celebrating education that lasts a lifetime

CountryConnections
celebrating education that lasts a lifetime
The Country School | Spring 2012
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The Country School Board of Trustees
Sarah Barber
Laurie Bottiger, Ph.D., Head of School
John Chobor P ’11, ’13, Board Chair
James Cianciolo P ’00, ’02, ’06, ’09
Diana Glassman P ’05, ’07, ’09
Janet Scharr Gochberg P ’12
Lynn Haversat P ’12, ’15
Jennifer Jackson P ’11, Vice Chair
Ed Keating P ’15, Secretary
Timothy Kish P ’13, ’15, ’17, Treasurer
Linda Lee P ’05, ’07, ’10
Kathleen McNary ’97
Peyton Patterson P ’12
Mauricio Salgar P ’14, ’16, ’18
Dean Singewald II P ’15, ’20
Michele Volpe P ’13, ’15
Heidi Worcester P ’09, ’11, ’15
Chris Zane P ’10, ’12, ’14
Our Mission
At The Country School, we are committed to creating an
environment which is both academically challenging and
responsive to the social and emotional needs of growing
children. Encouraging close relationships among students and
teachers and cooperation between home and school, we foster
a feeling of family. The school community strives to nurture
each child, valuing his or her unique gifts in an atmosphere
of mutual respect.
The traditional disciplines of reading, writing, mathematics,
science, social studies, and foreign language form the core of
our academic program. Because we seek to educate the whole
child, the school is also committed to a vital arts program,
strong offerings in physical education, and challenging
opportunities for individual growth. Our teaching is spirited
and promotes active learning. We provide experiences which
are sensitive to different learning styles and stages of development. We guide students to discover their own strengths and
develop confidence in their abilities to learn. Our program is
rich and flexible, offering many pathways to success.
Alumni Board Members
Jeff Burt ’61, P ’00, ’03 (Co-Chair)
Diana Glassman P ’04, ’07, ’09 (Co-Chair)
Suzette Bavolack P ’12
Katherine Cahouet Connolly ’77 P ’21
Linda Lee P ’05, ’07, ’10
Liz Lightfoot ’77 P ’05, ’07, ’08, ’12 Duncan MacLane ’64
Karen Rosenthal ’85 P ’20
Pam Sachs P ’07, ’11
Renee Smith P ’09, ’11
Dani Woods P ’06
Jeanne Boyer Roy P ’01, ’06, Director, Institutional
Advancement and Alumni Relations
We recognize our responsibility to prepare students to meet
not just academic challenges, but personal and ethical ones
as well. Our faculty provides leadership for character development, guiding students toward self-reliance. We encourage
our students to look beyond themselves, to work cooperatively
with others, and to serve their communities and the larger
world. We expect much of our students, because we believe
they have much to give.
As we honor the creativity, sense of wonder, and exuberance
in childhood, we hope to stir in our students enthusiasm for
learning as an exciting, lifelong activity. We work to equip
each student with a solid mastery of essential skills, healthy
self-esteem, and a clear sense of values. At The Country
School, we strive to empower young people to reach their
highest, not only in school but also in life.
Thank you to the many alumni who contributed to this issue
of Country Connections. Your stories make us proud, proving
that an education really can last a lifetime.
Email your news and photos to
[email protected].
See more news at www.thecountryschool.org.
Visit us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @countryschoolct
The Country School
341 Opening Hill Road
Madison, Connecticut 06443
(203) 421-3113
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Table of Contents
4 New Leadership for TCS: Dr. Laurie Bottiger
4 Sitting Down with Laurie Bottiger: Priorities for The Country
School
5 Remembering The Country School’s First Headmaster,
David T. MacLane
7 Celebrating 55 Years of TCS Students
Studying Under the Gaze of a Stuffed Archimedes,
by Jackson Holahan ’01
8 Alumni in Education
Joining that “Noblest of Careers,” by Elizabeth Walbridge ’03
9 Alumni in STEAM
Making Discoveries in the Laboratory: Zef Konst ’04
Designing for the America’s Cup: Duncan MacLane ’64
Working Toward More Women in STEAM: Marian Firke ’05
Studying Diet and Health in the Amazon: Doug London ’76
Forming a Strong Foundation: Eliza Nguyen ’05
The Next Steve Jobs? Jesse Youngblood ’04
Woman of Innovation: Elisa Jorgensen ’99
Motivating the Next Generation: Tyler Jorgensen ’02
13 Alumni in the International Arena
Working to Advance Women: Stephanie Bradford ’04
13 Alumni in the Visual Arts
Drawing Outside the Lines: Rebecca Joslow ’04
Jewelry Designer: Ann Lightfoot ’80
16 Alumni in the Performing Arts
Performer, Choreographer, Writer, Teacher: Tandy Beal ’60
18 Alumni in Sports
Passion is Universal: Working with female athletes in Mali, by
Isabel Clements ’07
Sports Medicine: Dayne Mickelson ’97
23 Looking Back and Looking Ahead: Alumni at TCS
Images from alumni events
Loyalties that Never Fade: Alumni Reunion on Field Day
2011, by Mary McGee ’05
How Lucky Our Children Are: Excerpted from a speech by
former trustee JoAnne Staten
2011 Distinguished Alumni Award: Ted London ’77
28 Save the Date
First Annual TCS Golf Classic – June 25, 2012
28 Advancing The Country School
TCS Unveils New Website
Keeping the Founders’ Promise: Scholarship Fund expands,
helping scores of students
Giving Back: The Woods Family
Embracing – and Exceeding – the Challenge
Founders’ Promise: Making a Difference for Families
30 Former Faculty News
We and the World Are Better for Knowing You: Michele
Schofield
Anticipating a Sequel: Former Head of School Steve
Davenport on “Saving Miss Oliver’s”
Climbing New Mountains: Former Head of School Bill
Powers
Honoring a Student: Alice Castelli Proudly Looks On
Hitting the Road: Happy Trails to the Tuckers
Looking to Make Meaningful Things Happen: Former Head
of School Steve Danenberg
Preserving Nature: Former librarian Christine Dauer
Not Riding off into the Sunset Just Yet: Jim Storms is still at it
From TCS to the Circus: Interim Head of School Martha
Gates Lord
Making Music in Texas: Catching up with Susan Wiles
Still the DO-ER: Janice Crampton
20 Alumni Writers
Maine Publisher: Nathaniel Barrows ’59
34 Remembering and Celebrating Friends
Former Trustee Bill Elmore
Michael Hallberg ’05
Priscilla Wood Dundon ’65
Connie Pike, Former Trustee
21 Alumni in the Outdoors
Learning from the Woods and Waters and Mountains, by
Kate McNally ’09
36 Class Notes
The Amazing Alumni Board, by Jeanne Boyer Roy, Director
Institutional Advancement
22 Inspired Parents: Alumni with children at TCS
Karen Rosenthal ’85 P ’20
Katherine Cahouet Connolly ’77 P ’21
Other Alumni Parents on Campus
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New Leadership for TCS:
Laurie Bottiger, Ph.D.
As you read through these pages, we think you will see many
examples of education lasting a lifetime. Whether in a science
laboratory, on the stage, or in a classroom where they now find
themselves the teachers, TCS alumni are making a difference.
In this issue of Country Connections, we salute more than 55
years of Country School graduates and the many ways in which
they are putting their education to good, meaningful, and
lasting use.
We also look forward to The Country School’s next chapter,
as, under the guidance of Dr. Bottiger, another generation of
students is prepared to make a difference in our ever-changing
world.
Sitting down with Laurie Bottiger:
Priorities for The Country School
Q: You have been at The Country School since July. During
the past several months, what have you come to see as the
school’s greatest strengths?
A: The passion that this community has is absolutely its
strength. There is a deep, deep belief in what children can do,
who they are, and that they should get to be who they are. No
matter who you talk to and when they attended The Country
School, there is this spirit of energy and fun which we call
‘exuberance.’ I see that spirit enlivened in every family, and it
is a major part of what attracted me to TCS.
As The Country School entered its 56th year, the community
was delighted to welcome Laurie Bottiger as our new Head of
School. A visionary educator who has already had an enormous
impact on TCS through her passion, energy, and knowledge,
Dr. Bottiger came to TCS from Esperanza Academy, a tuitionfree girls’ school in Lawrence, MA, where she served as
founding Head of School.
The second piece that I see is the deep commitment to
academic excellence. This dual commitment – to rigor and
to nurture, and never one in lieu of the other – helps guide
our work as teachers as we encourage our students to explore,
think, ask questions, grow, and at the same time remain
authentically themselves. When children are educated in this
way, with a true balance between rigor and nurture, we know
that they will come away from their up-to 11-year experience
at TCS absolutely ready for whatever comes next. It is a joy
to be a part of that journey.
A seasoned educator who specializes in elementary school
education and curriculum and leadership development, she
has more than 20 years of experience in independent and
public schools, both in the United States and abroad. Dr.
Bottiger has several areas of interest and expertise, including
utilizing brain research to inform teaching, character and
affective education, and the advancement of 21st century skills,
including STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art,
and math), Design Thinking, and global awareness.
Q: Tell us something about yourself. What made you want to
become an educator?
A: I come from a long, long line of educators, so at family
gatherings everyone was a teacher, and at home everyone was
a teacher. As such, you become good at what you experience
all the time. My mother tells a story about me as a little girl. I
was a September birth so I think I was three and really upset
that everyone else was going out to get on the school bus, so
I got dressed that day to get on the bus as well. Of course,
they wouldn’t take me because I was too young, so my mother
loaded me into the family station wagon and drove to a nearby
Head Start program and said, ‘She’s dying to go school and
I’ll do whatever it takes – I’ll volunteer – can you please let
her in?” And so that was the beginning of my per se formal
education.
Explaining that what attracted her to TCS was the school’s
inherent balance of rigor and nurture, its commitment to
excellence and to the whole child, Dr. Bottiger said she also
noticed something else during her very first day as Head of
School. “The Country School is a place that allows children
to explore their passions, to become the best they can be –
academically, artistically, athletically, and ethically,” she said.
“But perhaps most important, it allows individual students
to achieve excellence and at the same time remain true to
who they really are. That is a real gift. It’s what makes an
education truly last a lifetime.”
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Remembering The Country School’s
First Headmaster, David T. MacLane
I’m a school junky. I love learning. I will be nosy and I’ll read
every bulletin board and everything that I can immerse myself
in and think, “What else can I learn and how can I learn it so
I’ll embrace it?” It might even be an addiction… I have a mental
dialogue inside my head. I’m constantly saying, “I wonder, I
wonder – what is the perfect setting for learning more?”
In late 2011, The Country
School was deeply saddened
to learn of the death of David
T. MacLane, our school’s first
Headmaster. Mr. MacLane
passed away on November 25,
2011, in Oregon, where he had
lived in recent years.
I love to go to school. I love my work. I’m happy that I get
to share that love and hope that every child who attends
the school where I am has the opportunity fall in love with
learning too.
Q: What are the priorities for The Country School in the
2012-2013 school year?
Mr. MacLane was appointed
Headmaster in 1956, one year
after The Country School was
founded. He served as Head
of School for 11 years, through
1967, a time of formative
growth in the school’s student
body, campus, curriculum,
character, and philosophy.
A: The Board of Trustees, the leadership team, and I have
worked together to set our priorities, which include
articulating a vision for the 11-year TCS experience and
evaluating our programs across that 11-year span, beginning
with an in-depth look at math, global language, and science,
technology, engineering, art, and math (or STEAM). We
will ensure that 100% of our teachers are trained in basic brain
research and its implications for learning, and we will work
to define and enhance team leadership skills. Perhaps most
important, we will make sure our faculty have what they
need to produce a world-class program with excellent
outcomes for all students.
During his tenure, Mr. MacLane helped shape a community
committed not just to academic excellence but to personal
and collective responsibility; to kindness, patience, and the
benefit of working together; and to the vital importance of
embracing change and growth. In short, David MacLane laid
the foundations for the school we know today.
Q: What future do you see for education? For The Country
School?
A: It’s an exciting time to be in education. Twenty years ago,
we began to realize that science can inform teaching, and so
now we look at neuroscience and pedagogy – that art and
science of teaching – and we couple them together. We know
how students learn, how they experience things, and how
they hold on to that learning to inform their next steps.
At The Country School we are in a great position, because
parents here have always wanted their children to have
experiential learning and to collaborate with each other;
they want children’s ideas to be embraced. All of those are
underpinnings for the soft skills of the 21st century, so when
kids have to be excellent at collaboration, communication,
and thinking outside of the box, that’s what The Country
School has nurtured all along. When we couple that with our
affective and character education programming, our outdoor
program which asks students to work together to do things
that people don’t think are possible, and our commitment to
common core academics – including our belief that by
engaging in challenge-based and problem-based learning
exercises, for which the nouveau word is STEAM – I think
we will lead the pack.
David MacLane in 2006 with then Head of School Bill Powers.
Although Mr. MacLane left his mark on countless aspects
of The Country School, he is particularly remembered for
developing the arts, English, and math programs and for
growing the student body from a small handful to more than
100. Mr. MacLane also initiated the first Lois MacLane Poetry
Recitation, the school’s oldest and one of its most beloved
traditions, an annual recitation he established in honor of his
sister, Lois. Each year during The Country School’s Prize Day,
the David MacLane Creative Writing Prize is awarded to an 8th
Grader who has shown fondness for and adeptness at creative
writing, another of Mr. MacLane’s passions.
Our teachers are eager, willing, and energized as they continue
to learn to be that world-class faculty. If my children were
young, this is absolutely where I would have them.
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In an email after learning of Mr. MacLane’s death, Tandy
Beal, a member of the Class of 1960, shared this recollection
about her headmaster:
school’s 50th Anniversary. During that visit, Mr. MacLane
was still able to recite lines of poetry his students had delivered
during the Lois MacLane Poetry Recitation. Mr. MacLane’s
son, Duncan ’64, has returned to campus twice to serve as a
judge for the recitation finals.
Mr. Mac was kind and thoughtful. That first year, the
school had purchased second hand desks. We each were
to refinish our own – and then we would have the desk
for the whole of our time at The Country School. (Wow,
in the 50s, girls got to do shop – thanks, Mr. Mac! And
he took us seriously ... a huge wow and thanks). At age
9, I got distracted sanding and left the sander on in the
same spot and made a huge dent. I remember standing
looking at it with him and he oh so calmly said, “Well,
there it is. You can manage with that curve. What color
do you want to stain it?” Truth told kindly and without
blame – just responsibility. And I did manage...
David Tyler MacLane was born on January 20, 1922, in Utica,
New York. He was raised in New York and Connecticut,
graduating in 1943 from Dartmouth College, where he
majored in math, English, and the arts. In 1945, he was
married to Marcia Reynolds, who, along with her husband,
had a tremendous impact on The Country School, particularly
in the areas of art and music. Mr. and Mrs. MacLane’s two
sons, Donald ’63 and Duncan, are both Country School
graduates.
In Mr. MacLane’s later years, he became known for his
landscape and abstract art and for his appreciation of music.
Survivors include Mr. MacLane’s companion of 15 years,
Beverly Jean ‘BJ’ Blacy, Donald (Lorah) and Duncan (Jo Anne),
four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. We were
already planning to include the following item, retrieved from
the TCS archives, in this issue of Country Connections when
we learned of Mr. MacLane’s death. Although it resonated
when we first read it, it bears even more significance now that
its author is no longer with us.
Tandy, a renowned performer, director, and choreographer
in California, also recalled the sense of connectedness, joint
responsibility, and community Mr. MacLane helped create
in the student body. “The first year of the school in Madison,
he had us collect stones from the playing field – the whole
school together! – for an hour a day so that we could play on
it, learning about patience and working to get there, the whole
school singing together, reciting poetry and words of wisdom,
the whole school skating together, the whole school cleaning
up the grounds together,” she said. “My mother told me a story
about when she was picking me up, sitting in her car. In front
of her a parent threw a candy bar wrapper out the window
onto the grounds and a little 7 year old went over, picked it
up, and handed it back, saying, ‘We don’t throw things on the
ground at our school.’ Sharing at a community level was the
daily lesson as we stretched our minds.”
CHANGE From The Country School Archives:
by David T. MacLane
Written for the “The Owl,” a school publication, in 1958
The most exciting aspect of The Country School is change.
Young and growing, the School is dynamic. It changes and
grows, not occasionally but steadily. It is not always the same,
day after day, year after year. The students grow and change, the
faculty changes, the plant changes, and ways of doing things
change.
Country Capers, the school yearbook, included the following
tribute to Mr. MacLane upon his departure after 11 years at
TCS:
To some people change is frightening, something to be avoided
at almost any cost. Such people want things to be always the
same so that they know what to expect; the new and different
they avoid as much as possible. This is a sad way to live since
life itself involves changes. The very nature of growth is change;
without alteration growth is impossible.
Mr. MacLane, the debt we owe you can never be
measured. Neither can the hours you have devoted to
all of us who have attended The Country School – hours
spent teaching five different subjects in one year alone;
spent planning the marvelous educational program
for which our school is well known; spent with your
wife and sons Donald and Duncan, in the early years,
clearing the athletic fields of a hundred thousand rocks;
spent studying new programs of learning; spent listening
to problems from every different direction; spent
discussing building plans for additions to the school
plant … leading us in chapel, in the classroom, as a
coach, Headmaster, and above all, close friend. In brief,
sir, we do thank you and always shall thank you in our
deepest thoughts.
The nature of any good school is growth, and we at The Country
School should welcome changes necessary to our growth.
We should not resist the new, simply because it is different. We
should meet the new with pleasure, select that which is good,
and use it as a foundation for further growth which will lead to
further changes.
The Country School extends condolences, to BJ, Duncan, and
Donald and to their extended family. We also join the writers of
the Country Capers tribute and former student Tandy Beal in
saluting Mr. MacLane for doing so much to shape the school we
know today.
Mr. MacLane was most recently back on campus in 2006,
when he returned to Madison from Oregon to celebrate the
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As, in the following pages, you read about TCS alumni and the
contributions they are making to the world, we invite you to join
us in tipping our hats to the man who set it all in motion. Thank
you, David MacLane, for laying the foundations for a community
committed to academic excellence, personal and collective
responsibility, and a willingness to embrace change and growth.
Mr. McGee’s musical interpretation class and tackling
Shakespeare with Mr. Storms in 8th Grade English are two
experiences that I remember fondly. Translating Latin for
Mr. Wainio or trying to beat Hamden Hall under Mr.
Perzanoski’s watchful gaze are two important learning
experiences that you just won’t get anywhere else. It can take
years away from a place to understand the richness of the
gifts that were given to you while there.
A scholarship fund has been established in honor of David
and Marcia MacLane. Watch for more news about the David
and Marcia MacLane Endowment. Contact advancement@
thecountryschool.org for more information.
Mrs. Hartsoe’s science classes proved to be some of the most
challenging, yet instructive classes I’ve taken to date.
There’s something special about a place that can at once be
challenging and encouraging. My teachers at The Country
School made learning important for me. It’s something I will
keep with me forever.
Share your memories of Mr. MacLane with The Country
School: [email protected].
Every time I hear Pachelbel’s Canon I immediately fly back to
sitting on the gym floor, watching Mr. Danenberg greet the
entire student body as we gathered for our weekly all school
meetings. I haven’t been back to Opening Hill Road in over
10 years, but in many ways, a great deal of it remains with me.
Celebrating 55 Years of TCS Students
In Lanterns on the Levee, author William Alexander Percy
says, “Calling to mind with gratitude those to whom we are
indebted on our journey is not only a sort of piety, but one of
the few pleasures that endure without loss of luster to the
end.” The experience that the teachers of The Country School
gave me is certainly a debt that cannot be paid, and one for
which I will forever be grateful.
Studying Under the Gaze of a Stuffed Archimedes
by Jackson Holahan ’01
1st Lieutenant, U.S. Army
I was lucky enough to
have had the opportunity
to spend three years at
The Country School, the
last of which was more
than a decade ago. The
Country School is an
important place and most
of its students seem to
understand this. Like
all great schools, it’s the
exceptional teachers that
make it great.
After The Country School I went to Choate with a good
number of my TCS classmates and then on to Georgetown.
I’m in the Army now, and since graduating Ranger School in
October 2010 I’ve been stationed in Vicenza, Italy. I encourage
any TCS alumni to get in touch with me if they are traveling
through, or living in, Europe.
In addition to serving his country, Jackson Holahan
writes book reviews for The Christian Science
Monitor. TCS history teacher Sarah Barber says
she still has an essay Jackson wrote because it was so
moving. Jackson’s mother, Kyn Tolson, has her own
memories of Jackson in history class. “I remember the
morning I walked into Sarah Barber’s history class and
Jackson and another student were standing on chairs
wrapped up in sheets as Roman orators. Debate, Romein-Madison style.”
Jackson Holahan ’01 in a TCS
history class.
Whether I was learning
about the Islamic caliphates
Jackson Holahan, Ft Benning, GA with Mrs. Barber or sweating
summer 2010.
over Mr. Bennett’s Billiard
Ball project, each teacher
made me consider the issues,
and most importantly, made
me grind it out to get there.
Mr. Shaw’s jazz band and
Mr. Acheson’s wood shop
and photography studio
are just a couple of places
where my peers and I did
more than our fair share
of learning, and not of the
sort that is in the average
classroom.
7
Alumni in Education
respective fields, and I doubt she or I would be pursuing
this path were it not for Mr. Acheson or Mr. Storms. Mr.
Danenberg was not surprised at all by our choices; he had
expected as much from us, and he wished us all the best in
“the noblest of careers.” I had the opportunity at the reunion
to experience a new closeness with my former TCS teachers as
they shared with me stories, trade secrets, and helpful advice.
Joining that “Noblest of Careers”
by Elizabeth Walbridge ’03
Liz Walbridge back in the day
at TCS.
Now, as I sit, preparing to teach at Choate this summer and
at Andover in the fall, I find that the gaps between my former
teachers and their former student are quickly shrinking.
Perhaps, we are growing to be something of colleagues. In
this way, my time at TCS has given me two educations: the
first being the excellent preparation for secondary school,
and then the opportunity to learn from my teachers twice as
they prepare me, once again, to venture out with both the
knowledge needed to succeed and a new sense of self.
Yet again, I thank you.
Liz and her TCS mentor Jim
Storms. Liz delivered a tribute
to Mr. Storms at Prize Day
upon his retirement from TCS.
Liz Walbridge is a graduate of TCS, Choate Rosemary
Hall, and Boston University, where she received a BA in
English and a BFA in Theater Arts. In a letter to TCS
just before she graduated from high school, Liz wrote,
“Every part of TCS made an incredible impact on me.
My teachers, especially, gave so much of themselves to me
throughout my time at TCS, inspiring me to be the best
I could be. They taught me such incredible lessons that I
will take with me forever. I could never forget the kind
of passion they devoted to me during my four years. I see
myself teaching in the future, and if I could be half the
teacher that they were to me, I could change the world.”
It looks like she will have that chance.
Returning to campus this spring for an Alumni Reunion, I
was lucky enough to run into so many of my former teachers
from TCS: Mr. McGee, Mr. Bennett, Mme. Burnett, Mrs.
Hartsoe, and Mrs. Barber, to name a few. Perhaps it was
because I was accompanied by one of my best friends, Rebecca
Figler, that I was so easily recognized. In Middle School, she
and I were inseparable. We did everything together, and we
were even ridiculed together during the 8th Grade roast. One
former faculty member who knew us immediately was Steve
Danenberg, our beloved headmaster, and we lost no time in
catching up on the past some eight years.
Sarah Hurtt ’02 is teaching math at Choate. One of her
students this year is Alastair Clements ’08.
Quickly, we summarized: high school, college. We both
continued to do well academically and socially after TCS,
and we both felt fulfilled by our undergraduate careers.
Interestingly enough, we both decided to become teachers –
Rebecca for art and I for English. It was during this encounter
that I realized that our commonality had everything to do
with both our passions and our foundation. Rebecca and I
have been consistently nurtured by talented teachers in our
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Visit http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read
about other alumni in education, including:
Zef Konst, a senior at Haverford College who spent last
summer and fall working in an Organic Chemistry lab at Yale
University, never would have predicted that he would find an
interest – never mind a career – in science and academia. But
close to eight years after his TCS graduation, that is precisely
where he finds himself.
Kathy Kalin Medlock ’77
a French teacher in Washington State
Betsy Chin ’77
an anthropology professor at Occidental College
Ted London ’77
a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School
of Business
Adam Shaw ’86
teaching computer science at the University of Chicago
Kathleen McNary ’97
an administrator at the Dalton School in New York City
Chase du Pont ’98
teaching history and coaching at Hamden Hall
Jesse Brockwell ’00
a full-time tutor for Learning Consultants Group, an
educational consulting firm
Emilie Waters ’02
teaching science and coaching fencing at Hopkins
Rebecca Figler ’03
a student teacher at Ipswich High School in Ipswich, MA
As he did over the summer, Zef spent the fall semester conducting his own research project with Professor Seth Herzon
at Yale, trying to create a spiroquinazoline molecule that
is enantiomerically pure, or an exact geometrical replica of
the natural molecule. Zef, whose work was featured on the
Haverford College website, attributes his academic success to
the encouragement he found in the classroom when he arrived
at TCS for Middle School. Here is what he wrote to us:
Simply put, TCS was the most important and
influential school I have attended. I decided to go
a couple of weeks before I was to enter 6th Grade in
public school. I was nervous about going into Middle
School, having relatively poor reading skills and having
struggled quite a bit up to that point. Needless to say,
I bombed my entrance exam and was held back so I
repeated 5th grade. The teachers were great and for the
first time I started doing somewhat better as the teachers
were much more approachable.
Alumni in STEAM
As The Country School focuses on advancing 21st century
skills, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and
Math, we are pleased to make a special note of alumni who are
excelling in these critical and innovative fields.
It was at TCS that I first found a love for academics
that I never had before. Math and science with Mr.
McGee and Mrs. Hartsoe over-prepared me for high
school to such a degree that I started to think of myself
as someone who was actually good at those subjects (you
end up finding out for sure in college...). The academics
at TCS marked a pivotal point in my life. Although my
parents assure me that I would have done fine without
it, I don’t believe them at all.
Making Discoveries in the Laboratory: Zef Konst ’04
On top of the academics at TCS, the friends I made
there have remained my best friends through high school
and college. It was an extremely positive experience for
me and really shaped my life in many ways. I think that
Middle School is a precarious time period in people’s
lives. For me, it was when I started to become interested
in school for the first time, and I could have easily gone
the other way.
This winter, Zef returned to Haverford, where he is co-captain
of the squash team, to finish up his degree. He plans to apply
to PhD programs in Chemistry. To read the article about Zef
on the Haverford College website, go to:
http://www.haverford.edu/news/stories/53141/51.
Zef Konst ’04 in a chemistry lab (from the Haverford website).
“He looks exactly the way he looked when he was in my chemistry
classroom,” TCS science teacher Terrie Hartsoe remarked.
9
Designing for the America’s Cup: Duncan MacLane ’64
Girls and Science: Working towards more women in STEAM
Marian Firke ’05 attends Swarthmore College, where she
hopes to create a special major so she can study Chemistry and
Education. “I’ve known since I was at TCS that I want to be a
teacher, and I think it’s extremely important that teachers find
ways to make science education engaging, especially for girls,”
Marian said in an email correspondence a while back.
A recent report by the American Association of University
Women decried the underrepresentation of women in
science and math fields. The report, “Why So Few?” found
that although women have made gains in STEAM fields,
stereotypes and cultural biases persist, leading fewer women
to enter and remain in the arena. Not if Marian can help it.
Duncan MacLane in 1st Grade.
Duncan MacLane today.
“Science is still an extremely male-dominated field, and the
only way to change that is to inspire young women to become
part of it,” she says. “And you can’t do that unless you manage
to show them that, in fact, science can be really, really cool!
It still infuriates me that my 2nd Grade teacher (not at TCS,
naturally!) truly believed that girls weren’t capable of doing
math and science at the same level as boys, and that she graded
me accordingly. My hope is that the special major combination
will help me to progress further in Chemistry while also
finding ways of passing my knowledge on to others.”
Researching Diet and Health in the Amazon
Duncan’s boat designs.
Duncan MacLane, the son of The Country School’s first
headmaster David T. MacLane, is a renowned naval architect
and world class catamaran racer who has played a key role
in six America’s Cup campaigns. He was a member of the
legendary Stars and Stripes 88 catamaran design and sailing
team with Dennis Connor, and most recently was hired as
a consultant to two-time defending America’s Cup winner
Alinghi.
Duncan was also one of the main designers behind Patient
Lady series of catamarans and winning skipper of the Little
America’s Cup six times. In addition to his full time job as
Vice President of Engineering at Express Marine, he serves
as president and CEO of MacLane Marine Designs.
Doug London ’76 with his family, wife, Taxa, and daughter, Yasuni.
Doug London ’76 has been using his TCS education in the
science, international, and human rights realms for years. This
fall, he took it to Ecuador, where, with a Fulbright Fellowship,
he is researching the connection between diet and health
among Ecuadorian hunter gatherers in the Amazon jungle.
Joining him is his wife, Taxa, and their young daughter,
Yasuni Tikal Leon London.
Duncan graduated from TCS, went on to Middlesex, and then
received a BA from Swarthmore College. He began his career
as a teacher, following in the footsteps of his father. Duncan’s
love of – and skill at – sailing led him to change directions and
become a naval architect. He went back for a second four-year
degree in naval architecture from the Webb Institute, a naval
and marine engineering college.
Doug is the author of We Were Taught to Plant Corn Not
to Kill, a human rights book he produced with Mayan
artists, including his wife, Taxa, about the Mayan genocide
10
in Guatemala. He is also the founder of a human rights
organization called Brainrights for the Americas and of a
mental health clinic for the poor in Central America. Doug
received his BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins, his MA
in International Nutrition from Columbia, and is currently a
PhD candidate in Medical Anthropology at Arizona State.
Doug was on the faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical
School for five years.
at Queralt. He does CSS/Web design for 1internetplease and
AlbumSpotter, and is an iPhone developer for the upcoming
AlbumSpotter app. In addition, he is the co-founder of a new
adaptive learning engine startup.
Jesse was pleased to hear about The Country School’s
commitment to advancing STEAM and Design Thinking.
“It’s fantastic to hear about the renewed focus on science and
technology,” he said. “I believe that influence from an early
age is extremely important, and completely believe I might not
be where I am now had it not been for the experiences I had
there. The Country School very positively impacted me in my
time there and I’d actually love to stop back by sometime!”
“I always appreciated my time at The Country School and
we learned so much beyond academics because of the great
teachers and programs we had there,” Doug writes.
Developing a Passion and Forming a Strong Foundation:
Eliza Nguyen ’05
Eliza Nguyen is majoring in History and Science and
fulfilling her pre-med requirements at Harvard, where she is
also writing for the Harvard Crimson. Eliza took a gap year
between her senior year in high school at Phillips Academy
Andover and her freshman year at Harvard, during which she
researched zebra fish and stem cells at Pfizer. During that year,
she came to TCS to speak to current and prospective families
about her experiences at TCS and in the sciences. She shared
this observation:
Woman of Innovation: Elisa Jorgensen ’99
Elisa Jorgensen, a medical student at Yale, was recently
named a finalist for the Connecticut Technology Council’s
Women of Innovation Awards. Elisa, who graduated from
Choate Rosemary Hall and then the University of Michigan,
where she concentrated in Biology and Women’s Studies,
began doing research at age 16. She is currently studying
the long-term effects of environmental exposures during
pregnancy on epigenetic regulation in offspring. At Yale, she
is co-president of the Women in Medicine student group.
She also mentors undergraduates in her laboratory.
I love that science is always evolving. The search for
improved techniques and better information generates
excitement among scientists and researchers. This
past year, as I have been working in one of the stem
cell labs at Pfizer, I have seen the passion with which
my colleagues pursue their work. It is because of my
education in science at The Country School that such
passion resonates with me. The Country School science
program played a large role in forming the foundation
of my interest in the subject. Not only did TCS help
develop fundamental skills necessary for research; it
fostered the enthusiasm that has enabled me to do
advanced scientific study today.
Motivating the Next Generation of Scientists:
Tyler Jorgensen ’02
The Next Steve Jobs? Jesse Youngblood ’04
Although he is still an undergraduate, Jesse Youngblood
has been an IT entrepreneur for years. While in high school
at Cheshire Academy, Jesse founded and became the lead
programmer for Tooble, a company that downloads and saves
internet video. Working alongside him was his former TCS
classmate, Alex Catullo, now a student at Northeastern, who
oversaw media relations.
These days, Jesse balances his academic responsibilities at
Carnegie Mellon, where he studies Information Systems, with
his entrepreneurial initiatives in the tech world. Jesse remains
the sole programmer for the Mac OS X version of Tooble
and is also the lead software engineer and interface designer
Back in the Day: Tyler Jorgensen, left, and pals on one of the
Outdoor Ed trips.
11
You might say that the Jorgensen family is living proof of the
power of a strong STEAM foundation. In addition to Elisa,
siblings Tyler ’02 and Olivia ’06 are pursuing studies and/or
careers in science. We recently caught up with Tyler, a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and Yale University who is now
working in management consulting with a special focus on
the pharmaceutical industry. Read about Olivia in Class
Notes:
http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read
more about these and other alumni in STEAM, including:
Andrew Griswold ’74
the director of EcoTravel for the Connecticut Audubon
Society
Marietta Lee ’83
corporate secretary and vice president with the Lee
Company, an engineering business
Nicole Clarke Henderson ’93
a government contractor supporting the EPA
Taylor Bashaw ’00
a recent Cornell graduate now working as a materials
engineer at Surmet Corporation
Samir Gautam ’00
a medical student at Yale
Ben Tyler ’01
who has his own business inventing parts for trucks and
engines
Emilie Waters ’02
teaching science at Hopkins
Sarah Bashaw ’03
a Skidmore graduate who has been researching the early
detection of cancer and disease markers in the body and
plans to attend medical school
Amelia Holmes ’03
who studied the intersection between art and the
environment at Bennington College
Gracie Brown-Geist ’04
majoring in Biology and Cognitive Science at the
University of Virginia and planning to go to medical
school
Sage Aronson ’04
a neuroscience major at Oberlin
Connor Ginsberg ’05
majoring in Biology at Boston College with a pre-vet
concentration
Elizabeth Esposito ’05
majoring in Environmental Science and Policy at Smith
College
Harrison Tross ’05
majoring in math-based Economics and focusing on game
theory and industrial organizations at Brown
Olivia Jorgensen ’06
a sophomore at Yale who, like her brother, Tyler, and
sister, Elisa, is focusing on the sciences
Amanda Stout ’07
interning in an infectious diseases lab at Yale
Peter Augusciak ’07
studying at MIT
Billy Irwin ’07
studying engineering at the University of Michigan and
developing new apps
“I have a lot of fond memories of TCS and in particular am
a strong believer that we need more young students motivated
to go into the sciences,” Tyler said, adding that he believes the
sciences “seem to have this bad reputation of being difficult
with little to gain,” an assessment with which he clearly
disagrees.
When he graduated from TCS, Tyler went on to Choate,
where he focused as much as possible on science and math.
At graduation, he was awarded both the Physics Prize and
the main general science prize. He went on to the University
of Wisconsin because he wanted to attend a large research
institution and also experience world-class athletics.
During the summer, Tyler did research in Biophysics for Tom
Steitz, a Yale professor and Nobel Prize winner. “My research
was in determining the structure of very large molecules
using a technique called x-ray crystallography,” he said. “More
specifically I was trying to solve the structure of a ribosome,
the cellular body that is responsible for building proteins from
our genetic material, which is one of the most basic processes
in a living organism.”
He was so inspired by his work with Professor Steitz that he
applied to transfer to Yale. After he was accepted, he began to
also focus on applied mathematics and statistics, ultimately
doing research and writing his senior thesis on modeling
error-prone binomial data, “which in more plain terms
I applied to developing statistical models that would predict
the carcinogenicity of a molecule,” he said.
Tyler now works for ZS Associates, a company he describes
as a general management consulting firm that is particularly
dominant in the pharmaceutical industry. “Although it takes
me further away from the research side, I really enjoy working
on the business side of pharma, mostly because I feel like the
decisions we make (or advise) ultimately have a bigger impact,”
he says.
Tyler appreciates the foundation he received at TCS. “I’ve
noticed that the hard sciences are something of a one-way
street where people only drop out of them into other subjects/
majors (you never hear of somebody getting fed up with their
history major and signing up for physics), so having a good
foundation is really key to success,” he said.
12
Alumni in the International Arena
Heather Lennon Beani ’84
who formerly worked as a chef at the U.S. Embassy in
Rome and now runs her own exporting business in Italy
Nathan Lane ’90
living in Switzerland and working for Butterfield and
Robinson, a travel company
James Matschulat ’00
who, after receiving a Masters in Medieval Scottish
Poetry from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland),
is serving as Global Community Manager for a French
company specializing in cloud internet storage
Judy Joslow ’01
who studied abroad and focused on globalization studies
at NYU and is now working for American Express
Natalie Baumann ’03
who, after two different stints is Africa, is interning at
The Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund, named in honor
of Liberian President and recent Nobel Prize winner Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf
Daniel Hartsoe ’05
a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is a
double major in Chinese Language and Political Economy
Eliza Nguyen ’05
a pre-med student at Harvard who recently made her
fourth trip to the Middle East, this time on a Kennedy
School of Government trip
Graeme Clements ’05
an international relations major at Stanford who studied
in Cape Town, South Africa
Angus Maguire ’05
spending his junior year abroad in China
Marissa Irwin ’05
a Finance major at Boston College who is spending her
junior year abroad in London
Working for the Advancement of Women: Stephanie
Bradford ’04, an Athena Scholar
Stephanie Bradford, right, and
her family on top of the Met in
New York City.
When Stephanie Bradford
was at TCS, she loved her
Latin classes. When she got
to Pomfret, she continued to
study Latin and also began
learning Ancient Greek,
which turned out to be very
helpful in her Political Theory
classes. Now in her senior
year at Barnard College
of Columbia University,
Stephanie says “It is fascinating to study the works of
Thucydides, Plato, Demosthenes, and Cicero in their original
Classical languages.”
A political science major with a concentration in International
Relations, Stephanie plans to go to law school to study
international law. At Columbia, she is involved with the
Columbia University International Relations Forum (CUIRF),
which invites diplomats, journalists, scholars, government
officials, and other political leaders to campus to speak and
engage in Q & A sessions directly with students. In recent
years, CUIRF has hosted the ambassadors of Iraq, Iran,
Pakistan, and Egypt and the editor of Foreign Affairs. During
her senior year, Stephanie has been serving as chair of
CUIRF’s executive board.
Alumni in the Visual Arts
Last spring, Stephanie interned for a political consulting firm
that promotes global women’s issues and women political
leaders. A participant in the Athena Scholars Program at
Barnard, she would like to continue working for the
advancement of women “because the percentage of women
in political and other leadership roles is far too small.”
Drawing Outside the Lines: Rebecca Joslow ’04
When Rebecca Joslow was at The Country School, she had a
transformative experience in David Acheson’s art studio. “Mr.
A. chopped off the erasers of the pencils,” she said, recalling
that she was surprised and frustrated – initially. And then she
realized that what it really meant was that she didn’t have to
keep her pencil on the same line. “You could be more creative,”
she said. “You could use the line and go someplace else.
I didn’t see it before but now I see that it was liberating.”
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read
about other alumni in the international realm, including:
John Burt ’71
who has lived and worked in Cambodia and recently
produced the Cambodian rock opera “Where Elephants
Weep”
Doug London ’76
a scholar, author, scientist, and human rights activist
who is currently researching the connection between diet
and health in the Amazon
Ted London ’77
a professor at the University of Michigan whose work
focuses on alleviating global poverty
Rebecca has continued to expand that sense of liberation. An
aspiring fashion designer, she entered her senior year at Parsons
School for Design last fall. Rebecca sent us this report:
13
Upon graduating Suffield Academy, I moved to New
York to attend Parsons School for Design. This was the
next logical step towards my career, which I determined
in 6th Grade. Well, my choice of profession was clustered
along with any other youngster’s dream of being a
firefighter, doctor, lawyer, veterinarian, model, race
car driver, etc. For me, it was between an astronaut or
a fashion designer. Once I found out that one needs to
get blood work done before take off, I decided a fashion
designer was less scary, as no needles are involved.
Freshman year was challenging and many people
dropped out, but somehow I kept going. That summer, I
got an Accessories Design internship at Ralph Lauren’s
Rugby brand. The experience was excellent and I won a
competition amongst all of the interns to present my line
to the head designers of Ralph Lauren.
Sophomore year went by and though it was stressful,
I managed to land a show in Connecticut at Chester
Gallery. That summer, I interned for a small luxury
travel publishing company called MVP/NY for the
magazines, IN New York Magazine and WHERE New
York Magazine. These are in-room references for luxury
hotels. Over the course of the summer, I assisted on
scouted venues, organized fashion photo shoots and did
market research for the Art Department. By the end of
the summer, I had put together a four-page spread of the
top trends for the Fall fashion September issue.
Rebecca Joslow ’04, painting in Marrakech.
Design by Rebecca Joslow.
Junior year was exciting, yet demanding and rewarding.
I wrote and illustrated a children’s book about a subway
rat named Bradley, which was on display at Dacia
Gallery in the Lower East Side. Back in November, I
was one of 10 artists to receive a grant from NYU under
the Emerging Jewish Artist Fellowship. I put together
a culmination of drawings and multimedia pieces to
provoke discussion about the intersection of religion and
philosophy in modern day Judaism. In May, I was in a
fashion event called Arlekino at a boutique in the Lower
East Side. This was the first solo runway show of my own
designs entirely. Needless to say, the night was a success
and I am looking forward to summer because I will
be working on brand development on a garment I’m
launching at a New York City boutique!
“I loved my TCS experience
and I wanted to give back,”
Rebecca said.
She also had some
great advice for current TCS
students: Don’t just dream big.
Figure out what excites you and
how to do it and just make it
happen.
Postscript: Since Rebecca sent the above report, we have
learned that she had a wardrobe stylist internship at Martha
Stewart Living Omnimedia and worked as a fashion design
intern for leading designer Rebecca Taylor. In December, she
joined us at TCS for the Light Up the Stage Fashion Show,
where she showed off her designs, talked about her TCS
experiences, and offered her services for a fashion design
workshop for TCS students – with proceeds earmarked for
the Founders’ Promise Fund for Scholarship.
14
of Erica Tannen Semple P ’09, former TCS Parent Council
president, who at the time owned a women’s clothing store in
Guilford called Glee. Ann began supplying jewelry to Glee
and then a few more local stores, and the rest is history.
Jewelry Designer: Ann Lightfoot ’80
These days Ann’s jewelry can be purchased at local shops and
galleries such as the Lori Warner Gallery in Chester and the
Kimberly Boutique in Guilford. Or you can travel farther
afield – to New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or London –
and find it in Donna Karan’s DKNY stores. Ann’s work has
been featured in Bon Appetit and Lucky magazines, and you
can sometimes spot her one-of-a-kind designs on celebrities,
including Diane Sawyer and Carla Hall of Top Chef fame. Of
course, TCS teachers, students, and moms are some of her
biggest fans; Ann has been kind enough to donate her jewelry
to TCS auctions and events for years.
TCS is still very much a part of Ann’s life. Ann has been
a TCS parent since 2002. Her oldest son, Joab, graduated
in 2010, while Henry is an 8th Grader this year. Ann lives
with her sons, twin daughters Agatha and Beatrice, and
husband, Faulkner, in Lyme. To see more of Ann’s work
visit www.annlightfoot.com or see her page on Facebook,
annlightfootjewelry.
As a little girl growing up in suburban New York, Ann
Lightfoot resisted going off to school every morning. That
changed when her family moved to Connecticut and she
enrolled at The Country School. Suddenly school became fun,
and much of that had to do with the creative way Ann Kalin
ran her 4th Grade class.
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read
about other alumni artists, including:
Instead of just reading books, students would create their
own books – literally create them. They not only wrote and
illustrated their stories, but they also made the books from
scratch, stitching together pages made from hand-made paper.
Ann also remembers the art studio and woodshop fondly,
and her parents Dick and Judy Lightfoot (grandparents of six
TCS students, including two of Ann’s four children) still use a
wooden cutting board she created at TCS.
In a school where she could use her creativity and imagination
Ann thrived, and she went on to enjoy the classroom elsewhere,
in Lyme, at The Williams School, at Choate Rosemary Hall,
and later at Harvard, where she majored in History and
Literature. She even experienced the other side of the classroom,
teaching English to Cambodian refugees in Thailand and
then serving as the Bangkok-based administrator for World
Teach in Thailand.
Jonathan Waters ’66 and Haiku.
Jonathan Waters ’66
a sculptor who installed his sculpture Haiku on campus
this fall
Adrien Broom ’94
named a photographer to watch by W magazine with
shows this spring at galleries in Florence, Italy, and New
York City
Jared Madere ’01
working as an artist in New York City
Antone Konst ’01
a recent graduate of CalArts now working in New Haven
When her stint in Asia concluded, Ann returned to the United
States, trying her hand at several different occupations, from
law to retail to fitness. What she found she really enjoyed,
though, was creating – first pottery, then knitting, and finally
making jewelry, a talent she discovered after she came across
some interesting African beads on the street in New York
and decided to make a necklace. She gave a few pieces away
to family and friends and soon her designs caught the eye
15
Tyler Lipp ’02
who graduated from Salve Regina University
with a double major in Graphic Design and Interactive
Communication Technology, and is working as a paper
engineer at Structural Graphics
Rebecca Figler ’03
now teaching art in high school
Amelia Holmes ’03
an artist in Northampton, MA
Devon Maloney ’05
studying art and architecture at Connecticut College
Garrett Wilkes ’05
studying film and studio art at Colgate University
Sophia Harvey ’07
studying film at NYU’s Tisch School
and the Oakland Ballet. She was the choreographer for Tim
Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas as well as for corporate
events for the San Francisco 49ers, Oracle, Pixar, Lucas Films,
MCI and more. To read more about Tandy and her myriad
awards and accomplishments, visit www.tandybeal.com.
Alumni in the Performing Arts
Born into a creative family (she is the daughter of the late actors
John Beal and Helen Craig, a former TCS trustee who directed
plays at TCS in the early years), Tandy found The Country
School gave her a strong foundation in academics, music, and
art, as well as a “deep sense of what is important in life.”
We caught up with Tandy when she contacted us after
learning of the death of her headmaster, David MacLane. In
addition to sharing memories of the man she called Mr. Mac
(see Remembering The Country School’s First Headmaster),
she reminisced about the years she spent on Opening Hill
Road as a child. She talked about clearing stones from the
playing field for an hour each day so she and her classmates
could play sports and about the whole school singing together,
reciting poetry, skating together.
Performer, Choreographer, Writer, Teacher: Tandy Beal ’60
“You know, I simply loved The Country School and am so
grateful for it,” Tandy said. “Having Latin from Grade 5
onwards, my vocabulary was set in motion from those early
classes – and my love of reading. Having French from the
get-go put us on a world stage and made us know we were part
of something much larger.” She also tips her hat to Marcia
MacLane, aka Mrs. Mac, whom she credits with providing
wonderful art and music appreciation opportunities.
“I was given a great education, went on to more great teaching
at Hopkins/Day Prospect,” Tandy said. “I never went to
college, rather going to New York to work in dance right away,
but find I am as well educated as most because of the excellent
early schooling.”
Clearly the critics find her well educated and intelligent
as well. She is a “choreographer of taste and intelligence …
with a sure sense of theater,” The New York Times writes.
From the New York Post: Tandy’s work is “theatre at its most
vibrant.” And the San Jose Mercury News: “Tandy Beal and Co.
astonishes us and stimulates us thoroughly … the wonderment
keeps you glued.”
Tandy Beal and the Class of 1960.
Tandy Beal today.
The Country School has a long
tradition of alumni who have
gone on to pursue careers in the
performing arts, from actors and
theater producers to musicians,
opera singers, and playwrights.
World-renowned performer and
choreographer Tandy Beal, a
member of the Class of 1960, is a
shining example.
Tandy has also been an educator herself, having taught at
major universities around the country and in Europe and Asia.
She chaired the dance program at Cabrillo College for many
years, and continues to teach at the University of California,
the Esalen Institute and has been a guest artist
at the University of Utah.
A self-described “performer, choreographer, writer, teacher, and
dreamer,” she has worked on four continents and created more
than 100 works, both for her own company – Tandy Beal &
Company – and for other companies, including the Moscow
Circus, Frank Zappa, Pickle Family Circus, the Baltimore
Opera, Bobby McFerrin, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company,
When we spoke to her, Tandy was heading off to China to
investigate a project there. After returning home to the Santa
Cruz mountains where she lives with her “companion and coconspirator of many years, composer Jon Scoville,” she was due
to return to China with Bobby McFerrin a few months later.
16
We are looking forward to welcoming Tandy back to Madison,
where she can visit the playing field that she helped clear and
the classrooms where she used to recite poetry and study Latin
and French. We’re not sure that she will be able to visit the
desk she over-sanded (see her reminiscences in the story about
David MacLane), but we are confident that she will be able to
see remnants of the creative spirit she and her family helped
foster, as well as the “deep sense of what is important in life.”
Dear Helen,
June 2, 1957
The children are still so full of the play that they asked
me this morning to call them by their play names, and
of course I’ve obliged. They wanted to express their
sentiments to you – those that were here. There are
several casualties today. Poor Gayle, after recovering
from measles and expecting to be back, came down with
mumps today!
Our whole family (Chuck, John, and I) expected over
the weekend to call you to express our congratulations on
the production, but whenever we were all at home, we
couldn’t get the line. But it was a lovely thing, brought
forth from your blood, sweat, and smiles, as well as
talent, taste, and all that is you.
Love and thanks,
Kay [DeFrancis, the first TCS teacher]
Theater at TCS from the Archives
Several years ago, while going through her parents’ boxes,
Tandy Beal came across some hand-written letters from 1957.
The letters were addressed to Helen Craig Beal, Tandy’s
mother, in appreciation for her assistance with a school play,
and Tandy kindly sent them back to TCS for the archives.
We reprint some of them here:
Dear Mrs. Beal,
March 14, 1957
Thank you very much for all the work you put into our
play, both in the choosing of it and especially for helping
us to act our parts. It somehow felt good to have help
from an expert. It was the best play I’ve ever been in. I
truly hope that if we’re to have another play, you will
direct it.
Sincerely yours,
Renze
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read
about other alumni who were inspired on The Country School
stage, including:
John Burt ’71
whose Cambodian rock opera “Where Elephants Weep”
earned him an audience with the Cambodian king
Jerry Davis ’74
a movie and theater producer
Daniel Shaw ’90
who serves as artistic director of Composer’s Choir, a
music group in Middlefield, CT
Conor Dubin ’91
an award-winning movie and television actor
Paul Erik Lipp ’95
a celebrated musician and songwriter who has performed
in the warm-up band for Bon Jovi and for the USO in
Guam and Japan
Jordan Lipp ’98
who has performed alongside older brother, Paul Erik,
in the critically acclaimed band Clarias and now works as
a production assistant on the Food Network
Brian Mummert ’01
a Yale graduate and former Whiffenpoof who is studying
to be an opera singer and performing in New York
Katie Hartsoe ’02
a graduate of NYU, working in theater in New York City
Charlotte Madere ’03
who majored in English Literature and Theater at Trinity
College Dublin, has interned for literary agents and is
writing a culture blog in New York
Matt Siretta ’04
studying film at SUNY Purchase
Katelyn Cunningham ’04
a stand-up comic
Ben Firke ’04
writing plays at Wesleyan University
Garrett Wilkes ’05
a studio art major and film minor at Colgate who
Dear Mrs. Beal,
March 14, 1957
Thank you for taking the time in helping with the play.
Your pick was the best you could pick if you spent a large
number of years. I think it was a good pick because it
had more than one hero. I now see what you mean. A
play is lots of fun.
Sincerely yours,
Walter Greene
Dear Mrs. Beal,
March 14, 1957
Thank you for helping us with the “Stone in the Road.”
I thought you were very nice with me and the other
people that got a little out of control. It was a lot of fun
working with you.
Sincerely,
Quint Waters
Dear Mrs. Beal,
June 2, 1957
I had lots and lots of fun practicing with you. It was a
beautiful play. I think the fans and crowns were lovely.
The costumes were beautiful too. Thank you for taking
so much time for practicing.
Love from
Susan Wallace
17
performs in the Colgate a cappella group, the Resolutions
Allie Hershman ’05
a student at Suffolk University in Boston who was selected
to perform the national anthem at a Celtics game
Alta DuPont ’05
majoring in Psychology and Dance at Princeton
Harrison Tross ’05
singing with the Brown University chorus
Marina Sachs ’07
who performed recently at TCS and is now part of an
a cappella group at Connecticut College
Hannah Johnson ’08
leader of an a cappella group at Hopkins
Ben Ballard ’08
celebrated thespian at Choate and Williams
The girls, ranging in age from 3 to 14, amaze me with their
skills and fiery passion for the game. They yell at their
opponents, rip at their shirts, thrust their seemingly frail
bodies with astonishing might at the other players. Sometimes
they seem angry and competitive, sulking when the other team
scores, chastising a teammate when she loses possession of the
ball, arguing over a disputed goal.
I have been told that the girls I am playing soccer with have
a prescribed future. Like most girls in Mali, any formal
education is limited; most will attend school for no more than
three years. Sometime in the not-too-distant future, they are
likely to undergo female circumcision, experience the first of
many pregnancies, perhaps become just one of their husband’s
several wives.
For two weeks during my visit to Mali, a landlocked Muslim
country in West Africa where the annual per capita income
is a little over $600, I hardly see anyone who looks like me or
sounds like me. I don’t even eat off my own plate with a fork
and knife, as communal platters and eating with fingers are
the Malian custom. It is all so strange and foreign.
Alumni in Sports
Passion is Universal: An excerpt from an essay about
working with young, female soccer players in Mali, West
Africa
by Isabel Clements ’07
And yet, when I hand the players the donated uniforms I have
brought with me, I recognize the excitement in their voices.
Passing the soccer ball back and forth, connecting on a pass
and scoring a goal, I share the smile, the arms raised in victory,
and the triumphant cheer. Together, we wipe dust and sweat
from our eyes and ignore the skinned knees.
Running alongside these small, agile athletes as they kick,
brawl, and yell, I know exactly who they are. Watching these
girls play soccer with the same passion and fervor with which
my teammates and I play at home, I realize our connection.
We are no different. Passion is universal.
Isabel Clements, a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall,
was recruited to play soccer for Lehigh University’s
Division I Mountain Hawks. She wrote this essay
about her experiences during the summer of 2010, when
she collected hundreds of donated soccer balls, cleats,
and uniforms and delivered them to Mali to support
a program called L’Association Malienne pour la
Promotion de la Jeune Fille et Femme, a program that
seeks to empower girls through soccer. Founded in 2000,
AMPJF currently has 1,100 girls playing on a network
of teams across the country, and virtually every player
on the team that won the national title is still in school,
and still playing intense soccer, at 18, 19, and 20.
I hear rats scamper up the trees under which we sit. I jump,
startled by each falling leaf, afraid one has slipped. The
little girls bang sticks together and shout at the rodents in a
language that is incomprehensible to me. Djenebou, the littlest
of all the children, wraps a protective arm around me and
whispers something in Bambara, Mali’s native language. She
hands me her drink, a bag tied at the top with a small hole
where she has chewed through the plastic to let the water out.
We feel a connection despite the language barrier.
Our water break is over, and the girls sprint back out to the
soccer field made of dirt and stones and riddled with goat
waste. Two sticks standing upright, with another stick tied
across the top, form goals at either end of the field. Dust fills
the air while sandaled feet swing violently at barely inflated
ball that is brown with overuse.
Isabel thanks the TCS families who donated in 2010 and TCS
Athletic Director Chris Wallack, who agreed to donate 50
used TCS uniforms for another delivery. Isabel also thanks
Mr. Wallack, her first soccer coach, for his encouragement and
support. When she was in 5th Grade, just starting out on the
18
soccer field, Mr. Wallack told her she had talent and should
pursue it. She thanks him for helping her discover her passion.
Kerry Wallack ’06
a basketball player at the University of Rhode Island who
was featured on CBS as an up and coming player
Jack Crampton ’07
playing basketball at Colby College
T.J. Staten ’07
a standout basketball player at Loomis-Chaffee who
is now a practice player for the Elon University women’s
basketball team
Peter Augusciak ’07
rowing for MIT
Marina Sachs ’07
sailing at Connecticut College
Sarah Bradford ’07
rowing at Connecticut College
Katie Tyler ’07
competing at horse shows across the country
Jordan Glassman and Will Steiner both ’09
winning accolades on the soccer field
Alexandra Wagner ’11
swimming at Hand and helping to coach the TCS swim
team
MacKenzie Hawkes ’11
continuing to earn championships on the golf course
Sports Medicine: Dayne Mickelson ’97
Last winter, TCS Athletic Director Chris Wallack had a visit
from someone he hadn’t seen in a while. Dayne Mickelson
was in town to interview for medical residencies, and he
stopped by the De Francis Gymnasium to say hello to his
former coach.
Dayne, who didn’t graduate from TCS because his family
moved to Washington state, still remembered his Middle
School years fondly, particularly the man who mentored him
on the basketball court. As Dayne (now 6’ 8”) told his former
coach, he kept getting taller and he kept playing basketball,
eventually going to Lehigh University, where he majored in
computer science and did well enough with his teammates to
play in the NCAA tournament.
After college, Dayne decided to go into medicine. He ended
up at the University of Washington. When he stopped by
TCS, he was interviewing for positions at Yale. His area of
interest? Sports medicine.
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read
about other alumni who were inspired on the athletic field,
including:
Kerry Wallack ’06 (left), a member of the Division I University of
Rhode Island Women’s Basketball team.
Margot Broom ’98
who recently opened Breathing Room Yoga in New
Haven
Alexis Sablone ’00
a professional skateboarder
Alex Roy ’01
a law school student who, after a successful interscholastic
career in the hockey rink, had an internship with a sports
and entertainment law firm
Stephanie Burnett ’04
who has had a successful soccer career at Bishop’s
University in Canada
Trey Benincosa ’05
playing lacrosse at the University of Miami (Ohio)
Remy Lee ’05
competing at horse shows across the country
Graeme Clements ’05
rowing at Stanford
Chelsea Lipp ’05
playing tennis at Drew University, where she was named
to the Landmark Conference All Conference Team
Kat Lauer ’06
rowing at UCLA
Nate Roy ’06
who, after a “redshirt” year at Hofstra, joined the
Connecticut College men’s lacrosse team this spring with
the hope of landing a NESCAC title
19
Alumni Writers
After graduating from TCS, Nat ended up working on his
high school newspaper, then his college paper, and then went
up to Maine and stumbled across the Penobscot Bay Press. He
has been serving as editor and publisher there ever since. A
web cam on the web site overlooks the harbor from his office
window. The web cam has about a thousand views each week
from all around the world. Nathaniel Barrows ’59: Publisher of Penobscot Bay Press
Nat Barrows, left, and his one
classmate in the class of 1959,
Walter Greene.
On a personal note, Nat tells us he and his wife, Ann, enjoy
their children and grandchildren. Their youngest daughter
married a local lobsterman. They live on a salt water farm
property with their two children. The entire family attended
the marriage of his oldest daughter in Scotland. She studied
in Scotland, married a Scot, and the entire family was able
to participate. His son works for the International Rescue
Committee and has enjoyed assignments all over the world,
including recent stints in Egypt, Haiti, Ivory Coast and
Kenya. He has done community development work in Jordan
and Afghanistan. In his various jobs, he traveled and lived on
all seven continents by his mid-20s.
Nathaniel Barrows at his
daughter’s wedding in Scotland.
For the December 1957 issue of The Owl, the TCS literary
magazine, Nathaniel Barrows, a 7th Grader, submitted three
pieces: a poem called Halloween (“Halloween is the magical
time of year, When ghosts and goblins do appear….”), an essay
about one of his hobbies (“An Interesting Experience: Stamp
Collecting”), and “Critique of D.H. Lawrence’s ‘Piano,’” an
analysis of the poem by the British author.
Nat tells us their middle daughter lived in Australia for several
years then graduated with a zoology degree from the University
of Tasmania in Hobart. She ran a marine research station in
the Coral Sea off Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and is
current living near them on the Island, teaching Spanish in the
Island High School and working as a marine educator at the
Marine Environmental Research Institute in Blue Hill.
Given that other students offered one or perhaps two
submissions, it may come as no surprise that Nathaniel chose
to make his living in the world of journalism and publishing.
A resident of Stonington, Maine, Nat runs the Penobscot Bay
Press (www.penobscotbaypress.com), which publishes three
weekly newspapers, books, and a website. It also has Facebook
pages. A few years back, Nat was named Maine’s Journalist of
the Year by the Maine Press Association.
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read
about other alumni authors and writers, including:
Stephen Davis ’70
executive director of the Millstein Center for Corporate
Governance at the Yale School of Management, and the author
of The New Capitalists: How Citizen Investors are Reshaping the
Corporate Agenda
Jerry Davis ’74
a movie and theater producer who with his wife, Katie,
recently published a children’s book, Little Chicken’s Big Day
Greg Kats ’74
president of Capital E, a national clean energy advisory firm
and the author of Greening Our Built World: Costs, Benefits,
and Strategies
Doug London ’76
author with Mayan artists of the human rights book We Were
Taught to Plant Corn Not to Kill
Ted London ’77
a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of
Business who wrote Next Generation Business Strategies for the
Base of the Pyramid: New Approaches for Building Mutual Value
Alvin Bess ’77
who recently published his autobiography
Betsy Chin ’77
a professor at Occidental who wrote Purchasing Power: Black
Kids and American Consumer Culture
Nat bought the Penobscot Bay Press in 1968. He had graduated
from college, and it being the ’60s, was interested in doing
something independent. “The opportunity came to buy
this little paper with the press and paper on an island off the
coast of Maine and be my own boss,” he says. “I ended up
doing that in 1968 and have been here ever since. Being in
communications is a chance to make a difference. You give
people information and they can choose to process it the way
they like, but you can help bring about change.”
Nat came to journalism naturally. “I think it was the
unfulfilled career of my father,” he says. “My father was a
reporter for the Boston Globe in ’20s and ’30s, and he wrote
a bestseller.… He became a foreign correspondent for the
Chicago Daily News, and traveled all over the world in the 40s.
He won all sorts of awards and was nominated for a Pulitzer.
He was killed in plane crash in 1949 in India when he was
on assignment. I was only 3 at the time, and I was the only
child. My mom, I think, subtly programmed me to go into
journalism.”
20
Every morning at 6:30 I walk into the barn and climb into the
hayloft. I toss down 20 pounds of hay to stuff into a container
for our horse, Sal. Then I get water from the pump and feed
from the barrel for the chickens. After I finish my chores, and
my cabin mates have finished theirs, we all sweep the barn
and walk together to breakfast just after sunrise.
Liz Lightfoot ’77
who wrote Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope
Amy Westfeldt ’81
the 9/11 reporter for The Associated Press
Jennifer Elmore ’85
a poet
Conor Dubin ’91
an award-winning actor who recently wrote a children’s book,
Kate’s First Mate
Harry Bradford ’00
writing for The Huffington Post
Sam Dangremond ’01
writing for Town & Country Magazine
Jackson Holahan ’01
a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army who writes book reviews for
The Christian Science Monitor
Liz Walbridge ’03
who shares her experiences as a teaching fellow at Phillips
Academy Andover in her blog, Middlemunch (or Great ExBake-Tations)
Eliza Nguyen ’05
a pre-med student at Harvard writing for the Harvard Crimson
Marissa Irwin ’05
a Boston College student who is a regular contributor to the
blog Her Campus and the author of a blog Chic Plus Geek
Bianca Salkin ’06
a sophomore at Villanova University, who shares her fashion
insights in the blog College Fashionista
Luke Sherman ’08
editor of The Williams School’s student newspaper
Will Gregory and Alastair Clements, both ’08
editors of The Report, a current events publication at Choate
Rosemary Hall
For the fall semester of my junior year, I am attending
Chewonki semester school on the coast of Maine. If you
haven’t already guessed from the description of my morning
chores, it’s a little different from your average high school
experience. All of the students are responsible for the upkeep
and maintenance of the school and facilities. We harvest the
food for our kitchen, help make the meals, split wood, wash all
the dishes, clean bathrooms, do building and cabin repair…
Trust and responsibility are at the core of everything. We are
responsible for our community and are therefore invested in
it, and care deeply about it. All of the classes are based around
the natural world and our relationship with it as people. We
learn about the world through Agriculture, exploration of the
Maine coast, and sustainability.
Within my small class of 41 students in Maine, I often find
myself thinking fondly of another small class of 33 in Madison.
Returning to the comfort and support of a close community
feels like a homecoming that I didn’t even realize I was longing
for; something I haven’t truly been a part of since leaving
The Country School. The true gift that this school gives is to
allow us to be children, while challenging us academically. By
connecting learning with the world and from the world, back
to me, my joy of discovery has been rekindled.
Every night I see the big dipper low over the trees and think
of singing around a campfire on the last night of the
Southwest trip. Four years ago I was looking at those very
same stars. In most ways I am the same as I was then, but in
others ways I have changed. Those same stars are exactly how
they were though, and will be throughout my time. I picture
children camping in the forest of Kent, along the banks of the
Delaware Water Gap, and in the Utah desert. Looking at that
constellation during my fall wilderness trip while cooking over
a pack stove with my classmates, I couldn’t help but think of
similar scenes in my past and be beyond thankful that the
school of my childhood so fostered my love of the outdoors.
Alumni in the Outdoors
Learning from the Woods and Waters and Mountains
by Kate McNally ’09
Outdoor education has been essential in the way I view myself,
and my relationship with the planet. I am constantly reminded
of the fortitude, and the fragility, of the earth. This interest in
the natural world started in my home, was kindled and fueled
at TCS, and is now strongly sustained at Chewonki. Learning
from the woods and waters and mountains somehow makes
everything I learn in the classroom make more sense.
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to read
about other alumni who were inspired by Outdoor Education,
including:
Kate McNally ’09 at Chewonki last fall. Kate is a junior at Hopkins.
21
Karen Rosenthal returned to TCS as a parent this fall, when
her daughter, Tessa, entered Kindergarten in Clark House. She
recently shared her thoughts:
Taylor Burt ’00
a chef at the Center for Whole Communities, a leadership
development organization that fosters innovative and
collaborative responses
Peter Tucker ’00
leading NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) courses
and “living his dream”
Hilary Burt ’03
who has studied the environment and worked in a series of
outdoor venues
Amelia Holmes ’03
who studied the relationship between humans and the
environment through a series of art and science courses at
Bennington College
Will Cooley ’04
who recently finished courses in Permaculture, Sustainable
Living Skills, and Natural Building at Aprovecho in Cottage
Grove, OR
Vicky Cooley ’05
a student at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, and a
certified Wilderness First Responder and a rock climbing
instructor
When I was an 8th Grader at TCS, it was the first time
I experienced the big fish in a little pond feeling – and
what a feeling it was! Although the experience of being
a senior in school happened again in high school and
then in college, there was nothing quite like the thrill
of being 12 years old and “ruling” the school. At TCS,
seniority came with responsibility and in addition to the
fun (Washington, D.C., trip with Bob McGee, serving
hot lunch, working on the yearbook) we 8th Graders
were expected to be the mature elders of the school.
When the time came to enroll my daughter in
Kindergarten, we knew we wanted her to be a part of a
special community. A community where the parents are
all connected by a shared commitment to education and
where the students are connected by being members of
the same school family—from three year olds all the way
to those sage elders—the 8th Graders. And so of course,
we chose The Country School.
Inspired Parents: Alumni with
children at TCS
There are many concrete reasons why we knew TCS was
the place for our family. The educational philosophy,
the beautiful campus, commitment to outdoor education
to name a few. But there was also a feeling that I
remember from being a student here that I very much
wanted my daughter to experience. A feeling of being
a part of a family that extends beyond the walls of
any given classroom and one that envelops each child
throughout his or her day. Kindergarteners cheering on
the 1st and 2nd Graders at MacLane Poetry Recitation,
reading buddies, holding hands while singing at the
Winter Concert, a 5th Grader helping a preschooler
across the monkey bars on the playground after
school—I loved these interactions as a student years
ago and I continue to delight in them as a TCS parent
today.
Karen Rosenthal ’85, P ’20
As I think about the journey ahead, I think about my
daughter growing here at TCS and experiencing all
the school has to offer. She will memorize poems, go
on amazing trips, play sports, audition for the school
musical, become an older reading buddy, and one day,
unbelievably, be one of those wise 8th Graders to whom
the whole school looks up. We couldn’t be more excited.
Karen Rosenthal and her family: husband, Peter; daughter, Tessa
(Kindergarten); and son, Milo.
22
Matt Griswold ’81 was a proud parent in the audience last
June, as son, Max, graduated from TCS. (Younger son, Eli, is
a current 7th Grader; Max is now a freshman at The Williams
School.) Matt continues to run Judges Farm, a wholesale
grower of premium perennials, in Old Lyme, and this year – as
he has for the past five years – Matt and his business partner,
brother, Martin, donated all proceeds from their fall plant sale
to TCS.
Katherine Cahouet Connolly ’77 P ’21
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes to learn
about other current parents who have children attending TCS,
including:
Bill Palmer ’71
(Blakeslee ’10 and Isabelle in 8th Grade)
Liz Lightfoot ’77
(Graeme ’05, Isabel ’07, Alastair ’08, and Honor in 8th
Grade)
Chris de Chabert ’78
(Will and John in 2nd Grade)
Ann Lightfoot ’80
(Joab ’10 and Henry in 8th Grade)
Randel Osborne ’81
(Garrett ’08, Floyd ’10, and Roald in 7th Grade)
Marietta Lee ’83
(Cashen in 8th Grade and Maggie in 6th Grade)
Jeff Graybill ’91
(Scarlette in PreSchool)
Katherine Cahouet Connolly expresses a similar sentiment
about her decision to send her son, David, to her alma mater.
I am grateful to be able to send my son, David class of
’21, to TCS. His class is in the Clark House. Miss Clark
was my first grade teacher, and I loved her. It is great
to enter a building each morning in honor of one of my
favorite teachers! As I walk around campus, I am filled
with many wonderful old memories. It is important to
me that school feel somewhat like an extended family
network at this young age, and the intimacy of TCS
brings that feeling still today.
Chris de Chabert ’78 with sons Will and John, wife Katie, and
daughter Jane.
Other TCS Alumni Parents:
Matthew Griswold XI ’81, known as Matt, and Matthew Griswold
XII ’11, known as Max, celebrate Max’s TCS graduation.
23
Looking Back and Looking Ahead:
Alumni Events
In celebration of the 55th Anniversary, several old friends
returned to campus. A painting of the Farmhouse was
unveiled, a gift from local artist Cora Ogden, left, and the
Lombardi family. Also pictured above are Jeff Burt ’61 (second
from left) and Roberta and Tom Lombardi.
First through 3rd Place medal winners for the 2012 MacLane
Poetry Recitation (there were two ties) with the MacLane
Judges, left to right (back row): Former trustee Tammey
Rooney P ’03, ’06; Duncan MacLane ’64; Paul Erik Lipp ’95;
and Kingsley Goddard. Michelle Chan Brown, middle row,
far right, a poet and creative writing teacher (and Paul Erik’s
wife), also served as judge.
Former Heads of School Carol Robinson, Bill Powers, Ed
Blatchford, and Steve Danenberg join Interim Head of School
Martha Gates Lord at the 55th Anniversary.
24
West Cove Gallery belongs to sculptor Jonathan Waters
’66 P ’02. The Waters family has been connected to TCS for
three generations: Jonathan’s mother, Priscilla (far left), was
an early trustee and founder; Jonathan’s brother, Quint, was
one of the original students; and Jonathan (second from left)
and his wife, Michelle (second from right), were parents for
many years when their daughter, Emilie ’ 02 (at right), was a
student.
Following the 2012 recitation and luncheon, a special
celebration was held to honor the late David T. MacLane,
The Country School’s headmaster. Duncan MacLane shared
reminiscences of his father and the school’s early years and
announced a scholarship fund being established in memory of
his parents. John Chobor, chair of the TCS Board of Trustees,
presented Duncan with a memento: the All School photo
from 1957, which featured both of Duncan’s parents; his older
brother, Donald; and a 1st Grade Duncan.
Past parents Deetsie Bradford and Laury Walker hosted a
Parking Lot Reunion at TCS in June. The invitation cover
featured a decade of class graduation photos and the following
question: When your kids were at TCS, remember where you
went to find out what was really going on? When you opened
the invitation it said, “The Parking Lot; Yep, the Parking Lot.”
Last Spring the school community came together at the
spectacular West Cove Gallery in West Haven for a special
celebration and fundraiser.
To see more alumni photos, visit the Alumni
Events page on the TCS website: http://www.
thecountryschool.org/page.cfm?p=678.
25
Present at this event were former students as well as former
and current faculty.
Scores of alumni returned for reunions in 2011, including the
traditional Fall celebration and a special alumni reunion on Field
Day. In November, the Class of 2011 gathered under the school’s new
electronic scoreboard, a gift from the most recent graduates and their
families.
Many of the returning students were coming back for the first
time since their 8th Grade graduation and were surprised by
how much had changed on campus, while at the same time
they were surprised by what remains exactly as they remember
it. Walking around campus for the first time in six years Vicky
Cooley, class of 2005, made two observations. First, that the
gym smelled exactly the same even after all this time. And
second, that even though the school had made changes in the
past six years it was still the school she remembered.
Loyalties that Never Fade: Alumni Reunion on Field Day
2011
by Mary McGee ’05
Students throughout the years
remember field day as a day
of fun yet fierce competition.
No matter how much time has
passed, an alum of TCS would
be able to tell you exactly
which team they were on and
most likely how many years in
a row their blue or gold team
won the overall victory.
Other special attendees included former Head of School and
“the king of blue and gold” Steven Danenberg, and the allteacher band They Might Be Teachers. The day kicked off with a
performance by David Bennett, Bob Borden, Harlan Brothers,
and John Gage playing songs including the well-loved
“Countrified: Boom Like That.”
While the field day that you remember still occurs, this year
former students were invited back to campus with the hopes of
reconnection on a day that remains bright in their memories.
At 4 p.m., after the final baton race had been run (a blue
victory, although the overall Field Day 2011 title went to gold),
alumni gathered on the field for an old fashioned barbecue.
As many of you remember, this all-teacher band really knows
how to rock, and their reunion performance was a special treat
for former students and faculty who remembered many of
their on-campus performances very well. Following the faculty
performance, alumni Marina Sachs ’07 and
26
Ben Gelfand ’08 performed and dedicated a special rendition
of Pachelbel’s Canon to Mr. Danenberg. They even asked for
Mr. Danenberg’s signature “Moment of Silence.”
Mary McGee ’05, a junior at Muhlenberg College in
Allentown, PA, spent the summer of 2011 in the TCS
Alumni Office, helping the school reconnect with
alumni. A double major in Media Communications
and History, Mary hopes to pursue a career in Public
Relations.
While this alumni reunion was designed as an occasion
for alumni to return to campus and reconnect with former
students and faculty, the day also had a larger purpose. This
year, Michael Hallberg ’05 passed away and The Country
School lost a beloved member of its community.
As a lifer, Michael was actively involved in many areas at TCS,
and had an enormous impact on the arts program. In
remembrance of Michael, art teacher David Acheson is
reconstructing a sculpture that Michael made while here at
TCS. When finished, the sculpture will be placed in the library.
In addition, responding to interest from donors, the Alumni
Association established a Michael Hallberg Memorial Fund.
Read a tribute to Mikey on page 35.
Are YOU interested in being a TCS summer college
intern and earning a stipend? This is an amazing
experience for the right person. Contact: Director of
Alumni Relations Jeanne Boyer Roy at
[email protected].
How Lucky Our Children Are: A Parent’s Perspective
Excerpted from a speech by JoAnne Staten, former Trustee and
parent of TJ ’07, Miller ’09, and Eddie and Joey ’11
Delivered during the Class of 2011 Alumni Induction Ceremony
TCS says in its Mission
Statement: The school community
strives to nurture each child,
valuing his or her unique gifts
in an atmosphere of mutual
respect. And I think this
class has really embraced this
concept. They have been given
the opportunities and the tools
from a very young age to express
who they are or figure out who
they are and not be afraid they will be laughed at. This starts
in PreK with circle time and show and tell, morning meetings
and Friday all school meetings, 4th Grade Me-ology, and so
on. This isn’t taught by text books or lecturing to the students.
It is taught by example – by the mutual respect shown by the
teachers, and that respect makes the students feel safe and
secure, which enables them to figure out who they are and to
accept those around them.
The Country School is a place where a “kid can be a kid” but
somewhere along the way they grow into the remarkable young
adults we have here today. As I was driving by the school the
other day with my 16-year-old son, Miller, he told me that if he
ever has kids of his own he would enroll them at The Country
School. When I asked him why he said, “Because it allowed
me to be me.” Isn’t that what we should expect from every
school? How lucky our children are.
A cardboard replica of Mikey’s sculpture.
Although our ties to team blue or team gold may have faded,
the ties that alumni have to The Country School will never
fade. The gymnasium still smells the same, and the faculty are
still the same passionate, enthusiastic teachers you remember.
There was an amazing turn out this year at the Alumni
Reunion on Field Day and hopefully next year even more
alumni will be able to attend to reconnect not only with each
other, but with the school that has always meant so much.
To read JoAnne Staten’s entire speech, visit the TCS website.
Go to http://www.thecountryschool.org/page.cfm?p=769,
27
Save the Date:
2011 Distinguished Alumni Award Presented to
Ted London ’77
Fore! Join us for the first Annual TCS Golf Classic on June 25,
2012, a special event to raise funds for the Founders’ Promise
Fund for Scholarship. Watch the TCS website for details or
email [email protected] to learn more.
Advancing The Country School
TCS Unveils New Website
Thanks to the generosity of several key supporters, The
Country School was delighted last spring to introduce a new,
interactive website, an invaluable tool as we showcase an
education that lasts a lifetime.
The 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Ted
London, an expert on the intersection of business and poverty
alleviation. Ted, a member of the Class of 1977, is a professor
at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University
of Michigan and a senior research fellow at the William
Davidson Institute.
Ted returned to campus to receive the award, accompanied by
his mother, Elizabeth London. Former teacher Alice Castelli
also joined them for the celebration. In addition to receiving
the award, Ted delivered a lecture – Building a Better World
– in which he told students about his efforts to help alleviate
global poverty.
A graduate of Daniel Hand High School, Lehigh University
(BS, Mechanical Engineering), the Peter Drucker School of
Management at Claremont Graduate University (MBA), and
the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business
School (PhD), Ted is the author and/or editor of numerous
articles and books and a frequent lecturer. After visiting
The Country School, he spoke at the Global Health and
Innovation Conference at Yale University.
Do you know someone who should be nominated
for a Distinguished Alumni Award? Submit your
nomination to [email protected]. Please
be sure to submit your nominee’s graduation year
along with the reason you feel he or she is deserving
of the award. Thank you!
Visit www.thecountryschool.org to explore our new website’s
many layers. Be sure to check out the slideshows, videos, news
stories, calendar functions, and content, including a deep
alumni section, where we are thrilled to be able to share our
graduates’ stories.
28
“The Country School has been a generational inspiration to
our family,” Dani said. “We want other families to experience
the joy of learning that our family has. Since 2006, nearly
$500,000 has been raised for TCS scholarships. This
fundraising helps reinforce the TCS mission of ‘creating an
environment which is both academically challenging and
responsive to the social and emotional needs of growing
children.’ By supporting the mission, we are all creating a more
diverse learning environment.”
We welcome feedback & submissions for our website!
Email [email protected] with
your news, suggestions, questions, and comments.
Thank you!
Keeping the Founders’ Promise: Scholarship Fund
experiences exponential growth, enabling scores of students
to attend TCS
Dani points to her husband’s and her daughters’ experiences.
After he graduated in 1975, Bill went to Hand High School,
where he thrived. He then went on to Wharton at the University
of Pennsylvania, graduating with a degree in accounting,
followed by Suffolk Law School in Boston. He worked for
Price Waterhouse, obtaining his LLM in Accounting from
BU in Boston. Bill and Dani moved back to Madison, where
he joined his father’s accounting practice, their daughters
were born, and he and Dani became active members of the
community.
The twins are similarly goal-oriented and civic-minded. After
graduating from TCS, Tyler and Kendall attended Hamden
Hall Country Day School, where they excelled academically
and athletically and volunteered for various causes and
organizations. Kendall is now a sophomore at Bucknell,
where she is an English major (she says her inspiration was
Mr. Storms, with “his passion and joy for teaching”). She
is a reading tutor with Head Start and a club lacrosse
player. Tyler is majoring in History and Political Science at
George Washington University, where she interns for U.S.
Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), is a founding member of an
international association of marketing students, and also plays
club lacrosse. (As her inspirations, Tyler counts Mrs. Kelly
and Mrs. Barber for “bringing history alive.”) Last year, Tyler
and Kendall were co-recipients of the Greater New Haven
2011 Junior Volunteer of the Year award for work they did in
Nairobi and New Haven.
Jeff ’61 and Taylor ’00 Burt
When in 2006, in honor of The Country School’s 50th
Anniversary, Jeff Burt ’61, his wife, Allee, and children,
Taylor ’00 and Hilary ’03, established The Founders’ Promise
Fund for Scholarship with a $50,000 gift, no one could have
imagined that their generosity would prove so providential for
so many Country School children.
As it turned out, the economy took a nosedive, and when
families found themselves unable to attend TCS – either
because they could no longer afford to pay full tuition or
because they didn’t think they could apply in the first place –
the Founders’ Promise Fund was able to help many of them.
For the 2011-2012 school year, 20 percent of enrolled students
received tuition assistance, including $119,000 in grants from
The Founders’ Promise Fund. Since 2006, 50 students have
received awards from The Founders’ Promise Fund.
The fund has also proven attractive to donors, many of them
parents or alumni – and sometimes both – who want to give
other children the same opportunities their families have been
fortunate enough to experience.
Giving Back: The Woods Family
The Woods family is a perfect example. Bill Woods ’75 and
his wife, Dani, sent their twin daughters, Tyler and Kendall
(both Class of 2006), to The Country School. Both girls are
thriving, and all four want to give back so, as a family, they
agreed to chair alumni giving to the Founders’ Promise Fund
for the current school year.
29
successful individual fund raising initiative in the school’s
history and we are grateful for the outstanding efforts by Dr.
Ballard, his team and all the donors who helped us raise over
$112,000. These funds will help many deserving children to
experience an education that lasts a lifetime.”
Embracing – and Exceeding – the Challenge: Founders’
Promise Endowment Established in Record-Breaking Year
In 2011, an anonymous family came forward with a challenge:
they would give TCS $55,000 toward creating a Founders’
Promise Endowment Fund, monies earmarked strictly for a
scholarship endowment, provided the school could match that
amount in gifts from other donors.
Making a Difference for Families
Patricia Trapasso, the mother
of one TCS graduate and
one current student, also
shares her gratitude. “Your
generosity has enabled my
son to attend TCS for the last
three academic years, thus
changing the trajectory of his
life forever,” Patricia said. “As
a parent, I know that one of
the greatest gifts I can give my
child is a strong education.
The Founders’ Promise Fund
helped me do just that. I
sincerely thank each and every donor from the bottom of my
heart.”
In came Dr. Robert Ballard, the renowned oceanographer
and parent of Ben ’08 and Emily, a current 8th Grader. At
the request of the donor, Bob spearheaded a fund-raising
campaign to meet the challenge, something he and his fellow
donors not only met but exceeded, adding $112,000 to the
endowment in a few short months.
“Our family is very fortunate
to have been a part of this
community for many years
and to share in the educational
experience that a child receives
here,” Bob said. “The Country
School is unique in its ability to
provide an environment where
children grow intellectually,
athletically, and artistically,
while at the same time acquiring
leadership skills, self-confidence,
the ability to collaborate, and a
concern for others.
The Country School also thanks all of our
generous donors. To learn more, see our Report of
Giving or visit our Giving page on line at www.
thecountryschool.org/reportofgiving. To make a gift
on line, go to https://www.thecountryschool.org/
onlinegiving.
“Like many private schools, however, the cost of an education
at The Country School is beyond the reach of many families,
especially given the uncertain economy we live in. All of us
involved with The Founders’ Promise Fund recognize the
importance of a quality education and we are dedicated to
providing that opportunity to children who would be enriched
here but who face difficulties from a financial standpoint.”
Former Faculty News
We and the World Are Better for Knowing You: Michele
Schofield retires after 42 years in the classroom
The beauty of an endowment fund is that it will last in
perpetuity. As additional monies are raised, the Founders’
Promise Fund endowment will continue to spin off a portion
to be used for scholarship, ensuring that a TCS education
will be available to deserving students well into the future,
regardless of what happens with the economy.
All of which pleases Jeff Burt. “We are delighted that
supporters of this wonderful school understand the importance
of offering a TCS education to those who otherwise would not
be able to afford it,” Jeff said. “Our founders never envisioned
an exclusive institution, but rather one that would create an
open and diverse community of learners.”
Trustee Timothy Kish, chair of the Board’s Finance
Committee, shared a similar sentiment. “The Board wants
everyone who was involved in this campaign to accept our
sincere thanks and appreciation,” he said. “This was the most
Students present an origami mobile – and lots of hugs – to Madame
Schofield upon her retirement.
30
After 42 years in education and nearly 20 years teaching world
languages at The Country School, Michele Schofield retired
at the end of December.
While he was Head of School, Bill Powers made it a point to
accompany 8th Graders and their advisors on the Southwest
Trip, and he often joked that he had a standard question when
he interviewed faculty members: Do you own a pair of hiking
boots?
“A consummate student as well as teacher, Mme. Schofield
has decided to retire from her day job as a world languages
teacher at The Country School so that she can explore some
of the other arenas that interest her and also spend more
time with her family,” Head of School Laurie Bottiger said in
announcing Michele’s retirement. “I know that she will keep
learning and teaching, and the lessons she has shared with
so many of her students over the decades will stay with us
forever.”
So it may come as no surprise that after Mr. Powers resigned
from TCS he took on a new post with Mountain Workshop,
the outdoor adventure company that partners with TCS for
our Middle School excursions. These days, he has traded in the
suits and ties for an outfit of hiking boots and wool socks. He
still looks good in a suit, though, and students were delighted
to welcome him in October when he returned to campus
to celebrate the life and contributions of former trustee Bill
Elmore.
On the final day of school before the winter break, students
arrived in Mme. Schofield’s classroom for a surprise
celebration, presenting her with a range of handmade gifts
– from a book of thank you notes made by students in PreK
to a mobile featuring a globe and peace cranes made by 3rd
Graders. The mobile bore the following message: We and the
world are better for knowing Michele Schofield.
Honoring a Student: Alice Castelli is on hand as her
former student receives Distinguished Alumni Award
Anticipating a Sequel: Former Head of School updates us
on life at the fictional “Miss Oliver’s School”
So many of us enjoyed Saving Miss Oliver’s, the first novel by
former Head of School Steve Davenport, and we can’t wait to
read the sequel. Like his first endeavor, this next one will focus
on the life of (or lives inside) a fictional independent girls’
boarding school, Miss Oliver’s.
“I’ve just finished what I think is a pretty decent draft of the
sequel to SMO,” Mr. Davenport writes. “It covers the next year
and is told in first person by Rachel Bickham [readers of SMO
will recall that Rachel Bickham took over as head of school
at the end of the novel]. It has been interesting to inhabit the
mind of a 36-year-old African American woman as an 80-yearold white man.”
A wearer of many hats during her years at TCS (from teacher
to admission director), Alice Castelli returned to campus last
winter to see her former student, Ted London ’77, receive the
2011 Distinguished Alumni Award.
TCS is hoping that Mr. Davenport will visit campus and give
us a reading of his latest book, as he did with his first. For
anyone who hasn’t read Saving Miss Oliver’s, a copy is available
in the Elmore Library.
Hitting the Road: Happy Trails to the Tuckers
Former Middle School teacher Lois Tucker and her husband,
former substitute teacher/basketball coach Skip Tucker, report
that they have sold their house and hit the road.
Climbing New Mountains: Former Head of School Bill
Powers
“We are pretty lucky to have our boys spread out all over the
country so we can visit cool places to see them,” Lois tells us.
“This has brought us to selling our house and getting ready
to become gypsies for several months until we decide where
we will park ourselves for the next few years. It will definitely
be out West, and a good possibility is Santa Fe. We’ll see in
a few months after traveling around in our truck and trailer
to see what is out there for us. It’s pretty liberating to take off
unencumbered, but there are some sweaty palms about this
whole unknown as well.” Happy and safe travels, Tuckers!
(Read about the Tucker boys on line in class notes:
www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes)
Mr. Powers received a rock star’s greeting when he returned to campus
this fall for a special event to remember former trustee Bill Elmore.
31
Still Looking to Make
Meaningful Things
Happen
Former Head of School
Steve Danenberg is
enjoying retirement but
hasn’t slowed down much.
Last summer, he and his
wife, Mary, traveled to
Greece, the first time they
had been there since 1970.
He and his entire family,
including grandchildren
Caroline and Christopher,
now 6 and 10, also spent a
week in Cape Cod.
From TCS to the Circus: Interim Head of School Martha
Gates Lord takes on new challenge
When Head of School Bill Powers announced in the late
spring of 2010 that he planned to step down after six years
at the helm, The Country School was fortunate to bring in
Martha Gates Lord as Interim Head of School.
Working alongside faculty, administration, staff, and the
Board of Trustees, Mrs. Lord helped guide the school through
initiatives begun under Mr. Powers’ tenure: re-accreditation
by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools; the
creation and launching of an interactive, new school website;
and the dramatic expansion of the Founders’ Promise Fund for
Mr. Danenberg served as honorary chair of Alumni Reunion on Field
Day. He even pulled out his blue and gold tee-shirt for the occasion.
Mr. Danenberg volunteers weekly for Habitat for Humanity,
where he is helping with the permitting process to build a
house in Norwich and through which he supervises a crew
from York correctional institute in maintaining the area
around the Habitat office in New London. He also continues
to be active politically.
Mr. Danenberg was touched when, during Prize Day 2011,
the Spirit and Passion Award was renamed in his honor. As he
wrote to a faculty member afterward, “During my long life in
five different independent schools, I worked with many great
faculty and staff. TCS is blessed to have the most dedicated,
hard-working, strong-willed, mission-driven (obsessed), loving,
caring, trusting, and nurturing group of educators with whom
I have ever had the privilege of working. They, all together,
made meaningful things happen.”
Preserving Nature
Christine Dauer, former TCS librarian, writes that she misses
the people at TCS. She reports that she “went to Denali this
summer and the outdoor program helped me see it through
appreciative eyes of what is out there in nature that needs to be
preserved.”
Not Riding off into the Sunset Yet: Jim Storms
Seventh Graders and their teachers were thrilled to have an
old friend escort them on their traditional bike ride around
Wethersfield to study the setting of the novel Witch of
Blackbird Pond. Even though he officially retired almost two
years ago, beloved former English teacher Jim Storms has
joined 7th Graders and their teachers to squire them around the
town he grew up in and knows so well.
32
Scholarship. Among other initiatives, such as a fund-raiser that
enabled campus-wide technology improvements, the year
also saw the successful completion of a nationwide search that
resulted in Dr. Laurie Bottiger being named Head of School.
After leaving TCS, Mrs. Lord took over as interim executive
director of the Big Apple Circus.
building the music program at All Saints’ Episcopal School.
She directs two choirs, teaches three piano classes, directs
a chamber orchestra, and advises the lab band. “John Gage
[former TCS band teacher] and I laugh,” she says. “He is
directing 9th Grade choir in addition to his bands, and I am
directing an orchestra in addition to my choirs!”
Making Music in Texas: Catching up with Susan Wiles
We were delighted to catch up with former music teacher
Susan Wiles through Facebook. Susan, who accompanied
her husband, Preston, to Texas after he was named the George
and Ann Race Professor of Psychiatry at the University of
Texas Southwestern Medical School, writes that she is busy
Susan is also musical director for the school’s musical, Little
Shop of Horrors, “so basically I have no life now. But it’s all
good. I LOVE teaching high school; my students are smart
and nice – a great combination – and the school is great AND
we are out of the silent phase and into the active phase of
fundraising to build a state of the art Fine Arts Center.”
33
was also deeply involved in long range planning, through which
he sought to strengthen and sustain the school community
and create an environment that would encourage development
of the unique gifts, confidence, and independence of each
student.
“That said,” she continues, “I REALLY MISS EVERYONE
AT TCS — I always have a desire to sleep under the skies in
October and June, and I think of the choir and kids on the
holiday concert date.”
Still a DO-ER: Janice Crampton
Former Director of External Relations (DOER) Janice
Crampton continues to DO a lot. The executive director
of the Association of Independent School Admission
Professionals, Janice oversees an organization that touches
thousands of individual and school members all over the
world. Janice and AISAP were on campus in December for a
workshop for admission professionals and trustees.
Perhaps Bill’s greatest legacies are ones that can’t be seen.
Instrumental in crafting The Country School Mission
Statement, Bill’s life philosophies are embodied in the
document that guides every facet of The Country School: a
belief in the whole child; an assumption that a school has the
responsibility to nurture each child, valuing his or her unique
gifts in an atmosphere of mutual respect; an understanding
that a school is responsible for preparing students to meet
personal and ethical challenges as well as academic ones; the
notion that a school should empower students to reach their
highest, both in school and in life; and the assumption that
all of this should be accomplished while still honoring the
creativity, sense of wonder, and exuberance of childhood.
Do you have a memory of a TCS teacher you would
like to share? Are you a TCS teacher who would like
to share your news? Post your tribute and/or news
on Facebook (go to TCS Alumni) or email us at
[email protected].
In November, close to 40 members of the TCS community
gathered in the Elmore Library to remember, celebrate, and
honor Bill as a former trustee, past parent, and dear friend.
Remembering and Celebrating Friends
Who are No Longer with Us
Former Trustee Bill Elmore: A special gift for leading and
listening
When longtime TCS trustee
Robert W. Elmore died
on October 20, 2009, at
Yale-New Haven Hospital,
his passing was mourned
by family and friends from
many quarters. The Country
School, just one of dozens of
endeavors to which Bill had
dedicated countless hours, was
both bereft at Bill’s loss and
grateful for his immeasurable
contributions.
Bill served TCS in a variety of capacities for 20 years, bringing
a calm, peaceful, effective force to all he did. Bill literally
touched every area of the school, serving as a member or chair
of Development, Long Range Planning, Finance, Buildings
and Grounds, and the Committee on Trustees. He also served
on the Search Committees that brought Ed Blatchford and
Steven Danenberg to TCS as Heads of School.
One of his most visible legacies is having chaired the most
successful capital campaign in TCS history, resulting in the
building of the Blatchford Learning Center. The centerpiece of
that building is the Elmore Library, named in his honor. Bill
Enjoying a light moment as friends recall former trustee Bill Elmore
and his many contributions to TCS.
34
During the celebration, Middle School teacher Bob McGee
unveiled the Elmore Initiative for Leadership and Listening,
an attempt to honor – and give life to – the unique qualities
that Bill brought to TCS. The Elmore Initiative will “take
some of the skills Bill modeled so well, teach them to our kids,
and allow them to go out and be effective leaders,” Bob said.
Watch for more news about the Elmore Initiative and how it is
being implemented at TCS.
Remembering Mikey: A Tribute to Michael Hallberg ’05
Members of the TCS community turned out in force to
remember Michael Hallberg, a beloved member of the Class
of 2005, who died in November 2010. Remembered for his
kindness, his unforgettable and ever-present grin, and his sense
of mischief, Mikey was everyone’s friend.
Those who came together to remember and celebrate Bill
included: former Heads of School Ed Blatchford and Bill
Powers; former faculty members Beth Lane, Alice Castelli, Jim
Storms, Jane Shaw, and Peggy Chappell; former trustees Starr
Sayres, Barbara Novick, Tammey Rooney, Fred Murphy, and
Susan Cayer Stout; Bill’s wife, Sharon, and daughter Jennifer
’85; as well as many other friends.
Head of School Laurie Bottiger welcomed the special guests
back to campus, saying, “You’re really not guests here; this is
your home. So welcome home.”
During his memorial service at The Williams School, almost
the entire Class of 2005 was in attendance, along with several
other former schoolmates and faculty and staff members.
When Daniel Hartsoe ’05 walked to the front of the
auditorium to read a Chinese proverb, his TCS classmates
stood up and joined him as, together, they remembered their
inimitable classmate.
Back at school, teachers went through their photo albums and
found pictures of Mikey, starting with his first day of PreK.
In almost every photo, he was smiling from ear to ear, his
eyes sparkling. The photos were collected in an album for the
Hallberg family, mom Susan, Dad Jon, sisters Sarah ’96 and
Liz ’98, and brother James ’03.
As reported in “Loyalties that Never Fade: Alumni Reunion
on Field Day 2011” by Mary McGee ’05, art teacher David
Acheson also went through his archives and found several
images of Michael’s artwork. He has recreated one of
Michael’s sculptures, which will be on display outside the
library, permanently commemorating Mikey’s creative spirit.
Priscilla Wood Dundon ’65
The Country School was saddened to learn of the death of
Priscilla Wood Dundon, who died on Sept. 8, 2009, at
the age of 56 at her home in Bristol, ME. After attending
TCS, Priscilla graduated from The Williams School in 1969
and entered Mount Holyoke College with the Class of 1973.
In 1985, she graduated from Yale College with a major in
American Studies, graduating summa cum laude and
Phi Beta Kappa.
35
She was the daughter of the late Walter B. Dundon, Jr., and
Clarissa V. Dundon, of Bristol. She and her mother owned
an antiques business, specializing in fine early American
furniture. She is survived by her mother; her sister, Martha
Dundon Dunlap, Class of 1964, and her husband Mark E.
Dunlap of Yarmouth, ME, as well as by three nephews and a
niece.
Class of 1963
Condolences to Donald MacLane on the passing of his father,
The Country School’s first headmaster, David MacLane.
Donald and his wife, Lorah, live in Portland, OR. They have
two children and two grandchildren.
Class of 1964
We also extend condolences to Duncan MacLane. Duncan
has been back on campus several times recently, both to
judge the Lois MacLane Poetry Recitation and for a special
celebration to honor the memory of his parents.
Connie Pike, Former Trustee, Advocate for Education,
Open Space, the Environment
When longtime TCS trustee Constance Pike of Old Lyme
passed away on Sept. 5, 2009, The Country School – and
the shoreline area – lost a great friend. Throughout her life,
Connie was committed to family, friends, education, and the
love of learning. She was also committed to the responsibilities
of citizenship, social justice, the preservation of open space,
and the environment. For many years, Connie devoted her
considerable energies to The Country School, where daughter,
Adele, and son, William, were students.
Duncan is a naval architect and world-class catamaran racer
who played a key role in six America’s Cup campaigns. (See
“Alumni in STEAM” for more information.)
In the past few months, Duncan has also taken on a new
mission at TCS: to honor the memory of his parents in a
way that these lifelong educators would have found most
meaningful; Duncan has established the David and Marcia
MacLane Endowment for Scholarship to support tuition
assistance at The Country School.
Class Notes
“I am a firm believer in the importance of scholarship efforts,
both to the individual students who receive them and also
to the life of a school,” Duncan said. “I was the beneficiary
of scholarships throughout my education, and I know that
without that support I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Below, find Class Notes from the first two decades of students
at TCS. Visit the website, www.thecountryschool.org/classnotes
to read about alumni in subsequent decades. If you have news
or photos you would like to share, please email submissions to
[email protected].
Duncan believes his parents would be thrilled to see that The
Country School is thriving, and he knows they would be
delighted that, in their honor, “we will be able to make the
TCS experience available to more deserving children.” To
learn more about the David and Marcia MacLane Endowment
for Scholarship, contact [email protected].
Class of 1959
We were pleased to catch up recently with Nathaniel
Barrows, one of two members of the Class of 1959. Read more
about Nathaniel and his career in publishing in “Alumni
Writers.”
Class of 1965
The Country School was saddened to learn of the death of
Priscilla Wood Dundon. Read “Remembering Old Friends”
for more information.
Class of 1960
Tandy Beal shared her recollections of TCS in its early days
and on the school’s first headmaster in “Inspired on Stage:
Alumni in the Performing Arts” and “Remembering The
Country School’s First Headmaster, David T. MacLane.”
Tandy is an award-winning choreographer and performer
who has appeared on stages across the globe. We look forward
to welcoming her to The Country School’s stage in the near
future!
Class of 1966
Jonathan Waters hosted a spectacular 55th Anniversary
celebration for TCS at his West Cove Gallery in West Haven.
Jonathan, a renowned artist, opened his gallery and studio
for the event, “Celebrating 55 Years of Creativity,” providing
a setting that couldn’t have been more fitting. Visit http://
www.thecountryschool.org/cf_media2/index.cfm?chnl=33 to
see more photos from the event. This fall, Jonathan returned
to TCS to install his sculpture, Haiku, on campus. You can’t
miss it when you arrive on campus; it sits on top of a bed of
shells (in homage to Jonathan’s previous career as an oyster
fisherman) in front of the Farmhouse.
Class of 1961
Jeff Burt continues to be an alumnus extraordinaire, leading
the TCS Alumni Association and serving as the founder
and prime cheerleader for the Founders’ Promise Fund for
Scholarship. Read more about Jeff and his efforts in “Living
the Founders’ Mission: Expanding the Founders’ Promise
Fund for Scholarship.” The Country School is indebted to
the Burt family for many years of service to and leadership
at The Country School. Jeff was a co-recipient of the 2006
Distinguished Alumni Award.
Class of 1970
Stephen Davis serves as executive director of Yale University
School of Management’s Millstein Center for Corporate
36
Governance and Performance and lecturer on the Yale SOM
faculty. He is the co-author of The New Capitalists: How
Citizen Investors are Reshaping the Corporate Agenda. Steve’s
son, Gabriel, graduated from TCS in 2010.
was the original concept creator and scientific consultant for
All Bird TV, a cable television series on bird watching that
aired on Discovery’s Animal Planet. He also helped create
the Connecticut River Eagle Festival, he has conducted
bird surveys for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and he
leads trips for the Connecticut Audubon Society to Canada,
Texas, South Florida, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, and other
destinations. He lives in Essex with his wife, Mirlou, and son,
Sam.
Class of 1971
John Burt is working on his Ph.D. in expressive arts therapy.
Although he did his coursework at Columbia, the teaching
component of John’s doctoral program has been taking place
in Switzerland. In addition to pursuing his doctorate, John
continues to be involved in theater and Cambodia. Last year
he was summoned to Phnom Penh for an audience with the
Cambodian king, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni. The
king wanted to see the individuals responsible for “Where
Elephants Weep,” a modern Cambodian rock opera which
John helped produce. John is the Founding Board Chair
Emeritus of Cambodian Living Arts, an organization that
works to support the revival of traditional Khmer performing
arts and inspires contemporary artistic expression. John was
The Country School’s 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award
recipient.
Class of 1975
Bill Woods and his wife, Dani, are serving as chairs of The
Country School’s Founders’ Promise Fund effort for 20112012. Their daughters, Kendall and Tyler, are members of the
TCS Class of 2006. Read more in “Giving Back: The Woods
Family.”
Last year was the first year Lauren Fusco Baumann hasn’t
had a child at TCS in many years. Oldest daughter, Natalie
’03, started in PreK (she recently graduated from Colorado
College), and youngest child, David ’10, began PreK in 2000
(he is in his sophomore year at The Hopkins School). Middle
child, Janie ’05, started PreK and is now a junior at Ole Miss.
For most of her children’s time at TCS, Lauren was an active
volunteer, serving on the Board of Trustees and working
with the Alumni Association. Although she may no longer
have one of her offspring enrolled at TCS, she does still have
a connection: Godson, David Connolly (son of Katherine
Cahouet Conolly ’77 and Joe Connolly) is now in the TCS
PreK class.
Class of 1974
Jerry Davis and his wife, Katie, have published a children’s
book, Little Chicken’s Big Day. Jerry, a movie and theater
producer who was one of the brains behind Toy Story, Robots,
and Ice Age, was The Country School’s 2008 Distinguished
Alumni Award recipient.
Greg Kats is the senior director of and director of climate
change policy for Good Energies, a global private investment
firm in renewable and clean energy technologies. He recently
wrote Greening Our Built World: Costs, Benefits and Strategies,
published by Island Press, a resource for professionals seeking
to cost-effectively green their buildings and communities.
Greg, who was The Country School’s 2009 Distinguished
Alumni Award recipient, is a founder of New Resource Bank
and serves as Chair of the Energy and Atmosphere Technical
Advisory Group for LEED, the US green building standard.
Greg served as the Director of Financing for Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy
and co-founded and chaired the International Performance
Measurement and Verification Protocol. He received his
undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina,
his MBA from Stanford, and his MPA from Princeton.
Class of 1976
Doug London
We caught up with Doug London just before he left for
Ecuador with his wife and young daughter. Doug will be
there working with the last remaining hunter-gatherer group
in Ecuador, researching and living in the Amazon jungle to
study the connection between diet and health. Read more in
“Alumni in STEAM.”
Class of 1977
Ted London, a professor at the University of Michigan, was
awarded the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition
of his effort to alleviate global poverty. Read more in “2011
Distinguished Alumni Award Presented to Ted London ’77.”
When he received his Distinguished Alumni Award, Greg
returned to campus to speak with students about how his
experiences at TCS helped inspire him to work on behalf of
the environment. (His stories included finding salamanders
behind the baseball backstop.)
Annette Sachs Cook designs handbags through her company,
Pink Tulips. She lives in Killingworth, CT.
Katherine Cahouet Connolly returned to TCS in 2010 with
a new role: mom. Katherine’s son, David, the godson of longtime TCS trustee and parent Lauren Fusco Baumann ’75
(P ’03, ’05, ’10), is a member of the TCS Class of 2021.
Katherine lives with David and her husband, Joe, in Essex
and does research for Joe, a Wall Street Journal and WCBS
radio reporter. Katherine is also an active member of the TCS
Alumni Association. Read more in “Inspired Parents: Alumni
Andrew Griswold continues to serve as director of EcoTravel
for the Connecticut Audubon Society, a position he has held
since 1996. He graduated as an honor student in Biology from
Hartwick College, where he worked at their biological research
station in the Bahamas and studied avian ecology. Andrew
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who have sent their children to TCS.”
for seven years. Welcome back to TCS, Chris! And welcome to
the rest of the de Chabert family as well.
Kathy Kalin Medlock is a high school French teacher in
Washington state. We caught up with her mother, former
teacher Ann Kalin, when she called The Country School
recently. Ann said Kathy fondly remembers her TCS French
classes, and they may have inspired her to become a French
teacher.
Andrea Tiffany resigned after 13 years with Amtrak to become
a full time caregiver, working privately in people’s homes.
Most of her cases are clients with terminal illnesses who want
to die at home, she writes, adding that she usually work closely
with hospice. “I love my work and have met some incredible
families,” she says. Andrea and her husband also have a small
farm in Clinton where they raise cows, vegetables and flowers.
After TCS She went to a small, private boarding school in
Sedona, AZ, called The Verde Valley School. “It was a great fit
for me,” she says.
Betsy Chin teaches anthropology at Occidental. She is
the author of Purchasing Power: Black Kids and American
Consumer Culture.
Diana Staley-Lynch has joined her brother, Paul Staley ’79,
in a new venture: Splash American Grill in Guilford. Diana
is a graduate of Choate and Harvard, where she was an All
American squash player. After playing tennis professionally,
she began a career in business.
Nick Burke works in computer science and information
systems. He recalls that his TCS days influenced his future
career. “I had lots of science classes, essentially dissembled and
reassembled microscopes, and it gave me the fix-it bug for life!”
Alvin Bess recently published his first book, The Objective
Narrative Of An Undaunted Black Male And Deliberate
Blue-Collar Scholar Strolling Slowly Circumspectly Amongst
Chameleon Scarecrows And Outwitting The Pitfalls, Insecurities
And Stigmas Of Standardized American Selective Retardation.
The book, which he calls “an unruffled authobiography,” is
available through amazon.com (ISBN-13: 978-0-615-46491-6).
Deborah Purvis MacDonell ran into Katherine Cahouet
Connolly in Florida this winter. Deborah lives in Niantic and
is public relations director at Connecticut College.
Class of 1979
Congratulations to Paul Staley on the opening of his new
restaurant, Splash American Grill. For years we have been
enjoying Paul’s confections at Madison Chocolates on Boston
Post Road in Madison. You can still find Paul’s amazing
chocolates at Splash, located down the road at 535 Boston Post
Road in Guilford, but there are all sorts of other delicious
offerings at the restaurant, which is open for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner.
Cyndie Armenia (formerly Cynthia Echlin) lives in
Killingworth with her husband, Joe, and their three children,
all of whom attended TCS. She continues to work for Vintage
Construction and New England Commercial Properties, the
companies she and her husband own and operate. Eldest son,
Iggy ’04, is attending Quinnipiac; Jake ’07 recently graduated
from Haddam-Killingworth High School and is also at
Quinnipiac. Nicole ’08 is a star lacrosse player at H-K, where
she was named All-State and All-Shoreline. She plans to attend
Quinnipiac as well. Read more about the Armenia kids in
their class notes.
Paul, who was trained at The Culinary Institute of America
and had stints at top kitchens in Atlanta, Palm Beach, and
Denver, also had the chance to work alongside such culinary
luminaries as Jacques Pepin.
Liz Lightfoot continues to work in the TCS Advancement
Office. A reporter by training, she began to work at TCS after
serving as a volunteer for years. All four of her children have
attended TCS – Graeme ’05, Isabel ’07, and Alastair ’08
are graduates, and Honor is in 8th Grade. Liz also works as a
freelance writer.
To preserve resources class notes are now online.
To read the complete Class Notes (through the Class
of 2011) please go to www.thecountryschool.org/
classnotes. Please send us your news!
Email [email protected].
Class of 1978
Chris de Chabert lives in Madison with his wife, Katie, and
their three children, twins Will and John (both new members
of the TCS 2nd Grade) and Jane, 3. We caught up with Chris
recently when he toured TCS with his family, and we are
delighted that the twins enrolled this fall. After TCS, Chris
and his family lived in Paris, where he attended the American
School of Paris. He then went to Kent School in Kent, CT,
graduating in 1982, and to Colorado College, graduating in
1986. For the past 15 years he has been a credit officer with
American International Group Inc. He has lived in Madison
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Thank you to the wonderful volunteers on our Alumni Board who have helped us organize alumni reunions,
celebrations, and communications. If you are interested in being actively involved with the Alumni Association, please
contact [email protected]. All are welcome!
Please check in regularly at www.thecountryschool.org/alumni
Remember When?
341 Opening Hill Road
Madison, Connecticut 06443
www.thecountryschool.org