The Lantern Fall 2014 Winter 2015

LanternTHE FALL 2014/WINTER 2015

THE MAGAZINE OF LANDMARK SCHOOL

LANDMARK IS THE

Game Changer

LANDMARK SCHOOL

Our MissionLandmark School’s mission is to enable and empower students with language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) to reach their educational and social potential through an exemplary school program complemented by outreach and training, assessment, and research.

Snowy DrivePhoto taken by

Elementary•Middle School student Thomas Coughlin ’21}

TheLantern1FALL 2014/WINTER 2015

LanternEditorialCommitteeandContributors

Bob Broudo P’11

Ryan DeJoy

Scott Harlan

Carl Gasowksi

Rob Kahn

Carolyn Orsini Nelson

Christine Ozahowski

Lisa Robinson

Joe Rose

Catherine Steinhoff

Susan Tomases

Tristan Whitehouse

Designer

Melanie deForest-Malloy

Photographers

Bill Chamberlain

Suzanne Crossman

Erin Curran

Ryan DeJoy

Carl Gasowski

Kara Healy

Winslow Martin

Emilee Miller ’14

Faith Ostan Hall

Janet Thibeau P’13, ’20

Josh Thibeau ‘20

Tom Underwood

Zachary Webster ’17

Contributors

Bill Barrett

Erin Brewer

Bill Chamberlain

Suzanne Crossman

Jon Ells

Elizabeth Jamieson

Jeremy Melvin

Katie Mullen

Lisa Nichols

Alice Schwechheimer ’20

Bruce Stoddard

Brook Sumner

LanternTHE

FALL 2014/WINTER 2015

The Lantern is published twice yearly by the Marketing and Communications Department

at Landmark School, P.O. Box 227, Prides Crossing, MA 01965-0227

The Lantern is available online at landmarkschool.org/lantern

Contact us at [email protected]

2 The Lantern FALL 2014/WINTER 2015

*TABLE OFCONTENTS

COVER STORY

5 The Game Changers

A44-YEARLEGACY

6 �Transforming�Curriculum��and�Empowering��“Agents�of�Change”New, innovative course offerings

10 �Landmark��Changed�the�Game�Lisa and Jeffrey Nichols’s story

12 Open�to�Debate�Challenging perceived limitations

14 Put�Your�Mind�To�Making�New makerspace at the High School

16 A�Sense�of�Time�A year-long board game

18 Portraits�of�Courage�Personal game changers at EMS

22 On�the�JobFostering real-world experience

24 Help�Meet�the�Challenge�New building dedicated to Matthew Rutter

6

winter 2014

12

14

18

The Lantern 3FALL 2014/WINTER 2015

DEPARTMENTS

◗ HEADLIGHT

4 Landmark,TheGameChanger

◗ LIMELIGHT

26 LoveinaTackleBox

◗ SPOTLIGHT

28 Alumni:BrianHagale

30 Faculty: DougWalker

32 Parents: JanetandJamesThibeau

34 Student: AdyTibrewal’17

36 Donors: JenandErichBuddenhagen

◗ PENLIGHT

38 AliceSchwechheimer‘20,IntheNow

◗ STARLIGHT

40 LivingYourYoga

42 ASeasonofFirsts

44 HistoryWillNeverBetheSame

◗ FLOODLIGHT

9 ParentEducationEvent/DavidFlink

46 Events

48 AlumniNotes

◗ IN MEMORIAM

55 MatthewRutter

26

38

55

44

42


An alumni parent contacted me recently to report that his daughter had achieved her MBA with a 3.4 GPA. “This would not have happened if Landmark had not given her an opportunity,” he stated, “for someone at Landmark did something along the way that changed her self-confidence, her ability to self-advocate and to learn. Because people at Landmark had refused to take ‘no’ as an answer from her, she had learned skills well beyond her academics.” Landmark was a game changer.

Collectively, our mission and goals as educators, parents and guardians, legislators, researchers, and business leaders must be to collaborate and partner, and to constantly seek ways to change the game for millions of students who are struggling to learn in school due to a language-based learning disability. We know that these students are infinitely capable of learning at the highest levels, thinking creatively, participating actively, and making a difference. To me, it is a

violation of their human rights and dignity, and an endangerment to their futures and ability to contribute to society if their learning needs are not met. It is OUR responsibility to make this happen, to change the game for these students.

At Landmark, we all feel deeply grateful that we are able to meet our students where they are in the learning process and to make a difference one student at a time. We feel proud to be able to alter the course of learning for our students as we seek that “Aha!” moment that virtually changes the game for each of them. We know there is great hope and the outcomes and success stories are rewarding. The case for appropriate teaching, learning, training, and researching is very clear within our walls and on our campuses.

With a “game changer” mindset, the same outcomes can be achieved for every student with a language-based learning disability as they add to the diversity of thinking and learning in classrooms everywhere.

When Nelson Mandela walked out of prison, Bucky Dent hit a home run, FDR proposed the New Deal, and Cicely Saunders founded St. Christopher’s Hospice, the game changed in their specific arenas of politics, athletics, and human rights. Millions of other examples of personal acts, behaviors, achievements, visions, and determination can be cited that served to create a different outcome for people. In its own way, each of these examples was a “game changer.”

Landmark,the Game Changerby Bob Broudo P’11by Michela Galli

*HEADLIGHTa message from the headmaster

“ Someone at Landmark did something along the way that changed her self-confidence, her ability to self-advocate and to learn.”

ER

IN C

UR

RA

N

4 The Lantern


CHANGERSWe dedicate this issue of The Lantern to the notion of game changing. When Charles Drake set out to meet the needs of those who struggled with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities, he may not have imagined the venerable institution that Landmark would become. Now, 44 years later, we see what a game changer Landmark has been, and will continue to be. Since 1971, hundreds of faculty members have positively influenced tens of thousands of students and helped them achieve in ways they never could have imagined. Join us as we celebrate those students, faculty, and families whose stories have shifted; who have shaped and been shaped by Landmark: the artists and athletes, teachers, tinkerers and dreamers, scholars , and mentors.

The


The mission of Landmark School has always been rooted in enabling and empowering our students to realize their potential. On many levels and most directly the “empowering” is

focused on the essential reading, writing, and study skills that will aid and enable our students as they advance through their academic lives.

But what happens after these skills are improved and solidified? While we are teaching our students to read and write, how are we also helping them to understand and examine themselves and the world they live in? Most importantly, how will our students utilize these vital skills to make an impact on their own lives and possibly on the lives of others?

This year several inventive faculty members have developed and implemented curriculum that answers these questions in a very direct way by empowering students to explore new perspectives and challenging them to be informed and shape their futures.

MINDFULNESS

Landmark veteran Anne Kinigstein has established Mindfulness. Throughout the class, students endeavor to become more aware of what they are thinking and doing, as well as to be more focused on what is going on in their minds and bodies.

Anne explains, “Current research has found that mindfulness practices improve focus, mood,

and emotional resilience. The Mindfulness class combines the reading of articles, Ted Talks, etc.; reporting this information; and helping to achieve a metacognitive understanding of how the mind works, along with the practices of meditation, yoga, and regular journaling.”

LITERATURE AND AMERICAN HISTORY-

HUMANITIES BLOCK

At the Prep Program, Kaia Cunningham and Abby Siemasko have amalgamated specific content elements of their respective ninth-grade American Literature and American History classes. The result is a “humanities block” of combined lessons where students are encouraged to critically and analytically confront common themes and concepts that they observe in the content of both classes.

Transforming Curriculum andEmpowering Agents of

SEVERAL INNOVATIVE NEW COURSE OFFERINGS SET HIGH STANDARDS AND CHALLENGE STUDENTS TO THINK AND LIVE BEYOND THE SKILLS THEY ARE LEARNING

BY JOE ROSE

“ CURRENT RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT MINDFULNESS PRACTICES IMPROVE FOCUS, MOOD AND EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE”

—ANNE KINIGSTEIN

CHAN E

CA

RL

GA

SO

WS

KI

Teacher Anne Kinigstein

leading guided mindfulness


“We’re trying to get the students to see that ‘understanding the content’ of what we study is really just the beginning,” explains Siemasko. “Making connections, addressing patterns, and scrutinizing the larger societal impact of the subject matter is where the learning really begins.”

The Prep Program has also introduced several other classes this year that are steeped in higher-level self and societal awareness, including Bill McCarthy’s World War II and its Continuing Impact, Jen Kuhn’s Health and Wellness, as well as Modern World

Literature, taught by Kaia Cunningham and Kate Kinsman. Bill Chamberlain has also developed the aptly named Critical Reasoning and Abstract Analysis,

a study skills class for Prep Program seniors.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

No stranger to innovation, the Visual Arts Department has initiated the first ever Graphic Design class at Landmark taught by Kelly Graves. Through project-based learning, the class emphasizes problem solving and a strong sense of critical analysis of the visual and graphic arts as a foundation upon which to make sound aesthetic judgments.

“Students are required to find solutions in a very systematic way,” says Graves. “On the road to finding these solutions, they are really learning a little bit more about themselves and about how the world exists and operates.”

ECOLOGY

In the Science Department, Carl Gasowski has created an Ecology course for eighth and ninth graders. Designed to expose students to the chemical, physical, geological, biological, and ecological aspects of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the class includes a focus on long-term environmental studies and the skills involved in collecting and analyzing data in both manual and electronic means.

“It’s designed to get them to see the bigger picture,” acknowledges Gasowski. “My hope is that the students gain an appreciation for the cycles, transitions, and changes that take place in nature and then make connections to the broader implications.”

Along with other recent additions to the high school curriculum, including Biochemistry

of Food, Outdoor Leadership, and Debate (pp.12-13), Landmark is not merely innovating course content; it is actively tapping the varied talents and interests of its faculty while reaching and challenging the minds of its student population.

“We always need to remember that despite the learning differences, first and foremost we are dealing with young people,” explains Bob Broudo, Landmark’s Headmaster. “While we are most definitely sending these young people into society as better readers and writers, we must also focus on inspiring them to think and live beyond the skills. It should be our objective to support and encourage them as thinkers and doers; as positive agents of change.”

“ MY HOPE IS THAT THE STUDENTS GAIN AN APPRECIATION FOR THE CYCLES, TRANSITIONS, AND CHANGES THAT TAKE PLACE IN NATURE.”

—CARL GASOWSKI

CA

RL

GA

SO

WS

KI

Students observeand journal in the new Ecology class.


NEW PHYSICAL EDUCATION

UNITS CATCHING ON AT EMS

The Physical Education department at the Elementary•Middle School (EMS) with faculty members Cici Fougere and Bill Bresnahan, has implemented two new units: Sport Stacking and BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success) Fitness and Nutrition.

Sport Stacking promotes hand-eye coordination, ambidexterity, quickness, and concentration by stacking specialized cups in specific sequences as quickly as possible. Students use both sides of the body, crossing the midline to allow the left and right hemispheres of the brain to form connections and work together. Reviews have been enthusiastic: “You’re in for the ride of your life. It’s mind-twisting. Its hard,” noted Carter F. “It’s amazing how fast people can stack cups!” Finn H. called Sport Stacking “Cool, complicated, and fun!

“The moment we started cup stacking, I became consumed by the possibilities and benefits,” notes Bill Bresnahan. “Something so simple provides students with instant gratification and consistent reinforcement that they are doing something right, which builds confidence.” Gross

motor and cardio are integrated as well: “Cup stacking easily combines with squatting, bending, running, really any movement you want.“

According to Cici Fougere, EMS Lead Physical Education teacher, Sport Stacking encourages students to set goals and it reinforces perseverance. “This year the EMS participated in breaking the Guinness world record for the most people sport stacking at multiple locations in one day,” noted Ms. Fougere. “591,064 people stacked cups on November 13, breaking last year’s record of 555,932. Landmark School contributed 110 students to this count!”

EMS has also implemented a new fitness and nutrition program, Building Our Kids’ Success or BOKS. The mission of this curriculum is to promote the profound impact of physical activity on a child’s mind, body, and community. ACTIVE KIDS = ACTIVE MINDS! Each day there is a running-related activity, and each week students practice a particular skill such as push-ups, sit-ups, or squats which are incorporated into challenging relays or obstacle courses. Class ends with a fun game and a cool down stretch followed by a discussion of the nutrition tip of the week (BOKS Bit).

“ SOMETHING SO SIMPLE PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH INSTANT GRATIFICA-TION AND CONSISTENT REINFORCE-MENT THAT THEY ARE DOING SOME-THING RIGHT.”

—BILL BRESNAHANA

ND

RE

W G

RU

DE

N

Elementary and Middle School

students participate in Sport Stacking and

helping to set a Guinness world record.


A limited number of signed books will be available.

David is the co-founder and CEO of Eye to Eye, the only national mentoring program empowering students with learning disabilities by giving them a mentor who shares that experience. The motivation for founding Eye to Eye stemmed from David’s personal experience of struggling through school due to a diagnosis of ADHD and dyslexia. He founded the organization in 1998 while attending Brown University.

Thinking Differently, is David’s first book. In it he sets out to enlarge our understanding of learning and offers new, powerful strategies for teaching, parenting, and supporting the 20 percent of students with learning disabilities.

Refreshments will be served. This event is open to the public.

Learnmore andregister: landmarkschool.org/eventsor call us at 978-236-3408.

TUESDAY,FEBRUARY246:00-8:30PM

GUESTSPEAKER

DAVIDFLINKLOCATION:AnsaraAthleticCenter,447HaleStreet,PridesCrossing

Hosted by the Landmark Parents Association (LPA)

LANDMARKSCHOOLPARENT

EDUCATIONEVENT

10 The Lantern FALL 2014/WINTER 201510 The Lantern


G MELandmark Changed the

TEACHING AND LEARNING TOGETHER AT LANDMARK SCHOOLBY LISA NICHOLS

“I started teaching at Landmark in 1985,” says Lisa Nichols, “and throughout the years I have had varied roles and responsibilities, from teacher and tutor to houseparent and

Academic Advisor. My training and experience helped me advocate for my oldest son Dante as he navigated public school with a diagnosis of dyslexia. When my youngest son Jeffrey mirrored his older brother’s learning style, however, our family knew Landmark was a better choice.”

“In 2011, Jeffrey started Landmark Elementary•Middle School (EMS) and I took on yet another role — Landmark parent. As a faculty member, I wondered who would tutor or advise Jeffrey but I did not make any requests because I wanted to be his mom, not his educational advocate. I had complete trust that my colleagues would make the best decisions for my son.”

“Jeffrey had only attended Landmark for a few months when our neighbors began to comment on his increased confidence and cheerful demeanor. Other children started asking their parents if they could go to Landmark with Jeffrey. Jeffrey and I intentionally respected each other’s personal space at school, but I cherished spontaneous moments we would share. Having someone else in the family experience the daily routine at EMS was a gift.”

“Jeffrey’s goal was to return to Beverly High School and he made the most of his Landmark opportunity. Each of his teachers directly and profoundly impacted his learning and his future. After three years at Landmark, he was truly ready to choose Beverly High, but he maintains his

Landmark ties. Jeffrey still emails Chris Woodin, Mathematics Department Head, with math questions and meets with faculty member Geoff Russell, who is his mentor and educational guide. Deirdre Mulligan, Curriculum Coordinator, stops by to chat with him, Bill Bresnahan, PE teacher, yells at him in the morning at the bus stop to put his coat on, and faculty member Chris McKernan notes that Jeffrey continues to follow the Landmark dress code.”

“This latest change in the game has given me a fresh point of view on some familiar strategies. I find myself newly passionate about assignment notebooks and note-taking because I see how much simple strategies lead to academic success. I have developed a new appreciation for the dress code: putting yourself together and looking sharp when you are running late for the bus takes practice.”

“Jeffrey’s first semester at Beverly High School has been a success. Early on he went to his guidance counselor and advocated for Honors English; he had been reading quality literature in Brian McCarthy’s class and he wanted this to continue. Our family now shares in a part of the Landmark Success Story. We are all forever grateful for the education Jeffrey received and for the relationships established. Teaching at Landmark has been an honor and being the parent of a Landmark student has been a profound privilege.”

Editor’s note: Lisa’s journey as a Landmark

teacher, dorm parent, advisor, and her parallel journey

as a Landmark parent, has led her to another personal

‘game-changer’: this fall she realized her dream of

opening “12 Oak” – a Growth and Renewal Center in

Beverly Farms, where she is a Reiki Master Teacher.

“ JEFFREY HAD ONLY ATTENDED LANDMARK FOR A FEW MONTHS WHEN OUR NEIGHBORS BEGAN TO COMMENT ON HIS INCREASED CONFIDENCE AND CHEERFUL DEMEANOR.”

TO

M U

ND

ER

WO

OD


Landmark School constantly strives to “raise the bar” through innovation and has a tradition of challenging the per-ceived limitations of students with lan-guage-based learning disabilities. Never-

theless, a great deal of uncertainty and trepidation ensued among faculty when a student initiative was presented to form a debate club.

Many people dread public speaking, but this fear is exacerbated by a language-based learning disability. Debating also requires the extensive use of high-level language skills including active read-ing, note-taking from written and oral sources, and writing persuasive cases. Debaters must evaluate the credibility of a variety of sources on current controversial topics. Then they must utilize their intuitions, verbal strengths, and logical reasoning in public speech and discussion while maintaining a polite and articulate manner. Landmark meth-odology is based on slowly building up students’ skills while ensuring success. Debate in many ways challenges this paradigm as it involves taking risks and facing fears. When they debate for the first time, students feel they are “parachuting from a

plane” or being “thrown into the deep end of a pool” as the experience requires our students to venture way outside their comfort zone.

We began the Debate Club by meeting once a week and observing scrimmages and tournaments. As students took on the challenge and faced their fears, their motivation to succeed was phenome-nal, their focus and intensity almost palpable. It has been an inspiring inaugural journey. Coaches, advisors, and participants have progressed from hearing voices crack from the terror of public speaking to watching Liam Cassilly calmly pause and inquisitively cross-examine his opponent. The year culminated with Landmark winning one round in a scrimmage against Waring School in March. Tim Averill, the veteran Waring coach and longtime debate advisor for forty three years stated that it was a historic moment and asked both teams to pose for a photo to mark the event. The most important part of debate, though, has been the experience of confronting an intimidat-ing challenge and succeeding. That is why debate is empowering to students, and truly a GAME CHANGER - Win, Lose, or Draw.

The Landmark and Waring School

Debate Teams pose for an historic photo

Back Row (left to right) : Ma tt Pramas ’16 , Devin Mackie ’16 , Moritz Schuster ’17 , Bruce Stoddard (faculty) , Tom Franco ’17 , and Kenny DeLuze ’16 Front Row (left to right): Olivia Kearse ’16 , Diane Churchill ’15 , Rachel Esham ’16, Shaurya Aga r wal ’16 , and Liam Cassilly ’15

DEB TEOpen to

CHALLENGING PERCEIVED LIMITATIONS BY BRUCE STODDARD

CA

RL

GA

SO

WS

KI


“THE EXPERIENCE REQUIRES OUR STUDENTS TO

VENTURE WAY OUTSIDE THEIR COMFORT ZONE.”

WINTER 201414 The Lantern


“The maker community brings children, hobby-ists, and professionals together in a celebration of personal expression … school(s) traditionally separate art and science, theory and practice … such divisions are artificial … (a makerspace) blurs the boundaries between subject areas … there are things to do that were unimaginable just a few years ago.” (Invent To Learn by Martinez and Stager)

JON: It’s a misconception that only “brainy geeks” tinker and make things. The truth is, from a young age, almost everyone enjoys making things. And as we build, arrange, draw, cook, design, craft, and tinker, what we learn is more likely to stick because we learn it in a relevant, real-life context. Martinez and Stager call it “just in time learning” as opposed to more traditional learning done in schools which they call “just in case learning”.

Speculation, imagination and a “try it” mental-ity will be encouraged. But we also want students to follow through with their ideas: to plan a course of action, grapple with details, find out how to do something new, experiment, and see new procedures. Failures should be embraced and evaluated to see what was learned. Completed products should be re-evaluated, improved upon, and shared.

BILL: “Design thinking/learning” is a fusion of stated need and cyclic-thought-and-doing with a constant focus on the end user. Education is slowly beginning to embrace a similar process model: executive function oversees the use of study skills

with the student as end user. The missing compo-nent in that model is motivation, or the inspiration of will. The beauty of “maker” is that motivation is a simple byproduct, not a concern; little energy is spent managing it.

Beginning this winter, Landmark High School classes will be invited to a budding makerspace within the Technology area with thousands of connections for curriculum. A simple example: a class imagines and then “builds” characters or scenes from literature using tools in the maker-space, enhancing the story in ways not usually experienced. A large variety of tools will be avail-able: scissors, hammers, microscopes, computers,

and rarer tools like laser cutters, 3D-print-ers and Arduinos, a tiny user-friendly computer board created to easily interact

with the environment, and so much more. These have been introduced to programming classes by faculty member Sarah Ciras. Amy Veling (High School Librarian), is considering some sort of makerspace for the library … perhaps a take-apart lab. Doug Walker (p.28) and Carl Gasowski, science teachers, have been doing similar work for years.

Makerspace will be an interdisciplinary, collab-orative atmosphere where a maker might visit the Art department, Auto or Wood shops, or kitchen for specialized knowledge. Ideally, collaboration will extend to other “makers” and experts via the online and local community. A bulletin board on which people could post “unsolved problems” exemplifies the spirit of the space. Students or staff could see a need and put their mind to making.

MA INGPut Your Mind To

SIMPLY PUT, A MAKERSPACE IS AN AREA FULL OF TOOLS AND MATERIALS FOR MAKING STUFF. THIS YEAR WE BEGAN CREATING A MAKERSPACE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

BY BILL CHAMBERLAIN AND JON ELLSILLUSTRATIONS BY ELIZABETH JAMIESON


T MEA Sense of

Students: Price Addy ’15, Ally Bartels ’16, Henry Casey ’15, Becky DeNatale ’16, Nate Hammond ’15, Jackie Mahoney ’16, Seif Mina ’16, Peter Reidy ’18, Jake Sheridan ’16, Robin Southwick ’17, Kyle Turner ’15, Brooke Williams ’15 Teachers: Bill Barrett and Bill Chamberlain

A DESCRIPTION OF A YEAR-LONG-GAMEBY BILL BARRETT AND BILL CHAMBERLAIN

16 The Lantern


What is asked of you in the class? To build/nurture our civilization; monitor our classmates; and enforce guide-lines; take new information and build upon it; research, summarize, para-phrase then present; if we fail try again tomorrow; positively critique other students; gather research daily; self-monitor all aspects of the course; use reasoning and imagination; deal with constant failure; use forethought and motivation to go out of my way for success; think of multiple answers not just one; rebound quickly from failure.

What struggles do you face? Maintain organization of hundreds of variables; It is taxing and stimulating;Summarize research and condense it into a fathomable 30 second story, control my thinking/thoughts, answers are never given, they are learned then earned; You must find the answers to your own questions; I was locked into a way of thinking and failed as I subconsciously refused to budge from my point of view;It is a fast-paced course, your only resource is your brain; Your first answer is always wrong; You must discover different ways to challenge yourself;You are forced to back up your own thoughts and opinions; You never get exactly what you want; Frustration due to consistent failure.

What other thoughts do you have? “We are allowed to use our own creativity as a main component.” “I like that we have the right to try new things, and if they don’t work we have the right to argue our claims.” “I learned how to summarize research and put it into my own words.” “I learned how to get over myself and adjust to a challenging and difficult environment.” “The class is a strange combination of fear, stress, rage, and joy and these all happen simultaneously.” “You have to have interest to evolve your civilization and then you get the joy of watching it grow.”

The current iteration of this course is a 150-day game called A Sense of

Time: Challenge and Conflict. The goal is to instill a long-term “sense of time” of our planet and people,

so we begin 2 million years ago with the goal of developing a civilization that survives and thrives. Students must be proactive and decide what their civilizations will do. Teachers (Mother Nature) determine the reactive elements, or what happens based on the actions of the students.

We use a discovery method, bounded by facilitation rather than teaching, coupled with an activity-based classroom entirely guided by students. The course focuses on executive function (EF) skills: pre-planning, long-term planning, activating to task, managing frustration, etc. The top-down approach allows us to spend quality time talking with individual students about EF skills. Further, the game generates an environment in which research, interpretation, analysis, and presentation are enjoyable.

The game has over 1000 parts and pieces. Rather than describing it in detail, we decided that a student perspective would be more interesting since they are an integral part of game and course development. The answers below are a conglomerate of their writing.

OP

PO

SIT

E P

AG

E:

CA

RL

GA

SO

WS

KI;

TH

IS P

AG

E:

BIL

L C

HA

MB

ER

LAIN

(2

)


◗ JULIE

In the winter of 2009, Julie Littlefield heard about her Aunt Judy’s declining condition. By December, with only 10% of her liver functioning, Judy was placed on the waiting list for a liver organ donation and waited. She considered moving to the Midwest to improve her chances. Then, in early 2010, Judy became eligible for a live liver donation.

Julie felt compelled to do something. Back in 2006, she had watched her dad lose his battle with brain cancer, suffering along with him but helpless to change things. Now, determined to aid her aunt, Julie underwent the tests to learn she matched blood types and had a “textbook liver” well-positioned for the procedure. With resolve, Julie thought, “I can do this. I can try.”

Four members of the Landmark Elementary•Middle School community have taken part in extraordinary journeys of medical triumph in recent years. Their stories are marked by courage, determination, and persevering strength. Humbled by the wonder of these life-changing events, each recalls vividly the medical teams,

family, friends, and Landmark community – the hundred hands of love - that cared for and supported them. When Julie Littlefield and Carolin Andujar heard about the urgent needs of loved ones in their families, they jumped into action. For Peter Lucia and Scot Wilson, their daunting medical conditions would require the impossible – timely organ donations from strangers - to help them on their paths to recovery.

Portraits of

PERSONAL GAME-CHANGERS AT LANDMARK BY SCOTT HARLAN

PHOTOS BY TOM UNDERWOOD

C URAGE

18 The Lantern


Julie has taught at Landmark EMS since 1997. She is a dedicated basketball coach and a talented athlete. To watch her coach or play is to see an agile mind and a relentless com-petitive spirit, surveying the whole court and anticipating action several steps ahead. As she contemplated donating a portion of her liver to her aunt, Julie knew she would be tested as she faced the unknown. She would need to give up control of her body, experience anesthesia for the first time, and become weak so she could help her aunt become strong again.

On March 15, 2010, Julie and Judy took part in a seven-hour transplant procedure at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, the 207th successful live liver transplant performed. Julie laughs when she recalls how her aunt was able to leave the hospital following the operation before her. The transplant required 67% of Julie’s liver, but her doctor and medical team were confident Julie’s liver would regenerate. Julie spent 11 days in the hospital and several weeks at home following surgery. Land-mark friends visited, walking alongside Julie arm-in-arm around the hospital floor in those early days of recovery. Fellow teacher Kim Davis even helped Julie make her annual basketball selections

for the NCAA tournament, but Julie chuckles at the memory of her foggy, off-the-mark picks.

After April break, Julie returned to Landmark to teach half-days and eventually began a full schedule again. She is grateful for how Landmark staff supported her absence and gradual return. She remembers how it took most of a year to feel normal again. Now her aunt Judy is enjoying the fullness of her life once again and, as hoped, 95% of Julie’s liver has re-grown.

Despite encountering a different kind of “March Madness” with the disruption to her daily routine in 2010, Julie does not hesitate saying, “I would definitely do it all over again!” She looks forward to visiting with Judy and taking a long-anticipated walk together around Moxie Falls near their camp at Moosehead Lake in Maine.

◗ CAROLIN

Carolin Andujar is part of the close-knit Elemen-tary•Middle School food services team. Although she works for Brock Food Service, Carolin, along with Christian and chef Monica, are definitely part of the EMS family. After starting work in food

“ ASK NOT WHAT DISEASE THE PERSON HAS, BUT RATHER WHAT PERSON THE DISEASE HAS.”

—DR. WILLIAM OSLER


“ THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE HAS OPENED MY EYES TO SEE AGAIN HOW LIFE IS SO WONDERFUL.”

—PETER LUCIA

services at Landmark in the fall of 2013, Carolin barely had time to settle in before things took an unexpected turn for her family.

For Carolin and her twin sister Amber, events moved swiftly last winter. In December, Amber developed a liver problem and soon discovered she had aplastic anemia, a serious condition where the bone marrow doesn’t produce enough red blood cells. As a mother of two young children, Am-ber’s situation quickly became dire and the family looked for help.

Carolin and her brother were tested and Carolin soon learned she was the best match for a bone marrow transplant. So, on January 8th and 9th, 2014, she participated in a transplant with her sister at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The procedures took six hours each day and required two more weeks of recovery time for Carolin. Her sister needed to spend a month in the hospital.

Now, Carolin happily reports, Amber is well and back at home caring for her children. Carolin meanwhile has resumed her work at EMS, pre-paring the daily menu of food and eager to serve students and faculty with her warm smile.

◗ PETER

Peter Lucia has been a part of the Landmark community for nearly 25 years. These days, you can spot him on the job cleaning the buildings on the EMS campus and helping set up for special events. No matter what he may be doing, Peter will pause to remember your name and share a friendly hello. He takes satisfaction knowing his efforts support the teachers and the staff in their work with students, which he once was. He first attended Landmark as a student in 1989 and then started working in the Facilities Department in 1993.

In 1995, however, Peter was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. He underwent heavy chemotherapy to fight the cancer that had entered his lymph system. Although the chemo treatment was effective, it eventually wiped out his kidneys. By 1999, Peter needed to go on kidney dialysis three times a week and slowly adjusted to a life “on the machine.” Over the next five years, he reported for what seemed like his “second job,” while waiting on the donor list for a kidney donation.

On February 7th, 2003, Peter received the long-awaited good news that a kidney was available. A mother, who had recently lost her daughter, had donated one of her child’s kidneys. Later that day, at Tufts Medical Center, Peter received his new kidney and began his recovery “one day at a time.”

Over time, Peter adjusted to new medicines and a new diet. Through the gift he received, he realized he now had an opportunity to look at life in a different way - “off the machine.” Peter regained his strength and returned to work at Landmark a changed man. He marvels, “This whole experience has opened my eyes to see again how life is so wonderful. I no longer have to schedule appointments for dialysis or wonder if I can find a dialysis hook-up when I travel. I have so much more freedom today.”

Peter knows too that he has been blessed with the first-hand experience of being cared for. “I’m here because of that mother and her daughter, and my doctors and nurses. All the special people of the Landmark community – Bob Broudo, Dave


“ I’VE LEARNED MANY THINGS ABOUT MYSELF THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE AND I FEEL LIKE IT’S LIBERATED ME. I CAN DO ALMOST ANYTHING NOW!”

—SCOT WILSON

Seiter, and Rick Mello – to name a few; and, of course, my family. They all gave me a gift that I can never repay. It’s hard to put it into words, but I want to live my life to the fullest and honor the memory of that young girl and her generous mother. What can I say? It’s all love!”

◗ SCOT

There are many dimensions to Scot Wilson’s heart transplant story, but foremost, it is a story of how one resilient family, a skilled medical team, and a loving Landmark community kept hope alive together over many years to see Scot wake up one day with a new heart.

For the Wilson family, Scot’s long-time heart condition had been a fact of life.

By 1998, Scot required regular hospital visits to be “zapped” - to restore his heart rhythm. After a difficult summer in 2006, it became apparent that Scot’s condition needed more serious attention and he was evaluated at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. By the winter of 2007, Scot was placed under the care of Dr. Kenneth Baughman, Head of the hospital’s Advanced Heart Disease program. He was deemed a candidate for a heart transplant and put on the organ donation list. Fortunately, since Scot had blood type B, he became the highest candidate on the list for the New England region and also was qualified to receive a heart from outside the region, if necessary.

While the family wondered if the right heart would be available in time, Scot’s condition worsened and he was admitted to the hospital in March 2009. At home Sophie managed family life with her three children. She looks back gratefully, amazed at how Landmark friends stepped forward and provided support, so their kids could pursue their active school lives full of football and basketball games, driving lessons, prom dress shopping, and college visits. “All hands on deck” created a sort of “portable universe” to help Scot feel at home in the hospital. For Scot’s room, Sophie even recreated a riddle board, like the

one at EMS, which doctors and guests teased Scot about. As Sophie remembers, “These things saved our lives.”

At last, the long-hoped-for day arrived. On March 28, 2009, Dr. Baughman woke Scot and asked, “What are you up to today?” Scot replied, “Not much.” and the good doctor responded, “Want to get a heart today?” By midnight, Sophie was told that Scot’s surgery was successful and soon the happy news spread throughout Landmark. A full year would be needed for Scot to rebuild his immune system and regain his strength. By fall 2010, Scott eased back into work at Landmark, teaching part-time, and resuming his schedule in the woodshop. Now five and a half years since his transplant, Scot beams with fresh hope and renewed purpose. “I’ve learned many things about myself through this experience and I feel like it’s liberated me. I can do almost anything now!”

*****Julie, Carolin, Peter, Scot, and their families,

have met unimaginable adversity with boundless bravery, creative resourcefulness, and remarkable self-giving. Shining through their stories are ever-widening circles of empathy, generosity, and hope. These healing stories remind us of the transforming power of human community and how the Landmark community, in particular, reaches out in quiet grandeur, with one great, united heart.


Landmark students are bright and talented individuals with a wide variety of interests. Landmark is continuing to expand opportunities for our students to get out of the classroom and learn.

College and career-ready students need to develop academic skills required for success as well as the workplace skills essential for the ever-changing world of employment. In fact, some students graduating from high school today are being employed in jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago while others will soon be filling positions that don’t exist now. It is important to prepare our students for this fast-changing world of work.

Students also benefit greatly from the opportunity to explore and learn about careers that may be of interest to them. We have begun that work with the transition curriculum that introduces students to the world of work, encourages them to complete interest inventories, and to attend career days. Internships are another opportunity for our students to explore the world outside of the classroom. Students in internships not only learn employment skills, they learn the value of work and gain the confidence that comes from a job well done.

We have a growing list of local companies and employers who are willing to partner with us to provide hands-on opportunities for Landmark students. From all reports, these companies have enjoyed the experience as much as our students!

J BOn the

INTERNSHIPS HELP BUILD CONFIDENCE AND FOSTER REAL-WORLD WORK EXPERIENCE FOR LANDMARK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

BY SUZANNE CROSSMAN

This year, we have three students involved in internships. Each placement is unique and in each case, both students and cooperating employer are thrilled with the results.

SAMANTHA PUTUR ’16

Every afternoon after she completes classes and finishes lunch, Samantha (Sam) Putur gets in her car and heads to Hillside Engineering in Danvers MA. Hillside is a small precision machining company that produces, supplies, and delivers machined parts to a variety of local industries including imaging, motion control, medical, and

Samantha Putur ’16at work at Hillside Engineering

PH

OT

OS

BY

SU

ZA

NN

E C

RO

SS

MA

N


robotic companies. Through the support of owner Charles Cummings, Sam has the opportunity to learn about this industry. Her daily activities may vary from running machines and preparing orders for shipment to cleaning the shop. Her boss reports she is one of the best interns they have ever had. In fact, they have offered Sam a paid position for the summer! While Sam has a variety of career interests including working with animals, she says “This internship is helping me enjoy my junior year more than my previous years.”

AIDAN O’SULLIVAN ’15

Landmark has sent interns to the Friendship, 171 foot, three masted tall ship, in Salem for several years. This year, Aidan O’Sullivan ’15 is working with this National Park Service program. Aidan has to manage a challenging schedule in order to complete his classes, grab lunch, and get to the job site on time, complicated by the heavy traffic and limited Salem parking (especially at Halloween.) Aidan spends his time working to prepare the ship to be seaworthy, some days washing decks, other days, “downrigging the jib boom.” Besides developing responsibility and time management skills, Aidan states that Friendship has been a “game changer.” “It has given me variety and a hands-on experience that has highlighted my

senior year.” Aidan knows his future will include some type of hands-on career field. He is currently applying to colleges with turf management programs and looks forward to continuing his education.

ANA SALZER ’15

Each morning as faculty drop off their children at Landmark’s Tot Spot day care center, they are greeted by senior Ana Salzer. Ana is interested in pursuing a career in education and worked last year with Tot Spot Director Jennifer Brennan Blute and Study Skills Department Head Robin Day-Laporte to develop this internship. Ana works mostly in the preschool room helping young children transition into the morning routine. She has even had the opportunity to prepare and lead the “circle time” lesson. “Ana has a genuine love for young children; my son looks forward to seeing her every day,” says Assistant Dean of Students, Scott Jamieson. As Ana studies child development, she also applies concepts from class to practical experience. She loves watching the children get excited about each new adventure. Jennifer Brennan Blute commented, “Ana’s confidence and teaching skills have really improved and expanded! It has been exciting to watch her take more and more steps toward being an early childhood educator.”

Ana Salzer ’15 reading a favorite story to two Tot Spot friends

Aidan O’Sullivan ’15 aboard the Friendship in Salem, Massachusetts


EMS Classroom BuildingEMS Classroom BuildinggCo rt ard Perspecti eCourtyard Perspectivey p

LANDMARK SCHOOLLANDMARK SCHOOLLANDMARK SCHOOLO t b 20 2014October 20, 2014Oc obe 0, 0

LANDMARK SCHOOL

October 20, 2014

EMS Science Lab

LANDMARK SCHOOL

October 20, 2014

EMS Stair and Lobby EMS Science Lab EMS stair and lobby

New Matthew M. Rutter Classroom Building


The Landmark Elementary•Middle School (EMS) community lost a dear friend and colleague last September. The sudden unexpected loss of Matthew Rutter, a veteran of 37 years at Landmark in a variety of roles, overshadowed the normally exuberant spirit of faculty preparing to reunite for another academic year. Matt was much more than Social Studies Department Head at EMS: he made an impact on every facet of campus life with his boisterous presence, proactive spirit, and incredible intellectual breadth and depth. (see pg. 56)

When Matt’s EMS colleagues saw renderings of the new Middle School classroom building, a group immediately asked whether the building had a name, and if it could be dedicated to Matt’s memory honoring his legacy at EMS? As a concept, the Matthew M. Rutter Classroom Building would fittingly memorialize Matt’s love of classroom teaching, stewardship of content and skills in Social Studies, devotion to Landmark, and inimitable presence. Yet the fitting idea quickly faced the hard reality of a naming opportunity with a price tag of one million dollars - an impossible dream for a faculty initiative.

Enter a generous donor – one of many Landmark families whose lives were changed by Matt’s attention – to put up a challenge grant of 500,000 dollars, which represents half the needed amount to name the building. This overwhelmingly generous gesture has brought the Matthew M. Rutter Classroom Building quest a giant step closer to fulfillment.

Landmark is asking for your support to dedicate the Middle School Classroom Building in honor of Matt Rutter and transform the entire teaching environment on the EMS campus for students and Matt’s colleagues.

Help Meet the ChallengeCAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO DEDICATE THE ELEMENTARY• MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM BUILDING TO MATTHEW M. RUTTER

EMS Classroom BuildingEMS Classroom BuildinggCo rt ard Perspecti eCourtyard Perspectivey p

LANDMARK SCHOOLLANDMARK SCHOOLLANDMARK SCHOOLO t b 20 2014October 20, 2014Oc obe 0, 0

To contribute to this exciting initiative please contact Carolyn Orsini Nelson, Director of Institutional Advancement, 978-236-3201, or by email [email protected].

26 The Lantern WINTER 2014

Beth began working at the Summer Program at Landmark in 1997 and remembers thinking, “I just really want to be here.” She was hired as a full-time teacher that fall. Expecting to work with elementary age students, she found herself teaching a Language Arts class to Middle School boys. Teaching that class of boys was like a “trial by fire” but they helped mold her into the teacher she is today. Beth became well known for her ability to keep a straight face and never flinch despite her students’ sometimes “outrageous comments and questions!”

Tim’s interest in teaching at Landmark was sparked by Beth’s enthusiasm. He has never quite forgotten his interview with Chris Murphy, Head of Landmark’s High School whose response to Tim’s questions was a typically taciturn: “Well, yeah, this job is hard.” Tim, undaunted by the hours that included weeknight and weekend coverage, immediately loved the feeling of community. He still remembers the support he felt when a simple question about developing a thematic unit resulted in dozens of teachers offering help and ideas. He also remembers being stunned by his students who often had very low

academic skills yet carried on notably intelligent and engaging conversations.

Tim well remembers the weekend he asked Beth to marry him. Given Beth’s interest in fishing, he decided that a new tackle box, fishing rod, and lures were a perfect engagement present. Having chosen her ring, he cleverly hid it amongst the lures. Beth, in an uncharacteristically grumpy mood, said “Thanks” as she tossed the gift aside to make a phone call. With encouragement, she found her engagement ring nestled amongst the lures and immediately said, “Yes!”

In the years since, Tim and Beth have become the proud parents of twins Abby and Andrew. They enjoy a busy family life and balance one another as parents beautifully. As Beth puts it, “I can be a bit of an emotional balloon and Tim provides the grounding.” Tim, now Assistant Dean and Summer Program Director at Landmark High School, and Beth, an Academic Advisor, at the Elementary•Middle School, each retain their sense of dedication to family and work. With their combined intelligence and warmth of spirit, they embrace one another as “best friends” and share their love in abundance.

Beth and Tim Mahoney both love working with children and are drawn to community. Not surprisingly, they first met while chaperoning a YMCA Halloween party. Beth is a woman who clearly leads with her heart and trusts her intuition. After meeting Tim, she called her Mom to say, “I think I’m going to marry this guy!” While Tim has a more measured approach to life, it did not take long before he fell in love with Beth’s sense of fun and optimism.

Love in a Tackle Boxby Christine Ozahowski

HAPPY COUPLEBeth and Tim Mahoney

YEAR THEY MET1994

MARRIED FOR...15 years

THE PERFECT LURENearly overlooked in her new tackle box was Beth’s engagement ring!

♥LIMELIGHT

a love story

FAIT

H H

ALL

The Lantern 27WINTER 2014


“I missed my family a lot; it was hard having my parents back in Texas.” But one of Brian’s best memories of Landmark is that he had a family here as well. Brian attended the Landmark Summer Program for two years before becoming a full time student first at the Elementary•Middle School and then the High School. “The summer helped me get better acquainted with the environment and to make a smoother transition to boarding school. And the teachers were amazing. They were my teachers and my best friends.”

Years later, Brian reflected on the people and the education he experienced at Landmark and decided to give back, making a major gift to the Landmark Matters Capital Campaign.

Supporting the EMS Middle School Classroom building project is fitting and symbolic for Brian. “I was blessed to have attended Landmark.” He recalls as a young boy often crumpling his homework in frustration. At Landmark, he never missed a homework assignment in four years. A naturally shy person, Brian didn’t enter Landmark with the confidence and communication skills he has today. “The small classes, particularly those in

communication, encouraged me to speak up and share my thoughts.”

These skills and confidence brought Brian to Texas A & M where he studied business and agricultural studies. Today his interests include real estate and residential construction. He still credits the structure of Landmark as the biggest factor in his success then and now. “I became aware of time – Landmark pushed my production level beyond what it ever was or would have been. I would not be where I am today without Landmark.”

Brian Hagale was fortunate to have his learning challenges diagnosed at an early age. He was only 12 years old when he left his home in Houston, TX and moved into the North Campus dorm at what is now our Elementary•Middle School (EMS) campus in Manchester-by-the-Sea. Before coming to Landmark, Brian had attended a day school in Texas that also specialized in working with students with learning disabilities. But that school wasn’t Landmark. “Both schools catered towards students with learning disabilities, but Landmark excelled in pretty much every category,” says Brian today, now 28 years old.

Giving Backby Carolyn Orsini Nelson

NAMEBrian Hagale

HOMETOWNHouston, TX

CLASS OF2005

HIGHER EDTexas A & M, business and agricultural studies

CURRENT INTERESTSReal estate and residential construction

*SPOTLIGHTalumni


TwoNewBooksFromLandmarkOutreach

ExecutiveFunction:FoundationsforLearningandTeachingPatricia W. Newhall$25Many students struggle to stay organized, manage time, materials and assignments, stay focused, prioritize work, and be more efficient. This new book from Landmark Outreach is filled with student profiles, templates, graphic organizers, and much more. Executive Function: Foundations for Learning and Teaching provides:• Concise information about executive function and its relation to academic proficiency• Explanations of the roles of attention, memory, emotion, motivation,

and effort in learning• Practical teaching strategies• Student profiles and comments on learning experiences• Suggestions for further reading

MultiplicationandDivisionFactsfortheWhole-to-Part,VisualLearnerChristopher L. Woodin$40Christopher Woodin’s students will tell you that learning multiplication and division facts is interactive, engaging, and fun. This multi-modal approach empowers teachers to engage students in and excite them about the process of learning multiplication and division facts. The method is rooted in reaching students using visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile strategies to learn math facts. This 380 page book is crammed with templates, activities, and exercises that will bring meaning and reason to multiplication and division facts.

Learn about and purchase these two new teaching guides, along with all of our other publications atlandmarkoutreach.org/publications.

Landmark School Outreach Program

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS


Located in the depths of the Alexander Academic Building, Walker’s classroom is often “full to the gunwales” with the necessary ingredients to help students achieve a high level of productivity with a hint of controlled chaos. Tools galore line the walls and work benches. A drill press here, a belt sander there, and at the end of the day sometimes sawdust everywhere.

During his thirty years at Landmark, Doug has cultivated an approach to teaching that not only engages students, but teaches them about planning, critical thinking, problem solving, and evaluating progress. Students tackle challenges head-on and learn to build projects that foster time management, and creative utilization of resources. Over the course of the year, the class builds prototypes for various purposes that range from catapulting egg-containing projectiles as far as possible without scrambling them to building musical instruments from recycled materials. Overall, the name of the game is plan your goal, aim to achieve it, and assess your success. If need-ed, modify and repeat.

“I guess I am inspired by the “Aha!” moments,” Doug said when asked about what inspires him as an educator. In his Pre-Engineering class,

he’s not just training a room full of MacGyvers who can fashion a water rocket from a two-liter bottle, some hot glue, a shoe box, and a couple of paperclips; but Doug’s multi-modal approach to teaching gets students to make connections to the laws of physics while they work on skills that they’ll utilize throughout life.

“When I was a teenager, I taught sailing as one of my summer jobs. I learned that I enjoyed teaching all age groups. As a side note, I now recognize that I tended to teach using kinesthetic/hands-on methods of teaching.” Over time, Doug shaped his ability to educate into a blend of audi-tory, kinesthetic, and visual approaches that cater to the learning needs of his students.

Beyond teaching Pre-Engineering, Doug also teaches in a variety of extracurricular programs at Landmark including sailing, swimming, and InventTeam. As an integral part of the Landmark community, Doug continues to push the boundaries and he encourages his students to do the same. Learning to problem-solve is a crucial life skill. As it turns out, the excitement of launching a water rocket as high as it can go or collapsing a newspaper bridge with as much weight as it can hold happens to be an added perk to the educational process.

As the self-proclaimed coach of New England’s premiere Coed Varsity Egg Catapult Team, faculty member Doug Walker has built a legacy at Landmark that has a foundation rich in creating, constructing, and engineering. Although it’s a self-appointed and pseudo-position as coach, it nonetheless indicates the teamwork, cooperation, and hard work of students in his Pre-Engineering classes.

Inspired by the “Aha!” Momentsby Carl Gasowski

*SPOTLIGHTfaculty

CA

RL

GA

SO

WS

KI

Currently the InventTeam is building an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to explore the ocean near Governor’s Landing. A lofty project, but one that fits for a team based on building and experimenting.


Faculty member Doug Walker at home in his Pre-Engineering classroom


Janet’s journey with her children’s learning disabilities solidified her passion for helping other parents of children with special needs navigate the special education system. In what felt like a natural progression, Janet took her consulting skills acquired while working with Fortune 500 companies and applied them to working with families.

Her resume is impressive. Janet has worked as an instructor for the Federation for Children with Special Needs, has been featured on National Public Radio as part of their series ‘Brain Matters, Reporting from the Front Lines of Neuroscience’, has appeared on Boston’s National Public Radio affiliate station speaking about dyslexia, and for the past nine years, has worked as a family/individual coach, mediator, advocate, and college consultant.

Somewhere between raising five children, swim meets, cross country and track meets, competitive rowing races, various Special Olympic sports, a demanding job, and serving on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations,

Janet devotes much of her time to the Landmark Parents Association (LPA) as Parent Education Chair. Over the years she has secured many sought-after speakers and organized panel discussions for the Landmark community’s benefit. If you have been to an LPA educational event, chances are Janet was behind it! (See page 9 for information on their next event.)

In 2002, Janet and James Thibeau’s oldest son Chris was diagnosed with dyslexia. Three years later, after much research and determination Chris started attending Landmark. Like many other parents, Janet and James walked away with a wealth of knowledge on how to navigate the often-difficult road to finding the right place for their child. In fact, four out of five of Janet and James’s children have language-based learning disabilities (LBLD). Chris has since graduated and is thriving at American University and youngest son Josh is at Landmark’s Elementary•Middle School campus. The Thibeaus have truly embraced the individualized learning approach with each of their children.

Meeting Individualized Needsby Katie Mullen

PARENTSJanet and James Thibeau

CHILDRENBen Rachel Chris ‘13 Josh ‘20 Laura

CV EXTRAORDINAIREFederation for Children with Special Needs Instructor, family/individual coach, mediator, advocate, and college consultant

*SPOTLIGHTparent

JOS

H T

HIB

EA

U



Adwitiya (Ady) Tibrewal ’17 and his cousin Shaurya are from Kolkata, India. Two years ago when Ady came to Landmark School he never dreamed he would be using his heritage to teach others how to build with lashings and wood. But now he’s changing the perspective of his teachers, peers, and himself.

Teacher Zach Fisher was excited but surprised when Ady joined the Outdoor Leadership Pro-gram. Ady had never been camping and certainly would never have found woods to explore in Kolkata. “Even though he joined with limited pre-vious outdoor experience, he remains eager to try,” says Fisher. On their first camping trip, Ady was understandably nervous. “I thought a bear would get me,” he says. But the outdoors quickly became Ady’s favorite place to be and he craved his next camping experience. “I would love to do it again at any time. If anyone wants to go camping right now I’d say ‘Let’s go!’”

The class’s next project was to learn lashing and knots. In India, construction crews create elaborate scaffolding using bamboo and rope

instead of steel. Ady unexpectedly found himself the class expert in lashing and knots. With his class, he helped create a structure that survived winter storms and high ocean winds for months.

Ady also helped found Landmark School’s new International Day initiative. Ady and his peers from other nations share their cultures during a week of enticing food, absorbing pre-sentations, and engaging conversation. Kanella Zaralides, the project’s lead teacher, calls Ady “enthusiastic and responsible. He loves to share his cultural riches with the group.”

Ady also sees Landmark as a time to change himself. “I work hard to get better outcomes and prove myself. I don’t think this time will ever come back. When I discovered my dyslexia I found out why I’m different, and now that I go to school with people like me, I have no reason not to try my best.”

With an open mind and positive outlook, Ady shows fellow students you can bridge oceans and become a Khale Badulna: a Game Changer.

In the woods by the ocean, students were diligently, silently, methodically, tying saplings to large blue tarps. Their goal: to create a classroom structure before winter comes. One student calls out in Hindi, “Maim kasa keērupa mem gamtha nice kasoē! (Tighten down the knot as I tighten!)” Slowly the tarp tightens like a drum and the structure rises to form the roof of their outdoor classroom, with exclamations of “Kamala!” (Awesome!)

˙ ˙˙

¯ ¯ ¯

¯

¯¯

Bridging Oceansby Tristan Whitehouse

NAMEAdy Tibrewal

HOMETOWNKolkata, India

CLASS OF2017

FAVORITE ACTIVITY AT LANDMARKOutdoor Leadership Program

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONAdy helped found Landmark’s new International Day initiative

*SPOTLIGHTstudent

CA

RL

GA

SO

WS

KI

¯



Living on the North Shore of Boston, Jen and Erich felt fortunate to have Landmark School close by and relieved when he was accepted for second grade. Trevor was very nervous leaving his brothers and going to a school he didn’t know and having to make new friends. The one-on-one tutorial and small class sizes immediately had an impact on Trevor’s learning. Thanks to the classes based on skill sets, Trevor has made friends with older and younger kids, supporting his confidence in the school community.

At first they hoped that Trevor would spend a few years at Landmark, then rejoin his three brothers at Brookwood, where Jen and Erich are actively involved. “But then, I realized” says Jen, “that this is Trevor’s school for as long as he needs to be here and every day is a rewarding day of learning for him and we need to be part of this community as well.” Now in his third year at Landmark, Trevor is reading and proud to be a Landmark student. He maintains friendships at both schools and is happy, social, and confident.

Although some days Trevor would like to be dropped off at his prior school, there are days that his brothers often ask to spend the day at Landmark! “Landmark has been a turning point for Trevor and our family” Erich confides, “And we want to support Landmark too”. Jen and Erich have become active and supportive members of the Landmark community.

Landmark School has been a game changer for Trevor and his family. And the Buddenhagens are making a difference at Landmark school.

By the time students arrive at Landmark School they often feel different-knowing that they can’t do what others can do in the classroom-but they often don’t understand why. This was true for Trevor Buddenhagen ’23 . As a twin, it was easy to compare himself to a close peer. Trevor was social, athletic, and seemingly keeping up in school, but soon Jen and Erich, Trevor’s parents, became aware that he was memorizing books instead of reading them. By first grade the teachers at Brookwood, his former school, knew Trevor needed to be tested for grade-appropriate skills. The testing revealed that he had severe learning disabilities and, although he was bright in some areas, he struggled to read, write, and comprehend.

GAME-CHANGER:(def.) a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way.by Lisa Robinson

*SPOTLIGHTdonors

Trevor and the Buddenhagen family.


Join us on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at the magnificent Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts for Landmark’s Making Waves Concert and Spring Celebration. Scheduled to coincide with our high school parents days, this community event is not to be missed.

Attendees will sit back and take in the breathtaking view of the Rockport Harbor while being entertained by Grammy Award Winning Singer/Songwriter Marc Cohn (Walking in Memphis and True Companion). The evening includes a live auction with some irresistible items hosted by local celebrity, Billy Costa.

Thank you to our generous Entertainment Sponsors: Don Law and Sara Molyneaux

MakingWavesSpringCelebrationandConcertWednesday, April 15Shalin Liu Performance CenterRockport, MA

◗5:30-7pm-OntheRocksCocktailReception(Tier One Orchestra Seat Holders and Sponsors)

◗7pm-ConcertandLiveAuction

❱❱ To learn more and to purchase tickets please visit us at landmarkschool.org/makingwaves. Or contact Katie Mullen at 978-236-3408, [email protected]

RO

BE

RT

BE

NS

ON

PH

OT

OG

RA

PH

Y


On one of the first days of first grade, my teacher told a girl named Maddie, who did not know which spelling of her name to use, to decide for the rest of her life. It was very startling for a kid like me who had just learned how to spell her 13 letter last name. One of the school’s successes consisted of sending me to physical therapy to keep a student with cerebral palsy company. They said it was to help me because I was so small. I stopped doing homework with parental approval. My parents are both teachers at Landmark I might add. They knew my skill levels were not the same as the homework. The school sent me to speech therapy with two hooligan boys who stopped me from working when I tried. Every day after I got off the bus, my teacher managed to get a jolly kid like me to cry. I sometimes wonder who I would have become without Landmark.

The summer after first grade, I went to Land-mark Summer School. I thought it was wasting my summer, and I wrote “not going” on my admission form. But summer school went great and I lived through spending part of summer in a classroom. By second grade I was attending Landmark during the academic year. I remember being quite nervous and very excited, as I hopped out of my mom’s car on the first day. Once the year got going, I fit in fine even if I was a character. I didn’t hesitate to do anything I wanted, whether it was wearing princess dresses, be-ing on student panels, or talking casually to some of the teachers who could keep middle schoolers in line. Since then, I have done cheerleading, community

service trips, one year of student council, basketball, cross-country, track, drama, and more.

Landmark has taught me to be my own “perfect” and not follow a set of predetermined standards. The teachers have helped me succeed and thrive.

My skill set at the start was good comprehension and vocabulary, but low reading, writing, and pronun-ciation. It almost felt like there were two worlds: “read-ing and writing” versus “my mind and understanding.” I could see reading and writing, but there was no bridge or boat, and it was much too far to swim. Now there is a good bridge just a few steps over.

Last year when I did poetry in tutorial, I came up with a “grand line”: “In the heart of all lies greatness, in the mind that truth is squandered.” In this case I think a line needs to be added: “Landmark can show the mind truth.” In many cases, including mine, Landmark teaches not just skills and knowledge but something even more, important: “We are not dumb; we are dyslexic.” We can and will do anything we set our minds to and we will do it even better together. Looking back and putting my thoughts in order, I realized something. The past is important to know, but not dwell on. The future is important to expect and be ready for, and now is important to be in and notice. Now is great, the future is looking good, and the past could be considered disappointing at times. Life at Landmark is wonderful and I am just going to live in it. I would definitely recommend it to all others with school lives like my school past. Landmark is as good as it gets for dyslexics like me and many others.

Hi, I’m Alice. For kindergarten and first grade, I went to public school. It did not go so well. Kindergarten went fine but first grade was a wreck. “This is school; you make it through a day, and… I’m done, goodbye till tomorrow.”

In the Nowby Alice Schwechheimer ’20

NAMEAlice Schwechheimer

HOMETOWNEssex, MA

CLASS OF2020

WHAT LANDMARK HAS TAUGHT METo be my own “perfect”

INITIAL HESITATIONI wrote “not going” on my Landmark admission form (see above)

*PENLIGHTin her own words

TO

M U

ND

ER

WO

OD



On day one, I always ask students to write down what they think yoga is, and the majority sum it up as “stretching.” That’s definitely part of it, but yoga is so much more. Yoga teaches Strength – and not just how to hold a plank for a long time. Yoga pushes students to their working edge, and offers the opportunity to surpass self-inflicted limitations, letting them know they are stronger than they thought. Yoga teaches Acceptance – In a world where self-worth is judged by the amount of likes received on social media, yoga teaches students to accept who they are. Yoga is about noticing how you are, physically and emotionally, moment to moment, and being OK with that. Yoga also reminds us that at every given moment, we are where we are meant to be, so we can let go of the “coulda shoulda wouldas.” Yoga teaches Patience – Oftentimes life is filled with actions, and immediate, unconscious reac-tions. Over time, yoga creates space in the mind and body to allow processing time before reacting. Even a simple exercise such as consciously pausing at the top of an inhale before consciously exhaling cultivates a window of time to reflect on what just happened, and how to proceed.

Yoga teaches Focus – It’s easy to get caught up with the whirlwind of life. There are plenty of things to look at and distract us. Practicing with dristi, a point of focus, students work to keep their eyes still, in order to calm the mind. When the mind starts to wander, which it will, notice that, and bring it back to the point of focus, even if that has to happen a hundred times in one minute. Yoga teaches Resilience – when times are tough, or the pose unsteady, you may get knocked down, or you may fall. Catch your breath, get back up, and do what you can. Yoga teaches Stillness – With technology, we have the option of being mentally stimulated throughout the day. It’s easy to be caught up in fight or flight at all times. Yoga offers the oppor-tunity to be still and grounded, so our bodies can relax, and our minds can recharge. Yoga teaches Awareness – Our bodies aren’t sym-metrical. One hip may be tighter than the other, one leg longer. Our moods change daily, hourly. We get caught up in habitual thought patterns. Awareness teaches students that they aren’t victims of uncon-trollable impulses. Being able to step back and watch offers a sense of power in the situation.Yoga teaches Flexibility – and yes…. we stretch.

It started as a couple of weekend trips to a local yoga studio. Students didn’t know what was happening, but they knew it felt good, and they wanted more of it. Knowing I am a certified yoga instructor, students asked if I could teach yoga at school. Now we are up to two classes a day, with almost 20 yogis, as well as periodic faculty popping in daily. Yoga as a game changer? I think these students would say so.

Living Your Yoga* by Erin Brewer

CLASSYoga

CAMPUSHigh School

NUMBER OF STUDENTS20 and growing

IMPACTAcceptance Focus Resilience

*STARLIGHTathletics

CA

RL

GA

SO

WS

KI

* Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Hanson Lasater



Returning coach Kevin Roberts welcomed first year cross country coach Tom O’Riordan to the staff this fall. Coach O’Riordan brought with him a few members of his spring track and field team (Sebastian Abate ’16, Alec Hurst ’17, and Pete O’Connor ’15) who joined returning members, including Kevin Richardson ’16 and David Stahr ’16 and new students Mark Jaklitsch ’16 and Alex Watty ’18.

In September, the boys won their first home meet ever, the first meet held on campus in nearly twenty years. The new course was made possible by the construction of Alumni Field which allows runners to access trails behind Endicott College and provides a terrific start and end point. The team spent the first weeks of the season not only running but also grooming the new course which gave us the ability to host two successful Eastern Independent League (EIL) races.

After sweeping all opponents in September, the boys faced off against perennial powerhouse and defending EIL champs, Concord Academy, in mid October at Great Brook State Park in Carlisle, MA. It was a warm day and a fast track, perfect conditions for the Landmark team to run to victory and into

league contention, as well as garner instant attention from everyone else in the EIL.

After reaching the end of the regular season with-out a loss, the team headed to Berwick Academy on November 1st to run against the entire league (during the year’s first Nor’easter) at the annual EIL Cham-pionships. In cold rain and windswept conditions, the Landmark boys pulled it off again, capturing their very first EIL Cross Country Championship!

The following week, the seven members of the Boys Varsity team competed in the Division 4 New England Championship at Hyde School, Maine. The team had truly jelled and their train-ing had reached peak level. Each member had a keen understanding of their role and they executed it flawlessly on the course. The Landmark boys dominated the New England Championship, beating the second place team by 40 points!

Truly a season of firsts...winning a first home meet on campus, winning the EIL, winning the New England Championship, running the table with an undefeated season, and to cap it all off coach Tom O’Riordan was named the EIL Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year!

It was a season of firsts this fall for the Boys Varsity Cross Country team. While there was reason for excitement and optimism heading into September, nobody would have predicted what was to unfold for this group of hard working student athletes and coaches. With each passing week, new milestones and personal records were reached and by season’s end the selfless teamwork and dedication to tough training paid off in a huge way. The team became the first ever New England championship team in Landmark history!

A Season of Firstsby Brook Sumner

COACHESKevin Roberts Tom O’Riordan

VARSITYSebastian Abate ’16 Alec Hurst ’17 Mark Jaklitsch ’16 Pete O’Connor ’15 Kevin Richardson ’16 David Stahr ’16 Alex Watty ’18

CIN

DY

SP

RE

ER

*STARLIGHTathletics



The time period from Prohibition through the 1950’s was told through a series of radio programs featuring animal noises, Adolph Hitler, and a game show hosted by Cole Bascome-Duong ’18 in which the only correct answer was “Whoopi Goldberg!” Finally, the audience was walked through the Cold War and the late 20th Century by Spade Diamond, a hard-boiled detective played by Nathan Hammond ’15, and Conspirator Guy, played by Maddie Wnorowski ’15. They encountered Richard Nixon (Liam Cassilly, ’15) and Ronald Reagan (Eliza Wildes, ’16), among others. Rounding out the cast were Haley Bounds ’17, wise-cracking game show co-host; Jackie Mahoney ’16, with a delightfully bad Vietnamese accent; Sam Karag ’17, a slightly bumbling George Washington; and Michael Ho-Kang-You ’16 and Gabe Dietz ’17, who bravely manned their foxhole

with water guns.The audience was invited to participate as

well, primarily by being squirted by water guns, being doused with confetti, and answering quiz show questions (hint: the answer is Whoopi Goldberg). The show could not have gone as smoothly as it did if it hadn’t been for our excellent backstage crew led by the unflappable Stage Manager Taylor (Alaska) Bagdon ’16. A particular challenge of this play was its very large number of props, kept organized by Props Mistress Susie Eustis ’17 and Assistant Props Master Sosh Meier ’17.

We are especially grateful to John Scopelites from Brock & Company and the kitchen staff for providing another excellent meal for our Friday performance. Some of our jokes may have been stomach-churning, but the food was not!

This fall the Landmark Stage Company put on The Complete History of America (Abridged), a tongue-in-cheek romp through a few hundred years of our country’s history. Jordan D’Abbraccio ’16 and Philip Popken ’17 played Sophia and Amerigo Vespucci and explained, with the help of an inflatable globe, how the Americas got their names. Brooke Williams ’15, with Bradley Ellis ’16 on beat-box, rapped about Colonial America. Charlie Healy ’17 and Jake Skiffington ’17 portrayed 19th century explorers Lewis and Clark as a comedy duo, backed up by their sound effects maven Becky Jacobs ’16 with the best/worst pun of the night.

History Will Never Be the Sameby Jeremy Melvin

*STARLIGHTperforming arts

ZA

CH

AR

Y W

EB

ST

ER

’17



2 3 r d A N N U A L LANDMARK SCHOOL GOLF BENEFITM O N DAY, J U N E 1 , 2 0 1 5

Join us at the magnificent Ipswich Country Club for our popular annual golf benefit. To learn more about sponsorships and how to reserve your spot please contact:Jeff Fauci, 978-236-3367, [email protected] or visit us at landmarkschool.org/events.

148 COUNTRY CLUB WAY IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS 01938www.clubcorp.com/Clubs/Ipswich-Country-Club

Make a Statement!Purchase a Pathway of Honor brick today, show your support, and become a permanent part of the fabric of Landmark School.

Each brick is engraved with your special message. Bricks will be placed in either the walkway in front of the Alexander Building at the high school or in the pathway adjacent to the Elementary•Middle School dining and meeting rooms.

◗ Thank a special teacher◗ Honor a student◗ Memorialize a loved one◗ Congratulate a graduate◗ Make a statement!

◗ Your personal message can include 15 characters per line, maximum of 3 lines of text/brick.

◗ Bricks are $100 and are a tax deductible contribution.

◗ Visit us online to order your brick at landmarkschool.org/brick

Questions? Please contact Matthew Murphy, High School Campus Coordinator, at 978-236-3456 or [email protected].


Homecoming and ReunionsThank you to the alumni and friends who returned to campus on Saturday, October 18 for Homecoming and Reunions. The weather was perfect for the fans who attended the Boy’s Varsity Soccer game against Waring on Alumni Field. Many alumni returned to play in the alumni vs. faculty soccer game too. Later that evening we ate, drank, and enjoyed live music overlooking the ocean behind Governor’s Landing and everyone toasted to the members of the reunion classes in attendance.

5th Annual 5K Road Race and Fun RunOur annual 5K Road Race and Fun Run is growing in attendance and popularity each year. This year over 200 runners and walkers ran the spectacular 3.1 mile course through Manchester, Beverly Farms, and Prides Crossing from the Elementary•Middle School campus to the Ansara Athletic Center at the high school. Our Early Childhood Program and Tot Spot students and faculty organized the Fun Run obstacle course for our youngest participants. Thank you to over 60 volunteers who helped make this event such a success!

*To learn more about upcoming Landmark School events visit us at landmarkschool.org/events.

*EVENTSwrap-up

RY

AN

DE

JOY

(3

)

48 The Lantern

Alumni Notes

“�Though�it�seems�forever�ago,�I�owe�a�lot�to�Landmark.�I�feel�its�influence�everyday�I�am�working�with�students.”

—Mark O’Maley, ’88

Stay�in�touch!�Please�email�us�and�let�us�know�what�you’ve�been�up�to.��Send�updates�and�pictures�to�[email protected]

facebook.com/landmarkschool landmarkschool The Landmark School Alumni@landmarkschool

Thomas Cianci ’74Things�are�great.�I�have�many�fond�memories�of�Landmark�School.�I�have�received�the�Vince�Lombardi�Volunteer�Service�Award�while�working�with�at�risk�youth.�I�don’t�volunteer�any�longer,�but�a�lot�of�my�inspiration�was�born�out�of�the�specialized�setting�afforded�to�Landmark�students�that�I�so�desperately�needed.�I�utilize�a�lot�of�those�teachings�in�daily�life,�as�well.�I�hope�this�note�finds�you�all�in�good�health.�

Dana McCarriston ’76 I�remember�the�Marcel�Marceau�Live�Jesus�Christ�Superstar�full�performance,�catching�frogs�at�the�pond,�riding�Peter�Underwood’s�Moto�Guzzi,�and�best�of�all,�sailing�on�the�When and If. I�attended�Curry�College�and�received�a�Bachelor�of�Arts.��I�have�been�a�field�service�technician�for�the�NStar�electric�company�for�the�last�28�years.

Bonnie Wagner ’77Thanks�to�Landmark,�I�learned�how�to�ask�for�accommodations.�I�used�these�accommodations�in�college�and�graduated�magna�cum�laude�and�passed�my�R.N.�nursing�boards�the�first�time.�I�graduated�from�Oklahoma�Baptist�University�in�1981�with�a�B.S.�in�nursing.�OBU�has�small�nursing�classes�and�a�small�college�campus.�

I�am�a�rehabilitation�nurse�and�advise�clients�and�friends�how�to�make�simple�modifications�to�their�homes�to�make�life�easier�for�all.�Where�I�live�in�Indiana,�there�are�no�schools�like�Landmark.�Since�I�am�third�generation�in�my�family�with�dyslexia,�I�got�trained�in�several�programs�to�help�my�future�children.�I�had�the�4th�generation�and�managed�their�education�

successfully!�My�oldest�spent�a�summer�at�Landmark�and�is�a�Junior�at�Massachusetts�Maritime�Academy.

David Barden ’78 I�attended�UMASS�Lowell�where�I�studied�Waste�Water�Engineering.�I�recall�being�dragged�around�in�my�sleeping�bag�by�other�students�because�I�slept�so�soundly�in�the�North�Campus�dorm.�I�also�remember�sneaking�food�from�the�kitchen.�

Linda Doucette ’79 I�enjoyed�when�we�would�sign�up�for�mini�camps�and�go�away�for�three�or�four�days�with�friends.�After�Landmark,�I�graduated�from�Endicott�College.

Stephanie Saks ’85 I’m�a�mentor�to�a�music�therapist�who�wanted�to�learn�what�it�was�like�to�be�an�adult�with�autism�and�LD�as�she�works�mostly�with�kids.�I�am�proud�of�the�art�I�am�making�for�holiday�gifts.

Steve Tatelman ’85 I’m�living�in�Georgetown,�MA�with�my�wife�and�22�month�old�daughter.�I’ve�been�working�at�McLean�Hospital�as�a�Mental�Health�Specialist�for�13�years.��I�just�want�to�share�a�“thank�you”�to�all�the�staff�who�made�a�difference�in�my�life.

Amy Beth Auerbach ’86 I�have�lived�in�Reno,�Nevada�since�1994.�Moved�to�Nevada�from�San�Francisco,�California.�I’m�a�divorced�mom�of�a�special�needs�child,�now�18�years�old.��Four�years�ago�I�started�a�business�to�help�people�with�disabilities/health�conditions�find�services�in�Northern�Nevada�areas.�The�business�is�

Alumni Notes



Stay�in�touch!�Please�email�us�and�let�us�know�what�you’ve�been�up�to.��Send�updates�and�pictures�to�[email protected]

Amy Beth Auerbach ’86

FALL�2014/WINTER�2015

Dan DeHoff ’93I’m�hoping�to�make�it�back�to�Landmark�in�the�next�couple�of�years�for�an�alumni�reunion.�I�currently�live�in�Akron-Canton,�Ohio�and�I’m�President�of�DeHoff�Development�Company,�a�real�estate�development�company.�Since�leaving�Landmark,�I�went�onto�Pennington�School,�then�Wittenberg�University�and�Johns�Hopkins�for�a�Master’s�Degree.�I�am�married�to�an�R.N.�and�have�two�sons�and�a�third�child�due�in�January.�My�favorite�memory�would�be�the�confidence�course�or�late�night�bike�riding�with�Miles.�Unfortunately,�Miles�passed�away�about�10�years�ago.

Jason McNutt ’93At�this�time�I�am�living�in�Reading,�Massachusetts.�I�got�married�one�month�ago�and�I�work�at�Massachusetts�General�Hospital�in�Boston�running�a�loading�dock.�I�have�been�there�for�17�years�now.�I�also�teach�martial�arts�to�kids�in�East�Boston�at�the�Paris�Street�Gym�two�nights�a�week.�I�have�been�teaching�kids�martial�arts�for�16�years.�Additionally,�I�own�some�income�properties�in�East�Boston�and�my�future�plans�include�fixing�up�my�new�home�and�others.�

Ian Moreau ’93 Favorite�memories�at�Landmark�include�the�perfect�storm�in�1991,�my�marine�biology�summer�program�in�1992,�and�my�wonderful�roommate�the�late�Chris�Hallowell.�After�Landmark,�I�graduated�from�Westfield�State�University�in�1997�with�a�BS�in�Criminal�Justice�and�a�BA�in�Social�Work.��I�finished�seventh�in�my�graduating�class�with�a�dual�major�graduating�magna�cum�laude�3.85�GPA.�Then�I�spent�five�years�in�Kansas�City�as�a�territory�manager�and�account�executive�for�The�Stanley�Works�“Stanley�Tools”.�Later,�I�moved�back�to�New�England�and�settled�in�western�Massachusetts�in�2003�before�getting�married�to�my�wife�Emily.�We�have�two�beautiful�children.�My�son�Brady�is�eight�and�entering�third�grade�and�my�daughter�Isabel�is�five�and�beginning�kindergarten�in�the�fall.�I�am�currently�employed�by�Acme�United�Corporation�where�I�am�the�Vice�President�of�Sales.

Ryan Jarvis ’94 “I�am�a�sharecropper�and�doing�well.”

The Lantern 49

Katie Pitasi-Clark, ’02

in�its�early�stages�of�applying�for�non-profit�status.�The�website�is�www.nnvdaccess.com.�Feel�free�to�email�me�at�[email protected]�or�connect�with�me�on�Facebook.�

Brian Bazinet ’89I�remember�sailing�on�the�When and If.�It�was�a�great�experience.�Later�I�attended�Unity�College�and�majored�in�Aquamarine�Biology.�Now�I�enjoy�playing�softball�with�my�ten-year-old�daughter.

Leah Tishcoff Amir ‘90Leah�attended�Landmark�Summer�Program�1989�and�1990.�Leah�now�lives�in�Brooklyn,�NY�and�teaches�elementary�school�with�the�New�York�City�Department�of�Education.�She�received�her�Bachelor’s�degree�from�the�University�of�Hartford�in�1995�and�her�Master’s�in�Special�Education�in�1997.�Leah�believes�Landmark�School�changed�her�life�both�educationally�and�socially�and�returned�this�summer�to�visit�with�her�family;�husband�David�and�children�Zachary�and�Natalie.

Michael Pelsnor ’90 I�hold�an�associate�of�Applied�Science�Building�Inspection�and�Code�Enforcement�Technology�from�St.�Louis�Community�College�in�Missouri,�a�Bachelor�of�Science�in�Occupational�Safety�Studies�from�Keene�State�College�in�New�Hampshire,�an�Associate�of�Applied�Science�Fire�Protection�from�Laconia�Technical�College�and�a�State�of�Missouri�Certified�Fire�Inspector,�NFPA�Certified�Fire�Inspector�I,�ICC�Certified�Fire�Inspector�I.

David Breen ’92 “Back�at�Landmark�I�battled�a�lot�based�on�my�previous�educational�environment.�These�days�the�only�thing�I�am�battling�is�time�management.�I�am�busier�than�ever�working�as�a�performance�art�coach�for�elementary�age�kids�as�well�as�running�a�theatrical�production�company�called�The King Serpent.�I�started�the�company�four�years�ago�as�a�one-man�pirate�show�and�now�it�has�expanded�into�a�full�theatrical�troupe.�While�the�key�shows�are�pirate�shows,�my�troupe�members�and�I�are�working�to�expand�our�themes�for�additional�shows.�We�enjoyed�performing�this�year�at�The�Topsfield�Fair,�The�Hannah�for�Mahi�Mahi�Cruises�in�Salem,�Steampunk�Springfield,�and�The�Chelmsford�Farmers�Market.�The�Troupe�also�headlines�a�monthly�fundraising�variety�show�for�The�Danvers�Historical�Society.

“�Back�at�Landmark�I�battled�a�lot�based�on�my�previous�educational�environment.�These�days�the�only�thing�I�am�battling�is�time�management.”

—David Breen, ’92

Jason McNutt, ’93

Leah Tishcoff Amir ’90 and Family


George Sweeney ’94 I�enjoyed�meeting�life-long�friends�and�experiencing�cultures�from�around�the�world�at�Landmark.�Recently,�I�completed�an�IGT�program�and�have�earned�two�certificates.�Currently,�I�am�in�the�process�of�switching�careers.

Dave Roberts ’98I’m�currently�living�and�working�in�Seattle�as�the�Director�of�Marketing�for�Pinchot�University.�As�far�as�a�favorite�memory,�there�are�too�many�to�write.

Ashley Wood ’98My�husband�and�I�live�in�East�Boston�and�have�been�in�the�Boston�area�for�about�4�1/2�years.�I�work�as�a�Test�Cook�for�Cook’s�Country�magazine�at�America’s�Test�Kitchen�and�absolutely�love�it.�I�have�been�there�for�about�3�1/2�years.�My�husband�Jonathan�works�as�a�Graphic�Designer�for�my�brother-in�law�Anthony�Lopardo’s�company�called�Fusion--a�promotional�product�company.�I�hope�all�is�well�with�everyone!

Brittany Blando ’99I�attended�Landmark�in�middle�school�and�for�my�first�year�of�high�school.�With�a�passion�for�photography,�I�attended�The�School�of�Art�and�Design�at�Lesley�University�in�Cambridge,�achieving�a�Bachelor�of�Fine�Arts,�which�led�to�my�opening��BKB�Photo�&�Co.�(located�in�Boston)�which�focuses�on�wedding�photography.�

I�have�captured�hundreds�of�weddings�throughout�the�Boston�area,�and�all�across�New�England,�the�US,�and�the�Caribbean.�My�strong�reputation�has�even�allowed�me�to�capture�celebrity�weddings�including�professional�hockey�player�Scott�Clemmensen,�Former�Miss�Massachusetts�Amanda�Kelly,�and�musician�Eric�Welsh�of�The�Pixies.�My�work�has�been�published�in�Boston�Magazine’s�“Best�of�Boston”,�Brides�Magazine,�and�popular�online�wedding�resource�Style�Me�Pretty.�In�the�fall�of�2014,�I�was�named�one�of�the�top�20�wedding�photographers�in�Boston.�Most�recently,�I�was�called�upon�to�exclusively�photograph�Daymond�John�of�ABC’s�Shark�Tank�and�Dave�Martin�of�Bravo’s�Top�Chef.

�I�credit�my�Landmark�education,�the�teachers,�and�most�importantly,�my�parents�Dr.�and�Mrs.�Paul�Blando,�for�contributing�to�my�success�as�a�student�at�Landmark.�I�live�in�Charlestown,�Massachusetts�with�my�husband�Collins�Farhat�and�our�adorable�Boston�Terrier,�Ollie.

��To�view�Brittany’s�work�please�visit��www.bkbphoto.com�

Moustafa Khalil ’99After�graduating�from�Landmark�in�1999,�I�completed�my�BA�at�Curry�College.�Following�college,�I�took�a�job�in�the�hospitality�field�at�the�Four�Seasons�Hotel�for�five�years.�I�did�my�Master’s�Degree�at�Schiller�International�University�in�Hospitality�and�Tourism�and�started�working�for�Fairmont�Hotels�&�Resorts�International�in�Cairo�before�being�transferred�to�Bangkok�with�Swissotel.�Without�a�doubt,�modern�technology�made�keeping�in�touch�easier�than�when�I�was�back�in�school�in�1996.�I�remember�when�we�only�had�a�calling�card,�the�chat�rooms�on�the�internet,�letters,�postcards,�and�faxes.�I�keep�in�touch�through�Facebook�with�James�Folkman,�Charles�Surney,�and�a�few�teachers.�Landmark�has�too�many�memories�for�me,�whether�it�would�be�the�weekends,�trying�to�escape�the�dorm�jobs...just�too�many�to�mention.

Christy Acosta ’01 I�am�still�living�in�Winter�Haven,�Florida�with�my�husband�and�our�21-�month�old�son�Roman.�We�just�bought�our�first�home�and�are�hoping�to�be�moving�in�the�first�week�of�December�so�we�can�have�Christmas�at�our�new�house�this�year.�I�am�still�working�as�an�Occupational�Therapy�Assistant.�I�work�with�kids�with�disabilities�and�it’s�the�most�rewarding�job!

Badr Enany ’02 I�was�given�a�chance�at�Landmark�by�attending�the�summer�program,�then�was�accepted�as�a�full-time�student�in�the�fall.��I�was�proud�of�myself,�and�Landmark�was�proud�of�me.�I�received�a�Bachelor�of�Arts�in�Business�Administration�at�Suffolk�University,�and�a�Master’s�at�Boston�University�in�Multi-National�Commerce.�After�I�graduated�from�Landmark,�I�returned�back�home�to�Saudi�Arabia,�worked�at�the�National�Commercial�Bank�for�three�years�as�a�Risk�Analyst,�before�moving�back�to�Boston.�Shortly�after,�I�returned�to�Saudi�Arabia�and�was�hired�as�a�regional�manager�in�an�international�investment�company�where�I�currently�work.�I�am�working�hard�and�achieving�my�goals�to�be�successful.�Thank�you�to�my�family�for�their�support.�

50 The Lantern




Alumni Notes

Tyler Payne ’02My�most�memorable�Landmark�event�is�actually�a�memory�I�still�think�about.�I�remember�when�I�graduated�from�Landmark�and�I�shaved�my�face�and�wore�fake�glasses�to�graduation.�My�parents�and�friends�were�surprised�by�my�new�appearance.�This�was�the�beginning�to�my�new�life.�I�attended�Lynn�University�and�later�graduated�from�Florida�Gulf�Coast�University.�I�have�a�Bachelor’s�degree�in�Liberal�Arts.�I�am�also�a�licensed�Pharmacy�Technician�and�have�my�certification�too.�Currently,�I�am�at�South�Western�State�College�for�a�nursing�license.��I�married�my�first�girlfriend�(Nataly�Acevedo).�She�was�the�strongest�woman�I�ever�met�as�we�stayed�together�for�six�years.�She�taught�me�Spanish�and�a�depth�of�love�for�another�person.�I�have�also�travelled�to�her�country�Colombia,�Brazil,�Mexico,�Panama,�and�Peru�is�next.

Laura OwensMy�husband�Tom�and�I�had�a�baby�boy�July�20th.��His�name�is�Jefferson�Hynson�Owens.

Nia Maya James ’04Baby�boy�born�in�August!

Mallory O’Connell ’04 I�married�Matthew�Wrzesniewsky�on�August�10,�2014�at�Viansa�Winery�in�Sonoma,�California.�We�currently�reside�in�New�York,�New�York.�I�work�in�New�York�City�at�the�real�estate�agency�Douglas�Elliman.��At�our�wedding,�five�Landmark�alumni�attended!

Zach Hardy ’05 I�have�been�working�at�Landmark�

The Lantern 51

School�for�the�past�eight�years�in�many�different�capacities.�Presently�I�am�a�member�of�the�custodial�department�and�proud�winner�of�the�Silver�Bullet�Award�this�past�October.�I�enjoy�sports,�family,�and�friends.

Savannah King ’05 There�are�many�memorable�events�from�Landmark,�but�my�personal�favorite�would�be�the�Girl’s�Lacrosse�Conference�every�spring.�I�attended�The�Center�for�Digital�Imaging�Arts�at�Boston�University.��

Vivienne Lowe ’05I�graduated�in�2005�before�attending�Fisher�Collage�where�I�studied�fashion�design.�Then�I�finished�up�at�Lasell�College.�I�received�a�top�award�for�my�design,�which�was�presented�during�a�final�fashion�show�my�senior�year.�After�college�I�had�a�couple�of�jobs�in�the�fashion�business,�one�at�Bennett�and�Company�and�then�at�an�alterations�business.�At�the�same�time�I�was�also�working�on�my�own�clothing�line.�As�of�2014,�I�have�merged�with�a�jewelry�designer�and�have�created�the�company�Tien�2.�Tien�2�is�located�in�Beverly�at�the�corner�of�Lothrop�St.�and�Stone�St.�Anyone�who�is�in�the�area�please�stop�in.�Hours�can�be�found�on�our�website�tien2.com.

Timothy Nucci ’05 I�work�at�Beth�Israel�Deaconess�Medical�Center�in�Boston.�I�remember�playing�Xbox�(Halo)�with�almost�everyone�in�the�dorm�including�dorm�parents.�I�attended�North�Shore�Community�College�as�a�Respiratory�Therapist.

Jeremy Stone ‘05 Renato�Babuscia�and�Patrizia�Donati�of�Brescia,�Italy,�are�pleased�to�announce�the�engagement�of�their�daughter�Alessandra�Babuscia�to�Jeremy�Stone,�son�of�Paul�and�Bridget�Stone�of�Manchester-by-the-Sea�and�grandson�of�Shirley�Stone�of�Danvers.

Jeff Gladney ’06 Jeff�is�working�hard,�back�in�school,�and�doing�well.

Annabelle Hichens ’06 There�are�too�many�funny�Landmark�memories�to�count.�After�Landmark�I�went�to�school�to�study�to�be�a�dental�assistant/medical�billing�and�coding�specialist.�In�2012�I�got�married�and�had�a�baby�girl�named�Aubrey,�which�changed�my�whole�world!!��I�am�very,�very�happy!

Vivienne Lowe ’05

Laura Owens ’03 new baby

Bobby Sarno, Joey Argenziano, Zach Hardy ’05

Mallory O’Connell 04 Tara Smyth ’05, Mallory O’Connell ’04, Maysie Palmer ’05, Mary Ogorzaly ’05, Dillon Okner ’04


childhood�education)�and�I�have�started�to�teach�privately�which�has�been�so�fun.��I�also�manage�a�yoga�studio�which�is�always�a�good�time!

Elizabeth Pineo ’07 Favorite�Landmark�School�memories�include�dorm�wars,�hanging�out�with�friends�in�the�dorm,�and�the�wonderful�relationships�I�made.�I�attended�the�Certified�Nursing�Assistant�course�through�the�Red�Cross.��

Matt Cohen ’08I’ve�been�working�with�Octagon�Sport�Marketing�for�the�last�year�and�a�half.�I�started�working�on�the�BMW�account�and�then�moved�to�MasterCard�and�now�work�with�Sony�and�their�Action�Cam�(Sony’s�competitor�to�GoPro.)�It’s�been�so�much�fun�working�on�this�account�and�I�have�learned�so�much.�I�have�my�hands�on�all�aspects�of�the�account;�from�athlete�management�to�sponsorship�negotiations�to�event�activations�and�social�media.�We�are�working�mainly�in�the�action�sport�disciplines�(skiing,�snowboarding,�mountain�biking,�motocross,�etc.)�and�how�can�anyone�complain�when�they�are�traveling�to�a�motocross�race�in�Seattle�one�weekend�and�then�the�next�I’m�skiing�in�Whistler�Blackcomb�helping�out�on�a�photo�shoot�with�one�of�the�Olympic�snowboarders�we�sponsor?��When�I�started�with�Octagon�I�was�based�in�the�Norwalk,�CT�office,�but�back�in�July�they�moved�the�Sony�account�to�the�Chicago�office�so�I�moved�with�it.�Ever�since�I�got�here�I�have�loved�living�in�Chicago�even�though�I�haven’t�spent�a�ton�of�time�exploring�because�I�have�been�traveling�two�or�three�weekends�every�month�for�work.

Matthew Gibeson ’08 At�Landmark�I�had�some�of�the�best�times�of�my�life�rehearsing�for�plays�and�musicals.�After�high�school,�I�graduated�from�Chapman�University�and�now�I�am�currently�looking�for�work�and�living�back�in�my�home�town�of�Washington,�DC.��

Robert Pauline ’08I�enjoyed�joining�the�bike�and�ski�club�at�Landmark.�I�went�to�trade�school�after�high�school�to�learn�how�to�fabricate�and�install�HVAC�systems.��I�work�with�green�technology�installing�geothermal�heat�pumps.�

David Reyer ’08 After�Landmark�I�attended�the�Community�College�of�Morris�International�Center�for�Photography,�

Meryl Papaz ’06 Meryl�Papaz�visited�Landmark�School�this�fall�and�is�doing�fabulously.�She�is�working�in�the�financial�aid�office�at�Assumption�College�and�loves�it.�She�continues�to�live�at�home�as�she�saves�money�for�her�first�place.�Her�family�is�amazed�at�the�changes�on�Landmark’s�campus.

Danielle Shamlian ’06 I�graduated�from�Boston�University�Center�for�Digital�Imaging�Arts�and�working�as�freelance�photographer.��

Andrea Gingras ’07I�am�currently�working�at�University�of�New�England�in�Biddeford,�Maine�as�the�head�baker.�I�received�my�Bachelor’s�in�baking�and�pastry�arts�from�Johnson�and�Wales�University.

Jonathan S. Guarneri ’07 �I�am�currently�living�in�Lincoln,�Nebraska.�I�moved�here�two�months�ago�from�New�Hampshire�for�a�job�I�received�with�Exmark�Manufacturing�in�Beatrice,�Nebraska.�I�still�keep�in�touch�with�Adam�Hickey,�Robb�Genetelli,�Pete�O’Neill,�Joe�Dion,�Tom�Ashley,�Kyle�Streep,�Ben�Gove,�and�Raul�Lorenzo.�My�favorite�memories�from�Landmark�are�the�night�Mrs.�Dumond�cooked�jambalaya�for�us�Buchan�boys�and�just�hanging�out�in�Buchan�with�all�of�my�dorm-mates�after�free�time�on�campus.��I�would�also�like�to�add�that�I�am�currently�where�I�am�today�because�of�Landmark�School.�Landmark�taught�me�the�necessary�skills�(both�educational�and�life)�to�successfully�graduate�summa�cum�laude�from�Lynn�University,�and�retain�my�current�job.�I�often�think�back�to�all�the�good�times�I�had�with�my�friends�at�Landmark.�The�Buchan�Boys�were�a�tight�bunch,�and�I�am�still�in�contact�with�many�of�them�to�this�very�day.�Finally,�I�would�just�like�to�say�that�I�honestly�believe�the�Landmark�faculty�are�nothing�short�of�AMAZING.�I�could�give�you�the�names�of�countless�faculty�members�who�had�a�profound�and�life-long�impact�on�my�life.

Anna Lewis ‘07Everything�is�great�with�me!�I�just�graduated�with�my�master’s�degree�for�teaching�violin�in�young�

52 The Lantern

Anna Lewis ’07

“�I�am�currently�where�I�am�at�today�because�of�Landmark�School.�Landmark�taught�me�the�necessary�skills�(both�educational�and�life)�to�successfully�graduate�summa�cum�laude”

—Jonathan S. Guarneri, ’07


Alumni Notes

The Lantern 53

NYC.�I’m�currently�working�for�LifeTouch�as�a�photographer�in�New�York.��I�am�really�enjoying�my�time�as�a�photographer�and�I�remember�how�much�I�enjoyed�my�first�photography�class�at�Landmark.

Jacob Agger ’09I�am�attending�Northeastern�University�College�of�Engineering.�At�Landmark�I�remember�the�scavenger�hunts�and�a�crazy�bus�incident.�

Caroline Cohen ’09I�live�at�an�Eco�village�and�international�community�in�western�Massachusetts.��I�am�starting�a�non-profit�organization�called�Next�GEN,�connecting�young�people�in�Eco�villages�around�the�country.

Stephen Darby ’09I�am�living�and�working�in�Los�Angeles�in�commercial�film�production.�

Gabriela Herskowitz ’09�I�received�a�Bachelor�of�Science�and�Master’s�in�Business�Administration�from�Lynn�University�in�Boca�Raton,�FL�in�May�2013�and�August�2014�respectively,�right�on�time!�In�addition�to�the�general�undergraduate�liberal�arts�requirements�of�the�college,�my�curriculum�has�included�coursework�in�macro-�and�microeconomics,�organizational�management,�marketing,�accounting,�competitive�strategy,�and�business�ethics,�as�well�as�legal�aspects�of�international�trade�and�finance�with�sensitivity�to�the�social�and�cultural�influences�experienced�by�multinational�corporations.�Within�the�M.B.A.�program�I�earned�my�degree�with�a�double�concentration�in�Financial�Valuation�and�Investment�Management�and�Marketing.�After�taking�a�couple�of�weeks�to�rest�up,�now�the�fun�begins.�I�am�hoping�to�find�a�position�and�mentoring�opportunity�to�allow�me�to�apply�these�aspects�of�my�education�in�international�business,�financial�valuation,�and�management�and�marketing.��Catherine Hughes ’09I�graduated�from�Coker�College�and�am�now�working�for�the�Early�Autism�Project�in�South�Carolina.

Marissa Meads ’09 I�graduated�from�Massachusetts�College�of�Art�and�Design�in�2013�with�a�Bachelors�of�Fine�Arts�with�concentration�in�architecture.�Currently,�I�am�working�at�an�architectural�firm�in�Boston.”�

James Montanari ’09�James�attended�Colby-Sawyer�College.

Elizabeth Brown ’10There�are�so�many�fun�memories!�I�remember�the�north�shore�scavenger�hunt�that�got�written�up�in�the�paper,�Mr.�G�jumping�out�from�behind�Tot�Spot�and�scaring�the�daylights�out�of�me,�and�lunch�conversations�with�Mr.�G.�I�am�attending�Randolph�College�where�I�am�majoring�in�Psychology�and�minoring�in�Dance.�I�plan�to�apply�to�Simmons�College�to�get�my�Master’s�in�Special�Education�and�hopefully�return�to�Landmark�as�a�teacher.

Gary Crane ’11I�returned�to�Landmark�School�this�past�September�to�visit�a�few�teachers.�While�there�I�saw�Mr.�G,�Mr.�Fauci,�and�Ms.�Worden.�After�graduating�from�Landmark�in�2011,�I�played�lacrosse�for�Dean�College�and�Daniel�Webster�College.�I�am�presently�working�at�Precision�Time�on�the�South�Shore�and�living�in�Braintree,�MA.

Jessica DiGiovanni ’11 My�funniest�memories�have�to�be�the�week�of�our�graduation,�walking�in�late�of�course,�and�the�senior�trip.�That�was�one�of�the�greatest�experiences�I�have�come�to�love.�Those�are�days�I�will�never�forget.�Currently�I�am�attending�Adelphi�University,�class�of�2015.�I�am�looking�forward�to�a�possible�career�in�the�psychology�field.

Christian Donato ’11 I�remember�receiving�letters�of�recommendation�from�my�teachers�so�I�could�get�into�colleges�I�was�applying�to.��All�three�of�the�letters�were�very�sincere�and�made�my�mom�cry.��I�never�realized�the�positive�impact�I�had�on�my�teachers�until�I�read�those�letters.�I�attended�Quinnipiac�University�for�one�year�as�a�communications�major.��I�transferred�to�Massachusetts�College�of�Art�and�Design�and�I�am�currently�pursuing�a�degree�in�Architecture.�For�the�past�two�months,�I�have�been�taking�a�graduate�class�as�an�undergraduate.�It�is�an�architecture�class�and�our�task�is�to�work�together�to�design�and�build�a�1200�square�foot�performance�arena�with�a�400�square�foot�green�room.

Shannen Ellis ’11 I�remember�always�knowing�I�could�depend�on�Mrs.�“Mac”�and�Mr.�Kain�for�anything.�I�appreciated�that�they�would�be�there�to�listen�to�me�and�not�

“�I�am�starting�a�non-profit�called�Next�GEN,�connecting�young�people�in�Eco�villages�around�the�country.”

—Caroline Cohen, ’09


54 The Lantern

judge�me.�They�would�encourage�me�and�give�my�self-esteem�a�huge�boost�when�I�needed�it.�Later,�I�attended�North�Shore�Community�College.�I�went�from�going�to�college�one�year�to�becoming�a�Vet�Technologist,�a�four-year�course,�and�I�am�now�working�at�Revere�Pet�Clinic�as�a�Vet�Tech.�Anyone�who�knows�me�knows�my�love�for�animals.��I�planned�to�work�in�this�field�since�I�was�very�young.�Everything�is�falling�into�place.�I�should�be�fully�certified�within�the�next�4-6�months.”�Harry Day ’12Harry�returned�to�Landmark�with�Marc�Pugliese�this�fall�to�visit.�He�is�presently�at�the�University�of�California�at�Santa�Cruz�studying�film.�Harry�was�in�the�New�York�city�area�photographing�a�protest�of�a�pharmaceutical�company.�While�on�the�east�coast,�Harry�visited�Landmark�and�caught�up�with�some�old�friends.

Derek Dexter ’12I�attended�the�Rochester�Institute�of�Technology�and�Northern�Essex�Community�College.

Samuel Dik ’12 I�attended�American�University.

Larissa Doucette ’12 I�am�attending�Bridgewater�State�University�majoring�in�psychology.

Dylan Mays ’12I�attended�Landmark�School�from�2010-2012.��I�am�presently�attending�Merrimack�College�and�studying�Mechanical�Engineering.�When�I�am�not�in�the�classroom�I�enjoy�motocross,�biking,�sailing,�and�diving.�I�am�still�close�with�many�friends�at�Landmark.�

Christopher Myers ’12 My�fondest�memory�was�the�trip�to�Los�Angeles�with�the�Landmark�Chorus�and�Mr.�Fish.�I�am�attending�Adelphi�University�Honors�College.�I�made�the�Dean’s�List�both�semesters�as�a�B.F.A.�acting�major.��I�had�the�opportunity�to�act�in�a�play,�“The�Basset�Table”�directed�by�a�New�York�City�director.

Joseph Occhipinti ’12 �I�loved�the�chorus�trips�to�New�York�city�and�California.�At�present�I�am�attending�New�England�Institute�of�Art.

Julia Stavins ’12I�am�a�junior�at�Curry�College,�majoring�in�Communications�with�a�concentration�in�Public�Relations�and�a�minor�in�Mathematics.�I�live�on�campus�at�Curry�College,�but�my�permanent�address�is�still�in�Newton,�MA.�I�have�a�part-time�job�on�campus�in�the�Student�Center.�My�favorite�Landmark�memory�was�my�chorus�trip�in�my�junior�year.�Mr.�Fish�took�us�to�Los�Angeles�to�perform�at�schools�and�Disneyland.�It�was�one�of�the�best�times�at�Landmark.�Another�great�memory�was�our�senior�trip�to�Disney�World.�I�will�never�forget�that�amazing�experience.

Teddy Lyman ‘13I�attended�Landmark�School�in�the�3rd-5th�grades.�Currently�I�am�attending�Bowdoin�College�studying�physics,�environmental�studies,�and�education.��For�the�past�three�years�I�have�worked�at�the�Elementary•Middle�School�summer�program�with�Scott�Harlan�in�the�Adventure�Ropes�program.�This�summer�I�spent�in�India�in�the�Himalayas�at�an�International�school�teaching�English�and�rock�climbing.

Taylor Norris ’14 Taylor’s�mother�writes,�“He�is�doing�awesome!!��He�loves�everything�about�the�University�of�Arizona.�It�is�more�than�the�perfect�fit�for�him.��He�is�using�all�the�services�they�offer�and�even�got�a�job�with�Saferide�where�he�will�be�driving�around�faculty�and�students�in�a�golf�cart�and�sometimes�a�van.��He�gets�along�great�with�his�roommate�and�suitemates�and�doesn’t�miss�home�at�all.�When�I�was�in�my�hotel�getting�ready�to�come�home�he�sent�me�a��text�thanking�me�for�putting�him�in�this�position.��I�can’t�thank�Landmark�enough�to�have�helped�Taylor�become�the�man�he�is�today.�We�will��forever�be�grateful.�I�see�the�Landmark�bus�sometimes�near�home�and�I�get�teary-eyed.��Thanks�for�all�you’ve�done.”�

Marc Pugliese ’12 and Harry Day ’12

Dylan Mays ’02 and his dad


Alumni Notes


At a faculty milkbreak in honor of Matt, many colleagues shared their remembrances. Here are a few of the thoughts offered by Scott Harlan which captured the mood of many:

“Matt has been many things to many people here: a leader and an advisor, a teacher, a mentor, our beloved colleague, my devoted baseball companion and trusted friend, and in all, a cornerstone.

When I saw Matt between classes, at lunch, or after school, I’d love pitching Matt questions, sometimes you know Big Questions, and he’d quip, “Don’t get me started!” but, you could see him warming to the challenge, ready to dive in…and sure enough, 10 minutes later, an hour later, or whatever time we had, we’d come up for air, laughing, that once again, we had gotten lost in such good conversation…in all these interactions, Matt was forever patient and accommodating - yes, he could play “the loveable cynic,” but hope was never far away, as Matt’s can-do spirit reflected an unwavering confidence that things would turn out ok and no matter how bad things were - let’s say between this year’s Republicans and Democrats - he had seen it all before and, rest assured, it was probably worse back then too.

To know Matt was to know that he thoroughly enjoyed being with others. He formed so many

relationships over the years in his various roles at Landmark. Matt liked to have fun, seeking ways to stir it up. In fact, I think, Matt was his most serious when he was poking fun, matching wits, and making mischief with others. When he was in the room, the atmosphere often became charged, with his curmudgeonly insights, but always graced with his discernment and empathy, and marked by his ever-ready and robust laugh. continued

MatthewRutter1953-2014,LandmarkFaculty1973to2014Tutor,Teacher,PublicSchoolLiaison,CaseManager,AdmissionDirector,Co-Headmaster,Fundraiser,DepartmentHead—Friendand“TrueLandmarkOriginal”

*INMEMORIAM

56TheLantern FALL 2014/WINTER 2015

It’s through these types of lasting relationships, I believe, that Matt helped make Landmark fertile ground, anchoring deep roots of community here. His devotion and steadfastness were a kind of bedrock which played an important role in shaping Landmark as the transforming place it has become.

Matt made you feel like he was your biggest ally, your biggest supporter. Like so many of us, I experienced Matt’s thoughtful attention firsthand – how he could lavish his attention on you in ways that made you feel valued for what made you unique. Matt had a way of finding these things out and prizing them; he had an uncanny way of letting you know that he believed in you.

Matt was a true, Landmark Original – someone who loved our community – staff, faculty, students, alumni – and served it with remarkable wisdom and refreshing wit.

-Scott Harlan, September, 2014

Almost eleven years before Matt Rutter’s

untimely death, he was involved in a serious

automobile collision on his way to the

Elementary•Middle School (EMS) Parents Day

in November 2003. In true Matthew fashion,

he called the school immediately post-accident

to apologize that he anticipated being tardy for

conferencing. Indeed! With both legs shattered,

he was taken for a series of reconstructive

surgeries and spent months in Spaulding

Rehabilitation Hospital before recuperating at

home for the remainder of the school year. In

recent years, a lingering visual reminder of that

painful year was always Matt’s emblematic

footwear around campus: flip-flops in the

summer, Crocs during the school year.

Fast-forward to 2014 and the weekend of Matt’s

passing. The EMS campus learned he had lost his

battle with leukemia on Saturday, September 6. That

weekend a ferocious electrical storm descended

TheGoldenCroc:theOriginStoryon the campus, doing considerable damage to

computers, phones, lights, and fire alarms. It was later

determined that the primary lightning strike was the

ceiling of Matt’s office!

As a way to commemorate Matt’s indomitable

spirit, the idea of the Golden Croc was proposed.

This trophy is presented internally at EMS from

faculty to faculty, to honor a special achievement,

a trait, an act of kindness – whatever circumstance

the holder chooses to recognize before passing it

to a successor. Rob Kahn made Rick Telep – Tech

Coordinator, the first recipient for unflagging

service to the community in technological crises,

particularly following the September lightning strike.

Recipients in turn have included Starry Cook, Wendy

Taylor, Scot Wilson, Julie Littlefield, and Deirdre

Mulligan. When the Golden Croc turns up in faculty

milkbreak, we know that Matt’s memory will be

preserved in fitting company with the spirit of staff

camaraderie and appreciation.

TO

M U

ND

ER

WO

OD

Moira McNamara James P’10CHAIR

Marblehead, Massachusetts

*Nicholas A. Lopardo P’92, GP’22, ’23, ’24

CHAIRMAN EMERITUSNewburyport, Massachusetts

Founder and PresidentSusquehanna Capital Management Co.

Robert J. Broudo P’11PRESIDENT AND HEADMASTER

Beverly, MassachusettsLandmark School, Inc.

Martin P. Slark P’01VICE CHAIR

Burr Ridge, IllinoisPresident and CEO

Molex, Inc.

Mark R. BrislinVICE PRESIDENT

Hamilton, MassachusettsLandmark School, Inc.

Gia F. MeicherCLERK

Beverly, MassachusettsLandmark School, Inc.

Charles P. HarrisCLERK EMERITUS

Winchester, MassachusettsLandmark School, Inc.

Harvey L. Alter ’82Glenview, IllinoisVice PresidentThe Alter Group

Jeffrey Carney P’16, ’18Wellesley, MassachusettsPresident & CEOMackenzie Investments

Lynne Darling ’98Hampden, MaineRental Director and Finance Manager Darling’s Automotive Group

James Duffy P’14Auburndale, MassachusettsPresident Ravago Holdings America, Inc.

Amy O. Fitzpatrick P’16Marblehead, MassachusettsSenior Administrative Manager at Red Sox Foundation and MGH Home Base Program

William A. Goldthwait ’86Brookline, MassachusettsManaging Director RBS Global Banking & Markets

Sandra L. Jesse P’13Manchester, MassachusettsVice President & Chief Legal Officer Haemonetics Corporation

John J. McDonoughAndover, MassachusettsExecutive Vice President & CFOAmerican Renal Associates

Robert S. Merowitz P’06Sudbury, MassachusettsPresidentUniversal Realty Corporation

Joseph H. Morgart P’12Weston, MassachusettsSenior Vice President Pyramis Global Advisors

William T. Patten P’07Hamilton, MassachusettsDirector of Administrative Services Brookline Bancorp

Edward W. Probert Jr. P’15Newburyport, MassachusettsDirector of Alumni Affairs and DevelopmentPhillips Exeter Academy

George W. Ratermann ’79Livermore, CaliforniaFounder and Owner Ratermann Manufacturing, Inc.

Catherine Slark P’01Burr Ridge, Illinois

Michael D. Tancreti P’09, ’11Nashua, New HampshireChief Executive Officer Ashwood Development Company

David A. Tessier P’10Beverly, MassachusettsPresidentHospitality and Gaming Advisors

*Robert J. Campbell P’04Rockport, MaineInvestment CounselorBeck, Mack, & Oliver

*David G. Peterson P’08Bedford, MassachusettsSales Management Consultant

*Suzanne H. Sears P’02Hamilton, Massachusetts

* Trustee Emeritus

LANDMARK SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES

FOUNDED 1971

Post Office Box 227Prides Crossing, Massachusetts 01965-0227CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

NON PROFIT ORGU.S. Postage

PAIDRockford, IL

Permit No. 579

LanternTHE

L A N D M A R K SC H O O L

Documents

The Lantern Fall 2014 Winter 2015