Read Issue - Frankford Friends School

Frankford Friends School
The joy of lifelong learning takes root in childhood.
REFLECTIONS
FOCUS ON THE FUTURE Strategic Planning Gathers Momentum
In service of all the values, memories, and
possibilities cherished at Frankford Friends School, a
new strategic planning process launched in 2012. The
work will revise and build upon the previous plan,
2007-2013, which shaped many successful initiatives
that built and improved the school’s programs and
capacity. The new plan focuses on the next three
years, beginning in September, 2013.
Two all-day Strategic Planning Workshops
were held last winter. Led by consultant Glenn
Ravdin, with the support of an anonymous donor and
the Friends Council on Education’s Ravdin Fund, the
workshops included over 35 current and former
parents, teachers, grandparents, alumni, and School
Committee and Meeting members.
The process began with a review of the results
of surveys that were sent to hundreds of school
constituents in the fall. Workshop participants
organized and prioritized hundreds of goals, ideas,
wishes and dreams for the school expressed by more
than a hundred survey respondents.
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
In January, a smaller Strategic Planning
Steering Committee, co-clerked by alumni parent/
Frankford Meeting member Peg Szczurek and FFS
parent/School Committee member Hannelore
Fineman, began work to transform these dreams into
a manageable list of primary “Tactics” in each of nine
strategic areas. The Steering Committee members
include:
Carol Beaton
Penny Colgan-Davis
Monique Dawson
Hannelore Fineman, co-clerk
Megan Forrestal
Paul Hicks
Joanna Nova
Amy O’Leary
Darree Palmer
Brian Sullivan
Peg Szczurek, co-clerk
Continued on next page
Spring 2013
2
Workshop participants wrangled hundreds of responses into nine broad strategic areas, with the help of dialogue,
consensus, and post-it notes. (photos by Paul Hicks)
Strategic Planning Gathers Momentum
Continued from front page
A call for volunteers from Teacher Penny
formed new committees around each strategic
area. The committees, have begun meeting to
propose action steps and timelines for each of the
identified Tactics, focusing on the first year of the
plan.
The nine strategic areas and each
accompanying vision, along with those clerking
the committees are:
ACCREDITATION (clerk: Penny ColganDavis): Accreditation by PAIS, a year-long
process, will address multiple program and
curriculum-related goals.
DIVERSITY (clerk: Tayibah Bemiah): Frankford
Friends School has a student population, faculty,
and school committee that reflect the diversity of
the community at large.
FINANCIAL STABILITY (co-clerks: Carol
Beaton and Amy O’Leary): Frankford Friends
School is financially sound.
FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS AND
COMMUNICATION (clerk: Darree Palmer):
Frankford Friends School fosters healthy
relationships within its school community and also
robust, reciprocal relationships with key
educational and community groups.
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
GOVERNANCE (clerk: Peg Szczurek): Build the
governance capacity of the School Committee and its
ability to provide effective oversight and leadership.
IMPROVE CAMPUS (co-clerks: Monique Dawson
and Paul Hicks/Facilities, Martha Sharples/Landscape,
and Amy O’Leary/Technology): Frankford Friends
School improves its campus and establishes facilities
that are fresh and well-cared for and that have the
flexibility to meet the needs of the entire school
community including, (in order of priority): students,
faculty and staff, meeting members and the surrounding community.
RICH CURRICULUM (clerk: Penny Colgan-Davis):
The Frankford Friends School’s curriculum and
instruction incorporate rich, rigorous, and relevant
academic techniques with Quaker educational
practices.
STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION (coclerks: Penny Colgan-Davis and Carol Beaton):
Frankford Friends School provides our staff with
competitive salaries and benefits and excellent support
for all that they need in their work.
STRENGTHEN QUAKER PRINCIPLES (clerk:
Jesse White): Frankford Friends School strengthens its
embodiment of Quaker spiritual principles.
(continued on page 3)
Spring 2013
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Upcoming Events
Spring Concerts
May 16, 2013 @ 12:30 pm
May 17, 2013 @ 9:00 am
Strategic Planning Gathers Momentum
Continued from page 2
Spring Fair
May 18, 2013
10 am to 3 pm
Family Fun for Everyone!
Games, Food, Bake Sale, Activities and Fun for Everyone!
Heritage Day
June 9, 2013
It’s not too late to join a committee
and help shape the future of Frankford
Friends School! We’d love to have more
participation from alumni and their parents,
friends in the Quaker community, and others.
You don’t have to be located in the Philadelphia
area to participate, as we are managing the
project online. Please contact Penny at
pcolgan‑[email protected] if you are
interested in serving on a committee.
We are extremely grateful for the service
of all who have participated in the process thus
far, including the survey respondents,
workshop participants, Steering Committee
members, and those who are clerking and
serving on strategic committees. When a solid
draft emerges from this process, it will be made
available to all in the school community.
Guiding principles for communication
during the workshops
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
Graduation
June 13, 2013
In this Issue. . . . . . .
Strategic Planning
Gathers Momentum
Cover
Story
Classroom Impressions
Page 4
Focus on the Future
Page 5
The Hot Dog Man
Page 5
Winter Brunch
Page 6
Spirit on Your Wall
Page 7
Giving Report
Page 9
Alumni News
Page 11
Spring 2013
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Impressions
The PreK has just completed their study of
maps by reading Rosie’s Walk and then drawing
maps of what they observed when they walked
around the school. The maps are posted outside their
classroom. They have now turned their
attention to Community Helpers and will visit the
Library, 3rd Federal Bank, the Post Office and
Leandro’s Pizza.
The Kindergarten visited the Philadelphia Zoo. Tr.
Erin and Mariann proudly report that their
students are almost all reading, love/love/love books,
and are learning place value in math!
The 1st graders have begun their service project,
Alex’s Lemonade Stand. Each week they make and
serve cups of lemonade to students in the school, adding up the number for each grade,
figuring out the mix, and making the lemonade.
2nd graders worked on writing projects All About
books! Topics included flowers, bearded dragons,
the Presidents of the United States, Mind Craft (a
video game), insects, snakes, etc. Also learning
about communities and getting ready to launch Kid
Town where students create their own “town” and go
shopping at each other’s stores for clothes,
groceries, etc., using classroom cash!
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
3rd and 4th grades visited The Wycke House and
Johnson House for lessons on life in colonial times
and the Underground Railroad.
5th grade completed their study of the Holocaust
with a visit from Kurt Hermann, a man who was
on the first Kindertransport to the U.S. (He was
featured in a documentary that was just shown on
HBO.) They’re currently dissecting owl pellets as
part of their bird study and will begin preparing for
their Science Fair.
6th through 8th grades just presented their productions of “Hamlet.” The video will be out soon.
7th and 8th graders have begun their Art for
Social Change projects and visited the
Philadelphia Museum of Art to make their gallery
presentations. The 6th grade Junior Plant
Scientists have started the seeds for the vegetable
garden at Stapeley in Germantown, planted two
native trees (a Serviceberry and a Red-bud
Dogwood) which we received from the
PhillyTrees program for our new play space , and
worked on their entries for the Junior Flower
Show.
Spring 2013
5
FOCUS ON THE FUTURE:
Campus Upgrade and New Look in the Works!
Exciting projects are developing that will give
the school a refreshed look, additional facilities, and a
new brand to reflect all the changes that have been
happening lately, and to tie it all together.
The new building (the Trickey building) is
complete save for the front fencing, now being
fabricated to match the historic wrought iron fence
through the generosity and talent of Adam Cramer (dad
of Max, 3rd grade), and the landscaping, which is
waiting for the fencing, among other things.
Finally, Studio Z Design, a prominent firm
owned by Rachel Zimmerman and John Boyko
(parents of Ivan, 1st grade), has been generously providing pro bono design work to refresh the school’s
brand and redesign all printed and online materials.
The project has been ongoing for several months; we
expect to unveil the new brand before school starts
in the fall. Many thanks to Rachel, John, and the talented and friendly staff at Studio Z!
It was also Adam Cramer who welded all the
broken spots on the Penn Street fence. In the words of
Facilities Manager Paul Hicks (dad of Shay, FFS ’11),
“It’s the devotion of our committed parents
volunteering their time that makes Frankford Friends
School a wonderful place to be. Thank you Adam for
your dedication and for helping us make the school a
safer place!”
Another project is underway to design new
signage not only for the Trickey Building but for the
whole campus, helping to tie the old and new parts of
campus together visually and upgrade old signs in
disrepair. The project will include donor recognition
plaques at the Trickey Building.
If you’ve heard the rumors, it’s true: the school
was recently able to acquire the small row house at the
end of Gillingham Street, directly adjacent to the old
school building (the Farley Building). The new property
will be used to provide administrative offices and a new
home for the library, as well as additional storage space.
Moving the library will allow for future modest
expansion of its capacity, as well as freeing up
much-needed space in the Farley Building.
While the house was purchased for a song, it
needs extensive renovation, which we’re hoping to fund
through grants. We’re working once again with the
architects at DIGSAU, who did such beautiful work on
the Trickey Building. The vision for the Gillingham
Street house is to create a comfortable, safe, secure and
attractive space, integrated visually and functionally
into the campus.
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
Do you know
the Hot Dog Man?
2,500 + D & W Beef Hot Dogs! Thank you Jim
Devlin our Hot Dog Day Sponsor for the last 5
years! Jim is Michael Mancini’s uncle (8th grader)
and he has generously provided hot dogs for our
monthly food Thursdays, Spring Fairs and other
occasions. Jim’s motto “I’ll do it as long as I can ,
it’s for the kids”. We all thank you from the
bottom of our hearts.
Sincerely,
FFS Home and School Committee
Spring 2013
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photos by Mary Maimone
THANK YOU EVERYONE for a wonderful 2013 Winter Brunch/Silent Auction at beautiful
Knowlton Mansion! Because of your generosity, we raised nearly $10,000 for the Annual Fund this year!
SPECIAL THANKS to our auction donors, to Teacher Victoria, to the volunteers, and to our generous sponsors:
BHG Consulting Inc.
Engineers THE O’NEILL-DIETEL FAMILY
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
THE FINEMAN FAMILY
Spring 2013
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Winter Brunch PUT SOME FFS SPIRIT ON YOUR WALL!
Continued from page 6 Please don’t miss an opportunity to thank our very
generous auction item donors for their support of
Frankford Friends School!
The Abbaye
Rubén Amaro, Jr. ’77
Bodhi Coffee
Copabanana
Darling’s Diner
Derek's Manayunk
Federal Donuts
Artist Tom Judd
Il Cantuccio
Beth and Ray Kljajic
Lucky Strike Bowling
Mary and Frank Maimone
Modo Mio
Morning Glory Diner
North Bowl
North Third
Philadelphia Brewing Co.
Redwood American Bistro
Rustica
Standard Tap
Lee Trickey This beautiful poster was made this year by FFS children with
Teacher Victoria’s help. The original was offered at the 2013
Winter Brunch as a prize for the winner of a rousing game of
Frankford Friends School Bingo. Alice Childs, grandmother of 1st
grader Aiden Childs, won the poster, which now hangs on Aiden’s
wall. So many people admired the poster and asked for copies that we
had high-quality printed reproductions made. The posters are 36” x
24” and are available for $20 each. All proceeds from poster sales
will support equipment for our new inquiry-focused science program.
To order, please send $20 + $6 shipping to
Rummage Sale raises $1,600
Frankford Friends School
1500 Orthodox Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
or use the enclosed response envelope.
Make checks payable to Frankford Friends School and write “poster”
in the memo field.
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
Spring 2013
8
Giving Report 2012
Frankford Friends School gratefully acknowledges the generosity of its many supporters. Your
thoughtful stewardship allows many children to experience life-changing Friends education.
The “Honor Roll” – Consecutive Years of Support
We are delighted to recognize consistent, long‐term support of the school, acknowledging donors
who have given at least once a year for the past three, five, or seven consecutive years, including
2012. We deeply appreciate the generosity of these steadfast friends of the school!
Seven or More Consecutive
Years of Support
Five Consecutive
Years of Support
Anonymous
Rubén Amaro, Jr. ’77
Judith Amaro-Perez
Thomas and Patricia Ambler
Bruce and Carol Beaton
Paul and Susan Bonila
George and Jamie Braun
Carol Corson
Fritz Dietel and Kathy O'Neill
John and Eileen Firmani
Matt and Megan
Forrestal-Stalker ’81
Sharon and Barry Gessner ’70
Rod and Maddie Griffin
Joe Hohenstein ’79 and
Brandi Mazick
Frank Keaney and Phyllis Sabol
James and Betty Lennon
Richard and Sandra Malkin
Gary and Nancy Miller
Marion Parkinson and
Peg Szczurek
Brett Rhode ’73
Rose Russell and
Michael DePue
Carol Spawn
Elizabeth and Ramsey Thorp ’47
Kathleen Woloszczuk
Phyllis Babcock
Deborah Cooper
Joe and Joyce Curry
Fran Devine and
Fayez El-Gabalawi
Andrew and
Hannelore Fineman
Linda Gabriel
Ruth Greenberger
Louis and Arlene Gritz
John C. Hoffmeier ’58
John Izenour and Huyen Tran
Ed and Ann Kantor
Mike Kokayko and Dana Fite
Carolyn McCoy and
William Sanderson
Paul Riley
Carol Spawn
Lee and Jane Taylor ’47
Joe and Jenifer Trachtman
Cecelia Traugh and Andy Doan
Doreen Velnich
Three Consecutive
Years of Support
Elaine Ballengee
Theodore and Delores Bohn
Gloria Ruszkiewicz Brown
and Stephanie Gill
Rebecca and Michael Bubb ’97
Penny and John Colgan-Davis
Dan Dailey ’58
Dorothy Dalton
Terry and Carol Farley
Helen and Jerry Freilich ’60
Green Street Monthly Meeting
Gwynedd Monthly Meeting
Jean Haskell
Marion Heacock
Thomas and Jean Hunsberger
Susan Kardevan Chapman ’65
Todd Kline and Patrice Gammon
Marta Kvande ’84
Rev. Raymond M. and
Mrs. Alexa B. Kvande
Alan and Susan Levin
Judy Louie ’70
Stanley and Elizabeth Magurczek
Frank and Mary Maimone
Antonio Martinez and
Juana Guerrero
Joan McIlvaine
Darree Palmer and Tom Heal
Ted and Carole Palmer
Paul and Delores Pavlishin
Amy Silver O'Leary
Tara and Jeffrey Skolnik
Setsu and Tohio Tsuruta
Unity Monthly Meeting
Lois Weaver
Lawrence Weisberg and
Rebecca Johnson
Larry and Karen Woodward
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE FFS ANNUAL FUND?
In addition to supporting equipment purchases and other critical needs, the Annual Fund allows the School Committee
to honor its strategic goal of providing our staff with competitive salaries and benefits. Faculty salaries and benefits
have increased substantially over the last five years. (In fact, for 2012-13, our faculty salaries are comparable to those
at Friends schools with similar enrollment, while our tuition is by far the lowest.) Although enrollment is a factor in
this effort, Annual Fund contributions help to smooth out the impact of enrollment trends over time. www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
Spring 2013
Gifts to the Building Fund – 2012
Gifts to the Annual Fund – 2012
9
Mahmoud Abdul-Basir
Ruben Amaro, Jr. ’77
Judith Amaro-Perez
Phyllis Babcock
Florence Battis Mini
Paul and Susan Bonila
Grace Cannon
Penny and John Colgan-Davis
Carol Corson
Dan Dailey ’58
Dorothy Dalton
Terry Norman ’81
Jack and Pauline Dickstein
Bud and Nancy Ennis
Andrew and Hannelore Fineman
John and Eileen Firmani
Matt and Megan Forrestal-Stalker ’81
Helen and Jerry Freilich ’60
Carole Golub and Ron Stern
Green Street Monthly Meeting of Friends
Louis and Arlene Gritz
3rd Federal Bank
Anonymous Foundation
Jennifer Tiffany and David Amaro ’74
Thomas and Patricia Ambler
Dean and Julia Anderson
Hector Ayala and Maritza Cruz-Ayala
Elaine Ballengee
Richard and Shirley Bansen
Bruce and Carol Beaton
Betsy Berger
Mark and Melissa Berkey-Gerard
Theodore and Delores Bohn
George and Jamie Braun
Gloria Ruszkiewicz Brown and Stephanie Gill
Patricia Brunker
Rebecca and Michael Bubb ’97
Patricia Callahan
Alice Childs
Carol Clark
Deborah Cooper
Fern Culhane
Joe and Joyce Curry
Dorothy Dalton
Victoria Davis and Chris Myers
Rose Russell and Michael DePue
Fritz Dietel and Kathy O'Neill
Bill and Linda Dietel
Bethann and Anthony DiGiovanni
Anthony and Noel Diorio
Melissa Elliott and Robert G. Smith
Joe and Carolyn Evans
Terry and Carol Farley
Andrew and Hannelore Fineman
Matt and Megan Forrestal-Stalker ’81
Linda Gabriel
Stephen Gershenson
Sharon and Barry Gessner ’70
Collin and Ashley Gleason
Ruth Greenberger
Dale House Gress ’52 and Jay Gress II
James and Joan Griffies
Rod and Maddie Griffin
Lillian Gross
Justine Gudenas
John and Brenda Hadfield ’81
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
Gwynedd Monthly Meeting
John Hepp
Meg Hilles Lunde ’55
John C. Hoffmeier ’58
Frank Keaney and Phyllis Sabol
John and Debbie Klak
Rev. Raymond M. and
Mrs. Alexa B. Kvande
Thor Kvande ’82
Judy Louie ’70
Jane MacDougall-Stubenbord ’51
Stanley and Elizabeth Magurczek
Richard and Sandra Malkin
Lynne Malloy
Elaine and Lawrence Mason, Jr. ’64
Marion and Jack McGovern ’70
Gary and Nancy Miller
James Mini
Nancy Dehne Myers ’51
David and Tricia Neale
Andrew and Farah Nelson
Helene Hadfield
Jean Haskell
Marion Heacock
Joe Hohenstein ’79 and Brandi Mazick
Bobbie Horowitz
Edward Huber
Thomas and Jean Hunsberger
Roger & Siobhan Ideishi
John Izenour & Huyen Tran
Tom Judd and Kiki Gaffney
Ed and Ann Kantor
Susan Kardevan Chapman ’65
Sam & Lina Khalifa
Bill Kilpatrick
Todd Kline and Patrice Gammon
Mike Kokayko and Dana Fite
Marta Kvande, ’84
Ameke Ladd Fitzgerald ’88
James and Betty Lennon
Alan and Susan Levin
Natalie Levin ’83
Judy Garfield Lipson ’60
Frank & Mary Maimone
Richard and Sandra Malkin
Alex Malkin ’98
Antonio Martinez and Juana Guerrero
Samantha and Raul Martinez
William and Deborah McConomy
Carolyn McCoy and William Sanderson
Joan McIlvaine
Daniel and Siobhan McVay
Greg Moore
Judy Murphy ’52
Sarah O'Connor
Jerry and Marilyn Owen
Darree Palmer and Tom Heal
Marion Parkinson and Peg Szczurek
Paul and Delores Pavlishin
Joan Reese
Sam Rhoads
Brett Rhode ’73
David Rhode ’76
Paul Riley
Kathy Callahan and Gordon Rodgers
Vincent and Caecilie Romano
Matt Pappajohn and Catherine Recker
Marion Parkinson and Peg Szczurek
David and Mary Reed
Ann Riggan
Marla Rosenberg ’69
Martha Sharples and William Daniels
Tom and Joanne Sharpless
Amy Silver O'Leary
C. Craig Smith Jr.
Carol Spawn
Brian Sullivan
Ramsey and Elizabeth Thorp ’47
Joe and Jenifer Trachtman
John van der Water ’54
Ted and Marcia Wasserman
Lawrence Weisberg and Rebecca Johnson
Karen Winner
Kathleen Woloszczuk
In memory of Margaret P. Trickey:
Marjorie and Clifford Pensyl
William Samuel and Jean Rodenberger
Craig SanPietro
Thomas and Pearl Santilli
Vera Schorr
Ruth and Robert Seeley
Martha Sharples and William Daniels
Amy Silver O'Leary
Leslie and Iris Silverman
Tara and Jeffrey Skolnik
Stephen Soll ’72
Carol Spawn
Jane and Lee Taylor ’47
Jeffrey and Amy Taylor
Ted and Carole Palmer
Joe and Jenifer Trachtman
Cecelia Traugh and Andy Doan
Setsu and Tohio Tsuruta
UBS Matching Gift Program
Unity Monthly Meeting
Doreen Velnich
Ted Wasserman
Grace B. Watt
Lois Weaver
Anita Weber-Cary and Mark Cary
Lawrence Weisberg and Rebecca Johnson
Stephanie White ’92
Paul and Georgia Whitson
Leon Wiener ’76
Donna Wilhelm
Kathleen Woloszczuk
Larry and Karen Woodward
In honor of Ben Ainslie:
Donah Zack Beale
In honor of Betty Louise Claypoole Boyko
and John Boyko:
John Boyko and Rachel Zimmerman
In honor of Hannelore Fineman:
Brian Samelson / eMaint
In honor of Mildred Thorp Soast:
Marcia Soast and Kevin Walker
In memory of Margaret P. Trickey:
Penny and John Colgan-Davis
Doris Holmes
Fran Devine and Fayez El-Gabalawi
10
Gifts for Programs
Anonymous - in support of the Music Program
Fritz Dietel and Kathy O'Neill - in support of the Library Program and classrooms
Ed and Ann Kantor – for the 8th grade class trip, in honor of Jason Kantor’s graduation
Gifts for Scholarships
FFS has the lowest tuition of any Friends School in the region. Even so, the full tuition is out of reach
of many FFS families. With the support of generous donors, businesses, and foundations, we provide financial aid to families who cannot afford the entire tuition. The need for financial aid in most years is still beyond what we can provide. We are very grateful to the following for their support:
Adelphi Education Trust (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting)
The Black Alliance for Educational Options, Philadelphia Chapter
Bridge Educational Foundation, Inc.
Brinton Fiduciary Scholarship Fund
Children's Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia
Education Committee of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting
Frankford Friends School Fiduciary Scholarship Fund
Friends Council on Education
Friends Council on Education/The Emlen Institution
Friends Education Fund of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Frankford Friends School’s Home & School League
Julia Hulton Memorial Scholarship Fund (Frankford Monthly Meeting)
The Quaker Inner City School Endowment Fund (QICSEF)
Republic Bank
The Elizabeth Taylor Fund
Unity Monthly Meeting
White Richardson Fund of Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting
The Wyatt Wistar Brown Scholarship Fund
We have made every effort to ensure that the information in this report is accurate and complete. However, errors do occur,
and for this we apologize in advance. If we have inadvertently overlooked your 2012 contribution or if you should be listed
as an Honor Roll member and your name has been omitted or listed incorrectly, please let us know!
Notify Amy O’Leary at 215-533-5368 x120 or [email protected].
HOW TO STAY CONNECTED TO FRANKFORD FRIENDS SCHOOL:
JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST to receive occasional major news or event notices. Sign up at
www.FrankfordFriendsSchool.org. Unsubscribe or change your email address at any time by clicking a link at the
bottom of any email.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK at www.facebook.com/FrankfordFriendsSchool. You do NOT need to be a member of
Facebook to view our page, where you can browse photo galleries, see student artwork, keep up with recent news, and
communicate with families, staff, and alumni.
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST/UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS to receive this newsletter, invitations to events, and
occasional other mailings. Visit www.FrankfordFriendsSchool.org and see “Alumni/share your contact info,” or email/
mail Amy O’Leary (see below).
SHARE YOUR NEWS by sending it to Amy O’Leary, or visit www.FrankfordFriendsSchool.org and see the
“Alumni/share your news” page.
VISIT THE SCHOOL where we love to show visitors around the campus and introduce our wonderful students and
teachers!
ATTEND EVENTS such as concerts, fairs, celebrations and other events which you will hear about through email,
Facebook, and mail by doing all of the above!
To change your address, add someone to the mailing list, share your news, or schedule a visit, please contact Amy
O’Leary, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, at 215-533-5368 x120, [email protected],
or write Amy at the school address.
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
Spring 2013
11
FFS Alumni and Community News
John van der Water ’54 writes, “Enjoying retirement LOVING California - would love to hear from others in the
esteemed Class of 1954! (Hey Teddy, you out there?!?)”
Meg (Hilles) Lunde ’55 writes, "My husband Erik retired
from Michigan State University (he was a professor) and I
retired from my position as a career counselor. Our daughter
Beth is an actress, director, and professor in Hershey, PA.
Our son Rob works in management for VW living in Detroit.
Beth's husband is in advertising in Harrisburg. We have a 13
year old grandson."
Joan (Mohr) Gorga ’56 writes that she recently retired after
43 years in Massachusetts State Government in health planning and regulation of public health. She attended Mount
Holyoke College and lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Fred Gross ’61 is a clinical professor and practitioner in
Chicago. He attended Union College (BS), University of
Illinois, Chicago (MSW), and Loyola University Chicago
(PhD). Fred’s mother Lillian was a teacher at FFS for 25
years; all five of his siblings are alumni. He reports he is
alive and well. He wrote us on December 24 that he was
“Celebrating Christmas in Chicago with my first grandchild,
Cora Francis, born Halloween, 2011.” Congratulations to
Fred and to Lillian!
Beth (Weiner) Cohen Pfeiffer ‘71 Facebooked, “I still look
back on those developmental years as so special and would
like to give back!” Beth still lives in the area and sells Arbonne Health and Wellness products.
Josephine Laskowski ’85 posted this
1985 clipping on our Facebook page
We were delighted to see a segment on NBC Nightly News
featuring David Rhode ‘76! The nonprofit he founded and
runs, "Pitch In for Baseball," helped restart Little League in a
town ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
Dennis Dougherty ’82 is an IT Executive living in Colorado. He attended Dickinson College after Penn Charter.
Dennis was married in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1998. He
enjoys snowboarding and mountain biking and is dad to son
Denis, 10, and daughter Nuala, 4.
We were happy to hear from Anda (Lecce) Schreiner, who
would have graduated with the class of ’86 but left FFS when
she moved to Georgia and later Texas. Anda is a VP at Hudson Advisors in Dallas. She received a BS in Biomedical
Science from Texas A&M University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Texas.
Shelle (Frantum) Diem ’94 writes that she is a hairstylist
and musician. “I went to Temple University after Community College of Philadelphia, but didn't complete my degree.
I've been a hair stylist for 12 years. Although the profession
isn't generally considered an academic achievement, I truly
love it. Frankford Friends was a place where I was further
instilled the importance of art, music, and that happiness is
an important factor in life. I love my job; it doesn't feel like
work at all. Being called an artist by clients, and having clients from out of state and in some cases other countries is an
amazing feeling. I went on to get an associate degree in business from CCP, and take coursera classes online for fun. I've
played in bands since high school, and looking back, FFS
devoting so much time to music and the arts really helped me
appreciate all aspects of it. Even if I didn't realize it at the
time, as an adult, I was so lucky to go to such a wonderful
school. I currently work at an upscale salon in Rittenhouse
Square, and play bass in a local band for fun. I love my life,
and I love learning, and look back on Frankford Friends
with nothing but fond memories. I’m so thankful my parents
sent me there, and when I have children of my own, I can
only hope I will be able to do the same for them.” Thank you
Shelle!
Congratulations to Richard George ’04, who graduated with
a degree in Sport and Recreation Management from Temple
University! He's working for the Phillies.
Spring 2013
12
FR AN K FOR D FR I E ND S SC HO OL
1500 Orthodox Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
Phone: 215-533-5368
Fax: 215-533-5523
Making a difference in Quaker Education since 1833!
www.frankfordfriendsschool.org
Spring 2013