Spring 2014 - St. Thomas`s Day School

Transcription

TheBall on
St. Thomas’s Day School Magazine for Alumni, Parents & Friends • Spring 2014
TRADITION, TRANSITION, AND GROWTH
Installation of Gina Panza as Head of School
A Gala Evening in Celebration of Fred Acquavita
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contents
Spring 2014
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Message from Head of School, Gina Panza
Meet the New Members of the Board of Managers
Installation of Gina Panza
Alumni Events
Spring Gala
Tradition, Transition, and Growth
In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community
Community-Wide Celebration
Class of 2007: Where Are They Now?
Retirements
Alumni Notes
Class of 2013
Cover: From left: Former Head of School, James Bower, Head of School, Gina Panza,
and Recently Retired Head of School, Fred Acquavita.
Cover and Spring Gala Photographer: Miela Mayer
5/8/14 11:07 AM
A Message from Gina Panza,
Head of St. Thomas’s Day School
As I write this letter, I
am nearing completion
of my first year as Head
of St. Thomas’s Day
School. It was a little
over one year ago that I
first visited St. Thomas’s
Day School and sensed
something special about
this place. St. Thomas’s
is an extraordinarily
lively, loving, and thriving
community. The signs of
this vibrancy have been everywhere this year – daily
chapel, Town Meetings, Grandparent and Special
Friend Day, Christmas Chapel, the annual Halloween
Parade, Science Festival, ROBOnanza, 100th day of
school, Geography Club, African-American Read-In,
cheering for our basketball team…the list goes on.
Together, we have accomplished a great deal this year.
In 2013-2014, we embarked on a self-study process
in preparation for our decennial re-accreditation
by the Connecticut Association of Independent
Schools (CAIS). We undertook an extensive review
of our past practices and reflected on ways we can
meet the challenging demands in providing a 21st
century education for our students. I am pleased to
report we have successfully completed the self-study
process and are putting the finishing touches on
the reflective portion. We look forward to hosting
the Visiting Committee in October 2014. Their
thoughtful commendations and recommendations
will be invaluable as we begin our strategic planning
for the years ahead.
As we went through the self-study, it became
apparent there is a need for increased time with
art and Spanish. Due to this need, I am pleased to
report, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year,
art will increase to a full time position and Spanish
will increase to a three-quarter time position. I look
forward to a curricular review of our science program
this summer. We have been reviewing The Next
Generation Science Standards and meeting with many
individuals with scientific backgrounds and careers to
provide feedback on how we can implement Science,
Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM)
into our current program.
The CAIS Commission on Technology (COT)
visited St. Thomas’s in January 2014 to assess
technology at our school. They met with faculty
members and the administration to get feedback
about technology issues including administrative
systems, faculty and staff support, IT staffing,
infrastructure, and the integration of technology
to support our curriculum and deepen the student
experience. The Committee identified three critical
areas – website and database updates, infrastructure
upgrades and IT staffing. After much consideration
and research, we contracted with The Odonnell
Company to spearhead a website redesign which is
scheduled to launch on June 30. Our network and
cabling infrastructure, while stable, is currently being
audited to plan out improvements and replacements
to ensure a fast, reliable and scalable network for
upcoming years. In smaller schools, roles are often
combined and sometimes outsourced. In keeping with
the COT recommendations and our own assessment,
we have decided to focus on a curricular integrator to
allow for more personalized and customized training
of teachers and support of students.
Admissions were robust this year and we received
a record number of applications. One of my goals
was to familiarize myself with nursery schools in the
greater New Haven area and beyond in order to begin
building relationships. I visited many nursery schools
throughout the fall and winter months. We published
a new View Book last summer and updated the entire
Admissions packet. I am proud to report the school is
fully enrolled for the 2014-2015 school year.
Another goal of mine for this year is to increase
communication across all constituencies. As part of
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Message from Gina Panza
this effort, a triennial newsletter, Heads Up, has been
implemented. Heads Up provides an opportunity
to share all of the wonderful happenings at our
school. We also initiated Class Correspondents
to foster communication with our alumni. Class
Correspondents are a group of committed and loyal
alumni who represent their individual class years. I
look forward to meeting many of our alumni at our
upcoming regional alumni receptions in New York
City and New Haven.
We have been fortunate to have several guest speakers
this year. Michael Thomas ’80, a former Commander
in the U.S. Navy, was the speaker at our Veterans
Day chapel service on November 8, 2013. Constance
Royster, Director of Development at Yale Divinity
School and recipient of the Outstanding Woman
of Connecticut Award in 2003, spoke at our Martin
Luther King, Jr. chapel service on January 16, 2014.
Jim Knox, Curator of Education at The Beardsley
Zoo, made a special visit to St. Thomas’s Day School
on February 7 as part of our Science Festival.
Jim brought a range of animals and artifacts to
St. Thomas’s; giving our students the opportunity
to have hands-on experiences with these endangered
animals that have been rescued through the efforts
of the zoo in support of sustainability of our earth.
The Zoomobile visit certainly was a highlight of
our week-long Science Festival!
It has been exciting to implement some new traditions
this year. During the summer months, I contacted
each sixth grade student and enjoyed learning about
their summer travels and adventures via email.
The sixth graders also joined me at a special pizza
lunch the day before the opening of school. This
provided an opportunity for everyone to reconnect
and for me to get to know each student individually.
During this time, I also shared the school theme
for the 2013-2014 year and prepared volunteers to
make the announcement at opening day chapel. We
have implemented a legacy gift process, which gives
our sixth graders a voice in selecting their gift to
the school. We also have created a “senior” t-shirt,
designed by the sixth graders, which they will proudly
wear on Class Day.
Traditions foster stability in the midst of transition
and center us during times of change. After decades
of outstanding service and dedication to St.
Thomas’s Day School, it is with both joy and sadness
that I announce the retirements of Susan Blanchard
(Grade Two), John North (Technology Coordinator),
Craig O’Connell (Grade One), and Sheryl Skroski
(Physical Education) at the end of this school
year. On behalf of the School, I want to express
our gratitude to them for making a real difference
in the lives of the students they taught and the
educators who were privileged to work with them.
We are greatly appreciative for the commitment,
knowledge, skills, and compassion each of them
gave to our children and the broader community. I
am grateful to them for agreeing to stay this year to
ease the transition process. Ann O’Connell (Grade
Three Assistant) will be joining Craig in retirement.
Additionally, Jocelyn Freeman (Grade One Assistant)
is in the process of completing her Masters in
Education and will be leaving to student teach next
year. Please join me in wishing all of them the best
in this new and exciting phase in their lives. They
will be missed!
We are well positioned to embrace the new challenges
and demands to provide our children with the 21st
century model to education. I thank you for a joyous
and exciting year. There is much to celebrate at St.
Thomas’s Day School and I look forward to serving as
your Head of School for many years to come.
Warmly,
Gina Panza
Head of School
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Meet the New Members of the
Board of Managers
Mark Branch, Warden, Representing the Vestry
Mark is the Executive Editor of the Yale
Alumni Magazine, an independent publication
separate from Yale University. Before joining the
magazine in 1997, he was an editor at Progressive
Architecture and I.D. magazines. A native of
Oklahoma, he graduated from Yale College in 1987.
Since 1998, he has been a member of St. Thomas’s
Episcopal Church, where he is currently serving
as a warden and member of the church vestry. He
previously served as senior warden from 2004 to
2005. He lives in New Haven.
Mark Cicero, Representing the Vestry
Mark is an assistant professor in pediatric emergency
medicine (PEM) at the Yale School of Medicine.
Prior to this appointment, he completed medical
school at State University of New York at Buffalo,
pediatrics residency and chief residency at the
Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, and
PEM fellowship at Yale. In addition to scholarly work
in disaster medicine, Mark studies the relationship
between respiratory viruses and serious bacterial
infections in febrile young infants.
Tracey Meares, Treasurer, Ex-Officio
Tracey is Walton Hale Hamilton Professor at Yale
Law School. Before arriving at Yale Law School,
she was Max Pam Professor of Law and Director
of the Center for Studies in Criminal Justice at the
University of Chicago Law School. She has held
positions clerking for the Honorable Harlington
Wood, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit and as a trial attorney in the Antitrust
Division of the United States Department of Justice.
Since 2004, she has served on the Committee on Law
and Justice, a National Research Council Standing
Committee of the National Academy of Sciences.
Additionally, she has served on two National Research
Council Review Committees: one to review research
on police policy and practices and another more
recently to review the National Institute of Justice.
In November of 2010, she was named by Attorney
General Eric Holder to sit on the Department of
Justice’s newly-created Science Advisory Board. She
has a B.S. in general engineering from the University
of Illinois and a J.D. from the University of Chicago
Law School. Tracey has three children; two are
students at St. Thomas’s and one graduated in 2011.
Erika Nemeti, Representing the Vestry
In addition to serving on the Board of Managers,
Erika has been a Room Representative. Erika has
worked in the arts and in natural medicine. She and
her husband, Michael Dunlap, have three children;
two are students at St. Thomas’s and one graduated
in 2013.
Gina Panza, Head of School, Ex-Officio
Gina Panza became the 6th Head of School at St.
Thomas’s Day School on July 1, 2013. She came to
St. Thomas’s from Ethical Culture Fieldston School,
where she served as Assistant Principal since July
2011. As Assistant Principal, Gina articulated and
communicated the School’s mission and the strengths
of its program both internally and externally. She
provided day-to-day operational support of grades
3-5 and oversaw curriculum and curriculum mapping.
Gina supervised and oversaw the evaluation of 30
faculty and staff members and 195 students and
she was the Steering Committee sub-chair for the
New York State Association of Independent Schools
(NYSAIS) Self-Study. Prior to becoming Assistant
Principal at Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Gina
worked at Fairfield Country Day School where she
served as Dean of Academic Affairs, Language Art
Coordinator/Associate Director of Admissions, and
as a Third Grade Teacher. Her education experience
also includes teaching at Buckley Country Day School
and New York Board of Education’s P.S. 204 in
Brooklyn. Gina received her B.S. in Education from
Wagner College, M.S. in Education from Brooklyn
College, and her Sixth Year Diploma in Educational
Leadership and Curriculum Development from
Southern Connecticut State University. Gina and her
husband, Prisco, live in Milford. They have one son,
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Meet the Board of Managers
Michael, two daughters, Lauren and Maria, and two
grandchildren, Michael and Isabella. Their niece and
nephew, Katie and Scott Panza, graduated from St.
Thomas’s Day School in 1997 and 1999 respectively.
Barbara Schaffer, Representing the Community
Barbara has been involved with St. Thomas’s Day
School, both as a parent and volunteer. She served as
PTO President and Secretary, co-chaired the Annual
Fund for 6 years, chaired Elves’ Workshop, and
was a room representative for both of her children’s
classes. Barbara also was actively involved on the
Gala Committee and served as a member of the
Retirement Committee. Barbara is the Development
Director for Elm Shakespeare, a position she has
held since 1998. Prior to joining Elm Shakespeare,
Barbara was Executive Director of High Hopes
Therapeutic Riding, Inc., located in Old Lyme, CT.
High Hopes is a non-profit organization dedicated
to serving people with physical, mental and emotional
challenges through therapeutic horseback riding.
Barbara was responsible for managing High Hopes’
$500,000 annual operating budget and a staff of
fifteen. During her tenure as Executive Director,
she orchestrated High Hopes’ selection as the host
site for the 1995 Special Olympic World Games’
Equestrian Competition. Barbara also acted as CoCommissioner of this three week event. Prior to
entering the world of non-profit development and
management, Barbara spent 12 years in the private
sector, predominately in the banking industry. As a
Vice President with the Chase Manhattan Bank, both
in New York and London, Barbara’s responsibilities
included Sales Management of Chase’s largest
Fortune 500 cash management portfolios in excess
of $16 million and managing Chase’s largest
international institutional relationships while working
in the U.K. office for two years and managing sales
teams based both in New York and London.
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St. Thomas’s Day School Community
Celebrates Installation of
Head of School, Gina Panza
It was a joyous and historic day for St. Thomas’s
Day School as sixth Head of School, Gina Panza, was
installed by The Right Reverend Laura J. Ahrens,
Bishop Suffragan of Connecticut. More than 300
people attended the Installation Ceremony that took
place on October 6, 2013.
The Rev. Michael Ray, Rector of St. Thomas’s Church,
presented Mrs. Panza to the Bishop, “We have come
together to welcome Gina Panza, who has been chosen
to serve as Head of St. Thomas’s Day School. We
believe that she is well-qualified, and that she has been
prayerfully and lawfully selected.” Readings were
presented by Jude Meares-Garcia, grade 4, and Prisco
Panza, Gina’s husband. The students of St. Thomas’s
Day School and the St. Thomas’s Choristers sang
“Let the Whole Creation Cry: Alleluia!”
Symbolic gifts to welcome Mrs. Panza were
presented from each grade in the school. Gifts
included a Bible, a vessel of water to help quench
the students’ thirst to learn, a School Crest
representing her role as a friend of God and a
friend of children, a Book of Common Prayer, oil
representing healer and reconciler, keys to the
building representing the doors of the school be
open to all people, a card from the Heifer Project
(a hive of bees) representing honey; it is sweet to
help those who are far away, and the Constitution
and Canon of the Church, and the By-Laws of
St. Thomas’s Day School presented by Bishop Ahrens
representing the Episcopal identity of the School.
The Installation Service was followed by a
community-wide picnic celebration at the School.
Left to right: Gina Panza, Bishop Ahrens, Owen Evans ’06.
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More Photos from the Installation
Above: Students enjoying the community-wide picnic.
Above, left: Father Ray congratulating newly-installed Head of School, Gina Panza. Above, right: A reading by Prisco Panza.
Left: The Right Reverend Laura J. Ahrens installing Gina Panza as Head of School.
Above: Students from St. Thomas’s Day School and the St. Thomas’s Choristers
singing at the Installation.
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Alumni Receptions held in
Washington, D.C. and New York
The third annual Washington, D.C. reception for alumni
and friends was held on Friday, May 3, 2013 at the
Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. The reception coincided
with the Grade 6 trip to Washington, D.C. This year’s
reception was a special occasion as several alumni joined
Fred Acquavita to thank him for his many years of
dedicated service to generations of students.
Fred Acquavita with Rose Malouf Cochran,
daughter of Ginna Anderson ’94 and Eric Cochran
L-R: Meredith Killion ’95, Becker Chase ’95, Emily Kraus ’99 L-R: Alejo Cabranes ’98, Connor Ginsberg ’98, Emily Ginsberg ’94
Several alumni and friends from the New York City area attended the third annual St.
Thomas’s Day School NYC reception held at The Yale Club on April 25, 2013. This year’s
reception was a special occasion as it was an opportunity to celebrate the retirement of Fred
Acquavita after 32 years and to welcome new Head of School, Gina Panza.
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Alumni Parent Association Gathering
The 3rd annual Alumni Parent Association gathering was held on October 17, 2013 at The High Lane
Club. Over 60 former parents of St. Thomas’s Day School attended the reception. Following a warm
welcome by event co-chairs, Barbara Schaffer and Margie Andreassi, Father Ray introduced new Head
of School, Gina Panza, who shared her exciting plans for the future of St. Thomas’s Day School. Michael
Kaplan updated the Alumni Parent Association about the ongoing campaign for scholarship endowment:
Make a Better World: the Campaign for St. Thomas’s Day School.
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Spring Gala 2013
A Gala Evening in celebration of Fred Acquavita was
held on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at the Omni New
Haven Hotel. In honor of Fred’s 32 years as Head of
St. Thomas’s Day School, nearly 350 guests joined us
to celebrate his extraordinary legacy.
Guests enjoyed a reception from 5:30-7:00 p.m. with
music provided by the STTS Ensemble comprised of
five talented musicians from St. Thomas’s Day School.
Former parent Barbara Schaffer welcomed guests and
introduced our honored speakers – Rosa DeLauro,
Congresswoman from Connecticut’s Third District;
Dr. Douglas Lyons, Executive Director, Connecticut
Association of Independent Schools; and Harold
Hongju Koh, Sterling Professor of International Law,
Yale Law School. Following dinner and entertainment
by the Arti Dixson Band, guests were treated to a
moving tribute video to Fred, produced and directed
by former parent and five-time Emmy Award winner
Karyl Evans.
The moving tribute to Fred was elevated by a
tremendous outpouring of support for the future
well-being of the School with the public launch
of Make a Better World: the Campaign for St. Thomas’s
Day School. The Campaign in support of financial
aid endowment was introduced by co-chair Michael
Kaplan. Through the outstanding efforts of auctioneer
James Andreassi, the extended St. Thomas’s family
came together to achieve the night’s goal of $200,000,
catapulting the Campaign total to more than
$1,000,000!
Gala Co-chairs:
Melissa Callender, Susan Stone Levine, Sue Rollins
Retirement Committee:
Colleen Gill, Chair
Miriam Battista, Melissa Callender, Lois DeLise,
Susan Stone Levine, Janet Patys, Maureen Pietraszuk,
Sue Rollins, Tina Sanfilippo, Barbara Schaffer,
Roxanne Turekian
The STTS Ensemble:
Philip DeLise, Isabel Beáta Dunlap,
Sage-Nakai Massimiliano Giacomini, Anna Ruth Sather,
Liana Tilton
Under the direction of:
June Hale, Linda Pawelek, John Sather
Video/Filmmaker:
Karyl Evans
Invitations/Graphic Design:
Sue Rollins
Travel Coordinator:
Roslyn Chelouche, Ovation Travel Group,
New York, NY
Auctioneer:
James Andreassi
Emcee:
Barbara Schaffer
This magical, unforgettable tribute to Fred would
not have been possible without the dedication of
a core group of volunteers. The Gala Co-chairs,
in conjunction with the Retirement Committee,
worked tirelessly throughout the year to make this a
spectacular event.
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Photos from the Spring 2013 Gala
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Remarks in Honor of Fred Acquavita
by Professor Harold Hongju Koh
I first met our guest of honor 25
years ago in, of all places, the New
Haven courthouse. (Neither of us
was being prosecuted, I hasten to
add.) We met at a naturalization
ceremony to which we had been
invited by that illustrious federal
judge, later two-time St. Thomas’s
parent José Cabranes (who is known
in our house by his real name,
Mr. Kate Stith). José had invited me as a first-generation
American to give a welcoming speech to the new Americans.
At the end of the ceremony, students from a place I had
never heard of--St. Thomas’s Day School—sang a rendition
of the Star Spangled Banner that reduced everyone to tears.
As I was leaving, a pleasant-looking bearded guy (who looks
remarkably like this guy over here)—who was wearing a
sweater vest long before Rick Santorum made it famous—
came up and asked if I would repeat my speech at Morning
Chapel at what he modestly called “our little school.” He told
me that one of those naturalized was Adam Ginnetti—son
of Joe and Ida—and that St. T’s students would be interested
in hearing about citizenship from another Korean-American.
Flattered, I said, “Sure. But tell me again: who are you and
what is your school?” And he wrote on a piece of paper: “Fred
Acquavita, St. Thomas’s Day School.”
At the time, three things struck me about our meeting. First,
Fred engaged me in conversation as if he had known me for
years. He seemed like an old friend. I wondered: could this
guy really be so humble and unassuming? Second, he never
even identified himself as the Head of St. Thomas’s. I had to
look it up. All he wrote on the paper was “Fred Acquavita,
St. Thomas’s Day School.” Who did he think he was: the
human embodiment of this educational institution? And
third, while his first name, Fred, matched his modest, down
to earth personality, his last name seemed magical: Acquavita,
the “water of life.” Did this guy have some kind of magic
elixir, I wondered, that he wanted to feed me?
The answer to all three questions, time has taught, was
yes. Yes, Fred is just as humble and down to earth as he first
appears, and that has not changed for thirty-two years. Yes, for
more than three decades, he has been the human embodiment
of St. Thomas’s Day School. And yes, what he was offering us
that day was a magic elixir—lifetime membership in the St.
Thomas’s community—and Ladies and Gentlemen, let me tell
you: “We have drunk the Kool-Aid!”
A few days later, I made my first trip to St. Thomas’s, and I
was captivated. I saw the kids wearing those uniforms we’ve
all come to love. I saw the teachers, treating each other and
the parents as genuine friends. I heard the Chaplain teaching
thoughtful lessons. I heard the kids raucously singing “Father
Abraham.” Most of all I saw “Mr. A,” as everyone called
him, talking to the students, not at them, and then, as they
left the Chapel, shaking each and every one of their hands. I
gave my speech and went home to tell Christy the story, only
to receive in the mail two days later, a box containing more
than 100 thank-you letters from the children of St. Thomas’s.
At the time, our Emily (now 26) had just turned one, and
William (who turns 23 tomorrow) was only just a dream. But
I remembered thinking that that guy with the beard and
sweater vest had built a pretty exciting little school, and that
when the time came, we just might want to check it out.
Well the rest, as they say, is history: ours and yours. Both
of our kids loved St. T’s —and Fred and Marie, Emily and
Will send their love to you tonight. We attended hundreds
of morning chapels, cried at Coming to New Haven and
two graduations, helped make projects for Science Fair,
opened Christmas gifts from Elves’ Workshop, dodged
volleyballs on Gym Night, and went on dozens of school
trips. We moved three doors away from St. T’s on Ogden
Street, where we hosted refugees from tipi sleepovers and
more than a few Parent Nights. Although teachers changed,
classmates changed, and our kids grew older, at St. T’s the
constant was Mr. A. I spent many hours with him, and many
more watching him, and he never ever disappointed me.
I say this as a person who has seen a lot. I have been a
diplomat for much of my career, and I never saw a more
skillful diplomat. I have been a law school dean and I have
never seen an educational leader better able to articulate
the mission of his school. I have been a teacher for more
than thirty years, and I have never seen a teacher express
his or her educational values more clearly. At the class
Parent Meetings we would attend, Mr. A would field
questions—sometimes hostile ones—from the parents more
skillfully than Tony Blair at Prime Minister’s Question
Time. Once when he was asked, “What is St. Thomas’s
educational philosophy?” Fred answered simply, “We are
child-centered.” Another time, when asked, “What is St.
T’s strategy on teaching reading?” he answered simply,
“First, we teach them how to learn to read; then we teach
them how to read to learn.” If pressed, could you state your
life’s work in one sentence?
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When I served as Dean of Yale Law School, one of my role
models was Fred, a man who understood exactly what it was
that his school was trying to accomplish, and who poured
his heart and soul into it. And that is why this school now
–after 32 years—bears his stamp on literally everything it
does. Think of him as an educational version of that other
great Italian, Michelangelo, and think of St. T’s as his Sistine
Chapel. There are so many things happening: over here is
Adam being born; over there are angels singing, but the single
brilliant, guiding intelligence driving this entire complex
masterpiece has always been Mr. A.
But to say all of this is to capture only a little of who Fred
really is. It does not capture the Fred, who with Joe Ginnetti,
would cook a knockout Italian meal for the St. T’s auction
that people would bid a fortune to eat. It does not capture
the Fred who would drive the bus to Strawberry Banke,
walk sixth graders all over Washington, yet still sit up all
night with a crying student or a distressed parent. It does
not capture the Fred who took St. T’s basketball players
to Farnam House, so that they would learn how to judge
players by their character, and not by their race or income.
It does not capture the Fred who treated every parent with
equal respect —whether prominent federal judges or single
mothers on benefits. Most of all, it does not capture the Fred
who would give full scholarships to kids who had nothing,
who would buy them meals out of his own pocket, who
would fight to get them admitted to elite prep schools, who
would cheer for them at their high school games, and who
years after they graduated, while their parents were working
second jobs, would tutor them after school.
Sometimes I wondered whether St. Thomas’s should change
its name to “St. Fred’s” because of the pure goodness of
its leader. And I learned that behind that kind and modest
exterior lies a force of nature, who leaves no stone unturned
to make his school better. And if you don’t believe that
he is a force of nature, just try sleeping in the same room
with him sometime at Germantown Friends School during
the school trip to Philadelphia! One night, I awoke in my
sleeping bag, dazed and confused, to hear what I thought
was the sound of God himself throwing thunderbolts across
the heavens! It sounded like an earthquake; about 8.0 on
the Richter scale; until I realized it was just my friend Fred,
snoring in an easy chair before getting up at 6 to drive the
bus to the Hungarian Bake Shop on the Upper West Side.
There are so many stories we could tell about Fred, and
each and every one of us here has dozens. Multiply them by
hundreds of students, parents and teachers, times thirty-two
years, and we literally have thousands. I hope you will tell
your best stories to Fred and Marie tonight, or by email, just
to express your gratitude for all that they sacrificed for us.
Let me close with this simple story, which to me, exemplifies
what makes Fred so special. About 15 years ago, I took a
human rights job in the State Department that required me
to live in Washington during the week. Although I got home
every weekend, and Christy selflessly parented for two, I
would often find myself far away—in Africa, or Kosovo, or
North Korea— wondering how my kids were doing. Starting
in fifth grade, as you all know, the boys are required to wear
jackets and ties. On my last home weekend before the school
year started, Will and I practiced tying his tie, but I did not
teach it well, and he did not quite master it.
When I brought Will to school Monday morning, with my
bags packed and a car waiting outside to take me to JFK, I
asked Fred, “Would you make sure Will doesn’t walk home if
no one’s there. And if he can’t tie his necktie himself and I’m
not here, Fred, could you…” Then my eyes filled with tears
and I could not continue.
As usual, Fred finished my thought: “Could I help him tie
his tie?” “Don’t worry,” he said. “That’s what we’re here
for. To help them grow up even if you’re not here.” Then
he patted me on the shoulder, and said, “Don’t worry. Don’t
miss your plane.”
A week later I returned home. I had visited refugee camps,
seen orphans and amputees, met children and parents
without hope. My first morning back, Will came down to
breakfast with his necktie perfectly tied. I asked him, “How
did you get the hang of it?” “Mr. A taught me,” he said, as
he was running out the door: “It was easy.”
A few minutes later, I saw Fred and thanked him for
that, and for so many million other things like that.
Characteristically, he said, “I didn’t do anything. Well,
actually, one morning Will was having a little trouble and I
just explained to him what was involved. He understood, and
then he taught himself.”
That is the priceless gift that Fred Acquavita gave us these
past thirty-two years. Of all the parents, of all the kids, in all
the world, for the last three decades, only we had Fred. He
said, “That’s what we’re here for. To help these kids grow
up even if their parents are not here.” He explained to us
what was involved, and helped our kids teach themselves. He
taught us about leadership. He taught us about community.
He taught us about responsibility. He taught us about
decency. He gave each and every one here tonight his
magic elixir—the water of his life—a blessed life devoted
to teaching and leading by example. For that extraordinary
gift, to us, he was, is, and will always be “Fred Acquavita, St.
Thomas’s Day School.”
Fred and Marie: We love you. We honor you. Most of all,
we thank you for these 32 years that you have given to us
and our kids. You deserve all the happiness in the world. We
wish you Love and Godspeed for the many, many happy
years that together, you have ahead.
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5/8/14 11:07 AM
Tradition, Transition, and Growth
When you look back on your experiences at
St. Thomas’s Day School, what comes to mind?
You probably will remember…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Giving a Birthday Book and presenting
your birthday pennies during the
morning chapel service;
Dressing up in costume and marching in
the Halloween Parade;
Field trips to the pumpkin patch,
Nature’s Classroom, Boston, and
Washington, D.C.;
Performing in plays — The Mitten,
Anansi the Spider, Coming to New Haven,
Grade 6 musical;
Fitness demonstrations, games, and
volleyball on Gym Night;
Working on projects for the Science Festival;
Town Meetings with the Head of School;
Choosing your favorite hymn for Friday
Hymn Sing;
Singing in Christmas Chapel;
Playing water balloon toss and tug of war
on Field Day;
Being promoted on Class Day;
Receiving your diploma at Graduation.
These are the shared experiences we remember that
enrich our lives and bind us together as a community.
Our common experiences and our common memories
result in a common language that is related to these
shared traditions. Our traditions grow out of our
mission — the polestar that strengthens and guides us.
It is these constants — the traditions we have — that
center us during times of transition and change. Our
mission and traditions help to anchor us and give us
the resilience to embrace change.
Schools, by their very nature, are dynamic
institutions; continually evolving and changing. This
past year certainly has been a time of transition at
St. Thomas’s Day School. On July 1, 2013, Gina
Panza became our new Head of School. In addition,
several longtime teachers at St. Thomas’s Day School
will be retiring at the end of this school year. “This
structural change, identified by Head of School, Gina
Panza, has allowed for an exciting opportunity as we
welcome a new and inspiring team of teachers.”
Jim Peters, our current third grade teacher, will
be our new Technology Integrator for the 20142015 school year. Jim’s extensive knowledge of
our curriculum, combined with his technological
expertise, will allow for better curricular integration
and more one-to-one personal, customized training.
Our new first grade teacher will be Craig Bottiger, a
former permanent substitute teacher at St. Thomas’s
Day School. Craig has years of teaching experience
and is familiar with our first grade program as
well as our school culture. Sarah Walters will be
joining the faculty next year as our new second
grade teacher. Sarah has more than fourteen years
of early elementary teaching experience and also has
worked as a literacy consultant. Our new third grade
teacher is Jennifer Highsmith Brooks. Jennifer, a
1993 graduate of St. Thomas’s Day School, has many
years experience working in the Hamden and New
Haven school system. Molly DeLeone will be joining
the faculty next year as our new physical education
teacher. Molly is completing her Masters of Science
in Adapted Physical Education at Springfield College
where she also is a Teaching Fellow responsible for
co-teaching, grading, and evaluating undergraduate
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5/8/14 11:07 AM
students. We are excited to welcome these new
members of our faculty. They all have incredibly
impressive credentials and teaching experience and
we are extremely grateful they have chosen to become
part of the St. Thomas’s Day School community.
While we value our traditions, we also recognize the
importance of innovation and change. Innovation
enriches and broadens the educational experience
for our students and allows for renewal and growth.
“Understanding the interaction of change and mission
is central to our decision making for the future. Our
mission is the driving force of the school. It is a point
of reference for all undertakings. Our longstanding
commitment to our mission is what makes St.
Thomas’s Day School such a remarkable place for
children,” says Gina Panza, Head of School.
This year has been punctuated with transitions and
change:
•
•
•
•
Hiring a new Head of School;
Launching a new website on July 1;
Hiring new teachers in Grades 1-3 and
Physical Education and working to
hire assistant teachers;
Redefining the Technology staff position
and hiring a Technology Integrator
to communicate more efficiently and
enhance the delivery of instruction;
•
•
•
Reviewing our network and cabling
infrastructure to increase both
efficiencies and capabilities and to
ensure we have an architecture that
can scale and grow;
Implementing several new safety
measures — alarm system, protective
window film in the lobby/reception
area of the main school building and
in the entry of Robbins Hall, and new
locks on the playground gates;
Expanding Art to a full-time position
and upgrading Spanish to a threequarter position
As we look to the future, we know these changes will
be positive and enhance the educational experience
at St. Thomas’s Day School. We look forward with
anticipation and excitement to the energy and
experience our new faculty will bring to the school.
We all will be the beneficiaries of their impressive
knowledge, professional talents, and abilities.
To quote Gina Panza, “The 2014-2015 school
year will undoubtedly be filled with much positive
energy as we begin to reshape and redefine our
commitment to provide the best possible education
for our children.” Change is unavoidable, but our
mission and shared traditions are the ties that bind
us together as a community.
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5/8/14 11:07 AM
THE SCIENCE PROGRAM:
THE ARTS THRIVE AT ST. THOMAS’S:
Congratulations to ST. THOMAS’S DAY SCHOOL’S
ROBONANZA PARTICIPANTS! Several students
from St. Thomas’s, coached by fifth grade teacher
Kirby Mahoney, participated in the ROBOnanza
Competition at
Greenwich Academy on
Saturday, February 22,
2014. A team of 3rd and
4th graders placed third
in Robo Bowling. Other
students placed second
in the “walk the plank
expert challenge” and
first in costumes.
St. Thomas’s Day School
was the only New Haven county school to participate
in the ROBOnanza.
The New Haven Lawn Club will host a St. Thomas’s
ART SHOW of Jazz Cats, painted by this year’s first
grade class under the direction of art teacher Jan
Nichols in collaboration with grade one teacher Craig
O’Connell. Included in the show will be Watercolor
Landscapes painted by grade five. The landscape
paintings were inspired by the Connecticut paintings
of the Hudson River School impressionists. An Art
Opening reception will be held on Thursday, May
8, 2014 at the New Haven Lawn Club. The artwork
will be on display during the month of May 2014. A
collection of third grade artwork will be on display at
Christopher Martins Restaurant during the month of
June. An Art Opening for the artists and their families
will be held at Christopher Martins on June 9, 2014.
St. Thomas’s Day School’s
SCIENCE FESTIVAL is
a week-long celebration of
the importance of science
and technology in our lives.
Students in Grades 4-6 work
in collaborative groups on
specific science projects. The
Science Festival gives students
an opportunity to share and
present their projects to the
broader school community.
The theme for this year’s
Science Festival, held during the week of February 3-7,
was Go Green Power with a focus on sustainability
and conservation. Sixth graders researched alternative
energy sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, and
hydroelectric. Students in fifth grade researched two
major oil spill disasters, the Exxon Valdez and the
BP oil spill, and our fourth graders researched the
effects of chemicals in fertilizers and learned about
the benefits of growing plants in organic soil rich
in nutrients. We also had a visit from Ed Albrecht
of Trout in the Classroom, an innovative education
program designed to bring students’ studies of the
natural world to life.
For the past ten years St. Thomas’s Day School children
have been treated to an exciting array of live jazz
concerts thanks to the school’s JAZZ CLUB. The year
2014 was no exception and will perhaps become one of
the most memorable in the school’s decade long history
of celebrating America’s own classical music art form.
The Nat Reeves Quartet was the first main event
of 2014, playing an hour long concert in the chapel
on February 28. The quartet featured the legendary
Harold Mabern, one of the top names in jazz over the
past five decades. Mr. Mabern, a hot Memphis born
bluesy jazz pianist, has played with a veritable who’s
who of jazz greats including such famous artists as
Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Lee Morgan, Freddie
Hubbard, and Hank Mobley, just to name a few. Fueled
by the exciting response from his young audience, Mr.
Mabern took some time at the microphone challenging
budding musicians to practice each and every day
and not to give up no matter how hard it gets. He
explained that jazz musicians are especially talented
because they can play any musical art form and
achieve new heights through creative improvisation.
Accompanying him on the gig were drummer Joe
Farnsworth, a household name on the New York City
jazz scene, bassist Nat Reeves, a professor of music at
the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music,
and New Haven native Mike DiRubbo on alto sax.
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5/8/14 11:07 AM
Six weeks later, on April 15, the children were
treated to one of the top male jazz singers on the
scene today, the acclaimed master bebop vocalist
Giacomo Gates. Mr. Gates, sporting a smoky tenor
style, is considered to be one of the world’s leading
practitioners of vocalese, a challenging form of singing
where lyrics take the place of instrumental melodies.
A DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll winner, Gates is no
stranger to St. T’s, having performed several years ago
for one of the school’s spring fundraisers and at the
memorial concert for the late Toni Wright, the school’s
library teacher for many years. Mr. Gates brought his
repertoire of standards, along with some Miles Davis
tunes, with him to the delight of the children. Playing
on the gig along with Mr. Gates were jazz guitarist
Tony Lombardozzi, bassist Jeff Fuller and drummer
Ron Vincent.
St. Thomas’s Jazz Club, was created by first grade
teacher Craig O’Connell and manages to bring this
fine talent to the children year after year thanks to
generous donations from a number of parents as
well as Jazz Haven, Inc. You can view the Jazz Club’s
website at: http://stthomasjazzclub.com.
Two years ago, a realignment of classroom space at
St. Thomas’s resulted in the former kindergarten
classroom becoming the new first grade. With all four
walls made of stone, glass windows, and wooden doors,
first grade teacher Craig O’Connell decided he needed
to find a way to brighten up his new classroom. His
solution was to have his first graders paint their own
classroom ceiling. Mr. O. began removing the two square
foot acoustical ceiling tiles one by one. Over a period of
two years, first graders were taught math, art, and jazz
through the study of artists Sol LeWitt and Josef Albers
while adding vivid color to their classroom space.
THE BUSY BEES held a book drive this past fall to
collect new and gently used children’s books to benefit
Read to Grow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to
promoting early literacy. The book drive, coordinated
by sixth grader Philip DeLise and fifth grader Johar
Varma, collected nearly 600 books! Through Read to
Grow’s programs and partnerships, these books were
donated to children and families through pediatric
primary care centers, childcare centers, schools, and
other programs serving communities in need.
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5/8/14 11:07 AM
As it did in other realms, 2013-2014 ushered in a new
era for St. Thomas’s BASKETBALL PROGRAM.
With parent-coaches David Simon and Lou Criscuolo
taking over from Mr. A, the weekly afterschool clinics
ran throughout the winter. About 24 students from
grades 2-6 honed their basketball skills, from ballhandling to shooting to growling menacingly while
rebounding. St. Thomas’s was also able to maintain its
tradition of participating in the Farnam Neighborhood
House’s highly competitive basketball league. A group
of 10 younger children participated in the unscored
“Training League.” The T-Leaguers made tremendous
improvements in all facets of the game, and embraced
the mantra of “Have Fun” while doing so. Another 10
students participated in the “Minor League,” which
features players 10-13 years old. Despite being one
of the youngest teams in the league, the St. T’s squad
pulled off three victories, while continually impressing
the Farnam staff with their skills and teamwork.
Outside of the Farnam league, St. T’s was undefeated:
the 4-6 grade boys won two games at Hamden Hall, as
did the 6th grade girls team (led, in one win, by guest
coach Kerry Banks). St. T’s also won a home game over
Hamden Hall featuring a combined 2nd-6th grade
team. Finally, a coed 4th-6th grade team defeated a
squad from St. Mary School in Branford.
connected to St. Thomas’s Day School as he serves as a
trustee on the St. Thomas’s Day School Foundation, Inc.
FRED ACQUAVITA PORTRAIT UNVEILED
Former School Head Fred Acquavita was recently
honored with the unveiling of his portrait. Fred
Acquavita served as School Head for 32 years until
his retirement in June 2013. The portrait was painted
by and is a gift of Peter Robinson, a portrait artist
and grandparent of Christopher and Sophie Cappello,
who graduated from St. Thomas’s Day School in
2007 and 2010 respectively. The unveiling took place
at the home of Barbara and Michael Schaffer (P ’07,
’12) and featured a welcome by Head of School Gina
Panza and remarks by Harold Hongju Koh (P ’98,
’02), Michael Kaplan (P ’07, ’12), Co-chair of Make
a Better World: the Campaign for St. Thomas’s Day
School, and Kerry Robinson (P ’07, ’10), daughter of
portraitist Peter Robinson.
The portrait is located in the Founder’s Room on
the second floor of Robbins Hall.
FACULTY AND STAFF continue to serve on
Connecticut Association of Independent School (CAIS)
Commissions: KIRBY MAHONEY – Professional
Development and JOHN NORTH – Technology.
CHRISTI SHARON is being trained in the OrtonGillingham Method, an instructional approach
intended primarily for use with students who have
difficulty reading, spelling, and writing. KIRBY
MAHONEY presented “Architectural Design Project”
at the CAIS Teachers Helping Teachers Conference in
January 2014 at Chase Collegiate School. Grade One
Teacher CRAIG O’CONNELL is the President and
Director of Jazz Haven, an organization that promotes
the culture of jazz through unique collaborations with
artists, organizations, schools, and other groups throughout
greater New Haven.
Former School Head, FRED ACQUAVITA, currently
is the interim Head of School at Elmwood Franklin
School in Buffalo, New York. Fred continues to stay
Portraitist Peter Robinson unveiling the portrait of Fred Acquavita.
18
5/8/14 11:07 AM
Community-Wide Celebration
After 32 years at St. Thomas’s Day School, Fred
Acquavita retired on June 30, 2013. Approximately
200 people gathered on the St. Thomas’s playground
on June 2 for pizza and to celebrate the extraordinary
tenure and legacy of Fred. Special thanks to Pizza on
the Playground co-chairs Kerry Banks & Lori Kubick
and to Retirement Committee Chair Colleen Gill for
organizing this wonderful celebration.
19
5/8/14 11:07 AM
Class of 2007: Where Are They Now?
The Class of 2007 at Graduation
Michael Berry
Claire Brigham
Christopher Cappello
Jared Cooper-Vespa
Paige Greger-Moser
Olivia Harris
Morgan Ho
Lily Hoffman
Spencer Lowlicht
Cara Meyer
Margaret Orr
Maxwell Pantalena
Elise Potenza
Peter Renn
Lily Sawyer-Kaplan
Douglas Schaffer
Micah Sharon
Christopher Soloway
Sabra Stratton
Yale University
Dickinson College
Yale University
Georgetown University
Sacred Heart University
Sarah Lawrence College
Unknown
Brown University
Lehigh University
Yale University
Colgate University
Southern Methodist University
Connecticut College
Occidental College
Yale University
Williams College
Nichols College
Wheaton College
Scripps College
20
5/8/14 11:07 AM
St. Thomas’s Bids Farewell
to Four Longtime Faculty
After a combined total of nearly 120 years of dedicated
service to St. Thomas’s Day School, second grade
teacher Susan Blanchard, Technology Coordinator
John North, first grade teacher Craig O’Connell, and
Physical Education teacher and fourth grade assistant
Sheryl Skroski are retiring at the end of this school year.
L-r: Sheryl Skroski, Craig O’Connell, Susan Blanchard, John North
Susan Blanchard began her St. Thomas’s teaching
career in 1985. Throughout the years, Susan has
taught, nurtured, and inspired hundreds of second
graders, many of whom are now full grown with
families of their own. Susan, known affectionately
as “Mrs. B” to her students, has established and
strengthened many second grade traditions that
promote a love of the written and spoken word. Some
of our favorite traditions include Coming to New Haven,
biography book reports, estimation jar, second grade
school store, and cozy day. Susan and her husband,
Bob, have a daughter, Helen, who graduated from
St. Thomas’s in 1994.
Logging off: John North is retiring after 20 years as
Technology Coordinator. John has been working at St.
Thomas’s Day School since 1988 when he was hired
as a teacher in our Extended Day Program. In 1994
John started the technology program at the school
with Apple II and Macintosh LC II computers. His
first programming job was LogoWriter with the third
grade class. For the past 20 years, technology has made
significant strides at the elementary school level. Thanks
to John, we have been able to stay ahead of the curve in
this ever-changing world of technology. In addition to
helping us navigate the virtual world, John has helped
countless sixth grade classes navigate the streets of
Washington, D.C. John plans to stay in touch with his
friends at St. Thomas’s and pursue future endeavors.
Craig O’Connell started his teaching career at St.
Thomas’s in 1982 after working as a teacher and
math consultant in the New Haven public schools.
Craig, known as “Mr. O” to his students, always
brought an enthusiasm to teaching and developed
lasting relationships with the families of the students
he taught. Through his creative and unique teaching
talents, Craig taught his students the magic of words
and numbers, the joy of poetry, and the excitement
of performing on stage. Most unforgettably, Craig
connected all of us to the remarkable world of jazz
through his award-winning jazz curriculum. Craig and
his wife, Ann, have a daughter, Chloé who graduated
from St. Thomas’s in 1996.
Not many people stick with their first job out of college
for very long, but one St. Thomas’s Day School teacher
has done it for more than three decades. After 35
years of Gym Nights, Field Days, archery, gymnastics,
basketball, Dog Catcher, and Soccer Steal the Bacon
with hundreds of St. Thomas’s students, physical
education teacher Sheryl Skroski has decided to hang up
her sneakers this June. Sheryl came to St. Thomas’s Day
School in 1978 following her graduation from Southern
Connecticut State University; making her the longest
serving teacher at the School. When Sheryl started in
1978, she was the Physical Education assistant, Extended
Day teacher, and office assistant. She worked as the third
grade assistant for a number of years and then became
the fourth grade assistant in the mid-1990’s. Sheryl
and her husband, Tony, have three children, Nikki ’94,
Kristen ’98, and Tyler ’03. Sheryl and Tony plan to
retire part-time in Florida and part-time in Connecticut
to take full advantage of sun and boating.
Best wishes to all four and we hope they will come back
to visit us often!
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5/8/14 11:07 AM
Alumni
Notes
PLEASE NOTE: Students who
transferred from St. Thomas’s Day
School before completing Sixth Grade
are listed according to the year in which
they would have graduated. We gather
news of our former students from various
sources. If our information is incorrect,
please accept our apologies. Please inform
us of any errors, and we will be happy to
publish correct information in the next
issue of The Balloon. Thank you.
1977
PETER LOGE lives in Washington,
D.C. where he is Vice President of
External Relations at U.S. Institute of
Peace as well as an Adjunct Instructor at
George Washington University. Prior
to joining U.S. Institute for Peace, Peter
was Principal/Founder at Milo Public
Affairs, LLC.
Day chapel service on November 8,
2013. Michael is Founder and President
of ArchAngel Ventures, LLC a company
that specializes in helping Veterans
transition back into civil society through
job training, placement and support. For
this work he received the Connecticut
Small Business Administration award
for Veteran owned businesses and
was inducted into the Connecticut
Veteran Hall of Fame. Michael also is
a former Commander in the US Navy
(Bronze Star), Co-founder and CFO
of Harbinger Technologies Group
and a financial advisor with Morgan
Stanley. He has served as a Trustee of
Hopkins School, the United Way of
Greater New Haven, ConnCAT and the
Amistad Academy. He is also a member
of the Connecticut Heroes Project.
1981
CHARLOTTE POOLEY
DECKHUT works for Johnson and
Johnson in San Diego, California
as a synthetic chemist making drug
analogs for testing in immunological
1980
NATHAN POOLEY married Sunshine
Weiss at Half Moon Bay in California
in August. They live in Sunnyvale,
California. He has switched jobs twice
this year to be in his preferred new
occupation; Robotics software engineer.
Earlier, he co-authored the OpenGL ES
2 driver for the nVIDIA Tegra family
of system-on-chip graphics processors
used in mobile phones and tablets.
He left there to work on the MoveIt
motion planning system at Willow
Garage Robotics. That faltered and
he moved to the Robotics Program
at SRI International. He works on
motion planning and visualization for
robotics projects, including consumer,
telemanipulation, and healthcare
applications.
MICHAEL THOMAS was the speaker
at St. Thomas’s Day School’s Veterans
applications. Sons Nicholas, 15,
Benjamin, 13, and Samuel, 12, are
involved in learning computer game
design, surfing, lacrosse, and especially
hockey, a family obsession.
1983
Class Correspondent:
Sarah Merriam
[email protected]
MERCY BURWELL COLBERG,
living in St. Louis since 1996, is a
Social Media Director for RE/MAX
Best Choice teaching agents how to
apply social media marketing to their
business. Mercy and her husband, Andy,
have a 6 year old daughter. “Out of all
my accomplishments, she is by far the
most outstanding,” Mercy says! Mercy
trains people and their dogs in agility;
for either recreation or competition.
Her experience with competing on a
National level in horses has allowed her
to connect to agility in a way that flows
naturally. In 2005, she and her horse,
TCE Balastrana, were the High Point
horse in the United States and Canada,
beating out thousands of other horses
for the coveted title. If you’re ever in St.
Louis, look Mercy up as she would love
to show you around!
SIMON HIRSCHFELD lives in the
Washington, D.C. area and works as
an analyst for the U.S. Government
Accountability Office. He is married
with one young son.
ERIC LITCHFIELD graduated from
the University of Rochester. After many
years in New York, Eric now lives with
his wife, Liz, in Stratford. They have a
son, Paul, who is 8 years old. Eric works
in New York City as a Vice President of
Communications for J.P. Morgan.
Michael Thomas ’80 spoke at St. Thomas’s
Day School’s Veterans Day chapel service in
November 2013.
SARAH MERRIAM writes, “I
graduated from Georgetown undergrad
and, after some time off to work in
politics, graduated from law school,
though I never did get around to a
husband or children. I’m now working in
New Haven as a Federal Defender.”
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5/8/14 11:07 AM
JESSICA POOLEY VETS and
her husband, Robert, live in the
Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle,
Washington where Jessica works in a
variety of positions managing farmers’
markets, designing databases, and
serving as Executive Director of a
neighborhood Chamber of Commerce.
Jessica picked up an MS in Graphic
Design and Photography from Drexel
University in 1995 and then an MBA
from Seattle University in 2005. Jessica
and Robert take advantage of their kidfree existence to travel regularly.
1987
MICHAEL CLOUD HIRSCHFELD
is an artist living in New York City.
Michael has an MFA in sculpture from
the Massachusetts College of Art. He has
shown work at the Jewish Museum of New
York and in the Talk To Me exhibition at
the Museum of Modern Art. Michael has
worked as an art installer for the Peter
Blum Gallery and the Guggenheim. He
participated in the second year of Model
to Monument (M2M), a collaboration of
The Art Students League of New York
(one of America’s premier art schools) and
the New York City Department of Parks
and Recreation. His sculpture was one of
eight installed at Riverside Park South.
The M2M works, designed specifically
for the park, explore the theme of “flux.”
The sculptures reflect the changing nature
of the Hudson Riverfront and the wider
world, and investigate changes in the
personal sphere and even in inert objects.
1988
JOHN FORREST has joined the
faculty at Yale as an interventional
cardiologist and director of the Yale
Transcatheter Valve Program. John
traveled to Russia where he performed
complex angioplasty cases and taught
Russian physicians. He and his wife,
Emily, live in Hamden with their two
sons. His son, William, will be joining
St. Thomas’s Kindergarten in the fall.
CLARE GILLIS works in journalism
in Istanbul, Turkey. She has published
her work in USA Today, Daily Beast, and
a variety of other domestic and foreign
media outlets.
1992
DAN KOPS was married to Melissa
Arminio in July 2012.
1993
1989
MYCHAL BOYD is an attorney
with Travelers Insurance in Hartford,
Connecticut. Previously, she worked at
Wiggin and Dana.
LURETHA MCCLENDON
TOLSON is a pre-litigation attorney
with Carter Mario Injury Lawyers.
Luretha previously had her own law
practice, where she handled personal
injury cases. Luretha graduated from
University of Pennsylvania and went
on to receive her J.D. from Quinnipiac
School of Law. She coaches teenage
boys in the Hamden Father’s Basketball
Association League and she is involved
with the NAACP.
1991
Class Correspondent
Jennifer Lindley Shirazi
[email protected]
ALISON JUNKIN FULLER is
an Associate Partner at Bellwether
Education Partners in Dubuque, Iowa.
KERRY HOLAHAN is a classical
singer based in Baltimore, Maryland.
She performs regularly with churches
and Early Music ensembles in the
Washington, D.C. area. Having lived
in China from 2002-2010, Kerry
studied and continues to perform
Chinese traditional music and will go
on a month-long performance tour to
multiple cities in China presenting a
show of Cole Porter songs and a show
of Christmas music. Kerry returned to
St. Thomas’s in May 2013 to sing “For
Good” from Wicked during the morning
chapel service in honor of retiring
School Head Fred Acquavita.
SAMUEL GAINES and his wife, Molly,
had a baby boy, Theodore, in August
2013.
1995
JP Schnapper-Casteras
[email protected]
SCOTT ASTRADA currently
is a Graduate Fellow with the
congressional Hispanic Caucus
Institute in Washington, D.C. In 2006,
after transferring to the University
of Wisconsin-Madison for his junior
year, he completed his B.A. in English.
Scott then went on to earn his Juris
Doctorate from Marquette University
Law School in 2009. As a law student,
he interned and clerked at numerous
private and state organizations
including the Wisconsin Department
of Justice-Attorney General’s Office,
the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources-Legal Services Division, and
Legal Aid. While working as an attorney
in Milwaukee, Scott pursued his Master
of Business Administration (MBA)
from the Marquette Graduate School
of Management, which he completed
Kerry Holahan ’91 sang “For Good” during
the morning chapel service in honor of
retiring School Head Fred Acquavita.
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5/8/14 11:07 AM
in May 2013. During this time, Scott
founded the Milwaukee chapter of the
National Society of Hispanic MBA’s,
the nation’s preeminent organization
for Hispanic professionals, serving 39
chapters and 20,000 members.
MEGAN JANEWAY worked in public
health in Uganda for several years
following high school, went to the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, and
currently is in medical school at Boston
University. She recently ran into Emily
Allen ’95 in clinic. Megan got engaged
last year while hiking in Maine.
MEREDITH KILLION graduated
from Yale University in 2005 with a
degree in History and completed her
MBA at Southern Connecticut State
University in 2007. Meredith lives in
New Haven, only a few blocks from St.
Thomas’s, and works as the commercial
fleet fueling manager at Santa Energy
in Bridgeport, Connecticut. An avid
competitive sailor since college, recent
regatta results include a 3rd place
finish at the Lightning Class World
Championship this past summer in
Castiglione del Lago, Italy.
ROLANDO MATHIAS graduated
from the University of Pennsylvania with
a Political Science degree. He currently
is the Development Manager at Fedcap
as well as a professional fashion model
for Elite Models. His hobbies include
CrossFit, meditation, and learning new
things.
BEN PORTER, a premium brand
strategist for London-based creative
agency Winkreative, recently accepted
a job as a producer at New York City
agency Sub Rosa. Ben lives in Brooklyn
with his wife, Jennifer, whom he married
two-and-a-half years ago.
JP SCHNAPPER-CASTERAS
writes, “I’m in Washington D.C. these
days, practicing law and doing some
foreign policy writing on the side. I live
downtown with my wife, who I married
last year and met at the Kennedy School
of Government. Let me know if you’re
ever in the area!”
SOPHIA NADEL SKAAR and her
husband, Eric, live in Shanghai where
she works as the regional digital planner
for Blue Hive, Ford Motor’s advertising
partner.
ALEXIS VETRE VARRIS was married
last summer. She is a first grade teacher
in New Haven and her husband is a chef
in Wallingford, Connecticut.
LEONARD WASHINGTON lives in
High Point, North Carolina and works
in the field of industrial engineering.
1996
CHLOÉ O’CONNELL and her
husband, Visna Ngov, purchased a home
and now are living in the Spring Glen
neighborhood of Hamden. Chloé is in
her sixth year of teaching in the Branford
public schools. She ran the New York
City Marathon in November 2013 and
finished at a time of 3:59:33.
1998
Steven McDonald
[email protected]
MATTHEW ALLEN lives in
Philadelphia where he is a second-year
medical student at Penn. He started
clinical rotations in January.
ALEJO CABRANES will be graduating
from Columbia Law School this spring
and has plans to work at a law firm in
New York doing litigation.
IAN ELLIOTT lives in Dublin, Ireland
where he is studying medicine at the
Royal College of Surgeons. Ian has been
playing rugby for the college team and
is preparing to travel to Paris to play
another university this spring. He also
is doing research to learn more about
regenerative medicine and cartilage
transplantation procedures.
NICHOLAS FIELD is finishing up
his second year of medical school at the
University of Vermont. Most of his free
time these past years has been spent
backpacking and climbing in the White
Mountains, Tetons, and Sierra Nevadas.
MARY-BETH GRIMALDI lives in
Pittsburgh where she works with youth
and their families as a therapist.
COURTNEY KILLION has been
living and working in Cleveland, Ohio
since graduating from the University
of Notre Dame in 2008 with a degree
in Marketing. She was recently made a
partner at Cleveland Research Company,
a sell-side equity research firm where she
works as an associate on the Industrial
Team, covering the capital goods and
industrial distribution sectors.
EMILY KOH recently left HBO and
is in her first year of business school at
New York University Stern School of
Business where she is specializing in
Strategy and Leadership and Change
Management. At Stern, Emily is
involved with the Entertainment, Media
& Technology and Stern Women in
Business associations and recruiting for
summer internships in the media and
technology industries.
STEVEN MCDONALD is in his last
year of medical school in New York City
at Columbia. Steven is hoping to go into
emergency medicine. Before graduating,
he is spending seven weeks traveling
around Southeast Asia, sometimes solo
and sometimes visiting friends.
GABRIEL NADEL is living in New
York City with his fiancé and working at
3i Group plc, a private equity firm. Gabe
will be getting married in Henley-onThames outside of London this summer.
LAUREN PIETRASZUK lives in
Boston and recently returned to school
to become an occupational therapist. She
is engaged to be married this June.
TARYN RATHBONE-DAUB is
working as a large animal veterinarian in
southern California (mostly horses) and
will be moving to Seattle this summer as
her husband recently got a job working
at Amazon.
24
5/8/14 11:07 AM
MARTHA ROYSTON is in her last
semester at Boston College Law School
and is planning to take the Connecticut
Bar Exam this summer. She hopes to
travel this summer before starting to
work.
BARRIE SEGAL lives in Brooklyn and
is working as a Project Manager for the
Engineering Team at MongoDB, Inc. in
Times Square.
EMILY SUMMERS graduated from
Reed College in 2008 with a bachelor’s
degree in Psychology. Following
graduation from Reed, Emily went
to Bryn Mawr College for a master’s
degree in social work. For the past
three years, she has been living in
Oakland, California and working as a
substance abuse/mental health counselor.
Emily currently is working toward her
California state licensure in clinical
social work.
DANIEL TURNER-EVANS has
returned to the East Coast after living
in California for the last five years while
getting his PhD in Applied Physics. Dan
is researching fruit fly brains in Ashburn,
Virginia at Howard Hughes Medical
Institute’s (HHMI) Janelia Farm. Dan
lives in Arlington, is learning to play
the fiddle, and gets outdoors as much as
possible.
MCALLISTER WINDOM lives in
Durham, North Carolina, one and a
half years into her pediatric residency at
Duke. McAllister is pursuing a career in
pediatric cardiology.
2000
Charles Depman
[email protected]
CHARLES DEPMAN is in China
working at New York University
Shanghai as an Academic Fellow until
the end of May 2014. In his free time,
Charles is studying computer science
and web development.
PHILLIP DOMFEH recently accepted
a job at the Armand Hammer Museum
of Art and Culture Center at UCLA as
their Corporate Relations and Museum
Experience Coordinator.
KIT GALLANT currently is a first
year law student at New York University
School of Law. Previously, he lived
in Jackson, Mississippi where, after
teaching for two years at a high school,
he worked as a community advocate at
the Southern Poverty Law Center.
COURTNEY HOLMES got her
Master of Science degree in occupational
therapy. She passed her boards in April
2013 and moved to Texas at the end of
the summer. She currently is enjoying
her work as an Occupational Therapist
at a skilled nursing facility.
MARCELLA LAWRENCE is working
as an intern for Congresswoman Rosa
DeLauro in her New Haven office. She
also is studying at Gateway Community
College but is in the middle of transfer
applications to continue her study
of Psychology at either Wesleyan
University or Trinity College. She
got married on October 10, 2010 and
her husband is a student at Wesleyan
studying biochemistry.
SPENCER NOYES-LLOYD is
living in Boston, working remotely for
Priceline.com as Regional Revenue
Manager for the Boston market.
He contracts and manages their
hotel supplier accounts and works
with their internal marketing team
on merchandising and site content
initiatives. He often sees Ali Aceto ’00.
HEIDI ROFUTH lives in Washington,
D.C. and continues to see Courtney
Holmes ’00 whenever they happen to be
in the same city.
ALEKS ROMANO is studying and
performing in the opera program at the
Yale School of Music.
CHRIS STEWART currently is the
clinical program coordinator for a
company named TEEG in Thompson,
Connecticut that services lower and
middle-income families and their
children in northeast Connecticut. He
is engaged to be married to Lindsey
Chase, whom he met at Nichols College,
where they both graduated with BSA’s in
Criminal Justice Management.
2001
DAVID HOOGSTRA currently is in
his first year at Wayne State Medical
School.
2002
DET NEWTON is living in
Somerville, Massachusetts and working
as a tennis professional at All Seasons
Tennis in Acton, Massachusetts.
LIZ PETERS is in the second year
of a two year teaching fellowship in
Changsha, China.
2003
NICK ANDREASSI graduated from
Colgate University and currently lives
and works in New York City.
SARAH BATTISTA graduated from
St. Lawrence University with magna cum
laude distinction. She currently works at
Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston,
Massachusetts.
REBECCA EATON graduated from
William Jewel College in Liberty,
Missouri. She earned a Bachelor of Arts
in Political Science.
JOHN EMMET graduated from
Maine Maritime Academy and is living
in Maine. He works as a Mate on Belle
A’venture, a British flagged, classic
wooden Fife ketch sailing yacht built in
1929 in Scotland.
PETER GRECO graduated from
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
and currently is living in Orlando and
working as an Airfield Operations
Specialist at Greater Orlando Aviation
Authority.
25
5/8/14 11:07 AM
JEREMY LOGAN recently graduated
from Gettysburg College.
GREG MONAHAN graduated from
Boston College and currently is living
and working in New York City.
2004
ELIZABETH BYRNE is a senior
at Harvard University and was one of
32 Americans named as 2014 Rhodes
Scholars. The scholarship provides for
two to three years of study at Oxford
University in England. Elizabeth is
majoring in human development and
regenerative biology and plans to study
applied statistics at Oxford. Her main
area of interest is infectious diseases.
Elizabeth has done research and clinical
work at Harvard Medical School,
Massachusetts General Hospital, and
the Center for the AIDS Programme
of Research in South Africa. She went
to South Africa the past two summers
to research hormonal contraceptive use
in the Durban area, which has a high
rate of HIV. Her plans include medical
school and researching infectious
diseases.
EARL LIN is a junior at Wesleyan
College where he is a double major in
history and American studies. He works
at the admissions office as a tour guide
and he is a member of the sailing team.
Earl was involved in hosting the College
Debate Nationals and served as a writing
tutor in the history department.
2006
ROBBIE EMMET is in his sophomore
year at Carlton College and is a Resident
Advisor. He plans on a Statistics/Classics
double major.
2007
MICHAEL BERRY graduated from
Hopkins with Cum Laude distinction.
Michael plays in a rock band, Funk You
Up, which performs frequently at Toad’s
Place in New Haven and elsewhere, and
is enjoying his freshman year at Yale
University.
CLAIRE BRIGHAM recently
graduated from Hamden Hall. She is a
freshman at Dickinson College where
she is a member of the lacrosse team.
MARY HOOGSTRA is a senior
at Calvin College and spent the fall
semester of her junior year in Arequipa,
Peru.
CHRISTOPHER CAPPELLO
graduated from Hopkins and currently
attends Yale University
2005
JARED COOPER-VESPA recently
graduated from Hopkins and currently is
a freshman at Georgetown University.
GABRIELA COOPER-VESPA spent
last summer working as an intern in the
Exhibitions Development Department
at the Field Museum in Chicago. She
currently is a junior at Wellesley College
where she is a member of the swimming
and diving team.
SAM GRECO was re-elected to
the Georgetown University Student
Association Senate and was subsequently
elected to a seat on the Finance and
Appropriations Committee, which is
responsible for allocating over $960,000
in student funding annually.
LILY HOFFMAN graduated from
At the end of her senior year, Lily won
the Helen Hope Barton Prize, awarded
for excellence in English at the twelfth
grade level. Lily currently is a freshman
at Brown University.
SPENCER LOWLICHT graduated
from Hopkins and currently is a
freshman at Lehigh University.
CARA MEYER graduated from
She was named an A.P. Scholar
with Honors and a National Merit
Commended Scholar. Cara was a Senior
Mentor, President of Elm City Girls’
Choir/United Choir School and Student
Conductor of the United Music School.
Cara was named a New Haven Register
Outstanding Student for Hopkins and is
a freshman at Yale University.
MAX PANTALENA graduated from
Hopkins and currently attends Southern
Methodist University.
ELISE POTENZA recently graduated
from Hopkins and currently is a
freshman at Connecticut College.
DOUGLAS SCHAFFER graduated
from Hopkins in June 2013 and
currently is finishing his Post-Graduate
year at Choate. At Hopkins, Douglas
won the Robert Wyant Memorial Award,
given to a senior boy for perseverance
in athletics. Doug will be attending
Williams College in the fall where he
was recruited to play baseball.
MICAH SHARON currently is
studying at Nichols College where he is
a double major in Sports Management
From the Class of ’07
(left to right): Sabra
Stratton, Jared CooperVespa, Max Pantalena,
and Doug Schaffer
at the 2013 Hopkins
graduation.
26
5/8/14 11:07 AM
and Business Communications. He was
named to the Dean’s List for the fall
term. Last June, Micah graduated from
The Oxford Academy in Westbrook,
Connecticut. He received the “Unsung
Hero” award for the 2013 basketball
season at Oxford because of his
keen sense of the game, yet he is an
unselfish player.
SABRA STRATTON graduated from
Hopkins and currently is a freshman at
Scripps College.
2008
BENNETT ROLLINS currently is a
senior at North Haven High School. He
spent two weeks last summer at Brown
University taking a pre-college course
in particle physics. Bennett plays on the
varsity golf team and runs cross country.
Bennett founded the Physics Club at
North Haven High School during his
junior year and was Team Captain at the
Yale Physics Olympics this past fall. He
volunteers at Benhaven, a group home
for autistic adults every Monday evening
and has worked with the same resident
for the past three years. Bennett traveled
to northern Italy last summer and will be
visiting Ireland this spring. Bennett will
be attending Bates College in the fall of
2014, majoring in physics.
SARA SEYMOUR currently is a senior
at Hopkins. She won the Wellesley
Book Award, given to a female student
in the Junior Class with an exceptional
academic record and character, who has
made significant personal contributions
to the school and community.
ABIGAIL SHRADER, a senior at
Hopkins, presented at the 2013 annual
meeting of the American Society of
Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.
Her research poster is entitled: Racial
and economic gap in awareness of lifesaving
HPV vaccine. Abby began work at the
Smilow Cancer Center of Yale New
Haven Hospital in September of 2012.
She brainstormed ideas for a research
project by reading numerous scientific
papers in the area of health, cancer, and
epidemiology. The papers she read
inspired Abby to investigate and compare
the level of awareness of HPV infection
and treatment among different groups.
outstanding leadership. Sanaea recently
attended a Model U.N. Conference
at Yale. She works at the Eli Whitney
Museum on the weekends, and has a redblue belt in Tae-Kwon-Do.
2009
GWYNETH MALOY currently is in
ninth grade at Hopkins where she is a
member of the swim team. Gwyneth
participated in the New England Swim
Championships in March 2014 where
she placed 4th in the 500 Free, 5th
in the 200 Free, 6th in the 200 Free
Relay, and was a member of the 3rd
place 400 Free Relay, which set a new
school record. In 2013 Gwyneth won
the Edgar M. Babbitt Mathematics
Prize, awarded at the junior, middle,
and senior school levels to students
who have done superior work in
mathematics, have shown deep interest
and involvement in mathematics outside
the classroom, and whose ability to
share their enthusiasm has enriched
the mathematics experience of their
classmates. She also was a gold medal
winner in the National Spanish Exam.
SAMUEL BERRY is a junior
at Hopkins. He volunteers for
Breakthrough New Haven, a program
offering academic skills development and
preparation for placement into college
preparatory high school programs to
high potential middle school students
from New Haven public and parochial
schools. Sam also plays in two music
ensembles, Latin Jazz and Rock, at the
Neighborhood Music School.
VICTORIA MCCRAVEN is a junior
at Hopkins. Outside of school, Victoria
plays the harp, volunteers at ConnCAT
mentoring elementary school children,
and works at Jack Willis on Broadway in
New Haven.
2010
EMMA BANKS is a sophomore at
Hopkins where she is captain-elect for
the 2014 Hopkins field hockey team.
Emma also plays varsity basketball.
SPENCER LOVEJOY currently is a
sophomore at Hopkins where he is the
number one player on their squash team.
Spencer is the top-ranked squash player
in the country for the Under 15 Singles
category.
ALEXANDRA MCCRAVEN is in
ninth grade at Hopkins where she
won the DPH Sportsmanship Award,
awarded to a member of the Junior
School who always has a positive attitude
and is a real team player. As a player
on the CT CFC Elite Clubs National
League, an elite nationwide travel soccer
league, Alexandra travels throughout the
United States playing soccer games and
tournaments.
2012
2011
SANAEA BHAGWAGAR currently
is a freshman at Hopkins where she
serves on the Student Council, writes
for the school newspaper, and plays field
hockey and basketball. Last year, Sanaea
performed in the Hopkins Piano Tea
Concert and participated in the State
Championships for the Middle School
Science Bowl. She won the Simeon
E. Baldwin Leadership Award, given
to a student in the junior school for
ANNIE BANKS is in the eighth grade
at Hopkins where she plays on the field
hockey and varsity basketball teams.
HENRY HAYDEN is an eighth grader
at Hamden Hall. He continues to pursue
his passions of singing, sailing, and
playing the oboe. In his 6th year with
the Trinity Men and Boys Choir, he has
transitioned to the Men’s Choir. For
the second year in a row, Henry won
MVP for sailing. He will compete in
his third international regatta for Team
27
5/8/14 11:07 AM
USA in April in Lake Garda, Italy. He
was excited to win the Connecticut
Music Educators Association (CMEA)
regionals for Oboe and was principal
oboist in the Regional Festival
Orchestra. Henry looks forward to
attending Deerfield Academy in the fall.
ZACHARIAH PINE MAHER is an
eighth grader at Foote where he is a
member of the Environmental Action
Group. Outside of school, Zach swims,
plays squash, piano, and works at the Eli
Whitney Museum.
OLIVIA SCHAFFER is an eighth
grader at Hopkins where she plays
soccer and squash.
ALEXANDRA SCHEVE attends
Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto,
California. Ally continues to play the
flute and soccer.
LILLY TIPTON is in the eighth grade
at Hopkins. This past fall, Lilly earned
All-New England Prep School Track
Association (NEPSTA) honors as a
member of the Girls Cross Country
team and qualified for the All-Star Race.
BENJAMIN LEVINE attends Hopkins
where he was one of four seventh graders
to make the squash team this winter.
He also played football in the fall and is
playing lacrosse in the spring. Ben was
on the A team for the National Science
Bowl at the University of Connecticut;
the one seventh grader on the A team.
TONY LEWIS is in seventh grade at
Foote School where he participates in
Model Congress, chorus, and the school
play. Tony also is a member of Foote’s
soccer, basketball, and baseball teams.
Outside of school, Tony plays golf and
tennis and enjoys biking, boating, and
traveling.
THALIA PITTI attends Worthington
Hooker School where she is having
a great time playing the xylophone,
baritone horn, and ukulele in their
band. Thalia received a school award
in music for baritone horn and ukulele
and will perform and compete with
other school bands at Lake Compounce
later this year. She won a silver medal
for a district history competition and
will compete at the state level this April
in Hartford. Thalia also is learning
Chinese and Hungarian.
ANNA SATHER is thriving in her
new school and enjoying her life in Old
Lyme.
THEODORE TELLIDES is in
seventh grade at Hopkins where he
competed in the regional competition of
the National Science Bowl in February,
is a member of the Math Counts team,
and is participating in the junior school
musical, Peter Pan. Theo is a member
of the soccer and wrestling teams at
Hopkins. He recently was awarded a
silver medal for his weight group at a
wrestling match.
LIANA TILTON is having a great
time at Hopkins. She participates
in gymnastics outside of school and
continues to play the piano and oboe.
2014
BENJAMIN SCHEVE attends Jordan
Middle School in Palo Alto, California.
Ben enjoys trombone, piano, lacrosse,
and squash.
2013
Liana Tilton
[email protected]
SOPHIA CAPOBIANCO is enjoying
seventh grade at Hopkins, has made lots
of friends, and loves to play squash.
PRISCILLA EHRGOOD is in seventh
grade at Hopkins where she is in the
junior school chorus and is participating
in the junior school musical, Peter Pan.
Her article, “Being a New SeventhGrader,” was featured in the Hilltopper’s
Guide to the Galaxy. Priscilla is training
for a national Tae Kwon Do tournament.
She will be spending three weeks this
summer at an acting camp in France.
ERIN ELLBOGEN attends Hopkins
and is participating in the junior school
musical, Peter Pan.
Class Correspondents are committed and loyal alumni who represent their
individual class years. They are some of our most valuable volunteers. The job
requirements are simple — a minimal time commitment and an interest in
keeping in touch with your classmates and friends.
What does a Class Correspondent do? Communicate on a regular basis with
classmates; either via letter, email, or social networking sites (this is facilitated
by the School’s Development Office) to gather accurate contact information
as well as news for publication in The Balloon.
Interested in being a Class Correspondent? Contact Miriam Battista,
Development and Communication Director, at [email protected]
or 203-776-2123, Ext. 22.
Information also can be posted on St. Thomas’s Day School’s website,
www.stthomasday.org, by clicking on the Alumni link.
St. Thomas’s Day School Alumni
28
5/8/14 11:07 AM
Graduates 2013
Annie Lynn Acquavita – Dodd Middle School
Tilden Elizabeth Brooks – The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine
Sophia Nicole Capobianco – Hopkins
Clare Frances Chemery – Hopkins
Audrey Elinor Dunlap – Hamden Hall
Priscilla Park Ehrgood – Hopkins
Erin Elizabeth Ellbogen – Hopkins
Sage-Nakai Massimiliano Giacomini – Hamden Hall
Connor Heslin Hartigan – Hopkins
Nia Aaliyah Jones – Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet
Benjamin Henry Levine – Hopkins
Anthony Robert Lewis – Foote School
Dylan Prescott Maloy – Hopkins
Ana Katherine Panagrossi – Hamden Hall
Connor Eugene Pignatello – Foote School
Antonio Malik Pitti – Worthington Hooker
Thalia María Pitti – Worthington Hooker
Henry Franklin Ruger – Germantown Friends School
Anna Ruth Sather – Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School
Theodore Aaron Tellides – Hopkins
Liana GuiHua Tilton – Hopkins
Andres Alfredo Vece – Hopkins
29
5/8/14 11:07 AM
St. Thomas’s
Day School
Non Profit
US Postage
PAID
New Haven CT
Permit #350
830 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
Annual Spring Gala
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Mark your calendars for this year’s spring gala, A Night in
the Caribbean, which will be held on Saturday, May 10 at the
School. Enjoy dinner from Soul de Cuba Cafe of New Haven,
cocktails, and music along with live and silent auctions.
NYC Alumni/ae Gathering
First New Haven Alumni Event
New Haven Alumni/ae Gathering
Friday, May 30, 2014
St. Thomas’s Day School’s first New Haven area alumni
reception will be held at 116 Crown in New Haven on Friday,
May 30 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Join us for an evening of celebrating
and reconnecting with friends, classmates, and faculty.
Friday, May 16, 2014
New York City area alumni, alumni parents, and friends are
invited to a reception at The Yale Club on Friday, May 16 from
6:30-8:30 p.m. with Head of School, Gina Panza and other
faculty and staff from St. Thomas’s Day School.
Graduation
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Graduation is a very special day for the sixth graders at
St. Thomas’s. The service takes place in the Chapel at 10:00 am.
Grade 6 Play
Thursday, May 22, 2014
The Grade 6 Play, The Wizard of Oz, will be presented on
Thursday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Please contact Miriam Battista at St. Thomas’s Day School
with any questions about these events at
[email protected] or 203-776-2123.
5/8/14 11:07 AM

Spring 2014 - St. Thomas`s Day School

Transcription

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