chalkboard the · chalkboard dear erie day school family, for almost eighty-five years, erie day...
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Chalkboard Dear Erie Day School Family,
For almost eighty-five years, Erie Day School has been an
educational community offering exceptional academics in
a caring, family-orientated environment. We continue to
boast an atmosphere where the partnership between
school and family is a core element and an expected re-
source.
This year we are proud to have active involvement in daily activities at the
School among our parents and students alike, earning family service hours.
Defining an educational focus beyond the traditional curriculum, EDS values
mutual respect, responsibility and service. We set our standards high, expecta-
tions strong and encourage citizenship and participation beyond the classroom
setting. Parents can be found watering the gardens and picking the vegetables
for Toddler tasting, copying papers for teachers and attending Parent Group
brainstorming sessions. Active engagement is pertinent in the learning process
and we witness first-hand the research that suggests student success can be
directly attributed to ongoing parent involvement.
We are grateful for the numbers of parents taking an interest in the Erie Day
School education and choosing to participate as visiting lecturers, committee
volunteers, and fundraising contributors, among many other jobs. Former par-
ents, grandparents, students and commu-
nity members are welcome to join in the
many events and initiatives needing inter-
ested parties. A few opportunities are as
follows:
Lecturers: Breast Cancer Awareness (other
topics to follow)
Committee members: Founders Day,
Green Team, Auction Gala, Ladies Tea,
Technology, Safety, Parent Group, Open
House volunteers, and guest readers.
I can be reached at [email protected]
if you would like to join others serving Erie
Day School.
Yours in Education,
Dr. Karen K. Tyler
the
An e-publication of Erie Day School July/August/September 2013
1
continued on page 3
What’s Inside
Welcome New Trustees…………..2
Welcome New Faculty……………2
Focus Group Conclusion…………2
Profile of Pride Alumni News…...2
Fall Open House…………………..2
Spartan Fund………………………3
Upcoming Events…………………3
EDS Founder’s Day……………….3
Thank You, Parent Group!……….4
Brews & Bites………...……………4
Student Summer Activities………5
Thank You Donors!.........................6
Wish List…………………………...6
A Day in the Life… Facebook……7
Alumni Events…………………….8
Americans in Paris …………….....8
Advantages of Having Art in School
Art opens the door to personal
creativity. In the contemporary
global environment, the focus of
education is too often placed on
science, mathematics and tech-
nology. Undoubtedly the as-
sumption is that concentration in
these areas will make the current
school population more eco-
nomically competitive and vi-
able. Such a one-sided approach
fails to take into account the nu-
merous advantages that art of-
fers to the young student.
Personal Advantages Art projects in schools have a
number of advantages for the
individual students. It provides
young elementary school stu-
dents with a hands-on approach
to learning about colors, shapes
and textures. It also allows them
to learn to follow simple direc-
tions and work together with
others in a spirit of team work.
Students learn that art presents
opportunities for creativity and
expression. Art also helps stu-
dents develop self confidence,
motivation and concentration
skills.
Academic Advantages Studies show that art education
has numerous advantages for
2
Welcome New Erie Day School Board of Trustees
Throughout the past year, the Erie Day School Committee on
Trustees welcomed several new Board of Trustees members while
saying goodbyes to a few others. The incoming class includes:
Hon. John Garhart, Judge, Erie County Court of Common Pleas;
Rick Griffith, Rick Griffith Properties;
Mrs. Kelly Kovacs, Parent Group President;
Dr. Stephen Kovacs, Pulmonologist;
Ruthann Lipman, D.O., Otolaryngologist and Erie Day School
alumni;
Stephen Pelkowski, GE Transportation Engineer; and
Michele Polon, D.O., Family Practitioner.
Several Trustees also completed their Board terms. Thank you to
out-going members: Kelly Bryant, Greg Filbeck, Ph.D., Charles
Rush and John Weber.
New Faculty Enrich EDS Environment
Erie Day School has added five faculty members for the 2013-14
School Year.
Middle School Science welcomes Matt Drost who relocated from
Michigan with his wife and daughter (a new EDS student as well);
Julie Getz is an assistant in the Toddler Room; Erie Day School
alumni, Emily Padden, teaches Grade 5 Language Arts and Lower
School Foreign Language; the Preschool Class welcomes Cristina Ras; and Kindergarten students welcome Trisha Stewart.
EDS Focus Group Sessions Conclude
Thanks to all that participated in Erie Day School Focus Group
sessions over the past 4 months. Included were comments from
current students, current parents, past parents, EDS Board of Trus-
tees, alumni, donors and community members. Erie Day School,
founded in 1929, has a rich history of educating students from the
Erie region. The School is ready to embark on a Capital Campaign
that would secure its future for another 85 years. The Focus
Groups sessions were facilitated and analyzed by Tania Bogatova,
KeyStone Research Corporation, and Renee Lamis, Dynamic Visions
Consulting. As a participant in the Erie Day School Focus Group,
participants had the opportunity to share their thoughts and ex-
periences about Erie Day School in a casual environment with
complete confidentiality. Those views are extremely valuable in
helping EDS improve and grow for another 85 years to better
serve students and their families. Look to further issues of the
Chalkboard and the Erie Day School website for Capital Campaign
details as they become available.
Mark Your Calendar
Fall Open House
Erie Day School is hosting its Fall Open
House on Sunday, November 10th from
1:00 to 4:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity
for friends of Erie Day School and the
community to visit the campus to see
what an independent school
education is all about. Faculty and
staff will offer tours, answer questions to
prospective students and their
families. Spread the word!
Profile of Pride Alumni News
Erie Day School had visitors and alumni
from Cathedral Preparatory School to discuss
high school options for Middle School stu-
dents. Alumni included: Will Lewis, ’13 (shown in photo below); Eli Chase, ’11, Jacob Dailey, ‘11, and Taylor Connelly, ‘10.
Zak Ali, ‘13, completed the Johns Hopkins
Center for Talented Youth Genetics Course at
Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA He also
earned a spot on the McDowell Senior High
School Junior Varsity Soccer Team.
The Class of 2013 also had alumni that
earned places on the Mercyhurst Preparatory
School athletic teams: Alexandra Baldwin and Sophia DiNicola, Tennis Team; William Humphrey, Soccer; Nicholas Langford-Tyler, Baseball; and Henley Spracklen, Cross
Country and Crew Teams.
If you have alumni news, please contact Julie
Kresge, Director of Development & Mktg., at
814-452-44273 or [email protected].
3
Spartan Fund Continues Into Second Year
The Erie Day School faculty and coaches help
students become effective leaders and team
players - both in the traditional classroom and
numerous activities outside of the classroom. In
this way, students develop character as much as
good sportsmanship and physical skill - enrich-
ing the experiences of our student population.
Unfortunately, some Erie Day School families
have financial limitations that make it difficult
to have their student(s) participate in extracur-
ricular activities (examples of needed costs in-
clude: fees for experiential trips or tourna-
ments, costumes/uniforms and equipment).
The Erie Day School Spartan Fund was estab-
lished in 2012 to help those student(s) and fami-
lies in need. If you would like to learn more
about this important initiative or would like to
contribute, contact Julie Kresge, Director of De-
velopment & Marketing, at
[email protected] or 452-4273.
Erie Day School Annual Report The Erie Day School 2012-2014 Annual Report has
been published and can be viewed at
www.eriedayschool.com or if you would like to
receive a copy, contact Julie Kresge at
A Good Time Was Had By All at EDS Summer Camps
Erie Day School Summer Camps were a great
success and provided fun for students who
wished to express their creativity, learn a new
skill or to gather with new and old friends over
the summer break. Every session was held on
campus at Erie Day School. If you or your child
has an idea for a Summer Camp for the summer
of 2014, please contact Dr. Karen Tyler, Head of
School, at 452-4273 or kty-
the student's academic
achievements and education
as a whole. Studying art and
engaging in art projects de-
velops skills in reading, cog-
nitive ability, critical thinking
and verbal skills.
Cultural Advantages Art in schools helps to en-
courage an atmosphere of
cultural diversity. Art in all
its forms, painting, poetry,
drama, dance and music, re-
flects specific cultural con-
texts. Consequently, art is an
important tool for enlighten-
ing elementary students' cul-
ture. Art provides students with a broader and more apprecia-
tive outlook on different cultures. European art, Hispanic art,
African art, teach student that different cultures perceive and
represent the world in different ways. In addition to enlarging
the understanding of culture, art history also offers important
insights into history.
Erie Day School students are fortunate to have art classes and
artists in residence, Adele Larsen and Amy Emmett. Ms. Lar-
sen is an accomplished painter and sculptor in the Erie area
and Ms. Emmett is renowned throughout the county for her
contributions to sculpture and inspiring young artists.
Advantages of Having Art in School
continued from front
Blue dog artwork completed by
William Fessler, Grade 3.
Erie Day School Cross Country Team participants take time from the race for a photo-op.
4
Upcoming Events Alumni & Parents of Alumni Social This year’s ‘Alumni and Parents of
Alumni Social’ will be held on Fri-
day, November 29 at 7:00 p.m. at
Molly Brannigan’s, in downtown
Erie. Alumni and parents of
alumni are invited to enjoy food,
fun and camaraderie along with a
chance to win an Erie Day School
basket. Complimentary refresh-
ments will be served.
‘Tea at Downton Abbey’ Ladies of all ages, get the white
gloves out as this new EDS tradi-
tion continues into its 2nd year
with ‘Tea at Downton Abbey.’
Scheduled for January 26, 2014, at
Lake Shore Country Club, this
‘ladies tea’ will have something for
every lady – no matter the age. For
additional information contact
Julie Kresge, Director of Develop-
ment & Mktg., at 452-4273 or via
email at
The Roaring Twenties - The Auction at EDS Erie Day School’s largest fund-
raiser, the Auction at Erie Day
School, with funds raised going to
the Adopt-a-Scholar Program, is
scheduled for May 3, 2014. The
theme this year is The Roaring
Twenties - just in time for Erie Day
School’s upcoming 85th anniver-
sary. Mark your calendar now to
see EDS transform with big band
music, flapper dresses and more.
Word has it there may also be a
classic car or two to help set the
stage. For additional information
contact Julie Kresge, Director of
Development & Mktg., at 452-4273
or via email at
Founder’s Day Activities Underway
Amazing, what started almost 85 years ago was a vision of an independ-
ent education - fast forward to today and the vision of Erie Day School is
still going strong. Visit the EDS website for the latest information about
the EDS Founder’s Day Celebration and activities fro students, parents,
alumni and friends of EDS scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2014. Minnick
Thanks, Parent Group! Parent Group continues to support the faculty, staff and students at Erie
Day School—not only in monetary funds but their volunteer time as well.
Their fundraising efforts include the Save Around Coupon Books; collec-
tion of ink cartridges and cell phones for rebates with Funding Factory;
the fall and spring Whale of a Sale rummage sale; and various retail store
‘passive fundraising with rebates from Target and Tops grocery stores;
and collection Box Tops from ‘Boxtops for Education’ products.
Parent Group fundraising efforts help support faculty mini-grants, pro-
viding breakfast and lunches on Faculty In-service Days, and supporting
community-building events such as the Ice Cream Social, Back-to-School
Night and the Souper Bowl.
Parent Group volunteers also help with office copying, lend a hand with
the Thanksgiving Feast and Sports Banquet, and assist with transportation
needs for school field trips.
And new this year, the Erie Day School Spirit Store located in the Main
Lobby. Included are items such as EDS blankets, wine koozies and key-
chains, along with the soon-to-come spirit-wear clothing - perfect for that
student, parent, alumni or friend of EDS!
Erie Day School ‘s Brews & Bites
The 2nd annual ‘Cheers to
the School Year’ was held
on September 21st with a
‘Brews & Bites’ theme and
raised almost $1,000 for
the Adopt-a-Scholar Pro-
gram at Erie Day School.
Attendees enjoyed selec-
tions of ‘brews’ donated
from Erie Beer Company,
Lavery Brewing Company and Southern Tier Brewing Company. Many
thanks to all in attendance and to our Brew Master Sponsors: Mr. & Dr.
John Grazioli and Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Kovacs; Tasting Enthusiast Spon-sor: Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Person; and Host Couples Sponsors: Mr. & Mrs.
Rick Griffith, Mrs. Julie Kresge, Dr. & Mrs. Josh Rosenberg, Ms. Heidi
Schultz, Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Ward, and Atty. & Dr. Matthew Wolford.
5
Learning Doesn’t Stop for Summer
Connor, Grade 5, and Evan Coughlin, Grade 3, used
their vocal talents recording a radio spot for Erie Day
School which highlighted the school and Open House.
Noah Ali, Grade 7, attended the Johns Hopkins Center
for Talented Youth at Lafayette College, completing
course work in physics and engineering, while Alex Burnside, Grade 7, took a creative writing course
through the John Hopkins CTY program.
Connor Miller, Grade 1, Case Pelkowski, Grade 1, Paul Pelkowski, Grade 3 and Finn Chambers, Grade 3, spent
a part of the summer playing soccer for area rec leagues.
Jared, Grade 6, and Joseph Sorce, Grade 5, spent the
summer at Findley Lake and Chatauqua.
Lydia Langford-Tyler, Grade 7, spent much of her sum-
mer at EDS helping as a babysitter and doing office pro-
jects after a trip to Disney World and Discovery Cove to
swim with dolphins!
Gianna Kowalewski, Grade 1, participated in the Erie
Youth Theatre Camp and completed a performance with
songs from Mary Poppins and Aladdin. She also partici-
pated in the Arts Conservatory Camp. Not to be outdone
by her performing abilities, she also took sailing lessons in
the Junior Sailing Program at the Erie Yacht Club, and at-
tended the SPARK Camp at EDS.
Tommy Christiansen, PreK, and Noah Clemente, PreK,
spent three weeks at Camp Notre Dame!
Pasha Aksoy, Grade 7, attended John Hopkins Univer-
sity's CYT completing course work in the Model United
Nations and advanced geography. Pasha, and brother,
Timur, both participated in the Junior Sailing Program at
Erie Yacht Club where they sailed ‘Class 420’ and were
awarded 1st Mate and 2nd Mate, respectively, during the
EYC ‘Friday Cup.’ Timur and his soccer team, MSA
Challenge, took Silver in the Erie Premier Cup Boys U9.
Luke Kovacs, Grade 1, had fun driving go-carts this
summer and was excited to see jellyfish and swim in the
same water as them. In his words, ‚it was exciting and
terrifying at the same time!‛
Many in the EDS community traveled to Paris in June.
(See full story on page 8.)
Blaine Rosenberg, Nicolas Corso, Annika Gibbs and
Oliver Frankovitch, Grade 2, had their drawings fea-
tured in the Erie Times-News Weather Pictures.
Audrey Ward, Grade 8, participated in the Perry 200,
‘The Spirit of Erie’ Pageant and sang with the Erie Play-
house at WQLN’s live on-air program.
Eleanor Patchett, Preschool, traveled to Melbourne
Australia to visit relatives. While there, she visited an
aquarium seeing sting rays and sharks, and the koala
and platypus at the zoo.
PJ and Lili Rankin, Grade 1, planted a garden at home,
traveled to Gettysburg where they toured the battlefield
and learned more about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil
War, and to California including a trip to the San Diego
Zoo, California Adventure Land and Lego Land, not to
mention spending some time at the ocean.
Sofia, Grade 4, and Tomas Mercado, Grade 1, traveled
to Italy where they visited Juliet's house & balcony,
watched the opera performance Aida, celebrated Tomas'
birthday with family at the beach, took a ride in gondola,
went to Murano Island to see glass crafting, and visited
the Ufizzi Gallery in Florence. A family reunion with
family from Argentina capped-off the summer.
Francesca Kern, Grade 8, improved her tennis skills this
summer and placed 2nd in the following tournaments:
Erie City Rec. Tournament (Girls 14 and Under Singles);
Lakeshore Country Club Junior Invitational, (Girls 14 and
Under Singles); and finalist, Pennbriar Athletic Club Fall
Classic (Girls 16 and Under Singles).
Francesca, Grade 8, and Olivia Kern, Grade 5, swam for
the Kahkwa Club Swim Team and placed in the Lake
Erie Swimming Championships (all teams in Erie
County July, 2013 Meet) as follows: Francesca - (Girls 12
and Under) 2nd Place, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay Girls; 5th
Place, 50 Yard Butterfly; Olivia (Girls 10 and Under) -
2nd Place, 5 Yard Butterfly, 2nd Place, 100 Yard Medley
Relay, and 3rd Place, 100 Yard Freestyle Relay.
Breckin Taylor earned the Most Valuable Swimmer title
in the 8 & Under age group at the Kahkwa Club. He also
broke the 13-year record for his swim in the butterfly -
17.15.
A special thank you goes out to all
Erie Day School donors! The list
below captures donations from
May 11, 2013 through
September 30, 2013.
Donors—Adopt-a-Scholar: Dr. & Mrs. Segun Abogunde
Donors—Annual Fund: Dr. Eardly Wickramasinghe
Donors—Capital: Mr. B. Scott Kern & Dr. Amy Cuzzola-Kern
Donors—Educational Improve-ment Tax Credits (EITC and OSTC): Amerail Systems, Inc. C.A. Curtze Company CMIT Solutions of Erie, Inc. Great Lakes Automation Services, Inc. John V. Schultz Furniture Life Services Management Corp. MacDonald Illig Attorneys
Donors—Erie Gives Day: Dr. Amjad & Mrs. Liz Ali Mr. & Mrs. Brian Amick Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Ross Aresco Atty. & Mrs. Greg Baldwin Ms. Jessica Barner Mr. Rick Barner Dr. Ann Bomberger & Mr. Pat Bywater Ms Tania Bogatova & Ms. Olga Antipovich Madison Bott & Linda Offner Dr. Howard Nadworny & Dr. Jan Brydon Ms. Jackie Cannon Brown Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Biggs, Jr.
6
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Carney Mr. & Mrs. Albert Clement Atty. Jeff & Mrs. Kim Connelly CMIT Solutions of Erie, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Thomas DeGeorge Ms. Holly Dhaliwal Ms. Carolyn Emerson Mr. & Mrs. Henry Fish Mr. & Mrs. Brett Forehand Ms. Vanessa Fremer & Ms. Jennifer Kuzmin Hon. John & Mrs. Kathy Garhart Ms. Ann Giannelli & Mr. Michael Sorek Mr. Edward Glennon Mr. John & Dr. Erica Grazioli Hart, McConahy & Martz, Inc. Mr. B. Scott Kern & Dr. Amy Cuzzola-Kern, Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Kern Ms. Amanda Knepper Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Knepper Ms. Denise Kovacs Dr. Mrs. Stephen Kovacs Mr. & Mrs. Brian Kowalewski Mr. & Mrs. Randall Kresge Renee Lamis, Ph.D. Mr. & Mrs. Marshall Lindsay Mrs. Catherine McCalmont Ms. Cheri McGuire Dr. Jorge Mercado & Dr. Cecilia Crisanti Mr. & Mrs. Chris Millette Mrs. Cynthia Minnick Mr. & Mrs. Brandon Minnick Mr. & Mrs. Mark Murphy Atty. Sumner Nichols Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Pelkowski Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Person Dr. Michelle Polon & Mr. Drew Donikowski Mr. & Mrs. Paul Rankin Mr. Chuck Scalise Mr. & Mrs. John Schultz Mr. & Atty. Matthew Schultz Mr. & Mrs. John M. Schulze Ms. Louis Schulze Dr. & Mrs. Sukh Dev Sharma Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Sorce Mr. & Mrs. Adrian Spracklen Mr. & Mrs. Michael Spracklen Dr. & Mrs. Jefrey Start Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Szumigale Mr. & Mrs. Abdelghani Taoukhi Mr. & Mrs. Sean Taylor
Thank You Erie Day School Donors!
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Tofani Dr. Karen Tyler Dr. & Mrs. Sam Ward Dr. & Mrs. Rahul Warrier Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Wilson Atty. & Matthew & Dr. Marian Wolford Mr. Henry Young
Donors—Other: Ms. Tania Bogatova Ericson Memorial Studios Mr. Dan Giannelli/Gannon University Mr. & Mrs. Rick Griffith Renee Lamis, Ph.D. Dr. Thomas & Mrs. Jennifer Person Atty. David Ridge Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Sorce Mrs. Mary Tseng
Wish List
Athletic Field – soccer net
Early Childhood Area – mulch
for the playground area
MS Science – XPult - $39 each -
five are needed. Water-quality
backpack - $375. Sea Perch Kit -
$155 each, two are needed. Sea
Perch Toolbag - $235.
Grade 3 Secret Garden – 2 yards
of mulch, an overhead projector
cart
Toddler Area - Digital Camera
(so we can share more pictures
with you in our newsletters!);
Riding Toys (even used ones are
great as long as they work!); Two
blue chairs - $24.95 each; Mini
Discovery Table - $66.99; Dish-
washing station - $349.99
Physical Education - Tabletop
Scoreboard at a cost of $250.
MS English - computer at a cost
of $300 and printer/scanner at a
cost of $250.
LS Science - Smartboard, $3,000.
MS Art - ‘Who is the Artist’ DVD,
6 total tapes, $30 each or the set
for $159.
7
EDS Middle School attended the Erie
Tall Ships Festival on September 6th.
Grade 8 took time from their tour for a
photo op - a great looking ‘crew.’
First day of 1st Grade!
Grade 3 students enjoyed a tea party as
the conclusion of the ‘Paddington Bear’
reading session. Always the polite bear,
Paddington has an endless capacity for
getting into trouble, but is known to
“try so hard to get hings right.” Pad-
dington also has a love of marmalade
sandwiches which were eaten at the
September 20th tea party.
Congratulations to Erie Day School stu-
dents and friends that completed in the
Mini-Mudder event held by the Eastside
YMCA.
Let’s hear it for all the students who ran
for Student Council this year. September
30th was the first day of ‘election season’
with promotional posters adorning the
hallways. Officers include: Andrew Top-
erzer, President; Jamie Rowley, Vice Presi-
dent; Hayley Schultz, Secretary; Lydia
Langford-Tyler and Sam Gilman, Grade 7
representatives; Dylan Minnick and Dan
Wolford, Grade 6 Representatives; and
Connor Coughlin and Harrison Romero,
Grade 5 Representatives.
A Day in the Life… Facebook
What better way to see all that happens at Erie Day School than to ‘like us’ on Facebook. A sampling of current posts
are below. Please note that Erie Day School is mindful of the use of social media and will not be posting student’s names with stories, photographs or videos.
Grade 4 students were learning about
congruent circles and how to use a com-
pass with the help of ELMO, a digital cam-
era (pink for Breast Cancer Awareness),
that projects exactly what the teacher is
diagramming on the desk.
8
Alumni & Parents of Alumni Social This year’s ‘Alumni and Parents of Alumni Social’ will be held on
Friday, November 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Molly Brannigan’s, in downtown Erie. Alumni and parents of alumni are invited to enjoy food, fun and
camaraderie along with a chance to win an Erie Day School basket. Complimentary refreshments will be served. Check the Erie Day School
website for additional information nas it becomes available.
Erie Day School Chalkboard July/August/September 2013
If you have any questions, comments or
additions to the Chalkboard, or know someone that should be included on the email
distribution list, please contact Julie Kresge at 814-452-4273 or via email at
Erie Day School 1372 West Sixth Street
Erie, PA 16505 814-452-4273
www.eriedayschool.com
Erie Day School Board of Trustees John V. Schultz III, Chairman
Amy Cuzzola-Kern, Ph.D., Vice Chairman Cheryl A. Ward, Treasurer
Dawn Rooth-Schultz, Secretary Kelly Kovacs, Parent Group President
Gregory S. Baldwin, Esq.
Akram Bhatti Christina Britton
Beth Burnside Andrea Diniaco
Dori Fish Hon. John Garhart
John Grazioli Richard Griffith
Stephen Kovacs, D.O. Ruthann Lipman, D.O.
Sumner E. Nichols II, Esq. Stephen Pelkowski
Michelle Polon, D.O. Charles Scalise
Matthew L. Wolford, Esq. Karen Tyler, D.Ed. Head of School, Ex-Officio
Erie Day School Motto
May I live each day being mindful of the goodness that surrounds me.
May I always stretch my mind and heart so that I live my life in wisdom and love.
May I be a loyal friend to others and willingly help those in need,
and may I always honor and respect the earth
of which I am a part.
Learning today,
leading tomorrow.
Americans in Paris Marnie Mead, Erie Times-News
I write this at a table in our apartment near the Eiffel Tower, watching the
sun rise over the city. Jet-lagged, I have been up and asleep several times,
trying to adjust to waking in Erie Sunday morning and in Paris on Mon-
day morning. Across from my bedroom, where my daughter is snoozing
away in preteen oblivion to just how much she needs to savor each sight
and sound, I can see someone who appears to be a writer, too. I am assum-
ing, of course, but like me, he's up at 4 a.m., with a laptop open on the ta-
ble and the television in the background.
I assume this because, for me, Paris is a city of writers. On previous trips,
I've been to the bars where Hemingway hung out, Les Deux Magots Cafe
and to Harry's. This trip is led by Denise Padden (former EDS faculty)
and Ginny Rogers ( EDS faculty), with more than 30 others -- children,
parents and grandparents of primarily Erie Day School students or former
students -- here for nearly 10 days to learn.
Latecomers to the group, we are fortunate that Padden found us an apart-
ment less than a mile from the group's hotel and within a hop and a skip
of the Eiffel Tower. So far, I have fallen in love again with the sights and
smells of this city -- from the beautifully arranged strawberries on the
street to the corner boulangerie, where I picked up a pane au chocolate,
a baguette and a palmier (elephant ear) for our breakfast.
This brings me to the most spectacular part of the journey -- I am traveling
not only with my daughter, but my mother as well. Yes, three generations.
But we aren't alone in our multigenerational travel because Rick Griffith
(EDS Board of Trustees member) and his wife Noreen, have their grand-
daughter, Mya Tetuan-Lewis. Trina Baldwin, who writes for Her Times, is
with her daughter, Alexandra (EDS alumni). And there are others - Erin Rowley (EDS alumni and faculty member) with her children, Cassidy,
(EDS alumni), Jamie and Keagan; Claire Wolford (EDS alumni); Benja-min Walters, his mother, Lisa Remaley-Walters and grandmother:
Sophia and Bella DiNicola (EDS alumni); Alexandra, her mother Beth Burnside (EDS Board of Trustees member), and grandmother, Karen
Donocoff; and Monica and Adrian Gustin (EDS alumni) and their mother,
Nancy.