derryfield today, fall 2010

Examining the Value of an Independent Day School

Being Derryfield

todayNEWS FROM

FALL TERM 2010

Derryfield

THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

Sweet DreamsMiddle school thespians put together ahumorous and colorful production ofOnce Upon a Mattress, based on thefairy tale The Princess and the Pea.

contentsTable of

www.derryfield.org 1

Derryfield Today is published by the Advancement Office at The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify us at603.669.4524, ext. 2261 or send an email to [email protected]. Correspondence may be addressed to: Director ofCommunications, The Derryfield School, 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104-1396. The Derryfield School welcomes students of any race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin. The School does not discriminate in its hiring, admission policies, or programs on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or disabilities.

ERRATA: Molly Brady ’16 was misidentified in the table of contents photo of the Winter/Spring 2010 issue of Derryfield Today.

features

departments

FALL 2010

FEATURES

Being Derryfield 12by Annie Branch

A Cultural Mecca 18by Adam Grodman ’06

Cornelius Raiford 25by Annie Branch

DEPARTMENTS

Message from the Head 2Around Campus 4Cougar Athletics 8Breakthrough Spotlight 10Update on Alumni 16Life After Derryfield 18Faculty Profile 25

2010–2011BOARD OF TRUSTEES

David LockwoodChairManchester, NH

Nigel DonovanTreasurerBedford, NH

Craig N. SellersHead of SchoolManchester, NH

Cathryn Vaughn ’91SecretaryManchester, NH

John Allard ’83Manchester, NH

Bradley Benson ’78Derry, NH

John BryanAmherst, NH

Robert ChinWindham, NH

Christine CikaczChester, NH

Dr. Louis FinkBedford, NH

Anne GreerAmherst, NH

Audrey HammerBedford, NH

Preston Hunter ’98Bedford, NH

Paul LeBlancManchester, NH

Donna K. LenckiCandia, NH

Paul J. LeydenBedford, NH

Thomas MansonNew Boston, NH

Daniel Muskat ’82Bedford, NH

Janice RomanowskyHampstead, NH

E. Charles SanbornCanterbury, NH

Richard Sigel ’81Manchester, NH

Robert SpiegelmanLondonderry, NH

Shelley SpiererBedford, NH

William ZornHooksett, NH

DERRYFIELD TODAY

Annie Branch Director of Communications

Samantha Hough ’10 Communications Intern

Griffin York & KrauseDesign Template

Puritan PressPrinting

CONTRIBUTORS

Diane Allen

Adam Grodman ’06

Samantha Hough ’10

Allison Price

Bruce BerkKatherine DiPastina ’09Jack Dowst ’11Walt Milne ’82Judith Rutty Godfrey

ADVANCEMENT

Diane Allen Alumni Coordinator

Gail GordonAdvancement Office Coordinator

Alice Handwerk Director of Annual Giving

Jennifer Melkonian Assistant Head for Advancement

FRONT COVER: Isaias De Los Santos ’17 and ZachBaron ’17 enjoy the foliage when Mr. Fogg takestheir music class outside to play.

BACKGROUND: Juniors line up to race their mouse-trap cars.

TOP: Members of the girls’ varsity soccer team lineup before the state championship game.

When I first considered The Derryfield School fouryears ago, a friend told me, “If you are looking fora co‐ed, non‐denominational, independent day

school in that part of the world, Derryfield is the best.”You might know that Derryfield is the only co‐ed, non‐

denominational, independent day school in this part of theworld (allow me the author’s license to define “world” as areasonable driving radius). I see this fact asrelevant in a few different ways:

First, I am reminded of the mantra atGoogle—“never settle for the best.” I haveno doubt that Derryfield is the best school ofits kind in the area, and I am equally con‐vinced that our faculty and staff refuse, timeand time again, to simply settle for the best.We push ourselves. We challenge ourselves.And we keep our students at the center ofour deliberations as we seek to improve.

This attitude is essential to my second thought: One of thecentral virtues of being an independent school is cultivatingthe habit of routine innovation. If we have a good idea forour students on Thursday, we can implement it on Friday.We are free, to a very high degree, of the constraints thatcome with working in a school that is not independent. Andunless we actively leverage that freedom for the good of ourstudents, we leave the inherent benefits of being an indepen‐dent school at the front door. Several years ago, Pat Bassett,the Executive Director of NAIS (National Association ofIndependent Schools—the leading independent school organization representing more than 1,400 independentschools), said, “The No Child Left Behind law was one of

the best things that ever happened to independent schools.”As I tested this assertion with friends in other schools, Icame to see the wisdom in Pat’s statement—Derryfield isblessedly free of restrictions and regulations, and we usethis freedom to our students’ advantage every day.

A final thought on the notion of being an independentday school: Over the past few years, several of Derryfield’s

founders have said to me, “We wanted agreat education for our children, and wewanted them home for dinner.” Their moti‐vation captures the essence of the dayschool’s advantage. However, to realize thefull value of a day school, parents need toactually take the time to have a meal withtheir children, attend a game, or get to knowtheir children’s teachers. Once again, I seethe Derryfield community as being excep‐tional in this realm. Our parents are thought‐

fully engaged in their children’s education, and this works toDerryfield’s advantage time and time again.

I hope this issue helps you reflect on what it means to bean independent day school, as well as how Derryfield com‐bines these advantages in unique and remarkable ways.

headMessage from the

2 Derryfield Today – Fall 2010

“...our faculty and staff

refuse, time and time

again, to simply settle

for the best. We push

ourselves. We chal‐

lenge ourselves.”

Craig N. SellersHead of School

Being an Independent Day School

FEBRUARY

Winter Carnival 7–11

Lyceum Gallery Reception 11

Pasta Dinner 11

Upper School Musical 11–13

Breakthrough Super Saturday 19

Washington, DC Alumni Gathering 23

MARCH

Blood Drive 3


Excerpt Coffee House 4


NYC Alumni Gathering 16

APRIL

Smokey Jim’s Cafe 1


Boston Alumni Gathering 21

Student Art Gallery Reception 22

Senior Celebration 27

MAY

Admission Open House 4

Founders’ Day 6

Prom 6

Parent/Faculty Association Benefit 7

Upper School Play 13–14



Spring Concert 18

Awards Day 27

JUNE

All-School Assembly and Picnic 8

Eighth Grade Send Off 8

Commencement 11

F E B R U A R Y – J U N E

calendareventsTHE INSPIRATION PROJECTThe Inspiration Project is a growing collection of photos of every employee at The Derryfield School doing his

or her job: inspiring others. To share how Derryfield teachers and staff have inspired you, please email

[email protected] or visit www.derryfield.org/inspiration-project.


Master teachers (clockwise from top left): Betty Jipson, Dick Anthony, Danielle de Pazzis, Dennis Holland, Ed Lemire

campus


STORIES

Student Activities Thrive

Simeon Kass Award

News Online

China Trip

Legacy Society Profile

Gateway Construction Update

Student Activities ThriveAn advisor is usually thought of as a men‐tor, a guide, and an advice‐giver, yetDerryfield’s bright, passionate studentsalways prove that they can go above andbeyond with as little as a simple sugges‐tion. When John Bouton, Dean of StudentLife and English teacher, put out a proposi‐tion to the student body to develop moreclubs and organizations that reflect the stu‐dents’ interests, a wave of pursuit sparkedin the community. Each appeal was grantedif the student leader had provided a reason‐able request and the organization had itsown faculty advisor. Although an advisorwas a key part to receiving approval for thecreation of a new activity, the clubs haveaccomplished success because the studentsare fully involved and in charge. Whenasked to speak about the newly developedMock Trial Club, Derek Lautieri, AssistantAthletic Director and Athletic Trainer,responded by saying, “You really shouldspeak to Cameron.” Cameron Campbell ’13

started the Mock Trial Club, and as DerekLautieri shows here, the students hold themost information about each club. One sim‐ple suggestion made to the student bodyresulted in a 30% rise in the number ofclubs and organizations at Derryfield.

Not only did John Bouton’s suggestionexpand the number of clubs at the School, italso ignited the expansion of communityawareness and involvement. Many of thenew clubs and organizations that arose thisyear are dedicated to extending theirknowledge into issues outside of theDerryfield community. Kate Jorgenson ’11and Grace Alenson ’11 created the PoliticalClub that meets weekly to discuss politicalissues of the nation. As mentioned previ‐ously, Cameron Campbell ’13 started aMock Trial Club to explore the workings oflegal issues. With all positions, from attor‐ney to witness, this organization is develop‐ing a deep and thorough understanding ofhow national issues are handled in today’scourtroom.

However, these activities would not existwithout the presence of strong passion. AsNicole Chenelle ’11 and Zoe Sobin ’11 real‐ized, “It’s so difficult to find time to just sitdown with a newspaper and talk about theworld.” Once Nicole and Zoe decided thatthis simple relaxing task should be donemore often, they created the Read and FeedClub, dedicated to reading the New York

Around

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETYCongratulations to the following Derryfield

seniors who were inducted into the

National Honor Society during a special

assembly on October 12, 2010.

Catalina Benech, Jonathan Burnham,

Nicole Chenelle, Zachary Chin, Spencer

David, Alisa de Bruyn Kops, Ann DiPastina,

Olivia Donahue, Jamie Ducharme, Kaitlin

Fink, Taylor Goudreau, Aran Hubbell,

Emilyann Keller, Mariel McLeod, Rachel

Moss, Aseebulla Niazi, Kimberly Pollock,

Bryan Rivard, Kristen Ryan, Tayla Satkwich,

Kimberley Selwyn, Zoe Sobin, Lucy Steer,

Anuj Vadalia, and Alexander Zorn Derryfield students signed up for activities this fall.

Times while casually discussing articlesover coffee. All that was needed to cre‐ate this fast‐growing club was a passionto “become more knowledgeable aboutthe local, national, and global commu‐nity around us” as Nicole described it.

Personal interests also shinedthrough with the creation of new clubssuch as Empower, created by Erica Raff’11 and Ellie Lynch ’13. Empower isdedicated to discovering and servingthe “inner self” and works to challengeexpectations of all kinds, includingthose put upon by gender, the self, andthe community. Along with providingthe environment of a “sisterhood, onethat creates a spiritual connection,” asErica Raff ’11 put it, the group helpsoutsource their ideas to a greater com‐munity through service and donationsto charities that provide safe housesand schools for girls in Rwanda. OnceAndrew Voss ’12 showed a strong pas‐sion for language, a group formed towork on exploring different languagesto create their own. The growth inDerryfield activities this year providesa great example of how students canbecome leaders of their own ambitions.

Simeon Kass Award The fourth Simeon Kass Award, a gift fromthe Boelig family in honor of Sim Kass,was presented to Firas Omer ’11. Below isan excerpt from his winning essay, thewhole of which can be found online.

On a warm, sunny day on the emi‐rate of Abu Dhabi in the United ArabEmirates, I woke up to the sound ofcrying. Now that I look back on it, itwas more like wailing. The intense out‐

bursts shook me from my slumber andmy eyes adjusted to the scant lightingin the bedroom. Slowly I raised myselfout of bed and opened the curtains let‐ting the light drift into the room. I wasthen compelled to investigate thesource of the commotion. It appearedto be coming from the bedroom thewomen of my family occupied. Whatmet my eyes as I walked into that adja‐cent bedroom was distressing. In thisroom, my aunts, my mother, and mygrandmother stood embracing oneanother and crying. Tears floodeddown their cheeks as they all screamedone thing, “Abdel Gadir.” The recogni‐tion of the name being chanted chilledme to my very core. They did not haveto say what had happened to upsetthem so, I knew as soon as their nowcoherent cries entered my ear. MyUncle, Abdel Gadir El‐Samani, hadpassed away.

My recollection of the man whosedeath brought so much sorrow in thatmoment was shaky at best. I had methim a few times when I was youngerin the Sudan. He had a carefree andpeaceable air about him. He was astrong and healthy man. He workedfrom sunrise to sunset every dayexcept for Friday, which he would takeoff for Muslim Sabbath day. His devo‐tion to God was admirable and heraised all nine of his children to be ser‐vants of Allah. Beyond these memoriesthere was not much more I could tellyou about Abdel Gadir El‐Samani. Thiswas before the evening of July 14th,2010.


Want to know more about what’s happening at Derryfield

every day? Check out the online news portal by going to

www.derryfield.org/about-DS/news-events. Here are the

introductions of a sampling of stories from the fall term.

Presenting Once Upon a MattressThe Derryfield Middle School

Players are proud to present a

musical production of Once

Upon a Mattress, an adaptation of the Hans Christian

Andersen fairy tale The Princess and the Pea....

Recognizing BannedBooks WeekDerryfield’s librarian Betty

Jipson spoke at All-School

Assembly on Monday,

September 27, about the American Library Association’s

Banned Books Week and the importance of trust and

freedom in the Derryfield community....

Girls’ Varsity SoccerScores a ThreepeatSimply amazing is the best way

to describe the 2010 girls’ varsi-

ty soccer team. They completed

another successful season capped by a series of tourna-

ment matches showing their possession-style soccer....

Derryfield DeliversThanksgiving BasketsDerryfield held the annual

Thanksgiving basket delivery on

Tuesday, November 23. After a

school-wide effort to put together 52 baskets full of

food, kitchen items, and children’s books and toys, close

to 40 parents and students came together to deliver all

of the baskets....

K E E P I N G U P - T O - D A T E

newsonline


AROUND CAMPUS

China Trip In October, Director of Admission AllisonPrice, had the opportunity to spend tendays in China traveling with a group ofNew England educators. The group spenttime in Beijing, Fuzhou, Haining, andShanghai visiting schools and learningabout the Chinese educational system.Below are the recollections from Allison’strip that she shared with the community:

Having never been to China, I wasn’t sure what to expect on mytrip—it’s hard to separate myth fromreality in the media when it comes tothis nation. My firsthand experienceshelped me to understand that whileour cultures certainly have very differ‐ent values and traditions, in manyother important ways, “kids are kids”wherever they may live.

Our actual school visits varied fromextremely formal—a G20 summitmodel with flags on the table,Communist Party officials, and formaltea ceremonies—to speaking with mid‐dle school students about Justin Bieber(they seemed very disappointed that Idid not know him personally). Almostall of the students I met asked meabout my hair (wavy) and my eyes(blue)—apparently they had never

seen someone with these features inreal life, only on TV!

It was always interesting to ask stu‐dents to tell us what they knew aboutthe United States; Disney, Hollywood,Desperate Housewives, the NBA, theWhite House, and President Obama(“Yes we can!”) were common respons‐es. When we asked school administra‐tors about the philosophical differencesbetween the two countries, Chinesestudents were described as morerespectful and hardworking than theirAmerican counterparts. In contrast,American students were portrayed asmore creative and playful, the resultsof a “more modern” educational system.

As foreigners, we definitely stoodout in many of the places we visited,and we never quite got used to thisfeeling. Often people would take ran‐dom pictures of us, try to practicespeaking English, or simply just stare.The rituals associated with formalmeetings also created some amusingmoments at first—the rules for busi‐ness cards (“Read cards slowly andcarefully, place on table”), conversa‐tions (“Do expect to be treated ratherlike a supplicant to a powerful emper‐or”), and eating (“Never leave chop‐sticks upright in bowl”) had me fre‐quently trying to “save face.” Everyevening I’d pack my rucksack full ofDerryfield gifts in preparation for theseexchanges—I felt a bit like Santa Clausdoling out ice cream scoops and flash‐drives all over China!

Although our daily schedules oftenran between twelve and fourteen hours

long, we did manage to squeeze in afew blissful moments for sightseeing.Crazy jet lag allowed me to takeadvantage of an evening opportunityto tour Tiananmen Square. I alsostomped around The Bund inShanghai, the Confucian Temple inBeijing, and the Saturday NightFood Markets, but wasnʹt actuallybrave enough to try the live scorpionsor cockroaches!

However, my favorite memory ofmy time in China involved thequintessential tourist destination: theGreat Wall. On the day of our journey,we awoke to a blackened sky; our tripwas in jeopardy because of the rem‐nants of Typhoon Megi. However,intrepid travelers that we were, weplowed ahead. One of my travel col‐leagues from Millinocket was beingfeatured in a front page article for TheNew York Times. Thus, we found our‐selves standing on the Great Wall, indriving wind and rain, participating ina two‐hour photoshoot. Although Iclimbed back into the van that after‐noon wet, wind‐burnt, and cold, I leftwith a priceless visual souvenir (seeabove) and a great story to tell!

Allison Price on the Great Wall of China.

Allison Price posing with Chinese students.

Legacy Society ProfileDuring Derryfield’s recent LeadershipDonor party, a friend asked me whatthe maroon ribbon attached to myname tag signified. Everyone there hadbeen invited as a thank you for pastgenerous financial support ofDerryfield, but this ribbon, worn by asignificant number of the guests, set usapart, and she was curious. “We aremembers of the 1964 Legacy Society,” Irelated. “Everyone wearing a ribbonhas committed to making Derryfieldpart of his or her estate.”

The decision to make Derryfield abeneficiary of our estate had been ger‐minating for some time. Like many ofour friends, my husband and I hadgiven little thought to estate planning,but the recent deaths of our parentshad brought home the necessity of fac‐ing the eventual reality of death, taxes,and our legacy.

Our children are fortunate; uponour deaths, they will be the beneficia‐ries of a nice inheritance. “Should ourwill be merely a reflection of wiseinvestments and hard work?” weasked ourselves. We decided that tak‐ing care of our children is, of course,our greatest priority, but that our estateplanning should also reflect who weare and what we care about.

My husband and I belong to a gen‐eration that has seen the benefits ofeducation, locally and globally. Peoplewho know us, know that we careabout education. What better opportu‐nity could present itself to demonstratethe things that are important to us?The issue became where our donation

might have the greatest impact. Threeof our four children, graduates ofDerryfield, have gone on to attendprestigious colleges. Like most schoolstoday, these colleges have well‐staffedAdvancement Offices that are eager towine and dine us, hoping that we willbe generous when the time comes.How might we support all three withmeaningful donations that would havean impact on each individual institu‐tion? Our children made the decisioneasy for us. Each one has attributed hisor her successes in college to their onecommon experience—their time spentat Derryfield. We hear that our daugh‐ter’s University Advanced Writingclass comes nowhere close to the chal‐lenges she faced in Mr. Anthony’s APEnglish class. No college math teachercan rival Mr. Holland’s AP calculus.Where else could our daughter havelearned to correctly cut Brie, tie anHermès scarf, or come to love the writ‐ing of Françoise Sagan, other than from

Mme. de Pazzis? Our son, a sopho‐more in college, discovered his passionfor volunteering after a stint at Habitatfor Humanity in tenth grade and a tripto Nepal in his senior year. Ouryoungest son will soon be off to India.The common thread for all of their suc‐cesses and passions is Derryfield; it is part of what has made them whothey are.

“And so the decision to makeDerryfield a beneficiary of our willbecame quite simple,” I added to myfriend. Of course, by this time, she hadgone off in search of something to eat,and I was left alone with my musings!

—Jan Romanowsky


AROUND CAMPUS

C O N S T R U C T I O N U P D A T E

gatewayprojectThe new Gateway Building will replace the old Art House,

which had become obsolete. It will have two

classroom/seminar spaces; administrative support

space for Breakthrough Manchester; our community ser-

vice and global education programs; and improved

admission, advancement, and business office space. The

capital project will remarkably improve the “front door” of the School on River Road and will be constructed to

meet energy efficiency specifications, reducing energy consumption. To view realtime images of construction, visit

www.derryfield.org/about-DS/our-campus/construction. The building is scheduled to open the Summer of 2011.

The Romanowsky children: Rachel ’06, Jacob’09, Grace ’07, and Lucas ’13.

courtesy Lavallee Brensinger Architects

Fall Wrap-Up

athletics


Cougar

Boys’ Varsity SoccerSeason Record: 16-2-2NH Championship Finalists (Division IV)Spencer David ’11, All-Conference, All-State (1st team)Nate Milne ’11, All-State (1st team)Bryan Rivard ’11, Co-Captain, Player of the Year,

All-Conference, All-State (1st team), Class of 1970 AwardAnuj Vadalia ’11, All-State (HM)Alex Zorn ’11, All-State (HM)

Girls’ Varsity SoccerSeason Record: 17-3New Hampshire State Champions (Division IV)Mimi Coppinger ’12, Player of the Year, All-State (1st team),

All-ConferenceMacKenzie Logan ’11, All-State (2nd team)Roz KennyBirch ’13, Division IV Championship MVPKim Pollock ’11, All-State (2nd team), Class of 1970 AwardAislinn Smith ’11, All-State (1st team), All-Conference,

Class of 1970 Award

Varsity GolfSeason Record: 14-9Marty McCormick ’11, Captain, All-Conference, Class of

1970 Award, 2nd at Individual State Tournament

Varsity Field HockeySeason Record: 17-0New Hampshire State Champions (Division III)Coach McCaigue: Division III Co-Coach of the YearNicole Chenelle ’11, All-State (2nd team), All-Conference Ann DiPastina ’11, Co-Captain, Regional High School

All-American, Player of the Year, NH Twin State Team, Senior All-Star, All-State (1st team), All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award

Jamie Ducharme ’11, All-ConferenceTayla Satkwich ’11, Co-Captain, Regional High School

All-American, Senior All-Star, All-State (1st team), All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award

Boys’ Varsity CrewMax Nagel ’11, Class of 1970 Award

Girls’ Varsity CrewZoe Sobin ’11, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Boys’ Varsity Cross CountryNew Hampshire State Champions (Class S)Alex Camerino ’12, Class of 1970 Award

Girls’ Varsity Cross CountryJessa Fogel ’13, All-Conference, Qualified for Meet of

Champions, Class of 1970 Award

SCHOLAR ATHLETES

Congratulations to our senior athletes

who have been named Scholar Athletes

for 2011 by the NHIAA and the NHADA.

To be recognized, each student athlete

must have maintained a B+ grade point

average, actively lettered in at least two

varsity sports, participated in community

service activities, and served as a role

model to his or her peers. The following

Derryfield seniors will be recognized at

an awards ceremony in February:

Alisa de Bruyn Kops: Soccer, Basketball

Ann DiPastina: Field Hockey, Lacrosse

Jamie Ducharme: Field Hockey,

Basketball, Lacrosse

Kaitlin Fink: Soccer, Cross Country,

Nordic, Lacrosse

Emilyann Keller: Soccer, Softball

Kimberly Pollock: Soccer, Alpine Skiing,

Softball

Tayla Satkwich: Field Hockey, Basketball,

Lacrosse

Bryan Rivard: Soccer, Basketball,

Lacrosse

Anuj Vadalia: Soccer, Basketball, Tennis

Ian Will: Crew, Swimming, Lacrosse

Alexander Zorn: Soccer, Basketball,

Baseball

OPPOSITE (clockwise from top left): Alex Camerino ’12 and Alex Michaud ’12 line up at the start of a cross countryrace. n Girls’ first boat practices on the Merrimack River.n Marty McCormick ’11 tees off. n Jack Dowst ’11 steals theball in the state finals. n Tayla Satkwich ’11 shoots the ballin a field hockey game. n Girls’ varsity soccer celebrates astate championship win. n Kaitlin Fink ’11 comes into thehome stretch of a race. n ABOVE: Boys’ first boat takes apower ten during practice.

COUGAR ATHLETICS


A Passion for EducationWe are always inspired by the number ofBreakthrough teacher alumni who pursuecareers in education in classrooms, schools, andorganizations across the nation. Kristin Ryan isno exception. In December, Kristin spoke to theDerryfield community at an All‐SchoolAssembly about the “ripple effect” of teach‐ing—great teaching and educational experi‐ences have effects that are far‐reaching. Kristinworked at Breakthrough during high school andcollege from 1994–97, in a variety of teachingand administrative roles.

My name is Kristin Ryan, more com‐monly known as “Ms. Ryan” to the girls atthe Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA,where I am Associate Dean of Students inthe Upper School. If you asked any studentin the Upper School, they would find itvery hard to believe that I was painfullyshy when I was in high school—but I was.The transition from the tiny St. Joseph’sJunior High School to the enormousManchester Central High School wastough. I got through it because I was on thesoccer team in the fall and was able tomake a few connections that made me feelcomfortable socially. I did well inschool—but rarely spoke up in class. I wasmuch more content to fly under the radar,than to manage the anxiety that arose fromtalking in class. I figured I could get by . . .until my junior year, in my American Lit

class, when I realized I wasn’t as far underthe radar as I thought. On my first quarterreport card, I had received a B+. I was okaywith the grade; in fact, I was pretty happy!But it was when my teacher pulled measide and said, “You know, Kristin, youcould’ve gotten an A, if you actually spokeup in class. I want to hear more from you.”

I actually struggled with that. Did I real‐ly need an A that badly? But I did have thesense to realize that it wasn’t about mygrade—it was about someone seeing poten‐tial in me and wanting to help me reach it.So I decided to try.

In the same English class, I heard abouta program called Summerbridge . . . or,what you all now know as Breakthrough . . .where high school and college‐aged stu‐dents teach academically motivated middleschoolers from Manchester public schools.The idea of working with students from


Breakthrough studentshave all the potential in the world, but they

need teachers who can help them get on

the path to college. This summer, be a part

of the solution.

Apply to teach at Breakthroughor encourage someone you know to apply.

Application now available online at

www.breakthroughmanchester.org/apply.

Deadline is March 7, 2011.Teaching at Breakthrough is a Princeton

Review Top 10 Internship in America.

spotlightBreakthrough

Kristin Ryan speaks at a Derryfield Assembly.

teachthis summer

my community definitely appealed tome, as did the idea of “trying out”teaching—so despite my terror at thethought of so much responsibility—Idecided to apply.

And I have to tell you it was a mira‐cle that I even made it through theapplication process! Not only was theapplication 14 pages long, but I had toTEACH A SAMPLE CLASS! Tostrangers. To ADULT strangers, no less. . . not middle schoolers. So here I was,at 16 years old, having to come upwith an interesting lesson about gram‐mar and teach a 30‐minute class to a set of adults I didn’t know. I was terrified.

But I tried. And when I walked intothat classroom, I found a group ofsmiling, welcoming faces and theywere supportive and encouraging . . .until I started the lesson. I can’t evenremember what I taught—but I doremember when they started throwingthings at each other, and whispering toeach other, pretending to be rowdymiddle schoolers, to see how I wouldreact. It was all a stressful blur, but Igot through it. What I remember mostis how kind and supportive everyonewas afterward. So despite feeling likethe lesson was a total mess, I somehowcame away with their words echoing inmy ears: “You did a great job” and“You have really great instincts!”

But it was one thing to hear it, andanother to believe it. I didn’t feel like Idid a good job—but that’s what theytold me. I remember getting my accep‐tance letter and saying, “Wow, can Ireally do this?” And I actually consid‐

ered turning it down. I didn’t think Ihad it in me. But there was somethingin me that said, “How are you evergoing to know if you can do this if youdon’t try?” And so, with an anxiousfeeling in the pit of my stomach, Iaccepted the position.

I worked harder that summer than Ihad in my entire life. For six weeks, Iwas a real teacher. I taught three 45‐minute classes a day to sixth and sev‐enth graders, who didn’t actuallythrow things at each other, but theydid like to whisper, chat, and get offtopic. But I steered them back. Idid—the girl who just a few monthsbefore could not speak for two minutesin class without her face flushing andheart racing. The reason I was able todo it was because I had the most amaz‐ing network of support: There wereother high schoolers in the same boat,so we commiserated and succeededtogether. There were college studentswith more confidence and experiencewho treated me like I was an equal andencouraged me along. And there was a

group of adults who took the time togive feedback and helped me realizemy own strengths. I had models andmentors who helped me every step ofthe way.

But above all that, there were thestudents. Many of these kids camefrom tough backgrounds, but they allshared a common passion for learningand a desire to succeed. They chose toset aside six weeks of THEIR summerto STUDY! It didn’t take long for me torealize it wasn’t about me—it wasabout them. The moment I realizedthey were looking to me to help themfind their potential and to encourageand support them, it was easy for meto come out of my shell.

So it was at Breakthrough that Ifound my passion for education—notjust the teaching (that turned out to bemy least favorite part!)—but for thecollaboration, the support, and the ideathat in the world of education, we arehelping people to find and reach theirpotential.

www.breakthroughmanchester.org 11

BREAK THROUGH SPOTLIGHT

Small classes at Breakthrough allow for lots of one-on-one support.

Examining the Value of an Independent Day Schoolby Annie Branch

derryfieldBeing

Katherine DiPastina ’09They say you can’t choose your fam‐

ily. Every time your mother bursts intosong in the grocery store, and especial‐ly during conversations when yourbrothers explain zombies to yourfriends, people tell you you’ll grow tolove those little quirks. As a fourteen‐year‐old girl, I thought not. So when itcame time to apply for private highschools, I kept in mind all those won‐derful experiences and dove into theprocess.

Between the two schools to which Iwas accepted, the main difference wasthat one was a day school, the otherboarding. My parents, wanting to bethorough (which I perceived as annoy‐ing), had me visit both to help me get afeel for the schools. I visited the board‐ing school first, figuring I might beable to dissuade them from schedulingthe other visit if I told them I was sureone way or the other about the school.Which is almost precisely what hap‐pened.

The first conversation I had with thestudent I was shadowing was abouthow it feels to live away from home.She promptly told me that she felt likeshe could build a new family at herschool. Her friends agreed that thepeople they lived with became their“siblings,” and even the headmastergave the vibe that everyone had movedon to this new home. Up until thispoint, boarding school had seemed likemore of an extended summer camp. Inspite of being there so much of theyear, I would go back home in the end.That wasn’t the reality, though. In fact,my home would become temporary,and the school with these new “sib‐lings” would be permanent. The moreI thought about being a visitor in myown home, the more anxious I felt atthe thought of boarding.

I knew I wanted to go to a dayschool after that visit. It only took onevisit to decide, although I went for thesecond visit anyway. I decided to stickwith a day school because I like being

a permanent resident in my home;because my mom actually has a fantas‐tic voice, and the acoustics betweenaisles are pretty great; because, after alltheir talk, I myself am a little interestedin zombies. They say you can’t chooseyour family. Well, I’m glad I did.Kat is a sophomore at Cornell University.

Jack Dowst ’11Looking back on my three years at

Derryfield, I realize that, without thisschool, I never would have been moti‐vated as a student, and I would havemissed out on much in my high schoolcareer. As a freshman at John StarkRegional High School, I got passinggrades in honors classes, yet I was notmotivated to try hard in school. I didthe absolute minimum amount of workrequired to get a B‐ or above. If I hadstayed at JSRHS, there is no reason tobelieve this trend would not have con‐tinued, if not have become worse.

My parents noticed my lack of moti‐vation and low grades and knew I


How can you get a top‐notch secondary education and still be able to have dinner with your family? Derryfield’sfounders asked themselves just that question nearly 50 years ago. Then, as well as now, there weren’t many optionsin New Hampshire, which had public, parochial, and boarding schools, but none that offered the benefits of an inde‐

pendent school education while keeping family close by. The high value the founders placed on education and family hasshaped Derryfield into the school it is today—a small school with countless offerings, rich relationships, and a strong com‐munity. We asked members of the Derryfield community to reflect on why they chose an independent day school.

could do better. During the second halfof freshman year, they had me go on atour at Derryfield, the only school Ivisited. I knew that this was a place Iwould do well in, and did not feel theneed to visit any other schools. AtDerryfield, students are motivated tolearn—whether it is for the sake ofknowledge or to get good grades forcollege. I have been surrounded bysmart, motivated people for the pastthree years and they have rubbed offon me, making me a better overall stu‐dent. I no longer do the absolute mini‐mum amount of work; I now take thetime to study for my next test or dothat extra bit of reading in historyclass. I do this to help me get into agood college, but also because I aminterested in what is being taught andwant to learn more. It is much easier tolearn and to be a “good” student whenone is in a motivational atmospherethat promotes learning.

Derryfield has many unique quali‐ties that I found attractive from thebeginning and have become clearersince then. The academics, I feel, are onpar with any boarding or privateschool. Since it is a day school, itallows students to stay in touch withtheir family, which was important tome. I have all of college to eat cafeteriafood; by living at home I get anotherfour years of my mom’s cooking. Forme, the social aspect at Derryfield isappealing because the school’s studentsand size do not allow kids to be divid‐ed into groups; I am friends with peo‐ple from all grade levels, many differ‐ent types of people, and faculty mem‐

bers, as well. What Derryfield offersthat not many other schools can is itscombination of great academics, familyconnections, and its close community.Jack is a senior at Derryfield.

Walter Milne ’82Derryfield is more than just a beautifulcampus. Inside the school is a close‐knit, bustling community, where inter‐action between teachers and studentsleads to vibrant discussions that areencouraged in every way. The teachersknow the students and they know theparents, and they all work together tomake sure that students have a suc‐cessful experience during their time atDerryfield.

I was fortunate to have attendedDerryfield for six years and becamesuch good friends with many of myteachers and mentors that I never real‐ly left after graduation. I have stayedinvolved in the school through thealumni association and the Board ofTrustees. When the time came to showmy children the school, I was proud tohave the opportunity to show it off.After their shadow day, which theyloved, we encouraged them to pursueDerryfield and go through the admis‐sion process. They both made thechoice to attend and have never lookedback. They have even said it was thebest decision of their lives.

We were able to all go through theDerryfield experience as a family andto encourage and help our childrenthroughout their years at Derryfield.Parents are an instrumental part of theprocess and are encouraged to be

involved with their children’s educa‐tion. Dinner with our busy students isan important part of their nurturing,and it’s a relief to be able to send themoff to a place where we have the confi‐dence to tell them to listen to theirteachers and do everything that isasked of them.

Being a parent at the school givesyou direct access to the faculty, andmeetings with their advisors andteachers take place several times peryear. In addition, interaction betweenparents through sideline chats atgames is a fun bonus, and parentsocials are hosted several times peryear. It’s a close‐knit community, as Istarted off saying, and I have notlooked back either.Walter has two sons at Derryfield, Matt’11 and Nate ’13.

Judith Rutty GodfreyMy husband and I knew from the timehe was small that our son, Patrick


INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOLS

Rutty ’84, was gifted in many ways.Until the time he reached junior highschool, our local school system hadserved him very well, but during thattime, we realized it would be necessaryto find an alternative to his high schooleducation other than what the localsystem could provide. I remember thateven discussing this was not easy. Ourawareness and discussions were limit‐ed to boarding schools, the end resultof which was always a resounding“No!” We could not imagine havingour child live away from home, nolonger connected to us in the same way,during what my husband and I consid‐ered to be a very important four yearsin his life and in that of the family.

As luck would have it, our secondchild, Kathleen Rutty‐Fey ’87, hadbecome friendly with a girl down theroad, Cathy Jean Sanborn ’86, whosefather, Chuck Sanborn, was a teacher atDerryfield. It was through that relation‐ship that we learned of The DerryfieldSchool—a private day school—a perfect solution! The results of thatconnection, the ensuing enrollments ofboth children, and their experiences atDerryfield have become major founda‐tional pieces in their lives.

We were seeking to keep our familytogether, to not miss the many exciting,challenging, proud, nerve racking, hairpulling, proud moments in our chil‐dren’s lives. Did I say proud? The partwe didn’t bargain for was our owngrowth as parents from experiencingall of the above. As sure as ‘unity’ is in‘community,’ our family found a newand larger family in the Derryfield

community, one that, to this day, con‐tinues to nurture us in so many ways.Judith also has a grandson, Miles Fey ’17,currently attending Derryfield.

Bruce BerkThe years I spen attending the North‐field Mount Hermon School (NMH)were some of the best years of my life.At the tender age of 14, I followed mybrother’s path and spent my highschool years at NMH. My parents sentme away to attain a great education, todevelop independence and to opennew opportunities. Each of these goalswas fulfilled. I have many fond memo‐ries of teachers, students, and anynumber of silly escapades. Yet, I gavealmost no thought to boarding schoolas an option for my own children.

The benefits of a boarding schoolneed to be balanced against the effectof our family life growing together.Yes, there were breaks and summervacation, but there is a clear connectionbetween the ongoing intimacy of myfamily before and after my departurefor NMH. Before, my parents wereactive participants in my daily growth— afterward, their impact was moreremoved. In retrospect, I do not thinkany of us consciously considered orsaw this outcome; yet while my familystayed close, the intimacy of day‐to‐day living became a sort of suspendedanimation.

These are exhausting, yet importantyears with our children. I am con‐vinced that these times are better spentin day‐to‐day contact with them ratherthan relinquishing parenting to well‐

intentioned professionals. Although Iknow teenagers increasingly look totheir peers for advice and “wisdom,”at the end of the day, I want my shot atinfluencing their outlook. Parentingincludes the quick conversations in thecar or over a sandwich, and theseopportunities are priceless. I am tooselfish to give this up.

I trust that parents who have madethe decision to send their childrenaway to school know that I make NOjudgment about their family decision. Iloved my years at NMH, but my timewith my children is too short, and I amtoo selfish to give up the opportunityto rub shoulders with their friends,watch them compete, grow, perform,succeed, and sometimes fail. Our din‐ner conversations that gravitatebetween laughter and grunts are thespice to this part of my life. My wifeand I have chosen an environmentwhere they will attain a great educa‐tion, develop independence, andexplore new opportunities, all thewhile preserving our family connec‐tions. That environment is Derryfield.Bruce Berk is a member of the faculty atDerryfield and parent of Ariel ’10 andJason ’13.


INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOLS


alumniThe news contained in this section coversthe period of June 22, 2010 – January 7,2011. For more recent news, or to post anote, please log on to the Derryfield Portalat www.derryfield.org.

1969Congratulations to Judy Nelson Minzel!She has received the good news that one ofher tapestries done 33 years ago hasbecome part of the permanent collection ofthe Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC,which is the Contemporary American Craftwing of the Smithsonian Institution. Thepiece is a 5’ x 8’ hand‐dyed, hand‐woventapestry done in 1978 and will soon be onexhibition for a period of time before being

stored. “Their collection is always revolv‐ing, so it’ll come out of storage and go backin cycles.”

1978David Grosso returned from a tour inAfghanistan in February 2010. He is con‐ducting an Army Fellowship at theUniversity of Denver’s Korbel School ofInternational Studies from August 2010 toJune 2011.

1981We hear from Eric Pfeifer: “Christin and Iwelcomed Brodie Burn Pfeifer into the

In MemoriamSandra Pfeifer, wife of former Derryfield

Head of School Bill Pfeifer, passed away

on Thursday, December 16, 2010. She is

survived by her husband, Bill; children

Brad ’79 and his wife, Laurie ’80, Eric

’81 and his wife Christin, and Andrew

and his wife, Kari; three grandchildren;

and a great grandchild.

Former faculty member Jack Coogan

passed away on August 29, 2010. After

leaving Derryfield, he served on the fac-

ulty and as assistant headmaster at St.

Mark’s School. He suffered a stroke in

2005. He is survived by his wife, Mary,

three children and two grandchildren.

Derryfield Founder Philip Chaplain

passed away on January 1, 2011. He

lived in Dedham, MA, and is survived by

his wife, Sylvia; children Ira ’71, Hilary

’74, Gina ’76, and Lauren ’79; and three

grandchildren.

Update on

Andrew and Miller Burr adore their newbrother, Hudson, born to AshleyStearns Burr ’94 on July 22, 2010.

Members of the Class of 1975 celebrate their 35th reunion dinner at J. W. Hill’s Sports Bar and Grille inManchester, NH.

world on November 12, 2010. He was 8pounds, 13 ounces, and 20 inches long.Brodie and Christin are both doinggreat, and I am fortunate to be able totake a month off to take care of both of them.”

1988Duncan Rotch and his wife, JennyHudson, welcomed their first child,Gus Rotch, on October 23, 2010. WhileDuncan continues to raise major giftsfor Reed College in Portland, OR,Jenny works for Yankee Book Peddler.“And Truman, our dog, remains a big,goofy Newfoundland. He turns fivelater in the month.”

1989Jim Markham and his wife, AnnLouise, added a new member to the“Markham team.” On November 1,2010, a second son, Charles Edwin,arrived, healthy and ready to give hisbig brother, James, a run for hismoney! Congratulations!

1991Nicole D’Auteuil is happy toannounce her engagement to IanMutnick. “Scott Tarpley ‘89 and hiswife set us up on a blind date inWashington, DC and I thought, ‘Whywould I ever want to date anyone inDC given that I live in Boston?!’ Lessthan a year later, we were engaged!”Nicole and Ian are planning a Junewedding in Exeter, NH. They will berenting an apartment in Portsmouth,with hopes to buy a home in the nextyear or so. Ian will be working at anengineering startup, and Nicole willcontinue to work in Lexington as a fer‐tility nurse.

1992From Aileen Ruggles Chute: “My hus‐band, Lionel, three‐year‐old daughter,Sydney, and I welcomed our new

daughter, Lauren Ruggles Chute, intothe world on May 10, 2010. In additionto adding to our family, we’ve alsobeen in the process of creating a pick‐your‐own‐fruit orchard and a small‐scale sugaring operation under thename “All Good Farm.” Next year, ourorchard will be open for the first timewith 360 blueberry bushes. We will beadding apples to the mix next spring.Anyone willing to travel off the beatenpath to Washington, NH, should defi‐nitely check us out!” n Congratulationsto Margaret Gordon and her husband,Kirk Schloegel. On December 8, 2010,they welcomed baby Ramona GordonSchloegel “into our crazy world.”Weighing in at over 8 pounds at birth,Ramona is doing fine, as is mom!Margaret and her family live inMinneapolis, and she still works part‐time as a small animal veterinarian.She also became a certified yoga


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

The Class of 1990 thoroughly enjoyed getting together again for their 15th reunion at Piccola ItaliaRistorante in Manchester, NH.

Nathan ’94 and Tyler Emley ’91 attended theWorld Cup games in South Africa last summer.

continued on page 19...

My connection with the unique state ofIsrael continues to strengthen. I havereturned to this Jewish homeland forthe past seven years, repeatedly experi‐encing exciting and new events. It is adynamic country with ancient historyand modern diversity, and a placewhere boredom does not exist.Spending my junior year of universityin the northern city of Haifa providedme with an opportunity to experienceIsrael without the assistance of a tourguide. Despite having already spent anabundance of time in Israel, my junioryear became an awakening of the innerworkings of Israeli society.

Now, two years later, I have returnedto Israel for another year with a pro‐gram called the Israel GovernmentFellows. There are 25 fellows fromaround the world working in theIsraeli government for one year. Myfellowship is in the Public DiplomacyDepartment of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs. The Israeli MFA resides in abeautiful building that continuallyhosts diplomats from around the

globe. Thus far, it has been a veryinteresting and enlightening experi‐ence becoming acquainted with someof the decision makers and additionalinfluential people in the Israeli govern‐ment; even if the highlight of my daysometimes arrives at noon when I travel down the elevator to eat mydelicious, five Shekel (about $1) government‐subsidized buffet lunch.

My current home, Jerusalem, is thereligious epicenter for Judaism, as wellas a fundamentally important place forboth Christianity and Islam. The inten‐sity of Jerusalem is magnified withinthe old city, where there is a conglom‐eration of Jews, Christians, Muslims,and tourists from every corner of theworld. In a single day, it is possible tosee the site of Judaism’s First andSecond Temple, as well as a great dealof their remains. One can walk to theChurch of the Holy Sepulchre, whereJesus is said to have been crucified andburied, followed by a visit to the AlAqsa Mosque, where Muhammad isbelieved to have risen to heaven.

There is never a dull moment inJerusalem. Whether on a bus, in asupermarket, or in a taxicab, peopleare always willing to talk about thepressing issues facing Israel. At first, itoften seems as though these people areaggressive and difficult to speak to, butthey truly value your opinion and feela strong sense of brotherhood.

A stroll down the walking street ofBen Yehuda on a Saturday night afterthe Jewish Sabbath has ended summa‐rizes the diverse vibe of Jerusalemquite nicely. Ultra‐orthodox Jews areseen dancing on their vans while wait‐ing for the Messiah to come, and otherJews are enjoying the many bars andrestaurants Jerusalem has to offer. Onemay pass a group of Christian orMuslim Arabs followed by a group oftourists from North America, SouthAmerica, or Europe. You may then besurprised to see that the security guardof the local bar is black, one of themany black Jews in Israel of Ethiopianheritage. Finally, on your way up to thebus stop, you will pass by the SouthKorean choir singing religiousChristian hymns. After all, Israel is anAsian country.


LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

A Cultural Meccaby Adam Grodman ’06

instructor and opened a small yogastudio in May 2010.

1993Ben Ritter tells us he recently bought anew home in Manchester and is happi‐ly settled in. Wearing multiple hats,Ben works for Comcast BusinessCorporate and is Vice President ofWhite Peak Mortgage in Manchester,NH. And, by the way, he is also VicePresident of Marketing at RitterPainting and Design.

1994Congratulations to Ashley StearnsBurr and her husband, Andrew, ontheir third child. Hudson Stearns Burrwas born on July 22, 2010, and joinssister, Miller, and brother, Andrew.

1995Wedding bells rang for Josh Levine,who was married to Sarah Wingert inPasadena, CA, on September 5. Thenewlyweds are making their home inthe Los Angeles area in Culver City.Aaron Rosenthal ’97 was in atten‐dance. n We hear from Lesley KeinerHerzberg, “Jacob Alan Herzberg wasborn August 12, 2010! Matt and I arevery happy and are settling into lifewith our new baby boy.” n VanessaGorczyca was married to Iain Cooke inChoulex, Switzerland. The weddingtook place on July 17, 2010, with a state‐side reception held on September 25.

1996Donald Monson and his wife, YingHsu, welcomed a wee little one to theirfamily. Alex Monson was born on May16, 2010. Now if he will just let Daddyget some sleep! n Congratulations toHelen Gemmill and Dan Yechout on

their nuptials. It began with an elope‐ment to London on June 16, 2010. ButSeptember at Crooked Willow Farm inLarkspur, CO, was chosen for the wed‐ding celebration. In attendance wereKate Newick, Emily Newick, JulieDavis, Dana Gomez, Kristen PearsonWydom, and Michelle Lauer. “Wewere thrilled to be joined by such awonderful Derryfield family.” n Hotoff the press! Just in time to make it inthis issue of Derryfield Today, EricHeilhecker made his appearance. Ericwas born to Jennifer GoodrichHeilhecker and Tyson Heilhecker ’97on January 3, 2011.


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

...continued from page 17

parentsnew

To Eric Pfeifer ’81 and his wife, Christin, a son,

Brodie Burn, on November 12, 2010.

To Duncan Rotch ’88 and his wife, Jenny Hudson, a son,

Gus, on October 23, 2010.

To Jim Markham ’89 and his wife, Ann Louise, a son,

Charles Edwin, on November 1, 2010.

To Aileen Ruggles Chute ’92 and her husband, Lionel,

a daughter, Lauren, on May 10, 2010.

To Margaret Gordon ’92 and her husband, Kirk Schloegel,

a daughter, Ramona, on December 8, 2010.

To Ashley Stearns Burr ’94 and her husband, Andrew,

a son, Hudson, on July 22, 2010.

To Lesley Keiner Herzberg ’95 and her husband, Matt,

a son, Jacob Alan, on August 12, 2010.

To Donald Monson ’96 and his wife, Ying Hsu, a son, Alex,

on May 16, 2010.

To Jennifer Goodrich Heilhecker ’96 and Tyson

Heilhecker ’97, a son, Eric, on January 3, 2011.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

Derryfield alumnae helping Helen Gemmill ’96 celebrate her June 16 marriage to Dan Yechout includedKate Newick ’00, Emily Newick ’97, Julie Davis ’96, Helen, Dana Gomez ’96, Kristen Pearson Wydom’96, and Michelle Lauer ’96.

1997Matt Purtell was married to StephanieBrown at Wentworth by the SeaCountry Club on June 27, 2009. Theyare living in a house they purchasedon Bunker Hill Street in Charlestown,MA, last June and are expecting a babyboy in January 2011.

1998There is a new doctor in the alumnihouse. Dave Flagg received his Ph.D.in atmospheric science from YorkUniversity in Toronto, Ontario. His dis‐sertation was entitled, “MesoscaleModeling of the Urban BoundaryLayer in a Coastal Environment.”Congratulations, Dave!

2000Ellen Jipson was married to Bill Kellyon July 10, 2010. The wedding was atthe home of her parents, Tom Jipsonand Derryfield librarian Betty Jipson,in Goffstown. Congratulations! n

Sharing the July 10, 2010 wedding datewas Morgan Melkonian, who marriedMatt Jerome at Morgan’s family homeon Chebeague Island, ME. Alumniattendees were Lillie Green Collopy,Becca Connolly, and Matt Melkonianʹ96. The Jeromes now reside in Napa,CA where Morgan is a wine educatorand event coordinator at the upscalePeter Michael Winery. n SabrinaDunlap and former Derryfield teacherRob Childs tied the knot on July 24,2010. The wedding took place inBiddeford Pool, ME, with lots of

Derryfield folks in attendance, includ‐ing classmates Lori Evans, KatieGriffin, and Meredith Johnson (all inthe wedding party), as well as GinaCoviello, Katie Bristow Bohlin, EllieCochran ‘69, Sanjay Madan ‘94, andAvery Holland Murdock ‘94. Alsosharing the excitement of the day wereBrinie’s sister Amily Dunlap Moore‘93 and her brother Than Dunlap ‘94.n Elspeth Faiman bid a fond farewellto Management Sciences for Health inCambridge, MA, to go back to school.“I’ll be getting my J.D. and studyinginternational law as part of NYU’sInstitute for International Law andJustice Scholars program. I’ve lovedworking in international public healthat MSH in Boston over the past 3 1/2

years, but I’m excited for this newadventure.” n Jenna Sirkin can nowcall herself a professional author. Her book, Breaking the Poverty Cycle:The Human Basis for SustainableDevelopment, was released in July torave critical reviews. Jenna is a doctor‐al student of Health Policy at theSchneider Institute for Health Policy,Heller School for Social Policy andManagement, at Brandeis University. n

Ringing in the new year with a brandnew husband is Becca Maglathlin. She and Peter Malkin were married attheir favorite bar, Zeigheist, in SanFrancisco, CA, on December 11, 2010.Congratulations!


Members of the Class of 2000 pack the house at Murphy’s Tap Room in Manchester, NH, for their 10-year reunion.

UPDATE ON ALUMNI

2001Em Scott was married to BrendanNorton (Norty) on the Cape in HarwichPort, MA, on July 17, 2010. The brideand groom are living in the house theybought in Andover last year. Derryfieldpeople in attendance included: Jed ’97and Katy Cahill ’97, Ben Scott ’97,Marguerite Congoran, Tom Congoran’05, Lauren Murphy Ireland, AlissaWhite, Tammy Klein, Krista Keeler,Katie Albert, and Chris Garos ’00.

2002Ringing wedding bells in Pittsford, NY,on June 5 were Merritt Smith and hisbride, Laura Moore. “Laura and I metat the College of Wooster our senioryear. She is a second‐year law studentat the University of Pennsylvania LawSchool. I am working as a web contentwriter for a multimedia productioncompany and as a freelance news writ‐er.” Merritt’s brother, Wright ’05,served as best man. The new Mr. andMrs. Smith are making their home inPhiladelphia, PA. n August 28, 2010,

marked a new beginning for ChelseaYoung as she married Brian Roberge.Attending the nuptials were KristenGeiger and Andrew Cochran ’01, aswell as Kristen’s parents, Glenn andNancy Geiger. The new Mr. and Mrs.Roberge are living in Merrimack, NH.

2003Adam Desfosses and Megan Hedlundwere married on August 14, 2010 inManchester, NH. Present at the nup‐tials were Adam’s sisters, Lindsay ’06and Rachel ’11, while Lee Rynearsonserved in the wedding party. The newMr. and Mrs. Desfosses make theirhome in Londonderry, NH. n DeeDupuis is now Dee Hammarsten.Wedding bells rang in Bedford, NH, forher and her new husband, Carl, onMay 23, 2010. They make their home inArlington, VA. Congratulations!

2004After graduating from Ursinus Collegein Pennsylvania with a B.A. in anthro‐pology and sociology, Julie Katzmoved to Philadelphia, where sheattended culinary school at JNAInstitute of Culinary Arts and soonbecame hooked on food service. She isnow the manager at Kiki’s Restaurantand The Gravity Tavern in NewBoston, NH, combining her passionsfor people, food, hospitality, fun, andher hometown. n Cara Bishop wasmarried to Adam Lavallee at the


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

Several Derryfield alumni were among the guestscelebrating the marriage of Em Scott ’01 toBrendan Norton on Cape Cod in Harwich Port,MA, on July 17, 2010.

WASHINGTON, DC ALUMNI RECEPTIONWednesday, February 23, 2011, 7–9 p.m.

Venue to be determined

NEW YORK CITY ALUMNI RECEPTIONWednesday, March 16, 2011, 7–9 p.m.

The Cornell Club (The Tap Room)

BOSTON, MA ALUMNI RECEPTIONThursday, April 21, 2011, 6–8 p.m.

Venue to be determined

ALUMNI RED SOX GAMEThursday, May 26, 2011, 7:05 p.m.

Drawing in late April

S A V E T H E D A T E

alumnievents

Peter Malkin toasts his new life with his bride,Becca Maglathlin ’00.

Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH,on June 19, 2010. Present at the wed‐ding were maid of honor FarrahDesrosiers, Katy Reno, Shay Roberts,Sarah Pitman, Bryan Sanford, JulieKatz, and, of course, Cara’s brother,Darren Bishop ’01. The Lavallees aremaking their home in Lansdowne, PA.n Joining the ranks of 10/10/10 brides,Annmarie Gaffney married BrianStucker at the Atkinson Country Clubin Atkinson, NH. Joining the festivitiesfrom the Derryfield Class of 2004 wereFarrah Desrosiers, Joelle Emery, JoeGuerra, Whitney Krause, SarahPitman, Shay Roberts, and BryanSanford. Other Derryfield attendeesincluded Joyia Rich Fazelat ’96,Patrick Gaffney ’07, Taylor Krause ’07,Brett Logan ’08, Duke Logan ’07,MacKenzie Logan ’11, James Rich ’92,Kristi Migliori ’07, Ralph Wunderl’07, and former staff member Donna Guerra.

2005From his bio on Fringe Magazine online:“Gabriel Durán’s work has been pub‐lished in Fogged Clarity, PolyphonyOnline, and Gloom Cupboard. Gabeworks as a humor columnist forMySecretBoston.com. He writes aboutthe trials of being young and self‐involved in the modest hope that hewill get a book deal and become wildlyfamous. Gabe has accepted a job as awriter for a bilingual television showdespite his inability to speak Spanish.He was raised and learned the art of


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

Derryfield alumni gathered on Thanksgiving weekend to play in basketball and hockey alumni games.

2010 Alumni Games

cow‐tipping in New Hampshire.” n

Change in plans for Derek Boelig. Hehad planned to work for Ernst andYoung after graduation, but decided togo to graduate school instead. Moregood news: he was offered and hasaccepted a job at Accenture duringgrad school.

2006From the St. Lawrence University NETNews: “Jacob Birchard ’10, ofAmherst, NH, has won the MarleighGrayer Ryan College Student WritingPrize for best student paper dealingwith Asia, from the New YorkConference on Asian Studies.Birchard’s paper is an abridged versionof his senior thesis entitled, “StateIntervention in India: An Analysis ofBureaucratic Change and Its Impact onEconomic Growth.” Birchard’s advisorwas Assistant Professor of GovernmentGrace Huange.” Jake updated us inDecember: “I am living in Kakamega,which is in western Kenya. Since June,I have been working with renewabletechnologies in rural communitieshere. The first six months of my timehere I was working with a solar cook‐ing and lighting NGO and I am nowwith K‐Rep Bank who works in microcredit. I am helping promote solarlighting in local communities throughmicro‐loans. I am planning on beinghere until June and then I will have tosee what the options are after this.” n

The Alabama Orchestra Association ispleased to announce that Sean

Pallatroni is the winner of their annualcomposition contest. His original work,When the Grass Was Still Green, will bepremiered by the Festival Orchestra atthe 2011 All‐State Orchestra Festivalheld February 10–13, 2011. n

Stephanie Foote is sporting a new lastname on her letterhead. On November6, 2010, she became Stephanie Abbottwhen she wed Jeremy Abbott in down‐town Indianapolis, IN. It was tough toget Derryfield folks out there, butDerryfield was still well representedwith the Foote sisters: Sherrie Dvorak’00, Kristie Foote ’03, and Stacie Foote.n Congratulations to Alix Reilley,who has just graduated from DrexelUniversity. Alix’s B.S. degree includeda major in psychology and a minor inanthropology.

2007Hilary Hamer recently completed aresearch fellowship in oceanographythrough the Graduate School ofOceanography at URI. She and a groupof other scientists crossed the SouthAtlantic Ocean aboard the R/VEndeavor from Barbados to Senegal.


C E L E B R A T I N G

weddingsalumni

Josh Levine ’95 to Sarah Wingert on September 5, 2010,

in Pasadena, CA.

Helen Gemmill ’96 to Dan Yechout on June 16, 2010,

in London, England.

Matt Purtell ’97 to Stephanie Brown on June 27, 2009,

in Rye, NH.

Sabrina Dunlap ’00 to former Derryfield teacher

Rob Childs on July 24, 2010, in Biddeford Pool, ME.

Ellen Jipson ’00 to Bill Kelly on July 10, 2010,

in Goffstown, NH.

Becca Maglathlin ’00 to Peter Malkin on December 11,

2010, in San Francisco, CA.

Em Scott ’01 to Brendan Norton on July 17, 2010,

in Harwich Port, MA.

Merritt Smith ’02 to Laura Moore on June 5, 2010,

in Pittsford, NY.

Chelsea Young ’02 to Brian Roberge on August 28,

2010, in Sharon, MA.

Adam Desfosses ’03 to Megan Hedlund on August 14,

2010, in Manchester, NH.

Dee Dupuis ’03 to Carl Hammarsten on May 23, 2010,

in Bedford, NH.

Cara Bishop ’04 to Adam Lavallee on June 19, 2010,

in Bedford, NH.

Annmarie Gaffney ’04 to Brian Stucker on October 10,

2010, in Atkinson, NH.

Stephanie Foote ’06 to Jeremy Abbott on November 6,

2010, in Indianapolis, IN.

Morgan Melkonian Jerome ’00 and her husband, MattJerome, on their wedding day.

Stephanie Foote Abbott ’06 and her husband,Jeremy Abbott, on their wedding day.

Hilary is back at RPI in New York com‐pleting her senior year in chemistryand biochemistry. n Congratulationsto Lauren Baker on two fronts. Sheand her long‐time boyfriend, SamuelSaidel Goley, have decided to tie theknot. The nuptials will take place onSeptember 2, 2011. In the meantime,Lauren has been offered a job aftergraduation with Fidelity back in NewHampshire. She will be conductingfixed income research for the firm. n

Congratulations to Dakyung Lee onher early graduation from MountHolyoke College. Following a vacationin Los Angeles, Dakyung is busy send‐ing out resumes and filling out appli‐cations. Anyone out there looking foran international relations major?

2009Making the front page of The CornellDaily Sun was Kat DiPastina. The col‐lege paper described her as the Cornellfield hockey player with the third‐highest number of goals for the Red

this season; two‐year First‐team All‐State player in high school; and two‐time Class S Player of the Year. As aCornell freshman, DiPastina played in12 out of 15 games, earning two goalsand one assist in 2009. This year, shehas played in all 11 games and has reg‐istered three goals and one assist.Head coach Donna Hornibrook praisedDiPastina’s attention to detail andhard‐working manner. “She caresabout details and is a very dependableand reliable player,” Hornibrook said.

“She’s also shown that she’s goodunder pressure, which is key.”

2010The Class of 2010 celebrated gradua‐tion in many ways. In August, AdrianMcLeod, Phil Melanson, Kate Merges,and Caroline Thirkill took a dive—literally. The group headed toPepperell, MA, where they went sky‐diving. “Skydiving was amazing,”commented Adrian, “and, surprisingly,I never felt at any time that I was goingto die!”


Cara Bishop Lavallee ’04 and her groom, Adam Lavallee, celebrate their June 19, 2010, wedding.Joining them were Darren Bishop ’01, Sarah Pitman ’04, Shay Roberts ’04, Katy Reno ’04, maid ofhonor Farrah Desrosiers ’04, and Bryan Sanford ’04. Present but not pictured was Julie Katz ’04.

Taking a “cue” from alumni before them, the Class of 2005 gather for their 5th reunion at J. W. Hill’sSports Bar and Grille.

profileIt is difficult to leave Cornelius

Raiford’s middle school classroomwithout a smile on your face. In less

than two years at Derryfield, he hasbecome a beloved member of the com‐munity. Is it because of his dedicatedinvolvement with teams, activities, andcommittees or the number of classes heteaches? While these are all factors, it isclear that the honest enthusiasm he hasfor his subject, his students, and theDerryfield community has made thegreatest impact on the School. He loveswalking on campus every morning,and it shows.

Cornelius’s passion for independentschools began early on in his own education. He attended middle schoolin the Pittsburgh public schools beforegaining an opportunity through ABetter Chance (ABC) to attend Mill‐brook School, a boarding school inupstate New York. It was his experi‐ence there that inspired him to spendhis career working both in and withindependent schools. After graduatingfrom Millbrook, Cornelius received aB.A. in English from the University ofPittsburgh and a master’s in historyfrom Carnegie Mellon University.

Cornelius’s first teaching job was atChoate Rosemary Hall, where a sup‐

portive network of mentors guidedhim on the path to become a greatteacher. Throughout his career,Cornelius has benefited from the wisdom of his peers, and he gained aprofound respect for the responsibilityof being a teacher early on.

While he had regrets about leavingChoate and the classroom, moving onto work in the admission offices atDartmouth College and then WilliamsCollege helped Cornelius to gaininsight on working with youngsters of all ages. After several years in collegeadmissions, he moved back to indepen‐dent schools to work as a college counselor because he wanted to helpstudents present themselves moreeffectively to colleges. He worked asthe Director of College Counseling atboth Kiski School in Pennsylvania andthe Hun School in New Jersey.

Cornelius has a profound respect forDerryfield and believes that the Schoolis poised to be a national example ofthe fact that a traditional day schoolcan be on the cutting edge of learningstyles. He says, “Derryfield is willingto take risks while preparing for andembracing the future.” He loves work‐ing in a day school because youngstersare able to able to develop their own

identity without being overly influ‐enced by the established culture of aschool.

Cornelius is especially excited to beback in the classroom, teaching middleschool students for the first time ever.His goal is to teach students to enjoylearning, and he loves the challenge ofproving himself to his students. Hisapproach, however, is simple: “Peoplerespond to love, and a little kindnessgoes a long way.” Head of MiddleSchool Mark Blaisdell can vouch forCornelius’s success: “Mr. Raiford’simpact has been huge. His intense pas‐sion for his subject is matched only byhow deeply he cares about his studentsand their learning.”

– Annie Branch

Cornelius Raiford

FacultyTHE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL


Cornelius Raiford engages students in his class.

2108 River Road Manchester, NH 03104-1396

A D D R E S S S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMANCHESTER, NHPERMIT NO. 290

Self ReflectionOlivia Donahue ’11 works on a self

portrait in Andy Moerlein’s Advanced

Studio Art II class.

Parents of alumni: If your son or daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the AdvancementOffice at 603.669.4524 of the correct mailing address. Thank you.

Examining the Value of an Independent Day School

Being Derryfield

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