W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 -1 1
The
$
G L O B A L I S S U E $ P R E PA R IN G SUMM S TUD IT E T H E 2 ST N T S FO R 1 CE NTUR Y
Table of Contents
2 From Rich Wilson, Interim Head of School
3 Newsmakers
THE SUMMIT
6 The Global Issue Neighbor Love 101 Keep the Faith Culture & Community Bonjour. Buenos Dias. Teaching about the Holocaust Middle School Models
Editor Carol Boyd Alumni Editor Susan Maxwell
28 Sports
Design & Art Director Nancy Van Epps
34 Annual Fund
Contributing Photographers Robert Flischel Laura Leppert Jolene Barton
40 Alumni People illustrations by Mrs. Moeggenberg’s afternoon class Featured on front cover clockwise from top left: Carlos Garciamendez, Fouad Khoury, Sophia Zeilstra, Kya Bradley, Nisha Shabbir; back cover: Simon Chow, Bruno Hernandez, Rosie Gieseke, Jade Hays, Ethan Traiforos, Amy Burte.
Proofreaders Lisa Eccles Emily Jolly
Nurturing Diversity To Think Globally There is comfort in sameness. We tend to live in neighborhoods where the people are like we are. Friendships grow more easily with those who think like we do. Some parents send their children to independent schools because they want an environment where the kids are similar to theirs. However, education works best with a diverse environment. Our main job is to teach children to think – to think analytically, creatively, practically, strategically, and most importantly, independently. History shows that most of the advances in civilizations come from those who don’t follow the crowd, who challenge prevailing ideas, who don’t accept the status quo. Some parents come to me and ask why Summit doesn’t move to a one-on-one laptop program as other schools have. Certainly, our graduates need to be tech savvy upon graduation, but we have plenty of computers on campus to accomplish that objective. One of the main reasons we haven’t gone to a one-on-one program is that constant access to the Internet can stifle independent thinking. Instead of reflecting on the book just read, it’s easier to go on-line and see what others thought about that book and adopt those views as one’s own. Thinking is hard work. That’s why many don’t do it! The leaders who Summit children are to become will be asked to solve problems for which there are no answers on the Internet. They are going to have to think through the problems on their own, come up with alternative solutions, weigh the pros and cons, and decide what to do. Our job is to prepare them with the skills and the experiences to do just that. In doing so, we have to challenge their thinking daily, and to do that we have to place them in environments and situations where there are a diversity of views. The conflict of ideas is a principal way of getting people to think. That’s why attracting and admitting a diverse population of students is critically important for Summit. Our record on this front is good. Students of color represent a reasonable proportion of our enrollment. The large number of international families brings great richness to our classrooms. All independent schools are challenged on the socio-economic front, but our population includes more diversity in this respect than some other independent school options in town. We also are blessed with a third of our students representing other faith traditions than Catholicism which causes faith deepening discussions that would never take place in a public or secular independent school. Introducing the World Language Program to the three- and four-year-olds is further evidence of our desire to heighten students’ appreciation of diversity. At first the children wonder why they should learn another language. After a couple of weeks they are thrilled by their own progress. They learn about the countries where these languages are spoken and make connections that otherwise wouldn’t be made. While all this diversity is good, there is another ingredient necessary for a positive outcome and that is an environment that welcomes diversity and nurtures inclusiveness. Without this ingredient, diverse viewpoints may be expressed but may not be embraced. The best school environments are those where the students and faculty feel safe and supported in expressing views that challenge the prevailing climate of opinion. We nurture and support a Diversity and Inclusion Team because we know it is important to constantly remind ourselves to be accepting of those who are different. We send faculty to professional development conferences to learn techniques of how to teach students who learn differently. The Multi-Cultural Event broadens our students’ horizons beyond 45208. The Mathile family generously funds a group of 16-20 students and adults to attend each year the People of Color Conference sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. These community leaders return to campus with a renewed understanding that diversity needs to be nourished for it to positively impact what goes on here. This issue of the Summit Magazine highlights diversity in action at The Summit in a variety of areas. While diversity makes our education work best, it’s also important to nurture and embrace those differences. That’s The Summit Way.
Rich Wilson Interim Head of School
2
Newsmakers National Merit Semi-Finalists Ten seniors have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program as semifinalists. The semifinalists are among the top one percent of all students who took the test and represent 10% of their high school graduating class. They are: Sarah Abbottsmith, Matthew Ahlgren, Paige Baldrick, Victoria Kranz, Morgan Lawrence, Christian Moser, Nicholas Pacitti, John and Nathaniel Patterson, and Nicholas Toebben. About 90 percent of the semifinalists nationwide become finalists and about half the finalists earn a scholarship.
From left: Nathaniel and John Patterson, Christian Moser, Matthew Ahlgren, Victoria Kranz, Nicholas Pacitti, Nicholas Toebben, Morgan Lawrence and Paige Baldrick Not shown: Sarah Abbottsmith
Art Show Winners Summit students won 12 of 35 awards given at the Hyde Park Square Art Show. The students won three first place awards and swept the high-school division. Senior Hannah Hart was the poster winner, providing the artwork used for the show. Winners were: Nathan Glisson, honorable mention for second grade; Matthew Pahl, first place for fourth grade; Natalia Sezer, second place for fifth grade; Connor McMurry, third place for 6th grade; Kevin Boyce, first place, and Brenna Biggs, second place for 7th and 8th grades; and Isabella Saldana, first place, Natalie Whitsett, second place, Samantha Meder, third place and Hannah Hart, Stephen Hutchins and Joe Olding, honorable mention in grades 9-12.
First row (L-R): Natalia Sezer, Nathan Glisson, Matthew Pahl and Brenna Biggs. Second row (L-R): Samantha Meder, Connor McMurry, Kevin Boyce, Hannah Hart, Natalie Whitsett, Stephen Hutchins and Joe Olding. Not pictured: Isabella Saldana.
Families in the Military Private First Class Samantha Winningham, 21, a member of the Ohio Army National Guard’s 174th Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Brigade in Woodlawn, talked with Middle School students on the eve of the Sept. 11 anniversary. She deployed Sept. 20 on a tour of duty in Iraq. Her job is to man a Counter Rocket Air Missile (CRAM) defense system, which detects and counters incoming attacks. Her visit helped raise student awareness and understanding of other cultures as well as the role of women in the military.
Private First Class Samantha Winningham stands with sister Ceci Donovan, a 7th grader. 3
Newsmakers Myles Casanas
Latin Club
MIT Speedcubing winner Myles Casanas, a junior, won first place in an international Speedcubing event at MIT. Speedcubing is an activity in which participants attempt to solve a Rubik’s Cube and related puzzles as quickly as possible. Competing against more than 200 participants from around the world, Myles won first place in the 7X7 event and 2nd place for the 6X6.
Latin Club awards Latin students won 12 firstplace awards in the National Junior Classical League convention this summer in Fargo, N.D. Three students – Tino Delamerced, Paul Slater, and Nathan Patterson, were on Ohio’s Certamen teams. JCL Parliamentarian Will Donovan, a Summit junior, led the Ohio caucus in discussing candidates for election. Latin Teacher Larry Dean was given the “‘Summa Cum Laude JCL Sponsor Award” during a teacher recognition dinner.
Anna Delamerced Chess Champ Anna Delamerced, a junior, was declared National CoChampion 16 Years and Under at the 2010 All-Girls Chess National Championship in April. Seeded 5th coming in, Anna upset higher-rated state chess players from Texas and Connecticut on the way to the first place tie, 2nd by tiebreak. She is the current Ohio Girls State Champion; she had similarly won state honors in 2007. Anna, along with her brothers Tino and Joseph, teach chess to innercity scholastic kids in the Leadership Scholars Program. She also mentors Lower and Middle School kids in The Summit’s chess club.
4
Simon Chow Carnegie Hall performance Simon Chow, a junior, played with the American High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. The Honors Series brings exceptional high school musicians and singers from across North America to experience one week together in New York. Simon’s interest in the trumpet started in 6th grade under the tutelage of The Summit’s band teacher, Sarah Nowlin. In the last two years he has played with the Blue Ash Youth Symphony.
Tino Delamerced Outstanding student award Tino Delamerced, a freshman, was awarded the Outstanding Student Award from the Hyde Park Council. Each year the Hyde Park Council recognizes an outstanding eighth grade student from each of the schools in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Tino embodied all of the qualities that this award seeks to acknowledge: academic superiority, character, leadership, community awareness and citizenship.
Ella Shockey & Anne Klette
Migs Hackett National public service video Migs Hackett, a junior, produced a 30-second public service announcement for a national campaign that put the Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) in the running for prize money from the American Express Members Project. Migs’ 2010 documentary on the founding of the world’s first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia attracted the attention of RMHC Global. Her video made the point that the Ronald McDonald House “helps keep families together when it matters the most.”
YMCA camp awards Fifth grader Ella Shockey and eighth grader Anne Klette were named Honor Campers this summer at YMCA Camp Ernst. Camp counselors vote on the award, which was created in 1928 to recognize outstanding character qualities of honesty, caring, respect and responsibility. Only two percent of nearly 3,000 Camp Ernst campers receive the award. “Anne and Ella are very influential young people who have impacted their peers through integrity and compassion in real, everyday terms,” said Camp Director Jon Perry. “We’re very proud of them.”
5
Tori Kranz Volunteer leadership Senior Tori Kranz was featured in the Community Land Cooperative of Cincinnati’s annual report for her leadership as Volunteer Committee Chairperson in a home restoration project at 535 York Street and community garden next door. Tori worked with volunteers from Church of the Redeemer, and other volunteer groups including ones from St. Xavier and Moeller high schools to direct weekend work. The coop held a ribbon-cutting Sept. 11 to mark completion of the project and Tori has since begun work on a new one.
ALEJANDRA ’17 SOUTH AMERICA
6
The
$
G L O B A L I S S U E $ P R E PA R IN G SUMM S TUD IT E T H E 2 S T N T S FO R 1 CE NTUR Y
NEIGHBOR LOV E 101 A Steve Penticuff
T E A C H E R ’ S
V I E W
Memories of hiking along the Cinque Terra coastline and through the Italian Alps last summer will surely help me survive the dreariness that sticks to another Midwest winter. Even more lasting and life-changing, however, will be my recollection of conversations with the diverse individuals who attended the conference that brought me to Italy in the first place. Last July, nearly 600 people from 73 countries descended on Trent, Italy, site of the famous 16th century council where Catholics planned their Counter Reformation. For several days I found myself in a surreal mix including Irish and Italian scholars, African and Indian nuns, Belgian and Brazilian priests, and diverse lay people and graduate students whose training and interests were mirrored in the title of the conference: Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church. I attended plenary sessions (complete with simultaneous translation in four languages) and chose among numerous discussion groups and 220 individually delivered academic papers. The explicit goals of this meeting were to exchange ideas, appreciate the challenge of pluralism, and interconnect within a world church not dominated solely by a northern paradigm. I learned that roughly two-thirds of Catholics reside outside North America and Europe, and Catholicism in other parts of the world often looks and feels very different than our own. This leads to the crux of the magic of this trip for me: talking with other conference participants suddenly made me think about the identity differences we like to cling to here at home— for example between east- and west-side Cincinnati, between particular zip codes in town or particular sides of the Ohio River, 7
between particular regions of the United States, and so on. Being provincial is obviously not what I would call evil, and local color is often delightful, but moral progress requires doing what it takes to achieve broad—not limited—human solidarity. To borrow the words of American philosopher Richard Rorty, the more we genuinely encounter “others”—people from radically different backgrounds and social contexts—the more the circle of “we” expands to include folks who were previously “they.” For Rorty, this process is our highest calling because it actually leads to doing something about others’ suffering.
WHY DO WE STUDY HISTORY AND HUMAN GEOGRAPHY? . . . WHY STRIVE FOR CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC COMPETENCY IN SPANISH, FRENCH, CHINESE, & LATIN?
Moral philosophers point out how the important conversations we need to have can happen either face-to-face or vicariously through encounters with characters in literature or figures in history. To share just one example from Trent, conversing with Indian nuns and African ethicists about the lack of food and water and the suffering they endure because of it affected me in a completely different way than reading about the effects of climate change from scientists. Similarly in literature, reading about Okonkwo’s pain as a result of British colonialism and Christian missionaries (Things Fall Apart) or about the trauma inherent in war through the eyes of Paul Bäumer (All Quiet on the Western Front) brings readers into a profound kinship in ways that Wikipedia and Sparknotes simply cannot. The message is simple: increasing our sensitivity to the particular details of the pain and humiliation of unfamiliar “others” makes it more difficult to marginalize people different from ourselves. In this context, the value of so many of the wonderful things we do here at The Summit comes into better focus. Why do we study history and human geography? Why learn about the Holocaust and human trafficking? Why great literature, art, and music? Why foreign exchange with Nancy, France? Why Shantytown and all of those service hours? Why strive for cultural and linguistic competency in Spanish, French, Chinese, and Latin? I think we immerse ourselves in these for many of the same reasons we welcome and strive for greater racial, geographic, socio-economic, and religious diversity among our student body. These academic and human contacts are all bridges for understanding ourselves and others better; for helping us enjoy and care for one another more fully; for learning about the vast range of human potential. Whatever else they accomplish, these bridges help create solidarity and provide fertile ground for moral excellence. In Trent, Professor Benezet Bujo from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, delivered what I believe was the best plenary talk of the conference. In it, he shared the worldview throughout much of his native Africa that community has three equally real and important dimensions: beyond extended family, his community is comprised of the living, the dead, and the not-yet born. Deeply relational in its theology and ethics, Bujo’s viewpoint is such a beautiful corrective to our fierce individualism in the west. In the Christian language of my own upbringing, the main takeaway from Italy boils down to the great commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. Perhaps the most valuable gift of a conference like Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church is the clarity offered on who counts—lest we even momentarily forget that “neighbor” extends well beyond 45208—and the reminder that solidarity with those who are suffering is a nice call to action for anyone in the mood for authentic discipleship.
V 8
JUDE ’11 AFRICA
9
KARMAH ’20 ASIA 10
The
$
G L O B A L I S S U E $ P R E PA R IN G SUMM S TUD IT E T H E 2 S T N T S FO R 1 CE NTUR Y
KEEPING THE FAITH SHARING COMMON VALUES Nancy Van Epps
Anyone who has ever attended summer camp is familiar with this morning routine: children are assigned individual tasks on a rotating basis so that as a group they take responsibility for and pride in the room. In Stephen Imwalle’s Advisement Group, you may be given the role of The Botanist one week, whose duties are watering the classroom plants. The next week you could be The Supervisor, The Custodian or The Zoologist. “I noticed something at the beginning and didn’t say anything. I figured that everyone was just settling in,” says fourth grade math teacher, Mr. Imwalle. “When it happened again the second week with another student, I knew that I needed to investigate.” Both weeks the students who were charged with turning off the lights and ensuring that everyone recycled paper were chatting. And it was not just random, idle chatting. It was deliberate, on-a-mission, engage-everyone-inthe-room discourse. Upon investigation, Mr. Imwalle discovered that his students had misinterpreted the position of The Conservationist. A linguistic miss like this one could only happen in a magical place like The Summit. Only in a place where caring for one another is paramount would fostering conversation be considered a viable classroom responsibility. Only in a place with a long, cherished tradition of community would students take pride in cultivating communication in the classroom. The concern for community begins in Montessori with peer teaching. Five-year-olds are entrusted to guide the new three11
MR. IMWALLE’S ADVISMENT GROUP
year-olds where to hang their backpacks and how to use the moveable letters properly. Following behavior modeled by their teachers, they are encouraged to nurture and develop relationships with the younger students.
If shared strength of values are the ties that bind, then the diversity of the current Summit community greatly enriches everyone. As a fifth grade student in Patti Kenney’s religion class, do you wonder how children from other religions pray? How do Islamic children celebrate Ramadan? You probably do not need to find your answer in a textbook or on the Internet. Chances are that a representative of that culture, a primary source, is sharing the classroom with you. “Nisha was always given an opportunity to talk about her religion,” says her mother.
Sister Lois Ann Meyer remembers teaching in the Montessori in the mid-60s. “Families were very strong. The school had an exclusivity and an inclusivity. The older children would watch out for their younger brothers and sisters, and the little siblings of their friends.” Smaller and more homogeneous, the sense of family at The Summit developed naturally. “So many things were not even questioned at that time,” says Sister Lois Ann, “by students, teachers or parents. We shared Mass, prayer and the Eucharist together.”
Likewise, Amy Burte ’14 invited the whole seventh grade class to her bat mitzvah at the Isaac M. Wise Temple. “I read from the Torah and the Rabbi led the service,” says Amy. ”I had a huge party for everyone afterward.”
A testament to the strength of The Summit’s commitment, this sense of family has continued even as the school has expanded and the world has contracted. Meghan Glass ’12 echoes the sentiment of much of the student body when she says, “I leave home to go to home.” How has the feeling of home been able to prosper over the years? If not religion or sense of family, what binds The Summit community together and why were the current fourth graders so mindful of it?
Every year, Rosie Alway’s eighth grade English class studies an intensive unit on the Holocaust (see article, page 21.) In Fouad Khoury ’13’s second month attending The Summit, he was asked to write papers and poems while reading Wiesel’s Night. He spoke to his mother that evening, and then approached Mrs. Alway after class the next day. “I have a story, too,” he said.
The answer becomes obvious when you ask new families who are neither legacy nor Catholic about their decision to choose The Summit for their children. “I wanted a private school that emphasized character-building,” says Sadia Shabbir, mother of seventh grader Nisha. “My child should feel at home. Coming from a school with a smaller number of children, I did not want her to feel overwhelmed.”
“Mrs. Alway sent home a personal letter to us. She made us feel so empowered,” says Mrs. Khoury. “Within two days she had gathered the entire eighth grade for a presentation by my husband to share our personal history.” The Khoury family is Greek Orthodox and from Palestine. This personal dialogue about religion and culture could not have occurred at a secular school – or a school without a vibrant sense of community. “My children feel very comfortable here. They are not afraid to express their background,” says Mrs. Khoury. “I was pleasantly surprised by the eagerness of Fouad’s fellow students to be educated about the rest of the world.”
Recent Summit graduate and Stanford freshman, Debha Amatya ’10, elaborates. “I was raised in a Nepalese household that followed the traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. My beliefs have always been rooted in these eastern traditions, but my parents emphasized the value of being open minded. When I began to look at Summit as my potential high school, I realized that it offered two very unique things that similar schools did not: The heart of The Summit, physically and symbolically, is the chapel. Integral to The Summit experience is the holistic development of its students through a character building program.” New families actively seeking an emphasis on character find The Summit. “Regardless of what religion you are,” says Lama Khoury, mother of a child in every division, “there is a universal language of values.”
Viewing a situation from many perspectives is a prized skill at The Summit. Over and over, teachers specializing in math, science, literature and art at every level consistently provide students opportunities to cultivate that ability because it is so important. How lucky are we to have Hindu students, children from Guatemala and Summit families from Egypt willing to share their stories with us! 12
WILLIAM ’23 EUROPE
“KNOWING ABOUT THE WORLD, ABOUT VARIED PEOPLES AND CULTURES, IS A CRUCIAL 21ST CENTURY SKILL. BUT PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN AND EXPLORE THESE – TO START TO BECOME ‘GLOBAL CITIZENS’ – IS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT AS A STEPPING STONE FOR FUTURE CAREER SUCCESS. IT IS ALSO A NECESSARY BUILDING BLOCK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOLERANCE FOR THOSE DIFFERENT FROM OURSELVES.” — DR. TRACY LAW, UPPER SCHOOL TEACHER, HUMAN GEOGRAPHY 13
CARLOS ’14 SOUTH AMERICA 14
The
$
G L O B A L I S S U E $ P R E PA R IN G SUMM S TUD IT E T H E 2 S T N T S FO R 1 CE NTUR Y
CULTURE & COMMUNIT Y I N Carol Boyd
T H E
C L A S S R O O M
Carlos Garciamendez is a freshman who arrived at The Summit just 61 days ago. He is handsome, easy-going and personable. Carlos is on a soccer team. His dream is to go to Princeton, to be an engineer like his dad and to work at P&G. This is his second time in Cincinnati and he has been to seven schools before coming here. The longest tenure was in Puerto Rico, where he spent 6th, 7th and 8th grade. “When people ask me where I’m from I say Mexico, but in my heart I will always carry a bit of Puerto Rico. The people there enjoy life more than any other place I have been,” he says. “The weather is great, beaches are everywhere, and the people want what they already have.” Carlos has 996 Facebook friends and 105 friend requests pending. When asked “How many do you actually talk to on a regular basis?” he estimates 700. A typical Facebook session might last up to two hours. It consists of looking at everybody’s new photos, checking what is going on in former schools, and chatting online. He will usually chat with about 20 different people in a day. It’s not the same as being with them personally,” he says, “but I like maintaining at least some connection. I don’t want to forget about them, and I don’t want them to forget about me.” With all those friends, Carlos is selective about who gets into his Facebook list. Of the 105 requests pending, he admitted only five this week. He says he never posts anything that would come back to bite him and he has an aunt who reads his entries anyway. “She would turn me in if I did something stupid.” 15
THE DOMVILLE FAMILY
16
“Will you move again and leave more friends behind?” I ask. He answers yes. His dad will, no doubt, get transferred to another place. He just doesn’t know when. “But I decided a long time ago that if I keep looking at the downside I’ll never be happy,” he says, “and I want to be happy.” The Summit has long been a magnet for multicultural students like Carlos and in so many ways our relationship with their families is a match made in heaven -- our ethos is attractive to them, their children thrive here, and the diversity they bring not only makes this a more interesting place, it is an important part of our ability to provide a 21st century skill set for everybody. Sometimes called expats, multicultural families or third culture kids, we have over 40 students at Summit this year who were born outside the U.S. and many more American citizens who have spent a significant portion of their lives outside the U.S. What they share in common is an ability to pick and choose elements of different cultures, combining them into something unique. Research says these people are more adaptable than most, have a broader world view than the average American, and most often come from highly successful, close, intact families. In our Lower School, bilingual students are commonplace and every teacher can share examples of kids who came to us speaking no English at all. Most third-culture kids at The Summit are the children of physicians or executives at companies headquartered in Cincinnati. Some will stay permanently, but many will come back and forth over the years as their parents move through the company ranks. These parents are attracted to strong academics and also looking for a school where their children will find acceptance and stability. “At a very basic level there is something inherently attractive about a school where being nice is built into the curriculum,” says Summit mom Suzanne Tossolini, who grew up in Ireland, got married to a man from Italy and had two children who were born in America but spent most of their young lives in Poland. Not only can international parents sleep well knowing their children will be welcomed by new Summit classmates, most take comfort in the structure and discipline provided by a Catholic school. Christie Garciamendez guided Carlos and his sister in their journey through nine schools combined, and the college admission process. She says: “There is more to life than just learning math. My son is happy with the Caribbean love of life he picked up in Puerto Rico, but I also want to
make sure he is well organized, practical and punctual. Summit has the whole package.” For his part, Carlos is happy too, but not because he felt bad about missing out on discipline in his last school. He loves to play sports. In this case, Carlos can play well. But even if he couldn’t, our no-cut athletic policy ensures that making friends quickly and feeling connected is pretty much a given. Another reason kids thrive in our culture is because our focus on the individual child is a calling of the highest order. First grade teacher Ceil Johnson is a good example of someone who takes that commitment to heart. Pietro Favagrossa arrived in her class two years ago speaking only Italian. Along with a Berlitz instructor who came twice a week, Mrs. Johnson enlisted a second grader, an eighth grader and a parent to translate. Then she went home every night and looked up Italian words and phrases on Google. Every day, as Pietro learned the English phrase, the class would learn to say it in Italian. They started with small things like “Good Morning,” “Happy Birthday” and the like. Soon he learned enough English to take a small part in their class play, The Little Red Hen, and this was reason for the whole class to celebrate. Within three months he was speaking English fluently and by the end of the first year he was well above his grade level in reading. Now in the third grade, Pietro tells me he is proud that he can read in both English and Italian. Sara Domville volunteers that the sense of community was extended to her whole family. She came from London in January of 2006 with her husband and three children when she was named President of F&W Publishing. Last April she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. “People were incredibly kind,” she says. “The Summit Caring Committee brought food three times a week. Teachers did lesson plans around what happens when a parent is seriously ill to help my children and their classmates talk about things. When the only family you have is 4,000 miles away, the impact of that is enormous.” In fact, her friends were so moved when they heard about the Caring Committee that they started a similar group in the UK. On the flip side, expat families add an indispensible element of diversity to the classroom. Simply put, too much similar thinking will likely result in new and exciting ideas being overlooked or just not thought of in the first place -- hardly the backdrop for producing tomorrow’s leaders. The days of insularity are gone. Being true to our 17
NOT ONLY CAN INTERNATIONAL PARENTS SLEEP WELL KNOWING THEIR CHILDREN WILL BE WELCOMED BY NEW SUMMIT CLASSMATES, MOST TAKE COMFORT IN THE STRUCTURE AND DISCIPLINE PROVIDED BY A CATHOLIC SCHOOL.
CEIL JOHNSON & PIETRO FAVAGROSSA
SIMPLY PUT, TOO MUCH SIMILAR THINKING WILL LIKELY RESULT IN NEW AND EXCITING IDEAS BEING OVERLOOKED OR JUST NOT THOUGHT OF IN THE FIRST PLACE.
mission demands that Summit produce graduates who are comfortable working across lines of race, religion, and background. International trade agreements, the growth of technology, and the communications revolution guarantee the world our children inherit will be one where complexity and change are pervasive, rapid, and global. In the midst of all this change comes the question of “roots.” The literature is full of warnings that expat children could end up as global nomads, forever seeking a place to call home. In talking with Summit people this is hard to imagine. The extended family is described by everyone as very important, and people bend over backwards to be with them for vacations and holidays, much like American families of the 50s and 60s. It just takes them longer to get home. At the same time they are keenly aware of the unique opportunities that come with a global passport. “The world is flat for me and I hope I can pass that on to my children,” says Christina Robinson- Echevarria, whose most recent home was in Switzerland. “How important are roots and how literal should they be? I think children need a strong sense of family and a strong sense of self. They need to know who they are within themselves. It is something we all struggle with at some point. In our case the question is thrust upon our children at a slightly younger age. In the end, I want to give my children roots and wings. I just want to be sure their roots can be packed in a suitcase to go with them wherever they are.”
V
18
The
$
G L O B A L I S S U E $ P R E PA R IN G SUMM S TUD IT E T H E 2 S T N T S FO R 1 CE NTUR Y
BONJOUR. BUENOS DIAS. PRESCHOOLERS GREET NEW WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAM WITH ENTHUSIASM
Nancy Berlier
The 3- and 4-year-olds who came to the rooms of Amy McDonald and Emily McQuiston on the first day of school this year were a bit perplexed to hear a lesson spoken almost entirely in another language. They didn’t understand the French and Spanish words they were hearing, but it didn’t take long for them to figure out the teachers were asking them to say their names, repeat the Spanish word for cold or say “hello” in French. “Some just stared confusedly and took it all in,” recalls Ms. McDonald, Lower School French teacher.” Others tried to ‘crack the code’ and figure out what I was saying and announce it to the class. One child asked me every class period for the first few weeks ‘when are you going to speak normally?’ ” In short order, however, Mrs. McQuiston, Lower School Spanish teacher, had prompted her students to sing a “Buenos Dias” song, and children were greeting Ms. McDonald with “Bonjour” in the hallway. “I think that we’re all astonished at seeing the rapid growth in language development in the three- and four-year-olds,” says Montessori Director Phyllis Schueler. “Sure, we all believed in the Montessori method. We believed in the brain research. But now we’re actually seeing it happen in foreign language. The children are learning very quickly.” Pictured above L to R: Freya Kindel, Darnell Baldwin and Jack Reuter with new Spanish teacher, Emily McQuiston
19
Layla Willingham’s 3-year-old daughter, Kali, enrolled in one of Mrs. McQuiston’s Spanish classes after other students had already had two sessions. After only two days of instruction, she was able to count to 10, participate in “introduction” conversations and was singing songs in Spanish.
Repetition is key in language learning because the brain is constantly looking for patterns. The teachers also use Montessori teaching methods and other techniques they have learned to keep the youngsters active, so they have fun and don’t get restless while they keep learning. Ms. McQuiston uses a technique called “Total Physical Response Storytelling” in which students become active. “Using physical movement – motion – to teach vocabulary extends what they already know,” says Ms. McQuiston. In a unit based on the children’s book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?,” Ms. McQuiston arranges cards with pictures of animals on the floor in front of her. Children take turns pulling a small stuffed animal out of a container. She asks the children what the animal is. When the children say rana (the Spanish word for frog), the child places the frog on the card. She asks what color the frog is. When the children answer verde (the Spanish word for green), she repeats what they have said and she points to a chart on the wall where the word verde is written.
“It seems as though the program is working for my daughter,” says Mrs. Willingham. “I think she’ll be able to speak fluently if she stays with the program and I think it will stick with her. I think she will be able to communicate in that language with anyone who speaks it.” While language instruction in The Summit’s World Language Program is not technically “immersion,” students and teachers are already speaking the foreign language 95% of the time in the pre-school classes. “The teachers are using an eclectic approach to teaching World Language,” says Lower School Director Terry Malone. “They are using a variety of methods at each grade level to maximize their World Language experiences.” Through gestures, play-acting and the use of puppets, story-telling materials, recordings and repetition, Ms. McDonald and Ms. McQuiston get the preschoolers to understand the words they are using.
“We’re using words they already know to tell a story so they understand the context and can figure out what the new words they hear mean when they are introduced,” says Ms. McQuiston.
Research shows second language learners naturally use gestures to master new words. Gesturing aids comprehension and retention, helps represent the meaning of grammatical forms, complements vocal work and helps teach appropriate behavior in self-presentation of the language. Daily use of visual and audio materials, gestures and repetition engages the students and makes the material meaningful to them.
BRAIN MAPPING New research in medical imaging shows how environmental factors influence development of the brain in young children. The early years are a critical period for mapping the part of
Pictured above L to R: Rimel Kamran; new French teacher, Amy McDonald; Jack Robinson; Samuel Patino 20
the brain that affects language, according to Dr. JoAnn Deak, a Cleveland psychologist who spoke at The Summit’s Early Childhood Symposium in October.
tests. In the upper grades, students can also study Latin, Mandarin Chinese, French or Spanish, in addition to the core language they have chosen.
“Children who are exposed to a second language at an early age will achieve a more native grasp of both the pronunciation and the grammar of the second language,” says Mrs. Schueler. Language and speech patterns aren’t fixed yet. Their brains can compartmentalize each language without them getting confused.
Based on the results of the Spanish proficiency test that we administer to incoming 9th grade students planning to study Spanish in the Upper School, we already see a larger number of students who place into the Honors II level,” says Robert Baechtold, Curriculum Coordinator for foreign language in the Upper School. “As the length of continuous study in one of the languages offered expands, we will see even more placement into higher level courses.”
Research also indicates that young children who are exposed to more than one language simultaneously develop greater neural activity and denser brain tissue in the areas of the brain related to memory, attention, and language than children who learn only one language.
The Summit has made world languages a priority. In a competitive, multi-lingual global community, Summit graduates will have an advantage if they can walk out the door proficient in another language. A quality world language program is a long-term commitment. Starting early is the key.
BEYOND PRESCHOOL As far as we know, The Summit is the only school in the region using a 13-year approach to World Language in which language is introduced so early. The study of a single language begins in kindergarten and can continue through 12th grade. The Summit’s program offers some unique advantages.
“I’m excited to see what is in store for the future of our 3and 4-year-old students just setting out on their language learning journeys,” says Ms. McDonald. “I can only imagine all of the doors that will be opened and the opportunities presented in their futures as a result. They will learn much more than simply learning to speak, read, and write another language. Learning a language will help provide them with cultural competency and global awareness, helping them to become better citizens and leaders for our future.”
• The 3- and 4-year-olds spend one semester learning each language, switching halfway through the year. Introducing them to both languages helps parents determine which language they will begin studying in kindergarten. • The Lower School curriculum follows state standards for each grade level. • Summit teachers have materials-rich classrooms. Internetconnected Promethean smart boards let students interact with technology. • Native-speaking Spanish teachers Martha Twombly and Yngrid Thurston advance the students’ knowledge of other countries. And Mrs. Thurston uses American Sign Language as gestures, adding another dimension to their cultural awareness. • Because the Summit’s is a multi-cultural community, children have opportunities to hear the languages they are learning as it is spoken by other children and parents.
V 5 TIPS FOR PARENTS Here are five tips on how parents can help young children learn a foreign language: 1. Play tapes, CDs and videos in the foreign language during the early years when mapping of the brain’s language center takes place. 2. Participate in learning the language to show children you think it important and make it a fun and active activity.
“I have one preschool student from Spain who speaks fluently,” says Ms. McQuiston. “This has truly enriched the learning experience for this particular class because the other students have had more than one person to model the language, and they see it used to communicate in real, meaningful contexts.”
3. Take an interest when children show off their new skills and applaud their efforts. 4. Reinforce the written language by using labels of foreign languages around the house. Place labels on the objects and point to them when saying the word. (Letting children help make and place the labels makes the exercise more fun for them.)
By necessity, the curriculum is a work in progress. This is the first year that World Language has been offered to 3- and 4-year-olds. As more advanced learners progress through the grades, teachers will need to bump up the program at each grade level.
5. Expose children to people of varied cultures and backgrounds who are speaking the language. Look for radio stations and cable programs where the language can be heard.
“Our hopes would be that the program will continue to develop in the coming years to offer Summit students the best language learning opportunities available,” says Mr. Malone. “Advancing the proficiency of students in the middle years could create potential for new courses at the high school level.” Now, sixth grade students are introduced to Latin, a program that already has brought national recognition to the school because of student performance at competitions and skills 21
TEACHING ABOUT THE
HOLOCAUST W H Y Rosie Sansalone Alway
The
$
G L O B A L I S S U E $ P R E PA R IN G SUMM S TUD IT E T H E 2 S T N T S FO R 1 CE NTUR Y
I T
M A T T E R S
As I write this article, I am in the midst of teaching my students about The Holocaust, the ultimate example of man’s inhumanity against man. How does a teacher go about teaching 14 year old students, who have led relatively safe lives, about this atrocity? Should the students learn about it? Are they too young? Can they grasp the historical events which created the groundwork that smoothed the way for this genocide to occur? Will they understand that each of the nine million human beings murdered had a name, a family, and a story? In searching for the answers to these questions, I embarked on a journey that has now entered its sixth year. This journey involved a search for understanding, a search for answers, and a search for knowledge‌ not only for me, but for my students. I have a dream job; I teach what I love: literature. When I first began teaching eighth grade English at The Summit Country Day School, I was presented with the challenge of teaching a powerful piece of writing: the memoir, Night, by Elie Wiesel. The eighth grade students read this book in order to prepare them for their visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum during the annual eighth grade trip to Washington D.C. My first efforts to teach this book and the subject of the Holocaust were a complete failure. My students had so many questions that I could not answer. I knew I had some work to do to find those answers. Thus began my journey. As with any difficult journey, I needed assistance, and for this I turned to The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education in 22
Cincinnati. I thought I was signing up for a week long class which would give me the facts I desired in order to answer my questions and my students’ questions; however, as I sat in the Holocaust Studies for Educators Course - it became a Pandora’s Box - creating further questions, further inquiries, further confusion. In preparing my thoughts for this article, I pulled out my notes from that class. The first entry in my notebook was “Focus on life: each victim had a name and a family.” With those words I learned my most important lesson in the first few moments of my journey; I was not dealing in facts, I was dealing with people. This concept was later summed up for me perfectly when I read additional writings by Elie Wiesel and came across his words, “Every name has a story, and all these stories become history.” During the center’s week long course, I heard survivors, rescuers, and bystanders tell their stories. I heard the story of Conrad Weiner whose mother risked her life to gather cherries to make tea for her child who was ill. I heard the eyewitness testimony of Sonja Stratman, a member of Hitler Youth in Nuremberg, who went through her teenage years – to use her words – “blissfully unaware” and worked after the war for the War Crimes Tribunal. I heard Scott Miller, the curator of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, tell the story of America as a bystander through the story of the transatlantic liner, the St. Louis, which carried 937 Jewish refugees who were refused entry into the United States. Finally, I heard the story of Werner Coppel, Holocaust survivor, who taught me how the “world was silent.” Hearing, seeing, witnessing these amazing people tell their stories, the history suddenly became clear. I understood that – every name has a story, and all these stories become history. The following school year I felt that my teaching was much more thorough, yet I continued to search for ways to make this event real for my students. Again the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education helped me accomplish this goal by sponsoring events in which my students could participate. Perhaps one of the most memorable of these events was the Kristallnacht Memorial Concert at Plum Street Temple a few years ago. Several of my students and I attended the concert that chilly evening in November. It had a powerful effect on each of us. I would like to share the thoughts of Mandy Keelor, current sophomore, who attended this concert: I have heard the past speak from someone’s hands. Last November, at the Kristallnacht commemorative concert at the Plum Street Temple downtown, I was moved to tears by the past: a diary written with the fingers of a holocaust survivor that was read while her daughter played the emotions of her mother through the strings of her violin. She might well have strung me out to dry and used the wailing and gasping and panging of the chords in my heart as her instrument. But I doubt it can be challenged that we were all instruments that glorious night – packed and squished together, ears reverberating with voices of those who had died, hands either clasped together or gripping each other; instruments of peace, and love, and the past. The past was reawakened for me then, through the hands of a mother and daughter, and I have never forgotten the feeling of wonder and phenomenon that overcame me as I stepped out of the doors of that holy place and sucked in the frigid air.
A few weeks after the concert, the Center contacted me about having Sylvia Samis come to The Summit to play the violin salvaged from the camps and to share her story. After having experienced first-hand the power of her beautiful music and her mother’s story, I eagerly wished to bring her to our school. As a result, I had the privilege of hearing a second time the “daughter [play] the emotions of her mother through the strings of her violin”; however, this time the notes rang and reverberated within the beauty of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel at The Summit reaching the ears and hearts of every middle school student who sat in that sacred space that day. Two years ago, our Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education in Cincinnati was named a Center for Excellence by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, an organization committed to teaching the history OVER THE YEARS I HAVE of the Holocaust and to preserving the legacy of Righteous Gentiles, LEARNED TO REALIZE non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. THE IMPORTANCE OF This recognition allows the Center to send one teacher each summer UNDERSTANDING THE to Columbia University in New York City to participate as a Lerner BACKGROUNDS OF Fellow in the Summer Institute for Teachers. MY STUDENTS . . . The Center has chosen teachers from The Summit for this honor the past two summers. I participated in 2009, and Upper School teacher Jeff Stayton, participated last summer. As a Lerner Fellow, I was also eligible to participate in a two week Educators Study Tour of Germany and Poland. Did I really need to travel to Germany and Poland to teach this topic effectively? Did I really need to leave my family for two weeks in search of answers to the never ending spring of questions erupting from that Pandora’s Box? These thoughts lingered in the back of my mind as I began another hectic school year. I finally decided that my journey would not be complete without this trip, yet during a time of economic downturn, the cost of the trip seemed prohibitive. The Jewish Foundation for Righteous in New York City and the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education in Cincinnati agreed to sponsor my participation. I am forever grateful to these two organizations for this opportunity. In Germany and Poland this past summer my life was changed. I not only heard more stories, I saw where these events took place. In Germany we visited Munich, Berlin, and Weimar. In Munich I came to understand how the climate in Germany in the 1920s paved the way for the rise of Nazism. In Berlin I met a rescuer who hid a Jewish friend in her family’s apartment for two years. In Weimar the question was raised as to how this atrocity could take place in the land of Schiller and Goethe. In Poland, we visited Warsaw, Krakow, and many small villages. I met a rescuer in 23
MR. WERNER COPPEL, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR . . . TOLD MY STUDENTS AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS TALK TO “STAND UP AGAINST HATE AND PREJUDICE.”
Warsaw who created false papers for Jewish families so they could escape the ghetto. In Krakow I toured the factory of Oskar Schindler who saved over a 1000 Jews on his infamous list by providing them with a safe haven in his factories. As I walked through the streets and forests outside a Shtetl in Poland, I heard the voices of the victims clearly in my ears. I toured Dachau, Buchenwald, Plaszow, Treblinka, Majdanek, and finally Auschwitz-Birkenau, the deadliest of all of the camps. As I spent two days traversing Birkenau, I walked and walked and walked – the vastness – the silence - the void – were completely overwhelming. As I followed the footsteps of the Hungarian Jews, suddenly - Elie Wiesel’s memoir became more than a story, it became real. Seeing the steps leading down into the gas chambers shook my world to pieces.
24
In my classroom these past few weeks I have been able to teach my students successfully, because of my focus on life and the stories. Before my students began reading Night, I asked them to record questions they had about the Holocaust, so that I had an idea of their knowledge base. This year four of my nearly 80 students, wrote, “What is the Holocaust?” I was completely taken aback, and I knew that I had my work cut out for me. I presented the time and place setting of the memoir by giving the history which I had learned over the years of my journey of discovery. I shared photographs taken from my trip this summer with my students. I was able to take them on a photographic journey which corresponded to that of Mr. Wiesel. A brutal journey which he describes in his book: his arrival in Birkenau, selection, walking towards an unknown fate, the split from his mother and sister, and where “he became A-7713, and after that [he] had no other name.”
After completing the reading of Mr. Wiesel’s memoir, I enhance the experience further for my students by bringing Mr. Werner Coppel, Holocaust survivor, to The Summit to share his story, as he has done every October, since I first heard him speak five years ago. He told my students at the conclusion of his talk to “stand up against hate and prejudice.” The very next day, I boarded an airplane with my students and we traveled to Washington D.C. to visit the sites of our nation’s capital including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. My students were prepared to walk through those doors. They heard more stories; they viewed the photographs; they took in the artifacts; they tried to understand; they felt empowered to change the world; and they clearly saw why it is important to “stand up against hate and prejudice.” Over the years I have learned to realize the importance of understanding the backgrounds of my students, so as to anticipate difficulties students may have in learning about this topic. I have learned so much from this unique group of students: a German student who was worried her classmates would point fingers; a Jewish student who held a great pride for her people; a student whose grandmother had been a member of Hitler youth; a Palestinian student whose family had become the victims of the victims. From these students I have learned that the effects of this horrific event unfortunately endure. I continue to read and study so as to bring relevant information to my students. I continue to be amazed at how the search for the answer to each question, leads to further questions. My questions have led me to begin reading and studying about the continued effects of the Holocaust, in particular the situation in the Middle East. I have most recently studied about the nonviolent peace initiatives begun by a group of Israelis and Palestinians. This year our theme at The Summit is community. I have truly come to understand the impact of The Summit community in my search for knowledge. In this search I have sought out colleagues, students, and parents. Upper School history teacher Jerry Hilton, who spent two weeks touring Palestine this past summer, has been a fantastic source for me in my search for answers. Just the other day we poured over maps of Israel and Palestine as he explained the history to me from biblical times to the present. Lama Khoury, Summit mom, has answered email after email as I inquired about the story of the Palestinians. I recently emailed her with a “discovery” that I had made. As an English teacher, I am amazed by the power of words. I had known that the Jewish community refers to the Holocaust as “The Shoah” which means “catastrophe” in Hebrew. I recently learned that the Palestinians refer to The Israeli War of Independence as the “Nakbeh” which means “catastrophe” in Arabic. Her response to me helped me realize why, yes, it is important to teach this topic: I believe that learning about the Holocaust is essential to every individual’s understanding of human tragedy and the forces that drive those to commit such horrific atrocities. Equally so though, and as a result of our true understanding of such tragedies, we must be willing and able to open our hearts to the suffering of all others, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity. By doing so, we empower ourselves to further understand and accept the histories and the stories
of all victims involved to be just as significant, painful, tragic, and important as one another. Only then will we be able to claim the right that we, as a people, are truly tolerant, compassionate and accepting towards all of mankind. If our faculty, students, parents can strive to work, learn, and share together to build a strong Summit community; if they can understand that each member of the community has a responsibility to contribute to the betterment of this family; and, most importantly, if each member understands the importance of looking out for each other, then we shall truly have the tools to build a solid future for those who follow in our footsteps. As members of the Summit community move on and intersperse with and become members of other wider communities, these empowered individuals will make the world a better place; a place where inhumanity is nonexistent. By learning about events such as The Holocaust, and studying how the victims have struggled to heal themselves, perhaps our students, our future, empowered with the knowledge of the past, will be able to peacefully heal our world today and improve the world they inherit. Despite my years of study to “perfect” my teaching of this topic, despite my travels to the places where these horrors transpired, despite my efforts to understand the current conflicts which resulted from this event, there is still one question that my students will always ask that I shall never be able to answer. One of my eighth graders asked it again just last week: “Why did the Holocaust happen?” My response to her was that I have been searching for an answer to that question for six years. I told her that I now understand the how, yet I am not sure if I shall ever understand the why…
V
25
The
$
G L O B A L I S S U E $ P R E PA R IN G SUMM S TUD IT E T H E 2 S T N T S FO R 1 CE NTUR Y
MIDDLE SCHOOL
MODELS CLEAN-WATER PROJECT FOR OTHER SCHOOLS Traci Van Dorselaer
Every day more than 4,000 children in developing countries die, simply because they don’t have clean drinking water. This fact is unacceptable to the students in Summit’s Middle School. So, they did something about it. They set a goal to raise enough money for 500,000 liters of safe drinking water, enough to supply five villages for an entire year. They named their project the “Hands Across the Water Walkathon” which would benefit P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program (CSDW). The project was the dream of eighth grader Michael Van Dorselaer, president of the newly formed Middle School Service Club. Michael had learned about the work of CSDW in Nigeria and recognized that providing clean, safe water was something Middle School students could easily do. “It amazed me that something so small and inexpensive like the PUR water filtration packet could literally save lives. Children just like us are dying because they lacked something so basic as clean drinking water, something our students could not even imagine being an issue here at home.” 26
Early in January, Michael met with Skip Lynam, Middle School Division Director and asked permission to pursue this student-led service learning project. Mr. Lynam was immediately supportive and asked Debbie Toth, Middle School Physical Education teacher, to lead the effort on behalf of the faculty. For the next several months, Michael and Ms. Toth worked with students, faculty and parent volunteers to develop the three components of the project: teaching, serving and reflecting. Ms. Toth’s enthusiasm was contagious! The entire Summit community embraced the project. Teachers developed inspiring curriculum to teach about the global water crisis. Students spread the word about the need for clean water in the developing world. The entire Summit family rallied around the audacious goal of raising enough money for 500,000 liters of clean, safe drinking water. As is The Summit way, the project was kicked off in our chapel. After praying and studying about the global water crisis, the students were motivated to take to the field and walk! But they did more than walk for a cause. They actually made an effort to experience the plight of those they were trying to help. Currently in developing countries, children as young as 4-years-old are responsible for finding and bringing back water for their families. These children walk on average six kilometers each trip, carrying heavy containers of unclean water. Contaminated water like this kills more children that HIV/AIDs, malaria and TB combined. On April 23rd, in spite of the rain, students, faculty and numerous parent volunteers gathered together on Williams Field. Students were organized into Advisement teams and given a five-gallon water container and the challenge to complete a 6K walk. Teams initially began walking relaystyle, but soon the entire team began walking together in solidarity with the children for whom they hoped to save. Inspirational music was played on loud speakers and Skip Lynam motivated the students by making announcements regarding the global water crisis. When the walk was over, our students ended up walking well over 6K but they didn’t reach their goal. They smashed it! The Summit community had graciously supported our students with generous donations, enough to supply over 1.1 million liters of clean safe drinking water! Aim High! That’s enough to supply 10 villages for an entire year. Word of Summit’s Hands Across the Water project has spread. P&G has taken our model and developed a tool kit for other schools across the nation to host their own Hands Across the Water events. Highlands High School in Northern Kentucky and P&G’s Pantene have both held Hands Across the Water events this fall. As for The Summit, we plan to take to the field again on April 15, 2011. Our students in the Lower School and Upper School will also be joining us. All members of The Summit community are welcome to get involved by participating on the planning committee, volunteering the day of the event, supporting the students through financial contributions and offering prayers for our success. To learn more, please contact the Middle School or Traci Van Dorselaer at t.v@zoomtown.com.
27
2010 F
A
L
L
S
P
O
R
T
S
The Summit has experienced one of its most successful athletic seasons ever. At press time, the Golf
Team and Boys’ Cross Country had already risen to State Championship Tournament level, the Football team was heading into playoffs and Boys’ Soccer had won district and was headed to the Regional Tournament as one of the Sweet Sixteen.
28
UPDATE: COLIN COTTON WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, DIVISION 3
29
BOYS’ GOLF TEAM FINISHES IN STATE TOP 10
Summit senior Jack Gustafson was the Boys’ Golf District Tournament Medalist posting a score of 77 and was named MVC Golfer of the Year. The Golf Team placed ninth in the state tournament, third in the Miami Valley Conference and won the District Championship. Coach Tim Jedding, a Summit history teacher, took the team to the NorthStar Golf Resort in Sunbury, OH, for the State Tournament to assure their place on Ohio’s Top 10 list.
CROSS COUNTRY SETS TEAM, INDIVIDUAL, COACHING MILESTONES
Both the Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country Teams won Miami Valley Conference (MVC) Championship titles. The boys’ team captured its first District Championship in school history, won the regional championship and advanced to the State Championship level. The girls achieved back-to-back title MVC titles, won district and finished fifth in the regionals. Colin Cotton was MVC “Individual Champion” and “Runner of the Year” for the fourth year in a row and went on to be the district and regional champion. He set a Division III record of 15:59 and course record at regionals to help send the team to state for the first time. The rebuilding efforts of Coach Kurtis Smith, Upper School Religion teacher, didn’t go unnoticed. The MVC named him Coach of the Year. Smith took over the team five seasons ago. This year, the teams boast 22 boys and 12 girls – compared to 6 and 7, respectively, in 2007.
FOOTBALL TEAM’S RECORD BEST IN 10 YEARS
Summit’s new football Coach Dan Starkey has led his team to their best record in 10 years. Large, enthusiastic crowds have cheered on the team through a season of beautiful Friday evenings. Familiar with the team because of his years in the assistant’s position, Coach Starkey took over just before the season began, maintained a business-as-usual attitude and focused on the players. The team finished the regular season with a record of 7-3, earning its first spot in the playoffs since 2000.
BOYS’ SOCCER RISES TO NO. 1 IN STATE POLLS
The Summit Boys’ Soccer team finished the regular season with a record of: 11-1-4, having played some of the top teams in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, won district and went on to the Sweet 16 in regional playoffs. Along the way, the team rose to No. 1 in weekly state polls for the first time since 2005. Coach Barnard Baker, Associate Director of Admissions, led the team in some exciting games.
GIRLS’ SOCCER MVC CHAMPIONS — AGAIN
The Summit Girls’ Soccer team won the MVC Championship for the second year in a row, entering the Sectional Tournament seeded third. Coach Mike Fee, a Summit Guidance Counselor, was named MVC and Southwest Ohio Private School Coach of the Year. The team finished their 2010 season with a record of 13-4-2.
FIELD HOCKEY SHUT OUT HIGHLIGHT OF SEASON
Rising from assistant to Head Coach, Maribeth Grattan led the Field Hockey team to its first shutout game in recent history this year. The 24-member team played against much larger schools in the Southwestern Ohio Field Hockey League. They ended the regular season 2-7, having scored 11 goals, allowed only one shutout against them and added up more defensive saves, goals and wins than in the past. The team’s shutout against Talawanda was a season highlight.
THREE GIRLS’ TENNIS PLAYERS ADVANCE TO DISTRICT
Three members of the Girls’ Tennis Team qualified for District Tournament, placing third in the MVC. Emma McGoff qualified in Singles and Tori Mahon and Elly Seltman qualified in the Doubles Tournament. After a very hard fought tournament, they were only one match away from qualifying for State. With only one senior on the Varsity team, this was a rebuilding year for Coach Steve Levine. Photos for this story are courtesy of Jolene Barton
30
Clockwise from left: Sophie Adams, freshman; Back L to R: Olivia Klosterman, Katie Thurner, Chrissy Thurner, Megan Funk, Katrina Hounchell, Hannah Eyer, Courtney Collins, Emily Hogya, Front: Kylie Von Handorf, Morgan Hughes, Toria Aronoff, Lauren Bacho; Brad Fisk, Devante Hunter; Football team dunks Coach Dan Starkey
Volleyball Team raises funds
The Volleyball Team was third in the MVC and made it to the sectional finals at district. As a community service project, the team raised more than $1,650 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. Led by first-year coach Shannon Roeper, the team finished their regular season with a record of 12-9. The team sponsored the third annual “Volley for the Cure” evening, selling “Volley for the Cure” shirts, and hosting a bake sale to raise funds for their charity.
Cheerleading squad revives tradition
In her second year to direct Varsity Cheerleading, Deena Carey, Summit Science teacher, boosted her squad to be 16 members strong in the fall season and is looking forward to adding more new faces for the winter season. The team is reviving school spirit and bringing the cheerleading tradition back after being disbanded for a year. 31
MAKING THE COLLEGE TEAM
©2010 Laura Leppert
In the United States, the odds are about one in 50 that a high school athlete will get a scholarship to play college sports. Summit athletes do much better. Last year the odds for a Summit athlete were about one in 10. Here’s how we do it:
up with the demanding academic work. Summit star Khiry Hankins ’09, now playing basketball at Holy Family University, says players who make the team there have supervised study halls, their grades are carefully monitored and they must show up 10 minutes early for every class, every day. If anyone slips up, the whole team has to do extra running. The rules were put in place because some of the star players became academically ineligible and hurt the team. He says Summit taught him how to juggle the academic and athletic work, allowing him to pursue a dream he had since he was a little kid.
Strong academics
“Whether you are an athlete or not, the best thing any school can give you is a great education and a rock solid work ethic,” says Upper School Principal Dr. Patricia White, “And playing a college sports requires both.” Making the team is like taking on a full time job in addition to being a full time student. You play because you have a God-given ability, a passion for the sport and the determination to keep working on your skills until you become the best of the best. However, even with that, a student better know how to study, think, write, multitask, prioritize and keep your head on straight.”
Every school monitors the academic performance of their sports organizations and sometimes Summit players have an edge because they are so smart, coaches know they will bring up the grade point average of the whole team. Academic All Americans almost fly out the door here at The Summit.
Personal attention
All college coaches are reluctant to give scholarship money to players who may be ineligible because they cannot keep
Students say the second most important thing we give a would-be college athlete is personal attention and time.
Nate Gustafson ‘10 (left) sits with his brother Jack ‘11 (right.) Nate plays lacrosse at West Point Academy. Jack is a rising baseball and golf star who hopes to get an athletic scholarship too. 32
©2010 Jeff Reinking
All the deep one-to-one connections you find in the classroom are the same ones you find on the playing field. Coaches do not just know your athletic ability, they know your entire history and they want what is best for you. All of them are committed to making the right “fit” and they know there is more to it than just getting a spot on the best college team. The whole package has to work for each student. Shamar Hester ‘09 plays football for The University of Charleston. He says the academic demands at Summit were tough when he first transferred from a bigger school, but teachers and coaches bent over backwards to get him where he needed to be. “There’s just no doubt that I wouldn’t be at Charleston today without their help,” he says.
An organized college search process
The college placement process at The Summit is a well-oiled machine, and the Athletic Department works hand-in-glove with College Counseling. The process starts early, and would-be college athletes are given a detailed checklist of things to do that will help build the credentials needed and test for the allimportant “fit.” Once it is determined that a student is “recruitable,” The Summit goes into high gear to help each athlete make the college team of his or her choice. Students communicate their wish list of colleges and universities and a master list is shared with the athletic department. Summit helps schedule interviews with college recruiters who come here and we make sure they have information about our athlete to share with coaches back home. The Summit also encourages students to visit each school on the wish list. When possible, Summit encourages athletes to attend a summer sports camp at the first choice school to get a feel for the culture of the campus and the team.
A way to showcase skills
Our coaches and counselors help students develop portfolios of their work on and off the field, including videos of athletic achievements from our high school games. A few days after the portfolio goes out, our coach calls his counterpart at the college where our student wants to play and they have a discussion about whether the student would be a viable candidate for the college team. The receiving coach might say, yes, no or maybe. “Maybe” usually means we will send more videotape and more information. “No” means we cross off that school and move onto the next choice on the list as the job continues. Sometimes coaches make a special visit to The Summit to see or recruit a specific player. More often they visit athletic club teams because these compete during the off season when college coaches have more time to travel.
Austin Berry ‘07, received a scholarship to play soccer at the University of Louisville.
A strong coach network
The admissions process has a lot to do with “networking” and the credibility of the coach trying to make the sale is important. Thankfully, Summit coaches are well-known, well-networked and trusted. They attend national conferences every year where they rub elbows with college coaches and keep relationships fresh. Of course, it also helps to have a track record of winning teams and successful college athletes like Summit’s Soccer Coach Barnard Baker, who has nurtured 4 Division I players in the last four years. There isn’t a college soccer coach in the country that wouldn’t gladly take a call from Barnard. To succeed academically and athletically at The Summit requires students to believe in themselves and be humble enough to accept success and failure. The level of maturity and personal growth that comes from successfully building their personal portfolio of academic and athletic accomplishments is extraordinary. Summit graduates who leave with sports scholarships in hand will know they earned them because of their own skills, as well as the support of many others. — Alex Reed
33
The Summit Annual Fund for Excellence is the primary way that parents, alumni/ae and friends make philanthropic gifts to The Summit every year. The Annual Fund supports tuition assistance, faculty development and state-of-the art technology.
Last year nearly three out of four parents made a gift to the Annual Fund along with 95% of our Faculty and Staff.
Our goal this year is $745,000. With your support, we can once again reach our goal. Please make your donation today by sending in a check to The Summit Annual Fund for Excellence, 2161 Grandin Road Cincinnati, OH 45208 or go online http://www2.summitcds. org/giving/Annual-Fund.cfm. Pictured above: Henry Gieseke Pictured opposite L to R: Natasha, Sophia and Justin Zeilstra
34
THE SUMMIT ANNUAL FUND FOR EXCELLENCE
35
THE SUMMIT ANNUAL FUND FOR EXCELLENCE LEVELS OF GIVING
Gifts of all sizes are welcome and gifts of $500 or more are recognized through giving club circles listed below in The Summit Annual Report. For more information on the Annual Fund for Excellence, please contact Michele Duda, Assistant Director of Development 513.871.4700 ext. 243 or duda_m@summitcds.org Trustees Club
$25,000 and larger
Millennium Club
$15,000- $24,999
Headmaster’s Club
$10,000- $14,999
Summit Club
$5,000- $9,999
Leadership Club
$2,500- $4,999
21st Century Club
$1,000- $2,499
Silver Knight Club*
$500 -$999
*Alumni who have not yet celebrated their 10th reunion and who make a gift of $250 will be recognized as a Silver Knight Club member. Pictured clockwise from left: Caelan Hueber, Mosi Clark-Cobb, Jack Meininger, Margot Plum, Philip Hochgesand, Sabian Swan 36
VOLUNTEERS We would like to thank the following members of our community for their support and volunteerism with the 2010-2011 Annual Fund. We couldn’t accomplish our goals without you!
Chairs Cindi Fitton, Trustee and Robin Cotton Development Committee Chair Julie Klosterman, Trustee Faculty and Staff Chairs Reverend Philip Seher Ashley Gayonski, Upper School Bruce Bowdon, Middle School Stacy Remke, Lower School Joe Humpert ‘00, Montessori Leadership Parent Chairs Holly (Friesz) ‘86 and Stuart Seltman ‘86, Trustee Upper School Parent Division Dagne and Mike Gustafson, Chairs Kathy Emery, 12th Grade Leader Doug Hart Debbie Lydon
Trish Glass, 11th Grade Leader Valerie Thomason Susan Lyons
Jen Lucas Lisa McSwain Charity Taylor
David Smith, 10th Grade Leader Lisa Galvin-Sang
Lower School Parent Division Diedra and Stephen Burns, Chairs
Carol Eustace, 9th Grade Leader Keila Dawson Eleanor Haussler Brenda Judd Angela Schloss Jayme Smith
Montessori Parent Division Amy and Michael Stagnaro BMS ‘87, Chairs Jennifer and Jake Ragland BMS ‘87
Upper School New Family Chairs Mamie (Walter) ‘78 and John Schroder ‘79 Middle School Parent Division Deanna and David Argo, Chairs Julia Bird Maureen DesMarais Becky Hogya Mag Joseph 37
Alumni Chair Susan Maxwell Parent of Alumni Chairs Ethna and Todd Cooper Grandparents Chair Reverend Philip Seher *These are the volunteers confirmed as of 10/15/10
2010 BOARD OF TRUSTEES DONOR RECOGNITION DINNER The Summit Country Day School’s annual Donor Recognition Dinner honors those whose annual giving reached or exceeded $1,000 for the prior fiscal year. This includes gifts to The Annual Fund for Excellence, Love Your School Auction, endowment, capital and other donations. More than 300 people were invited and honored this year at the Taft Museum of Art on September 8th. Cocktails and dinner were served and everyone was treated to a fantastic program which included keynote speaker Karen Cruse. Karen, a recipient of The National Association of Biology Teachers’ Outstanding Biology Teacher Award, reflected on how the generosity of donors provides her with learning and professional experiences that she utilizes in her science curriculum. The Summit is truly appreciative of the generosity of all donors and everyone who supports our school.
38
Clockwise from top left this page: Jeff Decker, Dagne Gustafson, Maria Decker; Karen Cruse and Marian Leibold; Lydia and Jeff Horton Clockwise on facing page: Phyllis and Richard Schueler and Eileen and Slobodan Stanisic; Nancy and Andrew Hagerman; Mamie (Walter) ‘78 and John Schroder ‘79; Toni and Baffour Otchere
39
HOMECOMING BRINGS GENERATIONS TOGETHER The activities on campus during the 2010 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Sept. 17-19 brought together both the youngest members of our Summit family, as well as many of our most distinguished alumni and friends. On Friday afternoon, Fall Festival filled our main circle with the joyful sounds of children playing and laughing. As the youngest grew weary and the sugar highs wore off, many of our Alumni gathered in St. Cecilia’s for our Alumni reception. The stories and memories shared were priceless! Conversations about victories on the athletic field, favorite teachers, social engagements, and weddings in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel echoed throughout the fourth floor. Shortly thereafter, the Silver Knights took to the football field for a battle they fought in a style truly befitting of Silver Knights. The stands were filled with proud parents, classmates, faculty, alumni and friends all here to cheer them on to a victory. They 40
were not disappointed! Our young men delivered a stunning victory over Lockland 14-7 in overtime. Hopefully, they will have more to talk about. Additional victories were celebrated by the Boys Varsity soccer team and the Boys and Girls cross country teams.
Betsy (Grogan) Schmidt ’75, Anne (Gebbie) Barratt ’75, Tamara Russell ’75, Linda (Opp) Strietmann ’75, Micha Daoud ’75
On Saturday, we had the honor of recognizing seven distinguished alumni at our alumni awards luncheon: three Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees, two Artistic Awards, our Young Alumni Award and our Meritorious Service Award. These distinguished alumni were leaders amongst their peers while students at The Summit, and they continue to live The Summit mission and to contribute to the world they have inherited. It was incredibly inspiring and several themes were apparent in each of their remarks. Prayerful reflection on the many gifts bestowed on our community is always appropriate so on Sunday morning we gathered for a community Mass and to recognize our Honorary Family: Virginia H. Pohl and her children and grandchildren. It is through the involvement of legacy families such as the Pohls that many of our traditions are kept alive and vibrant among us and throughout the generations.
C. Francis Barrett SBS ’60, David Hickenlooper ’85, J. Brendan Ryan SBS ’59, David Carson SBS ’64, Bob Juenke, David Anderson SBS ’60
Mrs. Virginia Pohl has been supporting our community for over 40 years. Two of her daughters, Kathryn Wagner and Victoria Pohl graduated from The Summit. Karen Pohl and Victoria Pohl have both served on our faculty, contributing to the educational success of many Summit students. Grandchildren, John Dornheggen ’93, Adrienne Dornheggen-Spawn ’95, Lindsay Wagner ’06, and David Wagner ’08 are all Summit alumni. Granddaughter Christina Lauck is a current student in the Class of 2013.
Johanna Johnson ’03 and the fantastic cake she made of The Summit for the Alumni Awards Luncheon. It was quite a work of art - and delicious too! Johanna does this work on the side and is currently working on her website www. bitesandpiecesbakery.com. She has recently created wedding cakes for several Summit classmates.
The Pohl family’s generosity is witnessed everyday when you enter this beautiful building, beginning with the marble steps that lead into the foyer outside the chapel. When it was apparent that they were beyond repair, the Pohl family generously replaced them. In 2001, Virginia established the Virginia H. Pohl Family Scholarship with a gift to our endowment. Today, one of our Upper School students is receiving the benefit of a Summit education thanks to the Pohl family. Support throughout the years has also included many unrecognized gifts that were given simply because there was a need and the Pohl family has always so willingly come forward with their time, talent and treasure to make a difference! It has been our privilege to educate each of Virginia’s grandchildren and the trust implicit with this privilege perhaps has been their greatest gift of all. Thank you to all of our honorees, alumni, parents and students who participated in the successful Homecoming and Reunion Weekend!
Doug van der Zee, Carrie van der Zee, Spencer van der Zee ’05 and Virgina Konop
Pictured left: Victoria Pohl ‘73, Karen Pohl, Kathy (Pohl) Wagner ‘66 41
the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the multi-platinum Warner Brothers artist The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. He has been recording and touring the world since 1997 and has shared the stage with Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Van Halen, Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones. His side projects include the Americana rock band Noah Hunt and the 420 Allstars and the folk/acoustic duo Noah Hunt and Jason Dennie. Noah is a co-founder of the local musicians relief fund “Play It Forward” and also raises contributions for the FreeStore/FoodBank and the Cincinnati Reds Community Fund. When not on the road, Noah and his wife Jennifer reside in Cincinnati. YOUNG ALUMNI OSAGIE K. OBASOGIE ’95 was honored for his significant academic and professional accomplishments. Following graduation from The Summit, Osagie received his B.A., with distinction, Sociology (Intensive) and Political Science in 1999 from Yale University. He continued on to Columbia Law School where he received his J.D. and was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Osagie has also earned his M.A. and Ph.D in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and is currently an Associate Law Professor at the Hastings College of Law, University of California, San Francisco and an Associate Adjunct Professor at UCSF in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
HOMECOMING REUNION WEEKEND 2010 Congratulations to those alumni who were honored and recognized at this year’s Homecoming/Reunion Weekend 2010. The following recipients received their awards at the Alumni Luncheon held on Saturday, September 18.
ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT SPENCER VAN DER ZEE ’05 was honored for his contributions to the world of art. A recent graduate with his Bachelor of Arts, Communication, Public Relations from The University of Cincinnati, Spencer is being recognized as an independent artist across Cincinnati. Spencer currently lives in Cincinnati and works at the Essex Studio. His works have been featured at The Malton Gallery, The Drake Center, Marburg Collective at ArtWorks Project Space, and The Essex Studios. Spencer also plays Bass with his band The Upset Victory which includes fellow Summit classmate Stephen Campbell ’05.
Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
GILLIAN (GEEDING) COOPER ’91 was honored for her
outstanding accomplishments in track, soccer and softball. Named Most Valuable Player of the soccer team her senior year, Gillian also earned a position on the Miami Valley AllConference Team, All-City team and was selected to the All Star Game. Gillian lives in Mason Ohio with her husband Steve and is a proud mom to sons Austin and Charlie.
AMY (BRIDGE) JOHNSON ’95 was honored for her
outstanding accomplishments in field hockey and basketball. Co-captain of the field hockey team her senior year, Amy was named a First Team All Conference member. Amy lives in Cincinnati with her husband Dave, sons Brady and Alex, and is a teacher at Cincinnati Public Schools.
NICHOLAS KONERMAN ’97 was honored for his
outstanding accomplishments in soccer. One of the most honored athletes to ever come out of The Summit, Nick in his senior season was named 1st team Miami Valley Conference, 1st Team Southwest Conference, Player of the Year Southwest Conference, 1st team All State and Player of the Year for the State of Ohio, Division II. Nick was also selected as a member of the NSCAA/UMBRO All American Team both his junior and senior year. Nick lives in Columbus with his wife Emily, daughters Olivia and Madeline and is working at Oakstone Academy in Columbus, Ohio.
Caroline Conners ’99, Michelle BurstionYoung ’91, Mike Dreyer ’91
Alumni Award Winners
MERITORIOUS SERVICE DAVID HICKENLOOPER ’85 was honored for his significant professional accomplishments and service to the community. David served as a captain in the United States Marine Corps and is currently an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. He and his wife Tracy live in Cincinnati with children Elizabeth, Kathryn and Smith. David has volunteered with Camp Stepping Stones, Battered Women’s Shelter, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Youth Sports Coach for Football, Lacrosse, Soccer, Baseball and Softball, volunteered on multiple judicial and political campaigns and can often be seen on The Summit’s football sidelines where he is a member of the Chain Gang. ARTISTIC ACHIEVMENT JAMES NOAH HUNT ’88 was honored for his contributions to the world of art. Noah is
Pictured above: Athletic Hall of Fame inductees take the field. Alumni Board President Ty Moore ’02, Nicholas Konerman ’97, Interim Head of School Rich Wilson, Gillian (Geeding) Cooper ’91, and Amy (Bridge) Johnson’ 95.
Athletic Hall of Fame Award recipient Gillian (Geeding) Cooper ’91, a friend and Heather Fullen ’91.
42
Mary (Bruno) Forte ’91, Marni Thies ’91, Emily Crawford ’90, Alina Pagani ’90, Monica (Haas) Desch ’90
LEG AC Y 201 0- 2 0 1 1
A standing tradition every fall, The Summit Alumni Association Legacy Photo is a picture of current students, their parents and/or grandparents who are alumni of The Summit. Our Legacy Students include: UPPER SCHOOL Thomas Becker, Isabella K. Bohlke, Sebastian G. Bohlke, Christine Cassidy, Ned Castleberry, Courtney E. Collins, Rachel Cummings, Patrick J. Dowling, Cecilia Dowling, Isabelle C. Earls, Timothy R. Erickson, Bradley D. Fisk, Kyle Fisk, Katherine Funk, Megan Funk, Mary Frances Harsh, Holden G. Hertzel, Caroline J. Hertzel, Kelsey Hock, Robert Hock, Jasmime Jenkins, Jenna M. Joseph, Nina M. Kerr, Hayden J. Klei, Eleanor P. Klosterman, Olivia Klosterman, Christina M. Lauck, Christopher Lee, Julia J. Lee, Seth R. Leibold, Margot M. MacConnell, Perrin G. March, Jessy M. McKeever, Christian S. Moser, Colin A. Moser, Shirley A. Nunlist, Emily F. Nunlist, Taylor R. Runck’ Katherine F. Ryan, Peter G. Saba, Jonathan M. Sang, Alexandra N. Schmerge, John Schroder, Elizabeth A. Seltman, Paul S. Seltman, Matthew R. Stein, Grace C. Stein, Katherine L. Thurner, Christine J. Thurner, Natalie Whitsett, Thomas L. Williams, Elizabeth Williams, Monica M. Windholtz MIDDLE SCHOOL Sydney C. Beckmeyer, Christina M. Blum, Francis E. Bohlke, August Schweitzer, Maeve D. Conway, Caroline V. Crew, Anna C. Erickson Isabela M. Fernandez, Mateo Emilio K. Fernandez, Elizabeth Harsh, Margaret Harsh, Henry V. Heekin, Matilda J. Ziegler, Courtney E. Joseph, Kendall Kearney, Robert Kerr, Helena J. March, Estelle R. March, Whitten L. Massey, Connor McMurry, Nicolas R. Montag, Elena Montag, Luc O. Moser, Kathryn M. Nies, Emma O. Nies, Caitlin O’Donnell,
Monica Regina B. Saba, Caroline Schmerge, Kyle Z. Schneider, Ryan S. Schneider, Henry R. Seltman, Peter Settle, Hope A. Thomson, George Thurner, Mary M. Towell, Alejandra Valencia, Emily K. Walton, Caroline E. Walton, Nathan Whitsett, Noelle C. Weber-Zaring LOWER SCHOOL Gabriella S. Castellini, Robert L. Castellini, Samantha V. Crew, Luke J. Desch, Mary Anne J. Drew, Elizabeth V. Dziech, Harris S. Foad, Andrew P. Cavallo, Robert H. Headley, Katherine T. Headley, Cecilia E. Hill, Oren S. Jenkins, Sarah S. Joseph, Catherine G. LaLonde, Gregory T. LaLonde, Lily F. Lippert, Oscar T. March, John W. Penote, Alexandra Ragland, Elizabeth R. Ragland, Sydney L. Ragland, Margaret K. Ragland, August E. Ransick, Elizabeth T. Ritch, Andrew H. Ritch, Isabella B. Saba, Margeaux Saba, Benjamin Schmerge, John C. Schmerge, Jacob Schneider, Martha A. Seltman, Nicola R. Settle, Maggie Stagnaro, James E. Stahl, Matthew Sutton, Luis E. Valencia, Avery F. Valz, Victoria C. Walton, Robert P. Wilson, Charles A. Wilson MONTESSORI Michael J. Butler, Mason L. Butler, Chloe Castellini, Alexander F. Castellini, Mia Cavallo, Cecilia Chavez, Jillian W. Chavez, Alexander J. Chua, Joshua Clauder, Katie A. Conway, Grant Desch, Ninah C. Foad, Catherine E. Fullen Elizabeth M. Fullen, Peter T. Gerdsen, Esmé N. Gonyo, Jackson G. Grant, Henry Hamblen, Sarah E. Headley, Barbara H. Heekin, Parker S. Hill, Sarah Hill, Ronald G. Joseph III, Kathryn G. Kelly, John Kountz, Finn Kropp, Annette H. LaLonde, Holland F. Lippert, Trey Lippert,
43
Benjamin J. Penote, John F. Ragland, K. Chloe Ragland, Cecilia E. Ragland, Adeline I. Ransick, James M. Reynolds, John H. Reynolds, Charles Ritch, Anna G. Sanders, Lucas Schneider, Parker K. Smyth, Michael Stagnaro, Samantha Stagnaro, Katherine Stagnaro, Susanna M. Stahl, Alexander Valz, Barrett A. Wade, Tate Yarnell Jr. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE ALUMNI PARENTS & GRANDPARENTS WHO JOINED US Robert Blum III ‘85, Emilie (Ransick) Butler ‘97, Christine (Thurner) Byrnes ‘70, Susan (Smith) Castellini ‘56, Phillip Castellini ‘88, Suzanne Clyne ‘92 , Marie (Amann) Drew ‘81, Rob Dziech ‘88, Allison (Weber) Erickson ‘88, Susan (Lippert) Foad, Josie (Walter) Funk ‘80, Robin (Girouard) Grant ‘99, Dick Greiwe SBS ‘44, Alice (Homan) Hehman ‘60, Oren Jenkins ‘90, Richard Joseph, Sr. BMS ‘79, Ronald Joseph BMS ‘81, Dorothy (Quinlan) Klei ‘78, Kenneth Klosterman, Jr. ‘80, Allison (Hiltz) Kropp ‘93, Wayne Lippert ‘89, Mary (Holters) Moran ‘50, Thomas Nies, Jr. BMS ‘79, Hugh O’Donnell SBS ‘65, Nicholas Ragland BMS ‘83, Jereme Ransick ‘94, Lindsay (Byrnes) Reynolds ‘97, Wendy (Sutphin) Ritch, Katherine (Savage) Ryan ‘78, Regina (Baluyot) ‘84, Patricia (Moran) Savage ‘56, Sherry (Schloemer) Schneider ‘81, Mamie (Walter) Schroder ‘78, Michael Stagnaro BMS ‘87, Molly (Moran) Towell ‘84, Louis Valencia BMS ‘78, Kara (Luttenegger) Valz ‘88, Victor Walton ‘83, Elizabeth (Lippert) Wilson ‘92, Kelly (Koenig) Windholtz ‘82, Alfred Weisbrod SBS ‘56
Since the first class of two students, Anna McKenzie and Olive Sargent, graduated from The Summit in 1893, The Summit produced photo composites of each class.
ALUMNI COMPOSITES ON DISPLAY For many years these photos have hung in display cases in the hallway to the Chapel. Unfortunately, the sheer number of them prevented all but the most determined from viewing them. Through the generosity of a number of our alumni, we are now reframing and hanging the photo composites of the Upper School classes in the Upper School dining room areas where our students and our guests can see them every day. Each one will be reframed with archival glass and archival matting for $225 - $250 each, depending on the size of the class. Consider reframing your own class composite, one that includes a member of your family as a gift, or organizing your class to make the contributions that are necessary for reframing. It is a lovely gift to you, your family and The Summit. The following is a list of those composites which have not yet been reframed. 1917 – 1922 1977 1926 – 1927 1978 1934 – 1935 1979 1936 – 1937 1980 1938 – 1939 1981 1942 – 1943 1983 1944 – 1945 1986 1947 1987 1948 1989 1949 1990 1950 1992 1951 1993 1952 1994 1954 1995 1957 1997 1961 1999 1962 2000 1963 2004 1964 2008 1972 2009 1974 2010 If you are interested in helping us to get these historical photographs out of the box and onto the walls where we can all proudly view our heritage, please contact: Susan Maxwell, Alumni Relations Associate 513.871.4700, ext. 245 or maxwell_s@summitcds.org. 44
CLASS NOTES
Marine Capt. Molly Price Cahill gets the ball after throwing out the first pitch before a Reds game.
Photo courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer
1950s
1960s
Tom Coler SBS ’56 spent five weeks in France this
Several members of the Class of 1960 celebrated their 50th Reunion with a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico in March 2010. A grand time was had by all with lots of laughter, stories and reminiscing. Another reunion is planned in two years.
summer. “A walking advertisement for The Summit,” he wore Summit Country Day long sleeve tee-shirts during most of his time spent in St. Tropez and Paris. The included photograph was taken in Provence in August at the Avignon TGV station after eight days in Isle sur la Sorgue.
Front row, L to R: Carole (Tuke) Rutan, Mary Ann (Roach) Butkovich, Kathleen Herrington, Back row, L to R: Nancy (Richmond) Koeninger, Diane Murray, Joan (Winstel) King.
45
Natalie (Verkamp) Schoeny ’65 recently
A book published by Amy Yasbeck GMS ’76 , With Love and Laughter, was released in September. According to publisher Simon & Schuster, the book is a celebration of the life she shared with her late husband, John Ritter, and includes anecdotes and memories from John’s life as well as her own. Amy was in town to sign copies of the book on September 18 at Barnes & Noble in Kenwood.
traveled to Italy and was able to visit with classmate Janet (Hesselbrock) Dionigi ’65 who has lived there close to 40 years and is very active in national and international affairs. Nat and Janet are pictured at Janet’s home in Varese, Italy toasting the Class of 1965 who is celebrating their 45th reunion year.
1990s David Falk ’94 has been named Interim CEO of Transitions Global. Summit classmate Paul Moran BMS ’90 , who works for Falk’s restaurant group, is also volunteering his time in many capacities. Transitions Global, a non-profit organization founded in 2007, provides comprehensive aftercare services to girls between the age of 13-19 years old who have been sexually trafficked, exploited or abused in Cambodia. Transitions Global encompasses both trauma recovery and empowerment of the individual by providing psychological, social, and educational care, health services and job training and placement. For more information, visit www.transitionsglobal.org.
Connie (Cronin) Smith ’67 is teaching 7th and
8th grade math and reading at Our Lady of Lourdes in Cincinnati, OH. She received her Masters in Elementary Education in 1983 and returned to Xavier in 2007 to be licensed as an Intervention Specialist. She has the following to say about her time at The Summit: “The friendships and bonds we formed through our 12 (or for some 4) years together are very important to me and also special, and I don’t want them to dwindle away.”
Jonathan Kling ’97 and Angelina Sinclair were
1970s
married in The Summit’s Immaculate Heart of Mary chapel on Saturday, May 22, 2010. Alison Kling ’01 was a bridesmaid and Evan Terhar ’97 served as best man in the ceremony. Jonathan and Angelina reside in Mount Lookout.
The Class of 1975 celebrated their 35th Reunion over
Homecoming/Reunion Weekend. They were the last official all-female Upper School class to graduate from The Summit though a few men did join in on the festivities – a great time was had by all!
Back row, L to R: Anne Castleberry, Pody (Farrell) Druffel, Linda (Opp) Strietmann, Laura Garvin, Elizabeth (Wurzelbacher) McClelland, Micha (Daoud) Foglesong Front row: Martha (Wenstrup) Gebhardt, Anne (Gebbie) Barratt, Elizabeth (Grogan) Schmidt, Tamara Russell, Glen Rosen
46
United States Marine Corps Captain Molly (Price) Cahill ’98, who recently returned from her third tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Cincinnati Reds game on Monday, August 30, 2010.
Kirstin (Fullen) Klein’95 and her husband
Photo courtesy of The Cincinnati Enquirer
Keith welcomed their son William James Klein on Thursday, July 15.
In Memory ALUMNI
Amelia F. (Koester) Koch ’33, February 8, 2010. Ruth (Jung) Conway ’46, August 28, 2010. Jeanne (Schmalz) Farrell ’47, October 1, 2010.
2000s
Frederick B. Rentschler II SBS ’53, brother of
Robert J. Shoemaker ’00 is the Reporting and Audit
Charles E.M. Rentschler SBS ’53, July 6, 2010.
Manager for The Christ Hospital.
Susan F. Brearton ’51 , sister of Mary Ann Brearton ’53,
Matt Lippert ‘08, #53 on the Kenyon College’s football
August 8, 2010.
team, walks with his nephew Paul Wilson Jr., a current Summit 4th grader. Paul is coached by Matt’s brother Will Lippert ‘03 , who also played football at The Summit and then played at Kenyon College.
Ann (Blum) Buse ’55, wife of J. Barrett SBS ’45, mother
of Beth (Buse) Carroll ’77, J.B. Buse Jr. BMS ’75, Brian Buse ’84, Annie (Buse) Bathalter ’87 and sister of Gay (Blum) Connolly ’64, August 28, 2010.
Kathleen M. “Katie” Weaks ’99 , sister of Stacey Weaks ’93, October 6, 2010. FRIENDS John C. Banks, husband of Judith (Bramlage) Laurence Banks ’67, August 8, 2008. Ruth Marie Feldhaus, mother of Ruth Marie Feldhaus ’67, Marguerite (Feldhaus) Manegold ’68, Robert Feldhaus SBS ’70, Mary Ann (Feldhaus) Zerhusen ’77 and William Feldhaus BMS ’76, March 31, 2010.
Births Ryan Smyth ’97 and his wife Marjorie welcomed a son,
Daniel A. Hillenbrand, father of Diane Hillenbrand ’68, C. Lynne (Hillenbrand) Vollmer ’68 and Janet Claire (Hillenbrand) Sherman ’71, May 17, 2010.
Harry, in December 2009.
Joseph Kroeger ’97 and his wife Jamie welcomed a
Ivan Misrach, father of Julie (Misrach) Snyder (att.,) Michael Misrach ’84 and Mary (Misrach) Wahl ’89, August 11, 2010.
son, AJ, in April 2010.
Colleen (Carullo) ’95 and Sean Fullen ’88
James F. O’Neil, father of Ellen (O’Neil) Karnan ’72 and Letitia (O’Neil) Smith ’75, September 1, 2010.
welcomed their son Thomas Sullivan Fullen on May 3, 2010. He joins big sisters Catherine and Elizabeth, current Summit Montessori students and brother James.
Jeanette “Pat” Shinkle, mother of Patricia Ann (Shinkle) Swinehart ’60, September 19, 2010.
47
In Memoriam
FREDERICK B. RENTSCHLER, II 1939-2010
Frederick B. Rentschler, II, SBS ’53 ,
recipient of the McKenzie-Sargent Distinguished Alumni Award in 1991 passed away July 6, 2010 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Mr. Rentschler was a distinguished executive in the food products and airline industries, philanthropist and a dear friend of The Summit. After graduating from The Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford, CT, he received his undergraduate degree in Economics and History from Vanderbilt University, and earned an MBA in Marketing from Harvard Business School. He was Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1960-1965 and Deputy Director of the White House Fellows Program in 1971 and 1972. A highly successful businessman, during his professional career he held several executive roles including President and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Airlines, the Beatrice Companies and HuntWesson, Inc.. Generous with his time, Mr. Rentschler served on several boards of directors including the Board of Trustee’s of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Canned Foods Inc., Esmark, Inc., The Heard Museum, and the Paradise Valley Country Club. He held various board positions with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, and was named Chairman of the Board from 1995-2002. He was named Director Emeritus in 2005. He also was a Director of the Frederick B. and Pamela A. Rentschler Foundation. After retiring to his home in Scottsdale, AZ, in 1991, Fred and his wife, Pam, split their time between Arizona and their working cattle ranch in the Madison River Valley in southwest Montana at Corral Creek Ranch. He is survived by his wife, Pamela and his twin brother, Charles E.M. Rentschler SBS ’53.
Frederick B. Rentschler, II, SBS ’53 delivering the 1991 commencement address
k Weddings
Christine Hogg ’96 and Jason Budzik, July 24, 2010
HELD IN THE SUMMIT IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CHAPEL
Katie Knisely ’04 and Matthew Coon, July 31, 2010
Dana Griffin ’98 and Alan Mackinder, May 1, 2010 Angelina Sinclair and Jonathan Laura Sauer and Matthew
Alison Kling ’01and Bryan Hauck, August 21, 2010
Kling ’97, May 22, 2010
Brooke Ivey and Brian September 5, 2010
Kohus ’02, June 5, 2010
Claire Siegel GMS ’99 and Andrew Gerhard,
Jessica Feghali ’01 and Warren Harding,
June 12, 2010
September 18, 2010
Sarah Kelly ’01 and Ben Trautmann ’01, June 26, 2010
Katie Pohlman and Alexander September 25, 2010
Alice O’Dell ’85 and Benjamin Brannon, July 3, 2010 Erin Harvey and A.
Schmelzle ’03,
Bondoc BMS ’93,
Kathryn Tabler GMS ’98 and Griffin Gall,
J. Horn ’03, July 10, 2010
October 23, 2010
Whitney Wyatt ’04 and Thomas Linz, July 17, 2010 48
THE 2010-2011 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD is
Being a member of The Summit’s Alumni Board gives me the opportunity to give back to The Summit, an organization that has shaped my life in more ways than one. The Summit encouraged and supported me in my academics to take risks, embrace challenges, accept diversity, question my spirituality, and think creatively; all of which I strive to sustain in my life journey and for the benefit of humanity.
dedicated to promoting and ensuring the growth of the Alumni Association well into the future. Under the leadership of newly elected President, Tracy “Ty” Moore ’02, the year got off to a quick and stellar start. Fall events put on by the Alumni Association included Homecoming/ Reunion Weekend 2010, Legacy Photo, and by the time this reaches your mailbox, the Young Alumni Basketball Game and Social at O’Bryon’s Irish Pub over Thanksgiving weekend. This is in addition to their work on the Annual Fund for Excellence, Alumni Awards, Class Representatives and Mentoring Program. A very sincere and deserved thank you is owed to outgoing board members Liz (Glassmeyer) Spahr ’70, Past President, Betsy (Grogan) Schmidt ’75, and Faculty Representative Mr. Bob Gorey. Without their time and dedication to the board, many of our initiatives would not be where they are today. Joining the board this year are six alumni including Upper School Faculty Member and Dean of Students Jerry Hilton ’91, who has agreed to take on the Faculty Representative position. Current members are: Tracy “Ty” Moore ’02, President; Rob Dziech ’88, Immediate Past President, Olga Garcia-Duarte ’75; Kirstin (Fullen) Klein ’95; Lindsay (Byrnes) Reynolds ’97 and Caroline Conners ’99. Below, the newest members introduce themselves and share why they chose to serve our alumni community.
Rene Cheatham ’03 I graduated from Summit in 2003 and attended Norwich University where I played basketball. I am currently working for a non – profit organization called Catholic Health Partners where I work in the finance department running two programs. My favorite Summit memory was the acceptance that I received coming into The Summit community. They welcomed me right in like I had been there from the beginning. This is the main reason I chose to be involved with The Summit Alumni Board I want to do all that I can to help Summit Country Day because Summit really helped me become the man I am today. Jeff Thompson ’02 I graduated from The Summit in 2002. Following that I attended Brown University, where in 2007 I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Neuroscience. Currently I am working on a Masters at the University of Cincinnati, College of Pharmacy in Drug Development. I work as a consultant doing regulatory affairs/quality assurance for RetroActive Bioscience, a biotech development company located in northern Kentucky. I have three older brothers who also attended The Summit (Jamie ’96, Jon ’98, Justin ’00); all of whom still live and work in Cincinnati. My favorite thing about Summit was the fact that I was able to be involved in so much while I was there; including sports (football & lacrosse), student council, honor council, and other activities, while at the same time enjoying my high school experience. I joined The Summit Alumni Board to once again become involved with the school that gave me so many opportunities.
Hope Schmidt ’05 I graduated from Summit in 2005 and went on to Miami University where I studied marketing. I am now the Marketing Coordinator at the Flottman Company in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Summit has always meant a lot to me. My sister Virginia, a 2007 graduate and I are the fourth generation of our family to have attended The Summit. I loved my time at The Summit and now, as a member of the Alumni Board, I hope to help make sure current and future students of The Summit have an even richer experience than I did, just as the generations before me did. Samantha MacConnell ’03 Attending The Summit has been a family tradition since my grandmother, Mary (Heekin) MacConnell, graduated in 1934. My dad, Chris MacConnell, graduated from The Summit Boys School in 1965. His four brothers (my uncles) are also SBS graduates. My sister, Maggie MacConnell, is currently a junior at Summit and will graduate in 2012. I graduated Summit as a “lifer” in 2003 to attend Miami University. I moved to Chicago after college to work for a print management company called InnerWorkings and recently moved back to Cincinnati. I moved back home to be closer to my family and to pursue a job as The Salvation Army’s Divisional Grants Manager.
Jesse Dunbar ’91 I graduated from The Summit in 1991, and, as everyone who lives in Cincinnati knows, when you say where you went to school in our wonderful town, you say the high school. I later graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY with a BFA. When I’m not coaching my son, Jack, and helping run the football, basketball and baseball programs he plays for, I’m obsessing over his academic studies. Professionally, I have focused my efforts on working in the realms of politics, non-profits and business ventures that strive to be solid partners in the community.
The Summit has been an integral part of not only my own life, but my family’s as well. One of my favorite memories from Summit was the friendships that were cultivated and the sense of belonging to a community. When I think about my time at The Summit, there aren’t too many memories that do not include my time as part of the girls’ soccer team. I remember every Varsity game and almost every major play, mostly the one’s where I made a major mistake.
My interest in becoming a part of The Summit Country Day Alumni Board stems from the fact that The Summit played such an integral part in my personal development, both academically and otherwise, despite the fact that I only attended for my Junior and Senior years of high school. Most of my favorite memories at The Summit derive from the incredible relationships and friendships that our institution helped provide me, that still exist to this day. 49
Sean Becker ’92 Mayor of Bozeman, MT.
The first elected office Sean Becker ’92 held was eighth grade Team Captain at The Summit Country Day School. This month, he begins serving a slightly more challenging post — Mayor of Bozeman, MT.
THE SUMMIT YEARS
Looking back, Becker says being eighth grade Team Captain remains the best elected position he has held. He credits The Summit for preparing him for public office, saying former Upper School Director Tom Monaco held him accountable during some confusing teen years. He learned to work hard, be innovative and be grounded in principled action. “The world is a complicated place with a million reasons why we are different than the guy who just cut us off in traffic or the Muslims trying to build a mosque in Manhattan,” he says. “But it isn’t until we try to empathize and see where we are similar to others that we truly begin to know a place, community or person for whom or what they are.”
Charged with running Montana’s fifth largest city, Becker will have to cope with the kind of 21st century issues other American mayors face: an infrastructure crisis, rebounding economically from one of the worst depressions in U.S. history and environmental issues that are especially resonant in a city 40 miles from Yellowstone National Park.
The Summit education not only taught Becker and his classmates how to learn and comprehend massive amounts of information but also promoted leadership. “The Summit taught us that we are all part of a community and have to do our part to make it work,” he says. “The community we’re in shifts from work, to family, to neighborhood, to region, and even country or planet, but our role remains the same – to work hard and be of service.”
As Becker steps into the mayor’s seat, he is embarking on another new job – dad. He and his wife, Nolita, were expecting their first child to arrive in December. “I think I’m about to learn some lessons in powerlessness – on both fronts,” says the busy public official who conducted this telephone interview from his Chevy pickup, parked in a television station lot where he was due for an on-air discussion of local politics. Being mayor and being a father are huge, consuming responsibilities, he says. “You have to be deliberate about the decisions you make. You realize the decisions you’re going to make are going to have an impact on people’s lives.”
CAREER OF SERVICE
The communities Becker has experienced have shifted several times in the journey between Hyde Park and Bozeman. He went to Denison University where he earned degrees in psychology, mass communication and Asian studies and completed master’s degree coursework in psychology at Montana State University. He served with the U.S. Peace Corps in Nepal and spent a decade working as an economic development research and policy analyst at ArtsMarket. When the recession torpedoed that kind of work, he reinvented
50
ADVICE FOR TODAY’S STUDENTS
himself and now serves as Vice President of Business Development for Montana Craftsman Woodworks.
Becker says his appreciation for The Summit came in the form of hindsight. “When I went to college, I talked to other people about their high school experiences. I recruit for my college, Denison University, and I still hear those stories. I can say life lessons at The Summit served me well.”
Among a six-member U.S. delegation which recently visited Turkey in an effort to improve relations between the countries, he returned with a new appreciation for the democratic process and free economy in the U.S. “It was really good for me to come back and realize a lot of the problems we’re bickering over are problems of surplus,” says Becker. “We’re politically in a much more benevolent state. We actually have representation that goes down to the voters.”
A critical aspect of The Summit experience that sets its students apart from others is the respect they learn to have for other people, he says. “Respect is a valuable lesson. Respect for people who were younger than you because you went to school with kindergarteners. Respect for religion. Respect for your community.”
At some level, that kind of representation begins in school where the groundwork for leadership is laid, he says. “Honestly, being mayor is a lot like being president of my class at Summit Country Day School. You feel involved, you feel in charge but you still have bosses. Just like I had Principal Tom Monaco and I had the headmaster, I still have bosses. You have constituents. If you’re not being of service to them, they let you know.”
Current students may not have the appreciation that they should for what they are gaining from The Summit, he says. But eventually, they will.
HIS BEST ADVICE TO TODAY’S STUDENTS: ASPIRE. “The Summit is a great school and ranks with the best in the U.S.,” he says. “We have been trained and educated to succeed. Don’t be afraid to go for it. There are a million reasons why we might fail, but not trying shouldn’t be one of them.”
AT A GLANCE: Politics: Officially an independent. On Bozeman’s City Council since 2005, serving the last two years as Deputy Mayor as required by city charter. Comes from a long line of public servants in Cincinnati, including his grandfather, Edwin G. Becker, who was a federal judge and served 30 years on the board of Cincinnati Public Schools. Professional: Vice president for business development at Montana Craftsman Woodworks. Family: Becker’s wife, Nolita, is a therapist for Western Montana Mental Health Center. His sister Julia lives nearby in Great Falls. Fun: Ultra-light pilot, avid boater, alpine climber, mountain biker, telemark skier. Drives a full-size Chevy pickup. Listens to Bluegrass. Likes to chew sugarfree spearmint gum, even during on-camera interviews. Lives in a 1896 Sears catalog home in Bozeman’s historic south side. Feels at home at Graeters, Skyline, Zip’s Cafe. Becker family update Sean Becker is part of a big Summit family. Both his parents attended -- Julia Margaret “Peggy” (Feltrup) Becker Jackson ’49 and the late Flavian Becker SBS ’43 – as did two aunts, Helen Mary (Feltrup) Westendorf ’42 and Norma Marie (Feltrup) King ’52. All seven of his siblings attended for all or part of their school years. Where are they now? Flavian Becker SBS ‘68, Clifton, retired as chief chemist at J. Miles Wolf Photography Studio. Maura (Becker) Kelley ‘73, Goshen, Financial specialist at Cintas. Julia Margaret Becker, attended K-11, Great Falls, MT, head of the art department at the University of Great Falls. Annamarie (Becker) Harten, attended K-8, North Avondale, accountant for Mecklenberg Gardens and Mid City Investments. Brian Becker, attended K-8, Anderson Township, director at Fidelity Investments. Gregg Becker ‘83, Atlanta, GA, CEO of the Atlanta region of the Veterans Administration. Eric Becker, attended K-7, Hyde Park, private investor.
51
NOMINATIONS FOR ALUMNI AWARDS AND ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME AWARDS The Summit Alumni & Athletic Hall of Fame Awards were established to honor alumni who carry out the mission of The Summit – to develop spiritually, academically, physically, socially and artistically, and to become people of character who value and improve the world they inherit. Please take a minute to review the criteria for awards given to deserving Alumni. Help us to identify people who deserve recognition by nominating a friend, a classmate or yourself! The awards will be presented during a luncheon at Alumni Reunion/Homecoming Weekend in fall 2011, with the exeption of the McKenzie-Sargent Award which is presented annually at Commencement.
THE MCKENZIE-SARGENT DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD, named in honor of our first two alumnae, Anna McKenzie and Olive Sargent, class of 1893, is The Summit’s highest honor given to alumni. The award is presented to an alumna/us of the Upper School or The Summit Boys School (through 1971) for his or her achievements in career, community volunteer leadership and/or service to The Summit. All graduates of The Summit are eligible for nomination, except those currently serving on The Summit Country Day School Board of Trustees or Summit Alumni Association Board.
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES are Alumni who attended any school or part of The Summit Country Day School or The Summit Boys School and have made outstanding contributions in athletics and demonstrate qualities of good citizenship. Eligibility begins the 10th year after nominee’s graduation year from The Summit. Inductees may also be all persons who do not qualify in the “Alumni” category (ex., Coaches, Team Managers) but who have made outstanding contributions to The Summit Athletic Program. Again, eligibility begins upon retirement or the 10th year after separation from The Summit. These honors are not necessarily presented annually but are conferred based on merit:
THE MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD granted to a Summit graduate or former student for specific and meritorious service to The Summit, the community, state or nation.
THE YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD is given to an alumna/us who has graduated during the last 20 years. It is awarded for significant accomplishments in business or professional life or for service to the community or The Summit and/or The Summit Alumni Association.
THE ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT award is also given to an alumna/us in recognition of his or her significant contributions to the world of art.
THE SPIRITUAL-CHRISTIAN SERVICE AWARD is given to a Summit Alumna/us who has devoted his or her life in service to others, who affirms the fullness and complexity of human existence, who appreciates social justice and who brings about changes that make it more possible to live The Summit ideal in contemporary society.
THE HONORARY FAMILY AWARD is given to a dedicated Summit family for their outstanding support of The Summit Country Day School and its values, ideals and mission. To submit nominations for these distinguished awards, please send nominees’ names, class years, why they should be considered, and what award you are nominating them for to Susan Maxwell, Alumni Relations and Special Events Associate. You can mail your nomination to 2161 Grandin Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45208 or submit it via e-mail to maxwell_s@summitcds.org. Your nominations must be received by Tuesday, March 1, 2011. 52
DEAR ALUMNI/AE: The holiday season seems to be a fitting time to thank you for all you’ve done for The Summit this year (calendar and academic.) Despite a challenging economic climate, many of you have continued to be involved with The Summit whether through volunteering your valuable time and/or through your financial support, both of which are critical to our efforts to continue to educate leaders of character, support faculty development and implement and fund alumni programming. The Alumni Office is committed to fostering alumni participation and developing an ongoing relationship with you. Your continued support and engagement can impact The Summit in many ways. Members of our Alumni Board are working on many projects, two of which I would like highlight. First, The Summit Alumni Mentor Network (SAM) which you may have read about in the spring issue. I sincerely hope you take advantage of this opportunity to volunteer your time back to The Summit and make a difference in the lives of other alumni and current students. Should you wish to find out more about this program, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Secondly, the Awards/Class Representatives Committee is dedicated to identifying and recognizing our distinguished alumni with awards, from the Athletic Hall of Fame to the McKenzie-Sargent Award. They need your help in identifying qualified recipients. Please take the time to nominate a classmate, fellow alum or yourself. The Office of Alumni Relations is hard at work providing service to all Summit Country Day School alumni - whether you are a graduate of the Upper School (both single sex and co-ed), Summit Boys School, or Middle School. We are most appreciative of the alumni who continue to support us and we look forward to continuing to support you. If you have any suggestions on how we can provide additional ways for you to stay connected to The Summit, please don’t hesitate to write or call. We hope to inspire pride in your Alumni Association and encourage you to become more active this upcoming year. We look forward to your calls and e-mails, and we welcome your visits. Continued alumni engagement is the key to our legacy, and that of The Summit. Best regards,
Susan Maxwell Alumni Relations & Special Events Associate 513.871.4700 ext. 245 maxwell_s@summitcds.org
SAVE THE DATE MAY 13, 2011 FLEUR-DE-LIS MASS AND LUNCHEON (Celebrating alumni who have graduated 40+ years ago) Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel & St. Cecilia’s, 11:00 a.m. MAY 27, 2011 SENIOR INDUCTION LUNCHEON Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel & St. Cecilia’s, 12:00 p.m. MAY 29, 2011 MCKENZIE-SARGENT DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI RECEPTION & CLASS OF 2011 GRADUATION Alumni Parlor SEPTEMBER 16 – 18, 2011 HOMECOMING/REUNION WEEKEND All school alumni activities throughout the weekend especially honoring alumni who graduated in class years ending in “1” and “6.” CASTING CALL Longtime Summit Faculty member Bruce Bowdon is writing and directing a yet un-titled musical on parenting. Similar to the 2002 production of Amore, this dialogue-less show will feature a series of songs on the trials and triumphs of raising children. Covering the pains and pleasures of parenting children from infancy to young adulthood, these songs will be performed by Summit alumni, parents of alumni and friends. These performances will take place in Kyte Theatre over Thanksgiving Weekend 2011. There is still plenty of time to be a part of the cast! Contact Bruce Bowdon by e-mail at bowdon_b@summitcds.org for more information. 53
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID CINCINNATI, OH PERMIT #553
2161 Grandin Road Cincinnati, OH 45208 513.871.4700 www.summitcds.org
Address Service Requested Postal regulations require The Summit to pay at least 75 cents for every copy not deliverable as addressed. Please notify us of any changes of address.