LREI News 2013

L e a d i n g P r o g r e s s i v e E d u c a t i o n S i n c e 1 9 2 1

newsSUMMER 2013

Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School | lrei.org

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newsSUMMER 2013

IN THIS ISSUE4 DID YOU KNOW?

LREI by the numbers6 URBAN PLANNERS

City life reimagined by third gradersPAPERLESS PORTFOLIOS Middle schoolers curate their work online

7 KNIGHTS RULE High school student athletes turn it up a notchMORE THAN BASIC TRAINING How Summers at LREI staffers prep for camp

8 GRADUATION 2013 Overheard at commencement

10 LIAM’S LEGACY From Bleecker Street to MIT

12 GRADUATES, UNITED An inspired alum earns foreign affairs fellowshipMEET OUR NEW TRUSTEES

14 LREI IN THE WORLD Q&A with Distinguished Alumnus Paul Williams ’63

16 REUNION WEEKEND 2013

17 CONNECTING TO THE PAST Alumni Council improves archives and more

18 CLASS NOTES

COVER ART BY CHEYENNE TOBIAS ’14

CHEYENNE WORKED WITH ART TEACHERS JAMES FRENCH AND SHAUNA FINN ON THIS PORTRAIT, PART OF AN ONGOING HONORS PROJECT WITH ENGLISH TEACHER ILEANA JIMÉNEZ ABOUT FEMINISM AND ITS CONNECTION TO RACE.

LREI NEWS DESIGN BY JESSICA SOKOL MONACO

Letter From the Director

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Thank you. Thank you for all of the ways that each of you, and that all of you, helped make the 2012-2013 school year such a success.

Thank you to the 150 LREI employees who devote each day to ensuring that all students and families have an enriching experience. A special thanks to High School History Teacher Mark Bledstein,

who completed his 45th year at LREI. Wow!

Thank you to the members of the LREI family body — parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends — who contribute to the school through the Annual Fund, through work on committees, through their support of the faculty and staff, and through encouragement of their children’s hard work.

Thank you to the alumni who are increasingly involved in the life of the school. Over 100 alumni attended this year’s Reunion Weekend, our biggest turnout to date.

Thank you to the school’s 33 trustees who give so much time and care to LREI today and, more importantly, to LREI’s tomorrow.

Thank you, maybe most of all, to LREI’s students — 612 strong this past year, and 630 come September. Collectively and individually, you are what makes LREI the amazing school it is. Each day, you arrive eager to participate in the experiences that your teachers and classmates create for you. You experiment, write, draw, sing, dance, investigate, compete, reflect and take risks all day long. (I get tired just writing about it!) You are so good to each other. You are kind and reasonable and supportive. We ask a lot of you and you deliver even more.

As you read this magazine, think about all of the people who made this year’s successes possible. There are a lot of them and we are so proud of and grateful for each and every one.

LREI — one special school, one special community.

Best,

Phil Kassen

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LREI NEWS | Summer 2013 3

ENCORE!LREI PRODUCTIONS BRING DOWN THE HOUSE

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Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis and original lead actor Ron Cephas Jones

(center) stop by to support the Charlton Street staging of “Our Lady of 121st Street.”

Beauty and the Beast

Grease

Guys and Dolls

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$1,040,344record number of dollars raised

for the Annual Fund

352,286visits to lrei.org

1,100visitors on

admissions tours, almost all of which were wait list only

802exit polls conducted on Election Day by

Dan and Ella’s Fourth Grade

DID YOU KNOW?

232students in the

High School, the most in LREI history

91iPads in the

Middle School iPad program

80honors projects completed by

the Class of 2013 during their

four years

189original compositions

by students in our Young Composers &

Improvisers Workshop Meet our

composers

2:18.37 LREI record for

200-yard individual medley, set by Alexa

Code ’16, member of our �rst-ever swim team

1 LREIone special school, one special community

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51,000square feet on campus with the

addition of the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion and the Science & Math Center

13,684miles �own by each of the 33

Mandarin students who traveled to China

for spring break

1934year Eleanor

Roosevelt joined the LREI board

of advisers, serving on it for decades

1,372fans on our LREI and

LREI Alumni Facebook pages

8chicks hatched

in Elizabeth and Clare’s

Kindergarten

4age when

LREI students start lessons in social justice

5seasons as Middle

School Girls Basketball league

champions

2:18.37 LREI record for

200-yard individual medley, set by Alexa

Code ’16, member of our �rst-ever swim team

78percent of the eighth

grade class moving up to the High School...

20lifers — students starting in First Grade or before — in that eighth grade class!

&

11,972books checked

out of our libraries

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Urban PlannersWhile students elsewhere ended their school years with exams and essays, LREI third graders in Elaine and Rich’s class ended theirs with a top-secret mission: to save Manhattan.

It was an emergency situation, the children were told. They would have to use their knowledge of the past — in-depth understanding of Lenape culture, Dutch colonial settlements and more — to help create a vision for the future.

“It was a culminating project that tied in everything we did all year long,” Elaine said about City of the Future, a project she co-developed with Kelli Holsopple, a theater-in-education teacher at the East Village Community School.

Students first learned about the mission via a video featuring lower school faculty and staff. They were urged to “apply” to participate by solving puzzles and brain-teasers. Once “selected,” they were given various tasks to complete, such as building cube models and drawing diagrams of their ideal Manhattan, based on the innovation of generations before them.

“The Lenape made decisions all together, as a community. I like that,” one student said.

The project was truly an interdisciplinary experience, incorporating not only history and social studies, but also math, science and archeology. Looking back, students said they had fun applying what they learned.

“When we reflected as a class, we actually talked about different types of learning — that there’s the type when you’re remembering facts, and then the type when you’re applying facts,” Elaine said. “They definitely appreciated using their imaginations to create something completely new.”

Progressive mission accomplished.

LOWER SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Paperless PortfoliosAmidst ongoing conversations about the use of digital tools to support learning, LREI launched a digital portfolio design project as an innovative way for students to document and curate their work online.

Fifth graders, with guidance from Middle School Technology Teacher and Curriculum Integrator Saber Khan, used Google Sites to design their own secure, shareable spaces for poems, science experiments, video clips — anything they created in or outside school connected to their passions and interests. Students shared their portfolios with their families before spring Family Conferences, adding a new level of depth to their conversations.

“The most exciting thing for me was being able to put my work all in one place,” says Nissim ’20.

Student design ideas were then used to inform faculty conversations about what’s next. Teachers plan to use the portfolios next year to engage families more directly with the curriculum and to allow students to reflect more deeply. Older students also will use their portfolios to share work with audiences beyond the LREI community.

Nissim is interested to see what his digital portfolio says about him in 10 years, when he’s 21. “I’ll have all the stuff I’ve accomplished since I was 11. I hope that’s a big list!”

Other educators are taking note. In May, Middle School Principal Mark Silberberg organized and hosted a sold-out NYSAIS workshop on digital portfolios.

“What’s been exciting about this project is that we took our lead from the students by asking them how this new learning space might work best to meet their needs,” Mark explains. “This led to inspiring, action-oriented work among our faculty, which we were then able to share with outside colleagues. Moving forward, we can share and innovate with a network of other professionals. I think that’s exactly what Elisabeth Irwin had in mind when she conceived of the school as a ‘laboratory’ for learning.” PH

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Visit summers.lrei.org to learn more about our programs, for ages three through 13.

More Than Basic TrainingAt the end of June, school is out and it’s time for Summers at LREI to begin! At least for the campers… Camp administrators have been working towards this moment all year, designing the program and preparing to train over 130 counselors.

Camp prep kicks into high gear in May. This year, head counselors and specialists attended a retreat upstate, where they participated in camp-themed game show stations, like “Wheel of Camp” and “Double Stare.” They also took part in team-building activities like ropes courses and scavenger hunts, as well as workshops on diversity and progressive education theory.

“We want to create a high-energy, creative environment at camp, so we model this for counselors during retreat and orientation week,” explains Cari Kosins, Director of Afterschool and Summer Programs.

At orientation, counselors participated in “Little Red Olympics,” with trust falls, camp supply relay races and track and field trip training. Additionally, the counselors-to-be attended workshops on progressive education, diversity and challenging behaviors.

One of the most important orientation experiences is the Safety Walk, says Cari. “We take the counselors to playgrounds in the neighborhood, as campers. They experience holding whands as they cross the street, while observing administrators modeling safety procedures.”

“We practice progressive theory and demonstrate what that looks like. The goal is to get everyone on the same page, supporting the mission of the camp,” Cari says.

SUMMERS AT LREI

HIGH SCHOOL

Knights RuleIt was a standout year for LREI Athletics, with our high school student athletes leading the charge. Girls and Boys Varsity Track ran away with the league championship title, as did our undefeated (yes, undefeated!) Girls Varsity Softball Team.

“I’m very very proud,” Athletic Director Peter Fisher says. “The kids worked hard from beginning to end, starting last fall. More of them are training in the preseason — and it shows.”

That’s thanks, in large part, to a dedicated coaching staff. High School History Teacher Peter Heinz, who coaches Cross Country and Track, and Middle School Art Teacher Jeremiah Demster, who coaches Varsity Girls Soccer and middle school intramural basketball, are two coaches raising the bar.

“When you create a culture in which everyone expects to work hard, it makes a huge difference,” says Peter.

Many of LREI’s teams are young, too, which bodes well for the 2013-2014 school year — and for seasons to come.

“There are some real stars in the rising sophomore class,” says Ruth Jurgensen, high school principal. Among the Class of 2016 athletes: Alexa Code and Miles Hamberg, nationally competitive swimmers who joined our Varsity Swim Team for this year’s inaugural season.

Paperless PortfoliosAmidst ongoing conversations about the use of digital tools to support learning, LREI launched a digital portfolio design project as an innovative way for students to document and curate their work online.

Fifth graders, with guidance from Middle School Technology Teacher and Curriculum Integrator Saber Khan, used Google Sites to design their own secure, shareable spaces for poems, science experiments, video clips — anything they created in or outside school connected to their passions and interests. Students shared their portfolios with their families before spring Family Conferences, adding a new level of depth to their conversations.

“The most exciting thing for me was being able to put my work all in one place,” says Nissim ’20.

Student design ideas were then used to inform faculty conversations about what’s next. Teachers plan to use the portfolios next year to engage families more directly with the curriculum and to allow students to reflect more deeply. Older students also will use their portfolios to share work with audiences beyond the LREI community.

Nissim is interested to see what his digital portfolio says about him in 10 years, when he’s 21. “I’ll have all the stuff I’ve accomplished since I was 11. I hope that’s a big list!”

Other educators are taking note. In May, Middle School Principal Mark Silberberg organized and hosted a sold-out NYSAIS workshop on digital portfolios.

“What’s been exciting about this project is that we took our lead from the students by asking them how this new learning space might work best to meet their needs,” Mark explains. “This led to inspiring, action-oriented work among our faculty, which we were then able to share with outside colleagues. Moving forward, we can share and innovate with a network of other professionals. I think that’s exactly what Elisabeth Irwin had in mind when she conceived of the school as a ‘laboratory’ for learning.” PH

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8

Graduation

2013In your travels, take all of

the small detours; they matter, and they brought you here to this stage now.”

–Ruth Jurgensen, High School Principal

Empathy, intellectualism and passion: all hallmarks of an LREI education.”

–Liam Cohen ’13

My roots run deep, my roots run wild, my roots stretch far and I’m not a stereotype. No matter what predicament I’m in, I will always have those same roots to tell me that I’m not done yet.”

–Monet Thibou ’13

PHOTOS BY BRIANA E. HEARD

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As you go out into the world, remember these lessons from my daughter Violet’s First Grade Restaurant. On greetings: Always greet people with a smile and a friendly hello. On anger management, and this is a direct quote: ‘If you get frustrated while you are working, don’t scream at the top of your lungs.’ A personal favorite: Don’t yuck other people’s yum, whether it comes to cuisine or inspiration.”

–Amy Zimmerman, Board Chair

Sikh don’t have a word for goodbye, so I leave you with a phrase that families use when a dear one is departing: ‘Guru Rakha.’ It loosely means, ‘God take care of your well-being.’”

–Sarvjit Moonga, High School Vice Principal, High School Chemistry Teacher

LREI tradition: Faculty personally select books for each member of the class and

hand them out at Senior Banquet, the night before Commencement.

Are you reading every sign you pass on the street? Yes, and you have since First Grade. We see the younger you, the little kid, the baby you, in the way you still need a cuddle after a bad day, in the way that you want to save every ant and fly and bird, in the way you always question what others see as absolute truths.”

–Phil Kassen, Director

See where our 2013 grads are going to college.

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Liam’s LegacyFROM BLEECKER STREET TO MIT, ONE LREI

GRADUATE’S EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY

“He was extremely smart and articulate, but he struggled to sit in a chair, to navigate the stairs. His handwriting was a mess. He had great ideas, but he couldn’t get them out,” Mary remembered.

With Mary’s encouragement, Ana took Liam for testing at Manhattan’s Board of Education, who determined that he had boarderline sensory processing disorder. As such, he didn’t qualify for treatment.

“I told Mary, and she said, ‘We’re going to fight!’ She came to every single appointment after that,” Ana recalled.

Mary coordinated with Liam’s teachers about strategies that could help him in the meantime. Eventually, after meetings and calls and one close encounter with a court appearance, the Board of Education relented, granting Liam the services he needed.

“In every way, LREI met the challenge — and with glee,” said Ana. “They didn’t say, ‘This is a problem.’ They said, ‘Okay, we have to figure this out. Should Liam bring a cushion to help him sit straight? Would a computer make it easier for him to write?’”

By Fourth Grade, Liam started to hit his stride. He was stronger, steadier, more confident. There were hints of the poised graduate who (selected

It’s the night before graduation, and senior Liam Cohen is describing, in detail, an urban planning lesson from Second Grade.

The challenge: Build a bridge out of straws. Liam teamed up with classmate David White, and set out to construct a drawbridge powered by windmills. One day, after hours in the classroom’s loft, designing and redesigning, it finally worked. They could blow on the windmills and the drawbridge would open.

“Our teachers just said, ‘Yeah, do it!’ That was the coolest thing. They didn’t make us stick to the project,” Liam remembered. “They never stifled my creativity, not even as an 8 year old.”

A decade later, Liam is still building and creating and taking his own innovative approach to learning. He completed a rigorous, custom-built schedule unlike any LREI student before him. As a sophomore, Liam finished advanced Calculus (a course typically reserved for seniors), then went on to study Calculus II, linear algebra, quantum mechanics and more at New York University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University.

“Liam is amazing,” High School Principal Ruth Jurgensen said. “He inspired a lot of people during his 14 years here, and he inspired us as educators. He showed us a different path.”

“This is the place for me.” Liam’s journey at LREI began after preschool, when he visited with his parents, Anastasia Traina and Scott Cohen. Something immediately clicked.

“When Liam came out of LREI, Lhe said, ‘This is the place for me.’ And that was it,” said Ana. “I think he felt at home.”

That feeling stayed with him throughout Lower School, Middle School and High School, where he not only excelled academically, but he also thrived outside of the classroom. He led the LREI Robotics Team, which made it to the world championship (twice!). He threw discs on the Ultimate Frisbee Team. He taught a physics course. He played guitar at countless coffee houses and school-wide assemblies.

“It was a theme during my time at LREI: feeling safe and comfortable, having the freedom to explore and try new things, but knowing that I had a really nice safety net,” said Liam.

“He struggled to sit in a chair.” It wasn’t always easy for Liam, though. When he was in First Grade, Mary Young, early childhood learning specialist (and now also l ower school admissions director), recognized that he had fine motor challenges.

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by his peers) delivered a commencement address that brought laughter and tears to a packed Skirball Center audience — one that included Mary Young.

“I was weeping when he gave that speech. I always knew he would do whatever he wanted to do.”

“The college process was brilliant.” When it came time to think about college, Liam knew the “name brand schools,” as he calls them, but he hadn’t considered the type of learning environment that would suit him best. Enter: Director of College Guidance Carey Socol.

“The college process was brilliant because Carey runs it,” said Scott. “She wanted him to find the place he belonged.”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology had been a dream since Fifth Grade, but Carey urged Liam to evaluate not only its reputation, but also its community. She encouraged him to apply to a number of top-tier schools (California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Bard College), and to continue to better his SAT scores.

After Hurricane Sandy, the MIT application deadline was extended for New York students.

With his heart still set on MIT, Liam didn’t want to put it off. He emailed Carey to see if she could review his essay. She replied: “Let’s just meet at the diner.”

“I was totally shocked,” Liam said, even though he knew she lived three blocks away. “She was so helpful that day and just very encouraging throughout the whole process. She never said a school was a reach school.”

It worked. In September, Liam will start as a freshman at MIT.

“I was able to use the school like a lab.” It was the loft in Second Grade, and then the “office” his senior year.

Liam was working on a math honors project, as well as a Senior Project with Atlas Wegman. High School Vice Principal and Chemistry Teacher Sarvjit Moonga challenged the two to find a way to turn on a light with an iPhone. He needed space.

“No one was using the Guidance Office downstairs, so I bought a chalkboard and I put it up. I brought a lamp. I personalized it a little bit,” said Liam. “As Atlas and I got more and more materials, we just started working down there together. People said, ‘Oh, you’re in your office.’”

It stuck. And so did the label — “Atlas and Liam’s Office” — Liam put up outside the door. Senior year could have been a time to move further and further into the university sphere, where he had been taking classes, but instead, Liam came back, got involved and continued to make himself at home.

“Through working really hard and gaining a sense of trust and camaraderie with the administration and the faculty, I was able to use the school like a lab and a workplace,” Liam said. “It was just a step up from the freedom they’d given me since Second Grade.”

Liam’s legacy is already showing its staying power. He was an influential voice during conversations about the Strategic Plan, to launch in 2013-2014, and he was, according to Ruth, the school’s “go-to person” for advice on how to make LREI a more engaging place.

“He changed this school, 100 percent,” Ruth said. “If we didn’t have him, we’d still have students who are engaged and interested. But now, there is a sense that the kids are truly in charge of their own classes.”

Liam through the years (from left): Painting the school, as a Kindergartener.

Programming in Fifth Grade. Fishing with Charles Simpson-Brown ’13.

Leading the LREI Robotics Team. Visiting MIT upon his acceptance. Performing

with his band at graduation.

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Graduates, United Meet our

NEW TRUSTEESShirley M. Collado, Ph.D, is Dean of the College at Middlebury College, overseeing and supporting a dynamic student body and academic community, and helping advance the College’s efforts to create an institutional vision and environment that places diversity and inclusion at the center of the overall Middlebury experience. She also is an associate professor of psychology at Middlebury, and has taught at a number of colleges and universities across the country. Shirley is a clinical psychologist with a specialty in trauma among multicultural populations. She is co-founder and co-chair of Liberal Arts Diversity Officers, a national consortium that promotes the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion in support of academic excellence at liberal arts colleges, and a board member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. Prior to joining Middlebury in 2007, Collado was the executive vice president of The Posse Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that identifies, recruits and trains outstanding youth leaders from urban public schools and sends them in diverse teams, called posses, to top colleges and universities across the country. She earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Duke University and a B.S. in human and organizational development and psychology from Vanderbilt University.

W hen Ana De La Cruz ’10 was a junior at LREI, Director Phil Kassen introduced her to Ambassador James I. Gadsden ’66, a member of the LREI Board of Trustees. Phil mentioned Ana’s interest in international politics, sparking a

conversation between the two. Jim encouraged her to apply for the Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship, a program for outstanding juniors in college.

Fast-forward four years, after an extensive application, examination and interview process, Ana earned a spot in the Pickering Undergraduate Fellows 2013 cohort. As a fellow, she will receive up to $40,000 annually for her senior year at Georgetown

University and her first year at graduate school. Ana also will be guaranteed two summer internships — one domestic and one overseas — within the U.S. Department of State. Post grad school, she will be appointed a Foreign Service Officer for a minimum of three years.

The following is the email exchange between Ana and Jim upon her acceptance.

Dear Ana, Heartfelt congratulations on your selection as a Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow! The selection committee clearly recognized your potential for becoming an outstanding diplomatic representative of the United States. I am very happy for you and will be proud to follow your advancement toward leadership levels of the Foreign Service and the State Department. I will also be very happy to support you as you progress and be a resource when you have questions. For now, I wish you continued success. Welcome to a fascinating career.Best wishes, Jim Gadsden Ambassador James I. Gadsden (retired) Senior Counselor for International Affairs Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

Want to apply? The Pickering Graduate and Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program seeks applicants who are U.S citizens; who have financial need; who are outstanding students representing the ethnic, social and geographic diversity of the American people; who have majors in international relations, economics, business, management and political science; and who are interested in becoming career U.S. Foreign Service Officers. The U.S. Department of State is especially interested in students majoring in critical languages and area studies (East Asia: Chinese; the Middle East: Arabic; South Asia: Hindi-Urdu, for example) that mesh with the Department’s current and future needs. In addition, the Department seeks a diversity of perspectives to enrich policy deliberations vital to our country’s addressing 21st century global challenges.

Dear Ambassador Gadsden, Although I am sure you are aware of the fellows that have been chosen, I wanted to personally inform you that I was selected as a Pickering Fellow! I am excited beyond what words can express. (I have actually re-read the acceptance email about 20 times now.) I wanted to thank you for your all your support and for planting that seed in my head years ago back in the halls of LREI. It is amazing to be at this point and I cannot wait to begin this journey with the fellowship foundation. Thank you so much once again!Best, Ana De La Cruz Georgetown University School of Foreign Service 2014

Ana (on left)

Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D

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Stephen MacGillivray, a graduate of Columbia University’s M.F.A. Film Division, joined our arts faculty in 2009. Throughout his 15-year career as an award-winning producer, documentary filmmaker and new media consultant, he taught at The Churchill School, NYU and Columbia University. Other jobs include: photographer, archaeologist and First Mate on an Aegean sailing vessel. LREI has given him the unique opportunity to engage exceptional students in the multifaceted disciplines of filmmaking and digital art. When he is not in class, chairing the visual arts department, advising on the yearbook or coaching tennis, Stephen produces videos and photo archives for clients through his production company, Indian Summer Digital. His most beloved project, by far, has been raising his two young daughters, Margaret ’22 and Grace ’24.

Lara Olivieri has been an active member of the LREI parent community since 2004, including regular stints as a class parent and serving on numerous committees. Most recently she co-chaired the Literary Committee. Lara is a parent of a rising seventh grader and ninth grader. She is a Certified Public Accountant in New York State and received a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.B.A. from Fordham University. Lara worked in the finance department at the Museum of Modern Art and at Ernst & Young LLP in the Northeast Assurance practice.

Boaz Sidikaro is an Executive Managing Director at Och-Ziff Capital Management, where he currently is Co-Head of U.S. Equities. In addition, he has served and continues to serve on a number of boards of directors for Och-Ziff portfolio companies. Prior to joining Och-Ziff in 1998, Boaz worked at Morgan Stanley in its mergers, acquisitions & restructuring department, covering media and telecom companies. He holds a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Boaz is a parent of Mayer ’25.

Mariët Westermann has spent most of her working life in higher education, the humanities and the arts. Having obtained a B.A. in history at Williams College and a Ph.D. in art history at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, she became a professor at Rutgers University and then at the Institute of Fine Arts, where she also served as director from 2002 to 2008. She then was made the first provost of NYU Abu Dhabi, and led the campus to opening in 2010. Mariët is currently vice president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, where she oversees a broad range of programs in the humanities, arts and diversity initiatives, making grants to universities, research institutes, museums, conservation centers and performing arts organizations. Her publications and exhibition projects mostly concern the history of art in the Netherlands, her native country. Mariët and her husband Charlie Pardoe joined the LREI community in 2002, when their children Wim, Harmon, Cellie and Annie entered the Fours through Fourth Grades. Wim will be a freshman at LREI this fall, and Harmon is a rising junior. Mariët has supported the activities of the school in many ways, most formally as a member of the Education Committee from 2004 to 2006.

NEW TRUSTEES

Stephen MacGillivray

Lara Olivieri

Mariët Westermann

Boaz Sidikaro

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14

You moved to New York City after ninth grade, and then started at LREI. What were your initial thoughts?

Eye opening. Stunning. My classmates were wearing jeans, calling teachers by their first names, picketing Woolworth’s. They possessed a social and political awareness that was totally new to me. Not to mention that the academic expectation was quite demanding. For example, the pace and the amount of reading and writing, compared to my prior school experience, was categorically at a different level.

Have any speci�c classroom moments stuck with over the years?

Absolutely. Even though it’s been 50 years, images of several teachers come vividly to mind. I think of Dr. Kirschner, who insisted we use his last name, explaining how to frame the “science” of historical analysis in terms of social, economic and political factors. I think of Milt Untermeyer, talking excitedly about Bernoulli’s principle and how scientific discovery changes how we think. One of his favorite phrases was, “You’ve got to rip up the cobblestones and discover new answers.” I think of Earl Robinson, who composed “Joe Hill,” “The House I Live In” and “Ballad for Americans,” playing folk music

one moment and leading the chorus in singing a Bach cantata the next. Beyond that, I think of conversations with classmates and teachers about progressive politics, religion, non-Euclidean geometry, foreign films.

Give us an overview of your life after LREI.

In college, my LREI education influenced me in several important ways: namely, to select many courses in history, English and philosophy to balance the business curriculum and make my experience as broad as possible. I also became immersed in community service and tutorial programs in West Philadelphia, as well as other social and educational projects on campus during junior and senior year.

And how about after Wharton, when you entered the business world?

Following college, I became very interested in urban problems and how cities function and grow. After working for the City of New York and for a firm focused on public works projects, I learned about municipal finance, joined Nuveen and moved to Chicago in the early 70s. Over the next 25 years, I worked with many different governmental agencies and not-for-profit higher educational and healthcare institutions to finance and build schools, labs, clinics,

LREI in the World

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS PAUL WILLIAMS ’63

WHERE HE IS NOW Managing director of Nuveen Investments; trustee emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania. Paul lives in Santa Monica, California with his life partner, Leslie.

COLLEGE DEGREE University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School

LA’s Griffith Park walk over the holidays.From left: Erica (Leslie’s daughter),

Leslie, Paul and his sons, Jake and Alec

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one moment and leading the chorus in singing a Bach cantata the next. Beyond that, I think of conversations with classmates and teachers about progressive politics, religion, non-Euclidean geometry, foreign films.

Give us an overview of your life after LREI.

In college, my LREI education influenced me in several important ways: namely, to select many courses in history, English and philosophy to balance the business curriculum and make my experience as broad as possible. I also became immersed in community service and tutorial programs in West Philadelphia, as well as other social and educational projects on campus during junior and senior year.

And how about after Wharton, when you entered the business world?

Following college, I became very interested in urban problems and how cities function and grow. After working for the City of New York and for a firm focused on public works projects, I learned about municipal finance, joined Nuveen and moved to Chicago in the early 70s. Over the next 25 years, I worked with many different governmental agencies and not-for-profit higher educational and healthcare institutions to finance and build schools, labs, clinics,

Go to lrei.org/intheworld for more Q&As with LREI alumni.

Paul in the 1963 edition of “Expressions”

assisted housing and public infrastructure, such as water supply and public transportation, by means of issuing municipal bonds. I now focus on creating a range of new investment funds for individual investors planning for long-term personal needs and financial security.

You’ve also been quite active outside of the of�ce, working with Planned Parenthood of Illinois among other organizations.

Yes, I served on the Board for many years before we moved to California. My commitment to Planned Parenthood in Illinois and other

educational and service organizations is a direct outgrowth of my LREI experience. It’s a joy to see that community service and social awareness remain at the core of an LREI education.

Do you �nd yourself coming back in your mind to LREI?

Yes, often, though now it’s through the lens of so many years. It’s amazing to revisit a perception or an insight or a fact first learned 50 years ago, and see its significance and meaning expand and thread together. I think that’s what Elisabeth Irwin intended when she described lifelong learning as a fundamental principle or aspiration of an LREI education. My own appreciation of that ideal was first prompted in my mid-teens by this school, and its unique spirit and in particular, my fellow classmates.

Speaking of your classmates, did you join in the Woolworth’s picketing or the Sane Nuclear Policy protests?

I only did it once or twice, and I was nervous about it. But in college, when similar issues came into focus, I lost my nervousness and just joined in. When you recall LREI in the context of the

Paul (top center) and the rest of the Class of 1963 celebrate their 50th Reunion. From his distinguished alumnus award acceptance: “The LREI spirit we had

and the spirit we felt and the spirit we remember… there’s something a little magical about it.”

60s, it’s quite extraordinary to see such a small institution so ahead in its thinking, like a beacon.

It was really special to have so many of you from the Class of 1963 back at Charlton Street for your 50th Reunion. How do you stay connected?

Now that I’m in LA, several of us who live in Southern California have been in touch. We get together on occasion, but otherwise, it’s mostly online. Johnny Bancroft will circulate a YouTube video of an extraordinary Rube Goldberg machine or, at least monthly, there is a thought-provoking post from “The Imagination of Billy Stern.”

You’re the father of two sons, Jake and Alec. Did your experience at LREI in�uence their upbringing?

Not sure I ever made that exact connection, but of course — we always made it clear that education is critically important and lifelong.

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Reunion Weekend

2013F rom May 30 through June 1, LREI

welcomed over 100 alumni for our 28th Annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.

Graduates, faculty and friends gathered for the three-day event which included an LREI Ideas Speaker Series lecture “History In These Halls” by Dina Hampton ’77 (author of “Little Red: Three Passionate Lives Through the Sixties and Beyond”), a networking luncheon, a duo-performance by longtime friends Jodi Beder ’68 and Caleen Jennings ’68, a tour of the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion and Science & Math Center construction, and a distinguished alumni reception honoring Paul Williams ’63 and Richard Blodgett, president of the Charlton Street Block Association.

Four members of the Class of 1945, the first class to graduate from the High School, attended the reunion, our largest alumni weekend to date. From left: Ernie Leiber, Ray Steinberg, Aaron Brill and Peter Davies.

Board Chair Amy Zimmerman

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With new leadership from president Tim Merjos ’80 and executive vice president Tamar Gargle Krakowiak ’88, the Alumni Council increased its presence this year, particularly by recruiting and involving more alumni.

“We had a great year,” Tim reports. “We really kick-started the council committees, especially the Events Committee and Archives Committee.”

The Events Committee helped organize several gatherings, including a rooftop party, an alumni parent breakfast, a young alumni brunch and a networking luncheon during Reunion Weekend.

Meanwhile, the Archives Committee combed through photos and memorabilia, inventorying the school’s collection leading up to the first-ever exhibit in the new Alumni Archive Room, located on the ground floor of the Charlton

Street Arts Pavilion.

“Our diligent members did a fantastic job,” says Tim. “The organization of LREI’s archives is an ongoing, long-term project, though, and one that continues to evolve. There is literally a treasure trove of material that has to be sorted very carefully.”

For the 2013-2014 school year, the Alumni Council plans to continue developing the committees and engaging enthusiastic alums, particularly millennials.

“We’re also excited to focus on fundraising and social media,” says Tim. Experienced in these realms, or hoping to be? Email [email protected] and join in!

Three generations strong: Tim, son of Nancy Schaines Merjos ’49 and father of Rose Merjos

’19, and Tamar, daughter of Alan Gargle ’46 and mother of Cameron Krakowiak ’20

Visit lrei.org for upcoming events throughout the year.

9/18Alumni Rooftop Party 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Sixth Avenue Roof

11/13Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Alumni Archive Room

11/27Young Alumni Breakfast (Classes 2010 – 2013) 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Charlton Street Cafeteria

1/9Alumni College Panel 6:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Charlton Street PAC




5/30 – 5/31Reunion Weekend


2013–2014Alumni Calendar SAVE THE DATE!

CONNECTING TO THE PASTALUMNI COUNCIL CELEBRATES SUCCESS

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Alexander Elwyn ’45 writes that he’s “still alive, and mostly well.” He lives in Chicago with his wife Sheila and enjoys photography.

Norman Sperber LR ’46 currently works in San Diego as a reserve officer and chief forensic dentist for the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Stephen N. Earl ’51 checks in: “I’m 78 years old, still working in my own business and can still look back at my years at LREI with fondness.”

Newly retired, Susan Kranz Rosenstein ’56 lives in Florida, where she used to work as a real estate broker and sales person.

Congrats to Jonathan Ned Katz ’56, whose first solo show “Making History, Making Art: The Work of Jonathan Ned Katz” was held this February and March at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York City.

This fall, Judith Ogull Kennedy ’58 wrote to us say she was “working hard at Obama’s headquarters here in New Mexico.”

John Gruber ’61 is “still truckin’, still workin’, still wordsmithin’, on the New York Daily News sports desk, and still rootin’ against all teams New York, especially the Yankees.”

“Thanks to LREI, I have a wonderful family in my class and a good education! Love to you all,” writes Josie Segal Gallup ’64.

Bob Sarlin ’64, a retired music journalist and former director of publicity at Epic, Polydor and Lifesong Records, is giving walking tours on the history of rock ‘n’ roll in New York City. He leads one tour right by the LREI campus (rockaroundtheblocktours.com).

Jimmy Tarlau ’66 was recently re-elected as City Councilman in Mount Rainier, Maryland.

While in Accra, Ghana, Nathaniel Phillips ’74 crossed paths with fellow alum Angela Davis ‘61.

In October, the equipment room at University of Buffalo’s UB Stadium was named after Ronald Balter ’76 and his family. A 1980 graduate of UB, Ronald was a manager for the football team during his undergraduate years.

Dina Hampton ’77’s book “Little Red: Three Passionate Lives Through The Sixties and

LREI Early Childhood Librarian Jesse Karp ’87 authored a new young adult science fiction thriller “What We Become,” the companion novel to his first book “Those That Wake.” According to Booklist magazine, “Karp’s characters remain charismatic, the plot percolates briskly, and the world, it turns out, is worth saving.”

Congratulations to Jason Furman ’88, who was recently appointed Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers by President Barack Obama.

Steve Romero ’90 reports, “I am now Assistant Vice President for Store Design and Merchandising at Bank of America. My son, who I hope can go to LREI, is now 2 years old.”

Federica (Sabez) Baldan ’90 recently led the “Possibilities Retreat,” an interactive spiritual workshop, at the Fort Washington Church in Washington Heights.

CLASS NOTESBeyond” was published in March by PublicAffairs Books. It focuses on graduates of LREI, Angela Davis ’61, Tom Hurwitz ‘65 and Elliott Abrams ’65. Dina was formerly the alumni director at LREI and is now managing editor of RIABiz.com, an online publication for financial advisors.

On June 21, drummer Mark Feldman ’80 played with the largest band ever! Mark was the solo drummer alongside hundreds of guitarists during Mass Appeal 2013, an outdoor guitar jam hosted by NYC Guitar School and Guitar World Magazine. The musicians played songs by Judas Priest, Florence and the Machine, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater and the Lumineers.

Rosa Silver-Russell ’82 and Cristi Santos ’82 had a reunion in Portland, Oregon. Cristi and her daughter Lestine flew in to attend Rosa’s art opening at a shipyard in Portland.

Toshi-Aline (Ohta) Seeger ’36 died on July 9, just nine days short of what would have been her 70th wedding anniversary to influential folk singer Pete Seeger. Toshi was an activist, organizer and filmmaker who played a key programming role for the Great Hudson River Revival. Her counsel, support and outspoken opinions made her a foundational figure in her husband’s success.

David Loeffler Smith ’46 passed away on July 25 in Exeter, New Hampshire. David worked at the Swain School of Design in New Bedford from the 1960s to the late 1980s, as director and as head of the painting department.

Risë Abramson, daughter of Lois Barnett Abramson ’47 wrote to inform us that her mother passed away on November 12.

William Silver ’50 died peacefully on May 8 in New York City. Bill is survived by his daughter, Amanda Silver Jaffa, his son, Michael Silver, son-in-law Rick Jaffa, daughter-in-law Katie Mitchell Silver, his grandchildren Joe Jaffa, Franki Jaffa, Charlie Silver, and his dog Harry.

Karen Geiger ’52 passed away on May 5. LREI sends condolences to her daughter, Elizabeth Geiger, her son, Peter Butt ’81 and her grandson, Alexander Diamond ’18.

Cheryl Kelley, wife of Oakley Kelley ’71, let us know of his death on February 6 from congestive heart failure. In addition to Cheryl, Oakley is survived by their daughter, McKenna.

In Memoriam

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LREI Early Childhood Librarian Jesse Karp ’87 authored a new young adult science fiction thriller “What We Become,” the companion novel to his first book “Those That Wake.” According to Booklist magazine, “Karp’s characters remain charismatic, the plot percolates briskly, and the world, it turns out, is worth saving.”

Congratulations to Jason Furman ’88, who was recently appointed Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers by President Barack Obama.

Steve Romero ’90 reports, “I am now Assistant Vice President for Store Design and Merchandising at Bank of America. My son, who I hope can go to LREI, is now 2 years old.”

Federica (Sabez) Baldan ’90 recently led the “Possibilities Retreat,” an interactive spiritual workshop, at the Fort Washington Church in Washington Heights.

Jeffrey Nurenberg ’94 is currently teaching physical education and coaching at Fieldston Middle and Upper School. He lives in Westchester with his wife and two daughters, ages 3 and 9 months.

Congratulations to Taina Longo ’95 on two very special occasions in her life: her recent nuptials and the birth of her son, Abel.

Nick Malis ’95, executive producer and head writer for Comedy Central’s “Tosh.0,” was recently featured on our website: “For me, progressive education has always meant that there is no one right way to do things. Valuable lessons can be learned just by trying something, even if it doesn’t ultimately lead to the solution you were expecting. LREI instilled this in me years ago, and it still holds true for me today as I look for the funniest way to express myself on Tosh.0.” Read more at lrei.org/intheworld.

Deborah Sklar ’01 obtained certification in special education and is teaching special education and theater arts at The Theatre Arts Production Company (TAPCo) School in the Bronx. On September 8, she married Philip DeSanza. Her father Stanley, a retired New York State Supreme Court justice, officiated the ceremony, held on a pier on Fire Island.

Co-founder of personal chef service BIGlittle Get Together, Flannery Klette-Kolton ’02 won Food Network’s cooking competition show “Chopped,” which aired on New Year’s Day. (biglittlenyc.com)

Comedian Nat Towsen ’03 welcomes comedians, local artists and Village luminaries for a variety show once a month at the “Downtown Variety Show.” The show is held the first Friday of every month at the UCB East Theatre.

Jeffrey Adler ’08 was recently on stage in “Siddown!!!” The series of one-act plays are “like the Sopranos on steroids,” the Examiner.com said in a fantastic review.

Last June, Elle King ’08 (elleking.com) released “The Elle King EP,” which includes “Playing For Keeps,” an original song featured in the official trailer for Mad Men Season 6. Elle was named an “Artist to Watch in 2012” by Esquire magazine and Refinery 29.

Class of

2031BABY BOOM! FACULTY

AND STAFF WELCOMING NEW LITTLE ONES

Oliver Truman Aumock, son of High School Science Teacher Gina Lafkas, born March 19

Hunter Easton Brewer, son of

Mara Brewer ’00 and grandson

of Human Resources

and Business Manager Tema

Tischler, born October 1.

Amos H. Gottlieb, son of High

School Assistant Principal Micah

Dov Gottlieb and former Lower

School Science Coordinator and

Assistant Principal Megan Dunphy

Gottlieb, born October 7.

Amira Marie Jevicki, daughter of Afterschool Core Teacher and Summers Age-Level Coordinator Adrian Jevicki, born March 8.

Sarina Mehta, daughter of Lower School

Principal Namita Tolia, born April 30.

Siena Frieda Heaton

Wellenstein, daughter of Director of

Admissions Julia Heaton, born on

October 22.

Dylan Hyung Lae Reid, son of alum Matthew Reid ’97 and grandson of Administrative Assistant / Receptionist Cheryl Reid, born June 3.

Vince Kidder, son of Fours/K Head Teacher Diane Kidder, born March 18.

Lucas Lawrence Bosamonte, son of Alicia Kaplan ’04 and grandson of Middle School Physical Education Teacher and Intramural Sports Coordinator Larry Kaplan, born March 12.

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PAIDNew York, NYPermit No. 487

272 Sixth AvenueNew York, NY 10014

We asked the community to share end-of-year Instagrams with the hashtag #lrei2013. And the contest winners are…

Follow us and tag your on-campus shots @lrei

From Our PhoneWalking out to Bleecker, and officially Moving Up! #tradition #movingup #lrei2013

HS courtyard artsy :P #lrei2013Photo by Alexandra Klemer ’15

#camping #lrei2013Photo by Kathryn Kellinger

Heated walk cross the Brooklyn Bridge #fieldtrip #secondgrade #lrei2013Photo by Staci Ruiz

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Documents

LREI News 2013