here - St. Thomas`s Day School
Transcription
here - St. Thomas`s Day School
TheBall on St. Thomas’s Day School Magazine for Alumni, Parents & Friends • Spring 2015 2015 SCIENCE FESTIVAL Exploring, Investigating, and Discovering contents Spring 2015 1 Message from Head of School, Gina Panza 3 Meet the New Members of the Board of Managers 4 Alumni Events 8Accreditation 11 New Teachers 12 Spring Gala 14 In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community 18 Class of 2008: Where Are They Now? 19 Retirement Celebrations 20 Alumni Notes 28 Class of 2014 29 Legacy Society Cover: Fifth grade students share their Science Festival projects with Kindergartners. Additional Photography: Jenna McNamee and Andrew Koh A Message from Gina Panza, Head of St. Thomas’s Day School The strength and success of St. Thomas’s Day School emanates from our powerful mission statement. It is the polestar that has guided us through seasons of change and growth. Over the years a great deal has changed, but the core values that bind us together as a diverse community working together to educate children broadly by cultivating intelligence while engaging heart and spirit endure. As we celebrate the success of our CAIS Decennial Reaccreditation, we look to the future with excited anticipation. This past October, the CAIS Visiting Committee commended the St. Thomas’s Day School community for their commitment to its mission. The Committee was struck by the power of our mission, awed by our children and our program! They recognized our students to be living examples of our commitment to character education. They observed kindness and empathy in the way our students interacted with one another and their teachers, and they identified our school as a diverse and welcoming learning community, where children from a variety of cultures and religions are celebrated. The Visiting Committee recognized St. Thomas’s Day School as a lively place where children are actively engaged in learning, where the special qualities of childhood — exuberance, a sense of wonder, imagination, creativity and innovation — are nurtured while promoting academic excellence through a dynamic, supportive, and structured program. They recognized and commended us for our ability to come together as a community to work collaboratively in support of our students. Dynamic and meaningful experiences highlighted the 2014-2015 school year. Every facet of our community was engaged in a wide range of fascinating activities and new initiatives. Community outreach was front and center in the minds of our children. How proud I am of our sixth graders for kicking off their first annual Small Change for Big Changes school-wide penny drive this past fall! This project based learning experience provided our children with a unique opportunity to support a local charity of their own choosing. Our sixth graders also led the School’s efforts to raise funds as part of New Haven’s Ebola Drive in support of Freetown, Sierra Leone, New Haven’s sister city. These new initiatives are in addition to our traditional community outreach that includes the ongoing food and clothing drives to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry; toy, hat, and mitten drives in support of Farnam Neighborhood House; and our students donating their time and energy in support of Sunday in the Park, which provides funds to support, maintain, and restore Edgerton Park. We were the first school nationwide to participate in a special learning opportunity at Yale University. Our sixth graders were invited to join the Yale University Art Gallery in launching a Portal connecting the citizens of New Haven and Tehran, Iran this past February. Thanks to the power of technology our students had an opportunity to virtually communicate with students in Tehran. Conversations centered on issues of daily life. Our students were surprised to learn about Tehran’s single sex school system and amazed to learn that students on the other side of the world also ate peanut butter! The year included establishing a Diversity Task Force, comprised of parents, teachers, and administrators. This newly formed group spent much of this past winter reflecting on the history of diversity at St. Thomas’s Day School by examining past diversity initiatives and brainstorming ways we might take our school to the next level. Some immediate actions included the creation of a school- 1 Message from Gina Panza wide diversity statement to guide future work. This statement will be made available to everyone this summer. Please be on the lookout for our newly created diversity channel on the STTS website. We also spent time reaffirming the amazing work that is already happening at our School. Our goal for next year is to invite Upper School students to provide their input on our task force as we consider opportunities for increased curriculum integration and diverse school-wide celebrations. We also look forward to sending faculty representatives to the NAIS Annual People of Color Conference (POCC) in February 2016. Last year, our faculty determined a need to upgrade our Technology Plan and identify organic ways to integrate this plan with our current library program. This process included affirming our beliefs about student learning and the role of technology. We view technology as a tool to support, enrich, and deepen student learning, and not as a replacement for the teacher. Other elements of the plan include the acquisition of additional equipment as well as the reallocation of devices throughout our building. I look forward to sharing our progress as we work together to create a roadmap for the upcoming 3-5 years. This year we witnessed the first phase of the STTS Greening Initiative, spearheaded by students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Single stream recycling has been initiated and Student “Green” Representatives from each class encourage participation, monitor, and collect recycling. The School is researching other possible initiatives to encourage sustainability, conservation, and environmental education. Our Board of Managers has initiated a long-term Strategic Planning process to begin in September 2015. We are fortunate to have the expertise of Michael Eanes to serve as our consultant to assist us in this process. Mr. Eanes is a frequent presenter at NAIS and CAIS workshops and past Headmaster at the Gunnery School. He also has served as Interim 2 Head of School for nine independent schools, including four Episcopal schools. We look forward to working closely with Mr. Eanes. As I noted in an earlier Balloon, I firmly believe traditions foster stability in the midst of transition and center us during times of change. I am pleased to report our new faculty members have experienced much success as they complete their first year at our school. They wholeheartedly embrace the traditions we hold near and dear and have brought us a fresh perspective with new traditions that already have been woven into the fabric of our school. Looking ahead to next year, our community will be celebrating Father Michael Ray’s retirement. We look forward to honoring Father Ray’s contributions during his tenure at St. Thomas’s at Family Day on September 20, 2015. Please save the date and plan on attending this special day. As I reflect on this past year, I would like to thank the Board of Managers for successfully guiding me through my second year as Head of School at St. Thomas’s Day School. I am deeply grateful to Jennifer McTiernan, Board Chair, for her sage advice, support, encouragement, and thoughtful insights. A very special thank you to all members of our community for their support in assuring St. Thomas’s Day School continues its legacy of offering an exceptional educational experience, grounded in the core values that have been integral to our School for the past 58 years. Warmly, Gina Panza Head of School Meet the New Members of the Board of Managers Gina Criscuolo, Representing the PTO Gina is the Chief Financial Officer for All Panel Systems, LLC. She is a CPA who has spent fifteen years in public accounting. Gina graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a B.S. in Accounting. Gina is active in the St. Thomas’s Day School community where she has served as Treasurer on the PTO Executive Committee for the past five years. In addition, she chaired the PTO Nominating Committee, co-chaired the Mom’s Night Out Committee, and she was a member of the Gala Committee. Gina and her husband, Lou, reside in North Haven. They have two sons, Louis (grade 5) and Nicholas (grade 3), who have attended St. Thomas’s Day School since Junior Kindergarten. Gina and Lou are active members in their parish, St. Barnabas Church, and in the North Haven community. Gina and Lou are committed to raising funds for the American Lung Association’s annual Fight For Air Climb-New Haven. Michael Fournier, Representing the Vestry Michael has lived in West Haven for ten years with his wife, Jennifer, and two teen-aged children, Emma and Christian. He was born and raised on the Connecticut shoreline and currently works as a manager in the automotive industry. He and his wife joined the St. Thomas’s parish four years ago and quickly fell in love with the parish and its members. Father Ray has been very welcoming and performed the ceremony to renew Jennifer’s and his wedding vows during a special Sunday mass. Michael joined the Vestry in 2012 to offer his help in continuing to grow the parish and preserve the future of the Church and he looks forward to assisting on the Board of Managers for St. Thomas’s Day School. Greg Mokotoff, Representing the PTO Greg is a pediatric dentist and the Managing Partner of Kids First Pediatrics and Orthodontics in Fairfield. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont and completed his pediatric dental residency at Temple University Hospital. Additionally, he received an M.B.A. from Fairfield University. Greg has been recognized as one of Connecticut’s “Top Dentists” for the past five years by Connecticut Magazine. He enjoys coaching youth soccer. Also, as an Eagle Scout, he now serves as a Cub Scout leader. Greg and his wife, Heather, have three children, Jackson ’18 and Olivia ’20, at St. Thomas’s and a younger daughter, Samantha. Rebecca Streeter, President of the PTO, Ex-Officio Rebecca joins the Board as the current president of the Parent Teacher Organization. Her two daughters attend St. Thomas’s Day School. At St. Thomas’s Rebecca has also served as the PTO Vice President, Room Representative Co-Chair, Outreach Committee Co-Chair, and Room Representative. Rebecca received a B.A. in religion from Columbia College and an M.D. from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her residency training in internal medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center. Fellowship training in adult cardiology at Yale New Haven Hospital brought her to New Haven. Rebecca practices cardiology with Cardiology Associates of Fairfield County where she has clinical interests in non-invasive imaging, preventive cardiology, and congestive heart failure. 3 2014 Alumni Events Young Alumni Night St. Thomas’s Day School was excited to welcome back alumni from the classes of 2008-2013 for our annual Young Alumni Night on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. In addition to reminiscing, socializing, and catching up with friends, the event was an opportunity to meet Head of School Gina Panza. 4 5 Inaugural New Haven Receptions On Friday, May 30, 2014, St. Thomas’s Day School held its inaugural New Haven alumni reunion. This gathering was followed by our first-ever Thanksgiving reunion, which was held on Friday, November 28, 2014. Both receptions were held at 116 Crown in New Haven. Alumni in attendance represented classes ranging from 19832007. Both gatherings were a huge success as alumni, alumni parents, and current and past faculty came out to celebrate together and rekindle memories from their days at St. Thomas’s Day School. Thank you to all who attended and we look forward to seeing you at our next New Haven alumni reunion. 6 Alumni Parent Association Gathering The 4th annual Alumni Parent Association gathering was held on October 2, 2014 at Sage American Grill & Oyster Bar in New Haven. Former parents, faculty, and staff of St. Thomas’s Day School enjoyed reconnecting, reminiscing, and renewing while dining and listening to the sound of steel drums. Following a warm welcome by event co-chair, Lauren Pinzka (P ’07, ’09), Head of School, Gina Panza gave an update on the state of the School and introduced new faculty. Maria Freda (P ’06), new Grade 1 assistant, shared her perspective on the dedication and commitment of the faculty and staff at St. Thomas’s. 7 Ten Year Accreditation Granted! By Gina Panza, Head of School, Roxanne Turekian, Assistant Head, and Miriam Battista, Development & Communication Director St. Thomas’s Day School received glowing reviews on every component — from mission and curriculum to faculty and student experience — in the Visiting Committee report from the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). The final report was issued in January 2015 following the Committee’s four day on-site visit in October 2014; the final phase of our decennial accreditation process. The five member Visiting Committee unanimously agreed St. Thomas’s is an extraordinary school. They described the School using words and phrases such as, “an amazing school”…“great academic skills and exciting leadership opportunities”…“children receive the whole package every single day”…“a great visit”. The School was given a ten year accreditation and a vetted set of goals that will guide us in our upcoming strategic planning process. For the first time in thirty-two years, St. Thomas’s Day School initiated a Self-Study Report under a new Head of School. The Self-Study process in preparation for the reaccreditation provided an excellent opportunity for all constituencies of the School to connect with one another during a time of transition. It offered us an extensive review of our past practices and an opportunity to reflect on ways we can meet the challenging demands of providing a 21st century education for our students. As we went through this intensive examination, there was consensus about what we do well and agreement about areas of challenge that demand our attention in order for us to go forward with passion, energy, and a renewed spirit. In preparation for the October 2014 visit, the entire faculty and staff were engaged in writing and creating the 110 page Self-Study Report. Throughout the 2013-2014 school year, we gathered data and necessary information and worked in committees to create the final document. Writing this report proved to be an extremely informative and reflective process. It was an opportunity for us to give shape to the future direction of our school and identify the steps that are necessary for us to realize our vision. Of the more than 35 commendations from the Visiting Committee, they specifically recognized our commitment to our mission and commended “the entire St. Thomas’s Day School constituency for creating a vibrant, rigorous and caring school 8 community.” It was obvious to the Visiting Committee that St. Thomas’s Day School is deeply committed to, and proud of, its mission. The mission captures the essence of the School and is what makes St. Thomas’s such a remarkable place. “The Visiting Committee commends the School’s new Head of School, administration and faculty for fully embracing and living the School’s mission in a highly visible, committed manner. The fulfillment of the School’s mission is reflected daily in the excellent academic outcomes, the wonderful, positive character and empathy of the children and the sheer love of learning exhibited by students, making St. Thomas’s a school experience highly valued and supported by both students and their parents.” – Visiting Committee Report The Self-Study Report is our story; who we have been, who we are, and who we aspire to be. It captures with honesty an emerging consensus about our strengths and growth opportunities. As we look to the future, the work of the Strategic Planning Committee will help identify ways to further enhance our exceptional program. We embrace the principle of self-improvement and are eager to excel in our responsibilities to our students. This exercise in analysis and planning proved to be the perfect vehicle for us to get to know one another through frank and open conversations. This process brought us together as a community and validated that we truly are “a small school where big things happen.” “I am grateful to the CAIS Visiting Committee for their guidance and wisdom in identifying areas of focus that we should consider,” says Head of School Gina Panza. As we embrace these challenges with “After reading the Self-Study Report we had very high expectations; and our expectations were exceeded.” - Mark Griffin, CAIS Visiting Committee Chair 9 10 Year Accreditation Granted! vigor and vitality, we remain hopeful that we will continue to grow as a school community dedicated to the intellectual, moral, emotional, spiritual, and social development of our children. With insights we gained from this self-examination and recommendations from the Visiting Committee, we look to the future with anticipation and optimism as we reshape and reaffirm our commitment to provide a model 21st century education for our children. Other Commendations: The Visiting Committee commends the School for its support of individual teachers in their use of technology. The Visiting Committee commends the teachers in their ability to demonstrate the mission of the School through their teaching and interaction with the students. The Visiting Committee commends St. Thomas’s commitment to carefully examine and develop curriculum that focuses on culturally diverse learners using book lunches, diverse text, holiday celebrations and months of theme study. The Visiting Committee commends St. Thomas’s for addressing all needs recommended by the CAIS Commission on Technology. The Visiting Committee commends the School for recruiting and retaining a strong, competent, vibrant faculty throughout the entire program. New and veteran teachers alike have embraced the St. Thomas’s mission wholeheartedly and evidence of their commitment is visible in each and every classroom of the School. The Visiting Committee commends the Head of School for a successful transition following a long standing Head and for undertaking the Self-Study process in her first year of leadership at St. Thomas’s Day School. The Visiting Committee commends the School for its commitment to using numerous assessments as a tool for determining a developmentally appropriate program of study for each of its students. The Visiting Committee commends the School for having many effective internal and external communications featuring recently implemented vehicles such as the relaunched website, the SchoolReach system and the Heads Up quarterly newsletter. The Visiting Committee commends the School for its management of the School’s accounting, auditing and budgeting processes and for its stewardship of debt, cash flows and endowment funds. 10 New Teachers Craig Bottiger, Grade One Teacher Craig Bottiger joins St. Thomas’s Day School as first grade teacher. Prior to teaching at St. Thomas’s, Craig taught third grade in a public school and was a pre-Kindergarten teacher in three different schools (two in Missouri and one in Connecticut). Craig was a substitute teacher for one year at St. Thomas’s and knew he wanted to work here. He was attracted to the environment and spirit of the school. From left: Jennifer Highsmith Brooks ’93, Third Grade Teacher; Molly Craig perceives a quality of gentleness DeLeone, Physical Education Teacher; Sarah Walters, Grade Two Teacher; among the student population that and Craig Bottiger, Grade One Teacher is very different from any other Physical Education majors. As part of her graduate school where he has worked. Craig loves the sense of work, Molly worked at the Willie Ross School for the community that is affirmed each day in Chapel when Deaf. Molly is excited to work at a school that offers we recite A Prayer for the World to “Make this a better Physical Education classes several times per week. world, and let it begin with me.” Craig graduated with an Elementary Education degree from Northwest Sarah Walters, Grade Two Teacher Missouri State University. We are delighted to welcome Sarah Walters as second grade teacher. Sarah comes to us with fifteen years Jennifer Highsmith Brooks ’93, of teaching experience; primarily in first and second Grade Three Teacher grade. Prior to joining St. Thomas’s Day School, We are thrilled to welcome back Jennifer Highsmith Sarah worked as a Classroom Teacher and Educational Brooks to St. Thomas’s Day School! Jenn, who graduated Consultant at The Children’s School in Stamford, in 1993, has joined St. Thomas’s as third grade teacher. Connecticut. Sarah also has worked as an Adjunct Following her graduation from St. Thomas’s, Jenn Professor in the Education Department at Long Island attended Hamden Hall and graduated with a degree in University, a Staff Developer at Chaplin Elementary European History from Northwestern University. Jenn School, and as a Kindergarten Consultant and Literacy earned her Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Consultant at Bronx Charter School for Better Quinnipiac University and her Master Degree in Special Learning. As an educator, Sarah was drawn to St. Education from University of Saint Joseph. Prior to Thomas’s as she found it to be a school where children joining St. Thomas’s, Jenn was a teacher in the Hamden thrive, love to learn, and explore their world through and New Haven public school systems. Although much experiential learning, field trips, plays, etc. Sarah has changed since Jenn was a student, the wonderful shared the story of her first visit to St. Thomas’s. It was balance of academics and celebrating childhood combined a snowy, icy morning and Sarah fell and cut her knee with creative projects and hands-on experiences remain as she walked to the school – not an auspicious way to critical parts of the St. Thomas’s experience. begin her visit. However, as soon as she walked in the Molly DeLeone, Physical Education Teacher front door, she “immediately felt something special Molly DeLeone recently graduated from Springfield and calmed down.” She ended up having a great visit College where she earned her BS and MS in Adapted despite a difficult morning. Sarah knew St. Thomas’s Physical Education. During graduate school, Molly Day School was the right choice for her as well as for was a teaching fellow working with undergraduate her two children, Sierra and Jose. 11 Spring Gala 2014: A Night in the Caribbean Guests took a trip to the Caribbean on May 10, 2014 as St. Thomas’s Day School held its annual spring gala at the School. Proceeds from the event were used in support of technology. More than 100 supporters came out for a magical evening that included a delicious meal prepared by Soul de Cuba Cafe, dancing, and conversation with friends. Gala Chair: Melissa Callender 12 We thank those who gave services, time, expertise, and assistance to the Spring Gala: David Gibson: Auctioneer – Live Auction Lisa Lovejoy: Decorating/Flowers Kirby Mahoney: Lighting Elisa Billings: Class Baskets Sandy Chang: Auction Items Soul de Cuba Cafe: Food Peter and Monica DiAdamo: Beverage Sponsor Melissa (’82) and Duncan Goodall, Koffee: Coffee Donation 13 In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community STUDENTS SCORE HIGH IN MATH ASSESSMENT: St. Thomas’s Day School students participated in a pilot assessment program conducted by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) to measure math competencies at Connecticut independent schools. The test, Connecticut Independent School Test of Mathematics (CISTM), is a professionally designed replica of the TIMSS, The International Math Test. Doug Lyons, President of the CAIS, shared the following with Head of School Gina Panza: “The goal of the CISTM is to provide Connecticut Independent Schools with a benchmark comparison relative to students in the 26 countries in the TIMSS sample. St. Thomas’s Day School’s average student score falls in the highest band possible: The average student score places the school at or above the achievement level of the countries in the top decile of performance (Singapore and Chinese Taipei). You and the faculty at St. Thomas’s Day School should be proud of this result.” SIXTH GRADER CHOSEN AS NUTMEG READER: Congratulations to sixth grader Ruari Putnam for being chosen to serve on the 2017 Intermediate NUTMEG BOOK AWARD SELECTION COMMITTEE as a Student Reader. The committee is comprised of thirteen adults and two students. There were more than 30 applications from students around the state for the two committee positions. As a committee member, Ruari will be expected to read all 120130 books on the list over a ten month period. The committee meets five times during the selection process (January-October) to discuss the books and vote on possible award nominees and alternate titles. At the last meeting in November, the committee will meet to choose the final ten nominees and alternate titles. Congratulations, Ruari! 14 SPECIAL PRESENTERS: ANNIE MURPHY PAUL, author, consultant, and speaker, was invited to speak at St. Thomas’s Day School in December 2014. A large group of parents, faculty and staff were enlightened by her presentation, Brilliant: The Science of How We Get Smarter, which addressed the question, what makes people smart? Annie Murphy Paul believes it is “profoundly influenced by factors like the amount of sleep and exercise we get; by the way we take in new knowledge and the techniques we use to commit material to memory; by our reaction to mistakes and how we handle distractions; by the information we glean from classmates and coworkers and the roles we occupy in our organizations.” St. Thomas’s Day School hosted breakfast and conversation with BILL BROWN (P ’82, GP ’15, ’19), Director of the Eli Whitney Museum, on February 6 as part of our annual week-long Science Festival. Bill’s presentation, Sense/ability in Science, discussed ten rules that guide what we do in our work. Following the presentation, parents were encouraged to visit the Science Festival as upper school students shared their projects with first graders. STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A PORTAL TO TEHRAN: Sixth grade students were invited to join the Yale University Art Gallery on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 in launching a PORTAL connecting the citizens of New Haven and Tehran, Iran in conversations about daily life. The PORTALS are gold shipping containers that are equipped with immersive audio-video technology. Yale Law School student Amar Bakshi is the founder of Shared Studios, a design collective that launched the Portals to get everyday people from very different cultures standing face to face and talking – virtually so. Our sixth graders entered the Portal and had an opportunity to speak with students in Tehran. This project was launched in New York City in December 2014 and received press from around the world. Connecticut’s communities.” In total, the students collected approximately $175.00 in support of IRIS. St. Thomas’s Day School joined other New Haven schools by holding a QUARTER DRIVE in support of Citizens to Drive Out Ebola, chaired by Althea Norcott (P ’87, ’91), chairwoman of the FreetownNew Haven Sister City Committee. Funds raised were used to purchase medical transport vans, medical supplies, and protective equipment. Althea was the featured speaker at our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Chapel service on January 15, 2015. ROBOTICS: ST. THOMAS’S GOES GREEN: St. Thomas’s Day School initiated single stream recycling this year. Containers for collection of recyclables have been placed in all classrooms and office spaces. Student “Green” Representatives collect and empty the containers into the recycling dumpster at the end of every day. Sustainability and conservation efforts throughout the School are ongoing and we look forward to implementing additional initiatives. More than 20 students in Grades 4-6 spent several months learning basic programming to make robots complete tasks: move backward, forward, execute turns, and use sensors for following lines to get out of a box. The St. Thomas’s Day School Robotics Team will use these programming skills when they participate in the ROBOnanza competition at Greenwich Academy on Saturday, May 2, 2015. The theme of this year’s ROBOnanza is BOTS OF THE ROUND TABLE. COMMUNITY OUTREACH: The sixth grade launched their SMALL CHANGE FOR BIG CHANGES project in December 2014. Teams of sixth graders presented research on three New Haven community organizations during Chapel services. Following the presentations, the children in the school voted on the organization they wanted to support with a school-wide penny drive. Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) was the organization selected by the children. IRIS helps “refugees and other displaced people establish new lives, regain hope, and contribute to the vitality of 15 In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community TECHNOLOGY: THE ARTS THRIVE AT ST. THOMAS’S: St. Thomas’s Day School launched a newly designed WEBSITE (www.stthomasday.org) last summer! The new website uses drop down menus with updated information. The new site uses a responsive design to provide optimization for smart phones, tablets and desktops. Updates and improvements to the site will continue so that it best serves our community. The New Haven Lawn Club hosted a ST. THOMAS’S DAY SCHOOL ART SHOW of “Jazz Cats” inspired by the collage art of Romare Bearden and the music of Charlie Parker. These vibrant, energetic paintings included in the show were painted by students in last 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 were Watercolor Landscapes painted by last year’s fifth grade class, also under the direction Jan Nichols. These landscape paintings were inspired by the Connecticut paintings of the Hudson River School impressionists. An Art Opening reception for the artists and their families was held at The New Haven Lawn Club on May 8. Last fall, with funds generously provided by the St. Thomas’s PTO, the school purchased 21 CHROMEBOOK LAPTOP COMPUTERS for use in the Grade 5 and Grade 6 classrooms. Fifth and Sixth graders were each assigned a laptop to share from a cart located in the landing at the top of the stairs from the all-purpose room. This has meant that the equipment has been readily available only a few steps from the classrooms. Chromebooks are designed to support Google apps such as Gmail, Google Docs, and Presentations. It’s a cloud-based system, where students create projects and then have the ability to share them online with their classmates and teachers. Judging from the log sheets students fill out when retrieving or returning their equipment, the Chromebooks have been used multiple times each day by virtually every student. It’s been one of the big tech success stories of the year! The positive experience with these devices is leading us to expand the program to include Grade 4. In addition, plans are being made to use Chromebooks and headphones to create a language lab in the Spanish classroom. 16 A collection of third grade artwork was on display at Christopher Martins Restaurant during the month of June 2014. The children in last year’s third grade class created snow leopard artwork under the direction of Jan Nichols. An Art Opening for the entire St. Thomas’s community was held at Christopher Martins on June 8. Christopher Martins will be hosting a show of Kindergarten artwork during the month of June 2015. Below left: Grade One “Jazz Cats” on display at the New Haven Lawn Club. Below right: Grade Three “Snow Leopards” at Christopher Martins Restaurant. In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community Students in grades four through six saw a special performance by the ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE COMPANY. The dance troupe performed excerpts from Revelations, their signature choreographic work comprised of a suite of dances set to spirituals and blues music that tells the story of African-American faith and tenacity from slavery to freedom. Many of our students were truly impressed by this powerful experience. YOUR TIME TO SHINE! played a concert for the St. Thomas’s community on January 30, 2015. Your Time to Shine! is an exciting variety show featuring talented youth and aspiring professional singers, musicians, and dancers. ELIZABETH ALEXANDER (P ’10, ’11), speaker at the 2014 St. Thomas’s Day School graduation, wrote a beautiful story that was published in the New Yorker. Her memoir, The Light of the World, was published in April 2015. A reading and book signing was held on April 22, 2015 at the Yale University Art Gallery. Elizabeth also wrote an article for the New York Times about Maya Angelou, In a Commanding Literary Voice, Maya Angelou Sang Out to the World, which was published in May 2014. More than 40 members of the St. Thomas’s community attended this year’s trip to the JAZZ STANDARD in New York City on March 8, 2015. It was a fantastic afternoon of extraordinary jazz and award-winning barbecue from Blue Smoke. FACULTY AND STAFF continue to serve on Connecticut Association of Independent School (CAIS) Boards and Commissions. GINA PANZA serves on the Board for CAIS and KIRBY MAHONEY serves on the Commission on Professional Development. GINA PANZA attended the National Association of Independent School (NAIS) 2014 Institute for New Heads in Atlanta, Georgia. Several of our teachers attended Seedlings Educators Collaborative summer workshops, which were held June 26-July 2, 2014. KIRBY MAHONEY, POLLY MAHONEY, POLINA MANN, NORINE PAGE, and MAGGIE RAHE participated in the workshops and returned to school with new strategies, curriculum integration plans, practical materials, connections to community resources, and much more. The teachers shared their experiences with the faculty and staff during our beginning of school faculty workdays. CHAPLAIN TRACY JOHNSON RUSSELL was offered a new position as Rector of St. Monica’s Episcopal Church in Hartford beginning in January 2015. On December 11, the children celebrated Chaplain Tracy’s years of service at St. Thomas’s with song and fond memories of her time with us. KARYL EVANS (P ’06) was honored by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven in December 2014. The theme of the Arts Award Luncheon was Small City, Big Art. According to the Arts Council, “With her Connecticut Public Television documentaries, including ‘Grove Street Cemetery: City of the Dead, City of the Living’ and ‘Creating the Peabody’s Torosaurus: Dinosaur Science, Dinosaur Art,’ Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Evans has skillfully shared stories of extraordinary treasures and institutions that have contributed to the region’s rich cultural history.” ALANNA SHRADER (P ’08, ’11) was elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2014. Scientists are elected by their peers to membership in the NAS in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership in the NAS is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive. 17 Class of 2008: Where Are They Now? The Class of 2008 at Graduation Hannah Aylward Margaret Baumgartner Allison Carroll Markese Clark Kathleen Dadio Joshua Greenberg Lucas Hoffman Michael Kravitz Jane Logan Lucas Marshak Helen Park Bennett Rollins Eric St. George-Kreis Serena Sakheim Sara Seymour Abigail Shrader Monté Stewart Anderson Tirro Carleton College Wesleyan University Bowdoin College Unknown Eastern Conn. State University Northeastern University Mitchell College Middlebury College Unknown Unknown Princeton University Bates College Drew University Smith College Yale University Reed College Pittsburg State University Carleton College 18 St. Thomas’s Celebrates Our 2014 Retiring Teachers From left: Jocelyn Freeman, Ann O’Connell, Craig O’Connell, Susan Blanchard, Hannah Grimes, Sheryl Skroski, John North Tears were shed as St. Thomas’s Day School bid farewell to several beloved teachers who retired at the end of the school year. Celebrations were held to honor second grade teacher Susan Blanchard, grade one assistant and Extended Day teacher Jocelyn Freeman, Kindergarten aide Hannah Grimes, Technology Coordinator John North, third grade assistant Ann O’Connell, first grade teacher Craig O’Connell, and Physical Education teacher and fourth grade assistant Sheryl Skroski for their many years of dedicated service to St. Thomas’s Day School. At the Spring Gala on May 10, 2014, current parents, alumni parents, alumni, and faculty reflected on the joy and learning these iconic individuals have given to our children over the years. On June 6, the children had an opportunity to say “good-bye” to their teachers around the ice cream truck. The children presented personalized prints to the retiring teachers as a parting gift. Finally, a reception following Class Day Chapel was held in honor of all the retiring teachers. We miss seeing them on a daily basis, but they continue to stay connected to St. Thomas’s through their attendance and participation in events and field trips. We also have been fortunate to have several of the retired teachers return to our classrooms as substitutes this year. Below, left: Barbara Schaffer (P ’07, ’12) reflects on retiring faculty at the Spring Gala. Center: Students enjoying ice cream and viewing some personalized prints around the ice cream truck. Right: Sheryl Skroski and Nikki Skroski Fournier ’94 at the Class Day Reception. 19 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. 1970 DAVID DELGIUDICE writes, “I attended St. Thomas’s from fourth through sixth grades under the direction of Father William Robbins and assistant clergy Father Spellman. The school was run by Headmistress Ms. Ethel Baer, formerly from Hamden Hall. I attended St. Thomas’s Church as a parishioner with my parents, Michael and Phyllis DelGiudice of Hamden for over 30 years. In the last 20 years I have been a successful chemist, researcher and science educator/administrator and presently reside in Stamford, Connecticut with my wife Nancy (also a teacher). I hold a BS, MS in Chemistry and 6th Year Certificate in Educational Leadership. I presently am active in NSTA, NEA, ACS, AAPT, and hold an administrative 092 License as a Connecticut Administrator for over 10 years. If it was not for the outstanding education I received from St. Thomas’s Day School, I would not have gone on to become a great contributor to my family, community and to science research so to advance science education into the 21st century.” 20 1973 MARTIN BEATTY is the head coach of the track and field teams at Middlebury College. Martin, who fondly remembers his days at St. Thomas’s, graduated from Middlebury in 1984, where he was a sprinter on the track team and a running back on the football team. 1976 SALLY DAWIDOFF wrote a new play, The Crazed, based on the acclaimed novel by Ha Jin (winner of the National Book Award and two PEN/Faulkner awards) about a young scholar coming of age in Communist China on the eve of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The play premiered at Central Works in Berkeley, California in May 2014. 1981 GERRY GIAIMO and his wife, Sarah, had a baby girl, Abigail, in May 2014. Gerry is an equity partner in the law firm Halloran & Sage. ELLIE APPLEWHITE TERRY lives in Acton, Massachusetts with her husband, Bronson, and their three children. Ellie serves on the clergy staff of the Old North Church in Boston. 1983 Class Correspondent: Mercy Burwell Colberg [email protected] SARAH MERRIAM is a newly appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge. Most recently, Sarah was an Assistant Federal Public Defender. Sarah has clerked for a Chief Judge and for a Circuit Judge; she was an associate at a criminal defense firm; she was the campaign manager in a successful bid for a Congressional seat; and she is active in the Connecticut Bar Association’s Federal Practice Section. It is an honor to have Sarah as our speaker for the 2015 St. Thomas’s graduation ceremony. 1987 PHOEBE FELLOWS lives in Miami, Florida and is partner/head designer at EDGE Collections, a design and manufacturing house that specializes in large-format production of custom wallpapers, tiles, and textiles. 1988 JOHN FORREST and his wife, Emily, have a son, William, in the St. Thomas’s Kindergarten class. 1989 LURETHA McCLENDON TOLSON and her husband, Wayne, welcomed their baby girl, Trinity Aliyah, in March 2014. 1991 ALEXIS HIGHSMITH SMITH is Deputy Director at New Haven Legal Assistance Association where she works in the education and employment units. Alexis was named to Connecticut Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2015, which recognizes the best and brightest among Generation Next – all nominated by friends, family, coworkers, admirers, and Connecticut Magazine editors. “As the deputy director of New Haven Legal Assistance, Smith has been involved with standing up for those who aren’t always able to stand up for themselves. She is also past president of the George Crawford Black Bar Association, and has served as secretary for the Connecticut Bar Association, the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology, and Community Partners in Action. She referees high school soccer and basketball when she’s not taking care of her two young children.” 1992 SARA NADEL is living in Lima, Peru, where she is founder and CEO of Farolito, a company that connects talented, low-income job seekers with businesses that are growing in Peru. 1995 SCOTT ASTRADA is a policy analyst in the Washington, D.C. metro area. In May 2014, Scott was appointed Confidential Assistant at the White House Office of Management and Budget. JP SCHNAPPER-CASTERAS began a new job this past fall as Special Counsel on Supreme Court Advocacy and Litigation at the NAACP Legal and Educational Defense Fund, Inc. He and his wife, Tamara Klajn, live in Washington, D.C. 1997 SHALONA STEWART is a Case Manager at the Community Mental Health Center of Crawford County in Pittsburg, Kansas. 1998 Class Correspondent: Steven McDonald [email protected] MATTHEW ALLEN lives in Philadelphia where he is a third year medical student at Penn. He is deciding between internal medicine and anesthesiology. ALEJO CABRANES graduated from Columbia Law School in 2014. He is living in Brooklyn and working for a law firm in Manhattan. MARY-BETH GRIMALDI lives in Pittsburgh and works in the drug and alcohol treatment field. In her personal time, Mary-Beth does Pure Barre, which is an exercise form similar to ballet and pilates. STEVEN McDONALD is in his first year of emergency medicine residency at NYU/Bellevue where he is seeing a completely different side of New York. Steven is fortunate to see Barrie Segal and Alejo Cabranes occasionally. TARYN RATHBONE-DAUB currently lives just outside Seattle with her husband. They moved to the Pacific Northwest this past summer and Taryn started her own veterinary practice, Balanced Horse Veterinary Service, PLLC. The practice specializes in equine acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. MARTHA ROYSTON graduated from Boston College Law School and passed the Connecticut Bar Exam this past summer. Martha is an associate at Halloran & Sage and works for Gerry Giaimo, also a St. Thomas’s graduate (‘81). She is getting married on New Year’s Eve. DANIEL TURNER-EVANS has settled into the Washington, D.C. area and is enjoying both work and getting into the city. His lab has recently discovered an internal compass in the fruit fly brain, and they are all hard at work trying to figure out exactly how it functions. Otherwise, Dan eagerly awaits spring so that he can get out on the Potomac for some white water kayaking, but is distracting himself with pickup basketball in the meantime. McALLISTER WINDOM is finishing up her pediatric residency with the plan to work as a hospitalist in the bone marrow transplant unit at Duke and then pursue a Pediatric Cardiology fellowship – possibly back in New Haven at Yale. 1999 Class Correspondent: Scott Panza [email protected] JESSE BIA graduated from the University of Oxford with his Masters in Social Anthropology. He currently is pursuing his PhD in Medical Anthropology at University College London, with a regional specialization in Japan. EAMON DUFFY graduated from Middlebury College and currently attends Yale School of Medicine. SCOTT PANZA lives in Milford, Connecticut and is a financial planner at MetLife. 2000 Class Correspondent: Charles Depman [email protected] ALI ACETO is living in Boston and works at Liberty Mutual in the Digital Marketing department. CHARLES DEPMAN made a major career switch and now is working as a software engineer in San Francisco. He is enjoying exploring the many national parks in California. LINDSEY GLAZER works in Stamford at indeed.com, the number one job site in the world, where she recently got a promotion. She recently purchased her own place and adopted a puppy. CHANNING HILLIARD is working in capital markets in New York City. ALEKS ROMANO completed her degree in opera at Yale. She was a Mid-Atlantic Regional Finalist and Encouragement Award Winner in the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was awarded the Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Prize from the Yale School of Music. She currently is in her first season of Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. In the summer of 2015, Aleks will return to the Glimmerglass Festival to sing Second Lady in The Magic Flute and Marzia in Vivaldi’s Cato in Utica. CHRIS STEWART and Lindsey Chase were married in September 2014. 21 2001 JAMES BEALL is working and applying to graduate school for his MBA and is engaged to Giuliana Galant. MATT CARROLL lives in Brookline, Massachusetts and works as a manager and real estate agent for NextGen Realty. NATE GIBSON is a student at New York University School of Law. 2002 DEVIN EATON graduated from the New Haven Police Academy. He was sworn in as a police officer in March 2015. 2003 CATHERINE BLOOMER graduated from Barnard College and currently is attending the New School in New York City. JOHN EMMET is working as a deck hand on a tug with McAllister Towing and Transportation Company, based in Staten Island. He’s still living in Hamden. PETER GRECO currently attends law school at George Mason University. Pete will be working at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Florida this summer. automotive technology. Julian also is working at the Elizabeth Ives School and is training to become an EMT this summer. ALICE KAMENS graduated from Barnard College and currently is a Program Associate at Cities of Service in New York City. BONNIE CHATFIELD is thoroughly enjoying her senior year at Fairfield University. JEREMY LOGAN graduated from Gettysburg College with a B.A. degree in Philosophy in December 2013. He is currently working as a paraprofessional at Elizabeth Ives School for Special Needs in North Haven. CHRIS WRIGHT graduated from Trinity College with a degree in American Studies. Chris is living in New York City and working as an Account Manager. 2004 MOLLY GIBSON graduated from Princeton University where she was awarded a Fulbright grant to teach in Brazil. Molly currently is working in New York City as a Development Associate at Education Through Music. 2005 Class Correspondent: Earl Lin [email protected] Head of School, Gina Panza, along with Development Director, Miriam Battista, traveled to the Yale Club in New York City to meet with alumni during a reception on May 16, 2014. From the Class of ’03 (left to right): Chris Wright, Alice Kamens, and Nick Andreassi 22 ELIZABETH BAUMGARTNER is graduating from Wesleyan University in May with a double major in neuroscience and science in society. At Wesleyan, Elizabeth is captain of the women’s varsity swimming team and is a double varsity record holder. She is the first author on a published scientific poster/ abstract on characteristics of opioid abuse/dependence by gender. Elizabeth is applying to medical school this spring/ summer. Her sister, Meg ’08, is also at Wesleyan as a freshman. JULIAN BEACH earned his CAD certification from Gateway Community College, where he is currently studying ZANE FENN is a senior psychology major at Morehouse College in Atlanta where he is a member of Psi Chi (the international psychological honors society), statistics tutor for underclassmen, and working on research regarding bipolar disorder. Zane is enjoying the last bit of college life and looking at graduate schools. MARCO GASPARRO is graduating from Indiana University in May with a degree in Economics. CONSTANTIN GEANAKOPLOS is a senior at Yale University. He has accepted a job with Robert A. M. Stern architects in New York starting September 1. Between graduation from Yale and September, Constantin will be traveling around the world. SAM GRECO is graduating from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in May with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, majoring in International Politics with a concentration in International Security. After graduation, Sam will be staying in Washington, D.C. doing management consulting with Ernst & Young for federal clients. Sam plans to go to law school in the near term as well. His family is well and spends most of their time now in south Florida, in Palm Beach County, although they still have a house in Connecticut and summer up here. NATE HUETHER spent a good part of last summer in Buenos Aires, researching his senior history thesis in the National Archives and absorbing the café culture. Nate is in his last year at Brown, and very happy, living off campus with good friends. EARL LIN is graduating in May from Wesleyan University with a double major in History and American Studies. Earl currently is writing an honors thesis about urban renewal history in Middletown/New Haven. He is captain of the Wesleyan University Sailing Team, was nominated to the InterCollegiate Sailing Association’s AllAcademic Team, and is editor-in-chief of Historical Narratives undergraduate history journal. Earl currently is pursuing jobs in the public interest sector in which he is planning to work for a few years before applying to law school. His family continues to live in New Haven. ZHACH PHAM is graduating from Colorado College this spring. He is working as an associate at a private equity firm called Roman Road Capital Partners. Zhach is planning to stay out west following graduation. 2006 ROBBIE EMMET is finishing his junior year at Carleton College in Minnesota, double majoring in Statistics and Classics. Robbie will be doing statistics work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle this summer. MAGGIE MIGDALSKI attends University of Rhode Island, double majoring in marine biology and animal sciences. CHRIS PETERS currently is a junior at Yale University. Chris is one of 14 rising senior Yale men selected to be in the Whiffenpoofs, one of the world’s best-known a cappella groups. 2007 MICHAEL BERRY is a sophomore at Yale University where he is a psychology neuroscience major. ANNA HUETHER started at Bard College in early August, and what a great fit! She is taking intensive Russian, excited about her class on slavery and economics, and has auditioned on to the Opera Workshop. Anna is involved in many activities, and loving the rural environment and intellectual, international milieu. SPENCER LOWLICHT is a sophomore at Lehigh University where he joined Phi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. 2008 WILLIAM BEALL is in his second year of university in Canada. ALLIE CARROLL graduated from North Haven High School and currently is a freshman at Bowdoin College where she plans to major in biochemistry. Allie was named a New Haven Register All-Area Youth of the Year. At North Haven High, Allie was the senior representative on the Board of Education, peer tutor, and captain of the varsity tennis team. Outside of school Allie was a volunteer tutor for New Haven Reads and she was a senior apprentice at the Eli Whitney Museum. MICHAEL KRAVITZ graduated from Hopkins and currently is a freshman at Middlebury College. HELEN PARK currently is a freshman at Princeton University. BENNETT ROLLINS recently graduated from North Haven High School. During his senior year he was inducted into the National Honor Society and Italian National Honor Society. He won the Science Department Award for excellence in Physics and an Award for Community Service. He is currently a freshman at Bates College where he plans to major in Physics. Ben is also a member of the golf team. SARA SEYMOUR graduated from Hopkins and currently is a freshman at Yale University. Sara was named a New Haven Register All-Area Youth of the Year, awarded to a member of the graduating class who best exemplifies the qualities of leadership, academics, and achievement. ABIGAIL SHRADER graduated from Hopkins and currently is a freshman at Reed College. MONTÉ STEWART graduated from Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School and currently is a freshman at Pittsburg State University. 2009 SAMUEL BERRY currently is a senior at Hopkins. He won the Elizabeth Tate Prize for Excellence in English in Grade 11, awarded for excellence in English at the eleventh grade level. Sam is a jazz pianist and accompanies the Latin Jazz Ensemble at the Neighborhood Music School and is a volunteer teacher in the Breakthrough New Haven program at Hopkins. He is the prose co-editor of Daystar, the Hopkins literary magazine, and is a Senior Mentor and Peer Tutor. Sam will be attending Yale University in the fall. MARAYA CLARK is a senior at Hopkins where she is a member of the varsity fencing team. CECILIA CREWS is a senior at Hopkins where she is a member of the varsity field hockey team. She received the field hockey award for dedication and sportsmanship. Cecilia will be attending Yale University in the fall. ALEXANDER DeVAREZ is a senior at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School. Alex will be attending Quinnipiac University in the fall of 2015. ALLIE KUBICK currently is a senior at Hopkins. Allie spent her junior year studying in China. VICTORIA McCRAVEN is a senior at Hopkins where she is a member of the varsity volleyball and softball teams. She continues to be interested in photography and hopes to take a photography trip this summer. Victoria 23 will be attending Dartmouth College in the fall. was named Athlete of the Week in January 2015. FRANCES NEMETH is a senior at North Haven High School. Earlier this year, Frances was recognized for receiving SCC All-Academic Honors and she received the sportsmanship award for swimming and diving. SOPHIE CAPPELLO is a junior at Hopkins where she is a member of the basketball team. This past December, Sophie attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in Indianapolis, which was sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). At the conference, participants engaged in workshops and seminars to promote understanding and best practices in diversity and inclusion work. Upon returning from Indianapolis, Sophie shared her impressions of her experience at SDLC with her fellow students at Hopkins. Sophie’s address was featured on the Hopkins website. ALEXANDER TELLIDES is a senior at Chase Collegiate where he plays lacrosse and has been named an Honor Student and AP Scholar. Alex will be attending Union College in the fall. ROSABELLA ZIOU is a senior at Wilbur Cross High School where she is involved with their theater and drama programs, participated in the True Colors Conference at UCONN, and was involved with the production of the Yearbook. This past summer she had a Tech Internship with the Elm Shakespeare Company. Rosabella also is a Teaching Assistant at Creative Arts Workshop, studies voice at Neighborhood Music School, and volunteers at Columbus House. She received the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) Art Award for Theater in 2015, a merit award at Neighborhood Music School in 2014, and had a work of short fiction published in Teen Ink, a teen literary magazine and website. 2010 CATHERINE BABBIDGE is a junior at North Haven High School where she received the sportsmanship award for field hockey. EMMA BANKS is a junior at Hopkins where she plays varsity field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. Emma, the 2014 captain for field hockey and captain-elect for the 2015 team, received Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) All-Star honors for field hockey. Emma also is captain-elect of the 2015-2016 basketball team. TRAVERS BROOKS attends Avon Old Farms where he is a member of the varsity wrestling team. Travers 24 ANNIKA EBERLE is a junior at Hopkins where she was a member of the Tech Crew for the Hopkins Drama Association spring musical, Gypsy. Annika is a member of the varsity fencing team. PHILIP GEANAKOPLOS is a junior at Hopkins where he is a member of the varsity soccer and fencing teams. As a member of the fencing team, Philip competed in individual states where he earned 8th place in the boys sabre. Philip is captain-elect for the 2015 Hopkins soccer team. MILES LOURENCO is a junior at Hopkins where he is a member of the varsity soccer, fencing, and lacrosse teams. Miles is captain-elect of the 2015-2016 fencing team. This past December, Miles participated in the Sticks for Soldiers Charity Lacrosse Tournament, along with over 60 teams from Connecticut and beyond. SPENCER LOVEJOY is a junior at Hopkins where he is the co-captain and number one player on their squash team. He received the Squash Cup Award for commitment, class, and tenacity. At the New England Prep School Squash Team Championships, Spencer won the New England #1 singles championship match. He was chosen as a 2014-2015 Squash High School All-American. Spencer, one of the top-ranked junior squash players in the United States, played in the Hong Kong International Squash Open last summer. EMILY MALISON is a junior at Hopkins where she is a member of the squash team. Emily participates in the Hopkins Science Olympiad team, which took home the first place trophy in the state competition at the University of Connecticut. KATIE MALISON is in eleventh grade at Hopkins where she is a member of the varsity volleyball and basketball teams. Katie, captain-elect for the 2015 Hopkins volleyball team, played in the Volleyball All-Star Game and was a Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) All-League recipient for volleyball. Last summer, Katie, along with other members of the volleyball team, volunteered her time to be a mentor coach during a two-week workshop for students from St. Martin de Porres Academy in New Haven. Katie also is captain-elect of the 20152016 basketball team. R.J. PANTALENA is a junior at Hopkins where he is captain-elect for the 2015 football team. NATALIE PASSARELLI is a junior at Hopkins where she is a member of the field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse teams. 2011 Class Correspondent: Sanaea Bhagwagar [email protected] SANAEA BHAGWAGAR is a sophomore at Hopkins where she serves on the Student Council, is an Assistant Editor of Hopkins’ student newspaper, The Razor, and enjoys participating in the Science Olympiad team. Sanaea plays field hockey and basketball and works at the Eli Whitney Museum on weekends. At the end of ninth grade, she won the Mary Brewster Thompson Scholar Award, which recognizes a student for intellectual maturity, enthusiasm for academic pursuits, and the ability to share that enthusiasm with others. ALLISON CHUN currently is a sophomore at Hopkins where she is a member of the Varsity A squash team. Allison and her teammates finished as runner up in the 2015 U.S. High School Team Squash Championships. JESSICA ELIASON currently is in tenth grade at Hamden High School where she plays volleyball and lacrosse. Jessica made the honor roll this year. SIMON GHEBREYESUS attends The Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York. Last summer Simon studied in Barcelona for a month. JEFFREY GU is a sophomore at Hopkins where he is a member of the lacrosse team, serves on the Student Council, and writes for the Hopkins’ school newspaper, The Razor. Outside of school, Jeffrey continues to play hockey. HENRY JACOB is a sophomore day student at Choate Rosemary Hall. Henry starts for the varsity soccer team and is really enjoying his physics class. KATHARINE LARSEN is a sophomore at Hopkins where she is a member of the varsity swim team. GWYNETH MALOY currently is in tenth grade at Hopkins where she is a member of the swim team. At the Bud Erich Western New England Swim Championships in February 2015, Gwyneth tied the Hopkins school record in the 50 Free and was a member of the 200 and 400 Free Relays, which set new school records as well as new pool records. The 200 Free Relay earned All-American consideration. Gwyneth participated in the New England Swim Championships in March 2015 where she broke the school record in the 200 Free and was a member of the 200 and 400 Free Relays, which broke the Hopkins school record and qualified for All-American consideration. Gwyneth also is a member of the field hockey team. ALEXANDRA McCRAVEN is a sophomore at Hopkins and continues to play soccer and sing. She is a member of the varsity basketball team and captainelect for the 2015 Hopkins soccer team. Alexandra received Western New England Prep School Soccer Association (WNEPSSA) All-League honors and was named to the All-Star Team. She also plays soccer in the CT Elite Clubs National League and travels as far as Orlando, San Diego, and Seattle playing soccer games and tournaments. CLARA MERRILL-BLOCH is in her fourth year at Hopkins and her second year as a rower. This past summer, Clara tried out for and was admitted to Connecticut Boat Club. Rowing is her passion and, along with Hopkins, the most important aspect of her life; she rows and/or trains every day of every week, month, and year. Clara loves working hard with this fantastic team. This past fall, her novice boat brought home several gold medals and they won the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta in Philadelphia; a triumph of which they’re very proud. Clara is an Editorat-Large of The Razor, Hopkins’ student newspaper. ZANE MEYER is in tenth grade at Hopkins where he is involved with theater and tech crew. Zane participated in the Hopkins Drama Association spring musical, Gypsy. Outside of school, Zane participates in tap dancing and plays the guitar. WILLIAM RACCIO graduated from Foote School and currently is in tenth grade at Choate Rosemary Hall. At the Choate graduation ceremony, William was co-winner of The Foote School Prize, “an award given to the student or students who best exemplify the spirit of the school and who have demonstrated leadership, school spirit, love of learning, generosity of heart and service to others.” JACOB SHRADER is a sophomore at Hopkins where he is a member of the varsity football and baseball teams. MARTIN TIPTON is a sophomore at Hopkins where he is a member of the squash team. Martin has fallen in love with boat building and sailing. He has built one small sailboat already, and is planning on making a bit more ambitious one this summer. Over the summer Martin will be going to Costa Rica on a Spanish language immersion trip. 2012 ANNIE BANKS is in ninth grade at Hopkins where she plays on the varsity field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse teams. In 2014, Annie won the Junior School DPH Sportsmanship Award, awarded to the student who shares her knowledge and experience with her teammates and encourages the team to come together as a cohesive unit. HENRY HAYDEN is enjoying his freshman year at Deerfield Academy where he is pursuing a Classics Distinction program. He plays the oboe in the wind ensemble and won first chair for the western Massachusetts regional competition. This spring he traveled to South Korea and Hong Kong, performing with the Deerfield music ensemble. He sings in the festival and honors choir, as well as the allmale a cappella group, the Mellow-Ds. Henry competes on the varsity wrestling team and is a coxswain on the crew team. He is looking forward to the summer when he will attend a choral course at Eton in the UK, followed by sailing in the British Nationals I-420 competition. JOSHUA IP is in ninth grade at Hopkins where he is a member of the varsity swimming and water polo teams. ELLIE LATHAM is a freshman at Choate Rosemary Hall where she was part of the costume, hair, and make-up crew for the fall play, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. EMMA PHAM is a freshman at Hopkins where she is a member of the varsity soccer team. 25 ZACHARIAH PINE MAHER is in ninth grade at Foote School where he is the Head of the Environmental Action Group. MADISON SAKHEIM graduated from Foote School and currently attends Choate Rosemary Hall. While at Foote, Madison won the Eighth Grade Athletic Award and earned Maxima cum laude with a silver medal on the 2014 National Latin Exam. ELLIOT SAWYER-KAPLAN graduated from Foote School and currently is in ninth grade at Choate Rosemary Hall. Elliot won the Eighth Grade Athletic Award at Foote. OLIVIA SCHAFFER is enjoying her freshman year at Hopkins where she is a member of the soccer and squash teams. ALEXANDRA SCHEVE is in ninth grade at Palo Alto High School in Stanford, California. She plays on the Palo Alto Junior Varsity soccer team where she was named All-League MVP. Outside of school, Ally plays soccer on the MVLA Monsoon Blue soccer team, plays the flute, and is a board member of the Giving Tree. LILLY TIPTON currently is a ninth grader at Hopkins where she is a member of the cross country and track teams. Lilly earned All-Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) honors for cross country and was a member of the 4 x 400 relay that participated in the track and field Penn Relays. Lilly was awarded the John B. Smith Prize for Excellence in English in Grade 8, which recognizes an eighth grade student who displays love of the play of language and an ability to share that love with others. 2013 Class Correspondent: Liana Tilton [email protected] CLARE CHEMERY attends Hopkins where she is in eighth grade. At Hopkins, Clare plays field hockey and 26 lacrosse and participates in Junior School Scrapbook. Outside of school, Clare sings with the Trinity Girls Choir. PRISCILLA EHRGOOD is an eighth grader at Hopkins where she is a Junior School representative on the Student Council. During spring break, Priscilla was one of fourteen students who traveled to Paris. Priscilla was a silver medalist in Kyukpa (Breaking) and placed 19th in Poomsae (Forms) at the 2014 USA Taekwondo National Championships. She spent last summer at a French immersion camp. ERIN ELLBOGEN is in eighth grade at Hopkins where she is a member of the Junior School swim team and participated in the Junior School theater production. Erin joined thirteen other students at Hopkins on a trip to Paris during this year’s spring break. CONNOR HARTIGAN is in eighth grade at Hopkins where he is a member of the cross country and squash teams and participated in the Junior School play. Connor also writes for The Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper. During this year’s spring break, Connor traveled to Paris with a group of students from Hopkins. BENJAMIN LEVINE is an eighth grader at Hopkins where he plays squash and lacrosse. He is a member of the Junior School Science Quiz Bowl team that participated in a statewide competition at the University of Connecticut. Ben’s team was undefeated in the morning tournament, earned the top seed in the championship tournament, and placed second out of 36 teams and 200 middle school students. Ben also participated in the Junior School theater production. During spring break, Ben traveled to Portugal. CONNOR PIGNATELLO is in eighth grade at Foote School where he plays soccer and basketball and participates in drama productions. Connor continues to sing with the Trinity Boys Choir and he received the Choirmasters Award for best leadership. THEODORE TELLIDES is in eighth grade at Hopkins where he writes for The Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper, is a member of the soccer, wrestling, and lacrosse teams, and is a Junior School Representative on the Student Council. Theo also is a member of the school band, the Science Bowl (science club) and the Hopkins MathCounts team that participated in the first locally sponsored middle school math competition. Theo was Hopkins’ highest scorer in the AMC 10, a national math test given to students in grade 10 and below. 2014 Class Correspondent: McKinley Palmieri [email protected] CHRISTEENA AARON is in seventh grade at Chase Collegiate where she is a member of the middle school soccer and basketball teams. She was able to see some St. Thomas’s Alumni at the Foote, Hamden Hall, and Hopkins games. Christeena participates on the school panel and is a Green Key member for prospective parents and students. Christeena made honors for her first semester and has been elected as the student council advisory representative. She is a member of the Middle School Chorus and participated in the school play, High School Musical 2. Outside of school, Christeena is a member of the United Girls Choir Chamber Singers and is an Altar Server at her Church. NATHAN AHN is in seventh grade at Hopkins where he is a member of the Junior School Science Quiz Bowl team that participated in a statewide competition at the University of Connecticut. Nathan was a member of the car racing team that built a lithiumion battery car that carried a cylindrical salt container on a 20 meter track. Their car racing team took first place. COURTNEY BANKS is in seventh grade at Hopkins where she is a member of the field hockey, squash, and tennis teams. Courtney also writes for The Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper. ALEXIS CHANG is in seventh grade at Hopkins where she was in the Junior School play. Outside of school, Alexis participates in Taekwondo and plays the piano and guitar. Alexis had the winning brochure for her science project. CORINNE EVANS is in seventh grade at Hopkins where she writes for the Junior School newspaper, The Hilltopper, and is a member of the Hopkins MathCounts team. In March, the MathCounts team participated in the first locally sponsored middle school math competition. Hopkins’ team won First Place Team for total combined scores and also won the Team Countdown Round. Corinne also is a member of the Junior School squash team. Outside of school, Corinne participates in Capoeira, an AfroBrazilian martial art/dance form. JAMES HAYDEN is enjoying seventh grade at Hamden Hall. He was voted class Vice President and is active in planning events and activities for his class. He loves to sail on the high school sailing team and this past summer sailed to victory with his brother, Henry, winning the Commodores Cup in the 420 at Sachem’s Head Yacht Club. He continues to play basketball at school and for the recreational team and is enjoying tennis this spring. James was one of three students invited to attend a Diversity Conference at KingswoodOxford School this spring. James is in his first year of playing the bassoon. He is looking forward to his first visit to Europe this summer! SAM LOVEJOY is really enjoying seventh grade at Foote School! He continues to excel in sports and his involvement in two sports, squash and swimming, doesn’t leave much time for other activities. Sam swims on the Foote swim team, as well as the Omni Swim Club team out of Yale. During the Fall Short Course season, Sam earned Age Group times in 5 events. He also participates in various squash tournaments, where he is looking to improve his current ranking. McKINLEY PALMIERI is enjoying Hopkins where she has discovered that she likes field hockey, basketball, and writing for The Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper. She continues to perform with the Elm City Girls Choir including recent performances with the Wallingford Symphony and at a Yale Men’s Basketball game. Last summer she enjoyed attending a leadership conference in Washington, D.C. and traveling to Vermont and New Hampshire with her family. ANNA SIMON is in seventh grade at Hopkins where she writes for The Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper, and plays on the soccer, basketball and softball teams. Outside of school, Anna plays the guitar as well as soccer in the fall and spring. JULIA TELLIDES is a seventh grader at Hopkins where she is a member of the Junior School/JV soccer, Junior School basketball, and varsity track teams. In addition to being a member of the science club and band, Julia writes for The Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper, as well as the literary magazine. ANNA ZIMOLO is in seventh grade at Hopkins. Anna plays on the Junior School basketball team and writes for The Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper. 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. 122. 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 27 Graduates 2014 Christeena Alexandria Aaron – Chase Collegiate Nathan Seong-Jin Chun Ahn – Hopkins Courtney Margaret Banks – Hopkins Alexis Grace Chang – Hopkins Fatima Cisneros – Our Lady of Victory Philip Paul DeLise, Jr. – Hopkins Molly Virginia Drew – Hamden Hall Corinne Hui-Mei Evans – Hopkins Jack Nathan Gill – Hamden Hall James Gillies Hayden – Hamden Hall Samuel Menegon Lovejoy – Foote McKinley Kathryn Palmieri – Hopkins Christian Richard Panagrossi – Hamden Hall Charles Nathaniel Seymour – Hopkins Anna Juliette Simon – Hopkins Julia Maria Tellides – Hopkins Anna Marta Zimolo – Hopkins 28 Help Plan for the Future of St. Thomas’s We invite all loyal friends of St. Thomas’s Day School to consider including St. Thomas’s in your estate planning. The School seeks to garner bequests and other deferred gifts in support of endowment in order to secure the financial well-being of the School in perpetuity. As St. Thomas’s Day School approaches its 60th anniversary, we are pleased to initiate this important philanthropic vehicle which will have long lasting positive effects on the future of this institution. As parents, alumni, grandparents, alumni parents, faculty, staff, and friends, you already have made lasting contributions to St. Thomas’s Day School and for that we are very thankful. We hope that you will consider making another lasting investment by becoming a member of the St. Thomas’s Day School Legacy Society. If you have already included us in your charitable estate plans, please let us know so we can thank you appropriately for your visionary generosity and welcome you to the Legacy Society. To become a member of the St. Thomas’s Day School Legacy Society simply notify the Development Office at 203.776.2123, Ext. 122 or mbattista@stthomasday. org of your intentions to name the School in your estate plan. A list of Society members will be published in the next Annual Report unless anonymity is requested. 29 St. Thomas’s Day School 830 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511 Non Profit US Postage PAID New Haven CT Permit #350 Grade 6 Musical Thursday, May 21, 2015 The Grade 6 musical, The Sound of Music, will be presented on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Art Show and Opening Reception June 1 – 28, 2015 A collection of Kindergarten artwork, Interpreting the Abstract, will be on display at Christopher Martins Restaurant in New Haven from June 1 through June 28, 2015. An Art Opening for the entire St. Thomas’s community will be held at Christopher Martins on Sunday, June 7 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Graduation Wednesday, June 10, 2015 Kindergarten abstract artwork 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. A Celebration of Rev. Michael Ray Sunday, September 20, 2015 Mark your calendars for a special celebration of Father Michael Ray, which will take place at Family Day on Sunday, September 20, 2015. Please contact Miriam Battista at St. Thomas’s Day School with any questions about these events at [email protected] or 203-776-2123