Fall 2006-07 - the Randolph School

The Randolph Sun
2467 Route 9D, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
(845) 297-5600
Pre-K through High School
www.randolphschool.org
Vol. 4 No. 1
Fall 2006
Randolph Graduates!
On June 9, 2006, Trever Lowe and Sean
Cortright were the first graduating seniors of the
new Randolph School High School Program.
Both students are in college, and we are very
proud of their accomplishments. Board member
and parent Ken Lerner delivered Randolph’s
first Commencement Address. Here it is in its
entirety:
Welcome to this great celebration. I’m
privileged to say a few words on a day that is
easily the most important, not to say sacred, in
the Randolph School calendar. It’s really the
only day when we formally pause, honor, and
celebrate a new cycle of growth and emergence
among our students.
I’m speaking with two hats; first as a
member of the Board of Trustees, as an advocate
of the school and its mission. And second as a
parent and as a member of the community, because my children have spent twenty school
years here, and it goes by so quickly. You feel
like you ought to say something before the
grandchildren suddenly appear out of nowhere.
I like the image of teaching as gardening,
and the notions of nurturing, cultivation, growth,
and, most of all, deep roots. In Sean and Trevor,
we see the fulfillment of a long series of growth
cycles; these have now reached the limit of what
Randolph can offer. We don’t have a college
program yet, but who knows; Eric’s probably
working on it. Thank you Sean and Trevor, for
trusting this school with your education. We are
deeply thankful for your leadership, hard work,
and contributions, from Sean’s musical prowess
covering Elvis, Dylan, and John Lennon, to
Trevor’s rocket-powered, near-lethal, land and
air vehicles.
At Randolph, we never just hop from
year to year, or from one particular goal to an-
other. Sorry, we’re not standards-based; we’re
education-based. So while we have two fine
Parent and Board Member Ken Lerner
graduates, we also celebrate the steps of all our
students. Because here the goal of education is
not about reaching a particular square in the
game: “College” or “High School” or “Upstairs”
or “Carriage House.” It’s about paying attention
to and acknowledging the learning process. Each
stepping stone is in fact about a child’s measured emergence into the world as a whole, no
matter what that step is labeled.
I think there are two things to emphasize
Continued on Page 2
WHAT’S INSIDE?
2006 Commencement Speech continued
ASL at Randolph; Circle
I Believe; Hodge Podge
The Upper School Travels
Wheels on the Bus
Alumni News
2-3
4-5
6-7
8
8
9-11
Continued from Page 1
when we talk about Randolph and the development of our students. They are: What we teach,
and the environment where we teach it.
What
Randolph
teaches:
Independent
thinking and
research
skills. Love
of learning;
s e l f motivation.
Willingness
to take on a
large share
of responsibility
for
one’s own
education.
Cooperation,
fair
play,
and the desire to both
2006 Graduate Trever Lowe
teach
&
learn. Partnership. To avoid artificial boundaries
among ages, genders, and groups. To work with
parents, teachers, administrators, and the community at large. Ethical, responsible, and respectful behavior.
Pretty radical, huh? You hear it sometimes about Randolph. “Oh, that Randolph
School. Nice place, but so impractical. So out of
the mainstream; so starry-eyed, out of touch.
Too much flower-sniffing, not enough practicality. It doesn’t have any bearing on the real
world.”
I’m an engineer, and I’ve worked for
IBM for the last 22 years. If there is a model of
conservative, practical, capitalist, mainstream
values it’s embodied in my company. Walk into
a manager’s office at IBM and ask them what
qualities that want from their people, and do you
think they’re going to say: “Well I want really
good test takers. And straight As in their junior
year of high school would be good. And good
spellers, that’s important. Being able to memorize things, that’s helpful. And I don’t want too
much imagination, I want them to toe the line,
and when I ask them a question I just want them 2
to tell me what they think I want to hear.”
That might be a good model for success
in high school these days, but not in the business
world. Remember that list I went through of
what Randolph teaches? That’s what managers
want. They want skills, of course. But people
with engineering degrees are easy to find;
schools are churning them out hundreds at a
time. Every Spring; like dandelions. And I can
assure you that I work with a number of engineers with very advanced training and skills who
are impossible to work with, and who are in fact
counter-productive to the organization. Ask any
manager and they’ll tell you what really makes a
difference is that precise list I read to you; these
qualities can practically be taken off an IBM
bulletin board at corporate headquarters; we almost consider them clichés: Independent thinking; Self-motivation; Task ownership; Cooperative team play; Willingness to cross boundaries
of job title or position; Ethics, responsibility, and
respect.
The next time someone smacks around
Randolph and it’s so-called liberal or nonmainstream values, ask them what their school
is doing to fulfill these basic, extremely vital
business needs. We already know what
Randolph is doing.
And what about the educational environment here? The most remarkable thing about
Randolph is the kid’s lack of calluses. Not on
their hands; there are plenty of those. I mean the
callused personalities you see on a lot of kids,
particularly when they are in educational environments that encourage adversarial relationships. I think we hear all to often that this is
“normal,” that it’s just a regular part of learning
how to adapt to the world. It’s a whole layer of
existence we see on kids all the time; it’s so pervasive we call it normal. It ain’t normal. It’s pervasive, and we’re probably stuck with it, but that
doesn’t make it normal. The fortunate kids get
past it, but you see a lot of adults carrying this
baggage as well.
Randolph kids don’t have it. A high
school kid isn’t worried about being uncool if he
helps a 5th grader with a math question. No one
excludes you if you look or talk or dress differently. If you’re having a rough day an older or a
younger student might put their hand on your
shoulder and find out if you’re all right. Downstairs kids sit on upper school kids laps. You can
learn to knit if you’re a boy; just ask my son.
You can beat the boys at Ultimate if you’re a
girl; just ask my daughter. It’s not uncool for a
6th grader to always invite a certain board member (yours truly) who’s a terrible skier on the
first run of the day, on each and every ski trip;
thanks, Yuni. I love you. You can say “I love
you” here. If you slack off, you get called on it,
whether you’re a student or teacher or administrator or board member; and it may surprise you
who is doing the calling. We don’t do tryouts; if
you want to play, you get to play. Randolph kids
aren’t afraid of their teachers or the school administrators. There’s a whole layer of fabrication
that
no
one has to
w o r r y
about on
this campus. This
is an absolutely
s a f e
place.
And when
something
does go
wrong,
when you
most need
to
trust
e a c h
other, it’s
already
2006 Graduate Sean Cortright
there;
you don’t have to start a special Trust Committee or pull out the Giant Book of Rules. You can
just get to work fixing the problem.
Randolph isn’t perfect, and wonderful kids
come out of public educational systems and
other private schools every day. But I can’t help
but feel that they often emerge in spite of the
atmosphere, not because of it. And it breaks my
heart to see these kids leave here and immediately start showing those damn calluses the next
time I see them. They’re suddenly secretive, or 3
sullen, or cynical in that staged sort of way that
they think their peers expect. They greet me
with a mumble, not a smile (if they greet me at
all.) They don’t trust their teachers, they doubt
adults, their school is an emotional battlefield.
Everything becomes a con game, a shell game.
Whispering increases. Instant messages, text
messages, and cell calls take the place of real
conversation; buddy lists replace friends. Everyone and everything is suddenly grouped or classified. Kids lose the courage and the support to
just show up and be themselves, and have to
start pretending. I don’t mean to exaggerate, or
paint a melodramatic picture, but at very least
there’s an undercurrent of unhappiness and ill
ease that just isn’t necessary, is just an emotional
waste of time. And people are used to thinking
it’s just the way of the world; callused, in fact.
We understand that every family must
make enormously complex decisions involving
curriculum, resources, social issues, or finances.
We have our weaknesses; many more than we’d
like. And like any place, there comes a time for
every family to move on. But our core commitment to provide a fair, non-judgmental environment where every child from a nursery school
toddler through a high school senior can feel
100% safe to express their true nature resides at
our absolute base and will never, ever change.
To all of our students: You have roots
here. Whether you’ve been here 12 years or 6
months, whether you are moving on to college
or just learning to tie your shoes. This place has
real magic and will reach out to you and provide
you with a safe base for the rest of your lives,
whenever you want it. You will at times forget
that connection, those roots, but that doesn’t
mean they aren’t there. The bridge doesn’t disappear because of the fog. Just be patient and
look for it.
Randolph is about teaching the most basic of life skills, and doing so in a safe, honest
environment with a minimum of stress and a
maximum of love. And if you’ve ever touched
this place, it has touched you, and you can reach
out to those roots and it will bring you home
whenever you need it. And it seems to me that a
place can’t do much better than that.
Thanks for your time. Peace
ASL at Randolph School
By Diane Boujikian
to learn and explore. ASL is the third most used
language in the U.S. and Deaf Culture is based
on ASL. Through participation in this program
we are making community connections again—
this time within the Deaf community and with
the students in DCC and Vassar College.
For many years, Randolph School has
taught sign language in the downstairs and upstairs programs, as language arts tools for teaching communication skills. Alumni speak frequently about the finger spelling and basic ASL
Circle
(American Sign Language) that they learned as
By Ronnie Citron-Fink
young students at Randolph. This year, however,
When I was an education student, I did
we are taking the program to a new level.
my
student
teaching at Duzine Elementary
Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie
School in New Paltz. It was a typical public elehas recently started a pilot program teaching
mentary school in every way except for one 
ASL to the community and Randolph is thrilled
every day the principal greeted each and every
to have been chosen to participate in this. Deaf
student. He knew each child’s name and birthinstructors and interpreters from the American
day and often stopped
Sign Language program
them as they scurried off
will be providing classes
the bus to ask them
two times a week for
about their weekend or
participating students,
how they were feeling
aged
kindergarten
about a homework asthrough the twelfth
signment.
I watched
grade. Additionally, the
how the children’s facial
students in the Upper
e xpres sions would
School will be able to
change from a frantic
receive college credit for
“wanting to get into the
this full-year program.
building so as not to be
One day a week
marked late” look, to a
we will also have a Sirelaxed smile. It was
lent Lunch. Our Deaf
truly touching. Such a
ASL Class in the Upper School
instructor, Barbara, will
small act made such a
join our children for a
big impact. As a young teacher, I knew this
lunchtime that will include fun games, practicwas something I wanted to incorporate into my
ing vocabulary, and talking with your mouth
teaching. When I came to Randolph, I watched
full!
Eric run Circle. I watched how he noticed kids
A generous grant from the Levine Founin the same way. Circle Time has been a morndation has made this program possible. Our
ing greeting and meeting time at Randolph since
contact to the Levine Foundation was through a
its beginning.
Deaf instructor at Dutchess Community College,
Circle still happens every day in all prowho became interested in the Randolph commugrams
at
Randolph. The Downstairs greet each
nity. Some of the grant monies will also help
other with a song, they share toys and books,
fund two Silent Weekend Intensives that will be
and they listen to the news of the day. Waiting
held at Vassar College, one in November and
your turn, learning how to share, and asking
again in the spring. Deaf educators and perquestions are skills worked on as part of a social
formers will provide all-day workshops for our
curriculum. The Upstairs begins each Circle
children as well as students and adults from the
with a morning greeting. The teacher starts the
area.
greeting with a question to the child next to him/
American Sign Language is a rich, multiher. The tone is set for respectful communicasensory, spatial-visual, and fascinating language
4 tion as the teacher addresses the child by name
Downstairs Group Participates in Circle
and encourages them to say hello back, using the
teacher’s name. After the child answers, he/she
turns to the person next to them and repeats the
greeting. We evaluated this process and found
there were times we would get off track, giggle
and go deep into side conversations before everyone had a turn, so this year we refined the
process to keep it moving. A pillow is passed to
each child when it is his or her turn to speak.
Everyone else in the group knows that whoever
has the pillow is the speaker and they may not
interrupt. The whole process is fun, with lots of
smiling as the children hone their listening and
speaking skills. The Upper School also has Circle in the form of a mid-morning meeting. During this time, all the groups in the Upper School
get together to hear news, announcements, reflections and discuss social situations. Meeting
the emotional needs of pre-teen and teenagers is
paramount to understanding and building the
trust of our older students.
Recently, we had our first Grandfriend’s
Day at Randolph. The three programs of the
school (Downstairs, Upstairs and Upper School)
invited the visitors to join the children in a
Randolph activity. The Upstairs chose Circle
Time. As we gathered, the grandfriends (folks
not really that much older than me!), more than
doubled the bodies in the room. We were close
and cozy, and the atmosphere was conducive to
connecting on a deep and meaningful level. The
question we posed was, “What was school like
when you were a child?” After hearing about a
grandfather’s life as a child in a small one-room
schoolhouse in Germany and a grandmother’s 5
strict Catholic school near NYC, we moved on
to a grandparent who actually brought her two
best friends from their elementary days with her
to Randolph for the event. The three giggled
like kids and told the group about their strong
friendship while growing up in rural Pennsylvania. Another grandmother talked about her
experience in California, living in a community
where the children weren’t allowed to come to
school without shoes and that was a problem for
many. Her community got together and collected shoes for the children. Brad shared his
experiences growing up in NYC attending a parochial school and having to wear a uniform (Oh
no, not Brad someone said!). I talked about
walking to school every day and having a very
strict dress codeno pants ever for girls in the
1960’s suburban neighborhood I lived in, even
when we trudged through the snow. Watching
the fascinated faces of the Upstairs kids while
these stories were told was truly priceless. They
got it. The children connected fully in the evidence of all this sharing of self.
Even the faculty has a Circle of sorts.
Each week the faculty meets on Tuesday afternoon for two hours. We sit in a circle. Often
we begin our meeting by greeting each other
with birthday wishes in the form of a song and a
cake. I have been the recipient of such a greeting many times, and it leaves me with a feeling
of belonging to a responsive, caring community.
The principal so long ago was really on to something. Beginning each day feeling loved and
respected is alive and well at Randolph School.
A fine beginning is what it’s all about.
Drawing by Ava Fisherman
that. If you dislike someone, you shouldn’t try to
be an extremist. If you dislike someone, live
with it...In the end, I believe that religion is a
fairytale gone wrong.”
I Believe
The Upper School Literature Classroom
served as a writing community, as we wrote
about and shared very personal explorations of
our own motivations and beliefs. The resulting
writing demonstrated strong personal voices.
Here are some excerpts:
Daniel Zuckerman: I believe that you shouldn’t make fun of someone else’s religion because
it’s cruel and it might upset many people that
believe in that particular religion. Some say religion is controlling but others don’t. There are
many dangers to making racist or anti-Semitic
comments... I am Jewish and I don’t get offended when someone slams the Jews, because I
know that person will be frowned upon in the
press. Another reason why I don’t get upset is
because there are more important things to
worry about like school and paying bills. And I
wouldn’t waste my time trying to protest because I think it’s a little outrageous and sometimes it gets people more angry than they should
be. But I also think going to church and synagogue is a great way not just to worship God,
but to meet people… It’s also a great way to get
closer to family because sometimes people don’t
spend enough time with their children and
spouse. When I had my Bar Mitzvah in November of last year, my father was so proud of me.
He was sick with Leukemia at that time, and that
was something he wanted to see before he had to
go to the hospital in NYC. He had been in and
out of the hospital for treatments, but I’m glad
he got to see me become a man in the synagogue
on that day before he died in February 2006 of
leukemia.”
Jake Bernz: “I believe in music, and that it’s
another way to express yourself. Like when you
write a song, you’re writing what’s on your
mind. If you’re unhappy with something in your
life, you can write about that. Or if you’re
happy, you can write a song with chords and a
tempo that sounds major, and the same thing
with sad songs. So that is a wonderful way to
say something that’s in your mind. I think if
you’re afraid to say something to a friend, or a
parent, then you can say that with your song. I
feel when I play guitar it’s sometimes about
what mood I’m in, or what recently happened to
me in my life. I encourage other musicians to do
the same. I think the whole purpose of a guitar is
to communicate with sound.”
Joshua Isaacke: “I oppose religion. It is a lie. It
is believing in something that isn’t real. All their
rules restrict life. You have to go to church or
temple or whatever you go to. You have to go
on certain days. You have to be respectful to the
priest or rabbi or whatnot. You can’t live. You
can’t think or do anything “bad” or you will get
tortured for the rest of time...Ironically, religions
are probably the most racist, sexist, homophobic
groups in the
world. They say
not to be violent
but they open the
most extremist
groups in the
world. They’ve
caused too much
death with their
lies. A good way
t o live would be
with the basic
guidelines. You
shouldn’t kill or
steal, stuff like
6
GIVING TO RANDOLPH
Your gifts to Randolph play an important part in our work with children.
Without your support, much of what we do would not be possible.
Thank you for your generosity.
HODGE PODGE
Alumni Ski Day
Alumni Day 2006
Last year’s Alumni Ski Day was a smashing
success. Great skiing and a fun raffle and lots of
friendship and camaraderie made this a special
event. This year, we will be holding the second
annual Alumni Ski Day at Belleayre Mountain
Ski Resort in the Catskills on Saturday, February 3rd. (Sunday, February 4th is the snow date.)
We invite you all to join us. The proceeds of the
event go to support the Randolph School Ski
Scholarship Program, to assist eligible students
to participate in our skiing program.
Next year, Columbus Day will be the new
date for Alumni Day, a day when all alumni are
invited back to the school to get together, have
fun, share stories and old memories. We chose
this day because most local schools are on a
holiday, and students are free to return to their
old stomping grounds. This year, as in years
past, we had a large and boisterous crowd, with
lots of fun, games and conversations about life
in the big world. Set this day aside next year, so
you can join us.
Randolph School Board Sees Changes
The Library Makes A Move
This year, the School Board has seen a number of changes. Past members Susan Fountain
and Jenny Hughes-DeWitt have stepped down.
We thank them for their service and hard work.
With the largest group of Kindergarteners
ever attending the school, we needed to find
more classroom space in the Main Building.
And so it came to pass that the Library migrated
into the Carriage House, in so many boxes,
crates and vehicles. It is now beautifully situated
in the downstairs of the Carriage House amidst
the pianos and guitars and rather reminds us of a
traditional old Victorian Library. The vacated
Library Room in the Main Building now houses
Susan’s Kindergarten group, and it is a bright
and cheery place.
New Board Members, Kitama SeegerJackson and Tom Peck joined us for their first
Board Meeting in October. Alumnus Kitama is
currently working as a film maker in New York
City. Tom, Randolph parent of Kirstin and Adrienne Peck during the 1970’s, currently lives
with his wife, Mary, in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Tom built the art room and the old library in the
Main Building. We are excited about their participation in the school community.
...Whispered in the Wind
•
Development
Alisa Algava acted as our first Development
Director, and did a great job getting the program
off the ground. She has moved on to teaching in
•
a charter school in Brooklyn, but has re-joined
the School Board. We are pleased to announce
that Suzanne Timmer is our new Development
•
Director. Suzanne comes to us as an experienced
fundraiser at Columbia and Brown Universities,
and brings with her excellent grant writing and
researching skills. We welcome her and are expecting great things.
7
Word has arrived that Creek Iversen, Math
& Music Teacher, and Jen Clapp, parent/
singer/songwriter are teaming together to
produce a children's album. Keep your ear to
the ground!
Brad King, Upstairs teacher & Administrator
is celebrating his 20th year at Randolph this
year. Still no window in his shirt! Congrats!
Alumna Elizabeth Hanka is helping around
about school this fall before she leaves for
Europe. She has been working in all the different groups and it is delightful to have her
back again, if only for a short time.
The Upper School Travels!
A Trip to Costa Rica
By Goldie Safirstein
In February of 2007 a group of Upper School
students and teachers will spend a week at Rancho Mastatal in Costa Rica, Central America.
Alisa Algava, an alumna and board member,
stayed at Rancho Mastatal earlier this year and
quickly recognized the opportunity for an ongoing connection between Rancho Mastatal and
the Randolph School. Rancho Mastatal is an environmental learning and sustainable living center on the border of La Cangreja Rainforest Preserve. It emphasizes experiential learning, individualized study, direct encounters with the rainforest, and service to the environment and local
community. The farm itself houses dozens of
beautiful eco-buildings built by the ranch founders and guests and the entire place is an environmental work of art. People come there from
all over the world to vacation, rest, learn Spanish, and study ecology or the rainforest. Rancho
Mastatal's location within a rural Costa Rican
community provides opportunities for students
to vastly improve their Spanish language skills
while learning about another culture. Before
leaving for Costa Rica, each student will work
with a teacher developing a plan for their time at
Rancho Mastatal. Opportunities for study range
from rainforest ecology, organic agriculture and
sustainable building practices to Latin American
economic growth, Costa Rican artisans and in- 8
digenous culture preservation. After we return,
students and teachers will use their experience to
enrich the rest of the Randolph community
through presentations of research and demonstrations.
Randolph has a tradition of making education available to students regardless of their
financial means. No student should be left out
because his or her family cannot afford this trip.
Students, parents and teachers are working hard
at raising funds. As part of our fundraising effort, we are selling organic, fair trade coffee
from Costa Rica. We are also considering other
fundraisers including a Costa Rican dinner and a
Costa Rican crafts sale. Please speak to Goldy if
you would like more information on the trip or
the fundraisers.
The Wheels on the Bus go Round &
Round
Our 15-passenger mini-bus appears to be
not as road-worthy as we hoped, but it makes a
grand play structure! Once we wheeled it into
place in our lower playground, the Randolph
Magic School Bus was ready to wheel down the
path of any child’s imagination.
This is definitely a full service vehicle.
First, stop at our ticket booth nestled between
four trees, supported by one of our beautifully
milled sugar maple boards. After you buy your
ticket, you may relax at the bus stop, sitting atop
one of our tree stump stools. When the driver
opens the door (that is the most fun), you board
the bus, drop your ticket in the box, choose a
seat, put on your safety belt, briefly review the
bus rules posted above and off you go! Feel free
to put in an order for some munchies. Yes, there
are pictures of a variety of goodies available for
your snacking pleasure, served by our friendly
car (bus)-hop!
This is one of those perfect activities immersing the children in math, literacy, and geography! We designed the tickets, made our
money, decided upon rules, lettered posters, created menus, and along with all the math and
writing skills, we have been learning about maps
and exploring travel guides to help us design a
variety of vacation packages. The possibilities
are endless and it’s an amazingly smooth ride!
ALUMNI NEWS
Where are you now? What are you doing? What have you made? What are you thinking? Do you have a
favorite memory of Randolph? What’s your email address? Send us a note: [email protected]
Giulianna Lamanna
I just wanted to update you on my daughter,
Giulianna Lamanna, who attended Randolph
School for sixth grade and again in tenth
grade. Giuli married Jason Godesky on July 22,
2006 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of
Poughkeepsie. They're currently living in Pittsburgh, Pa. where Jason is a graphics designer
and Giuli is writing. She also wants to tell you
to check out their web site, www.anthropik.com,
which builds on the ideas of Daniel Quinn, an
author whose books Giuli read with some of her
classmates at Randolph School.
With warmest regards,
Pat Lamanna
ing, climbing, and getting into lots of trouble.
He is such a funny child who laughs and plays
all day long. He can also get pretty loud and obnoxious too. We love living on our farm in the
beautiful Saratoga area, but miss our family's
company and friends at the Randolph School.
Desirea Roz (Downstairs Teacher)
I'm mainly at home raising the boys, but I do
substitute teaching in our South Glens Falls
School district. Tom has been busy with music
and carpentry work in Saratoga County.
Jake is doing well and is very happy in 3rd
grade at Ballard School. He keeps us all busy by
joining many clubs/programs. He is fine tuning
his baseball skills in a fall-ball program and
starts tennis in November. He has already signed
up for the ski club and can't wait for the chess
club sign ups. This is why I must be an at home
mom. Isaac turned one in August and is walk-
Ivan Cash
I only went to Randolph for pre-school. I
remember building lots of things with wooden
blocks. I remember the first day I learned
to whistle, when, during morning meeting, I
went around the circle to every person and
whistled to them. I remember playing on the
playground and having lots of fun. I'm currently
a junior at SUNY Geneseo. I'll be studying
abroad next semester in South Africa. I'm
studying graphic design and advertising. Good
luck with your newsletter!
Eliza Fish is in the 10th grade at Concord Academy in Concord, Mass. She is wrestling with
sophomore chemistry and geometry, her English
class is dissecting Oedipus and striving vainly to
repair bad grammar habits. She is immersed
in conversational French, plays starting defense
on her soccer team, is thriving in general and
apparently still loves her father.
Gunnar Babcock
I just got your card in the mail, and thought I
would let you know what I'm up to and see how
all of you are doing. Well, after working as a
substitute teacher in Alaska for a couple years
(and guiding in the summer), I've come back to
NY to go to college. So, I'm presently a junior at
Sarah Lawrence College, studying philosophy
and literature. In a nutshell, that is about where
I'm at now.
I hope all is well at Randolph, and all is well
with everyone there. While I'm at it, I'd also like
to say thank you for the experience you all provided me with while I was there - it helped me
get where I am. My best to you all.
Desirea’s two sons, Jake and Isaac
9
Sean Cortright
Hello All. I'm currently writing you from my
apartment in Bloomington, Indiana. My roommate is great, and the rest of the students at CIP
(College Internship Program) are all nice. I've
made quite a few friends out here already, one of
them reminds me of Greg because he is always
Paulie Sequeiera
We recently had dinner with Paulie and his
parents Paul and Maria. Paulie was back from
Seattle where he lives on an island Native American Reservation, and has recently left his programming job at Microsoft. As always, he was
full of new ideas and possibilities of what he was
going to do next, and he regaled us with tales of
parachuting and other adventures. Eric Tomlins
Adam and Kara Lerner
Adam is currently in his second year at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He is
enjoying his classes, and additionally is in the
choral group. They performed this summer at
Fenway Park at a Yankees-Red Sox baseball
game! He has his own radio show on Amherst
College radio, and likes the DJ role.
Kara is attending tenth grade at the Putney
School in Putney, Vermont, where she is doing a
lot of art, dance and enjoying all her classes. She
is playing Ultimate Frisbee as well.
Sean Cortright (right) and his friend Anna
On Sean’s 20th Birthday
raving about Linux.
This semester I'm working on building up my
portfolio in order to get into the Recording Arts
program at IU (Indiana University). I'm looking
at several possible internships, and I might be
sitting in on Arlo Guthrie's sound check tomorrow. I've been taking guitar lessons from a guy
named Duncan who is a classically trained guitarist from the IU School Of Music. I've been
working on scales, and improv skills with him,
as well as many other things. I'm starting voice
lessons with one of the residential staff members,
and have been taking music reading lessons with
one of my advisor's neighbor's. I'm working toward playing an open mic night at a local restaurant with two other guitarists. I'd have to say my
favorite memories of Randolph are the many
wonderful songwriting sessions I had with Jen
Clapp one on one, of the many other musical opportunities I had, and the Teacher Retreat music
nights. Hope all is going well for you all. Peace.
Sean
Kara Lerner and her huge drawing of a Putney cow
Former Randolph teacher Alan Ticotsky sent
a note that he has a series of educational books
about to be published. Many of the lessons, he
says, were developed while working at Randolph
in the early 1970’s. He will send Randolph a
copy when they are released!
10
Liza Vallese
Hello Randolph. What a year of surprises.
Since I left New York in 1990 I have lived in the
dry deserts of Arizona and on the South rim of
the Grand Canyon, on the calm mellow beaches
of South Carolina as well as the jagged, angry
coast of Maine, up at 9000ft in the Rockies in
Summit County, the self-proclaimed "Colorado
playground" and in the beautiful, green tropical
hills of St. John, U.S.V.I. I have studied art and
massage therapy and medicine. I have had adventures both good and bad, I have made
many beautiful friends that I have in my heart
wherever I go and will keep with me for lifetimes. I have found love and lost it and found it
again with a new understanding and appreciation of what love can be. I have changed courses
and direction and my mind in accordance to
which way the universe was pointing me.
When I got to New Orleans, I knew I would be
staying for a little while. So here I was when our
friend Katrina was on her way and here I am
again now that she has gone. I have returned to
this gutted and splintered city to help it try to
pull itself back up again. I fear it will never be
what it once was, for the soul of this city, the
people who smiled at you on the streets and always said hello, are all scattered now. They will
spend the money to clean up and make it look
pretty again and they will create a place for the
tourists to want to visit but the insides of the
town are gone, I am afraid. So many people,
friends, have lost everything they own, homes,
photos, family heirlooms, those small personal
treasures kept in little boxes on high shelves. We
were blessed and lucky in comparison to so
many. I will remain here to finish my BSN at
LSU Medical and then see where the universe
points me when I am done. Whenever my
mother comes down for a visit she brings your
newsletter and it is so good to see how everyone
is doing and where they have ended up in this
life. I am never surprised that so many Randolph
lessons show up in the grown up world because
at the base of all that I learned there was the
concrete fact that the differences in people are
what makes this planet such an amazing adventure and that those differences are wonderful blessings to learn from. I wanted to touch
base and say hi. I wanted to say thank you for
those that helped Sara and me after the stormthat was an unexpected surprise that we were
both very touched by. I wanted to send a Happy
New Year wish to all my Randolph family. Once
again thank you for thinking of us for we are
always thinking of you. Liza Vallese
I am Elizabeth Kardas. I went to Randolph
School ('95-'96 school year) for kindergarten
with Ronnie as my teacher. I am now a senior at
Poughkeepsie High School and I love being
there. I am the President of the National Honor
Society, captain of the varsity soccer team and
the track teams and on the math team and science Olympiad, and I am a certified lifeguard. I
want to be a doctor when I grow up, specifically
a dermatologist because I had a severe case of
acne, and I want to help other people with skin
disorders. At The Randolph School, I remember going down to the stream to catch salamanders, sledding down the hill in the back, and
playing on the playgrounds all the time. I enjoyed my time there a lot. I remember being in
class with Luke, Madeline (who I have recently
got back in touch with), and Jay.
Dear Everyone at Randolph, Charlotte
(Ginder) is in the 4th grade at Sheafe Road Elementary and doing very well. She is also taking
tap and jazz dancing lessons and is very involved with Girl Scouts. Even though she hasn’t
been to school at Randolph for 4 years, it still
feels like family. Lots of love to everyone. Cara
(Charlotte’s mom).
Jerry Pomeroy (Teacher and Co-founder)
My favorite memory is the dawning of an
ideaa dream forming in the minds of three
teachers as they sat together here and there and
discussed a new school, a new idea, a new
chancea childrens’ school built on a love of
learning and a need to grow.
Love, Jerry, a founder.
The Randolph School
2467 Route 9D
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
NEWBURGH NY
PERMIT #152
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Parents of Alumni: If this newsletter is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains
a permanent address at home, please notify us of his or her new mailing address. Thank you.
Randolph School is truly grateful to all those who support our mission and programs. The Randolph School is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible. The following is a list of those who made contributions in 2005-2006. While we have taken great care to
ensure accuracy, please notify us of any errors or omissions so that we may correct our records and acknowledge your generosity. Thank you.
Annual Fund
Donors:
William Brearley
Geraldine Brodsky
Victoria & Neil Ackerman
Nerio Calle
Alisa Algava
Sydney & Julie Cash
Andy Algava
Mary Forsell & Tony Cenicola
Carin Algava
Charles G. & B.S. Chase
Anne & James Altucher
Robbie Puglisi & John Clarke
Roseanne & William Ashby
Joshua Cohen
Elizabeth & William Avello
Wendy Cohen
Paul Banner
Michael Cortright
Elaine & Leonard Bard
Sean Cortright
Denise Bassen
Sandy & Lee Corwin
Maureen Beck
Laura & Evans Cullen
Karin Miller & Benjamin Bedell A. Zijlma & M. Daecher
Corinne Benson
David Dawson
Arthur Berenbaum
P. Townsend & R. Deam
Susan Berliner
James DeRose
Luke Berliner
Lisa & Chris Devens
Mai Jacobs & David Bernz
Eike Dorff
Bev Kaufman & David Bloom John & Cassie Dreier
Lora & Doug Bonser
Heidi & John Duch
Diane & Mark Boujikian
Ronnie Citron-Fink & Ted Fink
Laura & Peter Bracken
Ava Fisherman
Susan Brearley
Jen Clapp & Dan Fisherman
Bruce & Maxine Foley
Alice Forman
Susan Fountain
Cheri Fuller
Cara & Robert Ginder
Caroline & Michael Gomez
Andrea & Don Grumbine
Jackie & Josh Hadden
S. Appollo & L. Hamilton
Lucia & Robert Heinold
Creek Iversen
T. Seeger & S. Jackson
Heather & Steve Justry
Katherine & David Karten
Lisa & Marc Kerchman
Roeland Kim
Saskia Kim
Yungil & Sonja Kim
Susan & Richard Kimmel
Brad & Tracy King
Madeline King
Richard King
Ann Klepner
Sarah Klepner
G. Safirstein & K. Kohler
B. Chase & C. Kunaschk
Shannon & Chris LaFrance
Adam Lerner
Katlyn & Ken Lerner
Martha Levine
Peggy & Gary Lewis
Jody Chasen Lipton
Leah Lococo
Ellen & Mark MacKinnon
Alice Maloney
M. & Z. Margulis-Ohnuma
Kate Dayton & Michael Mell
Albert & Marion Mell
Freddy Miller
Patricia Miller
Anne Murphy
Mary Murphy
Abbie Nelson
Roland Neumann
Toby Shimin & Frank Ortega
Lisa & Chris Parrinello
Sadie Parrinello
Megan Pascarella
Sue & Mike Pascarella
Tom & Mary Peck
Alanna & Anthony Pezzullo
Karen & Stephen Pogge
Gerald Pomeroy
Richard Priest
C. & G. Priest-Dorman
Noel Prosser
Judi Quinti
Rachelle & Derek Reis-Larson
Tim & Jacquie Reith
Cathy & Steve Riley
Diane & Rich Robbins
Ron & Gloria Robbins
Lorraine Roberts
Desirea & Tom Roz
William Rubin
Helen Sanchez
Lynn & Reese Sarda
Pete & Toshi Seeger
Maria & Paul Sequeira
Pinkal & Hiren Shah
Gai Sher
Liat & Oren Sher
Yuni Sher
Loretta Spence
John & Laura Stellingwerf
Jen & Mike Stengle
L.Mandigo-Stoba & I. Stoba
Daniela Stokes
Gerrit Stover
Kate Stover
Lanse Stover
John Struzzieri
Gunter & Vera Szczuka
Karen & Larry Teich
Carolyn & Tim Tenney
Bobbi Berenbaum Teva
Ken & Donna Thomas
Alan Ticotsky
Eric & Cath Tomlins
Jason Tomlins
Owen Tomlins
Mark & Vicki Treco
Joan & Henry Turner
Shelley & Brendan Tween
Lois & Frank Van Zanten
Helen Vera
Howard Verb
Adrienne Volpe
Karen & Carl Whitehead
Donna Zuckerman
Corporations:
ADM
B.F. Goodrich
IBM
Kallman Insurance
Nomura American Foundation
Foundations &
Organizations:
The Community Foundation of
Dutchess County
Dutchess County Arts Council
Lawrence W. Levine
Foundation
Mid-Hudson Teacher Center
Partners for Arts Education:
School Arts Partnership
The Randolph School was founded on the belief that children have a natural desire to learn. This desire is supported and nurtured in an environment where each child’s developmental needs and interests are respected. Mutual trust between children and adults fosters an atmosphere in
which children are encouraged to discover and explore their world. Work and play are focused on experiential, hands-on learning experiences. We
strive to balance the creative potential in the intellectual, social, emotional, artistic, and physical lives of children in the belief that children who
love to learn become LIFELONG LEARNERS.