Fall 2010oakleaves

Essentially AFSAcross the Years

Report on Gifts SummaryAlumni EventsClass Notes

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Annual Fundthe AFS

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Annual Report Summary2227 Class Notes

In Memoriam

24 Alumni Events

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, EditorGabrielle Giddings Assistant Director of DevelopmentAnna Stiegel Director of Alumni Affairs

Peapod Design Publication DesignMichal Kudelski Cover Photo

in this issue

Life at AFS:Six Month Scrapbook4

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10 Essentially AFS

This accomplished class includes

environmental and political activists, a

still-practicing actress, writers and teachers,

and as a group they are widely travelled and

widely read. As Susan Salesky Rudin ’57 has

observed, they don’t brag about their children

and grandchildren when they see each other

nor go through a litany of family news. They

are interested in each other and in the world

around them and it is truly fun to spend

time with them.

The impetus for the reunion was an

upcoming visit to the U.S. by their French

classmate Gaby Tubach, who had spent a

year at AFS when she was in high school.

Gaby has visited often and kept close ties

to her AFS friends over the years.

Susan and I had talked about what might

make for a meaningful experience at school

that day. Susan had powerful memories of

English teacher Miss Bickley, a legend among

AFS alums from the 1950s to the 1980s, and

thought her classmates would be interested

in how English is taught today at AFS. So we

planned for the group to have an English class

experience that day, taught by current English

department chair Mary Lynn Ellis and her

Upper School colleagues.

The class was magical. Mary Lynn had chosen

“Moon in the Window” to share with the

group, a poem by Dorianne Laux she had

discovered while bringing a group of her

students to the Dodge Poetry Festival:

Moon in the Window

I wish I could say I was the kind of child

who watched the moon from her window,

would turn toward it and wonder.

I never wondered. I read. Dark signs

that crawled toward the edge of the page.

It took me years to grow a heart

from paper and glue. All I had

was a flashlight, bright as the moon,

a white hole blazing beneath the sheets.

Mary Lynn led the group through an exercise

called “exploding a poem,” where the class

spent time doing a free-write about key words

or phrases that drew their attention. This was

followed by a rich discussion of themes of

innocence, desperation, light and dark,

childhood, family secrets and more.

It was a beautiful device for closely looking

at the words and images of the poem and

hearing the full range of voices of the

“students” in the class. Mary Lynn and the

faculty skillfully led the trains of thought,

connecting ideas, developing points and

2 OAK LEAVES SPRING 2010

letter from the

As always, I was eager to see the class of ’57 when they returned tocampus for a self-initiated mini-reunion this last October. Iparticularly love seeing this group since they are such a lively bunchand they truly enjoy each other’s company.

head of school

sharing their own insights. The class of ’57,

for its part, was intellectually alive and

wonderfully able to challenge each other,

push deeper and change their thinking over

the course of the discussion.

For me, it was striking and gratifying how it

drew together a quintessential experience

of AFS from 1957 with that of AFS in the

moment today. When I look back at our

history, I see a school that has indeed grown

and changed tremendously over the past five

decades. Yet it has done so not as a gradual

disconnection from its past but more from a

continual, powerful focus on creating daily

communities of spirit and values, of intellect

and of deep relationships.

The life of our school is one sincerely

focused in the present, in a full exploration

of what it means to learn, to think, to create,

to connect and to find meaning. This is what

the class of ’57 experienced in their time at

AFS and what AFS students and teachers

experience every day in 2010.

We see in our alumni that this rich, humane,

generous daily experience of learning and

living together in this way leads to lives

of adventure, deep respect for others,

independent thinking, growth and values for

creating a deeper sense of common good in

our world. Those of us who are part of this

school community share this incredibly

valuable legacy.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of

Oak Leaves, where we’ve pulled together

reminiscences from several decades of AFS

alumni on topics as various as school lunch

and Quaker values. Sitting down to read the

page proofs recently I felt the same sense of

continuity and connection I experienced so

powerfully on that October day with the

class of 1957.

Rich Nourie

Head of School

3

“When I look back at our history, I see a schoolthat has indeed grown…Yet it has done so not asa gradual disconnection from its past but morefrom a continual, powerful focus on creating dailycommunities of spirit and values, of intellectand of deep relationships.”

The group participated in an exercise called “exploding the poem.”

English Department Chair Mary Lynn Ellis led the class of ’57 in an English class experience.

life at AFS:

4 LIFE AT AFS: SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK

Science NightAt Science Night, students from every division

shared the results of longterm science projects

with visiting family and friends. Students

showcased their work with models, Power

Point presentations, videos and traditional

poster boards.

»

Pride and PrejudiceFor the Upper School spring play, theater

director Megan Hollinger chose Jane

Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, delighting

audiences with lively wit, intricate quadrilles

and exquisite period costumes.

»

Arbor DayOn April 30 the School community gathered

once more on Smith Field to celebrate the

blessings of spring and reaffirm the School’s

commitment to caring for the earth. This was

Lower School Music Teacher Deb Pizzi’s last

Arbor Day at AFS, since she left the School in

June to live with her husband in the south of

France. Deb is much missed!

»

month scrapbookMedieval FeastNow firmly embedded in AFS tradition,

Medieval Feast transforms two adjoining

classrooms into a Great Hall from the 1300s

for a day, complete with banners, stained

glass and heraldic shields. This special day

caps an in-depth sixth grade unit on medieval

life and includes a wedding ceremony, poetry

reading, a splendid feast and puppet shows.

This was Russell Shaw’s last appearance as

Geoffrey Chaucer. In June he left AFS to

become Head of School at the Georgetown

Day School in Washington, D.C.

»

5

mayEGISFor eighth graders, May 13 was the

culmination of a yearlong adventure in

learning as they presented their Eighth

Grade Independent Study projects, which

ranged from learning to ride a unicycle to

building a rocket to conducting a choir.

»

Roo FestOur fourth annual Roo Fest, held on May 9, brought carnival attractions, festive food and

musical entertainment to campus, including the Jazz Band, the Upper School chorus and Head

of School Rich Nourie’s band The Reckless Amateurs. Alumni Day was also held on May 9.

»

Golf ChampAFS junior Michael Amole carded a 7-under

par 63 during the Friends Schools League

18-hole championship match on May 19 at

Philmont Country Club’s South Course. Not

only did Michael shatter the Friends Schools

League championship record by 7 strokes,

but he also tied the Philmont course

record. AFS’s team finished 2nd in the

championship match behind George School,

who was the only team to defeat the 10-2

Kangaroos this season.

»

Roos FSL ChampionsOur AFS Varsity Softball team defeated

Shipley 5-2 on May 22 to win the Friends

Schools League championship.

6 LIFE AT AFS: SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK

commencement

7

On June 11 family and friends gathered in the Grove to honor the 61members of the Class of 2010.

Student speakers Christina Schorsch and Shane Bernard talked about what they had

learned during their years at AFS, and Anita Sheares introduced Keynote Speaker

Gaye Burpee ‘65, Deputy Regional Director Catholic Relief Services, who spoke

powerfully about her experiences in Central America, South America and the

Caribbean, where she oversees relief and development programs, helping to develop

sustainable agriculture and setting up successful microfinance programs. Alex Coll

and Emilia Silebi shared the honor of presenting the Class Gift, this year a planned

foursquare court outside the Muller Lobby and a cash gift to the Vision in Action

Campaign for faculty salaries.

Golf OutingThe third annual Hank Faulkner Memorial

Golf Outing held on August 30 at the

Huntingdon Valley Country Club raised

over $10,000 for tuition assistance, a

significant amount of money for an

incredibly worthy cause!

»

ShakefestIn what has become a cherished annual

tradition at Abington Friends School,

Middle Schoolers gathered on June 7 in

a shady outdoor spot to act out pieces from

the Shakespeare plays they read during

the spring (A Midsummer Night’s Dream for

the 6th grade, Julius Caesar for 7th and

Romeo and Juliet for 8th grade).

august

8 LIFE AT AFS: SIX MONTH SCRAPBOOK

october

Book FairFor the second year, the Book Fair took place in the Faulkner Library, with plenty of additional

entertainment in the Stewart Lobby where the ritual human chess match took place and the

Upper School Jazz Band played.

»

9

Field DayField Day 2010 dawned fair and fine and the

whites and the blues enjoyed a sporting day

of friendly competition. Students from PreK

to 12th grade joined in the athletic fun. For

the first year in memory, neither the seniors

nor the faculty won the Tug of Conflict. The

rope broke, sending our teams flying. A few

bruises, but no broken bones.

»

HalloweenA chilly morning, but the crowds still

turned out for the annual AFS

Halloween Parade. We had cupcakes,

rubiks cubes, tacos, Rocky and more,

not to mention the usual adorable

assemblage of scarecrows, starfish

and skeletons from the Lower School.

»

essentiallyAFS Through the years AFS has changed and changed

again, but remained essentially true to its core vision.

From a single room in the Meeting House

to a small Quaker primary school, AFS

transformed into a K-12 boarding school that

morphed into an all-girls college prep school

before returning to co-education, moving to

entirely new facilities and growing to its

current size of roughly 700 students in four

divisions. How many “different” schools is

that? Quite a few. But while change may

seem to be our constant theme at AFS, there

are threads of continuity that over the years

have stitched together and held fast the

essential qualities of an AFS education.

This sense of continuity over time, and amid

great change, was underscored for us

recently when we decided on a “Then and

Now” theme for this fall’s Oak Leaves. As

soon as we put out the word to our alumni

that we were in search of memories about

various aspects of school life, emails came

flooding in, filled with reminiscences from

the 1940s to the 2000s. What struck us as

we read about Miss Bickley and field hockey,

ice cream sandwiches and student council

were the commonalities among our

students’ experiences over the years.

No, you can’t get lunch in the cafeteria for

40 cents anymore, and poodle skirts and

bobby socks have given way to other

fashions, but over and over we heard our

alumni speak about the close sense of

community they enjoyed at AFS, the

meaningful relationships they had with their

teachers, the enduring significance of

Quaker values in their lives, the ways they

felt better prepared for college than their

peers and the myriad opportunities they had

to develop their own voice and create their

own path.

As we embark this year on a new round of

strategic planning for the school, we offer

you this glimpse of life at AFS over the last

50 years or so and remind ourselves that

like any great school, Abington Friends will

continue to grow and change, but our core

values and our commitment to readying

young people for lives of purpose and

meaning in a learning community that is

joyful, energetic and ambitious will remain.

After all, it’s been going strong for more

than 300 years.

hen a school has been aroundas long as Abington Friends,change is a given. For more than300 years, AFS has stood on thissame ground (more or less) whileadapting throughout the centuriesto meet the needs of its families.W

11

Student government at AbingtonFriends has surely gone throughmany incarnations over the years.Only recently did The School adopt a true

Quaker decision making process that now

informs all aspects of student government.

The orientation toward consensus rather

than voting by simple majority, seems to

have been the AFS student’s natural modus

operandi years before this change, though.

Just as the School has always sought to

develop the power of our students’ own

voices, AFS has also offered opportunities for

collaboration and respectful dialogue and

honed the skills necessary for taking effective

action in the world.

Molly McDonald Foley ’92Student Council Member,Now a pharmaceutical salesrepresentative and amarathon runner“I think that leadership is

intrinsic. I don’t think it’s anything you can

teach, but I do think the AFS community really

allowed for it to develop. In my experience you

can do anything you set your mind to. My

mother’s choice in my education also was a

part of that in fitting my personality to the

school. I was tri captain in my senior year. I

did everything because I wanted to. AFS drew

it out because they enabled you to lead how

you saw fit and gave you every opportunity

under the sun to do it. People always said,

‘Molly will do it,’ and I did, because I loved it.

Student Council at that time wasn’t a large

part of school. In fact it was a very small

group, only maybe 10 of us. There was no

voting. Everything was by consensus. There

would be debates and if we couldn’t decide,

we’d take it up at the next meeting. If we

needed counsel our faculty advisor would

weigh in, if we were stuck. It was all very

topical, whatever was pressing at that

moment, right down to what we were

allowed to wear or not. At one point we

staged a walkout. We just up and left the

campus and it was in the paper—a bunch of

seniors leaving in the middle of the day! We

were so angry. Now I can’t even remember

what it was about. My mother was so angry!

I wanted to be a part of everything. I loved

every opportunity. I think a lot of that was

because of the size of the school. There were

52 students in my graduating class. Also

because of the faculty leadership. The adults

really respected the kids and valued what we

had to say. I was able to be a part of so many

things but at the same time focus on my

education. I was able to be well rounded. I

was able to have dialogue and conversation

and present myself well and that made a

huge difference when I was interviewing for

college. Over anything I could learn in math,

science or English, that was the biggest

thing I learned, the ability to be a valuable

and contributing member of a community.

I felt very prepared in terms of life, decision

making, confidence.”

Maddie Durbin ’1211th Grade StudentAgenda Committee Clerk“I’m the oldest child in

my family, so I guess a

leadership role came

easily to me. I love how AFS encourages

students to find their own way, to start their

own clubs, to take action when they see

something that needs to be done.

My only other leadership experience was

when I served as vice president of a

community choir I sang in several years

ago. In that role I found myself stepping in

for others, telling others what needed to be

done and following up on things others

promised to do, but didn’t. Looking back

on that time, I can’t believe I saw that

as leadership.

At AFS it’s completely different. Leadership is

much more about listening and encouraging

others to participate and to work together to

seek solutions. I barely speak at agenda

meetings. I see my job as more of a listener

who makes sure that everyone is heard.”

12 ESSENTIALLY AFS

Learning Leadership

“I had transferred from a private school thathad a uniform until 6th grade and then in themiddle school an extremely restricted dresscode. The freedom I experienced in wearingabsolutely anything I chose was refreshingand inspiring. In my four years of highschool, I never repeated an outfit. My desireto express myself was never criticized orharnessed. When the idle threat to institutea dress code was suggested, I was theardent opposition on the teacher/studentcommittee. But that was also the great thingabout AFS—the sense of community and itsapplication in problem solving. This hotlydebated topic was discussed with studentsand not dictated.”Jeanie Engelbach ’86

“I went to AFS during the ’80s anddiscovering our individuality of thought andexpression was highly encouraged. I couldcome to school with big hair, way too muchmake-up and pumps one day and sweatsthe next.”Wendy Goldberg ’86

“There was some debate about Bart Simpsont-shirts when I was in Middle School andthere was an annual controversy about shortsbeing too short come warm weather in thespring and early summer. I always thoughtthat it was odd that hats were bannedwhen one of the stories we learned aboutWilliam Penn was his refusal to remove hishat in court!”Jon Makler ’95

“No spaghetti strap tank tops (you wouldhave to wear a big AFS gym shirt fromCathy Tench’s office if you broke this rule)and shorts and skirts longer than yourfinger tips.”Jane Esslinger ’07

“I think our mothers maintained the code. Wewore dresses, of course, or skirts with blouses,and twin sweater sets were our great joy.”Margine McVey Holland ’41

“Dresses were to be worn below the knee, andpants were unacceptable. Penny loafers werepopular, with pennies in the slot across thetongue. I don’t think they had to define thebarring of slacks or any shorter trousers. Jeanswere just getting started and we would havebeen behind that curve. No sneakers. Wewere the Happy Days crowd in felt skirtswith poodles appliquéd on them andcrinolines underneath.”Liz Cole ’57

“The only time there was a perceived problemwas when one of the girls was told her sweaterwas too tight. Tangee lipstick was all that wasallowed until probably junior or senior year.For sports, we had AFS blue tunics withbloomers underneath. Everyone would havethe tunic starched and ironed to perfectionbefore a big game.”Evelyn Doane ’52

“What comes to my mind, immediately, aboutdressing during my year at AFS is the sportoutfit we had: some kind of short andvery wide blue skirt with a wide bloomerunderneath. I’ve never seen anything like thatever since in my now long life afterwards.”Christiane Trzmiel ’67(French exchange student)

“In the Triangle Building, we wore skirts ordresses every day. There were the straight kids,who wore demure Ladybug fashions, classiccardigans and A-lines, and the hip kids, whowore funky clothes that hinted of hippies. Inthe new building, which hadn’t quite beencompleted when we moved in, we wereallowed to wear pants. This was a thrill. Mostlywe wore jeans, tight bellbottoms. When thebuilding was finished, I suppose they didn’tthink they could retract the rule about pants,so we kept wearing them.”Jenny French ’69

Dress code?What dress code?

What goes around comes around.At least in theater. Eventually. In March

of 1954, Abington Friends School proudly

welcomed audiences to the Triangle Building

for a performance of Jane Austen’s Pride and

Prejudice. The sets were ornate, the costumes

magnificent, the director—Miss Bickley—

most demanding and the actors, including

the brooding Mr. Darcy, all female. Fast-for-

ward more than half a century and once again

AFS delighted audiences with this classic tale

of hubris, love and misunderstanding. This

time the director was Upper School Theater

Teacher Megan Hollinger and the cast—most

of whom had seen at least one of the movie

versions—featured a full complement of

young men and women. We tracked down

Mr. Darcy from 1954 and chatted with two of

our current thespians about the joys and

challenges of acting at AFS.

Jane Schmitz ’55, Mr. Darcy, 1954“I think I got the part because I was the tallest

girl in the class. My acting ability was not

outstanding, and I tended to get the giggles at

inopportune moments. Colin Firth I was not.

I somewhat resented always playing male

parts (in eighth grade I was ‘mike the

doorman’ to rave reviews in a Christmas play

that featured dances from The Nutcracker).

In my senior year, I refused to try out for the

male lead, and instead auditioned for several

of the female parts. I was not chosen. So much

for my dramatic career.

But back to Pride and Prejudice. Miss Bickley

directed, and was quite strict with her stage

directions and interpretations. She always

exhorted us to ‘speak out.’ I wore my riding

boots and a white cravat, and had my hair

pulled tightly back in a rubber band. Jessica

Stephen was Elizabeth, Diane Schaeffer ’54

was Mrs. Bennett , Joan Oppenheimer ’56

was Mr. Collins, and Carolyn Parry ’56 was

Mr. Bennett. Shirley Pearson ’57 was Lydia,

Ann Fry ’55 was Jane.”

Nicolas Armer ’12, Mr. Darcy, 2010“My junior year was the first year I took acting.

I really was nervous. I was a junior and I was a

rooky but I figured I had nothing to lose. As

soon as I auditioned I went online and looked

up every script and every clip available in

case I got a part.

What I liked about the experience was the

commitment. Every day from 3:30 to 5 no

matter how hard your day was, you’d be at

rehearsal. It was something I loved doing.

I got to have fun for two hours, and every

minute of it was a new experience.

I thought it would be difficult to penetrate

the AFS acting world, but it wasn’t. The

School’s stars Ben Schrager and Susanne

Collins were basically legends to me. But

there wasn’t any resentment from them.

They all loved their parts, and I loved mine.

Megan is the best director I could have had.

Even at audition she would make you feel

totally relaxed. The whole time she was really

supportive. I watched both movie versions

and got to compare. But Megan always said,

‘Don’t try and be Colin Firth. You are your

own character.’ That really helped me and

brought up my confidence.

Walking onstage for the first time on

opening night was weird. My heart was

flying like a hummingbird. I was really

freaked out and I was scared that when I

started talking my voice would be high

pitched and quivering, but it wasn’t, it was

calm. As I got further into the scenes I got

more relaxed. Still, it was scary doing little

things like holding a wine glass. I was scared

to death I would drop it. You start realizing

how much can go wrong.

I would definitely say AFS has helped me

start new things. I would never forgive

myself if I didn’t do something just because

I was afraid of it. My only regret is that I

didn’t try theater earlier.”

Yusra Aziz ’12,Miss Bingley, 2010“When you’re doing theater there are so

many ways you bond with the other grades.

Even after the play is done you still find

yourself talking to students in other grades.

I’m a person who likes to take what we learn

at AFS and develop it as a thing you can use

14 ESSENTIALLY AFS

Pride and Prejudice: Take Two

“Milk was 8 cents. Pretzel sticks were a penny a piece. So you could buy your milk andpretzels for a dime. For 40 cents I could buy a tuna fish sandwich, an ice cream sandwich,two pretzels and a carton of milk.”Barbara Schnur ’55

“My all-time favorite dessert (still to this day!) was fresh bananas with chocolate puddingand I’ve never been in a cafeteria since that served this special treat, probably because it hasto be made that day or the bananas would turn brown.”Bonnie Schorsch ’75

“Lunch was always the best part of the day! Mrs. Hall (Mr. Hall’s wife) was in charge of thecafeteria, and the tuna fish sandwiches were amazing with the tomato soup!”Candi Castle Mangel ’83

“Pizza was what we all looked forward to, but I think overall, the food was pretty good.However, I was on a Twinkie diet at the time, so I am the wrong person to ask. John Allen,the history teacher, was a major mentor to many of us. He had a huge sofa in his classroomand a coffee machine which was on offer to any of the students. He used to take his withchocolate milk!”Kristina West ’85

“The crew was very nice back then. They used to give me peanut butter and jelly sandwichessometimes if I stopped by on my free period after the lunch rush. The thing I remembermost was that we had to walk from the Upper School to the “Old Cafeteria” via a narrowasphalt path and brave the elements to get to lunch every day. Teachers sometimes sat withus. My wrestling coach Mike Ortiz was usually there, and Science teacher John Tazewell.Other teachers would eat there too, and the students always liked to sit with them.”Chris Cantley ’86

“I have a really distinct memory of the thrill of entering the Lower School cafeteria by theback stairs once I ‘graduated’ to Middle School. My all-time favorite food memory ofLower School was a time when we lost power and the ice cream had to be eaten before itall melted.”Jon Makler ’95

“I always looked forward to Pretzel Tuesdays, which was something that Reese Willis did toraise money for community service activities. Gotta love Philly soft pretzels! I also rememberfondly learning how to shoot carrot bombs at other tables. Yes, it got messy sometimes.”Maryrose Myrtetus ’05

in your daily life and so, for example, in

theater Megan does a really great job

encouraging us to use our voices, so I think

theater encouraged me to speak louder.

I love acting. Megan does such a good job

teaching us how to use past emotions in

order to get that right emotion at that exact

part. In terms of Miss Bingley, first of all,

this was a very tough play. The accents

weren’t a huge difficulty but there were a

lot of elements to it, including choreography

of dances and scene changes.

When we’re rehearsing with Megan she has

notes for us every time. If something isn’t

working she’ll give us another way to do it.

There are so many details that she thinks

about. It’s like her heart and soul are in these

plays. If it’s not going well, you can tell it from

her face. Sometimes Megan’s notes are really

pleasant and sometimes they’re not, but in

the end its always constructive criticism.”

15

“The best part of the day!”

“I was a freshman at Temple University,Ambler, in a Comp 50 writing class. A fewclasses into the semester the professor told usthat we would have to write an argumentativeessay. I was busy taking notes when aclassmate’s hand shot up with the question,‘What’s an argumentative essay?’ I couldn’tbelieve my ears. Because AFS values the abilityto write so highly I had written a number ofessays during my four years in Upper School,never mind all the years before. In my mind,an argumentative essay was one of the basics. Ihad a hard time comprehending that someonedidn’t know what it was.”Cherine Morsi ’00

“I was definitely well prepared for collegewhen I graduated from AFS. I rememberfinding my freshman year at Vassar Collegesurprisingly manageable and even easy attimes. I specifically remember taking one ofmy first Religion 101 essays to the college’swriting center. There, the writing tutor toldme about common mistakes freshmen makein their papers. When she read my paper, shetold me that I really didn’t have any of thosecommon errors and that it was much strongerthan many essays she saw in the writingcenter, regardless of year.

“When I arrived at Vassar, I had strong criticalreading and writing skills because of myeducation at AFS. These skills made theacademic transition very smooth. AFS taughtme how to write well. I took some worksheetsfromMary Lynn’s class with me to college.They hung above my desk for four years andprovided guidance when I hit a writer’s blockor needed to critically review something.Similarly, lessons I learned in AndrewBickford’s classes (what a thesis statement is,how to write a 5 paragraph essay in 1 hour)were invaluable in college and now in theworking world. I would not have been nearlyas well prepared (or gotten into Vassar, mostlikely) had I not gone to AFS. When Itransferred to AFS in 10th grade, I had neverwritten an essay over two pages and I didn’tknow how to formulate a written argument.AFS changed everything.”Maryrose Myrtetus ’05

16 ESSENTIALLY AFS

Ready for College“When I got to Duke they gave us a placementexam. I placed in third year French and foundI was reading the same books I was reading inthe second year of high school at AFS. It wassort of boring to go through the same thingand read the same books all over again. I wasextremely well prepared for college and for ademanding college, too.”Barbara Schnur ’55

“When I transferred to Boston University asa junior, I was in a suite of seven girls whowere having a non-stop good time chatting,cracking gum, and playing music on differentstations. I couldn’t study in the middle of thatand without hesitation knew I would beguided to a solution, which was to request atransfer to another room. Never in my wildestdreams did I expect to land in an honordorm, a converted Georgian mansion with aroommate who was as delightful as she wasa serious student, and a group of us in thehouse became fast friends, exploring Boston’scultural and historic gifts. At AbingtonFriends, I learned to be quiet and listen forguidance I needed and developed theconfidence to take action in resolvingproblems. I believe we all gained a seriousnessof purpose about our education, especially asseniors, that came across to the residenceadvisor I appealed to over 50 years ago.”Sigrid Gilbert ’57

“When I arrived at college, I remember feelingmuch better prepared regarding my studyhabits than my peers who had attended publicschools. I was used to spending many hourseach night studying, whereas my new friendswere not. They found the adjustment hard. Ihad learned self-discipline at AFS and wasable to cope with the academic demands ofcollege from the very beginning. I was able tostay focused on my studies as my first priorityand put social interests and temptations asmy second priority. AFS was instrumental inmy success in college.”Judy Tompkins Steel ’60

17

In April 1956 I was informed thatI had been selected through anexchange program sponsored bythe American Friends ServiceCommittee and would be anexchange student at AbingtonFriends School during theacademic year 1956-1957. At thetime I was in the eleventh grade at the

Collège de Jeunes Filles in Sélestat, France.

I sailed on August 20 aboard the “Arosa Star”

from Le Havre, Normandy, and after a five-

day boat trip I arrived at Montreal, Canada

where the family I was to stay with picked

me up. I stayed with the Parrys who lived in

Dresher, in a two-story big white house out in

the country about five miles from Abington

Friends School. My parents were quite happy

that I would not live in a big city!

The premises of AFS made me think of a

huge family mansion on an extensive ground

rather than a regular school. It was a place

where teachers and students met to work

together in a friendly and warm atmosphere.

I was thrilled to visit the US and I thought it

was a privilege to be an exchange student.

I was excited to meet my classmates and

delighted by their friendly attitude, enhanced

by the open and supportive attitude of

Headmaster and faculty. I felt I could easily

fit in and make friends.

In the beginning I had some trouble with

spoken English although my basic

knowledge of the language was fair.

Classmates and teachers, however, showed

much understanding and patience and

communication in English improved quickly

as practice increased. We became such a

good group and I greatly appreciated the

experience I was living. As a class we were a

busy group and it was much fun.

The Collège de Jeunes Filles in Sélestat was

structured to develop good academic

knowledge and enable students to be

successful in testing programs with a view

to being granted the diploma, which would

give access to college. Class discussion and

participation were not stimulated. In the

early ’50s there was no such thing as

extra-curricular activities in French high

schools and concern for community service

was not nurtured.

At AFS I felt that the educational program

went far beyond academic knowledge and

requirements. It was structured to develop

good study habits, encourage the exchange

of ideas and critical thinking. Students were

active participants in the learning process;

participation and contribution to class

discussion were highly valued.

My year as an exchange student at AFS

was definitely a most valuable experience

and I have been so fortunate to be provided

such an incredibly amazing and challenging

education.

I feel it shaped my life in a most positive

way. I gained a better insight into the US

way of thinking and doing. It fostered

understanding of different cultural patterns

and countries, respect for opinions and

views different from mine, appreciation of

diversity and openness to change. It had a

significant impact on specific interests I

would pursue later and prepared me for a

more constructive role in my adult life. It

definitely inspired my life-long commitment

to learning and thanks to AFS I have enjoyed

lasting friendships.

Favorite TeachersMy favorite teacher was Miss Bickley. I truly

enjoyed her teaching and her culture. She

was deeply human and really kind. She has

had a strong and lasting impact on me.

My second favorite teacher was Miss Huey.

Through her determination and patience

she succeeded in turning me into a fully

enthusiastic student in Banking, a subject I

first had a hard time with, and which I ended

up enjoying greatly.

I also liked Mrs. Wolff for her open and

warm personality. She was relaxed and I was

fond of American History. I felt grateful to

Miss Ritz when she accepted me as an alto

in the Glee Club and gave me an opportunity

to enjoy chorus work.

Favorite MemoriesThe terrific surprise birthday party when

I turned 17. It was the most fabulous

birthday party ever.

Sitting in the Meeting House for worship:

these silent moments of reflection and

thoughtful sharing were most inspiring

and contributed to my spiritual growth.

My weekend work camp on urban

problems remains an amazingly rich

awareness raising experience.

The “Outward Bound 1957”, Arbor Day,

May pole dance and Commencement.

The wonderful relationship we had with

our teachers and more generally the

spirit of AFS, which nurtured us, will

remain forever.

My Experience as an Exchange Student at AFS Reflections by Gaby Tubach ’57

18 ESSENTIALLY AFS

“Community is the first description of myexperience that jumps out at me. Our classreturns to the School quite often and asrecently as a short month ago. I feel the senseof community each time I return. Then it wasa cocoon; structured but relaxed, no boys,few decisions to make, everybody knowingeverybody. Today it remains a safe andwelcoming place but with a more intensesearch for understanding, wisdom andnew possibilities.”Liz Cobourn Cole ’57

“For me, the belief in equality, that we are allGod’s children and all have an inner light,has influenced me both in my personal andprofessional life. Professionally, it means inmy practice as a certified nurse-midwife thatall my patients deserve the same quality ofcare from me and the same respect. It is up tome to see the light in each of them and tomake sure I treat them all from my givingcenter. It is often hard to continue steadilyon, not judging and not condemning. I try torest in the strength of my belief that we areall struggling equally, and as a health-careprovider, it behooves me to be gentle withevery single one of us. My favorite quote ofGeorge Fox, which is on my kitchen wall, isthis; ‘Walk cheerfully over the world,answering that of God in everyone.’”Retta Thompson Clews ’61

“Those Quaker values sound so deliciousjust to read, and although I like them alltogether—like a good soup, that shares itsflavors better than they taste alone—I guesscommunity has figured more in my life thanthe others. I’ve found community in so manyplaces: at Earlham, where I started mycollege experience… at Temple University,where I worked for so many years; atWeaver’s Way Co-op, where my family hasbeen a member since the early ’80s; at thePhiladelphia Folksong Society, and—comingfull circle—back at AFS with my son’s recenteducation there.”Jenny French ’69

“Peace and Equality. These values affect howyou deal with people in your everyday life andhow you feel you should be treated. It wasalso the two main values I instilled in mydaughter when raising her. Peace and equalityif practiced by all would make the world abetter place.”Amy Goldbloom ’72

“Equality has been a guiding force in mycharacter for as long as I can recall. I giveAFS credit for my desire/need to volunteerand improve the life of someone else, andthat I experienced throughout my AFSeducation. Community service had a largeimpact on my growth at AFS. This led me tomy mentor position at the Lower East SideGirls Club in New York. People commendme on my sense of volunteerism, which intruth seems inadequate compared to what Ishould do. It’s easy to write a check or serveon a committee, but reaching out, growing,sharing and learning is the essence of theQuaker value.”Jeannie Engelbach ’86

“Quaker philosophy has motivated and shapedme a great deal. Simplicity, Peace, Integrity,Community, Equality, Stewardship are allqualities, but the inner peace to do what isright and follow a strong character is whatstands out the most. Society of Friends isessential and symbolic, one I wish the worldgravitated towards more.”Gary Carter, Jr. ’87

“I am constantly reminded of the many waysQuaker education has shaped my life, even18 years after graduating. Being a part ofAbington Friends School gave me a sense ofcommunity that I have yet to capture any-where else. In our daily lives we are all a partof a community, both at home and at work,but it’s difficult to replicate what you feel aspart of a Quaker school. I felt uplifted by theteaching staff and challenged to achieve myfull potential. I felt at home around my peersthere and part of a bigger, extended family.”Sarah Caldwell ’92, Anchor/Reporter,WBAL-TV Baltimore, MD

“Most activities that take up my time thesedays are inspired by Simplicity, Peace,Integrity, Community, Equality andStewardship. Well, perhaps not simplicity,since I’m always wired to a computer and asmart phone, running from appointment toappointment. But the spirit of simplicity iswith me. I am now a lawyer working onbehalf of poor people in Philadelphia whohave criminal records and are being deniedemployment. In middle school and highschool, worrying how my jeans were foldedor making the best mix tape for a girl I liked,I didn’t comprehend the impact Quakerideas could have on the outside world. But Itake a little of AFS with me in every client Ihelp, and all the work I do.”Matt Pillischer ’96

Which Quaker value do you value most?

“I didn’t realize how much Quaker valuesshaped my life until I found myself teachingat another Quaker independent school. Ispent 15 years at AFS, so I feel as thougheverything I do was somehow influenced bythose values. I learned during my time atAFS the importance of taking care of mycommunity through Stewardship andEquality. They were such an integral part ofmy education at AFS, I don’t think I evenrealized they were Quaker values.”Cherine Morsi ’00

20 ESSENTIALLY AFS

Meet ThreeThode Athletes

The name Ed Thode will befamiliar to anybody who attendedAbington Friends during the1970s. An administrator, coach and creator

of AFS’s Middle School program, Ed Thode

was a vital member of the community until

his sudden death in 1979. The Thode gym

was named in his honor, and in 1983 the

Thode Athletic Award was established to keep

his spirit and devotion to the school alive.

According to Athletic Director Jeff Bond, The

Thode Athlete is “that member of each varsity

team who, in the consensus of the players

and coaches, best represents the team and

the school. To be named a Thode Athlete is

one of the highest honors a student can

receive at AFS.”

Since the Thode Athletic Award program

began, the lineup of sports for which our

students are honored has evolved. As

former field hockey (among many other

sports) coach Carol Palmer remembers,

“As more and more girls became interested

in soccer, the decision was made to switch

from field hockey to soccer, since the school

could not field two big varsity teams.” In its

day, though, field hockey was huge at AFS

and the girls’ team had a remarkable record

of achievement.

Here, three Thode Athletes talk about what it

means to be so honored, and how the AFS

athletics program has helped shape their lives.

Kathy Alter Hazen ’84, ThodeAthlete for Field Hockey, 1984Kathy came to AFS in fifth grade from public

school. Always athletic by nature, Kathy

played hockey, lacrosse and basketball in

Middle School (as well as kickball and

waffle ball in the backyards of her Northeast

Philadelphia neighborhood) but by ninth

grade field hockey had become her sport.

“I was too short for basketball and didn’t

really like lacrosse. Our coaches were Debbie

Stauffer and Carol Palmer. It was competitive

and we played our hardest. We were definitely

expected to give it everything we had.

Carol and Debbie were tough coaches. They

expected us to be in shape and to run too

much, but they were fun too. They had a

sense of humor and could get silly with the

rest of the team. It was fun and it was

serious all wrapped up in one. Sometimes

in practices we’d goof off. We were kids.

They could tolerate that. But at the same

time we had to be serious.

Morristown Friends and George School both

had pretty good teams. Those are the two

that stick in my head. I mainly played left

half-back defense.

Being named a Thode Athlete? I think it was

kind of a big deal. It’s always good to be

recognized, especially in your senior year as

you go off to college. I think confidence and

aggressiveness, that competitive part of me

was really developed through taking part in

athletics. Self-esteem, too, and a sense of

accomplishment.

Playing field hockey at AFS is definitely

among my happiest memories. There came

a point, though, where all the girls wanted to

play soccer. There was a girl who was a year

or two below me, Kristine Munholland, who

wanted to play soccer and there was no girls’

soccer at that time so they allowed her to

play on the boys’ team. Here was a girl who

wanted to play soccer and there was no such

thing, and they found a way for her to do it.”

Jake Segal ’11, Thode Athletefor Wrestling, 2010Jake Segal started at AFS in the middle of

ninth grade, transferring from Germantown

Friends School.

“When I started wrestling in ninth grade

things really changed for me. My first year I

went 0 for 16 and even though I lost every

match my teammates were still appreciative

that I was a part of the team. They didn’t look

down on me. The next year I went 5 and 8

and last year I was 20 and 10 or something.

Last year in the beginning of the year I was

going into the season and hadn’t done that

well the year before. I went in with low

expectations. I remember a tournament at

Germantown Academy that year. I went 4

and 1 and got third place. The match that

21

resonated with me most was one that

clinched third. It was tied until I scored

with a minute left and then just wrestled

defensively and was able to hold him off

just long enough. I was euphoric. When I

drove home with my mom I didn’t take

my medal off till I got in the shower. That

was really nice.

Even early on when I wasn’t winning, it never

occurred to me that I could give up. I wanted

to find a sport that I’d be good at and where

there was a real team bond. I transferred to

AFS in the middle of my freshman year and

wrestling was the stability I had through that

transition. Ever since my first season I’ve never

considered dropping it. The practices have

been difficult, but you get out what you put in.

Last year my friend Ely Manstein and I were

the first two kids ever to place at States for

AFS. I feel like our wrestling program has

been improving every year. This year we’re

going to have the biggest team we’ve ever

had and we’re looking to make the playoffs.

Being a Thode Athlete along with Ely was

great. We’ve had a lot of achievements

together. It was nice to get recognition from

my teammates, as was captainship. It’s just

really nice to feel like I was a leader on the

team and to be recognized for it.

Wrestling is what I love and everybody in

school knows that. I’m very passionate

about it. I do everything I can for it to

improve our program. I feel I have a stake

in our program and I feel we’re really on the

upswing. It’s put me in a position where I

try to set an example, but I also understand

I’m not the best person on the team. What

I use to set an example is my attitude, and

it’s helped me in all other aspects of my

life too.”

Megan Watson ’11, ThodeAthlete, Girls’ Soccer 2010An AFS student since her freshman year,

Megan Watson has been playing sports since

she was little, though she kept her sports

involvement outside of school until she

began Upper School. At AFS Megan started

out playing soccer and in her junior year

picked up lacrosse as well. Megan also

dances outside of school.

“I enjoyed starting off with preseason

practice during the summer. Being new in

high school is not the easiest thing, and it

helped me to get to know kids in older

grades. In some high schools you wouldn’t

get freshmen being friends with seniors.

I’m not a quiet person but I was definitely

intimidated coming into a new school. I

would watch the older girls and see how

they were. They helped mold me.

During my time in high school I went from

being a forward to defense. At first I thought

it was a bad thing, but now I cherish it.

Because you’re the last one there, you know

you’re one of the strongest people. Being a

leader and being there for the girls is

something I really want to do to help others.

This year being a senior and having my

name called to get a letter, that hit me hard.

Being named a Thode Athlete, that was

unexpected. It felt really good because I can

be really hard on myself. So knowing that

other people look up to me and that my

team is there for me really meant

something. So getting the Thode? I’ve

never been so happy.”

21

annual report of giftsAbington Friends School

We’re saving treesand expense by publishing the Annual Report

online. This is one of the many ways we

are honoring stewardship at AFS.

Dear Friends,

I hope you have an opportunity to visit our newwebsite. The home page underscores effectively, Ithink, our unique vision for education. The tagline –a different school of thought – is provocative andinvites close scrutiny of what makes AFS special. Andwhen I reflect on the past year from a developmentperspective, I believe that our community is fullysupportive of this bold mission. I thank you for yourgenerosity and your stewardship.

Let me review the highlights briefly. We are now in our lastyear of our Vision in Action campaign, and we are very close to completing the effortto raise $3M for two key initiatives; to increase our faculty salaries and to enhance thoseprograms that augment our academic program. The salary increases went into effectthis year and the faculty is most appreciative of that tangible support. We raised over$425,000 in the Annual Fund last year and I was particularly pleased with how manyparents participated by making a gift. The Friends of AFS Athletics Committeerecommended a short list of priority projects and funds were secured for the renovationof the Thode Gym and both the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, much needed improvements.Finally, our tuition assistance program was supplemented by about $15,000 from TheHank Faulkner Golf Outing and substantial contributions through the PennsylvaniaEducational Improvement Tax Credit (PAEITC) program. PAEITC provides a taxcredit to businesses that pay Pennsylvania’s corporate income tax for contributions thatgive private-school scholarships to eligible children. A Pennsylvania business may directup to $300,000 of its Pennsylvania state tax dollars directly to AFS’s scholarshipprogram for tax credit. A great deal for everyone.

While we are very pleased with the philanthropic support for AFS, we will not becomplacent in our efforts to encourage more support for our school. We live insophisticated times, and there are many very ingenious ways to support AFS. Forexample, some people may want to help by simply including the School in a bequest.Others may consider making a donation and, in return, receive a fixed annuity paymenteach year for life. Others may want to consider setting up something like a charitablelead trust that allows someone to make a donation now while reducing the tax burdenfor their heirs. If any of these instruments are appealing, I would be happy to talkto you as they can be set up very easily.

If you have not been to campus recently I hope you will consider visiting soon. Thereis a lot to see every day and I trust that you will be especially pleased to see for yourselfhow the school lives out its mission to be a different school of thought.

We have much to give thanks for and for all of us in the Development Office, pleaseknow that we appreciate every dollar of your support!

Jon M. HarrisAssistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement

Annual Fund HighlightsIn 2009-2010, we raised $426,745.95

153 alumni, parents and friends gave to

the Annual Fund for the first time

649 donors made repeat gifts to the

Annual Fund

$459.86 was the average gift per donor

85 donors gave gifts equal to or more

than $1000

61% of our parents contributed to the

Annual Fund

Our deepest thanks to our 928Annual Fund donors for making2009-2010 such a successful year.

Vision in Action HighlightsCapital Funds Pledged: $1.6M

Annual Fund raised in

last two years: $893K

What we’ve accomplishedso far with your help:Increased faculty salaries

The ECCO program is flourishing

Our school counselor for the MS and

US is in his second year

Supported faculty summer fellowships

for travel and research

Total FY 09-10Contributions to AFS

$1,531,113

24

alumni events

The Class of 1980 On May 8 seven members of the

“might-y Class of Eight-y”, plus two intrepid spouses, gathered for

dinner at Marco Polo in Elkins Park to celebrate Part I of our 30th

reunion. Steve Dansy, Jennifer Heacock Brooks, Susan Greene,

Sandy Marcus Lieberman, Cynthia Russell Hyland, Libby Hutchison

Johnson and John Traub had a terrific time reminiscing, catching

up on what we’ve been doing all these years, and regaling each

other with tales of senior year mischief (long past the statute of

limitations). And once again, continuing an ’80 reunion tradition,

we closed down the restaurant while trading memories.

«

The Class of 1960 gathered for a luncheon in the John

Barnes Room of the Abington Meeting House on Friday, May 7,

2010 to celebrate their 50th Reunion. Eighteen classmates

journeyed from all over to return to campus: Georgia, New

Mexico, Washington and even Mexico. Some had not seen each

other since graduation. Those in attendance were: Peggy Werden

Bishop, Bonnie Fisher Brackin, Carolyn Davenport Chapman,

Donna Cooper, Elizabeth Lamb Creighton, Sara Knobelauch

Dean, Maru Nadal Filloy, Joyce Greenawalt Fleming, Ellen

Lowenthal Goldstein, Joyce Leonard Johnson, Susan Sions

Kershbaum, Peggy Lees, Wendy Wyatt Loos, Sandra Hampton

Poust, Judy Tompkins Steel, Jacqueline Armour Sutton, Ginger

Hamilton Swenson-Bishop and Gail Thomas. Special thanks to

Peggy Werden Bishop for planning a wonderful weekend and to

Susan Sions Kershbaum for hosting an impromptu dinner

on May 7, 2010.

«

25

The Class of 1985 had a weekend of events to choose from for their 25th Reunion.

Some gathered for drinks on Friday, May 7 at Solaris Grille in Chestnut Hill. Others came to

AFS with their families for the May 8 Alumni Weekend festivities, with the all-school carnival.

Pictured here are Christie Michener Robbins, Lisa Reeves Jones, Jacqueline Fletman Grant

and Howard Delfiner, who came out to Drake’s Tavern on the evening of Saturday, May 8,

2010. Special thanks to Lisa Reeves Jones for coordinating their reunion.

The Class of 1990 celebrated

their 20th reunion on May 22, 2010,

organized by Debbie Toll Gruelle. The

class met at the home of Robert Toll—

Deb’s father—in Solebury. Pictured left

to right are: Jeff Epstein, Will Swenson,

Kaci Bishop, Nelson Diaz, Joe Kuffler,

Justin Smith, Beth Vogel, Jarred Kirsch,

Deb Toll Gruelle, Stuart Rubin, Lydia

Barrett, Stacey Schneider Fliegelman,

Adam Kaplan, Tara Ford Thies, Robin

Gary, Ben Gealt, Danielle Thomas-Kraft,

Jodi Metter Wiseman, Robert Konick,

Kristin Tomko, Maggie Lockwood.

Not pictured: Steve Morgan.

«

The Class of 1995 met at the Drake’s Tavern in Jenkintown for their 15th

Reunion on Saturday, May 8. Pictured in attendance are, left to right: Lauren Robinson,

Josh Anish, Lauren Fisher Rosenfeld, Julie Faulkner, Juliet Koczak, Jennifer Hurvitz Burbine.

Special thanks to Josh Anish for organizing this reunion.

«

Alumni Baseball andSoftball Games »On May 27, alumni baseball and

softball players joined current student-

athletes, faculty members and coaches

on the fields for friendly, pick-up games

of baseball and softball. Those in

attendance were: David Contosta ’09,

Jeff Ellis ’08, David Fields ’91, Jenny B.

Hammond ’86, David Holin ’09,

Jeff Israel ’08, John Lee ’05, Keith

Lee (’05), Ben Lockman ’05, Max

Manstein ’08, Cherine Morsi ’00,

Jake Perch ’05, Mike Pizzi ’06, Marc

Thompson ’88, Gavin White ’06.

Special thanks to Michele Lockman

(parent of Ryan ’01 and Ben ’05)

for organizing the barbeque this year.

26 ALUMNI EVENTS

The Class of 1955 celebrated their 55th reunion at the Huntingdon

Valley Country Club on April 23, 2010. Pictured at the luncheon are (L to R):

D.J. Miller Brosius, Barbara Danehower Schnur, Jane Jordan Schmitz,

Carol Young Frisby, Sandra Albertson McMillan and Joan DePaul West.

Special thanks to Barbara Danehower Schnur for organizing this reunion.

27

1946Elaine Kates Coate shares, “I’m still alive!”

1949Jane Martin Von Bosse shares, “Justhanging in there! (I) spend my time taking

care of the daily chores, reading and painting

in watercolors–mostly Chinese brushpainting-

landscapes. Don’t get around like I used to!”

1952Deborah Smith Onken wrote The Family SelfHelp Book: Exercises in Family Synthesis. It can

be found on Amazon.com. She is a licensed

psychologist, psychosynthesis analyst and

trainer with individuals, marriages and

families, taught 25 years at Washington

University in St. Louis, lectured in Europe

and USA, and is the director of the Family

Synthesis Institute.

1958Suellen Fisher Newman shares, “I am the

mother of five and the grandmother of

seven and happily married. I am the founder

and director of a small coeducational

independent school in Hoboken, NJ. Please

read more about the Hudson School at

www.thehudsonschool.org.”

1960Margaret (Peggy) Lees writes, “Recentlyretired after a 43-year career teaching

kindergarten, first and second grades, I’m

also a certified K-12 Reading Specialist. (I)

enjoy vacationing at my home in Sea Pines,

Hilton Head, SC.”

50th ReunionCLASS CHAIRSBonnie DrumondGross ’61:bdgross@comcast.netLynn Wilkinson ’61:lynnwilkinson@hotmail.comGlenna Renger Bingham ’61:binghamtwins@hughes.netBarb Reeder ’61: reeder.b@gmail.comSusan Pohe Plotts ’61:susanplotts@gmail.com

1962Susan Mertz Allen writes, “We are enjoying

our active retirement. We play golf, travel

and love being with our grandchildren (three

grandsons and one granddaughter ranging

in age from 1 to 5 years). Life is good!”

1971Sandra Haines Cushman writes, “I haveretired from our family business and spend

my days with my horses. Our eldest

daughter and her husband are taking over

the business, and our granddaughter Laura

lives and works in London.”

61

1977Clifford Hudis writes, “I continue to serve asChief of the Breast Cancer Medicine Service at

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. I

was elected to the Board of Directors of the

American Society of Clinical Oncology in

2009 and I am an Associate Editor of the

Journal of Clinical Oncology. My research is

focused on the prevention and treatment of

breast cancer.”

25th ReunionCLASS CHAIRJenny Hammond ’86:jennyhammond86@gmail.com

Jennifer Bornholdt Hammond writes,“In late August, I moved to Western

Massachusetts to start working at Deerfield

Academy as their Associate Director of

Alumni Relations. I already have the AFS

Alumni Weekend in my calendar and

hope you do too (25th Reunion - yikes!).

See you then!”

Jeanie Engleback writes, “Although I still keep

in touch with many of my classmates through

Facebook and my businesses, photojeanie

and apartmentjeanie, it would be awesome if

EVERYONE was able to attend our 25th (hard

to believe) reunion!”

86

classnotes

What have you been up to?We’d like to know!In the coming months we’ll roll outnew features that will allow you toupdate your address online, findclassmates and submit class notesthrough a portal just for AFS alumni.

28 CLASSNOTES

1994Melissa Osorio Siegrist and her husband Billy

happily announce the birth of their son,

William Emmanuel Siegrist, on December 11,

2009. He weighed 8 lbs, 10 oz and was 21

inches long. The family lives in Manhattan.

1997Jocelyn Faulkner Casey shares the news thatWilliam Faulkner Casey was born Sept 14, 2010

to Jocelyn and her husband James Casey.

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

was born Friday, October 15 at 10:20 p.m.

Mom and Brandon are doing well and resting.

He was 7 lbs, 12 oz, 21 ¾ 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...”

Scott Winston shares, "Hello Everyone.I’m happy to announce that my first game

for the iPhone, Pooper Scooper: The Game,

was released on the iPhone App Store on

April 16, 2010.

1998Lucinda Faulkner Friedman and husband

Scott welcomed their first son, Marcus Henry

Friedman on December 24, 2009.

Jamie Bromberg Tretola writes, “My

husband Stephen and I just had our second

child who was born on September 3, 2010.

His name is Daniel Robert. His two-year-old

sister Alyssa is a very proud big sister!”

2000Jacqueline Oldynski Covone shares, “My

husband Anthony and I welcomed our baby

boy Logan into our lives on January 25, 2010.”

Betsy Gultanoff Widelitz Dr. Jeffrey andBetsy (Gultanoff) Widelitz happily announce

the birth of their son, Jacob Cooper, on

May 5, 2010. He weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz and

was 20 ½ inches long. The family lives in

Lafayette Hill.

10th ReunionCLASS CHAIRSMelissa Green Present ’01:mgpresent@gmail.comJillian Apfelbaum ’01:j.apfelbaum@gmail.comJaime Pearlstine ’01:jaimepearl17@gmail.com

01

David Ahlmoved to Brooklyn, NY and

started a music production company called

Stepwise Sound. Now in its third year of

business, Ahl offers music production

services such as on-location recording and

mixing with a focus on personal attention

for each client. It seems to be working – Ahl

has worked with Grammy-winning artists Ali

Farka Toure + Toumani Diabate and recently

recorded media icon Stephen Colbert for

a video presentation with the Gates

Foundation. Ahl remembers where it started:

“My first exposure to music production

came at AFS from Chris Buzby and the

school’s computer music lab.” You can hear

music and find out more about Stepwise

Sound at www.stepwisesound.com

Russell Nadel writes, “Ten years strong! I

look forward so much to seeing others at

our reunion. We have a great deal to catch

up on, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Joshua Sargen went to Haiti in April 2010,

in preparation for his White House advance

work for First Lady Michelle Obama’s visit.

At that time, he was able to meet with

various Haitian government officials and

the First Lady of Haiti. It was a very moving

trip witnessing first hand the earthquake

devastation and poor, blighted conditions

that exist.

2005Virginia Petrucci shares, “I graduated from

Stevenson University’s honors program

with a B.A. in Theatre and English in 2009.

I moved to Los Angeles in August 2009,

and now live and work here as a model

and actress. I’m planning to earn another

undergraduate degree in Cognitive

Science before eventually pursuing a PhD

in Primatology.”

Erin Russo of Smith College gives a

shout-out to scattering graduates. Erin

Russo is going to Trieste, Italy, to teach

graphic design. Sherhrbano Taseer, to NYC,

to represent Pakistan in the U.N.

(from Facebook)

29

David Staples shares, “I’m working for the

federal government in Greenbelt, MD, and

enrolled in a Masters of Aviation Management

and Safety Systems degree program through

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.”

5th ReunionCLASS CHAIRSRachel Gitlevich ’06:rachelgitlevich@gmail.comEmily Green ’06: egreen712@gmail.com

Luke Butler Friends, Below is a list of the

honors bestowed to Luke Butler upon

graduating from Temple. I saw a picture

of him with a number of colored “ropes”

around his neck and asked Mariah to explain

them to me: “Pink and blue, phi beta kappa.

Gold with gold tassels, cum laude. Gold with

blue tassels, national psychology honors

society. Red and white, Temple honors

program. Medal, first class graduating in

the new neuroscience major. He also got

the Diamond Award which is an award given

to 25 of the 8,000 students that graduate.

Not like he had a good undergrad experience

or anything...”

Christina Forbes Ford writes, “Chris and I

got married on September 16 at Ridley Creek

State Park. We’ve been dating since my

freshman year in college. Some AFS alumni

in attendance at the wedding included

Rachel Gitlevich ’06, Nicole Husbands ’06,

06

Evan Sloss ’06, and Louis Klapper ’05. Chris

currently works as an EMT and firefighter at

Woodlyn Fire Company and at Coopersburg

EMS. I’m currently in my second year at the

University of Delaware working on my Ph.D.

in Chemistry.

Joshua Schrager won the Harry Kalas Award

from The Philadelphia Broadcasters

Foundation. The Kalas Award, created in

2009 to honor the life and work of the late

Harry Kalas, is a college scholarship given

annually to a deserving student who has a

stated desire and has shown initiative

towards a career in sports broadcasting.

Schrager had the opportunity to work with

Kalas as an intern and then as a runner for

the Phillies telecasts with Comcast

SportsNet. “Not only was Harry Kalas a

great broadcaster, but he was also a great

man,” Schrager said. “I knew this through

working with Harry. Whenever I would leave

or come into the booth at the ballpark, he

would always have a comforting smile on

his face because he enjoyed his job. I will

remember him for being the truly good,

caring person he was and always will be to

all Phillies fans.” In addition to his

experience with CSN, Schrager has also

served as a sports counselor at a summer

camp at Oak Lane School where he taught

kids ages 3 to 12 how to play sports and gym

Class notes are compiled by the Alumni Office. You can submit a class note by callingAnna Stiegel in the Alumni Office (215-576-3966), via email to alumni@abingtonfriends.netor through the AFS website: www.abingtonfriends.net. Please submit photos as .jpgs at aresolution of 300 dpi or higher.

games. He has also interned in the sports

department of The Philadelphia Inquirer and

at WIP 610 AM. Schrager is expected to

graduate from Temple University in May

2010 with a degree in broadcast journalism.

Another note about Josh Schrager. The a

cappella group in which he sings: “BROAD

STREET LINE” was on campus Wednesday,

April 28, 2010!!

2008Rachel Jakubowitcz is studying in Seville,

Spain and having a wonderful trip. Hope

all is well with you. Best regards,

Janice Jakubowitcz.

Cara Liuzzi shared, “I won the Princeton

University Morris W. Croll Poetry Prize for

(my) poem called “When I Become A Radio

DJ.” This prize was established to honor the

memory of Morris W. Croll, a distinguished

scholar of the Renaissance and a member

of the Department of English. It is awarded

to a student for the best poem, with no

restrictions on subject or form.”

Morgan Pfost shares, “Currently I amworking to complete a double major in

Business Management and History. My

eventual plan is to complete the one year

Master of History that Tulane offers. My hope

is to begin work towards a professorship in

History. This summer, I worked at the

National World War II Museum here in New

Orleans, where I wrote stories about new

museum artifiacts and upcoming exhibits

for a newsletter.”

2009Elizabeth Bondelid shares, “I spent oneyear at West Chester University, and am

transferring to Arcadia University to study

English and writing. This semester I began

my journey in Taoism, Tai Chi, yoga and Reiki.

I am working with numerous mentors who

have inspired me greatly, and I plan to delve

deeper into my studies this summer.”

Save the dateMay 7, 2011 is AFS ReunionDay and Roo Fest. Classesending in 1’s and 6’s arecelebrating their AFS reunion.We are looking for ReunionChairs for 1966, 1971, 1976,1981, 1991 and 1996. If youare interested in helping out,please contact Anna Stiegel atastiegel@abingtonfriends.netor 215.576.3966.

30 CLASSNOTES

2010 graduate notesEvery spring, members of thegraduating class come to the AlumniOffice to enter their first class noteand anticipate their life after AFS.

Emily Beaton: “To the Class of 2010. In thepast year, we have come so far, and I am soproud of us as a grade; I cannot believe ourtime together is coming to an end. I feel that Ican say that I have had a good time with, Ithink, every person in our grade, and I willtruly miss you all!”

Shane Bernard: “Hey we did it guys! I’mgoing to miss each one of you because youall are just good people to be around. I hopethat none of us loses contact, and I wish youall the best of luck in the future. I’ll be hittingall of you up if I happen to end up on yourcollege campus in the future.”

Brandon Blum: “I can’t believe it’s over. Goodluck next year and don’t be shy, hit me up.”

Stephanie Botts: “We 313, Our Swag is Mean,When We’re Around , We Cause A Scene. WeTake No Crap, We’re Tough As Bats, If WeCome Back, We’ll Take Your Apple Jacks! Let’sGo Get It? We Been Had It! As the late greatMichael Jackson once said, “And The WholeWorld Has to Answer Right Now, Just to TellYou Once Again Who’s Badd !” In the wordsof Mama Trick, Stay Badd. Stay Fab! Go Hard.”

Samantha Burke: “To my fellow classmates...we’re in college if you’re reading this! Best ofluck with whatever comes your way. It was ajoy/curse/blessing/great frustration (butultimately, a wonderful thing) to walk thesehalls with you for the last four years. Keepin touch :)”

Ciara Cipriano: “Best of luck everyone, it’sbeen real.”

Alex Coll: “I am really excited to start a newchapter in my life in the big city! I’m excitedto meet new people and take my academicinterest to a deeper level in my studies. I hopeto bring back a lot of stories to share with theAFS community at Homecoming!”

Susanne Collins: “313! We did it! I am soproud of us all. We’ve all come into our own,and learned how to support each other. I amso proud to be a part of this class. We willnever be forgotten. We have contributedmonumentally towards the arts, academics,athletics, AND community service. Therenever was a class like this, and there neverwill be. Not only did we overcome ournot-so-perfect image, but we soared aboveand beyond.”

Meghan Daly: “Don’t be strangers!”

Sabrina Diggles: “Hey guys, well... the fact thatwe are graduating hasn’t completely hit me yet,but every now and again I remember andrealize how crazy it feels. I remember hearingeveryone who’s gone through it already tell mehow fast high school goes and how emotionalI’m going to be when the time comes and Iremember thinking, ‘not fast enough,’ but thenI blinked and it’s ending. I’ve really come toappreciate my time here and I am so thankfulfor the part that each of you have played in mylife. I’m excited for what is to come, but I willnever forget this place and I will keep a part ofit with me always.”

Mariah Dillard: “I love the class of 2010.Everyone here made my AFS experiencememorable and special. The friends that Imade here will be cherished for the rest ofmy life and I don’t know what I would dowithout them. I hope everyone visits me atthe University of Maryland because I wouldlove to see everyone! I will miss my bestfriends, and I hope to keep in touch witheveryone. Love you all :)”

Christopher Engel: “You guys were the firstreal school family that I had. After lots ofmoving, I finally settled at AFS, and I willalways remember feeling comfortable witheveryone and making friends that I willcherish forever. Thanks.”

Gianna Esposito: “Congratulations 313! Itruly value the time I spent with you all atAFS. Good luck in college.”

Zoe Fuhrman: “I liked the carpets...”

Daniel Green: “Holla at me. I love you andmy parents.”

Bailey Higgins: “It’s been a good run!Ghosties forevah!”

David Judge: “Lets go get it! 313! Lets go getit! Relax Rusty, I think we got it :)”

Alexa Katz: “Congratulations to everybody!We are such a wonderful class filled withtalented people, and I know that we will all goout into the world and make it a better place.I hope that after we graduate, we will continueto be as close as we all are now and keep intouch with one another. I have so many greatmemories with this class, and I just want tothank everyone for making my time here atAFS really special.”

Nicholas Keefer: “Continue to stay focused,and keep in touch.”

Sean Kirwin: “I’m so glad we’re done! I wishall of you so much luck. Be fierce!”

Manish Kurien: “It’s been good. Hope you allenjoy college or whatever you plan to do.Have fun, and I can’t wait to see you again.”

Dara Lazarus: “My time at AFS has beenincredibly important. I would not be theperson I am if it were not for every single oneof my classmates and teachers. This ending isincredibly bittersweet. I am extremely excitedto move on and continue my education atcollege, but at the same time I know I willmiss it here.”

Jason Lazrus: “Hey guys. Have a great time incollege and don’t get into too much trouble.”

Raymond Longstreath: “Class of ’10, a lot ofus have been together for a long time sincefirst grade, growing and getting over the manyobstacles that we faced. All in all, I’m going tomiss the boys though, love you guys...signedW.E.B Dubois.”

31

Elisabeth Lugano: “Thank you so much foreverything you have done for me. Whenever Ithink about my time with you all I can’t helpbut smile! You have made my life better.Toast and Punjab!”

Saul Mangel: “We’ve had so much fun thesepast four years. I became close with a lot ofyou in high school and am very happy I did so.These past four years have been sick, and I’mso happy I was able to share them with you.Many of the memories I have from AFS willnever leave me because of you guys. Goodluck in all that you do, and keep in touch.”

Alexander Manta: “It is time.”

Jacob McEntire: “Let’s go get it 313!”

David McNamara: “Well I’m heading outinto the world. I’m finally getting out of mycomfort zone and heading out to pursue mydreams, but I will never forget the friendshipsand the experiences that I had while I was inthis school. I’ll miss being called ‘Chef’ everyday, and I hope that when I come back youguys won’t have forgotten about me. I’ll seeyou next year.”

Maria Mylnikov: “There have been times whenI was embarrassed to be part of this class, andI think it’s important for this detail to be thefirst one out. Although at the time I pretendedto be optimistic, to be honest, I had somestrong animosity. However, things havechanged. I think that as a class we’ve grown alot, and I could not be more proud of each ofus. I’m being sincere when I say that most ofthis class is almost like a second family to me.Through all the hardships I and others havegone through, there isn’t a community thatwould be as caring and as supporting as thisone. We’ve got something special here, andalthough I’m sad that our time at AFS hasended, I know that there are people in thisclass that will go far beyond AFS. I’m proudof you guys. Seriously.”

Ferris Nicolais: “It was a great four years. It’shard to believe it went by so fast. Good luckwith everything.”

Jenna Nourie: “I had a lot of trouble withconnecting with this class in the beginningand finding where I fit in. However, as timepassed I really grew to love my class. Thereare so many different and interesting peoplethat, once I took the time to get to know, Ireally grew to admire. I developed incredibly

close friendships over the years and havea hard time imagining not seeing yourfaces everyday, however, I know that thefriendships I made will be lasting ones andthat this is definitely not the end. I am soproud that we (and this is going to soundcorny and Rusty-like) were the class thatreally did come out on top. We changed ourattitude and brought a positive atmosphereto the school this year. I will miss everyoneincredibly and can’t wait to hear about wherethey all end up.”

Melissa Perkin: “I wish everyone the best ofluck in life and I hope you are all having agreat time in college.”

Stephen Pettit: “Thanks for giving me the bestyears of my life. Try to stay out of trouble.”

Carlos Rios: “I’m proud to have been a partof 313. I will miss everyone. No, seriously, Iwill. See all of you at Round 7?”

Kevin Rupnarine: “Right, we made it, ‘bouttime. If anyone is in the Caribbean look outfor me ‘cause I’ll be there.”

Benjamin Schrager: “On my first day of highschool, I remember shyly sneaking out of thecafeteria and hiding in the bathroom stalluntil the end of lunch. I was terrified of eachand every one of you. I was a new kid at anew school and I didn’t know anyone. Overthe last 4 years, you’ve helped me slowlycome out of my shell. I went from hiding inthe bathroom to shyly eating in the cafeteria,to talking with friends at lunch, toambushing people with sonnets onShakespeare’s birthday as they ate ramennoodles. That’s pretty cool, for a theaternerd... so, thank you.”

Saroja Schwager: “I hope you all are safe andwell. Have a good life.”

Anita Sheares: “I’m grateful for my time atAFS, and I look forward to hearing about ourclass’s successes in the future.”

Emilia Silebi: “We’ve definitely had our upsand downs as a class, but we really cametogether as a class in the end! I’m proud tocall myself a member of the 313th graduatingclass and I’ve loved getting to know many ofyou! Hope we can all stay in touch!”

Nathaniel Simon: “The Mob, The Mob is inthe house, The Mob is in the house. Let’s goget it in college, 313, get your work in, anddon’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Love Ya’ll.”

Kathleen Soltan: “LET’S GO GET IT!”

Lisa Spiller: “313! We’ve all had ourdifferences and dramas in the past, butwe’ve also done a lot of growing in thelast four years. We’ve all become strongindividuals, and we’re all capable of doingincredible things. To paraphrase my favoritepoem, each and every one of us has the willto strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield!”

McWelling Todman: “Dear Class of ’10,Congratulations. I wish each and every oneof you the best of luck. Should one of youever need anything, do not hesitate to ask.McWelling H. Todman III”

Samantha Williams: “I hope everybody isdoing well at college and having fun!”

Gregory Wilson: “Wow! It is hard to believethat we have finally graduated. Looking backI do not know where all the time has gone. Iam very proud to be a member of the 313thgraduating class of AFS. I know wherever weall are, we are all bound to reach success inwhatever we do. We will forever be the 313thclass of AFS and truly be remembered as theunderdogs who came out on top.”

Jasmine Woods: “2010!!! I remember whenwe first started off, awkward, shy, andincredibly small. We all knew that we had alot of growing up to do in a short amount oftime. Needless to say, WE DID IT!! We arenow mature, successful young adults and ithas been an amazing experience workingand learning with all of you. I wish you allnothing but the best of luck in your futureendeavors and I hope that we all meet upagain soon!”

David Zaslav: “I just want to say thank youto everyone who helped make this year somuch fun. I’ll miss all of you and all of thegood times we’ve had. Good luck!”

Anderson Zega: “Yo 313, I had extremely highexpectations for senior year of high school,and they were all met because of you guys.This grade truly knows how to get rowdy andlug. If you are ever in Hartford come visit meand Stina up at Camp Trin Trin. This is onlythe beginning, good luck.”

32 IN MEMORIAM

Please submit obituary announcements

of the greater alumni community to

the Alumni Office. Submissions are

welcomed with or without a photo

(at 300 dpi or greater). Electronic

submissions are preferred and may be

sent to alumni@abingtonfriends.net.

George School in Newtown, Pa educated five

of her children, nine grandchildren and three

great grandchildren, so far. Mary served on

the George School Committee for many

years. She was instrumental in having the

Meetinghouse moved from Tenth Street in

Philadelphia to the campus.

She was on the founding board of Pennswood

Village, a continuing care retirement

community on the George School property.

This was her residence until the death of

Reds in 1985.

Mary embraced the Quaker sense of

community. She opened her home to political

refugees, foreign exchange students, and

any other extended family members in need.

She was a volunteer nurse’s assistant at

Doylestown Hospital and a team member

using innovative patterning for a child with

cerebral palsy.

In 1990, Mary moved from Pennswood

Village to 247 South State Street in Newtown,

Pa., but she continued to spend her summers

and falls in Vermont. Slowly she became

bi-coastal, splitting her time between

Newtown, Pa., South Royalton, Vt., and

Berkeley, Ca.

All who loved and admired her will remember

this wonderful woman for her love, wisdom,

compassion and generosity. She was and

truly is an inspiration.

Constance Creger McGhee ’72Connie Creger McGhee died in March 2009

from an infection, in Washington, D.C.

Connie endured many operations and two

kidney transplants due to diabetes. She lost

much in her life, but always remained

optimistic. She leaves a husband and stepson.

Maru Nadal Filloy ’60 passed away

October 21, 2010 in Mexico City.

Mary Spruance Alden ’26Mary was born in

Germantown, Pa.

on March 26, 1912.

She passed away

peacefully, at the

age of 98, on April 1,

2010, surrounded by

three generations

of her family in

Berkeley, California.

A lifelong member of Abington Friends

Meeting, her remains rest in the family plot

in the Meeting House burial grounds with her

husband, her parents Frank Palin and Helen

Sensenderfer Spruance and her brother F

Palin (Sonny) Spruance Jr. Mary attended

Abington Friends and Friends Central Schools.

Francis Carter (Reds) Alden and Mary were

married in 1930. Their children, John Carter

Alden, James Cooper Alden, Mary (Jill) Alden

Lindenmeyr, Michael Alden, Helen (Holly)

Alden, Melissa (Missy) Alden and Sally

Spruance Alden have given her 20

grandchildren and 29 great grand children.

in memoriam

alumni community outreach networkACORN:

Just you. No solicitation. No kidding.We want to know about you. No strings attached.

Our goal:to contact every single alumnus/a. By phone. Over coffee. Whatever works for you.That’s about 2,100 people. We started in January 2010 and will continue untilwe speak with everyone.

AFS can be a lifelong resource for you: socially, academically and professionally. The more we knowabout you, the more we can connect you with fellow alumni and to today’s AFS.

You’ll be hearing from one of our faculty, alumni or staff members, and we want to hear all about:

Your AFS experienceYour life after AFSYour thoughts about today’s AFS

Go ahead. We’re listening.

575 Washington Lane, Jenkintown, PA 19046

Calendar Highlights9th Annual Alumni Co-Ed BasketballSaturday, January 8, 2011

Admission Open HouseSaturday, January 22, 2011

Middle School PlayThursday-Friday, March 10-11, 2011

Philadelphia Alumni EventEastern State Penitentiary Tourand Cocktail ReceptionWednesday, March 16, 2011

Admission Open HouseThursday, April 14, 2011

Upper School PlayThursday-Saturday, April 14-16, 2011

Arbor DayFriday, May 6, 2011

Roo Fest and Alumni DaySaturday, May 7, 2011

CommencementFriday, June 10, 2011

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDHorsham, PAPermit No. 90