F R I E N D S O F W O O D S T O C K H O O L I N C An independent 501(c)(3) Organization Friends of Woodstock School, Inc.S theC educational mission and Focus on... Friends of Woodstock School, Inc. an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting the educational mission and purposes of WOODSTOCK SCHOOL An Occasional Newsletter Issue No. 10 March 2015 Lorrie DomanSheydayi ’87 and Dr. Eleanor Nicholson share a love of Woodstock p. 2 SAGE Scholarship Program at Woodstock p. 1 Profiles... Books... Annual Meeting... and More p. 3-4 Invite Students to Apply for SAGE and Merit Scholarships by Jane Cummings Executive Director, FWS Do you know a high school student eager to stretch their wings and explore the world? Do you have a child or grandchild who would benefit from the Woodstock education you enjoyed? Then why not introduce them to the SAGE experience at Woodstock? FWS, in its earlier incarnation as KWI, developed the SAGE program to enable high school students to spend a semester, a year, or longer at Woodstock. We have once again taken over the promotion and recruitment of students who want to have a life changing Woodstock educational experience. The process of applying as a SAGE student is now different. Interested students should go to the Woodstock website to apply directly. The admissions office will process the application and, if qualified, admit the student. If financial aid is required but the student does not meet the Woodstock criteria for financial aid, Woodstock will refer the student to FWS for consideration of a FWS Scholarship. For nearly 30 years, FWS has financially supported the school’s scholarship program with donations from alumni and friends in North America. However, the FWS contribution to the school’s financial aid program has rarely benefitted the children or grandchildren of North American alumni. Many of them are eager to send their children to Woodstock, but do not have the financial means to do so. Now Friends of Woodstock School, Inc. Woodstock is in a strong enough financial position to provide the financial aid grants from its operating budget. FWS in turn is focusing its attention on nourishing the roots of North American alumni’s loyalty to the school’s educational mission by encouraging students from North American families to attend Woodstock. All students applying for FWS scholarships must first be admitted to Woodstock by the school’s Admissions Committee. FWS offers two kinds of scholarships: SAGE-Woodstock Scholarships designated for students from North America who meet certain criteria such as being members of a family with prior connections to Woodstock or students residing in North America, but in need of financial aid. Merit Scholarships intended for students who demonstrate meritorious achievement in academic work, the arts, leadership, service activities, or in any other priority area identified by the school. Merit candidates can come from any country or background. For more information on SAGE-Woodstock and the FWS scholarship program, click here. And then become a student recruiter for FWS and Woodstock. Contact: [email protected] 1 F R I E N D S O F W O O D S T O C K S C H O O L I N C Eleanor Nicholson Reflects on Education and Woodstock by Marianna Presler “The preschool and elementary years are where the action is in education, ” observes Dr. Eleanor Nicholson, acting principal of Woodstock School in 2011 and current president of the board of directors. Eleanor has had experience in all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school and in the public, independent, and charter school sectors. Parents are first teachers - Readers of FOCUS are aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, teachers, and cherished friends of small children. Eleanor, who has taught at the Erikson Institute for Early Childhood Education in Chicago, expects that in the pre-school and elementary years, teachers integrate learning while building the skills of reading, writing, math, inquiry, and intrapersonal and interpersonal strengths of each individual child. She also reminds us that “the parent is the child’s first teacher, not through ‘telling’ but by encouraging exploration, supporting curiosity, and ensuring a child’s safety and emotional and intellectual well-being.” As the child continues through school, the academic subjects of science, mathematics, literature, social sciences, languages, and so on become the focus of study and inquiry, although, as at Woodstock, experiential and interdisciplinary learning remain goals. How did Eleanor Nicholson find her way to Woodstock School? When University of Chicago professors and family friends, Lloyd and Susanne Rudolph, went to India on research trips, their children attended Woodstock and, in 1979, enticed Eleanor’s daughter, Martha, to join them for her sophomore year. In 2000, Martha’s Woodstock friend, Jeet Singh, invited Eleanor to join his newly formed Winterline Foundation board, and she became involved in international education in India. She McJimsey ’54 also served as interim principal of Kodaikanal International School in 2004-2005 and was a member of the search committee that happily found Jonathan Long, Woodstock’s principal. Her philosophy and leadership, as acting principal and board president, have profoundly influenced the school. Nicholson women at Woodstock -Not only did Eleanor’s daughter, Martha, attend Woodstock (’79-’80), but so also did her granddaughter, Nora ’06. Both women wrote their college essays on this transformative experience, and both are committed to serving the disadvantaged. Martha is a pediatrician in San Francisco. During her college years, she worked in Mother Teresa’s home in Calcutta. Nora, who also worked in Calcutta as well as Bihar, is a nurse who aspires to be a midwife. When Eleanor Nicholson awakens in her Southside Chicago apartment, her eyes fall upon a large photograph that hangs at the end of her bed. It is a view of the Himalayas taken from the chukkar. We asked her what sounds and sights does she carry with her. She responded, “I love the sound of the Muslim call to worship every morning in Mussoorie, announcing the beginning of a new day. I love going to St. Paul’s and singing all my favorite hymns. I love walking through the bazaar and finding craft and antique treasures.” “Most of all, I love the Woodstock community, with its kindness, closeness, and commitment to India and to teaching and learning.” Contact: [email protected] Mary Quist-Nevins is a Financial Literacy Leader By Helen Arnott ’60 Mary Quist-Newins ’71 was only at Woodstock during her freshman year in high school. However, she credits that year with transformative magic. As a 15-year old, she developed an enduring affection for India and the Indian people. She learned about independence from her parental home and gained self-confidence. While she was challenged by the school’s rigorous academics, she also admits to having had a lot of fun. She was gated regularly, was always late for class, and actually fell down the khud once. Mary’s parents were committed Christians and central in developing her approach to life and finances. She is the president of MoneyWeave, a comprehensive financial firm in St. Paul, MN. Mary works with clients on risk management, estate, and retirement planning and legacy gifts. She helps them maximize financial success. She is a consultant to companies and institutions, an adjunct professor at the on-line American College of Financial Services, and an instructor at the University of St. Thomas. Women’s empowerment is a strong thread in Mary’s work. She is interested in financial literacy, and in 2010 published Women and Money, Matters of Trust. She offers pro bono consulting and cares about human rights, poverty alleviation, and education. While growing up, in addition to the year in India, Mary’s family lived in Jamaica, Libya, and several American states. She feels comfortable in different cultures. We asked Mary what books she is currently reading. She recommends God is at Work: Transforming People and Nations through Business by Ken Eldred and How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein. She reads anything to do with India. Mary also speaks Norwegian and writes the official standard for Norwegian, called Bokmal. Mary is looking forward to renewing Woodstock connections at the annual meeting, July 10-13, 2015, being held in her home territory of St. Paul and the University of St. Thomas. Contact: [email protected] Friends of Woodstock School 2 F R I E N D S O F W O O D S T O C K S C H O O L I N C Alumni Volunteers Find Role at Woodstock by Anne Lind, Staff 1968-1971, 1975-1980 Do you remember this phrase from the Woodstock School creed? “We will transmit this school greater, better, and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.” For Margo Warner Curl ’67, her volunteer trips to organize the school’s archives “fulfill that obligation instilled in us as students.” Max Marble ’67, another volunteer, loves “returning to the majestic and beautiful Mussoorie hills which were so much a part of my life while growing up. Volunteering at Woodstock gives the trip a sense of purpose.” My husband, Dan, and I served on the Woodstock music staff from 1968-1971 and from 1975-1980. We felt that we “grew up” at Woodstock in our 20s and 30s. Upon retirement in 2006, we wanted to spend time in India. If Woodstock could use us, we hoped to give back to an institution that had given much to us. In 2008, Stephen Alter, then Director of Development and Alumni Affairs, encouraged us to come. When we arrived for a two-month stint in the spring of 2009, Steve asked me to proofread publications. Over the next few years, I returned to work on other projects, including planning and executing a celebration of the 100th anniversary of WOSA in 2011. Dan has helped in the music department, working especially with string players. I am currently gathering and organizing material for the third volume of Woodstock School’s history, Anne Lind covering 1983-2013. Other recent alumni volunteers include Li Chu ’59 who helped train the finance and alumni departments in software and database usage. Cate Whitcomb ’66 is another archivist volunteer, for whom the school’s archives are also her family’s archives. Her parents’ class of 1942 donated the funds to establish the archives and give them a permanent place on campus. Why do we come to work and not just visit? Partly, it is an opportunity to be surrounded by the Landour hillside, one of the special places on earth. Another reason is to participate in the ever-changing organism that is Woodstock School and to watch its evolution. (The alumni office provides housing and meals for volunteers, depending on availability of guest rooms.) Margo believes that the school is a better school than it was when she was a student. Max enjoys interacting with the Woodstock community and adds, “The food in the dining room is great.” Contact: [email protected] Student Chahat ’17 Profiles Bidha Singh Helen Arnott ’60 and member of the alumni committee suggested that our readership would enjoy a profile of a current Woodstock employee. Following up on this good idea, Chahat ’17, a tenth grader at Woodstock, interviewed Bidha Singh, who has been serving food in the student dining room and cleaning the staff dining area since 1974. Chahat writes, “Like every parent, Bidha Singh works hard to earn money for his children to study, for his dream is to see them become successful in life. He wants his children to earn respect in their work, as he has done at Woodstock. He has been doing work at the drop of a hat for Woodstock as he knows that it is difficult to earn respect. Singh is very confident about the kind of work he puts up for the staff members and children because he knows that hard work pays.” One of the reasons that Bidha Sngh has been at Woodstock for 41 years is that he likes being around children. He appreciates the love he receives from the Woodstock community, and he is thankful to Woodstock for that love. At the end of the interview, Singh admitted to Chahat, “During the one month holiday in the winter and the 18-day summer holiday, he misses the smiles of the students which give him relief when he is working.” Chahat, our student journalist, entered Woodstock in ninth grade. He has played tennis since he was seven years old, and his greatest passion is writing poems. Contact: [email protected] 3 Miedema Daughter and Father Chronicle Mussoorie and Landour’s Histories Virgil D. Miedema and his daughter, Stephanie, have written what is being hailed as the most authoritative and complete history of Mussoorie and Landour. Their book, Mussoorie and Landour: Footprints of the Past, traces life in the hill stations from the nineteenth century through India’s independence in 1947 and beyond. This is a book that will appeal to members of the worldwide Woodstock family, who may discover within its pages bits of history and local lore that are new to them, despite having spent perhaps years on the hillside. The narrative is accompanied by beautiful photographs, historical maps, and old postcards. While living and working in Delhi, the Miedema family was introduced to Mussoorie in the mid-1990s by their friends and “old Woodstock hands” Cate Whitcomb and the late Doug Pickett. Thus began an enduring fascination and interest in the twin towns. Virgil is retired from the U.S Agency for International Development, and Stephanie works for the United Nations in Bangkok. The book is published by Rupa Publications Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, and is available on Amazon.com Friends of Woodstock School, Inc. F R I E N D S O F W O O D S St. Olaf Student Teacher Program Will Be Honored by FWS in July by Lorrie Doman-Sheydayi ’87 Administrators of the respected St. Olaf College Student Teaching Program at Woodstock School will be honored at the 2015 FWS Annual Meeting & Reunion in St. Paul this July. Professors Joe Iverson and Myron Solid initiated and oversaw the program from its inception in 1977, 38 years ago. Over 77 student teachers have spent a semester on the Landour hillside, immersing themselves in the Woodstock community and educating students in a variety of subjects under the guidance of master teachers. Both educators to be honored at our Khana Banquet passionately believe in the benefit and opportunity Myron Solid of international exposure. They have worked to create an academically vigorous educational experience for the young teachers, as well as to send Woodstock the best talent within their student body. When asked, “Why India? How Woodstock?” Joe goes back to his time as a Fulbright Scholar at Pune University. His interest for India flared and upon his return to campus in Northfield, Minnesota, he immediately advocated for an India program. Through serendipitous acquaintances, Woodstock became the first of four such international programs St. Olaf operates, including another at Kodaikanal International School. Joe and Myron have each travelled to Mussoorie many times and are strong Joe Iverson supporters of our school. The student teacher program continues this summer, when two more St. Olaf women embark on another chapter in the warm legacy between the two educational institutions. To hear more about Professors Joe Iverson and Myron Solid, please register for the FWS Annual Meeting & Reunion this July 10-13 at www.fwsfoundation.org or call 425-353-8422. Contact: [email protected] Woodstock Choir Will Perform at Lincoln Center, New York Twenty-one Woodstock students and two chaperones will be participating in a week long program for high school and college musicians in New York City. The program will culminate in a concert performance at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center on Monday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Woodstock choir will be paired with John Rutter’s Requiem and the Pittsburg State Wind Ensemble. Tickets can be purchased on-line or visit the Lincoln Center website. Woodstock alumni in New York City will help host the students during the visit. Friends of Woodstock School, Inc. T O C K S C H O O L I N C We Seek Nominations for the 2015 Glenn Conrad Volunteer Service Award The Glenn Conrad Volunteer Service Award honors and recognizes alumni and friends of Woodstock School for outstanding volunteer service of time, expertise, and commitment, which result in the improvement, development, and enhancement of the mission, vision, and goals of Friends of Woodstock School and/or Woodstock School. For more information on the Award, click here. Nominations should include 1) a nominating letter describing the volunteer’s service, the nature, duration, and purpose of the service, and how the service benefited FWS and/or Woodstock School; 2) Two supporting letters endorsing the nomination. These letters should be sent, by May 1, 2015, to the President of Friends of Woodstock School, Marlin Schoonmaker ([email protected]). A task force, appointed by Marlin, will review the nominations. The FWS Board of Directors will make the final decision on the recommendations of the task force. Successful nominees will be invited to attend the FWS Annual Meeting, July 11-13, 2015 in St. Paul, MN The award will be in the form of a plaque and citation and will be announced in the publications of FWS and Woodstock School. The award honors the leading and decisive role of Glenn Conrad ’68 in the alumni affairs of FWS and Woodstock School. The award in 2014 was presented to Li Chu in recognition of her years of outstanding volunteer efforts at FWS and Woodstock. FWS Board of Directors Marlin Schoonmaker ’67 - President Woodrow Turner ’61 - Vice-President David Schoonmaker ’62 - Secretary Chris Morris ’87 - Treasurer Pritam Advani ’76 Lorrie Doman-Sheydayi ’87 Virgil Miedema Molly Seiders ’87 Jonathan Long - Principal, Woodstock School Friends of Woodstock School, Inc. 724 2nd Street Mukilteo, WA 98275 Phone: 425-353-8422 [email protected] Executive Director - Jane Cummings Administrative Manager - David Wheeler Database Administrator - Li Chu ’59 FOCUS Editors - Marianna Presler McJimsey ’54 Jane Cummings 4
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