Riverdale Country SchoolMIND

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COMMUNITYSPRING 2010 | VOLUME XXXIII | NUMBER 2

Riverdale’80s Rewind:A TotallyAwesome Benefit

Alumni AssociationExecutive Committee2009-2010

Richard Bamberger ’88Cori Mason Berger ’87Seth P. Berger ’87Michael P. Carbone ’90John S. Castle ’91Lisa Stenson Desamours, Esq. ’82Stefanie A. Firtell Donath ’91Tara Pfeifer Englander ’93Danielle J. Englebardt ’94Lorinda Ash Ezersky ’78Neal Garelik ’83Jolie Colin Goldring ’92Marshall Hagen ’72Sandra K. Hoffen ’83Satish Joshi,

Faculty RepresentativeErica Tuft Karsch ’90David Lahm ’58Laurence B. Lederer ’91,

PresidentBrittany Podell Levin ’95Jennifer Smith Lipschultz ’89Tiffany Austin Liston ’94Kilandigalu (Kay) Madati ’91Tony Melchior ’73Lara Englebardt Metz ’96,

SecretaryAnthony E. Meyer ’78Philip R. Michael ’00Michael Michelson,

Faculty RepresentativeShary Moalemzadeh ’89Lori Tarnopol Moore ’79Nancy B. Nightingale ’54Amelia Levin Relles ’87Carolyn Braun Rosen ’92Daniel Rosen ’92Peter Rosenblatt ’50Andrew A. Russell ’89Samuel A. Schoenfield ’96Alison Ginsberg Shefter ’89

Roger Sherman ’74Jefferson Spady ’82Rachel Bloomgarden Spielman ’90Abigail Spiegel Sroka ’99David A. Straker ’90Glen Surnamer ’90David Zahm ’66

Parents AssociationLeadership2009-2010

Jill CornetPresident

Ellyn MillerHead, Upper School PA

Christine KronishHead,Middle School PA

Michele SimpsonHead, Lower School PA

Joanne ZachTreasurer

Ginna SeslerSecretary

Karen KastenbaumPA Secretary, Middle School

Edith FassbergPA Secretary, Lower School

Carol BeckerJan Gilman

PA Members-at-Large

Ellie BogdonoffAlice GittlerBari Kaye

Ex-Officio

Denise BrightLaurie Lindenbaum

Alvin Ailey Performance

Jena BerlinskiDru CareyNanci Hyman

Sheri RobertsonAthletics, Upper School

Jill LightAmy Margolis

Athletics, Middle School

Beverly BartfeldSusan SaltzsteinLeslie Wagner

Book Fair, Lower School

Michelle JacobsLori Beth Singer

Book Fair Family Fun Day,Lower School

Brenda BowenBook Fair,Middle and Upper Schools

Dori BrunoHolly FriedsamLauren HurvitzJanet Pfeffer

Carnival, Lower School

Penelope ClarkClass Parties, Lower School

Odile Buclez-BirshDiversity Forum

Annie FreemanAnita Nelson

Faculty Appreciation,Hill Campus

Amy KalikowJenny Leshem

Faculty Appreciation,River Campus

Lori SchreiberRamy Sharp

Family Skating Night

Asako NagakuraJaya Sinha

International Parents

Debbie Lee-KrissLearning Styles

Karen ElizagaLibrary, River Campus

Christine EvronNewsletter

Jan GilmanNutcracker Performance Benefit

Charles BlowLisa Da CostaPat Jordan

Parents of Color, Hill Campus

Gina AguirreGina Parker Collins

Parents of Color, River Campus

Roni BergParents in Action/ParentsLeague, Hill Campus

Amy GlaswandParents in Action/ParentsLeague, River Campus

Jill HunterBari Kaye

Parents School

Laura SimonSunshine Committee,River Campus

Amy GallenSustainability, River Campus

Nancy OrensteinSustainability, Hill Campus

Isabel FerraresElena Hildebrand-BrownMarisa PatykewichAnnie Roberts

Welcoming Committee,Hill Campus

Abby Howe-HeymanPennyWilson

Welcoming Committee,River Campus

Board of Trustees2009-2010

Lisa Argrette AhmadTiki BarberJessica Weill Bibliowicz ’77Barbara Basser BigioEmily Latour Bogle,

Co-Vice ChairAlfonso L. Carney, Jr.,

SecretaryChristopher J. Carrera ’84Anla Cheng-KingdonJill CornetRobert F. Goldrich ’80

Perry GolkinDavid T. HamamotoMark D. Hostetter ’77Gregg S. HymowitzTheodore P. Janulis ’77Beryl R. Jones-WoodinBrad S. KarpJane Lisman Katz ’65,

ChairLaurence B. Lederer ’91Prakash A. MelwaniThomas K. MontagBrunilda M. MusikantJeffrey Pash

Dominic A.A. Randolph,Head of School

Beth RobertsDavid N. Roberts ’80,

Co-Vice Chair and TreasurerDaniel J. Rosen ’92Phillip“Tod”Waterman III ’84StaceyWeinsteinDavidWestin

Emeritus Trustees

Michele R. CohenThomas C. IsraelPeter M. Lehrer

Linda Lewis Lindenbaum ’54Dr.William C.W. Mow ’55Arthur Ross (deceased)Harvey SchulweisDavid M. SilfenRobert A. StaubDavid F. SteinThomasW. StraussJeffrey N.Vinik ’77Ada G. ZambettiRichard S. Zinman

02 Riverdale ’80s Rewind: A Totally Awesome Benefit

06 Watching the Learners Learn

07 Riverdale Community Honors Retirees,Celebrates 25th Anniversary Milestones

08 Out of the Box: IDEO Workshops at Riverdale

09 2010 Reunions Start to Take Shape

10 No ‘Dancing’Around It:Riverdale’s Dance Program Takes Off

12 For Austin Davis ’10, Good Sports Come in Threes

14 Senior Project Program

15 New SchoolYear, New Schedule

16 Zawadi byYouth Members Journey to India

20 Riverdale’s Energy Project Humming Along

22 When Lucy Met Bill

23 Profile in Giving: Laurie Lindenbaum ’81

24 Class Notes

33 Faculty Profile: Debbie Wing

R i v e r d a l e C o u n t r y S c h o o l

QUAD is published by theCommunications Office

Mary LudemannDirector of Communications

Lindsay HugginsCommunications Assistant

Georgia TuckerDevelopment Associate/

Communications & Planned Giving

Melissa Antenucci LindenDirector of Alumni Relations

ON THE FRONT COVER:

The Riverdale communityrelived the decade that

brought us Cabbage Patch Kidswhile supporting the school.

contentsSPRING 2010 | VOLUME XXXIII | NUMBER 2

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SPRING 2010 • 01

02 • SPRING 2010

Nearly 400 parents, alumni, faculty, and staff relived thedecade that brought us Cabbage Patch Kids and neonclothing at the Prince George Ballroom in NewYork City.

Amid sparkling disco balls and colorful candles, Riverdalians fondly recalled their

favorite ’80s memories while supporting the school.There were more than 30 raffle

packages for which participants could purchase chances to win, as well as the “RCS

Another Brick in theWall” initiative to support. At “TheWall,” guests could

contribute any amount they wanted to a variety of items identified by the school as

being needed.These initiatives included purchasing laptops for students and teachers,

sending faculty to conferences and other professional development opportunities, and

supporting the gardening program at the Lower School, among many others.

Thanks to all of the totally awesome volunteers who helped make the

evening possible: Co-Chairs PamAdler Hirsch ’90, Beverly Bartfeld, and Shelly

Schoenfeld; Raffle Co-Chairs Jennifer Geller and Rachel Bloomgarden Spielman ’90;

Gift Bag Co-Chairs Jan Gilman and Deborah Luskin;Art and Photography Co-Chairs

Lisa Peretz, Janice Meyer, and Melissa Noah;Alumni Committee members Carolyn

Braun Rosen ’92, Cori Mason Berger ’87, and Brittany Podell Levin ’95; and Event

Committee members Gina Aguirre, Ginny Barber, Julie Brail, Barbara Cicco, Jill Cornet,

Rachel Dalton, Edith Fassberg,Wendy Fleishman, Julie Goldberg, Beatriz Gordon, Jill

Hunter, Lauren Hurvitz, Dori Bruno Hurwitz, Maria Lamendola, Ilissa Levine, Heller

Moses, Katherine Moss, Carol Polisner, Kris Randolph, Kate Riley, Erika Shlomm, Jody

Silverman, Lori Beth Singer, andVickiYabe.

Flavia Dezotti-Hallake (left) and Pam AdlerHirsch ’90, Event Co-Chair, in front of the“RCS Another Brick in theWall”.

SPRING 2010 • 03

The dessert table sparkled with candles and acenterpiece of feathers and mini disco balls.

Event Co-Chairs (from left) Beverly Bartfeld,Pam Adler Hirsch ’90, and Shelly Schoenfeld.

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Getting into the spirit of the evening wereRobert Bernstein and Barbara Corcoran.

Attendees survey the raffle packages before decidinginto which boxes to drop their tickets.

Enjoying an evening of goodfood, good friends, andRiverdale spirit were parents(from left) Fritz and LeeMichel, Marcello Hallake,Flavia Dezotti-Hallake, GinaAguirre, and Daniel Aguirre.

SPRING 2010 • 05

Wait staff passed around fun ’80s favors, such as neonrubber bracelets and sunglasses.

Director of Financial Aid Sheila Hicks (left)sported a faux Mohawk for the occasion.

Head of School Dominic A.A. Randolphand his wife, Kris.

06 • SPRING 2010

Watching the Learners Learn:Notes from Peer Coaching

at the Lower School

hen Lower School teachers Rebecca Greller andRebecca Cohen (known with affection as“the twoRebeccas”) attended a workshop at Bank StreetCollege last summer on mentoring new teachers, alight bulb went off for both of these seasoned

educators: Why couldn’t the Lower School start a peer mentoringprogram and make it open to all teachers, not just new ones? Surelythe benefits would be great for the entire faculty, and the idea was richwith possibilities for teaching young children.Thus the Lower SchoolPeer Coaching program was born. Less than a year old, the programhas nearly 50 participants on the River Campus.

A key part of the program is classroom observation followed bydiscussion and planning.Teachers are finding that being observed bycolleagues in a non-judgmental format—the peer observation is notpart of the performance review process—a rewarding experience.They are learning important lessons from each other and, in somecases, are developing new curriculum based on shared experiences.As Rebecca Cohen, now Assistant Head of Lower School puts it,“Ourfocus is on watching the learners learn. This program is meant to benon-threatening, non-critical and non-evaluative; there is a lot to begained by seeing other teachers in action and talking about what[kind of] learning is taking place.”

Teachers who attended the peer coaching kick-off party in the firstsemester got a chance to see peer coaching in action.The two Rebeccashad visited each other’s classrooms with a Flip camera (courtesy of

PreK-8 Computer Coordinator Ben Lesch). They watched the video-taped lesson as a group and talked about the learning taking place.

Rebecca Greller reports that being observed and then discussing theclass with a peer coach is very useful to her.

“The process helps you think about your teaching, refining it with aclear focus on planning, executing a lesson, and leading a studentdiscussion. Watching myself interact with the students, noting certainmannerisms, how I use the space in my classroom, all of it has helped

me rethink how I do things andpresent myself.”

For Lower School Director of PhysicalEducation David Morris, a25-year Riverdale veteran, the peerobservation experience led to thecreation of new lesson plans with hiscolleague, math and computerteacher John Mueser.

“After John observed my track andfield class we saw right away thatcollecting student performance dataon the field could be used as the basis

of a lesson in mathematics, such as plotting a student’s athleticimprovements over time on a graph. Peer coaching allows us the timeand opportunity to see how we can cross disciplines to reinforce ideasand encourage our students and our fellow teachers,”David explains.

In March, the Lower School Peer Coaching group met to reflect onshared experiences and to think about the highlights (such as John andDavid’s experience), the challenges (not enough time for reflection),and how best to move forward with peer coaching.The expectation isthat the program will continue to change and grow, as will the teacherswho are participating in it.

Rebecca Cohen (left) and Rebecca Greller(not pictured) are the driving forces behindthe Lower School Peer Coaching program.

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“Peer coachingallows us the timeand opportunity tosee how we cancross disciplines toreinforce ideas andencourage ourstudents and ourfellow teachers.”

SPRING 2010 • 07

From left: Paul Betjeman, David Morris, Head of SchoolDominic A.A. Randolph, and Maureen Norberto.

After three decades at Riverdale as an Integrated Liberal Studies teacher and coordinatorof all things audio-visual, Paul Betjeman retired at the end of 2009. He was honored ata reception at Tower House in December. The event also celebrated 25 years of service byLower School Director of Physical Education David Morris and the Infant Toddler Center’sMaureen Norberto. Incidentally, Maureen’s 25th year was also her last with Riverdale:Like Paul, she retired at the end of 2009.

Paul’s family—wife Linda, Lily ’02 (a journalist in the HudsonValley), andTimothy ’01 (an artist witha career in England)—joined him at the reception. Since his retirement from the school Paul hasreturned to composing, revising his own chamber music.

Two veteran teachers from the Lower School celebrated their combined half century of service in2009. David Morris, Director of Physical Education, joined Riverdale when the Lower School waslocated on the Hill Campus. Gym facilities were a bit cramped in those days; students played in asmall space in the 9/10 Building. By the early 1990s the Lower School had moved to the River Campus,and much to David’s relief, students now played in a new gym that was three times larger than theold facility.

Over two and a half decades David has coached many sports in addition to his work with youngchildren, including swimming, cross-country, and track and field. His teaching philosophy hasfundamentally stayed the same: Put the kids first.

“You really can’t hide on a playing field so it’s important to make sure that everyone feels included. Withyoung children you work to blend building skills with having fun. It’s always a balancing act as ateacher, encouraging students who are naturally good at athletics as well as those who are exploringwhat they could be successful at doing. It’s a challenge, but I love doing it.”

Maureen spent her career at Riverdale in day care. She recalls answering an ad in The Riverdale Pressfor a preschool teacher position at Riverdale; she stayed for a quarter century. She has very fondmemories of taking care of the children of faculty members from Riverdale and the other surroundinghill schools. Maureen admits that she“really misses the little ones,”but is truly enjoying a retirementfilled with family, friends, and travel, mostly to Cape Cod.

RiverdaleCommunityHonors Retirees,Celebrates25th AnniversaryMilestones

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At first glance, an award-winning design firm seems an unlikely source of inspiration for a schoolseeking solutions to controlling waste and promoting discovery on campus. But at Riverdale a newcollaboration with IDEO—the California design company that developed such icons as the computer mouse andthe Palm handheld device—has brought powerful tools of innovation to the everyday concerns of the Lower School,all with excellent results.

A fundamental tenet of IDEO is that good ideas can come from anywhere in an institution, and problemsolving can be more innovative if you break from a traditional hierarchical approach. Since Riverdale

classroom teachers have shown considerable creativity in their individual classrooms, theadministration felt it made sense to use the IDEO model.

IDEO teaches a design process that helps organizations to problem solve in new ways.The process occurs in the following three stages: inspiration, ideas, and action. Each

stage consists of activities that help people break with old patterns of problemsolving and find innovative solutions that keep the end-user in mind.

Some activities participating teachers were particularly drawn to were observing situationsanalogous to their own for inspiration, suspending judgment and building on the ideas of otherswhen brainstorming, and rapidly prototyping new ideas to elicit user feedback.

Starting in October, teams from IDEO came for a couple of two-day workshops and immersedRiverdale faculty in the process. Each workshop began with a question, such as “How mightwe reduce waste at Riverdale?” and “How might we promote discovery on our campus?”

Several prototypes were developed to address these questions, and teams currently areworking to implement them at the Lower School.

According to Lower School Learning Specialist Karen Fierst, “Perhaps more important thanthe many ideas for solutions our teams came up with was the fact that the faculty werelearning the process so that we might use the IDEO tool kit in our everyday work atRiverdale. It’s been a rewarding process for us all.”

After the two IDEO-led workshops, Karen and two other faculty members—third-gradeteacher Patrick Murray and second-grade teacher Michael Schurr—volunteered to workwith IDEO to train as on-site facilitators. On Riverdale’s Professional Development Day, athird workshop was conducted, this one facilitated entirely by Riverdale faculty. The focusof this third workshop was creating a culture of collaboration.

As the Lower School faculty and administration continue to incorporate IDEO’s design-thinking process into every question they ask, they are confident that the resulting answerswill reflect a wider range of ideas and viewpoints. As one workshop participant latercommented in an anonymous online survey, “Design thinking forces you to slow down andbe methodical in your thinking and planning. It also allows you to take into considerationcolleagues’ ideas and opinions, no matter howdifferent they may be. Design thinking can helpteachers be more global, rounded, and intentionalin their teaching.”

08 • SPRING 2010

Out BoxNew Lower School collaboration is ‘designed’to encourage problem solving in new ways.

IDEO workshopparticipants included(from left) Michael

Schurr, Karen Fierst,Tina Hayward, Kris

Randolph, andPatrick Murray. Here,

Patrick fieldsquestions about adesk prototype.

Workshop participantsbuilt prototypes for avariety of classroomequipment and furniture.

This desk prototype includes adjustableshelves and magnetic/dry erase side panels,

among other interesting features.

SPRING 2010 • 09

REUNIONSAlumni meet to plan special gatherings forHomecoming weekend, October 1-3.

On an unseasonably warm April afternoon, members of theClass of 1960 met at the Hill Campus to begin planning their50th reunion. As in previous years, gala reunion parties forclasses ending in 5 or 0 are scheduled for Homecomingweekend, this year falling on the first weekend of October. TheClass of 1960 began planning right after NewYear’s, with theaim to recruit as many from the class as possible to attend theparty in the fall.

“We’re very excited to have so many from the Class of 1960respond to our outreach efforts; we’re looking forward to a bigturn out,”says Harvey Meer ’60, who spearheaded much of thepre-planning for the April meeting.

Women from the Class of 1960 were in attendance at the Aprilmeeting and are planning their own special events just forGirls School alumnae; the big parties will include everyonefrom the Class of 1960.

“There are a number of Girls School alumnae who areinterested in getting together, and we’re reaching out to seewhat kind of gathering would work best,”says PeggyMitchell ’60, one of the committee members, adding,“Certainlywe would want to visit the old campus (now the LowerSchool) and catch up with old friends.”

The Classes of 1950 and 1945 have planning committees inplace as well and are scheduling events around Homecomingweekend, too.

Younger alumni are also planning big bashes. The Class of 2000held a dinner meeting in April to get started, and the Class of1990 got together in May.

Want to work on a reunion party? All classes ending in 0 or 5 willhave special reunion events during the Homecoming weekend,including designated tables at the Homecoming luncheon.Help is needed to plan the events. Please contact ReunionCoordinator GeorgiaTucker at gtucker@riverdale.edu formore information.

2010START TO TAKE SHAPE

The Class of 1960 planning committee in front of Frank S.Hackett Hall(back row, from left): Barbara Bates Bassous, DavidTyson, Peggy NortonMitchell, and Jeffrey Bijur; (front row, from left): Fred Orkin (with Spike, theofficial mascot of the Class of 1960 reunion), Sara Gore Stone, and HarveyMeer.

The Class of 2000 planning committee met for dinner recently to startplanning for reunion (from left): Lana Jacobs Edelman, Lindsay Barad,Linara Davidson, Lauren Laufer, Ariel Levy, Hallie Cohen, and AlexTownsend-Mitchell. Philip Michael and David Politis (not pictured) arealso on the committee.

10 • SPRING 2010

Upper School dance teacher Anna Farkas talks about her background,Riverdale’s new dance program, and why she thinks dance education isimportant for all students.

Tell us a little about your dance background.My mother was a dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and shestarted bringing me to class at a young age. I was enrolled in a rigoroustraining program through the School of the Hartford Ballet and studiedwith teachers from the Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the RoyalAcademy of Dance. I began touring and performing with the company at16 and also enrolled in a performing arts high school.The high schoolfocused on modern and musical theatre dance and expanded my training.In college, I received a BFA in Dance Pedagogy through a conservatoryprogram. Dancing in school, I had the opportunity to perform at Jacob’sPillow, as well as to choreograph and perform for the Connecticut Opera,tour regionally with a number of different companies, and study withmaster teachers Peggy Lyman, Franco Devita, Susan Brooker, and AdamMiller. I received full scholarships to study at the Martha Graham Schooland the Paul Taylor School. Once I moved to NewYork City I performed inSweet Charity and many other Broadway and off-Broadway shows atSymphony Space, Lincoln Center, and downtown venues. Performing withJenny Rocha and Dante Puleio, I“worked”consistently, until this past fallwhen I decided to focus on teaching dance, yoga, and Pilates.

How did you get involved in dance education?I began assisting ballet classes at the age of 12, when my mother wasteaching. In college, we took classes in pedagogy and student-taught indance schools as well as at inner-city public schools. My teaching in NewYork began slowly and then took off like wild fire. There are only ahandful of Dance Pedagogy programs in the country, so well-qualifiedteachers are hard to come by. I began teaching at Collegiate, Chapin,Brearley, and dance schools on Long Island. I also gave private lessons toselect students.

How did you feel about starting a brand new dance program at Riverdale?I was thrilled to have the opportunity to create a dance program here. Itseems as if all of my teaching experience has built up to this moment. Mydegree program worked with building syllabi, curriculum, and lesson plans,so I felt very prepared. Prior to this, my teaching had been such that I onlysaw each of my classes two times a week.The idea of having my studentsfour times a week opened up the possibilities of what we could accomplish.I have so many ideas; it’s fun and exciting to build from the ground up.

What is the dance curriculum like for the Middle and Upper School students?The dance curriculum integrates ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporarystyles of movement, beginning with basic vocabulary and steps andgradually building on that foundation. We study anatomy and kinesiologyso the students become familiar with how the body works and why.Theclasses integrate dance history by learning about major choreographersand major stylistic shifts throughout the history of dance. Once thestudents are comfortable moving and have a solid base to work from, webegin the study of composition. In this section, we incorporateimprovisation, partner-work, counter-balance and student-made work.

What is your favorite part ofworking with the students?The students have endless energy.They bring exuberance and a can-do attitude to class. Most of thestudents don’t have a dancebackground, so by taking the classthey are getting a physicaleducation and a culturaleducation as well.

How do you see the programevolving in the future?I would love to create a moreintensive training program here atRiverdale. I would love to seeevery student taking dance atleast once during his or herMiddle School and UpperSchool years. Separate classes forjazz, ballet, hip-hop and dancehistory would be fantastic.

Why do you think dance is animportant addition to Riverdale’sarts education?Dance is an education both physically andculturally. As these young students morphinto adulthood, their understanding of thebody is crucial to maintaining a healthylifestyle. Dance can help students makeconscious choices about how they use their bodiesand help to build confidence, poise, and grace.These elements can beapplied on the dance floor, football field, or sitting in an interview chair.From a cultural perspective, our students should be able to see an opera,ballet, or other performance work and have the ability to discuss, in anintelligent manner, their likes or dislikes and how the movement relates toother major works of our time. Dance is the ultimate art form, shapingwho we are and how we move through our lives.

Dance teacher AnnaFarkas (left) goes over aroutine with her class ofUpper School students.

In addition to dance classes, Anna alsoteaches yoga and Pilates. Here, shehelps students with their stretches.

No ‘Dancing’ Around It:Riverdale’s Dance Program Takes Off

ALVINAILEY RETURNSto the RIVER CAMPUS

forTWO-WEEK RESIDENCYOn a chilly day in mid-December, excited parents packed the Lower School gymnasium to watchtheir children show off all they had learned during their two-week residency with the prestigiousAlvinAiley dance company.

This was the second year thatAlvinAiley came to visit the River Campus. Last year,Head ofLower School Sandy Shaller invited Heather McCartney,Co-Director of AileyArts in Educationand Community Programs, for a one-week residency in order to bring dance and movementeducation to the River Campus.The physical education department—as well as theadministration and parents—felt so strongly about the impact of the residency that Sandy and

Lower School Director of Physical Education David Morris proposed a two-week residency forthe fall of 2009.

With the added time this year, theAlvinAileystaff could provide a deeper

understanding of the basicfundamentals of dance and creativemovement.The students learnedroutines that reflected the style ofWestAfrican dance and performedtheir dances to the rhythm of theDjembe, a drum that descended fromWestAfrica.The older students also hadthe chance to perform from the very

special “Revelations” curriculum, created byAlvinAiley himself.

Due to the success of the residency, Riverdale plans tocontinue to grow the relationship withAlvinAiley in thefuture.AlvinAiley is now a part of the Riverclub afterschool program, and even some parents want to get inon the action. Lower School physical education teacher JenniferWard notes,“We were amused to hearmothers chatting with each other after the assembly.They are hoping to start anAlvinAiley parents’ class atthe Lower School. Stay tuned!”

SPRING 2010 • 11

The second grade’s high-energyperformance at the Alvin AileyLower School assembly was a hit.

The fourth grade used expressive movements inits dance at the Alvin Ailey Lower School assembly.

The fifth grade performed two routines at theAlvin Ailey Lower School assembly, includingAlvin Ailey’s noted work,“Revelations.”

12 • SPRING 2010

Playing three sports is no easy feat, especiallywith schoolwork and other commitments onyour plate.And yet, that is exactly what AustinDavis ’10 did while at Riverdale.

Austin, who played quarterback for the varsityfootball team, guard for the varsity basketballteam, and shortstop for the varsity baseballteam, was not your typical student athlete.Director of Athletics and Football Coach DeclanWalsh says,“Austin is a throwback type of kid.Alot of athletes specialize in one sport these days.Austin proved that you can play three sportsand excel in each of them.”Baseball CoachDoug McDonald agrees, noting,“Austin didn’tjust play or was just on the team.Austin wascaptain for two out of three sports.Thepositions he played are arguably the mostimportant positions on the field.”

Although unusual,Austin never had a secondthought about playing three sports.“I’ve playedthree sports at Riverdale since seventh grade, soI really don’t know what it’s like to go home at 4p.m. and have nothing to do.”

Baseball is Austin’s strongest sport, but he alsohad many memorable games in both football

and basketball. Coach Walsh says,“Austin madea lot of plays for us throughout his career.Whatstands out to me was him driving the footballteam the length of the field against Fieldstonthis past season with under a minute left in thegame. He ended up throwing a touchdownpass with no time left on the clock.”

Basketball Coach Andy Marinos also notesAustin’s ability to score, remembering the firstround of the state tournament againstBrowning in which he scored 31 points. CoachMarinos says,“Without every one of his points,we never win.”

In addition to his scoring capabilities,Austinexcelled in his defensive role as shortstop.Coach McDonald remembers Austin’s part in aone-run win against Horace Mann last year:“In the top of the seventh inning, there weretwo outs, and Horace Mann had come backfrom a deficit to make it a one-run game.With arunner on first base and two outs, the batter hita ball into the outfield, with the third basemanmaking the cut to home.An off-the-markthrow brought the third basemen to the middleof the diamond.When the Horace Mannrunner who was on base rounded second andnoticed no one covering third, he decided toadvance.Austin—who was not supposed tocover third—trailed the runner, and when wecut the ball to home, we threw the ball to thirdbase and made the final out.”

In all of these games,Austin demonstratedwhat his coaches call his“intangibles.”CoachWalsh says,“He has great speed and acompetitive spirit. He always seemed to raisehis level of play in critical moments.”

Leading by Example

As captain of both the basketball and baseballteams his senior year,Austin was often lookedup to as a leader. Coach McDonald believes thatAustin did a great job of leading by example.“He is very encouraging to other players andalways willing to help…Austin carries himselfwith a lot of confidence on and off the field andthat rubs off onto his teammates.”Coach

Marinos also noticed the great relationshipbetween Austin and his fellow teammates.“Austin took on the role of being captain

AUSTIN DAVIS ’10,

Austin Davis ’10 makes apass during Riverdale’sHomecoming ’09 lossto Moore Catholic.

While Austin Davis ’10 plays football andbasketball, baseball is his strongest sport, and hewill be playing for Gettysburg College next spring.

GOOD SPORTS COME

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SPRING 2010 • 13

Boys Basketball Team TakesHome Buzzell Trophy forFourth Straight YearThe boys’ varsity basketball team took home thecoveted Buzzell trophy after a hard-fought game againstHorace Mann at the annual Buzzell Games, held January 9at Manhattan College.

This year, Brian Lebowitz, Riverdale’s senior forward,scored a game-high 27 points to lead Riverdale to a 57-48victory, the Falcons’ fourth straight win in the series.

Brian,who will play at Division III Kenyon College inGambier,OH, in the fall, told the NewYork Post,“PlayingHorace Mann here is just the biggest game of the year. I’lldefinitely cherish these wins. I try and play well everygame, but games like these are definitely special.Thesegames count a little more.”

Unfortunately, the girls’ varsity basketball team came upshort in their game against Horace Mann, losing 41-29 tothe Lady Lions.

Team captains and seniors (from left) Austin Davis,Harris Greenstein, and Brian Lebowitz show off theBuzzell trophy with Coach Andy Marinos.

seriously. He matured this year as captain and down the stretch reallyplayed and acted like it.”

Austin, who will play baseball at Gettysburg College next year, says hewill miss the team camaraderie and playing with his best friends. “Oneach team I have at least a few kids that I’ve been going to Riverdale withsince kindergarten, and the ones I haven’t been going to school with foras long, I’ve come to know very well over the years.

“Though I will probably become good friends with the guys on my teamin college, I do not believe I will be able to create the same special bond Ihave with my high school friends, just because Riverdale is such a tight-knit community,”he says.

Coach McDonald believes that Austin has a very goodchance to play shortstop at Gettysburg next year,

a huge honor and responsibility. He wishesAustin luck, saying,“Austin has been

one of the most enjoyable playersI have coached. He is a respectful

caring person, and he will besuccessful in anything

he does.”

IN THREES

14 • SPRING 2010

Senior Project Program

For many seniors, the last month of school is a time to relax, blow off some steam, and spend alot of time grazing in the cafeteria. That has all changed, however, as Riverdale recently rolled outthe Senior Project Program, a pilot program brainstormed by Upper School English and ILSteacher John Wellington and Director of Studies Mike Michelson.

This year, approximately 10 seniors participated in the program, each pursuing a three-weekproject on a topic of interest to them. One student conducted research on the relationship betweenmuseums and their neighborhoods in Paris. Another student analyzed ongoing or recent politicalcampaigns and created a television advertisement for both the Democratic and Republican parties.And yet another student adapted a children’s book for the stage and performed a “one-man” showof his adaptation.

The diversity of topics demonstrates how the Senior Project Program encourages students to pursuetheir individual passions. John hopes that this new program will encourage seniors to stay engagedwith Riverdale in their final months and give them an opportunity to pursue meaningful workoutside of the classroom setting.

StructureThe program’s structure requires deep thought prior to the start of the project. With the help of anadvisor and other members of the Riverdale community, seniors come up with a project thatinvolves serious, sustained work in a particular area of interest. The projects must fall into one ormore broad categories: research (academic in nature), private sector workplace internships, publicsector community service internships, artistic work, engineering/architecture work, or computertechnology. Every project will involve either a question to be answered or a specific goal, and allwill involve research of some sort. In addition, every student will keep a journal and write areflective essay about his or her experience.

Proposals were due in mid-January and approved in the beginning of February. During the monthof April, students met with their advisors to hammer out the details of their projects.In the beginning of May, the project period began and participating seniors were excusedfrom classes to pursue their projects.

At the end of the project period, students presented their work to their classmates, advisors,and other interested faculty.

MotivationThe idea for the Senior Project Program came from John’s experience as a dean for three seniorclasses. After talking to seniors and observing their behavior toward the end of the school year, hefound that seniors wanted the freedom to pursue their interests with fewer restrictions. “By May,”John says, “seniors have outgrown Riverdale, yet we keep them on an academic schedule that isessentially the same as the schedule for a freshman.” Therefore, John wanted to create a programthat would make the end of senior year a special time in the students’ academic lives and helpthem learn about the world around them.

BenefitsJohn believes that one of the greatest benefits of the program is that it allows students to pursue“something that is a passion that isn’t a part of the regular curriculum but has real value.” Hebelieves it ties in nicely with the addition of Mini Courses next year and shows that Riverdale isinterested in having students learn in myriad ways. He also sees the value in students producing aproduct that will be measured and presented to an audience. “The idea that early June is givenover to sharing what the students have learned with each other, with adults, and with youngerstudents is very appealing.”

While only time will tell if these expected benefits come to fruition, it is safe to say that the SeniorProject Program fits in nicely with the continuously growing and changing curriculum at Riverdale.

ONE STUDENTCONDUCTED RESEARCHON THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN MUSEUMS ANDTHEIR NEIGHBORHOODS

IN PARIS.

ONE STUDENT CREATEDA TELEVISION

ADVERTISEMENT FORBOTH THE DEMOCRATIC

AND REPUBLICANPARTIES.

ONE STUDENT ADAPTEDA CHILDREN’S BOOKFOR THE STAGE AND

PERFORMED A‘ONE MAN’ SHOW OF

HIS ADAPTATION.

he start of the 2010-2011 school year marks the introductionof a new schedule at Riverdale.With greater flexibility andmore time built into the school day, the new schedule willallow students to pursue a broader range of interests.

The new schedule was proposed based on several concernswith the old schedule.The old student and faculty schedules were so tightthat it was often difficult for students and teachers to meet outside ofclass. It was also difficult for students to pursue two languages at

Riverdale without considerable sacrifice to their schedules. In addition,orchestra and band students often could not find time in their schedulesto pursue other artistic interests.

The revised schedule allows for all of these things by making only a few,subtle changes. Fridays will now be lengthened, moving dismissal from2:35pm to 3:10pm; the physical education requirement will be reducedfrom meeting five times a week to four; and nine period bands will bereduced to eight.

These changes will also allow the introduction of Mini Courses. Designedfor second-semester seniors or other students seeking an engaging classwithout the full responsibility of a purely academic course, Mini Courseswill meet less frequently than regular courses.The offerings will expand asthe program takes off but proposed topics include Jazz Improvisation,History of Photography,Topics in Science Research,Archaeology,Conversational Portuguese and Italian, and Climate Change. Many ofthese courses will be interdisciplinary in nature. Climate Change, forexample, will be taught by four to five teachers and will touch on every

aspect of the topic, from the political to thescientific to the aesthetic.

Director of Studies Mike Michelson is wary ofsome students over-extending themselveswith these courses but believes that they willbe community-building, bringing togetherstudents with similar interests in anintellectually stimulating environment.

Also in line with these changes, Riverdale willbe dropping the AP designation from itscurriculum. Students will still be welcome(and well-prepared) to take AP examinationsat the end of the year, but the course offeringswill focus on deep learning instead of collegeplacement.

Mr. Mike cites the restraining nature of the AP syllabi and the time-intensive structure of AP courses—especially AP sciences—as two of themain reasons for the change. He says the school found that the broadnature of AP courses often left students feeling overwhelmed, and whilethe knowledge gained in these courses was great, he noticed that somestudents lost interest in the subject because of the pressure.

Head of School Dominic A.A. Randolph agrees, saying,“We feel that wecan dynamically develop a more exciting and rigorous set of upper levelcourses in our required disciplines that will both provide students with athorough grounding in the disciplines while also developing such skills asargumentation, inquiry, and research.”

Mr. Mike believes that all of these changes emphasize Riverdale’sdedication to a more interdisciplinary approach to learning and adedication to allowing students to pursue their individual passions. Hesays,“We continue to explore ways in which we can engage the kids indeep academic discourse instead of just rote learning.”

SPRING 2010 • 15

TNEW School YearNEW Schedule

“These changesemphasizeRiverdale’sdedication toallowingstudents topursue theirindividualpassions.”

16 • SPRING 2010

Zawadi byYouth Members

Journey to IndiaTwelve Riverdale students and four chaperones—including Head of School

Dominic A.A. Randolph—traveled to India for what one student called“easily the most memorable, most life-changing, most emotional week of my life.”

Zawadi byYouth is one of the first high school microfinanceorganizations in the country, and the first such group at

Riverdale. Completely student-run, the group seeks to alleviateworld poverty through small but significant loans to entrepreneursin third-world countries who have no other access to credit. Theseloans enable the recipients to raise themselves, their families, andtheir communities from poverty through various self-sustainableand important activities, such as selling firewood in Nigeria orraising cattle in Cambodia.The group previously traveled to SanFrancisco to visit Kiva, an organization that facilitates microfinanceloans via the Internet.

During Spring Break, Riverdale Country School sponsored a trip toMumbai and Ahmedabad, India; 12 students (many of whom belongto Zawadi byYouth) and four chaperones (Head of School DominicA.A. Randolph and his wife Kris, Director of Community ServiceLauren Swierczek, andTed Janulis ’77, a Riverdale parent andmember of the Board of Trustees) spent a jam-packed week visitingseveral companies, schools, slums, and a microfinance bank.Amongthe meetings was a discussion with Sir RatanTata ’55, one of the mostpowerful and philanthropic men in India.

What follows are excerpts from two journals written by studentswho journeyed to India and came back with a deeperunderstanding and awareness of their roles as global citizens.

�

Oliver Schreiner ’11— Sunday—

While loading our bags into [our bus], an orphanedgirl of about six came up to a member of ourgroup, begging for money. It was an extremelyharrowing sight. It was nearing one in the morningand she was all alone, but we couldn’t give heranything because we had been forewarned thatmoney easily finds its way into the hands of violentgangs.We had all been told to expect this, but itwas nevertheless a haunting experience that Ihaven’t been able to stop thinking about.

—Monday—We traveled to Dharavi, the largest slum in Asiaand the most densely populated one in the world.There are over one million people in 1.75 squarekilometers.We were led through it by RealityTours, a company that has faced significantcriticism for encroaching upon the lives of theseimpoverished people. I strongly disagreed with thecondemnation: I believe the tour is laudable forhighlighting the optimism and industry of thesepeople.…The most amazingly emotional part ofthis tour was the crowd of kids running after us,saying “Hi” and shaking as many of our hands aspossible.Their vivacity and positive outlook wasstriking.…This slum was obviously nothing likewhat we had expected going in. In fact, it

completely reaffirmed the fundamental premise ofmicrofinance, which is that the poor areextremely hard-working and resourceful people.

—Wednesday—Today we traveled toAkanksha, an organizationthat acts as a safety net for less privileged children.It seeks to galvanize them through providingeducation and a haven to go to before or afterschool.… Not long ago, the organization wouldhave to go out into the slums and plead withparents to allow their children to join theprogram, but they are now flooded with morepotential students than they can provide for.

We [went] to one of Akanksha’s centers, wherewe had an extremely moving experience.Theteacher … paired each of us with one student.Wetalked for five minutes, then went to the front ofthe class and were quizzed about each other’slives.These five minutes turned out to be the mostmeaningful so far of the trip.…We learned thatthese kids, although they live 8,000 miles away andare not well off, are very similar to us.

—Thursday—Early in the morning,we traveled to …Ahmedabad,a city of five million that is extremely different fromanything we have seen thus far.After the hour-longflight,we drove to the private Riverside School. Itwas founded in 2001 by Kiran Sethi, an amazingly

passionate and innovative woman …The schoolfollows her ideology that children must learnthrough choice and community engagement ratherthan by simply being fed information.… Ms. Sethibegan a competition three years ago for students inAhmedabad to change something in theircommunities, spread it to India, and is taking itglobal this year. It is being hailed as one of the mostinclusive community engagement programs ever.The premise is to take one idea and, in one week,attempt to change one billion lives.We areextremely excited to take up the challenge this year.

The view from our window summed up sopoignantly the fundamental problem of India—thediscrepancy between the rich and poor of thecountry is greater than anywhere else in the world.Directly below the relatively nice hotel was a slumof such complete penury that the contrast wasagonizing to think about,much less look at.

—Friday—This morning we walked through Ahmedabad onour way to a meeting with SEWA Bank.This cityis so much different from the relativelycosmopolitan Mumbai.The residents ofAhmedabad share the streets with countlesswater buffalo, camels, and elephants.There wasalso a much more conservative feel to the city,which does not receive many tourists and is veryreligious.The diversity of India, however, was still

SPRING 2010 • 17

certainly palpable even in the religion of the city.We visited both a mosque and a Hindu temple onour way to the bank. Indians, we learned, do notcare what religion you adhere to, as long as youhave faith in something.

Tomorrow is our last day, and although this weekhas felt more like a month, we are all extremelysad to be leaving a country that has become sucha part of us.

—Saturday—Today was our final day in India and definitelybittersweet.The bus first brought us to theheadquarters of the “Save Our Schools!” project,which is taking over government schools andrefurbishing them so that teachers and studentsalike will be more inclined to attend. So far thisproject seems to be working: In one rural schoolthe project funded, student attendance hasrecently risen from 51% to 70%.

We were taken to BalmohanVidyamandir, aschool founded by Loka Kalyan Shikshan Sanstha,the same organization that began the “Save OurSchools!” project.The ninth graders had comehere on a Saturday morning just to see us. First,we took a group picture and then had an informalassembly during which their head of school andMr. Randolph both talked of the need to use oureducation to its fullest potential in helping others.

The students then helped us make pottery andWarli drawings, which ended up being much moreof a chance to open up to each other and talkabout living in our respective countries.… In ashow of how easily we bonded, everyone sharedcontact information before leaving.

Currently we’re 40,000 feet over Iceland, but Indiahas not left us at all. Nor will it.The eye-openingand completely transformative trip will definitelyaffect all of us going forward. I know I can speakfor the group when I say that this was both themost tiring and stressful week of our lives, butalso the most fun and significant, too. �

Riverdale students work with students of BalmohanVidyamandir school.

The group toured Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia.

Students fromAkanksha trulybelieve in the mottothat’s printed on theback of their shirts,“Be the Change”.

18 • SPRING 2010

Zach Siegel ’11—Monday, 4:00 a.m.—

After exiting the plane following the 15-hourflight, I could not help but think how lucky I am.The country that I had been so anxious toarrive in was finally at my footsteps, and I couldsense the excitement of the entire group toexplore this new world. Now I find myselfunable to sleep, partially because of the jetlag,but mostly because of the anticipation for whatlies in store tomorrow.

—Monday, 11:00 p.m.—Our first meeting in Mumbai was with theSir RatanTataTrust, a group dedicated to givingback to India in various ways. One way was withcommunity-based microfinance.Thismicrofinance model was different than anythingwe had previously studied…Overall, it was asustainable, efficient way of giving back to thecommunities of India.

Dharavi Slum is hard to describe. Its poverty isevident. Hygiene is virtually non-existent.Thepeople of Dharavi simply do not have muchmaterial wealth. But the slum’s one millioninhabitants are not disheartened by theirpoverty.They create all sorts of businesses(more than 10,000) that range from recycling tobaking.…While Dharavi Slum may be poor interms of money, I have never experienced a

place so rich in community. It was … a life-changing experience that I think every human[being] should have the opportunity to see.

—Tuesday, 10:00 p.m.—Today was one of the busiest days of my life.Wewoke up at 5:45 a.m. to take a bus to Pune, aboutfour hours from Mumbai.… It was the group’sfirst look at rural India, and it made us allappreciate how incredibly diverse and beautifulthis country really is.

Once we arrived in Pune, we went to BharatForge, the largest forging company in the world.…After Bharat Forge, we made our way acrossPune to KPIT Cummins, an IT company. Inanother showing of Indian hospitality, theyprovided us with lunch.The excitement on ourfaces as we opened the door and saw McDonald’swas obvious...This McDonald’s was different thanthose back home.Veggie burgers and cheesewraps were served, showing Hindi tenets ofvegetarianism. Even the ketchup had a distinctiveIndian flare.

After lunch, we met with executives of KPITCummins. Never have I been so impressed with acompany’s commitment to giving back to society.… KPIT is run not only by great businesspeople,but by committed, kind, passionate people whoknow that they are part of a global and localcommunity. Giving back is clearly not anafterthought for this growing company…This

distinction attracts many to KPIT Cummins’service, so the company shows how sociallyresponsible business is a viable model for runninga company.

—Wednesday, 11:00 p.m.—Today was life-changing to say the least.Akanksha,a non-governmental organization (NGO) thatprovides underprivileged Indian youth with a havenaway from home to learn and socialize, was ourhost for most of the day. …Akanksha operates 33youth centers in Mumbai, and we had the amazingopportunity to visit one.The children at this center,each about 12 years old,were impressive andinspirational.On the back of each of their shirtswere the words “Be the change,” a motto thatAkanksha takes seriously in its efforts to lift urbanchildren out of poverty with education.

Later, we went to meet with Sir RatanTata ’55, oneof the most powerful and philanthropic men inIndia. Famous worldwide for his efforts to endpoverty,Mr.Tata is an inspirational figure…As aRiverdale alumnus, he was excited to meet with usand to learn about our efforts in microfinance.…His commitment to socially responsible business isinspiring, and each and every one of us took awayfrom the meeting a sense of awe that this powerfulman was so focused on his impact on the world.

Zawadi byYouth Members

Journey to India continued...

Riverdale students with the students ofBalmohanVidyamandir, a school founded

by Loka Kalyan Shikshan Sanstha,the same organization that began the“Save Our Schools!”project in India.

SPRING 2010 • 19

—Thursday, 1:00 a.m.—The Riverside School is easily the most impressiveand admirable academic institution I have ever hadthe pleasure of visiting.…We could not help beingimpressed by these students, especially one of thesecond graders.He spoke flawless English (he evenused “amniotic” correctly), and he exudedconfidence.…The students there recognized howlucky they were to have an education, and wevowed to bring their attitudes to the students ofRiverdale.

—Friday, 10:00 p.m.—Today started with a visit to SEWA bank, the firsttrue microfinance institution.They were aninspirational company, as they focused on gettingIndian women to empower themselves by providingthem with both capital and education.

—Saturday, 12:00 a.m.—As I sit here on the flight home to NewYork, I can’thelp but reflect on what I now consider easily themost memorable,most life-changing,mostemotional week of my life.The people of India areamazing.The country itself is gorgeous at times, butthe parts that were dirty and underdeveloped werethe most memorable.What affected me most wasthe attitude of all Indians.…Their appreciation forwhat they do have greatly outweighs their sorrowfor what they do not.This attitude was so incredible[to us] because coming from a culture where wehave so much and take so much for granted,we allvowed to appreciate what we have more.

Riverdale studentswere amazed athow much theyhad in commonwith the Indianstudents.

RatanTata ’55 (center) met with theRiverdale contingent and inspired themwith his intense commitment to helping hisfellow countrymen.Tata is the chairman ofTata Group, which channels more than 60%of its profits into its philanthropic trusts.

Students whovisited the slumssaid the visitreaffirmed thefundamentalpremise ofmicrofinance, whichis that the poor areextremely hardworking andresourceful people.

n 2007, Riverdale established the Department of Plant & Sustainabilityin response to a growing desire to manage energy resources moreefficiently. David Patnaude was hired as director and one of his first taskswas to reexamine how Riverdale uses energy and what paths the schoolcould take to both conserve resources and increase sustainability.

“With rising costs, all responsible institutions and corporations are carefully managing their energy,” reportsDavid, adding,“After getting to know the two campuses and consulting with energy experts, it became apparentthat if Riverdale were to install various energy efficiency measures we could save a substantial amount of ourcurrent annual expense for fuel oil, natural gas, and electricity.”

To begin, the school set a goal of saving a minimum of 10 percent of the total current energy spent, largelythrough conservation and using energy wisely, as well as investing in alternative energy sources. Riverdale isworking to create what is known as a net-zero-energy campus; a campus whose buildings have zero net energyconsumption and zero carbon emissions annually.

David believes that now is the perfect time to set ambitious energy-saving goals for the school. “With so muchinnovation in the energy field right now, there is bound to be new technology in development that allows theschool to almost completely remove itself from the carbon-basedgrid.We have to be prepared for big changes in the future.”

Student Involvement

Fast forward to the spring of 2009,when then-junior Stephen Moch andother students met with David to talkabout a senior project focusing onenergy and sustainability. From thesesessions the Riverdale SustainabilityInitiative was born.

“I had always been interested in environmental issues,”says Stephen,“but up to that point I was relativelyunaware of what we as students could do to make a difference. Mr. Patnaude opened our eyes to thepossibilities as we talked through the spring of last year, and we designed an independent study with him for our senior year.”

The Riverdale Sustainability Initiative has two major goals. First, students worked together with faculty and staff on the shared visions of making Riverdalea sustainable campus; students helped compile data on Riverdale’s energy use and analyzed the school’s carbon footprint. This was followed by analysesof possible sustainable improvements to the school.

The second goal was to raise awareness of sustainability and energy conservation. Students began the year with an assembly, speaking to the entire UpperSchool about energy consumption and, since then, have been encouraging sustainability around the campus. Most recently, the Riverdale SustainabilityCommittee—a school-wide, student-run committee focused on dealing with environmental issues—was established and sponsored events to raiseawareness leading up to Earth Day on April 22.The committee has a specific goal for the physical plant: installing solar panels on the Hill Campus.

“If all goes according to plan, by next Homecoming as alumni approach the Jeslo Harris Theater, they will see solar panels on the roof (see sidebar opposite)and recycling bins in every building. By making Riverdale an environmentally conscious campus, we hope to instill in future Riverdalians a commitment tosustainability that is extremely necessary to our future,”says Stephen.

Stephen will attend Princeton University in the fall and plans to make environmental studies his main focus.

“Having worked with Mr. Patnaude, we have become familiar with the term‘natural capitalism’. This is used to describe the movement where people looknot only at the environmental benefits, but also the financial benefits of sustainability. I hope to study some sort of environmental economics at Princeton.It is an area that I have found fascinating, especially after reading all the articles and books on sustainability that were part of our project. I hope to applymy studies in the future to showing people how becoming more sustainable can lead to not only environmental but also financial benefits,”Stephen says.

20 • SPRING 2010

RIVERDALE’SENERGY PROJECT

I

SPRING 2010 • 21

More innovations are planned for Riverdale’s physical plant.

“My ultimate goal is to install a fully functional Building Automation System (BAS) and upgrade ourenergy plants that will efficiently control the indoor environment (Riverdale has approximately 20

individual energy plants between the two schools). Part of the overall planwill be to greatly increase the efficiency of heating, cooling, and

ventilation systems while preserving the architectural heritage andintegrity of Riverdale’s many historic buildings,”David explains.

Another aspect of improvements for energy savings will bechanges to existing doors and windows to replace them withmore modern, better insulated units. David notes the value ofmaking such investments in the plant.

“From a purely finance perspective there is an opportunity forus to make improvements that will pay for themselves in energy

savings, with these savings eventually being able to go straight tothe bottom line, maybe for financial aid or other improvements in

the school. That’s the beauty of energy efficiency measures that savemoney; in the end this will be available money for uses other thanpaying our energy bills. That’s the optimal win-win situation.”

Now is theperfect time toset ambitiousenergy-savinggoals for the

school.

Senior Gift 2010:Solar Panels for the

Hill CampusThanks to the generous donors to the Senior

Gift Fund, Riverdale will install solar panels onthe roof of the Jeslo Harris Theater (similar tothose pictured here) to generate electric powerusing photovoltaic technology. The 105 panels,or cells, will produce direct current electricityfrom sunlight. The cell grid will be tied to aninverter, which will convert the power from DC

to AC for use on campus.

Energy collected from this system will beabsorbed by a complex of buildings, includingthe Jeslo Harris Theater, William C.W. Mow Hall,the John R. Johnson Student Center, and partsof the Marc A. Zambetti ’80 Athletic Center.Though it will produce a small amount of

energy at first, the solar technology is movingRiverdale in the right direction in conservation

of a very expensive resource.

The total energy savingsprojected over 25 years will be

approximately $308,000.

HUMMING ALONG

22 • SPRING 2010

Chance encounter atRiverdale Career Day leads toa lasting business partnership.

When Bill McGowan ’78 spoke at Riverdale’s Career Day in 1997, hewas immediately impressed with sophomore Lucy Cherkasets ’99. She

introduced herself right after his talk on broadcast journalism and asked forhis business card.With two years before graduation, Lucy knew that she was

interested in broadcasting as a career and that it was never too early to ask foradvice, especially from a fellow Riverdalian who was so approachable.

“It was easy to connect to an alum,” says Lucy. “Having gone to the same alma mater,we couldtalk about our shared experience at the school. Bill was very generous with his time, and we met later that year when he invited me for atour of the network television studio where he worked. It was a real help to me to see how broadcast worked from the inside.”

Bill had excelled at sports at Riverdale. As captain of the football teamhe was part of the Bertino legend, leading the team for Bertino’s 200thwin on the football field.He stayed in NewYork for college, attendingFordham University and going right into broadcast news atWCBS.

By the time Bill met Lucy in 1997, he had produced nearly 700 newsmagazine programs for networks and production companies. Afteryears in the business Bill realized that teaching and mentoring camenaturally to him and he enjoyed returning to campus to workwith students.

“I love what I do, and I hoped to ignite a spark in Riverdale students bymaking Career Day presentations. Everyone is always telling kids howtough things are, and I wanted to be more positive and inspire them,”Bill explains.

Lucy kept in touch with Bill, and when she graduated from college, sheapproached him about a job.

“The job market in 2003 was a tough one. I asked Bill for a temporaryassignment with his new company,Clarity Media (CMG), a firm thatoffers media training for professionals, and it grew into a full-time job,”Lucy recalls.

Thus began a professional relationship that’s lasted more than 13 years, culminating in a new business venture headed by Lucy at CMG.

CMG is expanding its career training division,which guides job seekers through the entire process, from their first cover letter tonegotiating a salary.

CMG is partnering with iViewXpress, an online platform that allows job seekers to record interviews for potential employers.CMG willoffer interview strategies and coaching to the site’s clients, bringing career counseling expertise to video interviews.

CMG’s career services are helping clients stand apart from the pack of other job seekers, and then once in the door, excelling at the jobinterview. Lucy and Bill trace the idea back to their years at Riverdale.As Bill notes,“Like all Riverdalians,we emerged from our high schoolyears as independent thinkers and creative problem solvers, qualities we help our clients to clearly articulate when seeking a new jobopportunity or pursuing career advancement. Bringing clarity to what makes you distinctive is a critical communications skill. Knowing howto do it can make the difference between working at something you’re passionate about and just settling for a job.”

“We’re both hard-working and perfectionists, too,” Lucy adds,“so we had a lot in common right off the bat.Therefore working together,first as teacher and student and now as colleagues,makes the utmost sense!”

Bill lives in Hastings-on-Hudson with his wife, Donna, and their three children. He enjoys golf and is an accomplished chef; he has had toabandon these two activities this spring in order to teach his three teenagers to drive.

Lucy lives in GreenwichVillage with her husband, Benoit, and their Boston terrier, Charlie, who so far has not requested driving lessons.

LucyBill�WHEN

MET�

Photo:JoeVericker/PhotoBureau.

Profile in GivingLaurie Lindenbaum ’81,

parent of Sarah Horne ’15, Max ’19 and Rachel ’20.

Laurie lives in New York City with her husband, Bob Horne, and theirthree children: Sarah ’15, Max ’19 and Rachel ’20. Laurie recentlycompleted a master’s degree in English and comparative literaturefrom Columbia University and is currently enrolled at Teacher’s Collegein the Teaching of English program. This year, Laurie was Co-Chair ofRiverdale’s Alvin Ailey event and Middle School Chair of the Annual Fund.

Lifelong Love of Learning

Riverdale sparked in me two lifelong passions. While I came to theschool as an avid reader, teachers like Dr. Evelyn Flory and Dr. ArneGronningsater inspired in me a deeper interest in the study ofliterature. Their passion about what they read made a big impressionon me. Both teachers also did something equally important: theycreated a collegial atmosphere in which student responses wereencouraged and valued, an approach that made reading the classicsall the more rewarding and enjoyable. Having visited a number ofEnglish classes at the school recently, I can say that this greatenvironment for learning is still very much present at the schooltoday. In the future, as an English teacher myself, I am hoping tomake the kind of positive impact on my students that my Englishteachers at RCS made on me.

Another lifelong pursuit with which I credit Riverdale is my desire toperform on stage. My parents often took us to see Broadway shows,which dazzled me from an early age, but it was my Riverdale dramateacher, Joan Wibell, who inspired me to perform in RCS plays andmusicals. I took this passion with me after I left Riverdale, singingin an a capella group during college and a band after college. I amdelighted that my older daughter, Sarah, has shown a similarpassion for drama and singing!

Why Riverdale is a Special Place Today

Whenever I come up to Riverdale, I am struck by the beauty of the campus and how great it is that our childrenget to be in such a wholesome, safe environment every day, where they can run around and walk from place toplace independently. Most importantly, our children’s teachers have been wonderful – taking the time to get toknow each of them as individuals and helping them to grow and learn.

Why We Give to the Annual Fund

We love Riverdale and want to help the school be as strong as possible. We are glad that our gift to the AnnualFund supports financial aid, so that students of all means can attend the school. We also want the school to beable to attract the highest quality teachers and offer them continuing training and development. We wantRiverdale to stay the very special place that it has always been.

SPRING 2010 • 23

24 • SPRING 2010

ClassNotes

1935-1938Be a QUAD Class Agent*

1939Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Virginia DonchianMurrayThorton Oaks50Matthew DriveBrunswick,ME 04011(207) 725-6366murraygina@aol.com

1940COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Mary LewisWangOneMcKnight Place, Apt. 259St. Louis,MO 63124

1941Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Harold C.Mayer, Jr.700 Park Avenue, Apt. 9CNewYork,NY 10021(212) 861-7715jam700@aol.com

1942-1943Be a QUAD Class Agent*

1944Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Richard D. RosenblattBox 138116275Via De LaValleRancho Santa Fe, CA 92067(858) 523-9151rrosey2@aol.com

We regret to report that Samuel L.Metcalfe Jr., a retired U.S. Armylieutenant colonel and realtor,died at his Leesburg,VA, homeSeptember 22 at the age of 79.During his long military career,Col. Metcalfe was awarded theBronze Star, the Combat Infantry’sBadge, and a Purple Heart. We

send our condolences to his wife of52 years, Mary Joyce Metcalfe; histwo sons, Samuel L. Metcalfe, IIIand Jonathan H. Metcalfe; hisdaughter Anne Metcalfe; and hisfive grandchildren.

1945COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Thomas D.Goodrich1408 Belvoir CircleWilmington, DE 19803(302) 761-9216ottomantom@comcast.net

Margaret Friend Secor passedaway on December 31 in Toronto,where she’d been living since 1962.Before that date, she’d taught atRiverdale School for Girls, receiveddegrees in math and chemistryfrom Barnard College, and an MAfrom Columbia University. Shealso lived in Poughkeepsie forseveral years. She is survived bythree sons.

1946Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Elizabeth Eidlitz100 Keyes Road, #106Concord,MA 01742(508) 419-1827eidlitz@gmail.com

EricaWollner Clayberg passedaway in January after strugglingwith lung and stomach cancer.Ricky and her husband, Carl, livedinVancouver,WA. She is survived bytwo sons, a daughter, and fourgrandchildren, as well as by herbrother, PaulWollner ’48, his wife,Monica PerutzWollner ’53of Hartsdale, NY, and their twochildren and eight grandchildren.

1947Be a QUAD Class Agent*

1948Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Victor S. NoerdlingerBox 385East Orleans,MA 02643(508) 255-1470

We send our condolences to PaulWollner and his wife,MonicaPerutzWollner ’53, on the loss ofPaul’s sister, EricaWollnerClayberg ’46, who passed away inJanuary after struggling with lungand stomach cancer.

1949Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:C. Edward Lange3939 Rain Roper DriveBozeman,MT 59715(406) 556-1849

Barbara NeebeThompson26 Dorchester AvenueHastings-on-Hudson,NY10706(914) 478-0727

1950COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Anne Goodrich Jones523 67th StreetHolmes Beach, FL 34217(941) 778-6280anne.jones@yahoo.com

Ruth JosephWeinstein156 Ridgecrest RoadStamford, CT 06903(203) 329-6540rjwein@juno.com

1951Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Karl R.Heiser11 Old Dominion CourtCatonsville,MD 21228(410) 719-9821krheiser@verizon.net

Jan Strauss wrote to let us knowthat her husband, StevenStrauss, passed away November17. “He was the quintessentialNewYorker who will be deeplymissed by his wife, daughterAlix, and his many friends.”

1952Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Barbara Schuler17 Bronxville RoadBronxville, NY 10708(914) 337-2712

1953Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Gail Fletcher Edwards115 South Bedford RoadBedford,NY 10576(914) 764-5947blueheronlake@msn.com

WilliamH.Gardner1035 East Camino DiestroTucson, AZ 85704(520) 575-0526whginc@mindspring.com

1954Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Nancy Bomeisler Nightingale2 Charles LaneRye Brook,NY 10573(914) 937-5350nbnight@optimum.net

Proud grandmother ElizabethLewis celebrated grandsonBrandon Lawrence Stovman’sfourth birthday on March 30.

1955COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Sue Shair Commanday9421Vercelli StreetLakeWorth, FL 33467(561) 433-0055docsuec@bellsouth.net

SPRING 2010 • 25

1956Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Mrs. Barbara Rearden Farnham15 East 91st StreetNewYork,NY 10128(212) 427-3024bf66@columbia.edu

1957Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Judy Austin6508 Hummel DriveBoise, ID 83709(208) 327-0053judyaustin40@yahoo.com

Rick Bates706 Half Moon Bay DriveCroton-on-Hudson,NY 10520(914) 271-2186rick.bates@pearson.com

Sue Jacobs Schaffzin211 East 53rd Street, Apt. 7KNewYork,NY 10022(212) 308-0547Craftyme33@hotmail.com

Marty Zelnik61 Sigma PlaceRiverdale, NY 10471(718) 548-6751panzel1@aol.com

1958Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:David Lahm248West 22nd StreetNewYork,NY 10011-2701(212) 929-4485dflahm@aol.com

We regret to report that Judy Lahm,wife of Class AgentDavid Lahm,passed away December 23, 2009.We send our condolences to Davidand the rest of the family.

1959Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Gerry S.Hirsch601West End AvenueApt. 13ANewYork,NY 10024

Micki Seligson139 Cushing Street, Apt. 1Cambridge,MA 02138meseligson@comcast.net

Geoff Howard65 Colonial AvenueWarwick, NY 10990howards@warwick.net

Class AgentsMicki Seligson andGeoff Howard report,“We had agreat turnout for our 50th reunionin October.Altogether 23‘boys’and13‘girls,’all of us in the prime of oursixties, with our 1959 yearbookphotos around our necksreminding us who we once wereand what we had become with acertain awe, talked about how inthe world we had gone from thereto here.The reunion was mainlyabout connections andreconnections: If it was an oldfriend with whom we'd lostcontact, the thought was,‘Now Iremember why we were goodfriends!’and if it was someone wehadn’t known that well, it was,‘How come no one ever told meyou were so interesting?’ 50threunions don’t come around all thatoften, so it’s important to getit right the first time.Andwe did!”

Chris Hobson described thereunion as “... a memorable andmoving reunion. I think everyoneresponded to who we are aspeople.The decent people sortthemselves out and find each otherin this world, and that's animportant lesson.”

Dave Petzal reports,“My wife andI had dinner recently withHannelore and ChrisSchwabacher andDon Shea andfriend. Chris has been pals withDon and me since the early 1970s,even though I doubt we said 10words to him collectively while wewere at Riverdale. Strange, is it not,who your friends turn out to be?”

Sue Rosenfeld Lehmann says thatamong many gifts, she is blessedwith five grandchildren: one girland four boys, two of whom are atRCS. Sue is very active in publiceducation through her involvementwithTeach for America, HarlemChildren’s Zone, and NewVisionsfor Public Schools.A highlight ofthis spring will be to accompanyher mother, Elaine, to Israel for her90th birthday, on the occasion ofthe reopening of the IsraelMuseum, which she helpedestablish 50 years ago.

Steve Bartlettwas sorry he couldn’tmake it to the reunion, but writesfrom Philadelphia that he’s retiredfrom the City PlanningCommission, and now spends histime on“normal, very prosaic, butsomehow very fullfilling things,”andmany of us can probably relate tothat feeling. He also toutsPhiladelphia’s tourist attractions andinvites classmates to visit. He has aquestion prompted by this winter’ssnow:“Does anyone remember whosculpted theVenus de Milo out ofsnow on the veranda of the dorm?”

Out in the snowy southwest,David Sundaram writes,“This isthe happiest time in my life; aftermany quite quixotic, iconoclasticadventures, I am now reclusivelyresiding in high-country wildernessnear Seligman,AZ, with a lovelyand very loving lady-friend,dancing to whatever tune each daybrings, with fond memories of myco-59ers, deeply wishing each andall of them the very best as well.”

From Devon, England, where he’sbeen living since his retirementfrom the“family firm,”AndrewCadbury sends greetings andremarks that he regularly looks athis“well-thumbed copy of theRiverdalian 1959 to recall thefantastic year I spent with you all,”a year that was“the making of me.”

From Quito, Ecuador, comes word(viaMike Otten, who recentlytraveled to Quito, and Bob Feuer,who has a home there) that JorgeZalles is alive and well (see photoright) after several years on the ’59“lost list.”

And finally, news from your newClass Agents:Micki Seligsonretired from Wellesley’s Center forResearch on Women after 30 yearsof working on child care policy.Never the retiring type, however,she has recently helped produce theaward-winning documentary,WhoDoes SheThink She is? and is alsoenrolled as an analytic candidate atBoston’s C.G. Jung Institute.

Geoff Howard, the proud first-time grandpa, says“I know manyof you are grandparents manytimes over, but I was always alate bloomer.”

1960COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:E.HarveyMeer241Truman DriveCresskill, NJ 07626(201) 569-6589ehmeer@aol.com

Elizabeth Unger218 Dolphin Cove QuayStamford, CT 06902(203) 321-5299

Donald Rosswrote to let ClassAgentHarveyMeer know that hisbasset hounds met formerHeadmaster John Johnson’s spanielsin a Los Angeles park. Says Donald,“The dogs got along, but (Ross)snapped at the Headmaster...somethings never change.”

Donald Schlesinger is retired andspends his time between NewYorkand Laguna Woods, CA. In the fallhe regularly travels to Europe. Hespends his time in NewYork goingto the opera and Broadway shows.

>>>

26 • SPRING 2010

Mike Otten ’59 andJorge Zalles ’59 at Lake Cuicocha

in the Ecuadorian Andes.

As he looks forward to this fall’s50th reunion, Fred Orkinsubmitted the following note: “Thisfun photo (above), actually a fewyears old (but when one is in hislatter 60s, a few years doesn’t reallymake a difference!), includes mywife Susan, our Fresh Air Fund childArlene, boarding old mare Sugar,and me at our home in bucolicLitchfield County, CT. I retired in2006 after almost four decades inacademic medicine, spent on themedical faculties of Penn,University of California at SanFrancisco, Dartmouth, and PennState. Susan and I are lookingforward to reconnecting with myclassmates after half a century!”

1961Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Lawrence Rosenbluth145 East 92nd StreetNewYork,NY 10128(212) 427-3312rosenbluth342@yahoo.com

We send our condolences to thefriends and family of John Baer,who passed away last year.We alsoregret to report thatMichael vanItallie’s wife, Nancy, passed awayon March 22 after a battle withmultiple myeloma. Nancy wasalso the mother of Jason vanItallie ’97. We send ourcondolences to Michael, Jason,and their family and friends.

1962Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Joseph Pickard, Jr.120 Fulton Street, Apt. 6CBoston,MA 02109(617) 854-3761jpickard@oristanocapital.com

1963Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Stephen R. Blank30 Snoden LaneWatchung,NJ 07060(908) 791-9419stephen.blank@att.net

PeterW. Philip20 Country Ridge RoadDanbury, CT 06811(203) 798-7193petersells@aol.com

Paul K. Safer141 Breezy Corners RoadPortland, CT 06480(860) 342-1393pksmd@msn.com

1964Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Geraldine Gabor Crane40 Chestnut StreetWeston,MA 02493(781) 642-0302gmgabor@comcast.net

John H. Jiler139 Fulton Street, PH1NewYork,NY 10038(212) 349-3476johnjiler@earthlink.net

Henry H. Korn26 Stoneyside DriveLarchmont, NY 10538(914) 834-4236hkorn@lepatner.com

1965COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Mrs.Gail Hart Davidson530 East 86th Street, Apt. 10ANewYork,NY 10028(212) 628-0945york86@aol.com

Melissa GordonLondonTerrace Gardens435West 23rd Street, Apt. 12FNewYork,NY 10011(212) 243-6879melmelg48@aol.com

BillTheodorewrote,“I am stillworking at NIH doing epilepsyresearch with positron emissiontomography and magneticresonance imaging. My wife, Judy,an endocrinologist, is Chief of theExtramural Diabetes Program. Ourson, Jeffrey, is an associate at aWashington law firm, and our olderdaughter, Elisabeth, is clerking for aDC Circuit Appeals Court Judgeand the Supreme Court next year.Our younger daughter, Deborah, isin the Peace Corps and will startmedical school in August. I am intouch with Peter Hayward, wholives now mainly in Wales, havingrecently retired from psychologypractice. It's another measure oftime passing that I have seenRobert Davis, James Fuld, RobertKrulwich, Donald Richenthal,andDavid Rubin at funerals (butstill members of our parents’generation) in the past six months.Last summer, I spent a month as avisiting professor of neurology atthe University Teaching Hospital inLusaka, Zambia.Although I knewabout the lack of drugs and otherresources before I went, theexperience of watching peoplesuffer and die from treatablediseases was stark. I’m glad theU.S. is making a major effort inHaiti and supporting a large HIVtreatment program in Africa, but Ithink we should do more to meetthe enormous needs.”

1966Be a QUAD Class Agent*

1967Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Mary-Lou Gilbert Scott440 East 62nd Street, Apt. 2DNewYork,NY 10065(212) 980-9856tober.office@gmail.com

Nicholas J.Tortorello410 Dogwood CircleAston, PA 19014(914) 907-7926njtortorello@yahoo.com

1968Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:JohnM.Davis965 Fifth AvenueNewYork,NY 10021(212) 249-2891jmd-diversions@nyc.rr.com

ThomasM. Stanback719 Lambert RoadOrange, CT 06477(203) 799-6204tstanback@att.net

Jonathan Lynton passed away onDecember 9 at the age of 59.Aprofessor at DeVry University, hehad devoted his life to helpingothers.We send our condolences tohis family and friends.

1969Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Thomas I. Elkind29Wamesit RoadNewton,MA 02468(617) 964-5986telkind@foley.com

DanaWeiss101 Central ParkWest, #7GNewYork,NY 10023(212) 580-1618

1970COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Be a QUAD Class Agent*

1971Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Jerry Fall8 Helena DriveChappaqua,NY 10514(914) 238-1281jjfall@aol.com

Charlotte JonesMcCormick458 Dudley RoadWestport, NY 12993(518) 962-4839shamidepot@yahoo.com

SPRING 2010 • 27

Fred Orkin ‘60 (right) with his wife Susan, Fresh AirFund child Arlene, and boarding mare Sugar.

1972Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Charles D. Cohn235West 48th Street, # 24ENewYork,NY 10036(212) 246-6570cdfcohn@mindspring.com

Elizabeth S. Lasdon490West End AvenueApt. #8BNewYork,NY 10024(212) 874-7765elasdon@nyc.rr.com

Katherine Sutton-SmithMoyer554Troon RoadDover, DE 19904(302) 678-1165katherinemoyer@mac.com

Class Agent Charlie Cohn wroteto tell us a little about his life:“Igot married on January 16 toChristine Thérèse Ruffié at TheUniversity Club in NewYork City.Christine is originally fromToulouse, France (like KrisRandolph) and moved to NewYork to attend The FashionInstitute of Technology. She is theHead Designer for Zaralo Groupon Seventh Avenue, where sheoversees the design andproduction of Larry Levine Suits,Charagano, and other brandswhennot cooking, painting, and fishing.My son, Benjamin, turned 17(OMG!) and is a junior atGreenwich High School. Hefinished his varsity football seasonas a linebacker and running backon Thanksgiving and is now agoalie on their championship icehockey team (a far cry from ouroutdoor practices at Skyviewunder Coach Harold Klue). He isjust starting the college admissiongrind with relaxed visits andbrochures. As was reported in thewinter issue of QUAD, I changedinsurance agencies last summerfor only the second time in 20years, joining the ParamountPlanning Group of AXA Advisors(the largest insurance companyand fifteenth largest corporationin the world). Concentrating inlife, health, and estate planningfor high-net worth families, I amwatching closely what new

legislation and regulations aregoing to come out of Washington,DC. Since AXA’s worldheadquarters are in Paris, that’sanother French influence in mylife. All thanks to Madame LolitaGoldstein, who started myappreciation of the Frenchlanguage, culture, and history inthe seventh grade. She had all ofus hoodwinked that she didn’tunderstand any English as part ofher total immersion method!”

1973Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:TonyMelchior65 East 76th Street, Apt. 10ENewYork,NY 10021(212) 288-2179melchprod@aol.com

1974Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Richard Adler60West 23rd Street, Apt. 824NewYork,NY 10010(212) 924-0900radler@kurtadler.com

Todd Kislak5809Middle Crest DriveAgoura Hills, CA 91301(818) 889-3919kislakfam@aol.com

Ralph E. Petrillo5 Gramatan CourtBronxville, NY 10708(914) 337-4486

Congratulations to FredMelamed, who won the RobertAltman Award (along with therest of the cast and crew) forA Serious Man at the 25th FilmIndependent Spirit Awards.

1975COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Jonathan Beitler1 Ogden RoadNew Canaan, CT 06840(203) 972-0160Jbeitler92@alumni.gsb.columbia.edu

LisaTurgell Friedland11 Arrowhead RoadWestport, CT 06880(203) 256-1956lrtf99@aol.com

Jeffrey J. Russell243 Speer AvenueEnglewood,NJ 07631(201) 871-9341jeffrey.j.russell@ssmb.com

Class Agent Jonathan Beitler, aself-proclaimed“humble radiationoncologist from Emory,”had theopportunity to debate/discussmanagement of non-small cell lungcancer on satellite TV with adistinguished surgeon from theWest Coast, who happened to befellow Riverdale alumDavidJablons (see photo below). Jonathanreports,“Our debate had feints,ripostes and non-lethal attacks, aswould be appropriate for twoalumni of the Riverdale fencingteam. David is a self-professed‘gear-head’with a passion for great cars,raising daughters, and he and hiswife are embarking on a careerraising goats and making goatcheese.A good time was had by all.”

1976Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Daniel Easton22 Jones Street, Apt. 5ENewYork,NY 10014(212) 627-4359mashfly007@aol.com

Robert Lichtenstein63 Cherry LaneAmherst,MA 01002(413) 549-9494director@commonschool.org

1977Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Tamara Gould Leuchtenburg1192 Park Avenue, Apt. 7BNewYork,NY 10128(212) 996-9576tamaral@eventassociatesinc.com

1978Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Andrew B. Brog2222Venezia AvenueLos Angeles, CA 90064(310) 788-0121

Lorinda Ash Ezersky765 Park Avenue, Apt. 8BNewYork,NY 10021(212) 535-8835lorinda@ashfineart.com

George S.Markelson530 Park Avenue, Apt. 12XHNewYork,NY 10021dakotaholdings@aol.com

1979Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:LoriTarnopol Moore941 Park Avenue, Apt. 2ANewYork,NY 10028(212) 717-5754dlmoore4@aol.com

Tony Pomeranzwrote,“It is myvery great pleasure to share thenews of the birth of my first child,Rebecca, in April 2009. She is a totaldelight, andTammy and I feelblessed to have her! Life is greathere in Philadelphia, where I workas an Assistant District Attorney inthe Philadelphia District Attorney’sOffice’s Appeals Unit.”

28 • SPRING 2010

Dr. Jonathan Beitler ’75 and Dr. David Jablons ’75enjoyed catching up after a debate on satelliteTVabout non-small cell lung cancer.

1980COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Be a QUAD Class Agent*

1981Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Elizabeth Holoubek-Sebok140 Easton RoadWestport, CT 06880eholoubek@aol.com

Lisa Burge Swotes28 Broadview RoadWestport, CT 06880(203) 341-9885lswotes@gmail.com

1982Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Meryl Poster320 East 72nd Street, Apt. 10ANewYork,NY 10021(212) 360-6645meryl.poster@nbcuni.com

1983Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Andrew D.Hirsch906 Ridge DriveMcLean,VA 22101(703) 734-8505andrewhirsch@verizon.net

1984Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Eve Reppen Rogers2661 North Dayton StreetChicago, IL 60614(773) 529-0202eve.reppen@sothebys.com

1985COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Allison Unger Brody311Tappan Street, Apt. 5Brookline,MA 02445(917) 414-5438a.unger@elsevier.com

1986Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Sanford E. Cannold351 East 84th Street, Apt. 4BNewYork,NY 10028(212) 737-7881secannold@yahoo.com

1987Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Karyn Boosin Leit80Woodland RoadMaplewood,NJ 07040(973) 378-5348karynleit@mac.comCongratulations to Jaime Bruck,who was married on October 17,2009 on Anna Maria Island, Florida,to David Ashdown.

1988Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Richard A. Bamberger28 Baraud RoadScarsdale, NY 10583(914) 723-0191rbamberger@cbs.com

Stacy J. Grossman150 Columbus Avenue, Apt. 8ENewYork,NY 10023(212) 989-9680s144man@yahoo.com

1989Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Allison R. Rouse812 Nectarine AvenueSunnyvale, CA 94087(415) 215-7641allison.rouse@gmail.com

Alicia Sands and Rob Fiorettirecently welcomed twin girls intotheir family (see photo above right).Malena Sands Fioretti and DelilahSands Fioretti were born on June12, 2009, joining big brothersMatthew, 4, and Daniel, 2.

Scott andAli Marshall Delman areexcited to announce the arrival ofZacharyTyler Delman, born February19, 2009 at 11:08 pm. (see photoabove). Zachary weighed 7 lbs., 10 ozand measured 19 inches long. Ali,Scott, and big brother Matt are doingwell and are thrilled with the newaddition to the family.

SPRING 2010 • 29

Jeff Spady ’82 Recalls Favorite Al Davis MemoryI remember when I was in ninth grade, Al Davis coached what I think was called “freshman soccer” at RCS, and it

competed with the same schools the varsity team played. I was new to the school and new to the game. I wasn’t much of a playerskills-wise, but in the try-outs, nobody got cut; Coach Davis instead formed an “A” team and a “B” team.When this decision washanded down,many of my fellow “B” teamers took it badly.“We’re the scrubs” is what I remember someone saying. But I didn'tmind at all, as I came from a very small school the year before (just 10 people in my grade) and it had no competitive sportsprogram. So everything was new to me, even watching from the sidelines at games, both home and away, at places like HoraceMann or Poly Prep.And watching from the sidelines is exactly what took place for a long time that fall.

Then toward the end of the season, late in a game, something very different happened, all at once in just a few minutes thatI’ll never forget. RCS was winning handily in a home game on the Upper Field. (I think it may have been against Dwight.) Earlier thegame had been tight, but we were now almost certain to win.The sun was going down, and with something like a 4-1 score, thefourth quarter began. It seemed there wasn’t much drama left. But suddenly—and without telling anyone—Coach Davis began tochange all that. He started pulling out all of his best players, one or two at a time, and replacing them with the bench warmers.Names that were not called all season were suddenly heard barked out—with only seconds to respond.To me, this was incredible.But many of my other “B” teammates were already mouthing a ready-made response, spoken in a just low-enough voice thatCoach Davis couldn’t hear:“Yeah, he’s just putting the scrubs in now because we’re killing them—it doesn’t matter.” I didn’t sharethis feeling, but I kept it to myself.To me, that part was obvious, but unimportant. Mostly I was just amazed watching Coach Davis,with the biggest grin I’d seen on his face all season, clearly enjoying himself as he gave each back-bencher a few minutes in beforegoing to the next two guys. Still, even at that point, I didn’t expect to hear my own name called. But then out of nowhere it came:“Spady! Get in there!” I ran out onto the field, now under a twilight sky. It was so dark you could hardly see the ball, and youneeded the street lights on Fieldston Road just to get your bearings. But I know the ball came to me, and I know that when it did, Imade a reasonably good pass to someone else on our side.Needless to say, this was all thrilling.

It’s often said that much of life—that is, being successful in it—is just about “showing up.”That night Coach Davis madesure everyone on that bench had a chance to do just that. If memory serves, it may have even cost RCS a goal or two in that dimly-lit fourth quarter. But Coach Davis had a larger goal in mind all along, one that I’ve had a deep appreciation for ever since.

Jeff Spady ’82 has helped Al Davis to create and maintain a Facebook page; visit www.facebook.com/AlDavisRiverdaleto become a fan. You can also visit the Riverdale Alumni Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/RiverdaleAlumni.

ZacharyTyler Delman, son of Scottand Ali Marshall Delman ’89.

Alicia Sands ’89 and Rob Fiorettiwelcomed twin girls on June 12,2009: Malena Sands Fioretti (right)and Delilah Sands Fioretti (left).

30 • SPRING 2010

1990COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Jeffrey L. Korenman825West End AvenueNewYork,NY 10025jkorenman@hotmail.com

AchikamYogev160West 66th Street, Apt. 43ANewYork,NY 10023achikam@hypernix.com

During her 17 years as anaward-winning entertainment andconsumer publicist, former adjunctprofessor of PR at NYU, and recentauthor of articles onTalentZoo.com,Jocelyn Brandeis has beeninterviewed and quoted in severalarticles and books, includingNewsday, ABC News,mediabistro.com,Careerbuilder.com,PCWorld,PR News’ Best/Worst PR AdviceGuidebook, andMy So-CalledFreelance Life: How to Survive andThrive as a Creative Professional forHire.While continuing to freelancein PR via her consultancy, JBLHCommunications, Jocelyn is alsopursuing a master’s degree indatabase management systems inthe evenings at Touro College inNewYork City. In addition to all ofthat, she manages JB Home &Office Services, which offers part-time and virtual office and homehelp, including administrative work,tutoring, personal shopping,babysitting and pet-sitting. JBHome & Office Services’websitecan be found on Facebook (searchfor JB Babysitting Service).Andwhile running around the streets ofNewYork City, Jocelyn often runsinto former RCS grads. She sendsher love to the classes of 1989 and1990, whom she keeps in touchwith on Facebook. She writes,“It’sgreat to see how all of you aredoing, and I hope to see all of youat the 20th!”

1991Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:William Ching2930 North Sheridan Road,Unit 702Chicago, IL 60657(917) 209-4722william.ching@aya.yale.edu

Arielle Daryn and Kaya SoleilScharfstein, daughters of BrookeOlstein and Lee Scharfstein,recently showed off their Riverdalespirit in RCS gear from the AlumniOffice (see photo above right).

1992Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Laura J. Kleinman80 Beekman Street, Apt. 2LNewYork,NY 10038lollybelle@hotmail.com

1993Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:George D. Creppy389Washington StreetApt. 32CJersey City, NJ 07302(646) 287-2160gcreppy75@gmail.com

Alexis Higgins140 Cabrini Boulevard, Apt. 18NewYork,NY 10033(212) 568-1275alexis.higgins@gmail.com

1994Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Danielle J. Englebardt140 East 63rd StreetApt. 6ANewYork,NY 10065(212) 794-4221denglebardt@gmail.com

Congratulations to AlexandraOstrow Bruskoff and husbandRichard Bruskoff, who welcomedbaby Georgina Hille Bruskoff onSeptember 30, 2009 in Austin, TX(see photo at right).

As mentioned in the winter issue ofQUAD, Scott Snyder’s firstoriginal comic book series,American Vampire, was publishedMarch 17 fromVertigo (DCComics).The first five issuesfeatured an original story byStephen King, and the series will beongoing, coming out every month.

1995 COME TO REUNIONCOME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Jennifer CarboneTimilty71 Beacon StreetBoston,MA 02108(617) 263-2619penny13@hotmail.com

1996Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Lara Engelbardt Metz308 East 72nd Street, Apt. 17ANewYork,NY 10021(212) 988-8643larametz@gmail.com

TimMorehouse60 Knolls Crest, Apt. 1EBronx,NY 10463(646) 271-3651morehouse_tim@hotmail.com

1997Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:John C. Kirkham538 Green Street, Apt. 6Cambridge,MA 02138(914) 834-9197jkirkham@partners.org

We regret to report that Jessicaand Jason van Itallie’smother,Nancy, passed away on March 22after a battle with multiplemyeloma. We send ourcondolences to Jason and hisfather,Michael ’61, as well as theirfamily and friends.

1998Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Samuel Ostrow89 Landscape AvenueYonkers, NY 10705(914) 375-1245samuelostrow@aol.com

Congratulations to Elyssa BethGoldberg and Jeffrey HowardRuzal, who were married March 6,2010 at the University Club inManhattan. Several Riverdalealumni were in attendance,including Allison Podell-Saft ’96,Catherine Silver Smith, JanLauren Greenfield, AshleyAntler,Maxine Goldstein Hynes,ElisabethWhite ’99, LaurenAntler, Emily Raiber Radovic,and Elyssa’s brother,Andrew ’93(see photo below).

Arielle Daryn and Kaya Soleil Scharfstein,daughters of Brooke Olstein ’91 and Lee Scharfstein.

Georgina Hille Bruskoff,daughter of Alexandra OstrowBruskoff ’94 and husbandRichard Bruskoff.

From left: Allison Podell-Saft ’96,Catherine Silver Smith ’98, Jan LaurenGreenfield ’98, Ashley Antler ’98, ElyssaGoldberg ’98,Maxine Hynes ’98,ElisabethWhite ’99, Lauren Antler ’98,and Emily Raiber Radovic ’98 at theMarch 6, 2010 wedding of ElyssaGoldberg ’98 and Jeffrey Howard Ruzal.

1999Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Abigail Spiegel Sroka80 Riverside Boulevard, Apt. 3XNewYork,NY 10069(646) 383-7781asroka@dailycandy.com

We regret to report that SamuelHeyman, father of ElizabethHeymanWinter, passed away onNovember 7, 2009 aftercomplications from open heartsurgery. We send our condolencesto Elizabeth and her family.

Lucy Cherkasets Montin wrote totell us that she returned to NewYork City from two years inLondon, got married, and startedher own company. She is a careerand communications coach,partnering with Clarity MediaGroup, which was founded byRiverdale alum Bill McGowan ’78.For more on Lucy and Bill’spartnership, see page 22.

2000COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Hallie A. Cohen80 Perry StreetNewYork,NY 10014(212) 463-8121hallie.cohen@gmail.com

David E. Politis806 Ponce de Leon PlaceAtlanta, GA 30306(917) 881-9008david.politis@alum.emory.edu

Dana Clair Gresko and herhusband welcomed Stella MariaGresko to the family on February 4(see photo right). She was born inRichmond,VA, weighing 7 lbs., 7oz. Dana says,“Hopefully, we’ll beable to bring her up to NewYorkCity for the reunion in the fall!”

2001Please send your news toyour Class Agent beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Samantha Acunto235West 76th Street, Apt. 10DNewYork,NY 10023(212) 799-4199sammiloo18@aol.com

Adam Brenner20 Oak AvenueLarchmont, NY 10538(914) 548-8603adam.brenner@gmail.com

Alex P.Horn27West 86th StreetNewYork,NY 10024(212) 501-0725alexp.horn@gmail.com

Carly Mensch8 Adams PlaceHarrison,NY 10528(914) 967-5766

Congratulations to JeffDeutchman, who had two recentfilm showings in NewYork City.His film, Blackboard Bubble, is adocumentary that explores thesubculture of NewYork Cityeducators, asking teachers(including several Riverdaleteachers) why they chose to teachat private schools rather thanpublic schools, how they think thecrisis in public education might befixed, and whether private schoolteachers are part of the problem orpart of the solution. His other film,11/4/08, had its world premiere in

March at the South by SouthwestFilm Festival. This documentary,a collection of footage from theelection of Barack Obama, looks athow people choose to livethrough“history.”

2002Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Samara Fetto2014 Green StreetSan Francisco, CA 94123(212) 838-0070samara.fetto@gmail.com

Ben Koblentz155 East 76th Street, Apt. 7BNewYork,NY 10021(212) 744-4657bkoblentz@gmail.com

Since graduating from McGillUniversity,Michael Sackler-Berner has completed his firstsolo album,MSB. It has beenhailed as an“undiscovered gem”by Q104.3 FM and was featuredon FX’s Sons of Anarchy. Michaelis also working as a musiccomposer for NBC’s Law andOrder and as a songwriter forother artists, and continues to tourregionally.

JulianMignott graduated fromthe University of Wisconsin with aBA in History. He currentlyattends the Benjamin N. CardozoSchool of Law in NewYork City.

Since graduating from EckerdCollege,Chris Spiegel hascontinued to reside in St.Petersburg, FL, and is nationallypublished in the toy and gameindustry.

2003Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:AdamHeller28 Dearborn RoadSomerville,MA 02144(646) 232-3551adamheller1@gmail.com

Ariel Schneider147 West 85th Street, Apt. 4RNewYork,NY 10024(914) 234-9029schneider.ariel@gmail.com

2004Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Philip Braddock1050 Fell Street, Apt. 10San Francisco, CA 94117(212) 534-4922PWBraddock@gmail.com

Crissy Haley100Woodlands RoadHarrison,NY 10528(914) 967-785108ceh@williams.edu

2005COME TO REUNION-Oct. 2, 2010www.riverdale.edu/homecoming

Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Dan Perelstein65 Barlow LaneRye,NY 10580(914) 835-5950dperels1@swarthmore.edu

Amy Schneiderman3 Old Quarry RoadEnglewood,NJ 07631(201) 569-5495ars1287@aol.com

SPRING 2010 • 31

Dana Clair Gresko ’00 and herhusband welcomed baby Stella

Maria Gresko to the familyon February 4.

2006Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Tracy DanskerWiess College6340Main St.Houston,TX 77005Tracy.S.Dansker@rice.edu

Eric Nusbaum60 ParkTerraceWest, Apt. A84NewYork,NY 10034(212) 942-6539nusbaume@wustl.edu

SandyThomas212 1938 HallWilson College -Princeton UniversityPrinceton,NJ 08544(914) 949-1413SandyT@Princeton.edu

Bob Staub wrote to tell us that hisdaughter,Mallory G. Staub,graduated from GeorgeWashington University’s Schoolof Media & Public Affairs inDecember. She will be attendingthe School of Communicationsgraduate program in broadcastjournalism at the University ofMiami in August.

2007Be a QUAD Class Agent*

Congratulations to AlexaRosenfeld, who is now a certifiedspin instructor in NewYork City.

2008Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Michael Roberts25 Central ParkWest, Apt. 15MNewYork,NY 10023(212) 246-0911gators2505@aol.com

Andrew J.Taub50 East 72nd Street, Apt. 14ANewYork,NY 10021(212) 744-1098ataub@hamilton.edu

Zoe Zetlin-Fishbein180 East End Avenue, Apt. 5HNewYork,NY 10128(212) 249-7885zzetlin@gmail.com

2009Please send your news toyour Class Agents beforeSeptember 17, 2010:Josh Howard430 East 86th Street, Apt. 12FNewYork,NY 10028(212) 879-5835

Josh Pearl169 East 69th Street, Apt. #7ANewYork,NY 10021(212) 396-2588josh.pearl@verizon.net

Gracie Phillips316 East 88th StreetNewYork,NY 10128(212) 289-6427Elizabeth.Phillips.2@trincoll.edu

Ashley Rainford784 Columbus Avenue, Apt. 4RNewYork,NY 10025(212) 864-0319arainford@wesleyan.edu

Alyssa Smith2West 67th StreetNewYork,NY 10023(212) 787-2827smith.alyssaj@gmail.com

Danielle Suchman737 Park AvenueNewYork,NY 10021(212) 744-2309dsuchman@skidmore.edu

* ContactMelissa Antenucci LindenDirector ofAlumni Relations(718) 519-2722alumni@riverdale.edu

32 • SPRING 2010

IN MEMORY—

ALUMNI

Samuel L. Metcalfe Jr. ’44Margaret Friend Secor ’45Erica Wollner Clayberg‘46

Steven Strauss ’51John Baer ’61

Jonathan Lynton ’68

What’s your approach to teaching young children?

As I work with the parents of the children in my classes,I am always aware of how it felt for me when my own kidswere in the Lower School.The concept that it takes a“village”to raise a child is never far from my mind, and Ireally value the ethic of working on a team that includes thefamily members, teachers, administrators and staff of thiswarm and close-knit community. My primary goal is tocreate a safe space in which children can grow, take newrisks, and learn about themselves as students andindividuals. I try to avoid adding to the frenzy so common inour culture these days, and to start them on the path ofmanaging their schoolwork effectively while keeping ahealthy balance between their personal and academic lives.

We hear a lot about teachers loving to have a class of fourthgraders. What’s special about teaching children at this age?

Fourth graders are still wide-eyed and enthusiastic aboutlearning, and their brains are going through profounddevelopmental changes that allow them to think in new andsophisticated ways about the world around them.They cansee the big picture, understand more complex ideas,organize their thoughts more efficiently, and seerelationships among discrete concepts.

How has the Lower School changed in the time you havebeen here?

I can think of four comprehensive changes that have had agreat impression upon me as a teacher at the Lower School:the institution of the C.A.R.E. program, a renewed school-wide commitment to community service, the surge in theuse of technology, and the implementation of anenvironmental education program.

The concept of encouraging a sense of ethics as an integralpart of academics has been of great value over the years.The C.A.R.E. program gives teachers and students a

language with which to address thesocial and moral dilemmas thatarise in the curriculum and in ourpersonal lives, and fosters a safeatmosphere in which to explore ourcommon human experience.

Recently, I have become fascinatedby the many ways in which technology is changing the livesof children, both in the classroom and outside of it.There aremany exciting new forms of technology in use at the LowerSchool, thanks to the very patient inspiration provided byour technology department. However, we realize that wealso have an urgent responsibility to teach children how tomanage the many new ways in which to communicate andto learn in this digital world.

The most recent and personally rewarding change is that theLower School has begun to take advantage of its bestresource, the beautiful campus.There have been moreenvironmental education projects, more uses found for ouroutdoor space, and more conscious efforts to weaveecological concepts into the curriculum. Jonina Herter, EllaPastor, a generous group of parents, and I all joined forceswith the teachers on the River Campus to help studentsplant and tend a total of 15 classroom gardens that we nowenjoy. It has been a real delight to see kids digging in thesoil, finding juicy worms, examining interesting bugs,planting something for the first time, munching on variousvegetables, collecting herbs for Chef Dave to use in thekitchen, watering and weeding, taking imaginary showersunder giant sunflowers, and just having fun getting dirty!

Debbie Wing

Faculty ProfileDebbie Wing attended Wellesley College, received her master’s degree from Teachers College, andbegan working at Riverdale in 1978. She currently teaches fourth grade on the River Campus, andhas also taught fifth and sixth grades, founded and co-directed Riverdale’s daycare center with JudyFletcher, worked in the Lower School library, and received one of the Master Teacher awards grantedby the school. Debbie’s two children both attended Riverdale: Daniel ’06 and Emma ’08.

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Come Home to RiverdaleHomecoming 2010Saturday, October 2nd

CELEBRATING OUR

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