Annual Report 2014–2015

The Parkside School
Annual Report 2014 –2015
I am making this gift because I want to have a
hand in keeping the doors to Parkside always open.
I want that the love, success, and happiness that
is experienced by children, families, and staff
behind those big red doors, to remain available.
— S TA F F M E M B E R
A message from the Directors
Dear Friends,
We are very fortunate to do work that chal-
Parkside’s Board of Trustees was described as
This spirit defines Parkside to our students,
the school forward. While this is high praise
lenges, yet continues to compel and satisfy.
families, and to the greater educational
community. We know that Parkside’s success
is also made possible because of the deep
commitment that our staff brings to work
with them every school day. Each class that
graduates, reminds us of the school’s
accomplishments, our love for the work and
the comprehensive attention that would not
be possible without our donors, families,
and professional staff whose vital and varied
support make all that we do crystallize in our
students. What could be more sustaining?
We received glowing confirmation of unshakable adherence to our mission from the
New York State Association of Independent
School Accreditation Self-Study and the
NYSAIS Visiting Committee. They reported
that Parkside “lives and breathes” its mission
and it touches every aspect of the school.
While many schools claim to address the
whole child, Parkside “truly meets the diverse
needs of students and families and changes
children’s lives.” Our culture is strong and our
close knit staff feels supported. Parents are
involved and our children are confident and
feel lucky to be here. When interviewed by
the visiting committee, students were able to
verbalize the strategies that they had been
taught to take with them to their next school.
supportive of our work and integral to moving
indeed, it is even more so a recognition of
the unified efforts of our entire community.
Knowing our dedicated and committed staff
is the foundation of our success, we were
thrilled to launch our Fund for Teacher
Excellence to attract and retain our exceptional
teachers and specialists by offering outstanding
professional development and competitive
salaries. We officially kicked off the campaign
with a fabulous Night of Comedy honoring
Al Roker and Deborah Roberts. Laughter
rang through the rooms of Del Posto as
Sherri Shepherd along with her team of
comedians Joy Behar, Judy Gold, Diane
Neal and Tammy Pescatelli brought down
the house.
We are grateful to all our donors who help us
achieve our mission and maintain Parkside as
an inclusive, ethnic and socio-economically
diverse community. We are also thankful to all
the volunteers whose many hours of behind
the scenes efforts make so many events possible.
Our reputation is built on the devotion of staff,
families and contributors who embody the
culture of Parkside and help us keep our
promise to prepare children for the future.
It is a tradition we cherish with pride.
Thank you for all your support.
Albina Miller
Leslie Thorne
Co-Heads of School
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A word from the Parkside Parent Association
A Year of Community Engagement…
The Parkside PA is committed to supporting the
Parkside School’s mission and we are proud to
share that an engaged and committed parent
community rallied to support those efforts. This
past year we welcomed 17 new families during
the New Parent Cocktail Party in a lovely
apartment in Tribeca. Families, new and old,
took the first steps to building friendships with
something extremely important in common—
their journey together at Parkside.
In October, Parkside hosted the Annual Book Fair.
The library and conference room served as a
marvelous venue to connect children and parent
shoppers to high-quality books and it was a joy
to see the students on the floor, books sprawled
everywhere with passions abound. We raised
$5,140 toward books for the library and classrooms!
The December Winter Wonderland Holiday Party
was held amidst rooms adorned with festive art
from the children and large 3D snowflakes made
by Parkside parents and our wonderful art teacher!
The event was a culinary treat as families donated
personally prepared dishes representing their
culture and traditions. Children ran up and down
the staircases and through the hallways engaging
in a variety of activities including spin art, face
painting, the ever popular photo booth, and other
crafts. The disco room was filled with music and
dancers wearing glow in the dark jewelry. Our first
ever Flywheel Fundraising event was spearheaded
by the Speech Therapist Lauren Cohen in January.
Parents, alumni, staff and friends of Parkside came
together and sweated it out on 80 bikes raising a
grand total of $6,528.
Throughout the year, parents worked hard to
plan the Annual Spring Auction. The BOLLYWOOD
theme sparked much creativity among the
Bindia Malhotra
President
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Kate Stephan
Vice-President
committee, parents and teachers as supporters
of the school pounded the pavement for item
donations. Their efforts paid off tremendously
in the glass tent of the Bryant Park Grill, which
glistened under the stars whilst the attendees
wore saris, bindis and bangles while bidding on
electronic tablets. There were items that appealed
to everyone including vacation homes, sporting
event tickets, restaurant certificates, gift cards, and
spa services to name a few. As is always the case,
the children’s artwork ignited bidding wars and we
are proud to report the auction raised $127,714.
The PA continued to acknowledge our dedicated
staff for their incredible talents and guidance by
providing snacks for the monthly staff meetings
and hosting the Staff Appreciation Cocktail Party
in May. The gym was transformed into a bar-like
atmosphere with Pimm’s, wine, hors d’oeuvres
and desserts. The year came to a close with the
Spring Boutique.
For the fourth year in a row, the Spring Boutique
was held outside of the School because of the
community’s interest in patronizing the event.
Parents eagerly gathered new and gently used
items to sell and this year’s boutique raised
$2,323 earmarked for the School’s operating
budget. The PA would like to extend a heartfelt
thank you to the Parkside Community. None
of these accomplishments would have been
possible without your perseverance and most
importantly your time. We are delighted to
report that $143,066 was raised during the
2014–2015 academic year. Each and every dollar
is critical to enable Parkside to provide each
child with a multi-dimensional education and
to develop respect and understanding for
themselves and others.
Julia Tung
Treasurer
Unique Samuel-Figueroa
Communications Director
Putting your Dollars to Work
Support and Revenue
Tuition and Fees
$3,250,423
70.9%
Contributions - General Operating
853,726
18.6%
Special event
172,564
3.8%
Federal & State Government Grants
107,450
2.3%
Dividend and Interest Income
105,673
2.3%
95,664
2.1%
$4,585,500
100%
Miscellenous Income
Subtotal Support and Revenue
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on
Investment Securities
Realized Gain (Loss) on
Investment Securities
Total 2014-2015 Support and Revenue
(80,269)
(332)
$4,504,899
Expenses
Salaries and Benefits
$3,590,524
74%
Management and General Administration
741,115
15%
Program Expenses
400,540
8%
Fundraising Expenses
141,244
3%
$4,873,423
100%
Total 2014-2015 Expenses
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Parkside UPDATES
TEACHING
Helping children discover the wonders of being
a learner is a lifelong lesson that transcends the
core subject matter of reading, math, social studies,
science and writing, which we focus on everyday.
Aligned with nurturing group social skills and
personal responsibility, these assets inspire
Parkside children with intrinsic motivation,
curiosity, and confidence about their world.
This school year our department had an impact
in and out of the classroom. Drawing on our
expertise, new teachers were able to learn from
the senior teachers and apply what they learned
to their groups. We also hosted observers and
student teachers from Bank Street School of
Education, New York University, Hunter College
and Fordham University.
To nurture the wonder of learning, Lower School
classes were busy exploring many new concepts
and understandings such as sinking, floating,
magnets, living and non-living things, the earth’s
seasonal rotation and more. Learning about life in
the world included; information about NYC a long
time ago, tenement housing, different jobs in
NYC, and then extended to life in rural Alaska
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and Alaskan animals. Children learned All About
Family and studied the life cycle of the butterfly.
Caterpillars were in the classroom and after forming a chrysalis from which butterflies emerged,
they were released into Central Park. Important
trips included the Planetarium, Little Italy and
Chinatown for Social Studies. During the Water
Cycle unit a terrarium was made and later in
Tree Study children observed how a tree changes
through the seasons.
Upper School classes were engaged in units that
included: Democracy, Slavery, Civil Rights, The
Moon, The Restless Earth, and Body Systems. Trips
included visits to The New York Historical Society,
SPEECH
The Speech and Language Department
therapists continued their commitment to
excel by helping children learn how to be a
good friend, understand social situations and
cues, and develop a lexicon of feeling states
in order to make inferences about others and
access all aspects of the classroom curriculum.
Beneficial activities throughout the year included
collaborative learning, executive functioning
tasks, social thinking (e.g., Whole Body Listening,
being a Social Detective, Think Scan Plan, Zones
of Regulation with body and brain tools for being
a “zone mover”, Superflex and the Unthinkable
Program).
Theatreworks performances at Town Hall, The
Museum Of Natural History’s Hall of Planet Earth
and The Hayden Planetarium. In addition, classes
conducted science experiments about how heat
travels. During The American Revolution unit
students held a debate, Patriots vs Loyalists.
All classes wrote a weekly newsletter via a Parkside
blog, which gave students the opportunity to
share their learning experiences using technology.
Classes reviewed the blog together on the smart
board each week and parents were kept informed
about life in the classroom and were able to post
comments.
In collaboration with the Speech and O.T. Departments, all of the students were busy regulating
their bodies and strategizing to keep calm and
ready to learn by using The Zones of Regulation.
Students also learned strategies to combat the
“Unthinkables”.
The Speech Department presented their
Language Instruction and Strategies Presentation,
which offered guidance to teachers and other
therapists to help support academic and social
language instruction in the classroom. Key points
included use of the 4 “S” System (Say it slow,
Show, Say less, Stress) to support wait time and
language processing, Think Scan Plan to support
social inferencing, executive functioning and
matching verbal and nonverbal cues to support
social emotional language development.
The Speech Department continued to consult with
Dr. Sima Gerber, Ph.D., where much of the focus
was spent assessing and learning about children’s
play within the areas of organization, themes,
symbolic prop use, and roles. The Speech
Department is also excited to be working with
Dr. Gerber to develop our own play assessment
for Parkside. Members of the department also
collaborated closely with literacy and language
specialist Cathy Constable, MS, CCC-SLP, Ph.D.,
to develop and improve decoding skills, fluency,
and comprehension of vocabulary, semantics
and morphology.
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Parkside UPDATES
O C C U PAT I O N A L T H E R A P Y
Our contributions this year came about by
continuing to work closely with the Speech and
Langage Department to further develop the
SPOT Group Curriculum (lessons co-taught by
Parkside’s Speech Therapists and our Occupational
Therapists) making great strides integrating the
Zones of Regulation and Social Thinking programs
throughout the entire school community.
Internally, the O.T. Department provided staff with
two educational workshops. The first was focused
on O.T. tools that are commonly used in the classroom to support writing, self-regulation, and
attention. The second discussed the importance
of adapting writing paper to support each child’s
needs and it provided helpful iPad apps (i.e.
Snaptype) as an alternative to writing when
completing homework or worksheets.
We continued collaborating with the Speech
Department on a weekly basis to integrate Speech
and O.T. related activities/exercises in the classroom. SPOT topics that continue to be addressed
include; unexpected/expected behaviors, Social
Thinking program, Whole Body Listening program,
Zones of Regulation program, Executive Function,
Arts and Crafts, and Nutrition. With parents, we
established improved communication using
Filemaker goals in our bi-annual reports to make
it easier to understand.
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In collaboration with Dr. Kapoor, a developmental
optometrist, the Department provided visual
screenings, recommendations, visual exercises,
classroom accommodations, and modifications
for maximizing student learning. O.T.’s continued
to collaborate with an Orthotist (Mr. Dave) who
provided in-house consultation and evaluation to
determine if a student would benefit from lower
extremity foot orthotics for improved gait, balance,
and proper positioning.
The Department continued to sharpen their
skills seeking out professional workshops to find
new and developing information to integrate
into Parkside practices including: 1) NY Early
Intervention for Social-Emotional Development:
Cutting Edge Treatment for Birth to 5 Years,
2) Self-Regulation in Children: Keeping Body,
Mind, and Emotions on Task in Children with
Autism, ADHD, or Sensory Disorders, 3) NonMedication Treatment for Children with ADHD.
O.T.’s conducted mentorship/community outreach
with three level one fieldwork students from
Touro College and New York University and
accommodated O.T. volunteers and O.T. student
observations throughout the year. Our department
created a student handbook to help orient volunteers and OT students to the department, school
policies and procedures, student expectations,
and learning/clinical objectives.
SOCIAL WORK
Our department helps the children better
understand themselves and others while
working through developmental struggles
and demands. This year, one change we made
was to the format of the classroom-based
Sharing Circles/Social- Emotional Learning
Groups. Now called “Social Work Push-In
Times,” these weekly gatherings focus on
social-emotional learning issues identified in
collaboration with the teachers and the students.
Social Work Push-In Times were specific and
responsive to the children’s developmental
levels and readiness. Classroom discussion and
role-play, facilitated cooperative play around
particular themes with partners or small groups,
reading/viewing/sharing reactions to stories and
videos on specific topics including body safety
and awarenenss were all possible formats for this
rich addition to life in the classroom community.
In June, 2016, an article written collaboratively by
the Social Work Department will be published in a
special edition of the Yale University Press journal,
The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child. Entitled,
“The Same Fish? Creating Space for Therapeutic
Relationships, Play and Development in a School
for Children with Special Needs,” the article
describes the power of relationship, play and an
interdisciplinary approach in a school setting.
The Department partners with graduate schools
of Social Work to supervise and train young
professionals. This year we hosted interns from
Columbia University, New York University and
the Dual Degree Program in Child Development
and Social Work at Sarah Lawrence/NYU.
T E C H N O LO GY
The media and technology program has become
integral to supporting the overall mission of the
Parkside School as a community of learners.
Using the tools that technology offers, students
and teachers have access to the world outside
Parkside having the opportunity to connect with
others, research and share ideas and information,
and develop a better understanding of ourselves
as learners, problem solvers, and global citizens.
Technology classes focus on developing basic
skills with navigating technology, both desktop
computer and iPads, as well as providing students
with opportunities to do research and work on
projects related to what they are learning in their
classroom. Social skills including turn-taking,
listening, letter-writing, and clear communication
are also goals within the technology time.
Last year the Parkside School added to its fleet
of iPads, ensuring all students and staff members
have access to these technology tools to enhance
teaching and student learning. To facilitate and
support the implementation of meaningful
instruction aided by technology, professional
development for staff is built in throughout the
school year.
7
Parkside UPDATES
ART
Parkside continues to excel and be a model of
exemplary teaching in the visual arts. This year art
teacher Lauren Behar received a Leadership Award
and Parkside ranked number 10 in the state for
sharing over 1800 pieces of art through Artsonia,
the largest online art gallery in the world.
We were excited to launch a new style of creating
art called the “Choice Based” approach. Children
made art inspired by their own ideas and used
whatever materials they wanted. They planned
their projects and visited centers around the art
room such as drawing, painting, collage, clay,
fiber arts and the Inventor’s workshop to gather
their materials and clean up independently. As
a result, the enthusiasm and motivation levels
were at an all-time high!
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For those who preferred more directed projects,
there was always a teacher led “project of the day”
which students could choose to follow. These
projects fell under the yearlong curriculum theme
of the “Elements and Principles of Design,” including learning about line, color, shape, form, space
and composition to name a few.
We also had some memorable fun times making
“Science-Art” this year. Students learned science
in their classrooms, but brought their knowledge
and innovation into the art room and applied it to
create science themed works of art such as insect
sculptures made from recycled parts, mounted
on a collaborative habitat painting, paper-mache
cross-sectional volcanoes, and a four-level mixed
media miniature replica of the Amazon jungle.
MUSIC and DRAMA
The Parkside School Music and Drama Program
continues to be a comprehensive curriculum that
provides children with multiple opportunities to
explore, learn, create, problem solve, showcase
and perform The program helps students take
on different perspectives, increase responsiveness
and spontaneity, and work well individually in
front of their peers, collaboratively within the
group setting, and in more publically during
assemblies and The All School Arts Festival.
Our Drama curriculum focuses on the building
blocks of good storytelling. Through games and
exercises that explore physical, vocal, and creative
behavior our goal is to develop coordination,
comprehension, sequencing, and listening skills.
InMusic students are introduced to rhythm,
melody, and building their “musical ear” to be
able to properly identify patterns and eventually,
notes and chords.
Upper grades were introduced to Broadway
Musicals and the lower grades to stories and
fairytales that allow students to easily identify
and specifically develop character, setting, conflict
(the problem or obstacles) and finding resolution
through the themes of community and friendship.
Performances occur throughout the year. This year
the upper grades worked on scenes and songs
from “Wizard of Oz”. The middle grades worked
on “The Great Kapok Tree” and learned American
and Jamaican folk tunes. The younger classes
participated in instrumental performances of
classical pieces including “Aquarium” from
“Carnival of the Animals” and “Radetzky March”
by Johann Strauss.
All students contribute to performances in many
ways, with a variety of roles that include stage
manager, accompanist, and set-building.
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Parkside UPDATES
YO G A
The meaning of the word yoga is union: the union
of the mind, body, and spirit, which corresponds
perfectly to Parkside's mission of serving the
whole child. The yoga program at Parkside places
particular emphasis on improvement in physical
strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, concentration, focus, breathing, sequencing, and creativity.
Lower school students learn basic yoga poses
via games and musical movement sequences.
Children are supported through a visual schedule
and through physical modeling of the movements
being introduced. Students learn basic breathing
exercises to support self-regulation.
Upper school students learn sequences to help
develop a strong yoga practice and continue to
build upon their foundation of core strength by
learning more advanced and challenging poses.
Teamwork is encouraged via partner and group
yoga poses/activities. More challenging breathing
exercises are introduced and connections are
made regarding how these exercises can be
useful in students’ daily life.
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GY M
Our students have always participated in a
dynamic physical education program that
promotes inclusion of all students, teaches
responsibility and cooperation, promotes
self-discipline, and was guided by the NASPE
(National Association of Sports and Physical
Education) Content Standards.
Our program also included skill-related fitness
components such as balance, agility, speed and
coordination. Through specific instructional
objectives, children developed eye-hand coordination, body management, basic and advanced
motor skills as well as good sportsmanship.
Activities are exciting, fun and, they are able to
be transferred and modified to be played outside
of gym class.
2014-2015 Annual Fund Supporters
Leadership Circle
Education Sponsor
Classroom Patron
Bill O’Donnell
Don and Emily Stephenson
Mary Elizabeth Alexander
Anonymous
Ethan and Jenna Dabbs
Christopher Davis and So Lee
Phillips and Laurie Davis
Len and Nicky Ellis
Fernando and Dana Ferre
Seth Freeman and Carolyn Barker
Seth and Valarie Gerber
Goldman Sachs Gives
Timothy MacKenzie Gunn
Jason and Heidi Rosenfarb
Ira and Paula Resnick
Diego and Joyce Visceglia
Jay Kim and So Jin Bae
Andrew and Julie Lambert
Ben and Wendy Lehmann
Carl Lennartson and Susan Arthur
Richard and Kamie Lightburn
Boaz Mourad and Stacey Matthias
Kerry O’Donnell
Nischal and Aline Pai
Don and Stephanie Rapaport
Michael and Karina Rizzi
Ray and Kelly Spitzley
David and Kate Stephan
Stratton Charitable Foundation
Gino Tadiar and Mae Leonardia
Vincent Visceglia
and Caroline Russo-Visceglia
Matthew and Joanna Weiss
David Addison and Dot Cates
Charles and Coretta Akrong
John Bellaud
and Maya Kalman Bellaud
John and Sherry Cohn
Brook and Zoe Cuddy
Stanley Silberstein
and Wendy Abrams Silberstein
Paul Devlin
and Gretchen Morgenson
Friends of Rhinelander
Children’s Center
William Brodsky and Minna Fyer
Stephen Gallagher
and Felina Rakowski-Gallagher
Dan and Beverly Green
Heidi Green
Peter and Margarita Halloran
Pablo Helguera
and Dannielle Tegeder
Haison Jiao and Grace Wang
Hari Krishnaswami and Amy Daley
Gerald Lathon and Sandra Wells
Chung Hee and Young Sun Lee
Christopher and Deborah Milite
Morgan Stanley
Declan and Denise O’Dea
Jeffrey Perlowitz
David Price and Jacqueline Klinger
Aaron Royer
Joshua Sapan and Ann Foley
Maurice Shalah and Yoko Tajimi
Sam and Sarah Sidi
Mark Silberberg and Tracy Butler
Robert Silverstein
and Wanda Olson
James Talen
Peter and Judi Wasserman
Sam Weisman and Nancy Crown
Martin and Lois Whitman
($25,000+)
Tuition Gap Funder
($18,000+)
Paul and Gail Bichler
James and Kathleen Bowers
Paolo and Margit Cesana
Paul Chew and Bindia Malhotra
Ethan and Jenna Dabbs
Ted and Christine Gerstein
Mauricio Hidalgo
and Rosario Samperio-Hidalgo
Gary and Judith Kadi
Avtar and Salinee Kang
Max Kozower
and Jane Guttenberg
Tongwei Liu and Julia Tung
Richard and Amy McDaid
Philip and Alexis Mintz
Jon Sarnoff and Ellen Lee
Lane Schaffer
and Karen Rabinowicz
Hayward and Barbara Smith
Marc and Dikla Strohl
Andrew and Suzanne Taub
Next Decade
Benefactor
($12,000+)
Brian and Dori Friedman
Rebecca Hornstein-Doede
Denes and Muguette Petoe
Al Roker and Deborah Roberts
Jim and Marilyn Simons
Chris Sun and Deanna Song
($5,000+)
($1,000+)
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2014-2015 Annual Fund Supporters
Circle of Friends
Program Funder
Para Ahilan and Nirilla
Anthonimuthu
Noel Anderson
and Lashan Browning
Donna Assumma
G. David Brinton and Janet Mattick
Rachel Cole
Elizabeth Davenport
Allen and Elisa Gage
Matthew and Petra Gelbart
Mark and Leslie Godridge
Adin and Rachelle Goldberg
Michael Katz and Irene Moy
Gary Mellen
Gabriel and Sophia Ovanessian
Alan and Leslie Pearson
Adonis Rasberry and Melissa Reyes
Francisco Renta and Marlo Navarro
Laura-Ann Robb
and Michele Weber
Pamela Sandler
Vera Abruzzi
Umar and Rose Adams
Andrew and Alison Adler
Richard and Carol Alston
Nelson Berberena
and Jacqueline Ament
Neil and Lana Berson
Todd Bressi and Amy Lempert
Jill Burton
Freddie Chambers
and Paula Steele
David and Linda Chew
Sean Chung and Heijoon Chyung
Craig and Lauren Cohen
Jeff Conrad and Renee Solares
Paul and Janet Cord
Janice Davis
Nina del Rosario
William and Barbara DeLizza
Lucy Diamond
Diane Dreyer
Scott Hansher and Jessica Durrett
Johnny Dwyer and Sarah Magid
Susan Elicks
Steven and Shelley Faro
Preston Faro and Albina Miller
Earl Figueroa
and Unique Samuels-Figueroa
Martin Gerber
Robin Goldberg
Anthony and Doreena Gruppuso
The Beir Foundation
Thomas and Mary Jane Haher
Sing Han
Craig Hanauer
Maya Handwerk
Erica Harrison
Howard Jacobson
and Kathryn Wolfson
Sami Kahn
Marissa Kanners
Robert and Victoria Katzman
Roy Khalaf
Joyce Khalaf
Robert Khanlian
Tara King
Charles Knoble
and Claire Kozower
John and Alison Lankenau
($500+)
Arts Supporter
($250+)
Vincent Aubrun and Patricia Godoy
Austin & Company, Inc.
Peter and Laurie Bachmann
Beth Brenzel
Tom Casey and Leslie Thorne
Sheldon and Laurie Dosik
Ruth Summer Keller
James Freund and Barbara Fox
Edward Hallahan
and Barbara Loewenthal
Crystal Johnson
Joseph and Geraldine Jordan
Ronald and Marie Kadi
James Margolin
and Nancy Friedman
Eugene and Laura Mazzaro
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Mark and Andrea Polsky
Mark and Minna Schneider
Davida Sherwood
Marjorie Stephan
Peter Ticali
Jad Yassine
Antoine and Michelle Zemor
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(gifts up to $249)
Susannah Levine
Rebecca Lewin
Richard and Jane Liescheidt
Joseph and Kay Lindenfeld
Anthony and Meaghan Lisi
Bob Maclay and Karen Lundry
Ronald and Ethel Magnani
Judith Marchese
Angelo and Julia Marketos
Claudia Marks
Elizabeth and David Marquis
Ed and Betsy Marston
Conrad Mselle
and Elizabeth Browne
Ozier Muhammad and Lisa Redd
Paul and Linda Mulhauser
Christine Munnelly
Paul and Nancy Novograd
Kevin and Doreen Odell
Duane Pinder and Brenda Davis
Cary and Elyse Pollock
Carlos Potter
and Nohely DellaValle
Marcia Rabinowicz
Nathan Rosen and Priva Simon
Andrew Rosenbloom
Jeffrey Rothman and Nancy Sacks
Jamie Salter
Nicholas and Ebony Santos
Jennifer Schetina
R. Hayden Schofield
Rhona Silverbush
Hans and Sally Solmssen
Rachel Sosland
Ricky Spike
The Prudential Foundation
Matching Gifts
Susan Thomas
Rachel Vannucci
Christopher Walz
and Allison Lesko
Chris and Catherine Weeks
Christine Yen
Graduation 2015
Dylan Mellon, Class of 2009
Graduation Speech
Hi, my name is Dylan Mellon. When I got the
call and Ms. Thorne asked if I wanted to talk
during graduation I felt both honor and fear.
I am not a great public speaker but this is a
moment I didn’t want to pass by. This is such
an honor to be in front of you all today. Let
me first begin by saying, I graduated Parkside
six years ago and my memories have never
faded. I still remember all the help and support given by Ms. Thorne and Ms. Miller and
all my other teachers. I must say I have come
a long way and it was Parkside that started it
all. I just finished 11th grade at The Churchill
School where I have been since leaving
Parkside. I am now looking at colleges and
I feel very competitive with each application.
I guess what I am trying to say is that Parkside
was the start of my own successful path.
From a young boy who barely knew how to
read, entering Parkside was a scary thing.
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The teachers all saw this and helped in many
the principals are and how I have personally
ways. I made good friends and some of which
benefitted from all of this, but something was
I have to this day.
missing. Then it struck me. The one thing, the
To all the students graduating today,
one overriding gift Parkside gives all its stu-
I say you’re a lucky bunch. The love and
dents is confidence. The confidence to feel
support found every day in Parkside will stay
strong in oneself. To appreciate one’s own
with you for the rest of your academic years.
abilities and qualities. Parkside does not only
I was just selected to the National Honors
teach reading and writing, but also how to
Society and Ms. Miller and Ms. Thorne I thank
stand up and say, I can handle this. Confidence.
you both for giving me the tools I needed to
Confidence to open up and read more chal-
get such an honor. For those out there who
lenging books. Confidence to join social clubs.
feel anxious about leaving, just remember
Confidence to play mainstream sports. For me
Parkside will always be there and just a phone
it was confidence to apply and then get
call away. One of my closest friends from my
accepted to the National Honor Society and
days at Parkside is presently a classmate of
to play and be a big part of my school’s Varsity
mine and we often talk about the days in the
Basketball Team. Confidence in yourself lets
building on 74th Street.
you say I can do this. Thank you Parkside.
So what’s next for all of you graduates?
A new school, new teachers, and new friends
and I say that’s great. I want you all to know
Thank you Ms. Miller and Ms. Thorne for
this gift.
Every accomplishment in life has a begin-
that the care and support you experienced at
ning. Every success and all the hard work
Parkside will stay with you and this is very
started somewhere. I was watching the NBA
important. We all have challenges. It may be
finals this past week and my father and I
writing a story, reading a book or sometimes
talked about this superstar, Steph Curry. He is
to keep the focus on a lecture. I am here to
able to hit all those outside shots to a very
tell you there are so many wonderful people
high level. To get there he practiced over and
who will help, in your own success story.
over again and his beginning was hard work.
The love for Parkside crosses many
To succeed in high school and then in college
generations, I have my own vivid stories from
there is always a beginning. That beginning for
Parkside, but my parents and even my grandfa-
me and for many of you graduates was the
ther who visited all know that this was noth-
years spent at Parkside. And for that I thank
ing less than a home.
you Ms. Miller and Ms. Thorne. Congratulations
As I sat down to write this speech, I felt I
was leaving something out. Yes I spoke about
how wonderful the school is and how caring
14
to you all. This is a very exciting day and I
thank you for letting me be a part of it.
CLASS OF 2015
SCHOOL PLACEMENTS
Eagle Hill School
Mary McDowell Friends School
Stephen Gaynor School
The Lowell School
The Summit School
15
2015 Bollywood Auction
A Big Thank You to our 2015
Auction Sponsor!
Max J. Kozower of Maxwell Jacobs
Many thanks to our patrons who made our auction night possible!
Regina Abayev
David Addison and Dot Cates
Charles and Coretta Akrong
Gina Aliosa
Ahmad Al-Sati and Rose Razaghian
Grace An
Donna Assumma
Vincent Aubrun and Patricia Godoy
Austin & Company, Inc.
Maria Barbone
Kathryn Bassett Stein
and Craig Stein
Jennifer Bieber Schetina
Gregory Blackhall
James and Kathleen Bowers
Heddyeh Broumand
Carrie Catapano
Paolo and Margit Cesana
Paul Chew and Bindia Malhotra
Lauren and Craig Cohen
Rachel Cole
Paul and Janet Cord
Aimee Cummo and Matt Mandel
Daniel and Alice Cunningham
Jesse Cutler
Elizabeth (Libby) Davenport
Jamie Dolan
Leonard and Nicky Ellis
Lisa Faro
Cyrille Farrell
Melissa Ferraro
Fernando and Dana Ferre
Angelo Fratianni
Seth Freeman and Carolyn Barker
Brian and Dori Friedman
Frost King and Thermwell
Products Co., Inc.
Stephen Gallagher
and Felina Rakowski Gallagher
Matthew and Petra Gelbart
Seth and Valarie Gerber
Courtney Goldstein
Heidi Green
Thomas and Mary Jane Haher
16
Pablo Helguera
and Dannielle Tegeder
Rebecca Hennick
Mauricio Hidalgo
and Rosario Samperio-Hidalgo
Brett Hine and Sue Rosenthal
Rebecca Hornstein
Ira M. Resnick Foundation
Howard Jacobson
and Kathryn Wolfson
Haisong Jiao and Grace Wang
Crystal Johnson and Alfred Harrigan
Gary and Judith Kadi
Kenneth Kahaner
Avtar and Salinee Kang
Jay Kim and SoJin Bae
Robert King and Anne Davis
Max Kozower and Jane Guttenberg
Hari Krishnaswami and Amy Daley
Vijay and Tanja Kumra
Andrew and Julie Lambert
Alison and John Lankenau
Ben and Wendy Lehmann
John Leubsdorf and Lynn Montz
Jane and Richard Liescheidt
Tongwei Liu and Julia Tung
Laura McClelland
Richard and Amy McDaid
Theresa Middlebrooks
Albina Miller and Preston Faro
Maria Mitchell
Declan and Denise O’Dea
Kerry O’Donnell
Olympian Health & Fitness, LLC
Dave Outten
Nischal and Aline Pai
Katherine Palma
Alan and Leslie Pearson
Elizabeth Rand
Don and Stephanie Rapaport
Ron and Liat Raz
Michael and Karina Rizzi
Laura-Ann Robb and Michele Weber
Neal Rosenberg
Jason and Heidi Rosenfarb
Fredric and Vivienne Rottman
Aaron Royer
Susan Russo
Sacks & Sacks, LLP
David Salsberg
James Salter
Lane Schaffer
and Karen Rabinowicz
Michael and Cecilia Sery
Maurice Shalah and Yoko Tajimi
Samuel and Sarah Sidi
Donald and Marilyn Silberberg
Mark Silberberg and Tracy Butler
Hayward and Barbara Smith
Renee Solares and Jeffrey Conrad
Ray and Kelly Spitzley
Rachel Staloff
and William Bornander
David and Kate Stephan
Marc and Dikla Strohl
Erica Sugai
Gino Tadiar and Mae Leonardia
Laura Tagliareni
Julia Talen
Leslie Thorne and Thomas Casey
Peter Ticali
Michael Tramontana
Craig and Robin Unterberg
Rosemarie Verderane
Vincent Visceglia
and Carolyn Russo-Visceglia
Diego and Joyce Visceglia
Matthew and Stephanie
Warburton
Matthew and Joanna Weiss
Kimberly and Benjamin Whitney
Underwriters
Alissa and Joel Isaacson
Dr. Lois A. Jackson, DDS PC
Eric and Caroline Yoon
Like ripples in a pond when you throw a stone, the
work that Parkside does has an enormous effect beyond
just students. Parents, siblings, grandparents and
friends have all benefited from the Parkside magic.
— PA R E N T
2015 Bollywood Auction
A special thank you
to our 2015
Auction Committee!
Chairs
Bindia Malhotra
Caroline Russo-Visceglia
Auction Volunteers
Kathleen Bowers
Dot Cates
Marsha Cole
Amy Daley
Felina Gallagher
Heidi Green
Julie and Andrew Lambert
Julia Marketos
Sharon Monplaisir
Denise O’Dea
Aline Pai
Karen Rabinowicz
Karina Rizzi
Heidi Rosenfarb
Sarah Sidi
Barbara Haywood Smith
Kate Stephan
18
Auction Gifts-in-Kind
92nd Y
ABC 7
Ad-Zine Jewelry
Albina Miller
Alexis Mintz
Alice’s Tea Cup
American Museum
of Natural History
Anne Tuohy
Anonymous
Anthony Lisi
Asaf Nisim
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa
Audrey Eisenberg
Automatic Studios
Bindia Malhotra
Blue Apron
Body Evolutions
Breads from Anna
Broadway Booking Office
Brooklyn Cyclones
Café Grazie
Caitlin Mandy
Carousel of Languages
Cates Family Glads
Central Park Tae Kwon Do
Chef Central
Chelsea Piers
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Children’s Museum of the Arts
Chris Schranck
City Treehouse
Clay Spa
Cobble Hill Ballet
Come Join the Band!
Complete Tile Collection
Core Studio
Crafted Hospitality
Craig Hanauer
Da Claudio
Dana and Fernando Ferre
Dana Pielet
Dannielle Tegeder
and Pablo Helguera
David Elinson
Declan and Denise O’Dea
Design Lithographers, Inc.
Di Palo Fine Foods Inc.
Dinner Lab
Discovery Programs
Don and Emily Stephenson
Dovetail
Dr. Lois Jackson
Due Restaurant
Dynamic Solutions
Ellen Lee and Jon Sarnoff
Equinox
Exhale Mind Body Spa
Extreme New York Hair Salon
Fairway Market
Five Mile Stone
Flywheel Sports
Food Liberation
Francis Goodwin Lac
Frank Renta and Marlo Navarro
Frederic Fekkai Hair Salon
Gary S. Berger, MD
Gino Tadiar and Mae Leonardia
Girl With Spoon
Goldy & Mac
Good Enough To Eat
Good Housekeeping Magazine
Gopi K. Patel
Gore Mountain
Grace An
Grace Spiegel
Grace Yu Wang
Gymtime Gymnastics Rhythm
and Glues
Harmony by Karate
Heidi and Jason Rosenfarb
Heidi Green Photography
Hidden Valley Camp
HomBom Toys
House of Jai
Ingels Family Health
Island
Jacqueline Ament
Jacobs Pickles
Jane Mogel Interior Design
JCC in Manhattan
Jeffrey Stein Salon
Jennifer Behr
Jennifer Schetina
Jess Durrett
Jessica Frazzetta
Joanna Weiss
Jodi’s Gym
John and Sherry Cohen
Julia Marketos
Julia Talen
Julia Tung
Just for Today LCC
Kamie & Rich Lightburn
Karen Rabinowicz
and Lane Schaffer
Kat Palma
Kate Spade & Co.
Kate Stephan
Katie Bassett
Katherine Parker
Kelly Jacobi
Kerry O’Donnell
Kidville
Kimberly Whitney
Kim Madzy
Koppel Design Project Management
La Villa
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Laura McClelland
Lauren Behar
Law Firm of Cesar de Castro PC
Le Du’s Wines
Len and Nicky Ellis
Leshem Loft
Leslie Thorne and Tom Casey
Lester’s
Libby Davenport
Liberty Science Center
Little Maestros
Lovella Salon
Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge
Luxitune
Macy’s
Maman
Marc Harris Salon and Spa
Margit Cesana
Marissa Kanners
Marjorie Hilton Interiors
Martina Buczek
Match 65
Max Mara USA Inc.
Melissa Ferraro
Melt Shop
Meral Celabi—Shaggy Hair Salon
Michael and Karina Rizzi
Michael Choi
Michele Weber
Mike Tramontana
Mile High Run Club
Mimi’s Nail & Spa
Ming Yi Lin
Mohawk Day Camp
Monogram Off Madison
Mulino’s of Westchester
My Gym
MyClean
Neiman Marcus
New York Kids Club
New York Knicks
Nick’s Restaurant Pizzeria
Nirvana OBX LLC
NoriAnna Cohen
Occupational Therapy Department
O Live Brooklyn—Park Slope
Outerwall
Outragehiss Pets
Paper Source
Parkside Students
Paul Mole Barber Shop
Paula and Ira Resnick
Petra and Matthew Gelbart
Pinocchio Ristorante
Posies
Pour
Pure Yoga
Quaint Restaurant
Queen of the Night
Rachel Sosland
Rachel Teitcher
Randa Accessories
Rebecca Hornstein Doede
Rebecca Scheiner
Rebecca Schreiber
Rodan and Fields Dermatologists
Ron and Liat Raz
Ronald and Ethel Magnani
Rosa Mexicano
Rosario and Mauricio Hidalgo
Ruby Gelman, DMD
Sagamore Hotel
Salon Ziba
Samantha Kramer
Sarah Magid
Seventh Street Music Corp
Sfoglia Restaurant
Simply Sports
Sindia Malhotra
Skip Hop
SoJin Bae
Soula Shoes
Soulcycle
Speech Department
Spirit Center Acupuncture
Spring Lake Day Camp
Stampin’ Up
Stationary and Toy World
Super Soccer Stars
SwimJim, Inc.
Ted and Christine Gerstein
Tennis Innovators
The Cecil
The Cheesecake Factory
Incorporated
The Craft Studio
The James Beard Foundation
The Little Gym
The Nightly Show with Larry
Wilmore
The Penrose
The Restaurant Group
The Skylark
The Upper Breast Side
The Winslow
Tie Dye Town
Tiny Prints
Tiny’s and The Bar Upstairs
TOD’S
Tosler Davis Salon
Total Wine & More
Tracy Butler and Mark Silberberg
Union Square Hospitality Group
United Tae Kwon Do Center
Vale Jewelry
Valerie Cohen
Venieros
Vivienne Rottman
Walt Disney World Co.
Warren and Mitzi Eisenberg
Waterville Valley Resort
Whole Foods
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wood Homestead Maple Syrup
Yoga For Kids
Yogaworks
Yorkville Youth Athletic Association
19
The great thing about Parkside is that you
are never alone. Even if you have felt that
way your whole life, once you walk through
those red doors, you are part of a team.
— ALUMNI STUDENT
Fund for Teacher Excellence Benefit
A special thank
you to our Teacher
Excellence Benefit
Coordinators!
Benefit Committee
Dori and Brian Friedman
Jane Guttenberg and Max
Kozower
Alissa and Joel Isaacson
Kamie and Richard Lightburn
Julia Tung and Tongwei Liu
Alexis and Philip Mintz
Adina and Michael Pitt
Paula and Ira Resnick
Kelly and Ray Spitzley
Caroline Russo-Visceglia
and Vincent Visceglia
Stephanie and Matthew Warburton
Talent Chair
Sherri Shepherd
Special performances by
Diane Neal
Tammy Pescatelli
Joy Behar
Judy Gold
Thank you for your support of
The Parkside School’s Fund for
Teacher Excellence, which will
provide outstanding professional
development opportunities and
resources to attract and retain
exceptional teachers.
The Parkside School
Benefit Donors
Gene and Ronnie Isenberg
Punchline Supporters
Mary Elizabeth Alexander
Kamie and Richard Lightburn
Dori and Brian Friedman
Alexis and Philip Mintz
Paula and Ira Resnick
Deborah Roberts and Al Roker
Caroline Russo-Visceglia
and Vincent Visceglia
Julia Tung and Tongwei Liu
Stephanie and Matthew Warburton
21
Fund for Teacher Excellence Benefit
Stand-Up Supporters
Ahmad Al-Sati
and Rose Razaghian
Maria Barbone
Elli and David Basner
Heidi Broumand
Brook and Zoe Cuddy
DJO Consulting, LLC.
Nicky and Len Ellis
Christine and Ted Gerstein
Patricia Godoy and Vincent Aubrun
Jane Guttenberg
and Max Kozower
Margarita and Peter Halloran
Marjorie Hilton
Alissa and Joel Isaacson
The Kadi Family
Ken Kahaner
Kathy Lathen
Bindia Malhotra and Paul Chew
Mara and Michael Meehan
Maria K. Mitchell
MJS Foundation
Sharon Monplaisir
and Michael Gostigian
Leslie and Alan Pearson
Catherine Petrello
Adina and Michael Pitt
Vivienne and Fred Rottman
Kim Saperstein
Joelle Scott
Salima and Paul Sheppard
Skyer & Associates, LLP.
Kelly and Ray Spitzley
Robin and Craig Unterberg
Joanne and Matthew Weiss
Elizabeth and Adam Zoia
22
Contributions
Coretta and Charles Akrong
Donna Assumma
The Berkman Mintz Family
Patricia and James Bowers
Margit and Paolo Cesana
Wendy and Douglas Eisenberg
Ann Foley and Joshua Sapan
Barbara Fox and James Freund
Joshua Friedman
Timothy MacKenzie Gunn
Mary Jane and Thomas Haher
Maya Handwerk
Jill and Harry Kargman
Alison and John Lankenau
Anna Lehmann
and Brian Mangum
Jane and Richard Liescheidt
Nancy and Stuart Litman
Sarah Magid and Johnny Dwyer
Heidi Broumand-Mansuri
and Heddyeh Broumand
Lynn Montz and John Leubsdorf
Denise and Declan O’Dea
Tricia and Jason Pantzer
Karen Rabinowicz
and Lane Schaffer
Rayna Ragonetti
Nancy Sacks and Jeffrey Rothman
Mara Safra
Marilyn and Don Silberberg
Michael Silver
Davida Sherwood
Salima Vahebzadeh
Lois and Martin Whitman
Caroline and Eric Yoon
Special Gifts
Additional Donors
Maddy Kozower’s
Bat Mitzvah
General Donations
Parkside received an extraordinary
gift last year from a very special
young woman. Maddy Kozower,
the sister of Parkside student
Ethan Kozower, donated her Bat
Mitzvah gifts to Parkside! Maddy
encouraged her family and
friends to donate to Parkside in
lieu of traditional gifts, and we
are so immensely grateful for all
of the support that was received!
We cannot thank you enough
Maddy!
Deb Fienberg
Andrea Gellert
Amy Honigman
Jacob Honigman
Robert Kozinets
Emanuel and Elizabeth Stern
Isenberg Memorial Gifts
We would like to thank our
generous donors for their gifts
made in memory of Gene
Isenberg. As you know, Gene
and Ronnie were not only the
first to help create The Parkside
School; they maintained their
significant support over the
28 years the school has served
children. Their incredible generosity made it possible for us
to move to our present facility
and at the same time double
our enrollment. Gene will forever
be in our hearts!
Feygele Jacobs
Mark and Kylie Witzen
David and Temple Ary
Amazon Smile
American School Directory
Joshua Cohn
Paul and Janet Cord
James and Jacklyn Covell
Donald Driver Foundation
Preston Faro and Albina Miller
Howard Fine
Fadia Ghaleb
Brett Hine and Susan Rosenthal
Tamar Levenberg
Richard and Jane Liescheidt
Daniel and Vita Miller
Maria Mitchell
Ozier Muhammad and Lisa Redd
Brian and Carol Powers
Victoria Regan
Marilee Sears
Dorene Tomaskovic
United Way
Maryanne Williams
Farajallah Younis
Gifts-in-Kind
Michael Gostigian
and Sharon Monplaisir
Kevin and Doreen Odell
Denes and Muguette Petoe
Kim Saperstein
A HUGE thank you
to all Parkside staff
who generously
donated through
their gift of
Teacher Time!
Fly for Parkside
Jackie Algazi
Donna Assumma
Laura Carlucci
Tom Casey and Leslie Thorne
Craig and Lauren Cohen
Jeffrey Conrad and Renee Solares
Elizabeth Davenport
James and Jamie Salter
Audrey Eisenberg
Len and Nicky Ellis
Preston Faro and Albina Miller
Jessica Frazzetta
Robert and Evelyn Genshaft
Robin Goldberg
Courtney Goldstein
Michael Gostigian
and Sharon Monplaisir
Scott Hansher and Jessica Durrett
Sam and Katie Holliday
Ilana Kamens
Emily Kanoff
Jay Kim and SoJin Bae
Samantha Kramer
Rebecca Lewin
Caitlin Mandy
Jessica Bittner-Markus
Elsbeth Moses
Howard and Tara Moses
Douglas and Louise Mund
Declan and Denise O’Dea
Kerry O’Donnell
Alan and Leslie Pearson
Joelle Pergolotti
Don and Stephanie Rapaport
Ron and Liat Raz
Edward Ross
Lane Schaffer
and Karen Rabinowicz
Rebecca Scheiner
Rachel Schreiber
Michael Silver
Hayward and Barbara Smith
Craig Stein and Katie Bassett Stein
David and Kate Stephan
Helen Swenson
Andrew and Suzanne Taub
Michael Tramontana
Vincent Visceglia and Caroline
Russo-Visceglia
Amanda Wiener
Eric and Caroline Yoon
23
Board of Directors,
2014–2015
Alan A. Pearson, President
Brook Cuddy, Treasurer
Patricia Godoy, Secretary
Donna Assumma
Thomas B. Casey, III
Peter Halloran
Albina R. Miller
Vita Miller, Emeritus
Ray L. Spitzley
Leslie F. Thorne
Peter Ticali
The donors listed in this Annual Report have supported The Parkside School with contributions received
between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Every effort has been made to include each person or organization
who contributed to Parkside during this period. If your name has been omitted or listed incorrectly, please
accept our apologies and notify the Development Office at (212) 721-8888, ext.153. Thank you.
Renee Solares
Director of Development
Photography: The Parkside School Staff, Heidi Green Photography, and Hunter Willis Photographica
Design:
24
The Blank Page
Thank you for having faith in both our son and
in us… and accepting us in to the Parkside family.
We have now experienced the first time joy of seeing
him happy and making great strides in school.
— PA R E N T
48 West 74th Street
New York, NY 10023
www.parksideschool.org
We feel so blessed that we have Parkside’s amazing
staff to support our family. In this amazing and
challenging journey our daughter is growing up to
be the best version of herself. Thank you for helping
us to be the strong parents we want to be. The
journey is much easier with Parkside by our side.
— PA R E N T