taking on today's teaching challenges

Spring/Summer 2012

Taking on Today’s Teaching Challenges • Wheelock Values vs. Scripted Curricula

• Innovative Faculty Research

• ASPIRE—Wheelock’s New Initiatives Powerhouse

2 Spring/Summer 2012

Editor Christine Dall

Production Editor Lori Ann Saslav

Design Leslie Hartwell

Photography Christine Dall Don West

A Fabulous Birthday Gift for Wheelock— The Wheelock College Center for Learning and Innovation

W heelock’s campus—always a beehive of activity in the summer as well as during the academic year—will be even more so during the next few months as construction begins on the Center for Learning and Innovation, a striking new three-story addition to the Activities East building adjacent to Wheelock Family Theatre. This is an exciting

project that will further the College’s educational mission and its commitment to innovation and leadership in supporting children and families, while also continuing the modernization of our campus. The glass-and-steel addition will transform both the Activities East building and the area around it, with its modern, highly transparent facade on Pilgrim Road drawing students and faculty to its resources within. William Rawn Associates, the architects who designed Wheelock’s Campus Center—now a luminous College landmark on the Riverway—is also the designer of this next beautiful addition, due for completion in 2013.

The building’s first-floor Center for Learning and Innovation will be a contemporary, airy learning space replacing the Resource Center currently located in the basement of Wheelock’s Classroom Building. The new Center will include all the services, collections, and functionality of the old facility but will be greatly enhanced with new technologies for learning and resources to serve students, faculty, and members of the Greater Boston community who work with children and families.

Wheelock MagazineSpring/Summer 2012Volume XXXII, Issue 2

Wheelock Magazine invites manuscripts and photographs from our readers, although we do not guarantee their publication, and we reserve the right to edit them as needed.

For Class Notes information, contact Lori Ann Saslav at (617) 879-2123 or [email protected].

Send letters to the editor to: Wheelock Magazine, Office for Institutional Advancement, Wheelock College, 200 The Riverway, Boston, MA 02215-4176, or email them to [email protected].

Spring/Summer 2012 T.O.C.

1 A Message from the President 2 News Nuggets 4 Education Conferencing 8 Aspire Institute 12 Faculty Roundtable 16 Scene on Campus 20 Commencement 2012 26 Faculty Research 32 Alumni 39 Class Notes

View from Pilgrim Road

Celebrate Wheelock’s 125th Anniversary in the New Larsen Alumni Center!

While the centerpiece of the addition is the Center for Learning and Innovation, there is a great bonus for alumni in

the building plans. In addition to faculty offices on the second floor, there will be a bright new Larsen Alumni Center on the third floor. Incorporating a transformed Larsen Alumni Room along with a patio and rooftop garden, the Center will be a comfort-able and welcoming site for alumni activities and events—just the place to be when you are in town to help celebrate Wheelock’s 125th anniversary, coming up next year!

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Dear Alumni and Friends,

Spirits were high at two of Whee-lock’s most treasured end-of-year spring celebrations. At Com-mencement, I joined with families and friends in applauding the

achievements of Wheelock’s newest graduates. For the first time, the College held separate ceremonies for undergraduate and graduate students in order to accommodate the grow-ing numbers receiving degrees.

In June, I had the great pleasure of travel-ing to Singapore, where I presided over two commencement ceremonies, one celebrat-ing our fourth graduating class receiving the Bachelor of Science in Early Child-hood Educational Studies and Leadership from our partnership program with Ngee Ann Polytechnic and another celebrating graduates of our part-time bachelor’s degree program through our partnership with SEED Institute. Nearly 450 graduates joined the thousands of Wheelock College alumni worldwide who are living our mission to improve the lives of children and families.

Reunion in June was also a joyous occa-sion and an opportunity for me to catch up on the exciting work alumni are doing in the world. Now, the campus is busy with sum-mer classes and institutes, conferences, and student visitors. A special treat is hosting 65 students from Singapore who are spending five weeks in Boston taking classes, visiting exemplary early childhood programs, and exploring the city’s excellent museums.

In just a few weeks, we will welcome our incoming Class of 2016 and begin a year of festivities celebrating Wheelock College’s 125th anniversary! I am honored and excited to be involved in planning the many won-derful events that will recognize this major milestone in Wheelock’s history and the con-tinuing importance of the College’s commit-ment to children and families everywhere.

In October, a very special evening at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will be the first of many anniversary events to be held on campus, in Boston, and in regions throughout the country. Another highlight of the year will be a Wheelock College 2013 International Conference, which will explore

pressing issues in education, health, and human rights affecting children, youth, and families around the world. The Conference reflects Lucy Wheelock’s own passionate dedication to creating international unity in behalf of children as a League of Nations education committee member and as an International Kindergarten Union leader.

I am very excited to report that a won-derful 125th birthday gift to Wheelock College is on its way. Wheelock will begin construction this summer on a modern Center for Learning and Innovation that is designed to serve as a creative and techno-logical resource for students, faculty, and individuals working with organizations throughout Greater Boston that share the College’s commitment to children and families. An exceptionally memorable time is in store for alumni returning to campus for Reunion 2013, who will be among the first to explore the new Larsen Alumni Center, which is integral to the design for the Center for Learning and Innovation.

I am thrilled to announce that Jim and Sylvia Tailby Earl ’54 have fully endowed one of the Campaign for Wheelock’s major goals, a $5 million fund for technology enhancement and innovation. Now named the Sylvia Earl Fund for Technology, this endowment launches the College on a new course, supporting use of technologies that are absolutely essential to its future and applying them in innovative ways that will greatly benefit Wheelock and its mission. Funding of this endowment also helps to put the Campaign well on its way to success in meeting its $80 million goal. Thanks to their gift, and to other generous contributions large and small, we are three-quarters of the way home with $60 million already commit-ted. This is more good news with which to launch our year of celebration!

On the eve of the College’s 125th anniversary year, I particularly salute the thousands of alumni teachers, who have fol-lowed in the footsteps of the first 12 students to enroll in Lucy Wheelock’s classes. Like them, contemporary alumni have a passion to serve young children through education and face many complicated challenges in doing so. Daily, they must, in the words of Miss Wheelock, “be brave, for there is much to dare.” In the coming year, the College will be both bold and brave in building on its many new initiatives to support educators, who contribute so much to society and to our world.

I encourage all alumni to visit campus in the coming anniversary year because you are Wheelock in the wider world. Make plans with classmates for a mini reunion of your own, visit us with your families, or come by when-ever you are in the area. We would love to show you what is new—there is so much!—and what will be happily familiar to you.

I look forward to seeing you on campus or at one of the off-campus anniversary gatherings. Come prepared to celebrate!

Sincerely,

Jackie Jenkins-scott

President

“On the eve of the College’s 125th anniversary year, I particularly salute the thousands of alumni

teachers, who have followed in the footsteps of the first

12 students to enroll in Lucy Wheelock’s classes.”

NEW Partnership with Singapore Institute of Technology Offers B.S. in Early Childhood Education

Relationships developed in the early years of Wheelock College’s presence in Singapore have led to a deep understanding of the social, political, and cultural factors that influence the design of early education

in diverse settings. This understanding, coupled with a rapidly expanding need for high-quality child care centers and profes-sional development in the early childhood field there, continues to spur Wheelock’s expansion. As of June 2012, there are 2,767 Wheelock graduates in Singapore, and, with a new degree pro-gram established at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), there will soon be more.

The new partnership with SIT will offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education, one of seven new degree programs SIT is offering in collaboration with international university partners that include the University of Glasgow (U.K.), The Glasgow School of Art (U.K.), and Trinity College Dublin (U.K.), in addition to Wheelock.

The SIT program overlaps with the phasing out of Whee-lock’s original bachelor’s degree program at Ngee Ann Poly-technic in 2013, when the last cohort of Wheelock students graduates. “It is with great pleasure that we formally transi-tion to the Singapore Institute of Technology,” said President Jenkins-Scott in her announcement of the partnership. “Like Principal Chia of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, President Tan Chin Tiong and our colleagues at SIT are committed to excellence and to continuing the legacy initiated nearly six years ago. We are most honored and pleased to join with seven other distin-guished institutions that are collaborating with SIT to expand excellent educational opportunities.”

NEW Political Science Major

In keeping with Wheelock’s goal to be a college that teaches quality scholarship combined with a mission to create a safe, caring, and just world for children and families, the College has launched a new Political Science and Global

Studies undergraduate major. Similar to many of Wheelock’s programs, this new major

puts the voices, experiences, and struggles of marginalized groups at the center of scholarly and intellectual inquiry. In contrast to many traditional political science majors, the College’s new major will examine how politics—on local, national, and global levels—shape, and often limit, the lives of nonelite groups. From the study of how Boston is a hub for sex-trafficked women, to an exploration of how globalization determines the type of food we buy from local supermarkets, this major will offer students courses that illustrate the ways all our lives are intertwined, the ways that local choices have global ramifications, and how the struggle for equality knows no national borders.

Wheelock College wants its students to be leaders in their future careers, and this demands that the College develop in stu-dents a sense of political engagement and responsibility. The new major will offer a compelling range of courses taught by professors in political science, anthropology, sociology, history, economics, African-American studies, women’s studies, and media studies. Only by combining such diverse areas of study can a political science program capture the complexity of global politics, and culture, in ways that pay tribute to multiple experiences.

Students will work closely with an adviser to create a person-alized area of study that speaks to their interests and passions. Courses will be carefully selected to ensure that students build an academically vibrant major that is as interesting as it is chal-lenging. Toward this end, Wheelock offers students a range of internships—from working with local unions to traveling to Africa—that provide real-world experiences and skills for becoming empowered citizens and future leaders.

News NuggeTs

Wheelock students from Singapore find their spot on the Boston campus.


Wheelock Again on President’s Community Service Honor Roll

The College has been selected for the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll again this year, along with only five other colleges and universities in Mas-sachusetts. Launched in 2006, the national Honor Roll

annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement and recognizes those that achieve “meaningful, measurable outcomes” in the communities they serve. Recipients were announced at the American Council on Education’s 94th Annual Meeting, Ahead of the Curve, on March 12 in Los Angeles. Congratu-lations and thank you to all in our community—including alumni—who contribute their time, energy, and caring to improve the lives of families and children in communities beyond our campus.

News NuggeTs

NEW Dual Master’s Degree in Social Work & Organizational Leadership

Wheelock now offers a unique dual master’s degree in Social Work and Organizational Leadership, the first dual degree of this type in the Northeast region of the U.S. Beginning in September 2012, students can

enroll in the M.S.W./M.S. program and earn two master’s degrees for only 78 credits rather than the 90 credits required if the programs were pursued separately. This is a three-year program. During the first year of full-time study, students will earn their M.S.W.s, allow-ing them to take the social work licensing exam and work as licensed social workers while completing the remaining requirements of the M.S. degree on a part-time basis. Find more information about the program on Wheelock’s website or by contacting Associate Professor and Chair of Organizational Leadership Irwin Nesoff at [email protected] or (617) 879-2170.

NEW QRIS Translation Grant

Wheelock has received a $27,460 grant from the Commonwealth’s Race to the Top funds to coordi-nate translation of the Foundations of the Massachusetts Quality Rating and Improvement

System (QRIS) course, already offered by Wheelock, into Khmer and Chinese, as well as narration of the course in Khmer, Canton-ese, and Mandarin. The course is currently available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese.

NEW Course to College & Career (CCC)

Recognizing Boston’s need for affordable, transitional education (bridge) programs geared toward nontradi-tional learners, Wheelock launched a new program for adult learners, Course to College & Career

(CCC), at the end of February. CCC will serve adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learners who need ad-ditional support in order to enroll and succeed in post-secondary education settings. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive four undergraduate-level college credits. Alumni who work with or know of families or individuals who might be interested can find more information about the course at www.wheelock.edu/ccc.

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Education Conferencing

More and more, Wheelock is providing the leadership and much-needed time and space for professionals to gather together for presentations on educational issues and innovations, productive networking, and thoughtful conversation about improving the lives of children and families.


Race to the Top Retreat Advances Early Learning Plans in Massachusetts

Massachusetts granted Wheelock College $24,999 from its Race to the Top funds for a Massachusetts Strategic Planning Retreat organized by the College’s Aspire Institute. Aspire held a four-hour planning session on May 14 with selected state agencies that work with children from birth to age 5 and their families. Titled “Fulfilling the Prom-ise,” the retreat served as an initial planning meeting to support the goals and joint

work that Massachusetts agency leaders have undertaken—as recipients of Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant funds—to more efficiently coordinate and streamline services and programs for young children in Massachusetts.

Participants in the Wheelock retreat included 10 Massachusetts state organizations: Department of Public Health, Department of Children and Families, Department of Mental Health, Office for Refugees and Im-migrants, Department of Housing and Community Development, Executive Office of Education, Depart-ment of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Higher Education, Department of Transitional Assistance, and the Children’s Trust Fund.

Race to the Top BackgroundIn 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), historic legislation designed to stimulate the economy, support job creation, and invest in critical sectors, including education. The ARRA lays the foundation for education reform by supporting investment in innovative strategies that are most likely to lead to improved results for students, long-term gains in school and school-system capacity, and increased productivity and effectiveness.

The Act provides $4.35 billion for the Race to the Top Fund, a competitive grant program designed to encourage and reward states that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform. Such reform consists of achieving a significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and en-suring student preparation for success in college and careers. Massachusetts has won $50 million from Race to the Top for the pre-K reform plans outlined in its Early Learning Plan.

Massachusetts’ Early Learning Plan Receives $50 MillionThirty-five states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico applied for the grants. In addition to Massachu-setts, the following states were named recipients: Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Washington. Nine states, including Massachusetts, were named grant winners in the Early Learning Challenge competition, which is part of President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) is on record as supporting the Commonwealth’s winning plan, From Birth to School Readiness: The Massachusetts Early Learning Plan, 2012-2015. In a letter to the Commonwealth’s Early Education and Care Commissioner Sherri Killins, MTA President Paul Toner called the Massachusetts application “an ambitious, yet achievable plan for closing school readiness gaps and improv-ing outcomes for all children, especially high-needs children.”

Moving From At Risk to At PromiseWheelock’s Seventh Annual Community Dialogue on Early Education and Care

Moving From At Risk to At Promise: Transforming Policies, Practices and Communities to Support Young Children and Their Families was the overarching theme of the presenta-tions and breakout group meetings during Wheelock’s Seventh Annual Community Dialogue on Early Education and Care held May 24 on the Brookline campus.

Dr. Eleonora Villegas-Reimers, who was among the many Wheelock faculty and staff who organized and participated in the conference, and Bess Emanue ’76MS, regional coordinator of the New England Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network at the University of Massachu-

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“ It’s time to stop just talking about education reform and start actually doing it. It’s time to make education America’s national mission.”

—President Barack Obama, November 4, 2009

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setts Donahue Institute, facilitated the day’s events and group dialogues. An outstanding group of speakers carried the daylong agenda: Dr. J. Andrés Ramírez from Rhode Island College (speaking on Putting ALL Children At Promise: What would it really take?); Helen Blank, director of Leadership and Public Policy at National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C. (speaking on Stand Up for Children, Families and Educators); Hanna Gebretensae, director of Early Childhood Programs at Wheelock’s Aspire Institute (speaking on Child Assessment to Support Children At Promise); Dr. Sherri Killins, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (speaking on Moving Children from At Risk to At Promise: Updates from the Department of Early Education and Care); and Dr. Paul Reville, secretary of education for the Commonwealth (speaking on Moving Children from At Risk to At Promise: Updates from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education).

During his keynote address, Dr. J. Andrés Ramírez discussed common labels and names for students of diverse backgrounds who are learning English in school and the assumptions embedded in them: Limited English Proficient, Language Minority Students, Emergent Bilingual, Emergent Biliterate, English as a Second Language, English Language Learners, and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. A quote by Tove Skutnabb-Kangas of the University of Roskilde, Denmark, served as a springboard to a discussion on this one topic out of many considered at the conference.

“If we think of labels which are used about indigenous and minority children, there is a lot to be said about that. Let us take the really negative labels first. If you use terms like NEP, LEP, then what you are doing is labeling the child negatively —‘no English proficiency,’ ‘limited English proficiency.’ And not only that, you are discussing the child in terms of what the child does not know instead of discussing what the child does know. You are making the child’s language and the child’s competence in the language completely invisible. . . . To solve the question, one could start talking about, for example, ‘linguistically diverse’ students, and that might, in a way, be a little bit better because at least they are not defined negatively.”

The conference provided an excellent opportunity to bring professionals together to discuss this and other ideas, for moving from at risk to at promise on a variety of topics, including assessment to support children’s learning, establishing visible pathways through teacher preparation and professional development, and coaching and mentoring and family engagement.

Wheelock Hosts Early Education Conference with Multilingual Action Council

The Multilingual Action Council (MAC) recently celebrated its 10th anniversary by bringing 130 early childhood professionals to Whee-lock College for a conference on the developmental characteristics of children in early childhood, with a special emphasis on language development for both mono- and bilingual children. MAC is an

independent council hosted by Wheelock and consisting of parents from multilingual communities and childhood professionals, advocates, educators, and higher educa-tion faculty who serve children.

The conference featured a presentation by Sherri Killins, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, and provided infor-mation about planning and implementing curricular activities that promote early literacy development for all children. In addition to Killins, presenters included Wheelock’s Eleonora Villegas-Reimers, associate professor of human development, and Hanna Gebretensae, interim academic dean of Urban College of Boston and director of the Center for Assessment and Screening Excellence at Wheelock’s Aspire Institute.

Education Conferencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Stepping Up Children’s STEM Learning

The Aspire Institute’s latest report, Branching Out: Expanding STEM Learning in Massachusetts Early Childhood and Out of School Time Settings, summarizes the proceedings from the second statewide Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Out of School Time (OST) STEM Confer-ence, to be held at Wheelock. The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) began col-laborating with Aspire more than a year ago to raise awareness about the importance and great

relevance of early and OST STEM learning to later STEM education and eventual career success.Together, Aspire and EEC organized two statewide conferences that brought together ECE and OST

leaders with STEM education experts. At both conferences, participants were briefed on the growing sig-nificance of STEM skills and how STEM learning can be integrated into ECE and OST program activities.

In her introduction to the report, EEC Commissioner Sherri Killins commented that the conversation about the importance of STEM quickly turns to what secondary and postsecondary programs can do to prepare the next generation of STEM professionals. She pointed out that while this is an important consid-eration with short-term implications for today’s high school and college students who will soon be entering the workforce, often missing from these conversations is how the seeds of STEM education and STEM careers begin in children’s early years as preschoolers when they are constantly exploring and experimenting with the world around them.

Brain Building in Progress“Learning begins at birth, and happens across many types of settings, including in both formal and informal environments,” she noted. “According to the latest science research, early experiences actually influence the architecture of the developing brain, much like a house is built from the bottom up. Each sequential step lays the groundwork for the next set of skills—such as reading and math—and a lifetime of learning.”

According to Killins, EEC work is steeped in the understanding that brain building is in progress for young children in enriching environments with caring adults and meaningful and engaging interactions. “To close the achievement gap, we must first close the opportunity gap by providing enriching opportunities early for children and families,” she said.

Educators know that parents and early education and care providers who make intentional links between the activities that young children engage in every day—for example, playing with water, cooking, and building block structures—can help chil-dren begin to understand basic STEM ideas and stay interested in STEM as they continue to elementary school and beyond.

“Once in elementary school, OST programs can play a key role in further advancing STEM education and interest,” Killins elaborated. “There are countless examples of after-school project-based STEM learning activities that engage students in deep, sustained study of STEM subjects that powerfully supple-ment what they are learning in school. Research shows that access to high-quality early education and care is vital to helping all children, especially low-income and high-needs children, to gain early literacy skills and academic and social school readiness skills, and increases a student’s chances of successfully complet-ing high school, attending college, and becoming a contributing citizen. STEM opportunities help build children’s brains and are an investment that yields high returns.”

Sponsored by EEC and written by Aspire Institute’s senior director, Jake Murray, and Aspire’s operations manager, Chris-tyne Anderson, the Branching Out report outlines strategies for expanding STEM learning in early childhood and OST settings. Find the report on Wheelock’s website (www.wheelock.edu) under Academics.

Everywhere you look, whether in Massachu-setts, across the country, or around the globe, there is unanimous agreement about the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to our future economy, health, and education.

Education Conferencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Aspire Institute

[email protected] Wheelock’s New Initiatives Powerhouse

The quiet offices in the Hawes Street building on Wheelock’s Brookline Campus that house the College’s Aspire Institute belie the enormous creative energy that staff are pouring into new programs and projects at an impressively rapid clip.

The concept behind Aspire, established just five years ago, is to mobilize the ex-pertise of Wheelock and its community partners to think through social and educational chal-lenges affecting families, communities, and schools—and then be nimble enough to respond quickly with new approaches that could make a difference.

Tap This Rich Professional ResourceEducation, child and human development, and health and wellness—much of what Aspire does fits into one of these three buckets, often in all three at once. Aspire also hosts many of Wheelock’s partnerships with community organizations, publishes research reports, organizes conferences, and posts a blog, Aspire Wire.

Juggling so many projects, established or in the works, is the job of Aspire’s director, Jake Murray, and an expert staff and bank of experienced consultants that is growing with each new initiative.

Aspire is a great resource for alumni to tap into, on a regular basis, to learn more about is-sues in their fields, professional opportunities the Institute offers, and what Wheelock is doing to address current educational concerns involving families and schools in Massachusetts and the Greater Boston community especially. To find Aspire on the Web: www.wheelock.edu/aspire.

“ There are many ways Wheelock lives its mission. Aspire is one, very proactive way. We place Wheelock squarely in the social and education policy arena, asking: What are the big issues of the day —and what can Wheelock do about them?”

—Jake Murray, director, The Aspire Institute


Center for Assessment and Screening Excellence (CASE)Across the state, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Early Educa-tion and Care, CASE provides high-quality, credit-bearing training and technical assistance in early childhood assessment, screening, and program measurement. CASE also oversees the administration of online QRIS courses for early childhood educators, helping align early educators’ work with the Massachusetts Qual-ity Rating and Improvement System.

Course to College and CareerLaunched this spring, this college-bridge pro-gram offers classes tailored specifically to adult learners, especially those who are non-native English speakers. Students typically have conversational English language skills but need additional support in order to complete college-level instruction. Courses will run throughout the academic year and summer.

Connected Beginnings Training Institute (CBTI)Connected Beginnings, which joined Aspire last year, is a training institute launched by United Way in 2006 to build infant and early childhood practitioners’ capacity to

develop nurturing relationships with the very young children in their care. CBTI’s five staff members drive Aspire’s practitio-ner training program aimed, ultimately, at boosting the social and emotional well-being of young children within their families, their communities, and their early care and educa-tion programs.

Educator Mentor Corps (EMC)Aspire is successfully recruiting mentors —retired educators—to work with new teachers in Wheelock’s Greater Boston partner school district and with early childhood education providers in the area. This is an innovative approach to helping ease the teacher gap as retiring educators leave the classroom and a big number of new urban teachers are tending to leave the field early on in their careers. Consider joining the 30 Aspire mentors already sharing their experience and insights with young and talented teachers who want to become stronger in juggling the many responsibilities and administrative duties of teaching. Visit the Aspire Institute’s website (http://www.wheelock.edu/academics/centers-and-institutes/aspire-institute/educator-mentor-corps) to find out more, and to fill out an application as a potential mentor.

STEM Teacher Enhancement Project (STEP)In fall 2010, Aspire introduced STEP to address the urgent need to improve the math and science background knowledge and instructional skills of K-5 educators in order for them to effectively teach these subjects to all students. During the following year, with NASA funding, it drew on the expertise of Wheelock math, science, and education fac-ulty; leading education experts in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math); and current educators to successfully develop two online, high-quality four -course sequences in science and mathematics. These are for in-service teachers looking to improve their knowledge and pedagogy in elemen-tary school STEM education. The courses launched in January 2012.

Social Work Corps (SWC)In collaboration with Wheelock’s Social Work Department, this pilot service initiative mobilizes experienced, licensed clinical social workers to inspire and supervise future social workers completing their clinical hours. SWC volunteer members also provide support to under-funded and under-resourced urban agencies and schools at no cost.

CURRENT ASPIRE INSTITUTE INITIATIVESInnovation in Action

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ASPIRE WIRE KEEPS THE DIALOGUE GOING

Where can you go to find out what others are thinking about news and ideas that matter to Wheelock’s mission? Aspire Wire, the Insti-tute’s blog that posts discussions, articles, and links to “Blogs We’re Reading.” It’s another Institute resource and connection point to

keep Wheelock’s extended community informed and talking.In June, the latest blog posts included: The Teacher Talent Exodus; Promoting Third

Grade Reading Proficiency the Right Way; Three Myths That Challenge Empathy in Children; Student Underperformance: The High Price of Teacher Turnover; Place Based vs. Online Learning—The Future of Higher Education; The Parent Blame Game: What to Do When Screens Win Out; and Colorado’s READ Act: Should Retention Be Part of the Solution?

Bookmark the blog’s web page, http://info.wheelock.edu/aspirewire, and subscribe by email to read and comment on articles posted by faculty, staff, and other guests.

From Aspire WireColorado’s READ Act: Should Retention Be Part of the Solution?Posted May 31, 2012, by Lowry Hemphill

Colorado’s new READ Act is a significant response to persistent gaps in early reading achievement. Only about a third of Colorado fourth-graders reach proficiency on chal-lenging national assessments, and low-income and Latino children in Colorado have

been losing ground on national assessments over the past 15 years (NAEP, 2011). Requiring monitoring for reading progress and the development of reading intervention plans is an important step taken by the Colorado Legislature.

But many policymakers, like the Colorado legislators, show a naïveté about retention as part of the solution. Requiring that poor readers be considered for retention, one of the key provisions of the READ Act, is not likely to improve reading outcomes. There is little in the research on student reten-tion to support legislators’ hopes that this strategy will have an impact.

Longitudinal studies document that low-performing students who are kept back show reading progress across the elementary school grades that is very similar to that of poor readers who are promoted rather than retained in grade (Moser, West, & Hughes, 2012; Wu, West, & Hughes, 2008). By the end of fifth grade, poor readers who are retained show reading trajectories very similar to those of other struggling readers, although the retained students received an extra year of instruc-tion (Moser, West, & Hughes, 2012).

Students who are kept back, although given another year to meet expectations, rarely catch up with their peers. A large study of retention in the Los Angeles schools found that by third grade, only 8 percent of Los Angeles children who were retained in grades K, 1, or 2 reached proficiency on California’s reading assessment.

Retention is enormously expensive. In a comparatively low-spending state like Colorado, adding another year of elementary school can cost more than $10,000 per child, far more than even private one-on-one tutoring by a reading specialist. Because schools don’t see the costs of retaining a child as a separate expense, the real price of retention is hidden.

Colorado’s focus on reversing early failure in reading is praiseworthy, but more effective (and cheaper) interventions deserve state investment: expansion of early literacy programs, reduction of class sizes in elementary grades, professional development in literacy pedagogy for teachers, and, for children with the greatest needs, tutoring by trained reading specialists.

Lowry Hemphill is associate professor and chair of the Department of Language and Literacy, Wheelock College. She collaborates with urban and suburban school districts on strategies for developing children’s deep compre-hension of text.

THE ASPIRE REPORTS

The Aspire Institute Reports—along with links to their summaries and related papers—are available by following a link on the Aspire home page. The reports are excellent sources

of research information, surveys, and proceedings from conferences initiated by the Institute.

Foundation for the Future Report

This report, first released two years ago, explores the need to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in schools. The report provides a concise plan for increasing the number of skilled pre-K to 6 STEM educators in the Greater Bos-ton area, a plan now being implemented by Aspire.

Shared Youth, Shared Strategies: A Plan for Cambridge Middle School Youth

With funding from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Aspire developed a strategic plan that was approved by the Cambridge City Council and Cambridge School Committee. The plan identifies community-wide recommendations for improving the participation in and the quality of out-of-school-time programs for Cambridge middle school youth.

Aspire Reports don’t vanish into the air when they’re completed— they lead somewhere.

The Institute’s Healthy Connections report and strategic plan is just one example of Aspire Reports that lead to real progress—in this case, to the creation of a Boston

Public Schools (BPS) Health and Wellness Department, an annual health indicators report, and a forum titled Reducing Health Disparities to Close the Achievement Gap, run by the BPS last winter.

The forum group included Aspire’s Senior Director, Jake Murray, and special guests Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol R. Johnson, in addition to participants from the Boston Foundation, the Children’s Hospital of Boston, and the Young Achievers Science and Math Pilot School. The group discussed the link between healthy students and better learning—a common-sense connection, but one that usually takes a back seat to


Before coming to Aspire Institute as its director in 2009,

Jake Murray spent four years as a child and youth planner

for the City of Cambridge, overseeing strategic planning,

quality improvement, and program development for early

education, out -of-school-time, and youth development services. He

also served for five years as a director of community partnerships

for the Harvard Children’s Initiative, leading a range of collaborative

efforts to improve educational outcomes in Boston and Cambridge.

Murray’s research interests include professional learning models,

new teacher development, and school-community partnerships. He

has served as a consultant to the Boston Public Schools, the Bos-

ton Mayor’s Office, the Cambridge Agenda for Children, the Boston

Redevelopment Authority-Jobs and Community Services, and Open

Circle, Wellesley College.

Email Aspire Institute at [email protected].

Branching Out: Expanding STEM Learning Early Childhood and Out-of-School-Time Settings

Sponsored by the Department of Early Education and Care, this report highlights information and activities from the 2012 statewide Early Childhood Education/Out-of-School-Time STEM Conference, and outlines strategies for expanding STEM learning in early childhood and out-of-school-time settings.

ESOL/Adult Education Providers Survey

In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of New Bosto-nians, the Aspire Institute conducted a survey of ESOL and adult education providers in the Greater Boston area. This presentation provides an overview of key findings from this survey, one of which was a clear need for more transition (“bridge”) programs for ESOL and adult learners that prepare them for success in college settings and career training programs.

BPS Health and Wellness Plan

In 2010, Aspire collaborated with the Boston Public Schools Health and Wellness Task Force to develop a strategic plan, Healthy Connections, which outlines key steps for improving the district’s organizational capac-ity to address student health and wellness outcome areas. Aspire consulted with district and community health and wellness leaders to develop the report.

“ Our charge from President Jenkins-Scott is to

explore and expand what is possible. We take

this charge seriously—Aspire’s incredibly

talented and creative staff arrive on campus

each morning eager

to get to work!”

Jake MurrayM.Ed. Harvard Graduate School of Education

M.M. Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University

B.A. Bates College

other pressing issues impacting schools. Keynote speaker Dr. Charles Basch of the Teachers College at Columbia Uni-versity called it “A Missing Link in School Reforms.”

Bringing school and city leaders together to focus on research showing that children with physical and mental health conditions have higher absenteeism and dropout rates, feel less connected to schools, and perform worse on cognitive and academic assessments than students without such conditions underscored the point that children’s health and wellness are vital to the core mission of schools.

The forum group also discussed three goals outlined by the report: improve student fitness, enhance school-based health care, and promote healthy student behaviors and engagement—and the strategies suggested to achieve them. More information about these goals and related strat-egies is available through a new e-newsletter and website resource recently launched by BPS (www.bpshealthycon-nections.org).

Wheelock Magazine 11

Federal and state standards, MCAS testing, scripted curricula, a new emphasis on English Language Learners, increased diversity everywhere—a lot has happened in education in the past 20 years,

and with it have come new challenges for teachers. Four education faculty members gathered recently to discuss what they see transpiring in early and elementary education today and the need to prepare students for balancing the values learned at Wheelock with the realities of today’s schools.

Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education Cheryl Render Brown, Instructor in Early Childhood Education Patricia Hnatiuk ’93MS, Associate Professor of Elementary Edu-cation Linda Banks-Santilli ’85, and Instructor in Elementary Education Karen Worth devoted a significant amount of their discussion to stresses felt by both experienced teachers and Wheelock graduates navigating their first jobs.

Banks-Santilli: Compared with 20 years ago, there is a tension today that elementary teach-ers and those of us in teacher preparation feel between educating children for the 21st cen-tury—producing flexible and critical thinkers who can work collaboratively and understand and ana-lyze the world from multiple perspectives—and following requirements of NCLB, the standardiza-tion movement. These two types of pedagogies are entirely in opposition with each other.

We aim for understanding subject knowl-edge and concepts; recognizing differences; affirming students’ cultures, backgrounds, and languages; adjusting curriculum for children with learning differences; and using a variety of teaching approaches. And the standardization movement measures school achievement in one traditional way: through a test that defines intelligence as linguistic and mathematical only. Most public elementary schools no longer teach science, history/social studies, or, needless to say, the arts. Preparing for and passing the test is the new way that intelligence is defined.

Brown: This scoring that’s based on numbers around only certain little areas is not a holistic or healthy way to view children.

Banks-Santilli: Teachers talk about the “walk-through” where, if they’re not on the right page at the right time, they’re written up. I know a very good fifth-grade teacher who has taken many Wheelock students. He said many children came in reading on a third-grade level, he got them up a whole grade level, and his

name was publicly displayed on a chart because they weren’t on grade level. And he thought, Here I am killing myself and I’m viewed as a really poor teacher.

Brown: And I know that none of our youngest children, up through second grade, are MCAS tested, but still the teachers are feeling the pressure that their school is going to be evalu-ated when the children are tested because they are responsible as the “sending grades.”

Worth: There are principals who really try hard, and always there are examples of success, but too often they rest on the shoulders of a few individuals, and when those individuals are gone, things change. There is a wonderful prin-cipal I know who reached out to the community and was beloved by them. He tried for many years, and finally he said, “There are just too many results they want—in terms of improved scores and so forth—and they want them right now.” He said he just couldn’t do it, and he left.

Banks-Santilli: I also see that marginalized groups of people are blamed and it gets really divisive. At the Kennedy School they fired 50 percent of the faculty because the scores were low, but at that school there is a high percent-age of ELL children with teachers doing incred-ible work. And that population is targeted. The

same is true for special education—people saying, “I don’t want them included in my scores or they’re using too much funding in the funding formula.“ When I think about equity, I think about how schools are funded, and if that isn’t going to change, I’m not convinced a lot will change.

Brown: The pressure from the standardization movement is pressing down from the No Child Left Behind legislation to the superintendent level through to principals and teachers. Gradu-ates who have been hired into schools and felt they were going into situations that are very supportive find that the pressure around scores is on them night and day. It’s disheartening because alumni feel they can’t be true to their values, what they learned at Wheelock.

Worth: We see it even in our student teachers and interns in the schools. They say about what they are learning, “This is great, this is great, but I can’t do it in my placement.” They’re not seeing what they’re hearing about in teacher preparation about best practice, so they’re feel-ing the tension even before they are out in the field themselves.

Brown: Some teachers are resisting in incred-ibly creative ways. In early childhood, some of the curricula they have adopted we wouldn’t

Faculty RoundtableFaculty Roundtable


call child-centered or child-oriented, such as the OWL curriculum in Boston. OWL is a literacy curriculum that scripts what you are sup-posed to be doing on Page X regardless of the children and what they bring. But they take that and are extremely creative with it.

Banks-Santilli: Just to add to that, there are curricula, such as Investigations from Technical Education Research Centers that are good, I think. History Alive, using a scripted curricu-lum to teach social studies, and Responsive Classroom, to set the classroom community, are good. Compared with 20 years ago, when I came to Wheelock, I didn’t have any of this in my practica. I had a teacher who was making decisions based on his or her learning, knowl-edge, background, and belief system. So I think that’s really different—the scripted curriculum.

Worth: But having created science curriculum myself, I know the reality is that we didn’t have a lot of teachers back then who had the con-tent knowledge to put together the materials in a deeply conceptual way, nor do we have them today. Of course, there are wonderful teachers everywhere out there but not enough, and even for them there is no invitation to use the good curricula in a creative way. That is what is act-ing against us. I think good curricula is helpful

for a lot of teachers to have as long as they do not have to teach in lockstep.

Brown: In the earlier years, we do have more flexibility and are using developmental approaches that really need to be understood, applied, evaluated, and documented, and our students know that. Our students can influ-ence public school teachers as they implement approaches they learn here, and I think the student teachers and the newly employed teachers have much to learn from the public school teachers, too.

We really need to be able to bring teach-ers together, and support new teachers with mentoring and programs like Wheelock’s TeachBoston to help them adapt to the rigor and pressures of the traditional classroom. And I think there is a new emphasis on mentoring and coaching that is helping our new teachers move into positions in early education pro-grams and schools that will really help promote quality, regardless of NCLB or Race to the Top. They’re not going to be there forever.

Worth: I do think that early childhood has more flexibility, and I know Race to the Top won’t be there forever, but it seems to me—judging from world politics right now, regard-less of where you sit—we are not moving away from this narrow, rigid accountability

in the grades. The problem here is the same as in every state: this constant testing. It’s that as much as anything that is limiting the creativ-ity of teachers in moving beyond a scripted curriculum. They are being told to teach two hours of literacy, two and a half hours of math, and then whatever may fit into the remaining 20 minutes.

What’s startling to me is that this is true even in upper-middle-class, wealthy communi-ties. I know teachers in first through fifth grades who are retiring early because they find it problematic being asked to fall in line.

Brown: The pressure of testing is there, but at the same time people are looking at whether or not children are progressing at all and which groups of children. I think the inequity for poor children and children of color we have failed to educate well for at least a century is being highlighted now. Now there is a lot of real school-by-school data, not just anecdotal data. But the undue pressure that comes with this is worrisome.

I do think the hope is in the new teachers who are coming along. Twenty years ago, student teachers didn’t feel they had to learn about diversity because they would be returning home where there was very little of it, but now when graduates return home, there is a lot of diversity. At least in Wheelock’s preparation, students are questioning the lens they are looking through and reflecting on whether they have high expectations for all children. That will make a difference for the children in the schools where they are teaching.

Worth: Some of us from the elementary faculty went to a brain conference last fall, and it was pretty astonishing to listen to the range of educators, neuroscientists, and cognitive scientists, as well as folks from policy and economics, talking about what we know—the growing body of knowledge and research we have about the way we learn and what matters for brain development and the way it works. It was striking to attend a whole conference about what children need, and how to teach that reinforced what we do at Wheelock.

And yet there’s still a chasm between what is known and what goes on in the schools. But while I have never seen such demoralization in the teaching field as there is now, I also see a coalition of people from different fields coming together around something that we’ve been doing for a long time at Wheelock, which is looking at teaching and learning from this developmental child-centered perspective.


Hnatiuk: I agree with what you are saying, but I think the problems facing teachers go be-yond teaching-to-the-test and standardization. Part of the problem stems from divided com-munities and economic inequalities in them, and the artificial divides between children in families in certain communities and what are deemed best practices in higher education. The children we are working with in infant and toddler programs and early childhood programs that go into fourth and fifth grades are the same children, but there is something missing in between when many of them move from early education experiences—where they do have developmental approaches—and when they go into grades with standard classrooms and traditional models.

I think one solution is for parents and teach-ers to come together to understand what it is that classrooms and teachers are trying to do to help all children grow in culturally and devel-opmentally appropriate and positive ways. We need to forge alliances if we are going to build bridges between early childhood education and public education to begin to come together and agree on what we want children to be learning and hear from families in communi-ties about what that might look like. There are examples of teachers talking to other teachers and parents as children enter the public system that can help build a chain that will not break and keep the early childhood principles and some practices moving with continuity across the elementary years. Call me a crazy optimist, but I see artificial divides based on economic and class divisions in cities and societies that keep educators apart. The achievement gap is bolstered by keeping that divide alive, and until we break down the divides, the kids will continue to be caught in the middle.

Worth: The divide I am looking at is at the policy level. You look at educational policy at the federal, state, and even local levels—which includes testing, frameworks and standards, and all of that—and then you look at the good teachers out there and the huge body of research. If you look at those two things, there are two different sets of expectations for education in this country right now: one as espoused by the good teachers, the early childhood field, the researchers, etc., and then this other set of large policy goals that are based on something entirely different.

Banks-Santilli: That’s that tension. If you think about the changes that have occurred in the last 20 years, we now have teacher candi-dates who take three or four exams in addition

to a college program of study that includes student teaching, and I ask: Are we in a better place? Does that make a great teacher? I don’t think so. I believe in standards, but I think we have not quite figured out how to prepare teachers. We’ve made advances, and I agree with Patty’s point about Wheelock’s focus on social justice and child development. I think those are the cornerstones of the College in terms of our professional programs.

In our department meetings, we’ve also been talking about how we prepare elemen-tary teachers. We are thinking about having students visit effective teachers in rounds, determining what teachers really need to know and be able to do in terms of skills, and practic-ing, observing, and analyzing. We also have discussed updating our current preparation program by using simulated learning through technology, and using video to really examine more closely what we do in an evidence-based way. And I think the call now for more evidence to determine that children are learning is a good thing that came out of this movement.

The behavior-disordered children I used to teach in Boston were the throwaway kids. No one ever tested them. And they moved through school and gradually became three grades behind, or four, and by the time they gradu-ated, they were reading at a third-grade level, whereas today they can’t graduate.

Worth: But we need to ask what needs to change when we get the evidence.

Banks-Santilli: Some children have benefited through monies, from funding that’s been legislated so they’ve had to go to tutoring after school, whereas before they would have fallen through the cracks. I think that’s a good thing. And I think young new teachers are excited about teaching, and we teach them in the elementary years to critique the scripted cur-riculum and see if it makes sense and change it if it doesn’t. But I feel for the experienced teachers, who are at a different point in their careers and are demoralized because they feel as though their experience and intelligence are being questioned. They know what they are doing; they are able to think and design their own curriculum and don’t want to be robotic teachers reading a script for a curriculum.

Brown: Education is famous for taking on new things and throwing the old out, and I think if you are a very experienced teacher and have seen this happen over and over, you have been through many cycles of just getting this curriculum down,

and the training, and the new books, and then something new comes in. Now what do you do when a bigger machine comes along with frame-works, standards, and accountability—that has been damaging in its implementation.

My hope is with some of the new Wheelock student cohorts in the TeachBoston program, who are going in with a three-year commitment to teach in the city of Boston and are very enthu-siastic. They are learning something at Wheelock, including best practices and the cultural relevan-cy piece, that they don’t see a lot of when they go into those classrooms. But we say to them, “You’re in there! Do it! You’re there all year, and you can be that teacher you want to become.” And they are starting to see that when they try something more active, more “hands-on,” the kids are excited and the experienced teachers are learning something, too. It’s definitely a two-way street. They’re getting a lot in terms of how to navigate from the experienced teachers, but at the same time some of the experienced teachers are beginning to see some of that energy that new teachers bring.

Banks-Santilli: One other point: You can’t just get a degree in teaching today; you have to


pair it with another subject area or discipline. I am a big fan of having a second major. That is another positive change.

Brown: Yes, a lot of the research in math, for example, shows the need for having content behind you even to teach the youngest children. And then you get into the schools where sci-ence is an elective, almost like music or gym, or they may not have it at all. It seems like such a great gap with this focus on literacy and math that we’ve been in for the last almost decade. So everybody has taken their eyes off the larger piece of education and curriculum while they’re worrying about meeting those scores.

Worth: One question I have is whether we can better prepare our students to handle the situ-ations they are going into. Do we need to talk more explicitly about what it means to adapt a scripted curriculum so as to prepare them for the realities of the situations they will find themselves in? Should there be more of this than we are doing now? For example, doing rounds in the schools, videos of teaching and learning, and curriculum analysis are strategies that would help our students have images and

visions of what this thing looks like that we’re talking about in our courses when we are talk-ing about what works well.

Banks-Santilli: There’s an increased emphasis on ELL and special needs students within the elementary classroom in the last 20 years—inclusion and also really thinking about these terms we use like “universal design for learn-ing.” There is such diversity among children right from the start, and that’s a fairly new philosophy rather than using the practice of adjusting the lesson because you’re using more of a general approach, and it’s not meeting the needs of the IEP student. Now we know that, in elementary education, there should be at least three ap-proaches when you teach a lesson—maybe a way where children are up and moving, maybe a visual approach, maybe using an audiotape—really thinking about teaching approaches that appeal to a higher percentage of children in the classroom from the start.

Hnatiuk: I think the development of children and the development of teachers are vitally linked, so I am concerned about the morale of the teachers, too. But I also think we need to pay more attention to teachers once they get into the profession and their development there. We need to continue to focus on the children, but teacher proficiency surrounding the pressure for them to have children pass the tests, is a really daunting prospect. Professional development opportunities for teachers— once they are teaching—are not adequately addressing the needs or strengths of the cur-rent populations of children who come from increasingly diverse families—the richness they bring and also the challenges. What we need for our young entry-level teachers, as they arrive with that vitality and energy and creativity, is to meet them with an energized base of existing teachers. I’m concerned about that and teach-ers’ adaptability and openness. There needs to be a range of opportunities for all teachers to continue their own growth and look forward rather than back.

Brown: Some of the best models of schools we have are community schools. You look at the Quincy School that’s been in downtown Boston forever. It’s open around the clock and has English language classes for adults, job support, really good child care, and education and bilingual programs. All those things are together, and that school is in better shape than ever for all the changes that have come in Boston. But in another example, the turnaround schools that get identi-

fied as scoring low and then are on probation and have to do whatever the district tells them to do—they let the faculty go, hire some back, have lots of new teachers in the setting.

One of the things that happens in a turnaround school is that when you have the school-day hours lengthened, there is recogni-tion that kids need healthy things to do all day long and need to have lots of opportunities to get supported in their learning across the day.

Worth: That’s interesting. There are always interesting models being tried. It’s the leverag-ing up from one or two examples that presents the real challenge.

Brown: In some places you are forcing it because they have scored low, and sometimes it is being resisted because teachers are being asked to do more for less pay, but I think what is going to happen is that all schools are going toward longer days. We will get away from the farm model now that we are no longer raising crops; kids will be in a healthier environment; and, hopefully, they will move toward more community models.

Worth: I hope so.

Brown: Along with community-oriented schools comes investment in that community. If you don’t know what’s happening in the child’s world out-side the school environment, you’re probably not going to do a whole lot to reach them anyway. Many teachers have been teaching in urban com-munities where they drive in and drive out and don’t want to know anything about the commu-nity and maybe are even scared. And I don’t think you are going to be successful with children if that is the mindset about the communities where your students are living.

Hnatiuk: On a hopeful note, there are still so many students who want to become teach-ers! They are highly motivated. And if they understand the purposefulness of their teach-ing—why they are doing the lessons, what they want children to learn, and how to analyze the results—then I think we have prepared them the best we can. Getting underneath the “why” is something I work on so much with our students. What are your goals and aims for the children and how do you reflect on whether you accomplish them or not?

Banks-Santilli: We have a whole college of young people who want to help others. That in itself is amazing. They inspire me!


sTudeNTs

Scene on Campus

AIDS Quilt on The Riverway

In honor of World AIDS Day last winter, Wheelock’s Soph-Serve student leaders brought a section of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to campus for exhibition in the windows

of the Campus Center facing The Riverway. More than 18 million people have viewed the AIDS Quilt since it was first shown in 1988.

The purpose of World AIDS Day is to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice, improve education about AIDS, and remind people that HIV has not gone away. According to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS estimates, there are now 34 million people living with HIV. During 2010, some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus, including an estimated 390,000 children. The vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in low- and middle-income countries, but today HIV is a threat to men, women, and children on all conti-nents around the world.

Revving Up Campus Sustainability

Across the globe now everyone is aware that sustainability is vital—make that Vital, with a capital “V”—to preserving our environment for future generations, and at Wheelock we are doing our part by

striving to maintain a sustainable campus. The College now has two LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings: the Campus Center and Riverway House. Through innovative design features such as light-absorbing windows, these buildings reduce the College’s energy costs while conserving natural resources and helping the environment.

Recycling is also an important part of our sustainability efforts. Over the last two years, Wheelock’s recycling efforts, just from paper and journals, have generated 50 tons of recycling and saved approximately 1,250 trees. While this is commendable, we feel we can do much more and have launched a campaign to increase both the volume and variety of items recycled on campus. Wheelock’s average annual carbon footprint produced from waste is 200 tons, which is equivalent to using 3,544 gallons of gasoline—or four times the amount of our recycling. If we boost our recycling by just 10 percent, we can reduce our carbon footprint from waste by 2.8 tons, the new goal for this year!

Global Learning Reinforces Early Childhood Professional DevelopmentLast January, graduate and undergraduate students traveled to Singapore on a weeklong trip with Dr. Paul Thayer (top center) to learn about early childhood learning environments there. Together, they took a class on Wheelock’s Singapore campus, visited several education and health care sites, and learned more about the culture through firsthand experience. Shown here at the Sultan Mosque with Boston and Singapore students is graduate student Carrie LeGeyt ’11’ (top right), who sent in some great photos. Thanks, Carrie!


Community-Based Human Services ProgramNinth Annual Certificate Awards Ceremony

In May, 16 excited juniors and seniors completed Wheelock’s 16-credit Community-Based Human Services Program and attended a certificate presentation ceremony, where they were welcomed and celebrated by

Stefi Rubin, program coordinator; Nancy Toso, practicum supervisor; Afra Hamid, field experience coordinator; and Donna McKibbens, interim

dean of the School of Education, Social Work, Child Life & Family Studies. More than 60 family members and friends also attended to applaud the students’ accomplishments.

The students receiving certificates showed a wide range of academic interests, with majors not only in human growth and development and psy-chology, but also in math and science, history, and the arts. Some had minors in communications, education, autism, and child health, and several were Wheelock College athletes.

Each participant in the program completed a seminar and a 150-hour super-vised practicum in schools, community organizations, and after-school settings, or in family outreach programs. While several students focused on children aged birth to 5 (some in early intervention programs), others were engaged with children in elementary, middle, and high school settings, and some worked with adults in a substance abuse program or with adults and seniors with disabilities. Practicum sites spanned Boston, Brighton, Roxbury, Dorchester, East Boston, and Jamaica Plain as well as Cambridge, Brookline, and Malden.

Of the 96 alumni who have completed Wheelock’s human services pro-gram, an estimated one-third have gone on to graduate school in fields such as human services administration, social work, special education, and higher education services. Others are working in community-based positions such as AmeriCorps domestic violence counselor, Peace Corps volunteer, group home manager, and assisted living activities specialist—all purposeful choices that are improving the lives of families and the society in which we live.

MLK Jr. Day of Service

More than 100 members of the Wheelock community completed service work at preschools around Boston, participating in a nationwide effort to transform the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday

from a “day off” to a “day on.”Wheelock students and staff visited the Crispus Attucks Children’s

Center in Dorchester, the Franklin Square House in Mission Hill, and NICE (Neighborhood Involvement for Children’s Education Inc.) in Roxbury. Service at these preschools included painting, cleaning, and gardening. In every classroom, volunteers also created bulletin boards to connect families with 2012 service opportunities; labeled classroom items in the languages spoken by the families at the preschool; and hung pictures representing diversity in the classrooms.

This was Wheelock’s first MLK Jr. Day of Service, developed as part of the sophomore-year experience program series known as “SophServe” and Wheelock’s Jumpstart program, an early education program that gives students the chance to work with preschoolers on early literacy skills. Wheelock’s MLK Jr. Day of Service aimed to strengthen existing partnerships between the College and the communities of Roxbury and Dorchester by bringing volunteers to locations where Wheelock has established relation-ships through Jumpstart. The College received grant funding from the Mas-sachusetts Service Alliance to help support this day of service.

Thanks to Jonathan Lewis, Wheelock’s associate director for student success, who helped organize the project and noted: “Each of the projects at the preschools will significantly improve the ability of teachers to focus their efforts on children of diverse backgrounds. Our service day is an exciting way for us to continue helping the children and communities of Boston.”

What Do Wheelock Students Do on Break?International Service Learning

More and more Wheelock students are investing intensive classroom time preparing to participate in international service learning programs and returning from them

eager to share what they have learned and how it has changed them.Last academic year, during the 2012 winter and spring breaks and

in May, a mix of five new and returning programs was offered.Winter Break 2012 – Inclusionary Practice in the Eastern Carib-

bean: Service Learning in Barbados with Dr. Felicity Crawford; and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Helping Children Cope with Stress: Service Learning in Singapore with Dr. Paul Thayer

Spring Break 2012 – Lessons from Belfast, Northern Ireland: How Early Childhood Programs Can Help Children Affected by Violence Heal with Dr. Diane Levin ’69MS; and Cross-Cultural Service Learn-ing in Puerto Rico with Dr. Jane Yedlin and Dr. Tina Durand.

May 2012 – African History, Culture, and Spirituality: Benin and Ghana, West Africa with Dr. Joyce Hope Scott



AVA JENNINGS ’12

A va graduated this

spring with a 3.87 GPA;

a major in Human

Development with a focus on

children, families, and culture;

and a professional concen-

tration in child development

specialist, birth to 6. She counts

being the first in her extended

family to complete college as

her greatest achievement.

WM: Being the first in a family to graduate from college is very exciting.

AJ: It is a wonderful and huge accomplish-ment for my family as well as me. I had rela-tives from the South I had never even met who came up for Commencement!

WM: And teaching is your passion?

AJ: Totally. In high school, I took a Teach-Boston summer course on Wheelock’s campus, and tutoring and helping kids accomplish goals was so much fun I

decided to pursue it. In college, I worked at the Hurley School with students learning English as a second language, and, with the culture and nurturing of the classroom, I was so connected that at times I felt like they were my children. I’m also comfortable with the families and like working with them. I think I have a natural connection with teaching and being in a classroom, and I have high expectations for myself and my students. I can see myself down the line in an administrative position or becoming a principal, but I want to be sure I’m confident in my teaching first.

WM: What is the high point of your Wheelock experience?

AJ: Wheelock has given me so many op-portunities that would have been impossible without the Passion for Action scholarship and being in this type of culture. Leaving the small world of my Boston neighbor-hood, coming to Wheelock, and seeing and learning so much else about the world and

how people live have opened up everything for me. Local service opportunities and the chance to go to New Orleans and West Africa for service learning and truly help families are top experiences. The faculty are amazing; they really care and go out of their way to be available at all times to students. I am blessed to have attended Wheelock.

WM: How do you feel about Wheelock’s mission?

AJ: Now that I see what an impact a teacher can have on not just a child but the child’s family, too, I can say I truly want to help fulfill this mission. I have always found

happiness in school, even as a child, and always excelled, which saved me from a lot. I want more than negative things happening in my community. I want to help children in my community see they can have more, and, as a teacher of color, I have the background and experience to go into the schools and work very positively with the children.

s T u d e N T s w I T H A P A s s I O N F O R T e A C H I N g

Participating in service learning programs in West Africa and New Orleans with other mem-bers of her Passion for Action cohort intensified Ava’s desire to fulfill Wheelock’s mission.


s T u d e N T s w I T H A P A s s I O N F O R T e A C H I N g

LISA KRISZUN ’12

L isa, who is from Germany and strong in languages—speaking Spanish, German,

and French in addition to Eng-lish—graduated with a double major in Elementary Education and Math and Science and a mi-nor in visual arts. She is licensed to teach grades 1 through 6 but intends to become certified to teach high school grades as well because she enjoys the substan-tive science concepts at the higher grade level.

WM: Why Wheelock?

LK: It’s such a unique school, and of course the mission, which is so important. Also, I learn best from others, so Wheelock’s small class size was important and the fact that faculty members really know who you are—you can have real relationships with them and the sense of a professional con-nection right from the start.

WM: What was the high point of your Wheelock experience?

LK: The Passion for Action program and the resources it gave me not only to be a strong student but also to have a better understanding of myself and how the world works. My experiences outside the Whee-lock classroom — my teaching pre-pract-icum in a school in Lawrence and service learning experiences in New Orleans and in Guatemala — have made me want to be more involved and taught me the value of collaboration and teamwork, skills neces-sary to be successful in life.

WM: How do you feel about Wheelock’s mission?

LK: There is the general mission but differ-ent routes and goals to serve the mission, all aiming for the same betterment but in differ-ent ways. It is hard to say we will change the world because there is so much to change, but we all need to try, even if it is just how we behave in the world.

WM: You are in the first cohort of Passion for Action Scholars to graduate.

LK: Yes, and it has been nice to help play a role in shaping and improving the program and being a role model for others coming up. In advocating for students and seeing the program develop, I learned a lot and was more challenged to develop and grow. I will definitely stay connected to the program, by being on the interview com-mittee for new students, and to its resources — I want to continue relation-ships with my mentors.

WM: What are your plans for the future?

LK: I will stay in the Boston area. This summer, I’m hosting a family from Germany and will tutor, and in the fall I will begin teaching to get a good foundation before extending my teaching license to higher grade levels.

Lisa’s pre-practicum brought her to a classroom in Lawrence, MA, another Wheelock experience that broadened her understanding of children in the world near and far.

Let the Celebration Begin!

It’s traditional now that on the eve of Commencement Wheelock College begins its graduation celebration with a Pre-Commencement Dinner at the President’s House.

At the event this year, Wheelock paid homage to founder Lucy Wheelock, whose belief in the power of the arts was reflected in this year’s Commencement theme: “Transforming Lives through the Arts and Education.” In her book Talks to Mothers, Miss Wheelock celebrated children with inclina-tions toward creativity and discussed what children learn when encouraged to be dreamers, artists, actors, singers, and musicians. The power of the arts, she said, can expand and improve more than just children’s education.

“I am delighted to welcome you to Wheelock College’s 2012 Pre-Commencement Dinner. At this annual event, we celebrate the extraordi-nary achievements of our distinguished honor-ary degree recipients and acknowledge the individual support that our dedicated alumni and friends provide to the College and to the students who will graduate tomorrow.”

― —Jackie Jenkins-Scott, President

C o m m e n C e m e n t 2 0 1 2


Honoring Arts LeadersThree outstanding individuals who have had a profound impact on the arts and on the lives of children were honored guests at the Pre-Commencement Dinner and received honorary doctoral degrees the next morning at the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony: Jane Alexander (above, second from left), former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, and an award-winning actor, author, teacher, and public servant; Wintley Phipps, a minister, education activist, and renowned gospel singer; and Kathryn Lasky ’78MS (left), an award-winning children’s book author and public advocate for children’s literacy.

A Special Thank-YouAt the evening event, Wheelock also paid tribute to retiring trustees Kathryn “Kay” Smith Conrad ’73MS, Christina “Tina” Morris Helm ’64/’98MS, Heather Peach ’96MS, and Dory Lloyd Rourke ’67, thanking them for their service and welcoming them as members of the Corporation. The College also especially thanked Joan Ingram Thorndike for her many years of service on the Corporation.

Something More to Celebrate—Campaign UpdateLast October, the College announced its $80 million Campaign for Wheelock, the largest capital campaign in its history. At the Pre-Commencement Dinner, Barbara Grogins Sallick ’61 reported that $57.3 million has been contributed to date—nearly two-thirds of our goal. Thank you to all of those who have contributed so generously and started the Campaign in spectacular fashion!

Looking Forward to 2013Next year’s Pre-Commencement Dinner will be particularly joyful as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the College and the next group of Wheelock graduates going into the world to serve children and families. Plan to join us for this extra special event and shared sense of achievement!



Congratulations to Our Fabulous New Alumni!As the numbers grow, dual ceremonies for Wheelock graduates

“Transforming Lives through the Arts and Education”

Such is the theme with which Wheelock College, for the first time, held two separate Commencement ceremo-nies on Friday, May 11, 2012—one for graduating

seniors and one for graduate students. The need for the dual ceremonies reflects the increase in the number of undergradu-ate students successfully completing their educations, of graduate students earning advanced degrees, and of all stu-dents participating in Wheelock Commencement exercises.

“Our alumni are a diverse group in many, many ways, but the common thread I see in them again and again is their dedication to actively do their part to improve society. Whether they are teaching in schools or serving on school commit-tees, running a service agency or volunteering at community programs where they live, they put their Wheelock values and education to work benefiting children, families, and communities, which are the heart of a healthy society. We need more Wheelock graduates out there using their skills and educations to make a difference.”

—Judy Parks Anderson ’62, Trustee

U n d e r g r a d U a t e C o m m e n C e m e n t

A passionate champion of the arts, Undergraduate Commencement speaker Jane Alexander encouraged graduating students to “keep the arts in education” and in their personal lives. “The arts awaken us to our own possibilities,” she said. “Arts are often the first to go during a budget crunch in our schools. But kids are bubbling over with energy and the desire to connect themselves to something meaningful to them. . . . When a child is taught to sing, she is taught to listen. When we teach her to draw, she learns to see.”

Alexander cautioned the graduates about the overuse of new technology such as online computer games, say-ing, “With every advance, there is a loss. For every hour online, we lose an hour for something else. . . . Playing games on the Internet, as I do, with opponents who may be in Kazakhstan or elsewhere in the world is no substitute for my father’s laughter across the table as we played backgammon.”

Undergraduate student speaker Tamara Pace-Emerson told her fellow graduates that their lives at Wheelock had at times felt like a hero’s journey, complete with numerous challenges, monster classes to be slayed, and, ultimately, success. She encouraged each graduate to make a difference in another’s life, saying those actions will have a ripple effect on society. “I am inspired to think of the good you will enact . . . as you become the best teacher, social worker, child life advocate, and all of the other specialties that will cross the stage today,” she said. “Thank you for all you will do in the future.”

U n d e r g r a d U a t e C o m m e n C e m e n t

Jane Alexander



Wintley Phipps, the acclaimed singer whose oratorical talents have spread hope across the world, spoke at Wheelock’s Graduate Com-

mencement, telling master’s degree graduates they were about to march into a battle against ignorance but that they are up to the challenge. “There is a light of optimism shining in your eyes,” Phipps told the graduates. “Don’t ever lose it. Some child will need it.”

Phipps, who has performed around the world and for six U.S. presidents, opened his remarks with a rousing rendi-tion of the Tom Jones song “I Believe.” He described how he came to found the U.S. Dream Academy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children who have had a family member incarcerated. He said Wheelock gradu-ates are bound together by a gene that he called “HPLP” or “Helping People Live Their Potential.” “It’s not an easy calling,” he said. “But, it’s in your DNA.”

Graduate student speaker Thomas W. Bentley III told the graduates that Wheelock is a unique institution that has held on to its core values for 125 years, and that it will continue to be an invaluable institution “so long as there are children to teach and families that struggle.” He said his fel-low graduates’ capacity for doing good is limitless, especially when they work together. “We rely on each other as we blaze a path to do more plentiful good,” he said.

g r a d U a t e C o m m e n C e m e n t


Wintley Phipps

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An Honorary Degree for Writer Kathryn Lasky ’78MS

On her interactive blog, Kathryn Lasky ’78MS writes about the magical moment when, at the age of 10, she first realized she could be a writer. “I was with my family, driving at night in our

car with the top down. The sky looked so interesting—you couldn’t see the stars because of these woolly clouds. And I said it looked like a sheepback sky. My mom turned around and said, ‘Kathryn, you should be a writer.’ When my mom said that, I thought, Wow, maybe I will be.”

And she is. In addition to being a former teacher and a strong public advocate for children’s literacy, Lasky is a widely recognized, award-win-ning writer of books for children and young adults. Her more than 100 books range from critically acclaimed nonfiction titles such as Sugaring

Time and historical fiction in the Dear America series to the wildly popu-lar Guardians of Ga’Hoole fantasy series about owls, which was adapted for the award-winning animated feature film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.

Lasky and her writing have received countless awards, which include the Newbery Honor award, the National Jewish Book Award, the ALA best book for young adults, and the Washington Post Children’s Book Guild award. Her books include picture books for preschoolers and middle-grade fiction as well as researched and thought-provoking novels for young adults on such serious subjects as slavery, censorship, and anti-Semitism.

See her fabulous website, Kathryn Lasky’s Study (www.kathrynlasky.com/), for what she’s up to now.

Wintley Phipps

Kathryn Lasky ’78MS

Terry Meier African-American & Afro-Caribbean Children’s Literature

On her sabbatical during the spring 2012 semester, Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Terry Meier got a substantial jump start on writing a book about using African-American and Afro-Caribbean children’s literature in early childhood and

elementary classrooms. Meier has already done preparatory work for the project. “I know the African-American children’s literature canon very well, including the published scholarship about it, and I have a good background in African-American history,” she notes. “This will be helpful to incorporating into the book curricular ideas for children that incorporate history, as well as other subject matters.”

Meier’s knowledge of Afro-Caribbean children’s literature published in the U.S. is also extensive, but she is spending sabbati-cal time strengthening that knowledge, in addition to completing a chapter-by-chapter content outline of the book, writing several chapters, and obtaining a publishing con-tract. Because her book is focused on subject matter that she teaches at Wheelock, Meier intends that the knowledge and insight she gains during the process of research and writing will have direct value to her students. “And, since the content and the intended audience for the book are clearly consonant with Wheelock’s mission, I expect the book will enhance the visibility and reputation of the College in this area,” she says.

“It is my firm belief that if teachers became more aware of the critical impor-tance of multicultural children’s litera-ture to children’s achievement and more

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“I think that it is good for students when their professors are excited about and actively producing meaningful scholarship. It provides a model for them of what the academy is all about and, for education students in particular, suggests the importance of teachers’ continuing intellectual development and engagement with ideas.” — Terry Meier

Four Faculty Share Their Research

In addition to their daily teaching and mentoring work

with students, Wheelock faculty passionately invest time

and energy in their individual scholarly pursuits. While

their research represents a wide diversity of interests and

methodologies, there is one quality it all shares—invariably it

applies directly to improving pre-service and in-service learn-

ing and practice and to informing faculty practice as well.

Here are just four examples of faculty members

doing current research that circles back to the classroom for

better teaching and learning.


knowledgeable about how to use this literature more effectively in the classroom, they would not only become more successful teachers for students of color, but could potentially have an effect on the publishing industry as well. Books do not go out of print when they are in demand, and, collectively, teachers—and schools—represent a huge potential market for high-quality children’s literature written by African-Americans and other authors of color. My book Using African-American and Afro-Caribbean Literature in Early Childhood and Elementary Classrooms represents one very small but, I hope, still significant step toward achiev-ing those ends by increasing teacher knowledge about this important body of literature.”

Lowry Hemphill Reading Comprehension Interventions

The U.S. Department of Education’s Insti-tute of Education Sciences recently awarded Associate Professor and Chair of Language and Literacy Lowry Hemphill and a team of collaborating researchers a $20 million grant under the federal program called Reading for Understanding. Spread out over five years, the award to Hemphill and her colleagues at SERP Institute, Stanford, and Harvard Graduate School of Education will support their work developing content-embedded reading com-prehension interventions for fourth- through eighth-graders in several urban districts in Massachusetts and others nationally. “This is significant recognition for the quality of the work we do here at Wheelock on developing all children’s literacy,” says Hemphill.

Wheelock’s part of the project is developing and evaluating a reading intervention for urban students who read significantly below grade level in grades 6 through 8, students who are at high risk of dropping out of school. “I began work on this intervention during my sabbatical year in 2008-2009 in five Boston schools with funding from the Boston Plan for Excellence,” she notes. “The new award will let us expand the intervention to other grade levels, dissemi-nate it to other urban schools, and carry out a rigorous assessment of its impact on children.”

And there is more. In January, new funding was awarded to extend the work on Hemphill’s reading program (the Strategic Adolescent Reading Intervention or STARI) with new partners as part of a $10 million national R&D center focused on technology innovations to improve literacy for middle-school students

with disabilities. “The center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and, among other activities, will support creating a digital version of my adolescent reading program,” Hemphill explains. “New funding will allow us to add features to STARI, like computer-based systems that let teachers closely monitor student learning. Our partner organization, CAST, Center for Applied Special Technol-ogy in Wakefield, will also develop digital text supports, for example the ability to click on words and hear them read aloud or hear them translated into a student’s home language. Students will be able to highlight a challenging section of text and ask a digital tutor to suggest a comprehension strategy. We will research

whether these kinds of technology enhance-ments make a difference in struggling students’ reading progress.”

Stephanie Cox Suarez Documenting Learning and Improving Assessments

The scholarship of Stephanie Cox Suarez, associate professor in Wheelock’s Special Education Department and founder of the Documentation Studio, has focused exten-sively on documenting learning to assess the social language skills of children with special needs, particularly children on the autism spectrum. “Children with special needs

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require multiple forms of assessments, beyond traditional, standardized tools, to form a more accurate understanding of their abilities,” says Suarez. “So, the question is: In what ways can we capture the learning of children with moder-ate to significant learning issues when progress is not always clearly visible and when standardized test results provide limited information?”

Suarez has been deeply involved in using the process of documentation, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, recognized worldwide for its innovative philosophy of preschool education, when assessing children with special needs because it can tell the story of a child’s incremental progress over time and a child―s response to interventions. Currently she is working with a fourth-grade classroom in Cambridge, documenting the work of children and their mathematics problem solv-ing, and she plans to work with the classroom teacher to compare documentation with the children’s mathematics results on the state-wide MCAS testing. Comparing qualitative and quantitative learning in mathematics may address questions: What do MCAS scores report, and what level of learning was captured in the classroom? How do the standardized score and the qualitative story of a child’s learning complement each other?

Suarez has worked collaboratively with several classroom teachers, including Karen Daniels at the Haggerty School, a public inclusive elementary school in Cambridge that serves as a full-time internship site for Wheelock graduate students. She has served as the teacher educator and college supervi-sor of the interns, while Daniels was the elementary school’s speech and language therapist. Together they model collabora-tion while researching ways to improve the assessment of children with learning issues. They continue to participate in research with educators in the Making Learning Vis-ible project at Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero (in collaboration with Reggio Children), exploring the use of documentation to make learning visible for individuals and learners in groups.

Ellie Friedland Assessing the impact of a course on LGBT families

Outstanding faculty members are constantly assessing, formally and informally, the impact their teaching has on students and the com-munity. In addition to co-editing the recently published book Come Closer: Critical Perspec-

tives on Theatre of the Oppressed, Wheelock’s Associate Professor of Early Childhood Ellie Friedland used the Gordon Marshall Fellowship awarded to her in 2010 to conduct a formal study of the impact of a course she co-teaches, Creating Welcoming Environments for LGBT Families in Education and Human Services. This is one of the few college courses in the U.S. that focuses on how educators can support LGBTQ and gender non-conforming families and children, and the only course that focuses on how professionals in child life, social work, and juvenile justice and youth advocacy can do so. It is also unusual in that a clearly stated purpose of the course is for students to create change in their worlds.

Friedland’s study surveyed the students who had taken the course as of May 2011, asking if and how the course had led to changes in their

thinking about change and about issues pre-sented in the course. It also asked if and how students actually acted to create change in their own and others’ attitudes, beliefs, and behavior about LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people and issues. She is currently writing an article for publication that will give a full analysis of the data and its implications.

Students’ narrative responses in Friedland’s survey showed that significant new learning and changes in thinking had taken place. Ninety-four percent of students responded that the course contributed a great deal or quite a bit to “lasting change in my attitudes and/or beliefs about LGBTQ people,” and

Editor’s Note: Visit Wheelock’s Documentation Studio at the Brookline campus, open daily. Open Studios are held monthly with a variety of educators attending to support and inspire one another. Find more information about the Documentation Studio and upcom-ing events on the Wheelock website.

Students’ narrative responses in Friedland’s survey showed that significant new learning and changes in thinking had taken place. . . . One hundred percent thought it had contributed to changes in their think-ing about “children with non-conforming gender expression and behavior.”

100 percent thought it had contributed to changes in their thinking about “children with non-conforming gender expression and behavior.” One student said, “The class helped to reframe the whole ‘issue’ for me and allowed me to more critically analyze what I see going on around me—or do not see going on around me—with regard to the LGBTQ community, and specifically fami-lies, children, and vulnerable populations.”

Just as impressive were the results showing that the course led students to feeling more confident about acting on their changed think-ing. Seventy-three percent thought that they could more effectively create political and social change a great deal or quite a bit; similarly, 82 percent said that they speak up more often when they hear homophobic comments.

I N T e R V I e w

WFT Founder Susan Kosoff ’65/’75MSHuman Values Take Center Stage

In 1981, Boston was a city with wounds still fresh from the busing crisis and a populace defined by neighborhood enclaves. Susan Kosoff was a Wheelock College graduate, who had taught in Head Start, day care, and elementary classrooms on Cape Cod and in East Harlem and who had been producing and directing at the

Harwich Junior Theatre, a children’s theater on Cape Cod, since she was a Wheelock undergraduate.

Susan envisioned theater as a way to eliminate the barriers of race, age, class, and gender that tend to separate people from one another. She, Jane Staab, Andrea Genser ’76MS, and Anthony Hancock translated that vision into reality by establishing the Wheelock Family Theatre (WFT). Thirty-one years, 1,750 performances, and 750,000 patrons later, WFT is a beloved and award-winning institution that is recognized nationally and treasured locally, with an undiminished commitment to uniting people through the shared experience of live theater.

Now Susan is retiring from her position as WFT’s guiding light—although she will return as a visiting director as soon as this fall—and will pursue opportunities to teach in Wheelock’s Singapore program, to write, and to direct on other stages. In the midst of several celebrations this spring honoring her achievements, including a Lifetime Achieve-ment Award from Urban College of Boston in May, Wheelock Magazine caught up with Susan for a few words on the important role theater arts can play in education.

WM: Educational programs were part of WFT’s plan right from the start, correct? SK: We began offering Saturday morning classes in the second year, but we didn’t have the budget for a full-time educational director and to really grow the program until the Boston Foundation stepped in with a grant. On site, we now do three academic-year semesters of classes about various aspects of the theater, three intensive vacation-week institutes for three different age groups, and a monthlong summer program.

Working with the Boston and Cambridge public schools as well as charter schools and pilot schools is also important to us. We try to use a training-the-trainers model; we work with teachers so they can begin to incorporate what we teach them into their own programs. That way, the knowledge and expertise reside in the schools. What makes our educational program so outstanding is that we have the resources of Wheelock behind us in terms of knowledge of curriculum and child development. And we have artist-educators teaching our theater classes, which is a tremendous advantage.

WM: What can children gain by having theater arts as part of their education in school and in their lives outside of school? SK: People often think I am joking when I say that theater experience can make you a better person. The fact is, I believe it. The inherent col-laborative nature of theater demands that people work together and begin to appreciate what it means to walk in another person’s shoes and to understand the importance of human values. Additionally, because theater is multidisciplinary,

there are so many different ways that children can be involved in its creation on stage and behind the scenes. And the wonderful thing about live theater is that it is happening in the moment and demands that the audience, children or adults, get directly involved as opposed to watching a video or television.

In the schools, theater arts also offer a more imaginative and appealing route to learning a curriculum—that’s the beauty of it. I suggest readers get hold of Albert Cullum’s DVD A Touch of Greatness, which is a great resource for using drama in education.

I do think that in order for theater to be central in people’s lives, children need to be exposed to theater and involved in aspects of theater

from an early age. My hunch is that one of the many reasons theater is so vital in England is that it’s a part of children’s schooling from an early age all the way through high school. That is not true in the U.S. I would say that of all the arts, theater is the most underrepresented in our schools, compared with music and the visual arts, not that they all haven’t taken a hit recently. That’s hard for me to understand because theater is actually the least expensive of all art forms.

WM: Can you give us an overview of the role drama can play in children’s lives? SK: Drama for children has three major components:

Dramatic Play, which is really appropriate for 3- to 6-year-olds, and is child-initiated and essentially spontaneous but supported and facilitated by the teacher. The primary function of this kind of play is social and emotional development. I say, in dramatic play, “The Player is the thing.”

In Creative Drama, which is especially appropriate for children aged 6 to 10, I say, “Playing is the thing” because the emphasis is on the process. Unlike dramatic play, creative drama is teacher-directed. There are really 21 types of creative drama. One is for its own sake, in which children develop life skills—the ability to express themselves,

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“People often think I am joking when I say that theater experience can make you a better person.

The fact is, I believe it.”


concentrate, and work with others to solve problems. The other kind of creative drama is when it is viewed as a vehicle for teaching other con-tent areas. Generally this is referred to as drama in education. Needless to say, I think both are valuable.

The third component is Theater, where “The Play is the thing,” to quote the Bard, not the Player or Playing. What makes theater different from creative drama is that the emphasis is not on the process but on the product, the fully realized production of a written script. This is where children are primarily audience members. So, again, the difference between theater and creative drama is that the emphasis in theater is on impression rather than expression, and observation rather than participation.

WM: What role can theater arts play in countering the current emphasis on academic performance at earlier ages? SK: One of the great benefits of creative drama is that it does de-velop the whole child physically, cognitively, and emotionally. WFT participated in a yearlong research study that presented evidence that creative drama absolutely contributes to empathy [written about in the Spring 2010 issue of Wheelock Magazine, Page 4]. There is a lot of lip service given to the idea of multiple intelligences and that children learn differently, but the fact is that high-stakes testing has made preparation all the more rigid and paperbound. Drama allows children to learn kinesthetically and appeals to a wide range of intel-ligences and allows children to learn in a variety of ways that doing work sheets does not.

WM: WFT is known as an inclusion leader. Why has this been so central to your vision? SK: Probably my biggest goal for theater is that it plays a vital part in people’s lives, and by that I mean all people. So when we were thinking about founding the Theatre, we wanted to break down barriers that kept people separated from one another and from seeing that theater could be vital in their lives. We kept ticket prices low and affordable. We had a casting policy that was nontraditional in that people of different races and ethnicities, as well as women, were cast in roles that traditionally had not been open to them. And the hope was that the audiences would see people on stage with whom they could identify. So, reaching out to the disability community by interpreting performances in ASL for the deaf, offering open cap-tioning for the hard of hearing and audio description for the blind, as well as wheelchair access, meant that we were able to serve a wider range of people.

One of the things I say all the time is that our audiences look different from those of any other theater in Boston because we have reached out to those who often have not been able to afford to have theater in their lives. But it is good also for all audience members and children to see and understand that diversity and inclusiveness in our casting.

WM: What do you think are WFT’s greatest achievements? SK: That we have been around and continually striving to keep growing creatively and in other ways for 31 years.

Our ability to act on the College’s mission in the world is an ac-complishment that I am proud of because we really have connected to lots of different communities who otherwise would never have known about Wheelock.

I am proud of the quality of our education program and that it has continued to grow and serve so many young people, some of whom have gone on in theater and some of whom have found ways to use the skills they’ve gained through theater in other areas of their lives.

A lot of the original goals we had about young people and adults working together, our colorful casting, our access values—all of these are accomplishments I feel good about.

WM: Why do you think WFT has been so successful and popular? SK: I think it’s the professional-level quality of the shows. Part of the reason our performances for deaf audiences are successful is that we are consistent—people know they can count on us in this and other areas. We walk our talk.

WM: What do you hope for WFT’s future? SK: That we do not have to worry so much about money, and we can figure out how to deal with our limited space and continue to upgrade our technical capacities and the theater itself. That the search committee finds a super-duper producer to take my place who will take the theater to new heights. And that the theater itself will stay true to the original mission.

WM: What’s next for you? SK: I’ll be in Singapore this summer teaching two different programs for Wheelock. I may do some directing on the Cape, where I started out in theater, and I will return to WFT next winter to direct Oliver.

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Susan Kosoff Honors and AwardsEarly Childhood Education Lifetime Achievement Award,

Urban College of Boston (2012)“Making a Difference” Service Award, Wheelock College Alumni

Association (2010)Recipient, Gordon L. Marshall Fellowship, Wheelock College

(2004, 1998)Recipient, Our Place Theatre Project’s African American Theatre

Festival Award for “unwavering commitment to diversity in Boston Theatre.” (2001)

Recipient, Edward H. Ladd Award for Academic Excellence and Service, Wheelock College (1998)

Recipient, Distinguished Achievement Award, Educational Press Association of America (1997)

WFT AwardsBoston Theater Critics Elliot Norton Award for 30 years of innova-

tive, multicultural productions (2011)Independent Reviewers of New England Recognition for 30 years of

professional theater (2011)Independent Reviewers of New England Best Performance by a

Child (Sirena Abalian as Jojo), Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Jennifer Beth Glick as Gertrude), Best Choreography (Laurel Conrad) SEUSSICAL (2009)

Boston Parents Paper Hall of Fame (2002-2009)Independent Reviewers of New England Best Scenic Design for

To Kill a Mockingbird (2007)Kennedy Center LEAD Award for Leadership in Accessibility (2005)Massachusetts Cultural Council Commonwealth Award (2005)Elliot Norton Best Actress for Andrea Ross (2004) The Sound of

Music, Ramona QuimbyStage Source Hero Award (2002)Bay State Council Arts and Business Excellence in the Arts Award

(2002)Actors’ Equity Association Rosetta LeNoire Award (2000)President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities & the National

Endowment for the Arts Coming Up Taller Award for PAH! Deaf Youth Theatre (1998)

Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Service Award for PAH! Deaf Youth Theatre (1996)

New England Theatre Conference Moss Hart Memorial Award (1988)



In a time of increasing state standards, district man-dates, and parent expecta-tions, measured account-ability seems to rule the

classroom. Wheelock graduates know the value of teaching and learn-ing outside the standards box, but pressures to squeeze into it are a daily challenge.

Professor David Fernie’s book Educating Toddlers to Teachers: Learning to See and Influ-ence the School and Peer Cultures of Classrooms addresses that challenge with encouraging research-based examples of how the art of teaching from observation and using chil-dren’s own group interests as springboards to learning can work outside the box. He and colleagues Samara Madrid and Rebecca Kantor have edited a collection of eight studies (most conducted by their graduate students) of children’s school culture and peer culture in the classroom that can help teachers tune in to children’s interests and ideas which are naturally surfacing all the time and use them to stimulate learning about curriculum and classroom life.

Using Ethnography to Understand and Help Build Classroom CommunityFernie hopes that teachers reading the book will consider an ethnographic way of looking at group life in their classrooms and discover how they can influence, not manage, what is happening there. “With so much going on in the classroom, taking an ethnographic approach by stepping back, observing what is going on, and making sense of it can help teachers build a classroom community and work with academic subjects in ways that will appeal to the children,” he explains.

The studies in the book look at classroom cultures by analyzing what children and teachers say and do as they navigate through their daily time together and how the trajec-

tory of classroom learning is democratic, in that children’s own interests are included. “Sustained engagement in learning happens when children’s ideas are noticed, respected, extended, and worked with by teachers,” Fernie notes.

Examples in the book abound. A group of toddlers impulsively poking markers into Play-Doh becomes—over time, with teachers using

a variety of poking materials and assessing changing interests of the group—a learning experience that moves from random poking to intentional pattern-making and to more elaborate designs before evolving into an inter-est in weaving.

In another example, teachers draw inspiration from the renowned preschools of Reggio Emilia in Italy (which has a history of promoting children’s inquiry and seeking to incorporate children’s interests into class-room life) to engage preschoolers’ “hands, heads, and hearts” with the natural sciences. Observing children’s reactions to a surprise sprouting that occurs in what was thought to be barren soil leads to a long-term project on growing seeds.

And in a third, a teacher becomes a student of her own teaching in her 11th year on the job to document the culture of her classroom as it evolves over a year’s time and to learn how classroom meeting time can pro-vide a forum for learning. Her findings dem-onstrate how the peer culture uses sharing time at meeting to seek further understanding (learning), show empathy toward one an-other, and make personal connections—“all

aims for participants in a progressive educa-tion classroom,” she points out.

Because classroom cultures differ from year to year, these studies are not meant to be templates transferable as best practices or formula. “What teachers can gain from the studies in this collection, Fernie says, is a bet-ter awareness of the nature of classroom life and how to apply that knowledge creatively in their teaching.

Empowering Children through Their Own InterestsFernie is well aware of the pressures today’s teachers face, including managing classrooms and performance evaluations. “Rather than suggesting one more management tactic, this approach offers a creative way to guide the interests and energy that a given group of children is expressing toward learning related to the curriculum,” he says.

Wheelock graduates will relate to Fernie’s ethnographic approach of using careful observation to discover patterns in the social

life of the classroom and what meaning chil-dren—as well as the adults in their lives—are making of it. “This is a supplement to the essential developmental perspective,” he says. “It is another way of looking at and under-standing the meaning of what is going on in the classroom.”

And they will certainly recognize the em-phasis on engagement with the curriculum compared with simply learning it. “Creat-ing a classroom community where kids are empowered as contributors to the learning process, where their ideas and interests are becoming more a part of the daily classroom life, and where they benefit from teach-ers who know them as cultural beings has tremendous power,” Fernie says. “Teachers can harness the strong investment children have in their own interests to develop deeply engaging curricular topics.”

Educating Toddlers to TeachersIn his new book, Dr. David Fernie shows how to see and influence the school and peer cultures of classrooms.

FACulTy

Wheelock graduates will relate to Fernie’s ethnographic approach of using careful observation to discover patterns in the social life of the classroom and what meaning children—as well as the adults in their lives—are making of it.

AlumNI NeTwORK

The 2012 Wheelock World Service Weekend held in April united students, alumni, faculty, staff, and

friends of the College in fun and productive service to their communities. The Alumni Relations Office facilitated volunteer activi-ties that not only provided help to those in need but also made a powerful public state-ment about the College’s commitment to improving the lives of children and families.

The Wheelock College Alumni Associa-tion Board thanks everyone in the extended Wheelock community, in the U.S. and inter-nationally, for their enthusiastic participation! As a result of their commitment to inspiring good, we were able to:H Collect 47 usable pints of blood for the

American Red Cross, which could poten-tially save 141 lives! (Almost 80 Wheelock community members participated.)

H Collect 196 signatures on a petition about discriminatory blood donation policies that will be sent to both the FDA and the De-partment of Health and Human Services

H Donate more than 170 canned food items to Rosie’s Place

Wheelock World Service Weekend— Together we made a difference!

Team Wildcats and young recruits at the Giving Hope 5K in Columbus, OH

Encouraging young readers in Sarasota, FL


Gauging the Impact of Funding Cuts in Maine

The daylong Wheelock Maine Spring Symposium held on March 31 was well attended by alumni and other professionals interested in state program

funding cuts that are directly affecting underserved residents of the state. Marta Rosa, Wheelock’s special assistant to the president for government and external affairs, was the keynote speaker. Sara Gagné-Holmes, executive director of Maine Equal Justice Partners, and Rick McCarthy, public affairs/management consultant for Eaton Peabody Consulting Group, made presenta-tions to the group focusing on the particular impact of cuts on children and families. Alumni presenters Louise Marsden ’11MS from The Opportunity Alliance and Judy Reidt-Parker ’85/’97MS from Maine Children’s Alliance spoke about debunking myths concerning which Maine citizens are eligible for assistance. Cuts in funding and broad-based programming are a hardship for many more Mainers from all walks of life who now need state and federal social services.

Joining Louise and Judy, Maine alumni Margaret Leitch Copeland ’67 and Kelly Howard ’11MS worked to organize the event, held at The Opportunity Alliance headquarters in Portland, and expect it to be a model for planning future symposia about policies affecting children and families.

(L to R) Judy Reidt-Parker ’85/’97MS from Maine Children’s Alliance, Sara Gagné-Holmes from Maine Equal Justice Partners, Marta Rosa from Wheelock, and Louise Marsden ’11MS from The Opportunity Alliance were among the presenters at the Wheelock Maine Spring Symposium.

AlumNI NeTwORK

H Walk a total of 36 miles in support of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (Fourteen participated in the Walk for Change.)

H Raise more than $3,600 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts and Rhode Island at the 16th annual Make-A-Wish Talent Show

H Construct garden beds at the Watertown Com-munity Gardens to grow produce that will be donated to the Watertown Food Pantry

H Run a 5K marathon in support of Jassmine Cobb and the Children’s Organ Transplant Association in Ohio

H Collect supplies for classrooms in Jacmel, HaitiH Collect six bags of trash on the Fellsway in

Stoneham, MAH Collect 20 bags of trash and eight bags of

recycling at the Annual Muddy River Cleanup (More than 65 Wheelock and COF community members participated!)

H Read to young children at the Riverview High School Cyesis Teen Parent Program in Sarasota, FL.

For details about leaders, participants, and each project, go to the Alumni tab on Wheelock’s website (www.wheelock.edu).

Walking for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center—and showing off this year’s student-designed Wheelock World Service Weekend T-shirt


AlumNI NeTwORK

Innovative Teacher Sarah Nadolny Roberts

’93MSA year ago at Commencement, former

President of Ireland Mary Robinson praised Wheelock students for their commitment to service, and urged those who were becoming teachers to educate children in their class-rooms about climate change and teach them the new three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. El-ementary teacher Sarah Roberts demonstrates one way to accomplish that and much more with a project that just kept growing.

“Ride with Pride . . . Join Our Team . . . Go Green!”

by Erin Heffernan

Sarah Roberts teaches third and fourth grade at the South Shore Charter Public School (SSCPS) in Norwell, which serves more

than 30 communities. When one young and un-assuming student brought to school a magazine advertisement to become “The Greenest School in America,” entering the competition was an easy decision. With Sarah as a leader, students at SSCPS had already begun a green initiative months before.

Sarah explains that a large function of the SSCPS mission is service, whether it is to the community or to the environment. The incorpo-ration of academic skills is also important. In the spirit of this mission, Sarah attended a four-day

professional development workshop in Auburn, ME, where she learned how to teach children the concept and execution of service while honing or acquiring academic skills.

While in Maine, Sarah discovered the KIDS Consortium, which gives “Green School Mini Grants.” She applied for and received a grant from the KIDS Consortium to implement with her students a green project, or, in her case, multiple projects.

“The service learning model,” Sarah says, “hands the project to the kids so they themselves investigate needs.” The children spent more than a month studying their school environment to decide what green projects would serve their community best. Ultimately, they concluded that there was too much waste in their school, thus the inception of the SSCPS “Waste Watchers” program. This program consisted of five teams:

“Saving Electricity” Team: initiated the installation of motion sensor electricity in the bathrooms so that the lights will go on only when a student opens the door

“Saving Water” Team: built a gutter for the school shed that directs water into what has become the iconic green barrel; students use the water to water their outdoor and indoor gardens

“Paper Saving” Team: solicited paper from local companies when they no longer had use for it—for example, if they changed a logo

“Saving Plastics” Team: collected the plastic forks and spoons from lunch and washed them, so they were not only recycled but also reused prior to recycling

“Saving Compost” Team: collected apple cores, banana peels, and other biodegrad-able foods to add to the grant-funded school composter

These operatives included academics that students could apply to real-life situations. The light sensor and gutter projects were science and math lessons. Coincidentally, the math lesson the children used to build the gutter for the shed was the current math lesson in their math books.

Sarah says, “Another component of the SSCPS mission was to share information.” So entering the “Greenest School in America” competition was a perfect way to disseminate information about their green initiatives. To dem-onstrate what they achieved and continued to achieve, Sarah and the children submitted mock news broadcast detailing their projects.

The SSCPS was excited to learn they were chosen to be in the top 10 (out of 550) schools for their green initiatives when Fox News arrived to announce live that they were number one! They presented Sarah and her students with a $20,000 school-makeover check, $3,000 in stu-dent scholarships, and a $500 school-supply gift.

And, it is hard to believe but it is true that they brought a model of the $200,000 hybrid school bus that was being custom built for them! This school bus produces 65 percent less emissions than an average school bus. Last, they received a rock concert on their school grounds.

In the beginning of June 2010—as part of the KIDS Consortium grant program—Sarah and eight of her students traveled overnight to the University of New Hampshire. They presented what they had achieved along with schools from all over New England. Sarah stresses that, for her students, the presentation was not a matter of rote memorization. They lived every day with what they presented and therefore did not need to memorize. They spoke of what had become a significant cause in their daily lives.

Sarah and her SSCPS students also attended the Department of Education Service Learning at Holy Cross in Worcester. They teamed with the Conservation Law Foundation for EarthFest at Boston’s Hatch Shell. They would have had these opportunities without the contest, but the contest earned them publicity in South Shore Living, The Boston Globe, and The Wall Street Journal.

Sarah describes the efforts and success of her third- and fourth-grade class as representative of the entire South Shore Charter Public School. For example, older students videotaped and edited the mock news broadcast that caught the atten-tion of the contest judges.” And green initiatives take place beyond the walls of her classroom, the Veggie Van being a perfect example. The seniors at SSCPS manage the Veggie Van project, a van powered solely by vegetable oil that transports the students for every field trip.

As if Sarah and her students were not busy enough, they created a special edition rain barrel with their handprints on it to include in their school auction. They also initiated a fundraiser; they sold rain barrels and composters in partner-ship with New England Rain Barrel. For every one SSCPS sold, New England Rain Barrel donated $10 to the school.

The deserving winners were also selfless, treat-ing their win as not only a win for their school but a win for Massachusetts. Children from 30 communities attend the South Shore Charter Public School, and they are proud of the diversity, proud enough to have shared their title—“The Greenest School in America”—with all of the commonwealth.

Note: Erin Heffernan’s article on Sarah and her photo first appeared in the online maga-zine southshorewoman (http://southshorewoman.com). Special thanks to Erin and to southshore-woman for permission to reprint this story.

A l u m N I s P O T l I g H T



Master Teacher Sue Abbot McCord ’59

“P” Is for Play, Not Performance

How do we prepare our school ad-ministrators, teachers, and families to encourage and ignite children’s

creative thinking instead of demanding and drilling out-of-context academics? What effect will the fast-paced, continuous growth and bombardment of technology have on our young children? How can we, as communities across the country and around the world, sup-port children by meaningfully teaching the adults who will shape their lives?

These are the kinds of complex questions that concern Sue McCord more today than ever before in her 40-year career as a kinder-garten teacher, a faculty member in Human Development and Family Studies at Cornell University, and director of the Lab School at Cornell, as well as director of the Lab School at Denver University and coordinator of Ear-ly Childhood Programs in the Department of Communications Disorders and Speech Science at the University of Colorado.

In the newly revised edition of her book The Storybook Journey: Pathways to Learning through Story and Play, Sue offers concrete ideas to teachers who are facing the pressur-ized challenges of today’s schools but who value Wheelock’s approach to understanding

and educating young children. The central concept of the book is the Storybook Journey, which is an approach that explores one story in depth over time, using children’s own imaginations and active engagement to uncover a variety of learning opportunities inherent in each story.

Sue has found the Storybook Journey to be a rich antidote both to the commer-cially saturated popular culture aimed at children today and to the pressure and stress of academic achieve-ment at younger and

younger ages. “Families also feel this stress,” she emphasizes. “The many distractions that families are experiencing today, such as the lure of the computer, television, extracur-ricular activities, and dinner-on-the-run, leave little time for family members to be together in meaningful ways. This makes it all the more important for teachers of young children to create environments that foster the ability for children to caringly engage with each other. The story can often act as a conduit or springboard so this can happen.”

The Storybook Journey ApproachThe uniqueness of this approach, Sue ex-plains, is in the amount of time the children might explore and play with one story, taking it in many different directions and to many different levels. “The classroom’s physical environment, materials, and experi-ences are intentionally designed to immerse the children in actively ‘playing with’ the story’s rich potential—its concepts, vocabu-lary, sequence, and plot—as well as in the sheer delight of exploring a story through play,” she says.

The effect can be dramatic. Sue in-troduces the storybook journey concept through the experience of a boy named Dylan whose lack of speech and ability to engage socially is transformed by his sudden fascination with the story of Peter Pan. His interest evokes a contagious response from his classmates that leads them on a creative learning experience far more exciting and

productive than a more standard classroom reading session could.

The example is just one that shows how the Storybook Journey approach can be especially helpful in inclusive classroom situations where teachers accept every child at the place where they are and help them to move forward.

And what is more important to children making their way in a classroom learning community than a sense of belonging? Sue uses the Storybook Journey as a social tool to connect young children with each other. “Reliving the story in many different modali-ties (flannel board, puppets, miniature worlds, acting it out, creating props, etc.) draws chil-dren of varying backgrounds, interests, and abilities together in a natural and comfortable way,” she explains. “They know the story well and can relive it together because they hold the story in common and can rely on the nar-rative to interact with each other. Some of the children will veer off from the story and invest in developing their own playful ideas and relationships. Having open-ended materials will offer amazing props for such play.”

Connecting the Classroom and HomeSue also uses the Storybook Journey as a con-nector between the classroom and the home environment, an approach to curriculum that joins children, families, and teachers together. As an educator who focuses on the emotional, cognitive, social, and physical aspects of chil-dren’s early development that are so critical to learning, Sue knows that family involvement is key to children’s success in school.

“You have the greatest opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and families by sincerely inviting families to be a part of their child’s life in the classroom,” she says. “Create partnerships with parents. Find a core group who would be interested in an exchange of ideas, solutions to problems, plans for family activities, or creating a class newsletter. All of this can lead to dynamic, caring relationships that make a true learning community.”

Sue and her book are filled with ideas and suggestions for creating an environ-ment that “speaks to children and cultivates what we value for them and the learning we want to encourage in our classrooms.” And she reminds teachers and parents that the materials provided for play that can foster creative thinking don’t have to be expensive or even purchased. “Materials such as jar and

A l u m N I s P O T l I g H T

The Storybook Journey: Pathways to Learning through Story and PlayReview by Diane Levin ’69MS Professor of early childhood education

A s an early childhood educator, in recent years I have felt increasingly worried about the loss of play in many early childhood programs as more and more emphasis is placed on the teaching of basic academic skills to younger and younger children. Sue McCord’s new book provides me with hope!

In fact, it does more than just about any book I have seen in recent years to affirm the vital role of rich and creative play in helping young children develop solid foundations for literacy development and much more.

Right from the start, The Storybook Journey clears up an all-too-common misconception—creative play that fosters meaningful learning does not magically occur when children are left to their own devices. Teachers perform a crucial role in helping children create the kind of play that fosters meaningful social, emotional, and intellectual growth. This is especially important to keep in mind as today’s media-influenced childhood makes it hard for many young children to come up with their own creative ideas to bring to their play.

The book is packed with Sue McCord’s years of ex-perience and insights as a teacher. It provides effective strategies for: integrating play into daily classroom life; creating an environment that supports play, including using inexpensive and recycled materials to make toys and props; and helping children find powerful stories for their play and work together to transform the stories into play. And it’s full of concrete powerful examples of how teachers put the strategies into practice.

Chapter headings in the book indicate the wide range of ways the contents can be helpful to new or career teachers: (1) What Is the Storybook Journey? (2) Trekking into the Land of Literature: Selecting, Presenting, and Extending Stories with Young Children; (3) An Expedition with Storybooks: Bringing Stories to Life through Thought-ful Planning; (4) Creating the Environment: Moving from Observation to Invitation; (5) Props for the Journey: Explorations with Found Materials; (6) The Journey with Families: Building the Home-School Partnership; (7) Weav-ing Early Learning Standards into the Storybook Journey; (8) The Storybook Journey as an Evidence-Based Practice.

The Storybook Journey has been extensively field-tested and used in a wide diversity of schools with positive and important results for children. An end sec-tion of the book describes some of these experiences and will inspire teachers to achieve similar creativity in their own classrooms.

detergent bottle lids can be especially interest-ing to add to the block area to become small people and other pretend objects,” she points out. “Materials such as string, spools, buttons, strips of material, and natural materials such as acorns, water, sand, feathers, stones, sea glass, shells, and small wood scraps can lead to great creativity.”

Speak Out for the Value of PlaySue urges all teachers to stand up for the real developmental needs of children against the push for academics. “Be a leader and be pre-

pared to articulate sound alternatives to in-appropriate academic pressures being placed upon our youngest children,” she says. “Ex-press your beliefs about how children learn best in all areas of their development.”

And, above all, understand and promote the important role of play in learning. The Alliance for Children, a nonprofit research and advocacy group, reports that the push for academics in early childhood programs is crushing what researchers in early childhood development see as the most vital indicators of future success—play in the early years of

school. The need to create an environment where children can invent, experiment, discover, and learn together through play is central to their lifelong learning, a view that Sue expresses by way of a favorite quote from Professor of Education Elizabeth Prescott: “To play requires great flexibility in think-ing, an ability to shift context and to add new ideas. These skills, which will be useful across an entire life cycle, do not come with-out practice.”

AlumNI NeTwORK

Wheelock Magazine learned about Sue’s

new book through a serendipitous meeting

she had with Wheelock Professor Diane Levin

’69MS in Colorado last year when Levin was

there visiting the Reggio Emilia-based Boulder

Journey School. Sue had been Levin’s teacher

at the Cornell Lab School, where she was

studying social work in the late 1960s. Levin

says that it was during her first placement

observing children as part of Sue’s course

that she fell in love with the idea of working

with young children and decided to become

a teacher. “In Sue’s

class, I had an ‘aha’

experience in recog-

nizing how children’s

thinking is different

from that of adults

and how we must

learn to understand

children in terms of

their development,”

she remembers.

Impressed by Sue’s

teaching and her

Wheelock undergradu-

ate background, Levin

went on to get her

master’s degree from

the College.

“Thank you, Sue,

for what you did for

me then and for what

you are doing for young children and their

teachers now,” says Levin.



The Wisdom of John Muirby Anne Wheeler Rowthorn ’62 with a foreword by Bill McKibben

Building on her lifelong passion for the work and philosophy of John Muir, Anne Wheeler Rowthorn has created an entirely

new treatment for showcasing the great natural-ist’s philosophy and writings. By pairing more than 100 selections from Muir’s diaries, journals, and essays written at different stages of his life, Anne’s book provides a look at the experiences, places, and people that inspired and informed his words and beliefs. Anne has written and compiled 10 other books on diverse topics, but ecological spirituality has become her specialty. Her book Your Daily Life Is Your Temple was designated a best spirituality book of the year in 2006 by Spirituality & Practice. A passionate environmentalist, Anne has taken her pen and notebook all over the U.S. and to Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and Europe. Following John Muir’s example, she seeks out the wildest hiking trails, mountains, and coastlines to explore. For more information on her travels, visit www.AnneRowthorn.com.

Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Lossby Harriet Weil Hodgson ’57“After a loved one dies, many mourners get stuck in grief, and can’t seem to find their way out,” says Harriet Hodgson about her series of books on the subject of grief. Like the others, her new book was written to help mourners find their way through the darkness of grief and create new and, hopefully, happy lives. This isn’t a gloom and doom book; it’s an “I can do it” book. Harriet wrote the books in the series as a way of finding her own way through grief after the loss of loved ones. Within the pages of Happy Again! Whee-lock graduates will find wisdom and advice about the difficult process of grief as well as ways to help grieving children. Visit www.harriethodg-son.com for more information about Harriet and her many other publications.

I Said No!by Kimberly King ’93MS and Zack King

Helping kids set healthy boundaries for touching can be an awkward task for parents, counselors, and educators.

The motivation for Kim King’s new book about the subject came from wanting to help her son,

Zack, cope with a real-life experience he had with a “friend.” Together, they wrote I Said No! This clear, supportive, and nicely illustrated (by Sue Ramá) book offers kid-to-kid guidelines that children can understand, practice, and use in a range of problematic situations—and the reassur-ance that there is always a trustworthy adult to go to for help.

Jake’s Best Birthday EVER!by Rita Sladen Sosa ’69

Rita, a social sciences educator, has written a delightful bilingual picture book, with Spanish and English appearing on the

same page. It’s a fun and informative story about Grandma Terry, who plans a special birthday visit to New York City for her grandson, Jake. The colorful illustrations of the famous sites and the activities that accompany Grandma Terry’s remi-niscences of her own childhood in the city are fun to look at. It’s a great take-along for anyone preparing for a trip to the Big Apple or, if you live there, a visit from a favorite child. Jake’s Best Birthday EVER! gets five-star reviews on www.amazon.com.

Macaroni for Breakfastby Erin Heffernan

Erin Heffernan, a new member of the Alumni Relations staff and a writer for Wheelock Magazine, has just published

this charming book about a child named Mac who has Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning syndrome on the autism spectrum. While many young children become attached to a blanket or stuffed animal for security, Mac is like other children with Asperger’s syndrome who often are fond of unexpected or strange objects. He is attached to a box of macaroni, which he carries everywhere. Written for the preschool age group, the story shows that while Mac’s attachment may make him different, there are so many other ways in which he is like all children that he is really not so different after all. “Macaroni for Breakfast advocates for us to celebrate children’s differences rather than scrutinize them, and for us to teach our young children to do the same with their peers,” says Erin. She wrote and illustrated the book based on her experience with her son Colin, who, she says, “is a testament to the fact that Asperger’s syndrome is, at times, a gift.” Visit www.macaroniforbreakfast.com.

AlumNI NeTwORK

ALUMNI & STAFF BOOKS JUST OUT

The Wasted Vigil Nadeem Aslam

Behind the Beautiful Forevers Katherine Boo

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky

Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment Eleanor Clift

Other People’s Children Lisa Delpit

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea Barbara Demick

Townie: A Memoir Andre Dubus III

Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self Danielle Evans

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Jonathan Safran Foer

Pity the Billionaire Thomas Frank

Little Princes Conor Grennan

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle Chris Hedges

Ten Thousand Saints Eleanor Henderson

Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison Piper Kerman

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide Nicholas Kristof

Girl in Translation Jean Kwok

The Soloist Steve Lopez

A History of the World in 100 Objects Neil MacGregor

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother James McBride

Black Swan Green David Mitchell

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates Wes Moore

A Chance in the World Steve Pemberton

The Botany of Desire Michael Pollan

Packing for Mars Mary Roach

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s John Elder Robison

Persepolis Marjane Satrapi

An Invisible Thread Laura Schroff, Alex Tresniowski, Valerie Salembier

Every Thing On It Shel Silverstein

The Help Kathryn Stockett

A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole

We the Animals Justin Torres

The Submission Amy Waldman

The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls

Winter’s Bone Daniel Woodrell

AlumNI NeTwORK

SUMMERTIME, AND THE READING IS challenging, thought-provoking, enriching, multilayered, enlightening, entertaining, transformative . . .

Dr. Jenne Powers, director of Wheelock’s Writing Center and assistant professor of humanities and writing, announced that the Summer Reading Selection Committee has chosen Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption

by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Ronald Cotton, and Erin Torneo to be Wheelock’s summer reading book this year. The committee of faculty and staff members considered many recommendations and evaluated the books according to their alignment with Wheelock’s mission, their balance between intellectual merit and accessibility, and their connection to the transformative first-year college experience. Picking Cotton stands out in all three categories.

Picking Cotton tells a story first and foremost about justice—individual, social, and institutional. The book will promote conversation and deep thinking about current issues, such as the Trayvon Martin case, and long-standing ethical problems, such as reliance on eyewitness testimony. Last year, as a community, we read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and grappled with the immense power of science, which sometimes advances society while ignoring the rights of individuals. This book will continue that conversation as we delve into the effects of DNA evidence on the justice system.

A website accompanies Picking Cotton (http://www.pickingcottonbook.com/home.html), providing primary sources—police reports, lab reports, letters, and photo-graphs—that will enrich your experience with the book.

The College’s Summer Reading Program is the first first-year experience for incoming students and provides a chance for the entire community to join together in conversation around important ideas. But it’s also a great way for alumni to

have a Wheelock-vetted book recommended for your summer reading lists!

Other Books Recommended to the Summer Reading Selection Committee


This Wheelock Magazine includes Class Notes news that was received before April 13, 2012.

1942-’43“Having lost a bit of spring in my step,” Helen “Stevie” Roberts Thomas writes, “I’m now asking Lori Ann in the Wheelock Alumni Office to take over as scribe for our class.”

1943-’44 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Jean Sullivan Riley

1946Cordelia Abendroth Flanagan

Two classmates sent news: Jane “Jacey” Clapp Donaldson and Sarah Thomas Allnutt. Jacey is doing OK. She and her husband divide their time between West Columbia, SC, and Florida. She and I (“Crow”) keep in touch. Sarah is in a retirement home which is near her old home, and the family is nearby. She still swims three times a week and goes to meets.

I am in a retirement community near Albany, NY, and near my younger daughter. I am still grateful for my Wheelock education.

Please send any news to me or Lori Ann Saslav, Wheelock College Alumni Office, 200 The Riverway, Boston, MA 02215-4176. My address is Cordelia A. Flanagan, 626 Coburg Village Way, Rexford, NY 12148.

1947Mary Hemphill Haring

We were so sorry to hear that Mary Segoine Davis’ husband, Skip, died in December. You are in our thoughts, Mary.

1948 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Carol Moore

We were sorry to hear the news of the passing of Agnes Fitzgerald Davis’ husband, Walt, in February. She is still in the active retire-ment community in Seattle that she and Walt moved to a year or two ago. People there have been very supportive since Walt’s passing, and most of her family lives in the area. Agnes is still active in the arts community—opera, ballet, and theater.

Mary “Polly” Horr Foster has been thinking about her dear Kent House room-mate, “Topsie”: “We had wonderful times together at Wheelock and kept in touch for many years. We visited each other before we married and after we married.” Polly also wrote of the days she used to split the year between East Greenbush, NY, and Naples,

Dear Lauren,

Thanks so very much for taking the time to explain everything on the upcoming Reunion to me yesterday.

The attached photos of my mother, Claire Mead Hyde ‘47 (with glasses), and Nancy Powell White ‘44 were taken at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Gloversville, NY. Both women enjoyed teaching Sunday School there for many years, and Nancy now sings with the choir. The current pastor, Rev. Ralph English, values their present and past con-tributions to our congregation.

Nancy was among Wheelock’s first baccalaureate degree recipients, and Mom arrived on board as a transfer student just after Nancy graduated, having spent her first year at Syracuse. Our home area, Fulton County, NY, is the capital of a once-thriving domestic leather industry. While Mom wasn’t raised there, she also knew some other Wheelock alumnae who were: Evelyn Burr Caldwell ‘24 (1904-2004, my brother’s kindergarten teacher), who taught alongside her at Boulevard Elementary for some time; Phyllis Ormiston Luey ‘49 (1926-1982), whose family operated The Leader-Herald daily newspaper; and my mom’s classmate Betty Ann Liddle ‘47 (1925-2006), who led a very long and distinguished career on the Wheelock professional staff until her retirement in 1990. In their college days, Mom would sometimes meet up with her on the train from Albany to Boston. It was so fitting that Betty Ann, whom I met at Mom’s 50th Reunion, hailed from Johnstown, NY, birthplace of the great women’s rights pioneer Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Sincerely,

Dana R. Hyde

Dana R. Hyde, the son of Claire Mead Hyde ’47 (right), wrote recently to update us on his mother and the doings of other Wheelock grads, including Nancy Powell White ’44 (with her in this photo).

(L to R) Cornelia “Corny” Conyngham Romanowski, Lisa Channell-Stanton, and Donna Ann LaRoche—all from the Class of 1979—had a reunion in New York City and saw Mamma Mia! “What a blast!” writes Corny. The picture was taken in February in front of Good Morning America.

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FL. In fact, she was writing that very note from Naples, where she was spending two or three months and doing a little golfing. Barbara “Windy” Windels Mulqueen reminisced: “When my four children were young, I taught nursery school at my church. Then I moved on to Green Farms Academy and taught first grade for 20 years. I loved it. Not much money, but I ran it. And (thanks to Wheelock) I was prepared. When I retired, I volunteered at a school in Bridgeport [CT] plus did several other things. It was a good life, and I am thankful to Wheelock.”

Ruth Chickering Wheeler is still active with church, family, and ballroom dancing. She has three grandchildren and four great-grandsons and still drives to New Hampshire every summer to visit daughters, relatives, and friends. In April 2011, Edith “Deedie” Hall Huck and Anne “Amy” Mulholland Heger ’49 visited Ruth for three days, and they toured the D.C. and Virginia mountains.

1949Anne Mulholland Heger

Thank you to the several gals who sent in news. Alice Roberts Gow’s husband passed away

last December. David Gow was headmaster of the Gow School, which was founded by his father. Under David’s direction, the school grew from a few converted country houses to a quadrangle of handsome brick buildings surrounded by fields and woodlands. David had many accomplish-ments in the education field. Alice is slowly adjust-ing to her loss. In March she spent a few weeks with her son and family in Florida. Our deepest sympathy to you, Alice.

Enid Stockbridge Holly writes that she and Lee are doing well. They will be traveling to Pennsylvania and Michigan for the weddings of two grandchildren this summer. The rest of the time they will be gardening in a patio-gardening area they created between the house and lake. She will also be golfing as the golf course is right across the street. Jane Bartlett Mason and hus-band Bob are great-grandparents to grandson Adam’s two children, who live in Israel while Adam is working on his Ph.D. there. “He and his family were recently in Zambia, Africa, working with the peasant farmers,” Jane writes. She was looking forward to seeing Adam in April, when he would be speaking at Yale.

Marjorie Pritchard Stevens and Bob have been married for 62 years. Arthritis has slowed her down, but she is still active in church, travel, and family activities. They are truly blessed. Cindy MacGilvra Temby has moved to a small apartment in Petersburg, VA. One son is a couple of hours north, and the other son is a few hours south of her. She is settling in and finding life more leisurely than in the Boston area. “I will hopefully work part time with school lunches, which I am interested in,” she writes.

I (Anne) received a note this Christmas from Barbara Lightner Whitehouse’s son informing me of her death in the fall. Be and I corresponded all these years each Christmas.

I am still in the same house with a large dog (black Labrador) for company. My daughter and family are next door to me, and one son is a few blocks away. The other two sons are within a half-hour drive. I am so lucky having them nearby. We are all going to the Virgin Islands soon—a trip we all look forward to each year.

1950Edith “Anne” Runk Wright

Mary Hathaway Hayter and I (Anne) went to Boston in January to attend the premier perfor-mance of John Harbison’s Sixth Symphony, com-missioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. We had received a special invitation because a poem written by my husband, James, “Entering the Temple in Nîmes,” was set to music and per-formed by Paula Murrihy, a mezzo-soprano, at the beginning of the first movement. The concert was a delight, and we met the composer, John Harbison; his wife, Rosie; and the mezzo-soprano. While in the city, we went to Wheelock and got a walking tour of campus, visiting the library, the student center and the Brookline Campus. We had a wonderful, nostalgic visit!

1953 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Libby Gerow Peterson

Jane “Stuie” Stuart Froelicher’s husband, Chuck, says that “Stuie’s Courts,” a tennis facil-ity at Colorado Academy, was completed and dedicated in 2011. Chuck was headmaster at the school from 1955 to 1975, and Stuie was “the quintessential headmaster’s wife” from the time of their marriage in 1966 to the end of his ten-ure. Her favorite pastime during those years was playing tennis, and, according to Chuck, “This splendid complex makes a statement to all that the contributions she made to the institution, and the standards she set for living, will not be forgotten for a very long time—if ever.”

1954Ginger Mercer Bates Elizabeth Bassett Wolf

Thank you, classmates, for your prompt and unbe-lievable email responses to our plea for Class Notes news. We 80-year-olds are Something Else! Ginger and Chippy

Our dear Ginger Mercer Bates says she is feeling spoiled. She has learned so much from the experience of having had a stroke this past year. Her family and friends have been very supportive, and it makes her feel better and stronger. Brian

has been a trouper. Barbara McCarthy Brennan is still selling real estate in the Framingham, MA, area. It’s keeping her up-to-date in the area of social media. She recently enjoyed a wonderful cruise in the Caribbean—nothing like warm sunshine in the winter! Volney Forsyth Dawson sends greetings from Chicago. Twenty-four mem-bers of her family spent her 80th birthday in a wonderful and large house in Keystone, CO. There was good outdoor entertainment for all. The highlight of their time together was a surprise musical play that the entire family performed about her life. Volney was very touched by how well they knew her. It was love, laughter, tears, and great music.

Nancy Rosenwald Foilb emailed that, as we are all looking at our 80th year, it is time to reflect on our years at Wheelock College and to think about how our lives have changed since then. When she got married in her senior year, she didn’t think much beyond those years, and now she realizes what wonderful times they were—so she’s hoping all her classmates can reflect on all those good times and are grateful for our bountiful blessings now! Janet Culbertson Gill celebrated her 80th last September with a beautiful party given by her two daughters. All family and close friends in attendance had a good time. “I remain in very good health with a busy schedule,” Janet writes. Margaret “Peggy” Clifford Goode puts it succinctly: “Things are much the same in Scituate—salt air, blue waters, and good living. Best to all, Peggy.” Ruth McKinley Herridge and her husband, Bill, continue to enjoy their life in Toronto and the many great times with their five grandchildren. Ruth continues to minister to the community through a prayer group of which she is a member.

Nancy Shapiro Hurwitz and Michael spend their time in Naples, FL, from November to mid-May. They celebrated their 60th anniversary in December with their daughter Amy, her husband, and their two girls. She and Michael play golf, bridge, etc. They had a very pleasant Wheelock lunch in Naples with Jackie Jenkins-Scott, who spoke briefly about new and exciting happenings at the College and also about the 125th Celebration events. Sally Dickason Lunt, a widow for 18 years, keeps busy with her many children, grands, and great-grands; bridge; and quilting/needlepoint/knitting. She spends time in Osprey, FL. Eileen O’Connell McCabe mentions that she is basically well and remains busy. She spent the Christmas holidays on the West Coast visiting two of her children. She has seen Neilie Heffernan Odell and occasionally talks on the phone to Agnes McBride Barry. She enjoyed seeing Lois Mirsky’s picture in the Wheelock Magazine: “She remains as active as ever and looks the same—lovely! Congratulations, Lois.”

Caroline Howard McCarty’s volunteer activi-ties are many: peer counseling, reading to a blind gentleman, pushing wheelchair-bound patients to

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their various activities, Garden Club, interviewing staff and residents on her local in-house TV, and ushering at Sunday chapel. Then she treats herself to yoga twice a week! Way to go, Caroline! Lois Barnett Mirsky is excited about joining with some members of the administration in alerting alumni to “Wheelock College’s Policy Connection’s Alumni Wire” on the Internet. It is created to tell graduates about significant bills in Congress and state legisla-tures that affect children and families. (See Wheelock Magazine, Fall 2011, Page 24.) She sends love to all. Penny Power Odiorne is happy to report that she has had a good year healthwise. The highlight of her year was the mini reunion she had with Chippy Wolf and Nancy Pennypacker Temple ’54/’80MS in Boston prior to attending the Wheelock gradu-ation of her grandniece. Penny bursts her buttons with pride to experience the growth and success of our College and all that it is offering to young men and women.

Frances “Fran” Levine Rogovin reports that she has had a busy year and sends her best wishes to her classmates. Suzanne Hamburger Thurston says she thinks she and the house are falling apart at the same time. Doctor appointments and ser-vice appointments fill her calendar. There was a lot of activity and togetherness for the 10 who came for Christmas. She is a health care volunteer now and occasionally does pen and ink drawing. She has also written five children’s books that she gives as gifts. Life is full! Elsa Weyer Williams informs us of the death of her husband, Don, last August after several years of health issues. Between them, they had eight children, 15 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. The family is looking forward to two family weddings this summer. Elsa also wanted us to know of one of our classmates, Rosemary Murphy, who passed away in February. She lived in Pilgrim for one year and then mar-ried and transferred to Rochester, NY, continued in early childhood education, and became an outstanding kindergarten teacher. She and another classmate, Mary Jeffords Mills, were good friends.

Virginia “Ginny” Thomas Williams writes about her phone chats with Ginger Bates and Elsa Williams. Ginny and her husband, Dick, are grateful for the ability to enlarge the font on their Kindles. She misses traveling except for an annual trip to California, where she visits her daughter. A rotator cuff problem keeps her from doing those things we all used to do when we were young at heart. Margaret Austin Wyman mentions that she and her husband have moved to Marion, MA, where they are enjoying nearby ocean, family, and grandchildren. With her new hip and more mobility, she enjoys walking the beach and con-tinuing with her bell choir directing. It was a big year for her: She turned 80 and they celebrated 50 years of marriage.

I (Elizabeth “Chippy” Bassett Wolf ) had a delightful trip last June to Venice and the Dalmatian Coast with Tauck Tours. A widow friend from Stanford and I went together, a

wonderful traveling “team.” I still enjoy babysit-ting with three of my five grandchildren who live nearby. The nonprofit world keeps me out of mischief. Remember, you don’t have to have email to add to these Class Notes. Wheelock has my address and phone number. Just keep in touch. Be well, each of you. xoxox, “Chippy”

1956Persis Goodnow Hamilton

In this winter of no winter, at least here in Massachusetts, many of you sent in news! I (Persis) thank you very much.

Ann Melrose Blauvelt wrote that she enjoyed the 55th Reunion, rooming with Dottie Weiss and me. She missed her buddies Sue Waters Shaeffer and Alarie Preston Midgley. She did not mention the tour of Boston I gave to her while trying to get her to the airport. She ended up in a cab. She also told of her activities. In December she and Pete celebrated Christmas with their sons in Rochester and Marietta, GA. Earlier this year, she spent a week with a dear friend in Virginia Beach; went back to Georgia to attend Grandparents Day at the Walker School, which her two granddaughters attend; and went to Ireland and London for a tour. They were excited about sailing back to New York on the Queen Mary II. Evelyn Jenney Eaton writes that she is still enjoying life in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is active in the Assistance League (a national organization), and she still sings in the church choir and a local group called Viva la Musica. She enjoys knitting and reading. They are about done with long trips to Europe but plan to travel nearer to home. They had their 50th wedding anniver-sary in August 2009! Congratulations, Evelyn!

Ruth Bailey Papazian was sorry not to be with us for Reunion. She hopes to be in Boston later this year and would love a tour of the College. She will be happily surprised, I think. Ruth and her husband took the whole family to Aruba last summer and had a grand time with water sports and just being together. Their oldest granddaugh-ter graduated from law school and is working for the city of Toronto. Alexandra, a business school grad, is working for her dad in his software busi-ness. All the other children are involved in various sports. Ruth’s days are filled with working out at the gym, swimming, volunteering at church, and enjoying the grandchildren. Later in 2012 she and her husband expect to take a river cruise on the Danube. Mary Louise Stickles Perkins had little snow in Colorado but a cold winter just the same. Her granddaughter, Molly, and her husband are in Ghana with the Peace Corps. Grandson Mark and his wife have a son who is nearly 3. Grandson Rob will graduate from high school in May and will attend the University of North Dakota. Grandson Brandon, a sports and band participant in high school, teaches gymnastics to young children.

Addie Bradlee Polese was also sorry to have missed Reunion. She did catch up a bit with Ann Blauvelt. She and Jim had plans to drive south to Manasota Key, FL (south of Venice and 20 min-utes north of Boca Grande). They are thinking of selling their large house and are planning a trip on the Danube in September. (Maybe they will see Ruth Papazian!)

Beverly Haley Richter and Ed enjoyed every minute of Reunion. They spent a month in Fort Myers, FL, to get away from the cold of Maine. She spent some time on the bunny slopes with her grandkids but feels she is slowing down. (I can relate to that.) When she returned to Maine, she was busy with outdoor cleanup work and paint-ing so she’d be ready for the warm weather when it finally got to Maine. Joan Genesky Rubin reports that all is well but wonders where all the years went. Daughter Elyse is a senior editor at the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School of Journalism and has a 19-year-old daughter. Daughter Laurie teaches in Wellington, FL, and has two children, ages 11 and 13. Joan spends winters at her home in Boynton Beach, FL. She is most involved with skin cancer education, espe-cially in the school system. She serves on the board of directors of the Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation and in February chaired their annual fundraiser at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. She also serves on the board of Palm Beach Round Table and the board of trustees of Palm Beach International Society. Joan and Ben make their home in Chestnut Hill, MA, and summer on Nantucket Island.

Teckie Reese Shackelford returns to the College for meetings of the Wheelock Corporation. She is “much impressed with the direction the College is taking while at the same time keeping the same energy and commitment to children and families that it has been noted for over so many years,” she writes. She hopes to return for the 60th. Even though she was at Wheelock for only a year, she remembers every-one well and lovingly. Teckie and her husband are traveling more, but he is still engaged in banking and she still has her business counseling students who need help with the college admis-sions process. She enjoys her work and hopes it keeps her young. Barbara Silverstein writes that, “God willing,” she will be at our 60th. She is still working hard and hopes to slow down in 2012. She has been showing and selling her designs at Canyon Ranch resort and spa in Lenox, MA, once a month. You can check out Barbara’s jew-elry in the gift shop at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

I am sorry to report the loss of Candy Palmer Smyth Vaughan. She died last Oct. 1 of cancer. She is greatly missed.

All is well in Worcester. Yes, I really live in Worcester, not a suburb. I am well cared for at my new home, Briarwood Continuing Care Community. You can check us out on Facebook.

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My daughter and her family are nearby, so, happily, I am part of their lives. I think from time to time about a trip, but I have too much to do here!

1957Joan Patterson Brown

Sue Terry Covell and husband Tom have moved into a new home in Casa Grande, AZ, and briefly lived next door to Sallie Farrel Brown. Unfortunately, Sallie was in the process of selling her home and moved shortly afterward. “So sorry not to reacquaint ourselves over time as neigh-bors!” Sue writes. “Good story, hmm? Who would EVER believe it?!”

1958 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Margaret “Maggie” Weinheimer Sherwin

During 2011, most of us reached that impressive-sounding three-quarter-century mark, and a num-ber of people had real celebrations.

Carol Stuart Wenmark invited 90 people for a potluck party, complete with tents, games, lots of visiting, and even help with cleanup. Carol is now busy perusing seed catalogs for the best stuff to grow and sell at her farmers market booth. Gail Wheeler celebrated her 75th with a dance party. Music was provided by her sons, and the 40 guests included some of our classmates. In November, Gail had both knees replaced. She is staying true to her recovery exercise so that she can quickly return to her more active pursuits.

Mardy Moody O’Neil and Hugh enjoyed a rail trip through Scandinavia and a river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg—both glorious adventures. Back home, Mardy is involved in a book club, Savvy Seniors, and many other activi-ties as well as marveling over their 21 grandchil-dren. She keeps in close touch with Pommy, Gail Wheeler, Julie Russell, and Jeanie Tulloch Griffith. Mannie Cook Houston was looking forward to a trip to Arizona and a reunion with her son. Mannie enjoys her grandson Colin, 3, who appears to be miles ahead of her technology-wise. Her granddaughter is in Alaska working as an observer for a fishing company. Laura Lehrman thoroughly enjoys living in New York City, where she can attend concerts and visit museums and galleries. She often takes the bus to new neighborhoods, where she checks out shops, eats local food, and feels like she has traveled. Cold and windy days find her indoors enjoying WQXR (classical music radio) and knitting.

Chickie Contas Magoulias is still busy writ-ing more than 500 acknowledgments for the many donations made and kindnesses shown when her husband, “Fr. Nick,” died in June 2011. He’d been a clergyman in the same parish for 46 years and was much loved. Carol Yudis Stein keeps busy knitting afghans in school col-

ors for her college-age granddaughter as well as needlepoint pillows with their college seal. She volunteers at a women’s health center, where she escorts patients for various health tests. That takes care of her walking for the day. She and Jim were planning a fall trip along the California coast and a dinner with Ann Manfuso Paras, whom Carol hadn’t seen since graduation.

Mollie Farnham Love checked in with lots of news. She has started teaching again—this time bridge to adults, but she finds all her Wheelock teaching skills come in handy. Mollie is a tourna-ment bridge player herself. Husband Richard works as an investment counselor. Their son, Rick, lives in Boston, two daughters are near Seattle, and another daughter is in Kentucky. Nice to hear from you again, Mollie! Sybil Magid Woodhouse and hus-band Woody remain active in the Reno, NV, area but spend time in Oceanside, CA, with their family. Sybil’s mom passed away last fall at the age of 94. Sybil and Woody were spared any damage from the wild fires that hit their area in November ’11. Like other of our classmates, Sybil celebrated birthday 75 with a party.

1959Sally Schwabacher Hottle

I (Sally) join “roomie” Barbara Sahagian Carlson in saying, “Greetings to the Class of 1959!” “Boo” writes that she took some time off this year to have foot surgery. She spent about a month reading, braiding strips for her braided rugs, and watching TV. Other than that, the Carlson family is doing well, enjoying “getting into the garden and plant-ing glads” this spring. The Alfred Shaker Museum reopened for the season in early May, and anyone in the area who would like a guided tour can give Boo a call. Patty Haas has lived in Sarasota, FL, for more than 20 years. She is still volunteering at the Selby Library repairing books, etc., and she also volunteers at Cyesis and at Riverview High School with the child care director. Patty saw Maddy Gatchell Corson at Wheelock’s Sarasota Luncheon.

Marion Turnbull Mangels and husband Pete are living in a retirement community, Linden

Ponds, in Hingham, MA, and spending their sum-mers at their home on Cape Cod. Marion enjoys playing mahjong, reading, knitting, and going to a caregiver’s support group; Pete enjoys swimming often. Along with daughter Cindy and family, they enjoyed Christmas in Amherst, MA, at son Andy’s home. The oldest of their five grandchildren is a freshman in college. Last summer Marion, Judie Scott Stolp ’59/’76MS, and Jeanne Wilson Hatch enjoyed lunch together. Betty Lou Ware Robertson and Donald will be married 50 years in September. They enjoy living in Tulsa with their three great-children and seven grandchildren. She writes that she would love to come back and see the new Wheelock.

As for me, Sally Schwabacher Hottle, I’m still advocating for our senior citizens in Fairfax County, VA, playing lots of bridge, and traveling whenever I can. My 10-year-old granddaughter and I enjoyed an intergenerational Road Scholar trip to Utah last August (caving, hiking, and ballooning, among other things), followed by a trip for me to Provence and Paris in October. I enjoyed having lunch with Mary Runyon Obaidy and Wheelock’s Terri Houston last fall. I hope “y’all” are doing well and will send news next time you find my request letter in your mailbox.

Class of 1959 members were all so sorry to hear of the passing of Sue Van Aken Lippoth in May 2011. Her obituary mentioned her wonder-ful adventures with her beloved husband, Don, and called her the “consummate volunteer,” who had a big heart and whose “many charitable gifts and multiple acts of kindness” defined her. Indeed, members of the Wheelock community who had worked with her over the years felt very fortunate to have had her leadership in planning and hold-ing alumni events and were grateful for her time, energy, dedication, and support.

1963 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Jane Kuehn Kittredge

1964Phyllis Forbes Kerr

Sharon Greenberg Burstein and husband Steve retired to Hilton Head Island, SC, in 2001. They are actively involved in their temple, Congregation Beth Yam, where they have been running a film series for years. Sharon used to volunteer as the storyteller in the children’s theater in the Hilton Head Library and has spent seven years volunteer-ing in the library’s bookstore. Who’s their friend (see photo), you’re wondering? “We have a pet therapy dog, Daxie Lee, who does tricks and enter-tains throughout Hilton Head, visiting nursing homes, assisted and independent living facilities, and Memory Matters, a program for those with Alzheimer’s,” Sharon writes.

L-R Ann Manfuso Paras ’58 and Judy O’Connell Perkins ’61 having lunch in Napa, CA


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“Each move has provided more friends and great opportunities to learn and grow,” Betsy McIntyre Doepken writes about having lived in Haverford, Boston, New York, and Indianapolis. Now retired, she and husband Tony are still try-ing to figure out where they want to “land,” she says. They don’t seem to get around to downsiz-ing and think of themselves as happily situated halfway between their son (Alaska) and daughter (Georgia). Betsy is very involved in the Indiana Women in Need Foundation, which supplies help to women going through treatment for breast can-cer, and both she and Tony volunteer at church, lead mission trips to Alaska, feed the homeless, and “on and on.” She explains, “Our lives have been blessed, and we are aware of how important it is to share that.” They have a lot of spare rooms if any-one is going to the Indianapolis area! Ellen French Fulton reminisced about teaching first grade in New Jersey early in her career, marrying Tim in August 1965, having her daughter and son in the early 1970s, and being able to stay home with them until they graduated from high school. She went on to establish a developmental kindergarten in 1991 and then the first pre-K in her county in 1993. “Thanks to Wheelock,” she writes, “I was able to write curriculums, with ease, and was praised by the administration.” She retired hap-pily in 2007. More recently, she was thrilled to be able to cross “Being at Wheelock one more time” off her “bucket list”: She and Joan Tulis Trisko ’65 returned to campus in June 2010 for the first time since they’d each graduated. “Everything at Wheelock College is so grand!” Ellen writes. “It was delightful to see all the changes.”

“Bill and I continue our lives at a fast pace in New London, NH,” writes Tina Morris Helm ’64/’98MS. Their family continues to be busy, healthy, and happy. Bill is still chair of the board of New London Hospital. Tina has learned a lot working “feverishly” as a member of their town’s board of selectmen. She also continues her regular volunteer work in their local elementary school, which she wouldn’t miss for anything; drives the elderly who are not able to drive themselves; has

become active in their local Rotary club; and is completing her final term on Wheelock’s Board of Trustees. They still play tennis and have had some wonderful trips (including to Holland and Belgium this year). “Despite aches and pains, normal for 70-year-olds, life is good,” Tina writes. “Remaining active is imperative!”

A lovely, colorful Valentine’s Day letter/col-lage came from Jessi MacLeod ’64/’92MS. She is grateful for family and friends, her grandchildren and her mother, travel, and life. “I appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and cards as I survive breast can-cer,” she writes. She was looking forward to fishing, kayaking, and exploring in the spring and sum-mer. Judy Holmes Marco and Len are retired and living in Charlotte, NC, near their daughter and two grandchildren—Noah (6) and Sarah (4). Judy knits blankets for children at the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, volunteers at Charlotte’s new Ronald McDonald House, helps with the grand-children, and plays bridge and mahjong.

Mary Ellen Freeman Smith enjoyed nice sum-mer weather in Maine last year—perfect for golf-ing, a family gathering, and being at the lake with her grandkids. In May 2011 she had a “trip of a lifetime” to Alaska with five family members from Colorado: three days in Vancouver, a seven-day Inside Passage cruise, and three coach days end-ing in Fairbanks. She saw beautiful views of Mt. McKinley. Last August, Mary Ellen wrote: “I was very saddened to learn of Sandy Perry’s passing this past winter. Such a wonderful, vibrant person and very close friend. She contributed much to children in her teaching and Wheelock with her energy and ideas in several capacities. She’ll be missed, but remembered with her smile.”

Congratulations to Barbara Russell Williams, who retired from “all paid work” last December. She had worked in a variety of education institu-tions and milieus and had received a master’s in Science and Environmental Education. Her last job, “the best job ever,” was that of manager/devel-oper of the science-based K-4 Living Lab School field trip program at the Bellevue (WA) Botanical Garden. She and her husband now volunteer with the heritage museum in Bellevue and for Bellevue Parks, providing naturalist programs and history programs for each. And they hope to travel more often. We are sorry to hear of Barbara’s older sister’s passing in May 2011 and rejoice with her for hav-ing recently become a great-aunt to a boy and a girl. She and her husband visit their son and his wife often—they are nearby—and recently went to Arizona to see their daughter and her family.

Greetings from (Phyllis in) Cambridge! It has been a tough year, but finally Andy, now 75, is feeling a lot better. The three grandkids (just five minutes away), plus my golden retriever, keep me active and busy in all kinds of weather. I still find time to do my artwork at the open studio: drawing “naked people,” sketching in coffeehouses, painting watercolors at an ongoing class at the MFA. I man-age to see Ginny Agar, Ann Omohundro, and this

year Patricia Burke. I can’t believe the changes and influence that Wheelock now has as it grows in so many ways. I am very proud to be an alumna.

1966Margery Conley Mars

Lynne Wyluda Beasley is happily settled into her retirement home in Cape Elizabeth, ME. And, by the time you are reading this, Laurie Knowles Carter and Bob should be settled into their “small, comfortable home with its lovely view” in Ashland, OR. Pam Miller Callard became a first-time grandmother on Sept. 2, 2011, when she welcomed Owen into her heart and family. So it is ribbons and bows and baby toes! Congratulations on his birth!

Sarah “Sally” Carter wrote earlier this year of her visit to South Africa for the wedding of her niece: “It was wonderful to explore the incredible beauty of the people, geography, and animal life during their summer season. Cape Town is a sophis-ticated and cosmopolitan city surrounded by gor-geous mountains, beaches, wineries, farmland, and desert. There is a fascinating mixture of geography and culture as they continue to address, through a democratic process, the economic issues that linger from the days of colonization and apartheid.” Our dear Maddi Tufts Cormier has had her share of health issues (including knee replacement surgeries) and now writes: “I also have to have another back surgery. I will hold off with facet injections until this body isn’t so wobbly.” (Having just recovered from two surgeries myself, I [Margery] know how much I looked forward to mail call each day. Let’s give Maddi that pleasure, too!)

Last summer Marianne Hawkey Langenbach and husband Read moved from Medina, WA, their home of 40 years, across Lake Washington to a house in Seattle. It took a year to rework it and the garden, but now they are settled, happy, and ready for visitors. After they moved,

Very entertaining pet therapy dog Daxie Lee with her “staff” (Sharon Greenberg Burstein ’64 and husband Steve)

Linda Gordon Kendall ’61 caught by Wheelock roommate Judy O’Connell Perkins ’61’s camera when Judy visited her in Napa, CA, last August


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Marianne retired, but Read continues to work as an attorney in Seattle.

It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of our classmate Joan Carey Noble. She was the roommate of Andrea Murphy Powning and Joyce Nothacker Robinson. Sadly, both Joan and Joyce died of pancreatic cancer less than two years apart. As Marcia Carlson Rintoul wrote, “More research, funding, and attention need to be directed to the cure for this dreaded disease.”

Heather Robinson Reimann and husband Joe created a fantastic blog, boldlygoingnowheretogether, so we could follow their adventures as they explored America, the Beautiful last summer and early fall. They enjoyed a wonderful weekend in Southern California with Mike and Sylvia Thorndike Sheriff. Also on the road at the same time but doing the cross-country trip east solo in her van was Connie Muther! She had quite a few wonderful reunions along the way, lots of exquisite scenery to photograph, before reaching her destina-tion in Connecticut to attend a wedding. Last fall, Marcia Carlson Rintoul wrote: “I spent some wonderful time with Sue Gianis Crones on the Cape this summer. While she was there, we had lunch with Karen Kuhl Schwalm, who is living in Chatham. None of us had been able to attend our 45th Reunion, so it was fun to have a mini reunion in Chatham. Sue and I stopped at a wonderful store in Brewster that happens to be owned by a Wheelock graduate and her husband. The shop also has a line of Margery’s lovely notecards! I have also had the opportunity to spend some time with Ruth Ann Welsh Rooney. We have met in New York City for long chatty lunches and then have gone to the theater. What fun! Of course, I have kept in touch with my roommate, Joan Austin Yocum, who lives in Arlington, VA. Andrea Murphy Powning was also in the area to spend some time with Joyce Nothacker Robinson’s family. We remember Joyce with such a deep sense of love and loss. It always impresses me how very refreshing and interesting it is to be with old and dear friends from Wheelock.”

“I said I would never be one of those grand-mothers,” says Reid Algeo Schenck, but now she admits that that lasted about three seconds after her new grandchild, Lila Louise, was born in 2011. That year was truly an amazing one for Reid for it also included trips to Galapagos, Cambodia, and Vietnam! Sylvia Thorndike Sheriff and husband Mike came east in May 2011 to attend her 50th high school reunion. She contacted Patty Phillips Fraser, who graciously hosted a mini reunion luncheon in her lovely home, which also included Thordis “Toodie” Burdett Gulden, Anne Hallowell Newton, and me as well as our dear spouses.

Following the news of Sandy Tupper Wammack’s death, I heard from many of our classmates with warm remembrances of her—including words from her former Peabody room-mates Hope, Reid, and Susan. Heather also

wrote, as she recalled their first year of teaching in Connecticut when they were living together. The College and I both wrote to her husband, Allen, and had a lovely reply from him. In part, he wrote: “It was so very kind of you to [write]. . . . That meant a lot to me and I was very touched. Sandy and I met in Europe when I was in the Army. Never were two people so far apart in our back-ground and station in life. But nevertheless Sandy made it work and we enjoyed 44 years of a blessed life together. . . . Thank you for touching me with one more pleasurable memory from Sandy’s past.”

I believe it was the late actress Bette Davis who said that old age isn’t for sissies. I would quickly add that neither is knee replacement surgery. Not only have I found it to be quite painful, but the recovery phase is a long and hard road back to normal. I do hope no more parts get rusty in these years ahead!

Four more years until our 50th Reunion, and already some of us are thinking and planning for that weekend! Our goal is to bring back at least 50 classmates to celebrate our golden anniversary. The countdown is on!

1967Betsy Simmonds Pollock

Linda Hoe Palmer writes of her “fulfilling life.” She retired three years ago after 25 years of teach-ing in Burke, VT, and now does a lot of subbing in Burke and Lyndonville and helps out at her daughter’s day care. She also makes quilts and is a trustee of the Burklyn Arts Council. Linda had both knees replaced about two years ago and still skis very actively. She no longer has horses but does swim and walk a lot during the summer. Her four grandchildren are the “light of [her] life.”

1968 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Cynthia Carpenter Sheehan

Monica Freese Eppinger is still working part time at Mystic Seaport. She has two grandchildren who live nearby. She had a knee replacement in November and says she’s walking fine now! She sees Heidi Paffard Simmons and keeps in touch with Margo Merrill Loutrel and Leslie Smith Gill.

Sarah Jarvis ran a corporate day care center in Dorchester and left Boston in 1973 for NYC, working with Head Start and Follow Through. In 1987 she obtained a position with the Department of Education as a teacher with the Program for Pregnant and Parenting Teens. That program was phased out and she retired in February 2009. Her daughter, Najah Camille Williams, recently turned 31. Carol Hamel Long and her husband are liv-ing in their eighth house and “hopefully [their] last”! They are currently living in her hometown, Southborough, MA. She has been working with John Wiley & Sons in New York for the past 15 years, where her off-site work entails executive acquisitions for trade technical books. “I have only

the fondest memories of Wheelock and my won-derful friends there and thrill of going to college in Boston in the ’60s!” she writes.

Sue Ordway Lyons has been retired for eight years and now fills her time with reading, quilting, and volunteer work. Much of her time is devoted to family. She has enjoyed a lasting friendship with Susan Castleton Ryan ’68/’73MS and her hus-band over the years. “We just pick up wherever we left off,” she writes. Sue wishes the best to all our classmates. Faith Schultz Perkins and husband Dan have lived in Boston for more than 10 years. They are ardent volunteers and Faith is enjoying being president of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, an organization whose purpose is to improve the quality of residential life in the Back Bay: “It’s very interesting to try and navigate between the needs of the people who actually live here (and who want to be part of a real communi-ty) and the goals of the retail and commercial com-ponents of the neighborhood.” Her daughter and family live in the Boston area, and they cherish the moments they can spend with them. Her son lives and works in Abu Dhabi for the national airline of the UAE. “We’ve been very fortunate to visit that fascinating city but also to travel to many places in that part of the world,” she adds.

There are several from Riverway House who try to get together as often as possible for “mini reunions”: Faith, Margie Moss Shekarchi, Keena Dunn Clifford, and Kathy Weinland Lordan.

Susan Webb Tregay and her husband are very happily retired in the mountains of North Carolina. She writes, “I’ve spent the last couple of years pull-ing out my Wheelock philosophy and painting my ‘Free-Range Children Series’—these are about our childhoods in contrast with today’s kids’ lives.” In addition to teaching painting now and then, she has two solo museum shows coming up with her series. Candy Erickson Weiler has recently retired from her position as principal of the Carver (MA) Elementary School after more than 13 years. She

Carol Hamel Long ’68 on the beach in Morocco last November, when she was there visiting her diplomat son and his family


ClAss NOTes

retired midway through the school year so that she could help her older son and his wife with child care for the three grandsons who live a few miles away in Duxbury. She also found out that her younger son and his wife are expecting in June: “We are looking forward to traveling to California to meet the newest Weiler!” Candy and Friend will celebrate their 44th anniversary this August with a trip to Paris and the Provence area in September. “It’s great to be able to travel anytime we want, not during school vacation,” she writes.

Sue Ackerman Zwick writes: “Even though I haven’t taught for nearly 15 years, early childhood is never far from my heart. . . . Observing young chil-dren, a skill we honed in our training at Wheelock, has helped me beyond the classroom as a photog-rapher. You can view some of Sue’s images on her website: www.suezwick.com. Living near New York brings Sue and husband Burt into the city often for theater, museums, and good cuisine. They also have a passion for travel, which has taken them to many remarkable places.

Lani Kung Paone traveled up to Vermont to see Jacki Pearsall Stack and me (Cindy) last July. Actually, she wanted to check to make sure her Wheelock roomie was on the mend. A drunk driver drove through a stop sign, causing a head-on col-lision. Jacki’s husband was killed, and Jacki spent about a month in the local hospital, recovering from her injuries and having physical therapy. Jacki did return to work as a teaching assistant in September and has finally mentioned the word “retirement” for after the next school year! Lani and Chuck have built a home in Mexico, where they plan to spend time after she retires from American Airlines.

I (Cindy) am so fortunate to have both of my children live nearby so I can enjoy the grandchil-dren and their many activities! I’m also an on-call substitute at a local credit union as a teller—plus I’m still attending 20 or so craft shows a year. There’s never enough time in my retirement day to do all that I’d like!

Thanks to everyone who responded and shared their news!

1969Linda Bullock Owens Tasha Lowell Allan

Chris Sharkey Bell retired from teaching in the Sandwich (MA) Public Schools three years ago. She enjoys living in the community in which she taught and is happy that her two kids are close by as well. Jan “Bambi” Bevan lives in Bradenton, FL. Although semiretired, she continues to advise doctoral students at Nova Southeastern College and keeps busy with organizations like the United Way.

“I love this partial retirement!” Cheri Breeman writes. It allowed her to have another fabulous year of travel, venturing around Turkey for three weeks and spending time in many incredible places, including Istanbul, Cappadocia, and the southwest-

ern coast on the Mediterranean. She is still work-ing as a Head Start reviewer and traveling around the United States meeting others from around the country. In spite of it having been a “low snow year” for Colorado, Cheri still skied about 60 days, and when she wrote, she was looking forward to biking and hiking season. She wrote that the moose bedding down in her backyard back in March were a fantastic sight. Sally Holgate DeWolfe retired after 41 years of teaching third, fourth, and fifth grades and then ending her career as a preschool teacher in Aspen, CO. Now time allows for enjoy-ing grandkids, skiing, and traveling. She thinks often of her Wheelock days and hopes to make it east for a Reunion someday!

Rob Petitmaire Harnisch works as a special education administrator in the Fargo (ND) Public Schools, where she has been for 21 years. Her mother, Roberta Beaupain Petitmaire ’30, enjoys living with Rob and husband Doug. They get east every once in a while to visit kids John and Brooke. Rob often talks with Susan Anderson Spreter, who lives outside Atlanta, GA. Rob reports that Susan is enjoying retirement, does some response to inter-vention work, and enjoys her two grandchildren. Jane Luke Hill has settled into a new home in a 55+ community in Georgetown, TX, where life passes at a slower pace. In the summer months she

and husband Tom travel to their second home in North Carolina, where her daughter and her family are only three hours away. Jane writes that life is not only good but couldn’t be any better. She hopes it is the same for her Wheelock friends.

Sally Fish Longenecker continues to manage the Morgan horse and breeding farm she owns outside of Lexington, KY. She keeps in touch with Pat Cook, Betsy Paine McClendon ’69/’77MS, and Nance Kulin Liebgott. All agree that no one has changed at all! Sadly, Sally’s husband, Geoffrey, passed away three years ago. She was grateful to those classmates who contacted her at that difficult time. She takes great joy in spending time with her three kids and five grandchildren. Sally spent three weeks in the Middle East with her sister and a friend. Liz Henderson Lufkin is enjoying not working full time (with special needs students) for the first time in years. That’s enabled her to visit warmer climates, spend time with family, and be on a flexible schedule!

Jane McDonough met up with Kathleen Murphy Ladd ’70 in New York City, and they went to see Jane’s son performing at the Acorn Theater. Kathleen is a frequent visitor to New York to help with her four grandkids. Margrete Miner is very busy running a seminar and super-vising eight grad students at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She enjoys the stimulation of observing in many schools. With diminishing budgets, growing challenging student popula-tions, and test-oriented instruction, she wonders how educators manage to accomplish their goals! It doesn’t diminish her resolve, however, to make connections and to continue to strive to make a difference. She sends her best to all! Candis Jan Putterman Stout is still performing and cur-rently promoting the Great American Songbook. She is retired from teaching at an arts-based preschool and from serving on the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Wheelock Family Theatre was awarded a Commonwealth Award while she was with the Council. She enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren.

I (Tasha) continue to teach first grade in Hingham, MA. My home in Hull is a short 10-minute commute with ocean views and sunsets

Jane McDonough ’69 and Kathleen Murphy Ladd ’70 met up in New York City to see Jane’s son in a theater performance earlier this year.

“ I was thinking that if there were other teachers from our era, and I cannot speak to subse-

quent years, who are still in classrooms where the emphasis has turned to performance instead

of development—I think all of those teachers should get awards for sticking it out when they

struggle every day and clandestinely plot projects and programs which better support what

we know to be right for these little wee ones. I am thinking it is time for the next edition

of Teaching As a Subversive Activity [by Postman & Weingartner] . . . but anyway. This is just one

of many topics Sarah Otis and I discuss Friday afternoons at the beach as we await the sunset.

I’m still in St Croix, still keeping chickens, still enjoying kindnesses and finding joy where I am.”

—Cat Austin Franks ’72


ClAss NOTes

over the Boston skyline, offering a calm ending to every day. My longtime partner, Jim, has recovered from a frightening battle with cancer, and life holds lots of promise for us! I am as busy as ever with the religious education program at my church and vol-unteering at a South Shore homeless shelter, Father Bill’s. I also continue to serve on the board of direc-tors of Wellspring, a nonprofit located in Hull that serves coastal South Shore communities in multiple ways, including diploma and GED programs for individuals who have dropped out of school. The best days are those that I get to spend time with any of my four grandkids! The Boston boat makes a Hull stop, so if you’re visiting, please give a call!

1973 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Jaci Fowle Holmes Regina Frisch Lobree

In April, Christine Appert, an educational consultant and technology coordinator at University of Virginia in Charlottesville, wrote: “My depart-ment (Hospital Education) at UVA launched our child life program about a month ago. . . . We have a recent Wheelock master’s grad, Amanda Simas [’11MS], as our first child life specialist. Everyone has been very impressed with her preparation and professional presentation.”

1974Laura Keyes Jaynes

2011-2012 was Susan Horn Corey’s 20th year as a teacher—she’s taught kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Last year she taught second and loved it. She was also a cooperating teacher

and mentor to a second-year teacher. “I am also a caregiver to an 84-year-old second cousin,” she writes, “and mom to a Jack Russell terrier and six cats!” Paula Davison is putting some extra time she has to very good use as a volunteer for Horizons for Homeless Children. “Quite simply, I just play with a great group of kids, 2 to 7, who are living in a local homeless shelter,” she writes. “A great program!” Paula is still working full time as a realtor at The Pinehills in Plymouth, MA, and continues as chair of the Alumni Association Endowment Committee.

Rita Abrams Draper sent greetings from Costa Rica! She and her husband continue to spend winters there and the rest of the year man-aging their inns on Block Island. They especially love their time with their two grandchildren. Rita is still in touch with Becky Kaminsky, Birdie Smith Denevan, and Mimi Wicker. “In fact,” she writes, “we are planning a fun long weekend next November to celebrate turning 60!” She sends regards to everyone.

Nancy Rose is a professional artist who has been teaching art to adults for more than 22 years and has had her artwork shown in places like the New Britain Museum of Art in Connecticut and Selby Gallery in Sarasota. She is happily married with three children and six grandchildren. “After many bumps in my life,” she writes, “I am at a time of peace, feeling surrounded by love. I am an active Quaker and an old campus minister who works to bring equality to all people through the Friends World Committee for Consultation, which has consultative status at the United Nations Office. I feel blessed with family and wonderful girlfriends who remind me of you all!”

1976Angela Barresi Yakovleff

It seems impossible to me (Angela) that a year has passed since our Reunion last June. A few of you have news to share, though. Marianne Daly Chellgren writes: “Wish it was last year—we had such a great time at the Reunion! Is it too early to plan for our next one?” (It’s never too early to start thinking!) Gayle Griswold Goldberg agrees. She writes: “The Reunion last June couldn’t have been better! It was so much fun catching up with good friends, being in Boston on a beautiful weekend, and seeing all the wonderful improvements to the Wheelock campus. Also, staying in the newly reno-vated Riverway dorm was just the right touch for a great weekend!” Maryanne Galvin’s Urban Odyssey, in which “three inner-city teens and three retirees join forces in a yearlong escapade in the great out-doors,” was selected for the Boston International Film Festival this year and shown at the Boston Common Loews theater in mid-April. Maryanne and several of the people featured in the film par-ticipated in the post-screening Q&A.

Rebecca Neblett Drake Hedin left her public school principalship in 2009 and is now early childhood director at Kingsley Montessori in Boston, where she supervised a Wheelock student teacher this spring. “I love the respect for develop-mental learning and the whole Montessori philos-ophy,” she writes. Becky’s third grandchild recently joined the family. She continues to see Margit Kernan Webb ’76/’80MS every December. Dale Zabriskie Pomerantz is working on two more books: One is for parents of teens, and the other is a travel guide. Her first two books, one for parents and the next for grandparents,

Destination Wheelock for This Team of Three from 1972

It was a fast friendship from the start with Ronni Zuckerman Kirsch, Diane Tomaino Fisher, and Elizabeth “Betsy” Page Miller, who roomed together in Peabody all four years as undergradu-

ates until graduation in 1972. Now they live at distant points around the country—Ronni in Tennessee, Betsy in Connecticut, and Diane in Texas—but that doesn’t stop them from meeting up once a year for a mini reunion (last trip was Las Vegas). Unable to be together on campus during their 40th Reunion in June this year, the trio decided to make Wheelock their mini reunion destination in April! Alumni Relations staff had a wonderful time showing them the old sites and fabulous new sites.

“Lauren and Marla,

“Thank you for a fabulous tour of Wheelock while in Boston. We had so much fun with both of you and were very excited to see all of the won-derful new additions to the campus. We loved catching up and reminisc-ing about our college days—so much has happened in the world since we graduated 40 years ago. (Ouch! That makes us sound so old!)

“One thing that has not changed is the excellent education we received. I feel so very fortunate to have had the solid foundation in early childhood education that Wheelock gave to me. We understood best practices in teaching and learning and developmentally appropri-ate practices long before the terms came into common use. I have taught nonstop since graduation—from kindergarten to college—and I have benefited from my undergraduate education every step along the way.

“Thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to show off the campus. We loved getting to know you and will definitely keep in touch. I will try to give back to Wheelock as much as I can, but I will never be able to match what Wheelock has given to me.

Diane

“PS: The Miracle Worker was phenomenal—the little girl who played Helen was absolutely incredible as was the rest of the cast. What a joy it was to be able to see that play and to witness the evolution of the

Wheelock Family Theatre.“

(L to R) Ronni, Diane, and Betsy


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have sold well. She is the executive director of The Parent School in Chapel Hill. She lives in Chapel Hill with husband Jay. Carla Uribe Ravassa is finishing her seventh year as prepri-mary principal at the Colegio Bolivar, a North American school in Cali, Colombia. Her three daughters have graduated from college and are living in the U.S. and enjoying their careers (“no grandchildren yet!”). Carla and her husband enjoy traveling, reading, and watching movies. “I love going to work every day and do not see retirement in the near future yet!” she writes. She hopes to be at a Reunion again someday but in the meantime has been enjoying catching up with old friends through Facebook.

We were so sorry to hear this from Shar Sitterly Wager: “After so many years together, I lost my soulmate to cancer this past December. He fought hard but lost his battle.” Shar is still teaching second grade at the same school in upstate New York and has no plans to retire yet—she has been there since 1976! Her oldest daughter is an ER nurse and has one child, Shar’s first and only granddaughter, now 2—the love of Shar’s life! Daughter Kylie resides in Honolulu and is a second-year environmental law student at the University of Hawaii. Shar’s son will graduate soon from an Army training program to be a combat medic. He is presently stationed in Missouri.

I, Angela Barresi Yakovleff, am teaching 4/5 social studies and literacy in Vermont. My col-league, who teaches math and science, is a former first-grade student! We make a great team. In March the town where I work and the town where I live voted to consolidate and close the elementary school where I teach. I’ve been here since 1978, so the decision is bittersweet. In June I’ll be going to Thailand with UVM Asian studies outreach program for three weeks. Asian studies has been an interest of mine for several years now. This past February my husband, Matthew, and I spent time visiting Dave and Karen Berg Ezzi in Arizona. It gave us a reprieve from the cold in Vermont and allowed us to catch up with great friends. Karen and Dave are proud grandparents of a 1-year-old boy. It’s wonderful to hear from each of you. Do keep in touch.

1978 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Pat Mucci Tayco

Rosemary Anderson is happy to share the news that her daughter, Darkia, is attending Wheelock and plans to major in Human Growth and Development/Child Psychology.

1979Linda Britton Cabral lives in Boston and is the academic superintendent of the Boston Public Schools. Barbara Dalbeck Piccirillo is still an occupational therapist working in Maine School

Administrative District #75 (Topsham, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, and Harpswell) with kids K-12. She and husband Peter have two children in college. “I love my job and the continual challenges of new diagnosis and more multihandicapped children, along with our growing population of students on the autism spectrum,” Barbara writes. “My back-ground as a classroom teacher has really helped me work closely with teachers and understand the chal-lenges of their diverse student populations.”

Ellen Quinlan is the director of human resources for the League School of Greater Boston in Walpole, MA. The League School is a year-round day school and residential community for students on the autism spectrum, ages 4 to 22. “I’m always interested in any recent grads or ‘seasoned’ grads looking for a great place to work,” she writes. “We have an ever-increasing need by our student population.” Corny Conyngham Romanowski was the one described as “having lots of fun fixing up our home, a log cabin,” in the appeal for Class Notes news that went out recently. She wonders where the time has gone. She and her husband just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary and have two children—a daughter, 27, and a son, 21—and

are in the empty nest period of their life. Corny is enjoying teaching nursery school/kindergarten part time and doing volunteer work in her community in Pennsylvania. “I am so looking forward to our 35th Reunion in 2014!” she writes.

1983 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Carol Rubin Fishman

1984Kathy Welsh Wilcox

Carla Belcher Sweitzer is in her sixth year as an intervention specialist teaching sixth grade at Hudson Middle School in Ohio, but this has been her first time teaching all boys in both resource math and language arts. This year she spent an unusually warm spring break week in D.C. taking in all of the sights, including the cherry blossoms. They are gearing up to send their oldest son to col-lege in the fall. Carla writes about a 10-day church missions trip they took to the Dominican Republic last summer: “We worked with the local church in Puerto Plata constructing a basketball court retain-ing wall and leading two kids camps in the city and country. I had the privilege of teaching in the country and really enjoyed co-teaching with the Dominican women. Even though we didn’t share the language, we connected with our passion for teaching and children.” Jody Mount Vorenberg continues to teach kindergarten at The Orchard School in Indianapolis. Her three girls—Melissa, 21; Abby, 19; and Claire, 16—are wonderful and involved in their schooling.

I (Kathryn) am trying to enjoy life as an empty nester. I decided that, when the boys left home, I would go back to school for my master’s in School Administration. Between going back to school and teaching full time, yikes—what a life! I am hoping to be finished with this project by December. My boys giggle that I am back to being a college student and I have to do home-work on the weekends.

Rosemary Anderson ’78 is happy to share the news that her daughter, Darkia (shown here at her graduation from Norwood High School in 2011), is attending Wheelock and plans to major in Human Growth and Development/Child Psychology.

Carla Belcher Sweitzer ’84 (right of center, blue top), husband Jeff (in red cap), and their “whole family” in the Dominican Republic, where they took a 10-day church missions trip last summer


1985Linda Edwards Beal

Michele Yefsky Charm, JoAnn Chambers Meehan, and Stephanie Poly Zapatka had a great time catching up on careers and families when they met for lunch in the summer of 2011.

1986“I really enjoyed my experiences at Wheelock,” writes Zina Collins Knight. “My roommates and I had a reunion at Wheelock just a few summers ago. We got to meet President Jenkins-Scott and have lunch with her. It was great! We felt so honored. We had not been back to Wheelock for 20+ years!” Zina has embarked on a new career after 24 years as an elementary school teacher—she “finally got back to [her] roots from Wheelock” and is now an early childhood resource teacher. Her son recently gradu-ated from college as a computer engineer, and she is so proud of him. Her daughter is working on her occupational therapy degree.

“Has it really been that long?” Pamela Senese writes. She is in her 10th year as a first-grade teacher at Dedham (MA) Country Day School. In 2007 she received her Orton Gillingham training at The Carroll School - Garside Institute for Teacher Training in Lincoln, MA. She and her husband, Kevin Coakley, enjoy their summers in the moun-tains of western Maine.

1988 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Carol Ann McCusker Petruccelli

Chris Schuman Kenny finally had all four children in one school this past year. Next year, her oldest moves up to middle school. She has been busy volunteering at school and has enjoyed getting back in the classroom. She took the girls to Los Angeles last June for a bar mitzvah, and they had a great time touring around LA. She can’t believe 2013 will

be our 25th Reunion. “It seems like yesterday we were graduating,” Chris says. Cindy Cotter Lahey’s oldest son, Matt, graduated from boot camp last October. He joined the Army National Guard after high school. He is attending the University of Nebraska and living in the dorms. Her youngest son is a sophomore and is planning on going into a career with computers (“the next Steve Jobs?”). Cindy is enjoying her job at Verizon Wireless in the call center in Lincoln, NE; she was promoted to senior representative. She volunteers as much as she can for several different organizations around town. She is looking forward to seeing all her friends at the Reunion next year.

Jill Postma Martin continues to live in Virginia with her husband and three sons. She is a sign lan-guage interpreter working mostly in schools. Arlene Cromwell Mendock got remarried to her wonder-ful sweetheart, Joseph. He was never married before and has no children. Her three sons are teenag-ers now. She continues to say what a great place Wheelock is. Virginia Ernst Walsh is still working at the Hartford as an account representative servic-ing life and disability customers. She got married to James Walsh, and he has two fantastic teenage chil-dren. She has been very lucky to be a part of their life for the last 11 years.

As for me (Carol Ann), I am still teaching an integrated class in the city of Boston, which I con-tinue to love. My two boys are school-age and keep me busy. I have had the opportunity to see Becky Johnson Alexander, Johna Doykos King, Marie Cormack O’Donnell ’88/’95MS, and Julie Shea ’88/’00MS. Please keep in mind that next year is our 25th Reunion.

1989Susan Kelly Myers

Kolleen DeCarolis Callaghan is the mother of two teenagers and lives in East Lyme, CT. She has been married for 18 years and recently renewed her vows in Hawaii with her children there. She is

working part time in her daughter’s middle school and really is enjoying being back in education after years at home with her children. She does spend most of her time in her car driving kids to practices and games, though—as she knows many of you can relate to. Theresa Gruetzke Koenig is work-ing as a math coach three days a week, supporting fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in Stafford, VA. She and her husband celebrated their 20th wedding anniverary on Dec. 28. She writes, “I remember the day well, as Traci Raeburn McNulty was my maid of honor, and Lisa Hayden Hauser, Kolleen DeCarolis Kallaghan, Beth Flaherty Dufton, and Sherri Bresette Ahlers ’91 were all in attendance.” Daughter Emma is 16 and driving, and son Conlon is 11 and a huge basketball fanatic, just like his dad. “I always remember my years at Wheelock fondly and still use the educational foundation I was taught in my everyday life at work and at home,” Theresa adds.

Diane Larochelle has started a new nonprofit organization in Manchester, NH, called Nikki’s Dream for Wellness and Education. “We work in conjunction with the Center for Expressive Arts Therapy and Education providing wellness and mental health counseling to the community,” she writes. “I love my new job as I get to use my train-ing as a teacher to help others through art therapy and prevention programs.” Jennifer Lindert has spent the last 16 years working in a small rural Vermont school as a special educator, and this year her school transitioned to project-based learning and co-teaching. Jennifer works primarily in grades 7 to 12, focusing in literature, language arts, and some social studies. She writes: “I am lucky to be able to work daily with my husband, Brian Boyes, who is the music educator at the same school. We got mar-ried in 2001. We traveled to China to welcome our first daughter, Ana Hui Lindert-Boyes, in 2005, and to Ethiopia for our second daughter, Birtukan Talo Lindert-Boyes, in 2010. We have been very fortu-nate in creating our family through adoption. We’re looking forward to returning to both our daughters’ birth countries in the very near future. In my spare time, I am learning to speak Chinese and maybe in the future Amharic.” Jennifer Buczynski Moretto lives in Wilmington, MA, and is married with two kids—Jenna, 10, and Garett, 9. She works for Hallmark Health VNA as a registered nurse.

1991Gretchen Carney and Edward Geary Jr. were mar-ried on March 17 at the Daniel Webster Estate and Heritage Center in Marshfield, MA. Lauren McCarthy Winter, Holly Hoak, Hilary Stewart Reed, and Erin Sweeney DeSantos were all there, and Joe Pagliuca was the best man.

Last September, Kimberly Lawther Jackson was nominated as an honoree by Connecticut Sen. Terry Gerratana and received recognition at the 14th Biennial YWCA Women in Leadership luncheon. “Sen. Gerratana acknowledged the

ClAss NOTesHEY, WHAT’S NEW?Juggling a lot? Teaching yoga? Building a school? Sudden insights? Change of course? Adventures? A new job? Bouncing baby? “Retirement” plans?

SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!Class Notes are published in Wheelock Magazine’s spring and fall issues and three times a year on our alumni website at www.wheelock.edu/alumni/class-notes.

LET US KNOW.Contact Lori Ann Saslav at [email protected] or at Wheelock College, 200 The Riverway, Boston, MA 02215.


ClAss NOTes

importance of my role in family education, encouraging families to continue to partner with the schools and community to support their child’s education,” Kimberly writes. “She also noted that I have been ‘a persuasive and compel-ling voice to the state legislature about the value of the Family Resource Center model . . . with a wide breadth of knowledge about child and family services that has enriched each group with whom she has worked with in New Britain.’ It was humbling to receive recognition for the work I love to do. As a Wheelock alum, I am proud to serve as a leader and to serve as a gateway to edu-cation for the diverse population in New Britain.”

1993 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Jessica James Moynahan writes: “Hello to past Wheelock Ladies xo. I find myself laughing out loud at times with memories of Wheelock times. That’s life to Live, Laugh, and Love to the fullest. Luv to hear from some blast from the past, and wishing all whose paths were crossed endless bliss. I start with a stream of names like . . . Kay ‘kk’ Barnard-Baez, Heather Reese, Anna Calcateria, Sarah Knightly, Amy and Kelly who lived with us on Simmons campus our first transfer year . . . just to name a few. Years have gone by, but memories are fond. The door is open. Please feel free to email.”

1994In addition to working full time as a clinical school social worker, Heidi Butterworth Fanion has been very busy working on the boutique business she launched in 2008, Heidi’s Bling. She makes custom-designed rings from Swarovski crystals and glass beads that bring awareness to a wide variety of causes, from cancer research to gay rights, and she donates a portion of the proceeds from ring sales to local charities that support these causes. Her rings have taken her to New York and California and also Germany and India, according to her website (www.heidisbling.com), and she “takes great pride in having turned the hobby that honed her flair for fashion into a specialty service.”

Things are going well for Jacquelyn Judge Fitzgerald and family, and they are feeling very

blessed. She, husband Sean, and their son live in Marshfield, MA, and enjoy living near the ocean all year long. Still working as a fourth-grade teacher in the Boston Public Schools, which she loves, Jacquelyn also teaches graduate courses in the Literacy Department at Northeastern University. “I am so fortunate for all that Wheelock has taught me,” she writes. Sonja Swanson Holbrook has a “busy and wonderful” life in Florida with her husband and 1-year-old daughter. She is managing a federal HIV/AIDS program. Sharon Abrams Meinck still loves “being a part of helping young women from around the world share their lives and culture with American families and vice versa” after nine years of working at Au Pair in America in Stamford, CT. She will celebrate her 16th wed-ding anniversary this year, and her daughter will start middle school in the fall. “It really is amaz-ing how fast time goes by,” she writes. “It seems like only yesterday we were back at Wheelock.”

It was with great sadness that Wheelock announced on March 6 that our beloved Sue Mackey, the College’s manager of campus services, had died peacefully that morning at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center after a brief illness. Sue was a member of the Campus Services and Facilities team for 18 years. “She loved and was totally devoted

to Wheelock College,” President Jenkins-Scott wrote to the Wheelock community. “We will all miss her commitment to the College, her readiness to assist her colleagues, and her easy smile and laughter.”

1996Robin Fradkin Matthews is still teaching writ-ing at Drexel University and having a ball hanging out with her wife and 3-year-old son in suburban Philly. She writes, “I started T for U Handpainted, a small customized T-shirt business (http://www.t4uhandpainted.com) and have already painted things for several of my Wheelock buddies!” Alana Oliver Prange ’96/’01MS married Timothy Wayne Prange, a project manager for IAP World Services at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, at Bluemont Vineyard in Bluemont, VA, on June 25, 2011. They had a second ceremony, attended by Alana’s parents and officiated by Tim’s dad, a Lutheran pastor, at his church in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia, on Oct. 31. Alana gave birth to their first child, “Ms. Annabelle Jeanne Prange,” on Feb. 12. They live in Alexandria, VA, and Alana is a consultant to the Source for Learning Inc. for their Preschool First website.

“It was a trip of a lifetime that has enhanced my teaching by volumes,” writes Sheila Higgins

Music video stars Sarah Zimman ’96/’97MS and her fiancé, Dennis

Bride Gretchen Carney ’91 was thrilled to have classmates (L-R) Hilary Stewart Reed, Holly Hoak, Lauren McCarthy Winter, and Erin Sweeney DeSantos on hand to celebrate her wedding in Marshfield, MA, in March.

“ It was a trip of a lifetime that has enhanced my teach-

ing by volumes. I co-wrote a grant with a fellow librar-

ian, and together we were granted $10,000 from a

Fund for Teachers and Rural School and Community

Trust. We traveled to Ireland, England, Scotland, and

France to study the work of various authors and arti-

sans for 16 days [last] summer. My students have a

new understanding of the world. I have been able to

demonstrate through my own experience that they, too,

can travel the world. I am currently working on com-

pleting my master’s in Library Science at East Carolina

University in Greensboro, NC.”

—Sheila Higgins Scott ‘96


Scott. “I co-wrote a grant with a fellow librarian, and together we were granted $10,000 from a Fund for Teachers and Rural School and Community Trust. We traveled to Ireland, England, Scotland, and France to study the work of various authors and artisans for 16 days [last] summer. My students have a new understanding of the world. I have been able to demonstrate through my own experience that they, too, can travel the world.” Sheila is cur-rently working on a master’s in Library Science at East Carolina University in Greensboro, NC.

Sarah Zimman ’96/’97MS writes: “I got engaged on Jan. 14 to the love of my life, Dennis Dulong Jr., musician/singer/nurse and all around amazing man! We were also in a music video together. A local North Shore filmmaker, Gary Barmin, liked one of my fiancé’s songs [and asked him] to make a music video of it. I was also the ‘co-star’ of it, along with our sweet and adorable dog, ‘Sky’: http://youtu.be/Pc2V_m9mnBc.” Sarah also wrote about having had her hip replaced at age 36 and her recent recovery from her fifth hip surgery. She has been “spreading hip awareness” for the past five years, blogging about her story at http://meandmyhipster-sj.blogspot.com/. Her Flickr 365 photo journey of her comeback from hip replacement surgery has let her use her passion for photography to share her story with others: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwNA6f3. Sarah also has been writing a blog for the Salem Patch about her love of the city of Salem and her adventures around “[her] city”: http://salem.patch.com/.

1998 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

“It has been an amazing experience,” Amy Curry Bassett writes of her and her family’s July 2011 move to Portland, OR, and their time there since then. She says the food is “outstanding (organic, local, farm-fresh),” and she, her hus-band, and their 2-year-old daughter spend a lot of time outside walking, hiking, and exploring. They also have memberships to the local chil-dren’s and science museums, as well as the zoo.

Amy loves being at home with her daughter to watch her learn and grow. Amy Clark Duffy ’98/’01MS and her husband now have a beauti-ful, 16-month-old baby boy who is “very curious and has a fabulous personality.” This school year was Amy’s 12th year teaching second grade at the Bell School in Marblehead, MA.

Maryelizabeth Falcone-Farrell gradu-ated in 2010 with a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and loves her job conducting assess-ments on suicidal and homicidal children in New Britain, CT. In June 2011, she and her husband celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary! “How time flies!” she writes. Johanna Lynch ’98/’99MS is wrapping up her fourth year at the Hennigan School in Jamaica Plain, MA, teach-ing the second year of a 4th/5th grade loop. “It’s great to get to know my students and their fami-lies so well,” she writes. She also wanted to share this picture of herself with Amy Clark Duffy at a “super fun (yet very rainy) night at Fenway Park with NKOTBSB in June 2011!”

Bryn Mastyk Yozzo, a former motivational speaker who encouraged people to lose weight and achieve their goals, writes: “Then an illness in our family made us make some choices about what was really important in our lives. We chose to honor what was important to us, which is family. So, I moved in July ’11 to Queen Creek, AZ, with my husband, Rob, and our girls, Mykena and Adyson, to help in our family [restaurant] business. I man-age the website (http://www.thedeliqc.com/) and Facebook page and also am a server. It was a huge decision for us to move 3,000 miles, but we are excited to be together with my brothers, sister-in-law, parents, and nephew. If you are in the Phoenix area, come check us out!”

1999Last fall Aimee Farrell Dos Santos was featured on the BIO channel’s I Survived . . . Beyond & Back, where she spoke about her near-death experience as a child. Check it out! Jackie Klein is working full time for her dad at International

Blind Contractors, Ltd. (window treatments) in New York City. She is also an assistant teacher in the kindergarten classroom at Central Synagogue Hebrew School. “This is my fifth year and I love it,” she writes. Erin Barrett McGaffigan received a Ph.D. in Public Policy in December. She has a “very supportive husband (who made the degree possible)” and two beautiful 3-year-old sons.

Laurel Simonini Schnitman and husband Michael welcomed their second child, a girl, Weslie Tabor Schnitman, on May 14, 2011. “Jen Dezotelle came to visit when Weslie was born,” Laurel writes. “She stayed for a week to help me recover from the birth. What an amazing friend!” Life is pretty busy but lots of fun, and Laurel and Michael espe-cially get a kick out of seeing their two kids enjoy each other. Sarah Houghtaling Schroeder sends a “Hello” from Berkeley, CA. She had a baby boy, Martin Bernhardt, on Jan. 4, and his big sisters, Eva (5) and Elsa (3), love to help take care of him and “can’t get enough of him.” Sarah isn’t teaching but stays active in education by supervising student teachers in the Bay Area.

New Arizona residents Bryn Mastyk Yozzo ’98, husband Rob, and their girls

(L-R) Johanna Lynch ’98/’99MS and Amy Clark Duffy ’98/’01MS didn’t let a little rain bother them at a concert at Fenway Park last summer!

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Heather Raymond Hooven ’99 with daughter Alexan-dra on her third birthday (New Year’s Eve!)


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ALUMNI ON FACEBOOKwww.facebook.com/wheelockalumniAND ON TWITTERJoin today and follow @Wheelock College

“I am so grateful for the time I spent at Wheelock, and I think of old friends and fac-ulty often,” writes Katie Shaw. She received an M.S.W. from Hunter College in 2002 and married husband John in 2004. They and their adorable dog, Nala, live in Long Beach, NY. As the children’s services coordinator at the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Katie oversees direct services for children and adolescents affected by domestic violence. She has her LCSW and is working toward her RPT (Registered Play Therapist) credential. Stephanie Arnold Thomas and her family have been living in Georgia for six years and love it! She recently started homeschooling her 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son: “It’s definitely a roller-coaster ride every day, but we are having lots of fun and meeting a lot of new friends. Our favorite part is the fun field trips we can take whenever we want!”

Amy Darling Wood received an M.Ed. with a focus in Montessori education from St. Catherine University in 2009, and for the last three years, she has been working at the Riverbend School in South Natick, MA, as lead toddler teacher and administra-tive support staff. “Working with toddlers in the Montessori environment has been a very rewarding experience,” she writes. “Along with my current job, I have recently become a sensorial teacher trainer for the National Center for Montessori Education-New England. I get to bring my passion for teach-ing to adult learners in the process of becoming Montessori teachers.” Amy and husband Tim have been married for almost two years, and she is a stepmom to his two handsome boys. Jane Sanders Wuestkamp and family have moved into their new home in North Andover, MA, and she is enjoying staying at home with son Kyle.

2002After an intense year in the Accelerated Bachelor’s in Nursing Program at the University at Buffalo (NY), Suzanne Lewis graduated with her second bachelor’s in 2009. The following January, she land-ed her “dream job” in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester. Congratulations, Suzanne!

2003 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

2006Michelle Messina and Daniel Arinello (Wentworth ’06) were married in April 2011.

2008 Reunion 2013

May 31–June 2

Congratulations to Savannah Charest Kinney and husband Matt, who welcomed their first

baby, Callie Rae Kinney, on Oct. 20. The Marine Corps currently has them living in San Antonio, TX, while Matt is stationed at Lackland Air Force Base as a dog trainer, and Savannah works as a foster care case manager for a child placing agency. Christine Romero has been living in the San Francisco Bay Area working for a homeless youth shelter and tak-ing classes in early childhood education. She plans to apply to graduate school and pursue an M.A. in Education. She and Benjamin Blank got engaged late last year and will be wed this June 16 in Maryland.

2009“I have so much fun, most days,” writes Rebecca Gould, who has been doing activities with the elderly at an assisted-living facility since graduat-ing from Wheelock. She has an adorable new niece and nephew!

2010Kate Needham has been in the Peace Corps in Mali, working as an education and literacy volunteer in a town of about 8,000 people, since the summer of 2010. Among the projects she has been involved in there, she has helped local English teachers enhance their curriculum, trained the school board, held a girls empower-ment conference, and started the first-ever girls soccer team.

2011As a family advocate at Associated Early Care and Education, Chela Vastey works in all six of the center-based programs located in Boston, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and Cambridge.

Master’s DegreesAlice Turner Elliott ’68MS of Denver, CO, is very grateful for the education she received while getting a master’s degree at Wheelock. For 23 years she worked with children with learn-ing disabilities in a half-day and then a pull-out program in a public school. Also on the staff of Colorado Education Association Helpmobile, she traveled around the state with other master teachers giving workshops, mentoring student teachers, and field-testing products and test for-mats for various companies. After retiring from teaching, she spent eight fulfilling years working as a consultant for a private school. Now Alice is enjoying retirement and the opportunity to travel with her husband. Winifred “Oyoko” Loving ’72MS was recently elected president of the St. Croix Friends of Denmark, a travel exchange group in the United States Virgin Islands, where she has lived since graduating from Wheelock. “After teaching elementary school for 30 years,” she writes, “I retired to write books: ‘My Name is Freedom,’ a children’s storybook, and ‘Spontaneous: Redefining Poetry,’ an autobio-graphical collection of poems that describe my colorful/messy/raunchy/lovable heart to a tee.” They are available at www.amazon.com. Winifred is married; is a mother of two, Khema and Jonathan (both of whom work in education); and is a busy grandmother of two. The three genera-tions have traveled the world together, she says!

“If you asked me when I graduated Wheelock if I would ever have been teaching elementary school, I would have said, ‘No,’” writes Lisa Diamant ’79MS, “but the job fell in my lap, and I’m glad it did.” She is still teaching second grade at the Bridge School in Lexington, MA. This is her 15th (!) classroom, and she finds it challenging some days but really enjoys it. Lisa and her husband have been traveling a great deal, on summer and school


vacations, and look forward to the day when they’ll retire and be able to travel whenever they please! Cindy Ballenger ’82MS made another trip to Haiti this past spring to work with teachers there. She continues to love her work as a reading special-ist at the King Open School in Cambridge, MA. Constanza Leal Melo ’82MS, headmistress of Gimnasio Jose Joaquin Casas, a private school in Bogotá, Colombia, is also a volunteer for the Heart for Change Colombia volunteer program. Heart for Change encourages intercultural exchanges by bringing volunteers from around the world to work in development programs in Colombia, thereby providing support to social impact projects in the country. Constanza writes: “Please send my regards to anyone who knows me who is still involved with the College. My very fond memories are for Professor Ed Klugman, for whom I have deepest respect and admiration.”

“I guess I just like teaching and helping oth-ers,” writes Louise A. Tarver ’82MS, who says she retired in 2002, while living in Texas, but “really did not retire from teaching for money until [2011].” Louise moved from Texas to Maryland in 2006 and has been splitting each year since then between Florida and Maryland. In Maryland, she did some substitute teaching for a couple of years and now volunteer teaches for Baltimore Community College, teaching English as a Second Language to people who are working on passing the naturalization test. Laurel Bongiorno ’85MS has been appointed director of the M.Ed. Program at Champlain College in Burlington, VT. She developed the graduate program, which is focused on early childhood education with specializations in early childhood teaching and administration. “This degree makes graduates better educators, helping the youngest students at the most forma-tive time in their lives learn to love learning,” she says. Laurel had served as a full-time faculty member in the college’s Education program for more than 12 years prior to taking this new posi-tion last fall. In addition to working on a Ph.D. in Education, she also currently co-coordinates the Vermont AEYC’s bimonthly electronic newsletter, eConnections; consults with local early childhood programs presenting early childhood professional development opportunities; and offers workshops and keynotes on the topics of play, leadership and mentoring, and curriculum development.

Congratulations to Rob Quinn ’86MS, a member of the board of trustees of the AIDS Foundation of Western Massachusetts, who received the 2011 Community Activist Recognition Award given at the foundation’s World AIDS Day event on Dec. 1. “Rob was the natural choice for the [award],” according to the foundation’s execu-tive director, Jessica Crevier. “In one short year, he has founded and co-facilitates the area’s only psycho-educational support group for men living with HIV/AIDS, reworked the application process for the [foundation’s] grants of emergency financial

assistance so that they would be more accessible to people who are in need, and completed his Department of Public Health certification as an HIV/AIDS, STI, and Hepatitis Peer Educator. He has become the face of AFWM and a sought-after speaker, sharing his story of strength and hope with hundreds of people, and served as chair of the first Campaign for Compassion to raise money for life-saving educational programming. Rob is invaluable to both AFWM and our community, and is truly dedicated to preserving dignity and saving lives.”

Angela DiMaria ’98MS also got some well-deserved recognition, in January, when she was featured in a Teacher Spotlight on MediaPatch.com. She is a fourth- and fifth-grade mixed language arts, math, and social studies teacher at Media-Providence Friends School in Media, PA, where she has worked for 10 years. A social researcher prior to that, she lost a job in that field when her program lost its funding, the story explains, “but that life change propelled her into the teaching field, and she realized it was her calling. She’s been in the classroom ever since.” Angela now looks forward to going to work every day, loves the “two-way street” of teaching and learning from fellow faculty members, and finds it exciting to know she is supporting students as they reach their goals. Congratulations, Angela! Kathleen A. Hunter ’05MS was invited to write a piece for the International Reading Association’s Engage/Teacher to Teacher blog, and it was posted on Nov. 1. A part of the article, on using story-boards to assess comprehension, can be viewed by googling http://engage.reading.org/Blogsnbspnbsp/BlogViewer/?BlogKey=cb77770a-cc92-4b88-a3ce-a2a710b99ae0. Amy Howley ’10MS and Joshua Anderson were married in a beautiful ceremony in Scituate, MA, last Oct. 1.

Arrivals89 Jennifer Lindert, a daughter,

Birtukan Talo Lindert-Boyes96/01 Alana Oliver Prange, a daughter,

Annabelle Jeanne99 Laurel Simonini Schnitman,

a daughter, Weslie Tabor Schnitman99 Sarah Houghtaling Schroeder, a son,

Martin Bernhardt08 Savannah Charest Kinney, a daughter,

Callie Rae

Unions88 Arlene Cromwell to Joseph Mendock88 Virginia Ernst to James Walsh91 Gretchen Carney to Edward Geary Jr.96/01 Alana Oliver to Timothy Wayne Prange99 Amy Darling to Tim Wood06 Michelle Messina to Daniel Arinello07 Michelle Herbert to Evan Brunetti10MS Amy Howley to Joshua Anderson

In Memoriam34 Barbara Grey Hopkins36 Rebecca Berry Cramer37 Margaret Curtis Barringer37 Carolyn Allen Swenson38 Beatrice Hodgkins Horner39 Elizabeth Weitz Faulb39 Helen Rowell Pinard40 Mary Brewer Allen40 Katherine Mara Madigan42 Margaret Hunton Burlin44 Jane Walker Catlow45 Jane Tomlinson Lamb45 Mary Sabine Schade46 Avis Pheeney Price46 Alma Nathanson Solar47 Anne Whitney Vinnicombe48 Barbara Wells Fenn48 Harriet Hoffman Frost49 Lois Anne Gilbert Galbraith49 Jevene Baker Littlewood49 Barbara Lightner Whitehouse50 Mary Cummings Chatterton50 Jane Munroe Rice50 Catherine Hargrave Sykes51 Nancy Horton Evans51 Charlotte Sears MacVane52 Patricia Davis Ferguson52 Ann O’Brien Fleitzer52 Patricia Christopher Germain53 Lois Hormel Walker54 Rosemary Murphy56 Candace Palmer Vaughan 56 Dorothy Weiss58 Beverly Filley Burland58 Anne Britton Taggart59 Virginia Gordon Hagan59 Susan Van Aken Lippoth59MS Nancy L. Reider62 Roberta Hyde Hayward62 Linda Bruns Tripp62 Roberta Loveland Vest63 Joy Kelton MacIntyre64 Joan Levett Buchalter64 Roberta Gilbert Marianella65 Adele Abate Manfredi66MS Jane Burrell Lacy66 Carol Vogelsohn Ladd66 Joan Carey Noble66 Sandra Tupper Wammack67 Sharon Walker Pratt67 Judith Fossett Rodgers68 Nancy Collins68MS Louise Brown Johnson70MS Martin Lerman74 Regina Dubb Weiss94 Susan Mackey96/97MS Eilene S. Meyerhoff

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Wheelock Magazine cover3

Generations of Outstanding Faculty

E ver since Lucy Wheelock and her first kindergarten teachers helped revo-lutionize children’s education in Boston and across America more than a century ago, the College has remained at the forefront of innovation in early

childhood education. We owe this to generations of outstanding faculty.

Wheelock faculty have made the College’s reputation for innovation and con-tinue to expand upon it—the teachers, mentors, and scholars who envision better, more creative, and more inclusive ways of improving the lives of children and families through education.

Alumni remember the close relationships they developed with faculty who cared deeply about them and inspired them to pursue their personal goals, how professors modeled excellent teaching and leadership, how they opened doors to a world of new ideas and ways of thinking.

Graduates often say that a Wheelock education is transformative. If this is true, then it is Wheelock faculty who are the transformers, for they are the ones who pro-vide the education that lasts a lifetime.

Contributing to the Campaign for Wheelock is one way to say “thank you” to the teachers who changed your life.

www.wheelock.edu/campaign

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPROVIDENCE, RIPERMIT NO. 421200 The Riverway

Boston, MA02215-4176(617) 879-2123

Alumni Summer

Gatherings

Nantucket Alumni LuncheonJuly 11 • 12 p.m.

Nantucket Yacht Club

Cape Cod Club Annual Picnic

July 12 • 12 p.m. East Sandwich, MA

Fall Preview

The Belle Haven Club Reception

Oct. 4Greenwich, CT

Evening at the GardnerOct. 10

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Graduate Alumni Fall Symposium

Oct. 20Wheelock College

Wheelock Family Theatre

2012-2013 Season

Anne of Green Gables

Oct. 19-Nov. 18, 2012A musical based on the beloved book; a simpler

time but not a simple girl!

Oliver!Jan. 25-Feb. 24, 2013The Dickens classic;

a delightful musical mix of social commentary and

dark humor

Pippi Longstocking

April 12-May 12, 2013Astrid Lindgren’s

independent heroineis the strongest girl in the world

with braids akimbo!

WheelockFamilyTheatre.org

Have a Great Summer!

Contributing to the Campaign for Wheelock

is one way to say “thank you” to the teachers who changed your life.

All signs point to the $80 million Campaign for Wheelock, the largest capital campaign in the College’s history, being a great

success—with your participation! Support for Wheelock’s fabulous faculty is only one of the Campaign goals that your gift will help to support. Keep up-to-date on our success-in-the-making via the “Giving” tab on the Campaign web page at www.wheelock.edu.

C o m m e n C e m e n t 2 0 1 2page 20

Ca l e n d a r

Bittern Haunt, 40” x 68”, oil on canvas, 2011In an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Robert Baart

at Towne Art Gallery in February 2012u

taking on today's teaching challenges

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