as you live,laugh as much as you breath, take in whatsee and learn, Class of 2011.”

Justin Golden: “I miss Lisa from Development, Dan Dratch, Brian Cassady,Jordan Burkey and Jon harris, great guy.Hope the class of 2012 is living the dreamwithout us. I miss all of you guys a lot.”

Martin Greenberg: “Good luck next year!”

Rebecca Greenberg: “I hope everyone is having a great time at college! I miss being a part of our class. Go Class of 2011!”

Emilie Grossman: “Thank you to the class of 2011 for making AFS my home and thiscommunity my family.”

Taylor Harding: “It’s been a blast these past 6 years and I’m going to miss all of you nextyear! I need people to come visit me in South Carolina because I’m going to be away from everybody. Congrats to everyoneand good luck!”

2011 graduate notesEvery spring, members of the graduating class come to theAlumni Office to enter their firstclass note and anticipate their lifeafter AFS.

Alexis Anderson: “I love you guys verymuch! I wish you nothing but successand will miss our days in AFS!”

Yusra Aziz: “Hey everyone! I sincerelyhope you’re all having a good time incollege. I hope you’ve been expandingyour minds with interesting and engaging classes and that your professors are as awesome as the teachers we had at AFS! I hope havingindependence is treating you well also!Let me know how you are, always!”

Madeline Bagley: “Thank you AFS for all that you have done for me! I can’timagine going to another school and Iwill miss everyone!”

Jeffrey Basch: “So many of you have impacted my life and experience at AFS.I can’t imagine leaving this communityand the fact that I am graduating inthree days is too difficult to wrap mymind around. I believe we will all understand the importance of AFS insome form or another during our college experiences. I wish the best ofluck to everyone of our classmates and I hope to bring with me to college thememories I have shared with you guys.”

Jennifer Bierhoff: “I’m gonna misseverybody! Have a great summer andgood luck at college!”

Brittany Botts: “Class of 2011, we madeit!!! I am so proud of all 83 of you andhonored to have been a part of such awonderful group of students. We trulymade history. Not only by being thelargest class, but by being the class wholed the AFS Upper School with pride andpassion. On the stage, the basketballcourt, and in Meeting for Worship, wehave always been seen as an outstandinggroup. I will miss this bond that we have shared for so long but I wish you allthe best.”

Class notes are compiled by the Alumni Office. You can submit a class note by calling Anna Stiegel Glass in the Alumni Office (215-576-3966), via email to [email protected]. Please submit photos as .jpgs at a resolution of300 dpi or higher.

43

Susanna Meyer: “Keep on keepin’ on.”

Lindsey Miller: “Hey Class Of 2011, WE DIDIT! It feels like it went by so fast, but it surewas fun. I’m gonna miss all of you, and Ihope you all do great in college and make thebest of it cause as we all learned time flies!Love you all!”

Dylan Moody: “Much Love to every memberof the class of 2011. Stay true to yourself andnever change only adjust. “

Casey Mutchler: “I love my class of 2011. Wehave had such great times together and Iknow that some of us will be friends forever.My lunch table was the best. No contest. Imiss everyone already. I know everybodymisses me. Shout out to all of my friendsand my junior friends Micaela and Brittany!And to Janet Frazer, Donna Russo, my all-timefavorite teachers, and Niall for always makingme feel very uncomfortable.”

Aaron Podietz: “Hey, class, you’re totallygood at doing things.”

Rohan Prabhu: “Hey Class, I hope everyonehas been enjoying there time at College. Rightnow we’re getting ready for graduation and its kind of bittersweet. I’m excited to start college, but I’ve always made so many amazingfriendships here I don’t want to leave behind.Keep in touch, even though I’m far away, Iwon’t forget all our experiences/memorieswe’ve had together. See you at HomecomingMeeting for Worship and reunions!”

Kyle Pucci: “Although I didn’t spend my entireAFS career with the class of 2011, I loved beingwith everyone and was so happy they acceptedme as one as their own. Love you guys! Thankyou for giving me a senior year… second senior year, that I can remember forever!”

Maria Ratskevich: “Thank you so much to theClass of 2011 for being such a great group ofpeople to have spent my time at AFS with... Iwill miss everyone so much and hope to seeeveryone at Homecoming!”

Nikolas Regalbuto: “AFS = My Family. Love all you.”

Alexander Rojavin: “If I ever see one of yourandomly, I’m just gonna run over and hugyou. Restraining orders may follow. Accusations of abuse might also be present.You probably won’t be able to breathe. We’llget over all of this eventually.”

Alex Harley: “Dear Class of 2011, I really enjoyed meeting all of you guys. Throughrough times and good times, you guys helpedcreate a home for me in this tight knit community, and I won’t forget the happiness I felt hearing your recognitions when it cametime to graduate. Although we’ll all be separated by college, I know that an AFS connection is only a phone call, a facebookcomment/message, an email/text/whateverother kinds of technological messaging systems they created, away. Haha thanks forthree wonderful years! :)”

Bria Howard: “You guys are an incrediblegroup of people who have achieved so much inour years at Abington Friends School. I’m goingto miss seeing all of you everyday and sharingamazing memories and laughs in the hallwaysand classrooms. You all have the ability toachieve so much in life and I can’t wait to hearabout all that you achieve. Reach for the moon.If you fall, you’ll land among the stars.”

Evelyn Kallenbach: “Dear Class of 2011, I’ll really miss you guys and I’ve enjoyed gettingto know you over the years. I hope everyone is having a great time at college and I knowyou will all be successful. Keep in touch. Loveyou guys!”

Daniela Kolodesh: “Hey guys, I hope everyone is doing well in college and back atAFS. I hope you guys miss me...because Imiss everyone. I hope all of you guys are staying focused and pursuing whatever yourheart is telling you to do. I can’t wait to seewhat the best class in the history of AFS hasachieved in 10 years at the reunion. Shout outto Niall, the best advisor and Barb, the best artteacher ever. SHOUT OUT TO THE LUNCHCREW LOVE YOU GUYS!

Marc London: “M Cash Man HOLLA ATCHA.DARCMAN”

Matthew MacNaughton: “You are all winners, except for the losers.”

Nikhil Madan: “Have fun.”

Jennifer Mamrol: “I loved my time at AbingtonFriends, and it was due to everybody in the entire class of 2011! Hope everybody has anamazing time in college! Keep in touch!”

Kelly McGlynn: “Whatsup”

Payne McMillan: “Don’t work so hard youdon’t have time to party.”

Daniel Schiano: “Cash Rules EverythingAround Me, C.R.E.A.M. Get the money, dollah dollah bill ya’ll -Darc Man”

John Simone: “I know every single student inthe class of 2011 will be remembered for theirgreat personalities here at AFS. I can onlyname those that I’ve kept close to me my entire high school career here aka the entirebasketball team, Jabril Trawick, Joey Gripper,Dylan Moody, Kenny Johnson, JesseDougherty, Tim Israel, Elliot Williams, JordanBurrell, Shaq Vaughn, Bijan Sosnowski, Mike Washington. The greatest friends andteammates anyone could ask for.”

Bijan Sosnowski: “Shout out to my teachersJohn, Chris, Senora, Brian, Rusty, Reine, Carol,Donna, Susan E., Janet and last but not leastNIALL HOOD. Shout out to my Bruvs: JT5,Moods, Johnson, Grip, Simone, Mike Wash,Gabriel, Rozay, Niko, Zandy, Tim, Malik, Sudan,Stroff, Jeff, Segal, Vernose, Jesse, Myers. #swag#basedgod #YRGang #NTLF Shout out to my Sisters: Rachi, Megan, Casey, Kelsey, Maria,Ellen, Emily, Lexi, Reeci, Mags, Donna, Bria,Priya, Vicki, Miano, Hannah, Cali, Boyd #Weout”

Shaquille Vaughn: “I love you all. If you everneed anything in life, please don’t hesitate tohit a brother up. If you’re in DC anytime during the next few years, please let me knowso we can hang out.”

Jasmin Velez: “Hey Everyone! I hope that thefirst few months of your college life have beenexceptionally fun and fulfilling. I cannot imagine being a part of another class, becauseeach and every one of you made my highschool experience memorable and exciting. Ihope you are all doing well, and I wish you allthe best of luck with college and anything youaspire to become. Stay in touch! I love you very much Class of 2011 and continue beingAWESOME! Much Love, Jasmin Velez.”

Stacy Wanerman: “Dear Class of 2011 Thereare so many memories I have with some ofyou as individuals and as a class. You’ve made my past 10 years here amazing and Icouldn’t have asked for a better experience. I love you all, and I hope you keep in touch.”

Michael Washington: “Thanks to everyone!You all gave me some great memories thatI’m gonna carry around with me the rest ofmy life. Shout out to the ball team and myteam SWIRV boys. Love y’all.”

Alex Zega: “Thanks for all the memories!”

44 IN MEMORIAM

Please submit obituary announcements of the greater alumni community to theAlumni Office. Submissions are welcomed with or without a photo (at 300 dpi or greater). Electronic submissions are preferred and may besent to [email protected].

dinner together. When I woke her from her

nap earlier that afternoon she put her arms

around me and rested her head on my

shoulder. She asked if there was anything

wrong with her as I was spending so much

time with her. I assured her nothing was

wrong, I just loved being with her. She never

feared and never complained of any pain. It

was simply her time to go. Not three weeks

before we had gone to Neiman’s for lunch, a

few cashmere sweaters and blue jeans. Before

we left the mall she insisted on a chocolate

ice cream cone … with jimmies no less. She

truly enjoyed every lick of life.”

Iona ‘Sandy’ Sanders Purvin ’51 Iona died peacefully on Thursday, October 6,

2011, in the presence of her family at dawn

at her home in Buckingham Township. She

was 78.

Born in Philadelphia and raised in

Jenkintown, she was the only daughter of

the late Harley Meredith and Lillian Ferguson

Sanders. Iona lived most of her life in

Buckingham with Albert, her husband of

41 years. She was an alumnus of Abington

Friends School, Class of 1951, and Peirce

School of Business. She retired from the

Central Bucks School District as an

educational aide.

Iona was a member of the Doylestown

United Methodist Church and served as a

wedding coordinator. She was a dedicated

volunteer at Abington Memorial Hospital

for more than 40 years and had recently

received her 8,000-hour service award. The

Order of the Eastern Star was an important

part of Iona’s life. She found joy in traveling

to Long Beach Island, enjoying the peaceful

calm of the ocean waves. She lovingly cared

for her husband, children and many friends.

In addition to her husband, Iona is survived

by her daughter, Heather Lynn, her son,

Harley Albert and his wife, Kathryn.

Douglas A. Roberts ’79Douglas, a lawyer, philanthropist and

investor residing in La Jolla, California,

passed away on September 21, 2011.

A private family service was held.

Jean Breuninger Straub ’45Jean was born Nov. 3, 1925 in Philadelphia,

the daughter of Edward and Ida Breuninger.

She attended Abington Friends School (’45)

and Stevens College, MO. She died of

complications from laryngeal cancer on

February 6, 2011.

Upon graduation, Jean worked at the

Franklin Institute and at her father’s business,

Breuninger Dairies. She was married to

Edward E. Straub, Jr. in 1954. Following her

divorce she cared for her mother before

moving to Florida in 2004. She is survived

by two children: daughter, Vickie Doyle of

Purcellville VA with two grandchildren and son

Edward (Sandy) Straub of Miami Beach, FL;

sister, Evie Peck of Sarasota, FL; brother,

Edward Breuninger of Lansdale, PA; niece,

Janet Karasz of Mesa, AZ; nephew, Allen

Breuninger of Wyncote, PA; and their families.

Jean’s son, Edward (Sandy) Straub, sent us

this appreciation of his mother. “It is with a

heavy heart that my sister and I share the

news of our Mom’s passing on Sunday

morning the 6th of February. While fighting

cancer for more than a year, she continued

to be the inspiring and spirited individual we

all knew and loved. Saturday night the 5th,

we had an especially peaceful and soothing

in memoriam

Together we can reach our goal of: $450,000And 65% parent participation

EVERY GIFT MATTERSLearn more about the Annual Fund and opportunities forgiving and volunteering at www.abingtonfriends.net

it’s for everyone

THE AFSANNUAL FUND

Upcoming Alumni EventsHomecoming 2011: November 23, 2011

Alumni Basketball Game: January 7, 2012

AFS Community Talent Show: February 11, 2012

Boston Alumni Event at the MFA: March 14, 2012

Arbor Day: April 27, 2012

Reunion Weekend and Roo Fest: May 4-5, 2012

Commencement: June 13, 2012

Questions? Please contact Anna S. Glass, Director of Alumni Affairs at [email protected] or 215.576.3966.

Please see the AFS Website, www.abingtonfriends.net, or the AFS FacebookGroup “Alumni of Abington Friends School” for additional event details.

Fall 2011oakleaves575 Washington Lane, Jenkintown, PA 19046

Alumni Basketball Game: January 7

Middle and Upper School Concert: January 11AFS Community Wrestling Event: January 17

AFS Community Talent Show: February 11Middle School Play: March 8-9Parenting in the 21st Century:March 17All-School Science Night: April 11Upper School Play: April 19-21Upper School Concert: April 25Reunion Weekend and Roo Fest: May 4-5Middle School Concert:May 24Commencement: June 13

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHorsham, PAPermit No. 90

Calendar Highlights The Strategic Vision for AFS

Education for a Changing World

Vision in Action Campaign WrapupReport on Gifts SummaryAlumni ReunionsClass Notes

Documents

Oak Leaves Fall 2011