1. education
2. school

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Page 1
June • 2006
NEWSLETTER
67404
For alumnae/i,
families, faculty
and friends of
Brooklyn
Friends
School
INSIDE
Head’s Message:
What Derek Bok Has to Say
about Underachieving Colleges
FAQs about the Capital
Campaign
Announcements
and Achievements
Class Notes
Dinner and A Movie
with Friends
718-852-1029
www. brooklynfriends.org
Tribeca Film Festival Benefit
Launches $2.8 Million Capital Campaign
By Karen Edelman
May 1st was a glamorous and exciting night for the
Brooklyn Friends community. Our annual spring benefit
joined the Tribeca Film Festival and Brooklyn Friends at the
Tribeca Film Festival was launched. We started the evening
with a private screening of the documentary “When Fried
Eggs Fly” – an inspirational story about a teacher who
brought his students, their parents and their teachers
together to create and perform a song about the environment. After the film, the director, the teacher and some
of the students conducted a question and answer session
where parents and friends were able to gain insight into
the inner workings of the film.
The evening continued with a
beautiful walk along the Hudson
River to Battery Gardens restaurant, where close to 500 members
of the Brooklyn Friends community gathered for dinner, great conversation, dancing and a live auction. Our very own PAT president,
Lisa Sack, was the auctioneer for
the evening and everyone was excited to support the school and bid
on fabulous items. The school is
deeply grateful to Robert De Niro,
parent and honorary chair of our
capital campaign, for making this
evening possible. Thank you also to
Toukie A. Smith and Johannes Cloete for chairing the
benefit and to all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly
for months to ensure the event’s success.
The benefit was the launch of the community phase
of our capital campaign, Building the Community: The
Campaign for Brooklyn Friends. At the event, Sharon and
Tom Kennedy, chairs for the capital campaign, announced
– to cheers and applause – that we had raised $2 million
towards our $2.8 million goal. The evening raised a
record breaking $120,000 – leaving our remaining need
at $700,000.
The money raised for the capital campaign will be
funding renovations and improvements at our building at
375 Pearl Street. Work will begin this summer, with the
renovation and expansion of the third floor library, the
renovation of the science labs, and the installation of a
completely new rooftop playground to include a new surface and new play equipment.
Future plans include the renovation of the Meeting
continued on page 3
Nearly 500 people attended “Dinner and a Movie with
Friends.” From top, left to right: Parents Joseph Tanney,
Nancy Tanney, Angel Zimick-Fischer, and Toukie Smith;
Jeffrey Ginsberg and Dianne Abeloff bidding at the auction;
Campaign Chairs Sharon and Tom Kennedy; Alums Oshadi
Kelly ’96, Janee Gasper ’96, Jesse Soll ’95, Jazelyn Montanez
’98, Crystal Backus ’96, and Cassie Broadus-Foote ’01
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2 • BFS Newsletter
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
I
n his recent book, Our Underachieving Colleges,
Derek Bok not only provides a thoughtful critique of current practices in American colleges, he
also offers some powerful suggestions for improving them. Much of what he has to say has implications for education at all levels, and high schools
in particular.
Having served as the president of Harvard
University from 1971 to 1991, and soon to
assume that position again on an interim basis following the resignation of Lawrence Summers, the
author is clearly a member of the educational
establishment, but that doesn’t stop him from
challenging its practices and assumptions.
To begin with, he takes on the controversial
task of trying to define the purpose of a college
education. In arguing that there are multiple purposes, he rejects the views of those who reduce college education to one overarching aim – for example, “the mastery of intellectual and scholarly skills”
– a faculty-centric view that Bok finds divorced
from the realities of what colleges can achieve and
disconnected from the needs of students. Among
the purposes he identifies, eight are central. He
characterizes these as skills and capacities that
students should develop in the course of their
education:
■ the ability to communicate
■ critical/analytic thinking (including
■
■
■
■
■
■
quantitative reasoning)
moral reasoning
citizenship
the ability to live with diversity
the ability to live in a moral global society
a breadth of interests
preparation for work.
Such a list of aims requires education to be
viewed broadly, and not simply as a matter of what
transpires in the classroom.
Michael Nill, Head of School
Although Bok is not among those who think
colleges are doing a terrible job, he finds significant
gaps in securing these aims. In his analysis of the
data, Bok argues that the current system of electives, distribution requirements, and majors is not
working to the ultimate benefit of the students.
Although humanities students are getting the writing skills they need, science and mathematics
majors are not. By their own admission, students in
the latter majors indicate their writing skills have
not significantly improved over their four years in
college; research shows their communication skills
often decline. In turn, the quantitative reasoning
skills of humanities majors remain stagnant or
decline. For some majors, results are particularly
bleak. Engineering majors, for example, show
declines over their college years in writing ability,
cultural awareness, political participation, and a
commitment to improving racial understanding.
The development of critical/analytical thinking
requires students to be active learners and problemsolvers. The bulk of college exams, however, simply
test comprehension of course material and are of
the short answer or multiple choice variety. In one
study, only 17% of exams called for critical think-
Calendar Highlights for 2006-2007
Sept. 5
New Parent Orientation
Sept. 6
New Middle & Upper
Student Orientation
Nov. 9
US Parent Conferences
after 12 noon dismissal
Mar. 26-Apr. 6 Spring Break
(no school)
Nov. 10 All School Parent
Apr. 9
Conference Day (no classes)
Professional Development
Day (no classes)
Nov. 22-24 Thanksgiving Break
(no school)
Apr. 19
US Parent Conferences
after 12 noon dismissal
Apr. 20
Sept. 11 First day for 3’s
Dec. 22-Jan. 5 Winter Break
(no school)
All School Parent
Conferences (no classes)
Sept. 12 First Day 2’s
Jan. 15
Dr. Martin Luther King
Holiday (no school)
May 25
No school
May 28
Memorial Day (no school)
Feb. 19
Presidents’ Holiday
(no school)
June 8
Preschool Closing
Feb. 20
Professional Development
Day (no classes)
June 12
Lower, Middle and Upper
School Closings
June 13
Senior Commencement
Sept. 7
Sept. 8
Oct. 2
First day of school
for Grades K – 12
First day Family Center
returning children & 4’s
Yom Kippur (no school)
Oct. 9
Columbus Day
(no school)
Nov. 7
LS Parent Conferences
after 12 noon dismissal
ing. Astonishingly, more selective universities did
not differ from less selective institutions in this
regard.
Although the movement to require at least one
course in moral reasoning is growing, such courses
remain just one of many options for college students. Moreover, there is an even greater deficiency
at colleges in finding ways to foster concern among
students for the needs of others and to strengthen
their commitment to do what they think is right.
In his discussion of faculty, Bok finds that a
large number of teachers are overly caught up in
the content of their subjects and only a slight
majority think the development of moral character
is important or essential. In general, college teachers
are not discussing pedagogical issues or taking
advantage of research that demonstrates the importance of techniques that actively engage students,
such as collaborative learning, problem-solving
approaches, or teaching through discussion.
Realistically, colleges will not be improving significantly in these areas, at least in the short run.
Unfortunately, reform efforts in New York and elsewhere, which provide students with greater program choices and specializations, could well end up
importing the weaknesses of colleges onto the high
schools and perhaps, in time, even onto the middle
schools.
As our parents will recognize, many of the core
purposes of education that Bok identifies are at the
heart of Brooklyn Friends. Our stress is on the liberal arts, and all students pursue a challenging curriculum in the major subject areas: mathematics,
science, English, history, foreign language, and the
arts. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and active
learning remain key; pedagogical trends are discussed and implemented by the faculty.
Also in line with Bok’s perspective on education
is BFS’s initiative to gain authorization to offer an
International Baccalaureate (IB) option to our
high school juniors and seniors. In addition to its
stress on critical inquiry and global perspectives,
IB requires academic work in all areas of study, a
major extended essay, an interdisciplinary course
tying together all the disciplines, and community
service. The IB’s worldwide system of external
exams means our students will be working to
capacity and on par with high-achieving students
around the world. At Brooklyn Friends, we believe
that it is critically important for our students to
gain the skills that will make them competitive
nationally and globally and to internalize values
that sustain a lifetime commitment to making
their communities and the world a better place.
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June 2006 • 3
FAQs about the Capital Campaign
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL GOAL
OF THE CAMPAIGN?
The goal for Building the Community: The
Campaign for Brooklyn Friends is $2.8 million.
WHAT WILL THE CAMPAIGN DONATIONS BE
USED FOR?
Donations will fund the following projects at
375 Pearl Street: Renovation of rooftop playground, science labs, third floor Middle & Upper
School library, Meeting House/ Theater and ventilation/air conditioning of floors 5, 6, and 7.
Top photo: Parents Toukie Smith and
Johannes Cloete, co-chairs of “Dinner and
A Movie with Friends” Photo above: PAT
president Lisa Sack, the event auctioneer
Capital Campaign Launch
continued from page 1
House/Theater at 375 Pearl Street and the
ventilation/air conditioning of the 5th, 6th
and 7th floors. An electrical power study is
under way to determine what changes
need to be implemented to improve ventilation on the upper floors. In addition,
more than one-third of our parents participated in a survey, conducted by the PAT,
to determine the community’s desires for
the renovation of the Meeting House.
With the launch of the community
phase of Building the Community: The
Campaign for Brooklyn Friends, we are
inviting and encouraging all members of
our community to take part in this important endeavor. We are excited by our success to date and thank all of our volunteer
cabinet members for working hard for the
past 12 months to get us to $2.1 million.
We need everyone’s support to reach
our $2.8 million goal. The School and
Building Committees are committed
to moving forward with the planned renovations for the Meeting House and upper
floors, but only once pledges are recorded.
If you have questions about giving
to the capital campaign, please contact
the Development Office by phone:
(718) 852-1029 x206 or by e-mail:
kedelman @brooklynfriends.org.
Q:
A:
HOW WILL THESE PROJECTS
Q:
A:
HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE
CAN MY GIFT REALLY MAKE?
Every gift counts! Our financial goal is $2.8
million and that can only be reached through
the support of many members of our community –
parents, faculty and staff, alumni, grandparents,
alum parents and friends. A lot of small gifts can add
up to one big number!
Q:
A:
ARE THERE NAMING OPPORTUNITIES
AVAILABLE FOR DONATIONS?
Yes, gifts of varying levels can be recognized
by a named gift. For a list of these opportunities, please contact the Development Office.
BE FINANCED?
In addition to the $2.8 million we are raising
as part of this capital campaign, $900,000 has
been held over from our first capital campaign,
Building Toward the Light in 2001. The school is
also using money from our cash reserves to help
fund these renovations.
Q:
A:
I ALREADY GAVE TO THE BROOKLYN FRIENDS
FUND… DO I STILL NEED TO GIVE TO THE
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN?
Gifts to the Brooklyn Friends Fund are
critical for maintaining the wonderful
program that we provide to our children. Gifts
to The Campaign for Brooklyn Friends are counted
as a separate contribution and will go directly to
supporting the renovations at 375 Pearl Street. Gifts
to both funds are critical but separate.
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who has
already contributed to Building the
Community: The Campaign for
Brooklyn Friends as well as to our
2001 Capital Campaign, Building
Towards the Light.
Anonymous (8)
Jane Aboyoun and Marjorie Abagnalo
Murray and Lucy Adams
Alan Alpert and Linda Trotta
David Bernstein ‘55
Dr. Robert Bernstein ’57 and
Mrs. Martha Bernstein
Edwin Betz and Lisa Samson
Michael and Nancy Black
Wade Black ‘92
Susan Bridges
Conway and Deborah Boyce
Bohdan and Anita Bushell
Richard Chamberlain and
Martha Crum
Brian Cohen and Maggie Poxon
Q:
A:
HOW CAN I GIVE TO THE
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN?
Contributions may take one or more of the
following forms; 1) A pledge over a period of
3 years; 2) A one-time payment made by check
(payable to Brooklyn Friends School) or credit card;
3) Appreciated securities (contact the Development
Office for further details).
Q:
A:
MAY GIFTS BE RESTRICTED
TO PARTICULAR PROJECTS?
You can designate your gift to go towards
the science labs, Meeting House/Theater or
the library. However, unrestricted gifts will allow
Brooklyn Friends School to allocate the resources to
the highest area of need.
Jerry and Cynthia Cohen-Congress
Dana Cook Stone ‘75
Margery Cornwell
Verina and Errol Crawford
Trefor Davies
Nicole De Martini
Robert De Niro
Cheryl Doyle and William Hilton
Amos and Karen Edelman
David and Maura Eden
Jeremy Epstein ’78 and Ellen Oler
Rachel Fishman ’86
Mechele Flaum ’68 and Sander Flaum
Jessica Fleischer-Black ’86
Anthony and Fern Gentile
Harold Greenberg and
Lori Falco-Greenberg
Jay B. Itkowitz
Thomas and Sharon Kennedy
Thomas Klitgaard and Kyle Staver
William Kuntz and Alice Beal
Donald and Susan Krim
Samuel and Miriam Laufer
Peter Laughter ’89 and Stacy Laughter
Fay Leoussis
Ms. Ruth Lofgren
Karen Mitchell and Michael Schwartz
Marilyn Mitchell
Michael Nill and Irene Cohen
Martin Norregaard
Martin and Sandra Nystrom
Ross Levin and Alice Pope
Donald and Betsy Prutzman
Donald and Leslyn Rigoni
Ninon Rogers
Jonathan and Lisa Sack
The Segal Family
David Sharpe and Anne Abrons
Meredith Southern ‘95
Sarah and Randolph Swearer
Joseph Sweeney
Tom and Livia Thompson
Anthony and Shelley Ullman
Ben Warnke and Tamara Pittman
Michael and Galen Weiser
Bill and Carolyn Wheatley
Jeffrey Wright and
Carmen Ejogo-Wright
Mark Zauderer ‘63
Mitchell Zeller ‘75
AS OF
MAY 10, 2006
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4 • BFS Newsletter
Announcements and Achievements
A Report from Head of School Michael Nill
In all areas of school life, 2005-2006 has been an exhilarating year, marked by a
number of achievements by the student body, the faculty and, institutionally,
by the school.
■ The Class of 2006 has distinguished itself as a high-achieving and won-
derfully diverse group of scholars, artists, athletes, and community advocates.
Many took advantage of the early action and early decision options in the college admission process and overall a high percentage gained admission to their
first-choice college. Paul A. Lacey, presiding clerk of the American Friends
Service Committee and emeritus professor of literature at Earlham College, is
this year’s Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2006. Karim Camara ’88,
recently elected to the New York State Assembly, is the 2006 George Fox
Award recipient, and he will also speak at Commencement on June 14.
■ After winning a New York City Gold Key in the Scholastic Writing
Awards, senior Ben Morrison was named a national gold prize-winner
for short story writing. Only 350 student-writers out of 50,000 gain national
recognition. Eighth grader Bernie Itkowitz was a regional gold key winner for
writing, and students Alisa Cohen and Joon Taylor won honorable mention
awards in the Scholastic Art Contest.
■ Juniors Rachel Fishman and Ariel Teal attended the New England Young
Writers’ Conference at Bread Loaf, held each May at Middlebury College in
Vermont. This is the third consecutive year that two BFS students were selected for this prestigious and well-known conference, a tribute to our writing program and faculty as well as to the talented students chosen for the honor.
■ Our students continue to excel in the National Latin Exam. Three students received silver medals and maxima cum laude recognition for their top
scores; one student won magna cum laude honors and three received cum laude
certificates. Four seventh graders were awarded outstanding achievement certificates and ribbons and five others received achievement citations.
■ Four instrumental music students – Yuri Fennelly (Grade 3), Trevor
Gibbons-Reich (Grade 4), Gavriel Loria (Grade 6), and Jackson Watts (Grade
9) – are playing at Carnegie Hall on June 10 in the School for Strings’ international Suzuki festival, led by BFS music teacher Elvira Sullivan. In the dramatic arena, Middle School students Anna Eden, Claire Paquin, Alice Oshima,
Nate Taylor, Tierney Melia, Theo McCarthy, Conor Heins, Alex Eacker,
Sophia Rokhlin, Molly Altreuter, and Zachary Robinson performed in the
Bucks County Playhouse Drama Festival on May 5, directed by their teacher
Kamali Houston, grade 6, with two
friends from the St. Johns Place
Children’s Center in Crown Heights
From left, Ben Morrison, teacher Sidney
Bridges, and Bernie Itkowitz at the NYC
Scholastic Writing Awards reception
With the Brooklyn Bridge in the background, the Class of 2006 pose for a photograph with their advisors Sergei Mikhelson, Steven Verolla, and Vlad Malukoff
Jeremy Richards. Anna, Nate, Conor, and Alex won critics awards for acting,
and Claire won the Best Actress award.
■ BFS received an Honorable Mention Award from the Council for
Spiritual and Ethical Education and their Community Service Recognition
Program. The Council acknowledged our sixth graders’ partnership with the St.
John’s Place Children’s Center in Crown Heights. A profile of the program,
written by Community Service Director Carla Precht, was selected for publication in the Council’s September 2006 “Connections” newsletter.
■ Teacher Ellen Kahan (Ceramics) was awarded a Japan Fulbright
Memorial Fund Award for a three-week cultural and educational experience in
Japan this summer, while Upper School teacher Mark Buenzle was chosen to
participate in the six-week National Endowment for the Arts (NEH) Summer
Institute in South Africa.
■ Three members of our faculty served as members of Visiting
Accreditation Teams for the New York State Association of Independent
Schools (NYSAIS) – Karen Luks at Calhoun School in Manhattan, Diane
Mackie at Grace Day School in Long Island, and Roxanne Zazzarro at
Soundview Prep School in Westchester. To be selected as a member of an
accreditation team is a special honor for educators – one that demands expertise, experience, and commitment of personal time.
Actress Carmen Ejogo, the Featured
Filmmaker at the 2006 Bridge Film
Festival at Brooklyn Friends.
Senior Daniel Eden, who batted .618 for
the season, was an All-Star player in the
Athletic Conference of Independent Schools
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June 2006 • 5
As an institution, the school realized many achievements during 2005-06:
■ We successfully managed the transition from a one-building to a twobuilding school, while preserving the connections among the four educational
divisions.
■ We had 285 PAT volunteers – a school record. Volunteerism and giving to
others is at the heart of BFS, and we are proud of this level of commitment.
■ The School enrolled two students displaced by Hurricane Katrina and
raised more than $30,000 for Gulf Coast relief and other humanitarian causes.
■ Our performing arts programs continued to grow and prosper. Students
presented an outstanding dance concert this spring and entertained the community with classical music and jazz concerts, a musical comedy (Charlie Brown), a
thriller (Dracula) and a Shakespeare play (Midsummer Night’s Dream).
■ The visual arts department graced our buildings with beautiful student
art throughout the year and sponsored another phenomenal all-school art show
in which every grade and every student were represented.
■ In athletics, we won two championships in boys varsity soccer and took
the girls varsity volleyball league championship. Our boys and girls basketball
teams reached the playoffs, with the girls JV team playing in the championship
game and the girls varsity team winning a league championship.
■ We are progressing very well in our use of technology. Every Preschool
class has its own password-protected web page on Panthernet (the school’s
intranet), and our seventh and eighth grade science fair is now online.
■ BFS hosted students from the Middle East, Canada, and across the
United States at the 7th annual Bridge Film Festival, founded and directed by
media teacher Andy Cohen. We were thrilled and honored that award-winning
actress Carmen Ejogo was this year’s Featured Filmmaker. Plans are now under
way to sponsor regional screenings of the Festival films.
■ The School Administration and PAT invited well-known speakers (Sara
Lawrence Lightfoot, Robert Brooks), children’s book authors (Tad Hills, Tor
Seidler), and other experts to the school, while at the same time taking advantage of New York City’s resources. Our entire Middle School saw a production
of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado at City Center, and class visits to museums, theater, parks, and many cultural and scientific attractions enriched the
educational experience.
■ We launched a $2.8 million capital campaign (with $2 million already
raised) at the world-famous Tribeca Film Festival. The spring benefit set a
record with attendance of 500 and $120,000 raised. Over the summer, we will
begin renovations of the rooftop playground, the third floor library, and the
fourth floor science labs as part of the campaign, ensuring that our facilities
match the excellence of our program.
Upper School dancers (from left) Lenora Rigoni, Emma Thomas, and Ashley Gitter
performed with some 85 Middle and Upper School dancers and choreographers at the
annual dance concert this spring.
Festive food (above) harbor-side
dining (below, left) and a
glamorous ambiance (bottom)
contributed to the success of the
Tribeca Film Festival benefit.
Among the guests were faculty
members Trish DeFalco, Emily
Zucal and Tammy Chang (top
left); several children featured in
the film, “When Fried Eggs Fly”
(left); and below, Visual Arts
Chair Roz Sommer with parents
Nick Boulukos, Samuel Laufer,
and grandparent Jack Laufer.
Benefit photos by Gregg Martin
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6 • BFS Newsletter
ALUMNI/AE
CLASS NOTES
Susan Price, Alumni/ae Director
718-852-1029, x 208
[email protected]
“Keep up the great work! BFS is a very important part
of our family and our community. And I truly believe you
can make a difference in our world. I appreciate
what you do every day.”
–Mary Horowitz, mother of Nora Grosvenor, Class of 2007
1945
Tony Donegan writes, “I retired
from a New Hampshire bank in
1991 and have been in Florida for
three years. My wife, Lois, who did
her student teaching under Dorothy
Rogers, died last May. We were
married for 54 years and have four
children and two grandchildren. I
recently visited with Charlie and
Mary Lou Goerke. It was great to
see them. My best to our other
classmates.”
1947
Richard Frost splits his time
between New York and New
Mexico, “I am teaching a course
for seniors in Santa Fe on western
American Indian history and culture
and enjoying it.”
1949
Joan Message Barbuto writes,
“Members of our class have been
getting together every two or three
years since we celebrated our 50th
anniversary of graduation from BFS
in 1999 at The Supper Club in
NYC. We have met at my beach
house in Rhode Island, at Jid
Whitney Sprague’s lovely home in
the Berkshires, and are planning to
get together some time next fall.”
1956
From Jill Kneerim: “I am the
co-director of Kneerim & Williams,
a literary agency based in Boston and
New York, representing the 2006
Pulitzer Prize-winner in nonfiction,
Caroline Elkins, and many other
prize-winning authors. I live in
Brookline, MA with my husband Bill
Bell, the electronic sculptor.”
1964
Claire Oppenheimer reports that she
and Neil Prose had a delightful visit
recently. Both currently reside in
North Carolina.
MD, is a cardiologist who does preventative screening and diagnostic
imaging at Lenox Hill. I gave up
clinical medicine after 22 years about
three years ago and am very content
writing medical education for CME
for and by doctors. I am in touch a
lot with Beth Farber ’73 and Liz
Cohen ’71 and saw Ken Fisher ’70
at his 50th.”
1972
Mary Lou and Charlie Goerke ’45 visiting with Tony Donegan ’45
1969
1970
From Betty W. Chang, “I am a
practicing allergist and Chief of the
Allergy Department at Kaiser
Permanente Mid-Atlantic States. My
husband, Henry Chang, is the
Assistant to the Director of Blood
Diseases, NHLBI, NIH. My son
Christopher graduated from Harvard
cum laude in 2003 and is now at
NYU School of Medicine. My
younger son, Robert, is a junior at
Wesleyan University in Middletown,
CT. Three other BFS classmates from
1969 are in Bethesda, MD too –
Sandra Cohen, Joshua Farber, and
Jesse Goodman. We keep trying to
get together. My sister Nancy Chang
Amberson ’72 is a pediatrician in
Connecticut. I do see her and her
family often.”
Peggy Vroman-Gracy writes, “My
husband, Bob, and I are relocating to
San Antonio where he has a position
as Vice President for Research at the
University of Texas at San Antonio. I
am continuing my activities with the
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and
several greyhound rescue groups. We
will have lots of room in our new
home – y’all come see us!”
1971
Deborah Ruth Bernstein recently
sent us news: “Moved to NYC a year
ago after living in LA, San Francisco,
and Arizona for 21 years and in NJ for
the most recent four. My elder son,
Jared, is a freshman at Columbia and
Asher is a freshman at Trinity’s high
school. My husband, Harvey Hecht,
Alumni Publications
■ With her husband, Charles K. West, Camille Cruse ’86 is publishing Black Outdoorsman Magazine, a wonderful online magazine
highlighting the outdoor adventures of African-Americans. Whether
outdoor enthusiast or novice, the informative articles and tips on whitewater rafting, skiing, fishing, and hunting (to name a few) make Black
Outdoorsman a tremendous resource and a terrific read – even for those
of us not interested in leaving the city. See for yourself at www.blackoutdoorsman.com.
■ Author and former journalist, Joan Message Barbuto ’49 has
recently published God Is With Us: Signs in Our Lives. Joan has conducted extensive research on religion, near-death experiences, miracles
and spiritual experiences. God is With Us: Signs in Our Lives explores
the subjects of a form of existence after death, a God who sometimes
intercedes in our lives and whether miracles still do occur. Joan is also
the author of The ABCs of Parenting.
From Ava Berinstein: “I loved my
days at BFS; in fact, I still remember
morning meetings fondly! Since then,
I went on to college, grad school and
other real-world jobs. I live in Boston
with my son who is going to college
next year (yikes!). I would love to hear
from any of my former BFS classmates. If you are in Boston, traveling
though, or just want to email me,
please do! I’d love to hear from you.”
1975
Jason Altchek, who retired from the
Air Force in 2004, is now working at
Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado
Springs in Civil Service. He is the
Director of the Air Force Space
Command’s wargame called
“Schriever IV.” Jason and his team
were recently awarded the Rotary
NASA Stellar Team Award in
Houston for their innovative
wargame design. Veteran astronaut
James Reilly presented Jason with the
award in Houston.
1976
Claude Remy recently called the
Alumni Office. He and his family
are doing well and still enjoying
beautiful Washington State.
1977
“After more than twenty years as a
reporter, much of it covering New
Jersey government and politics, I’ve
changed gears,” writes Mark Perkiss.
“I’m now the public information
officer for the New Jersey Treasury
Department. It’s fascinating being
part of government after watching it
from the outside for so long. It’s a
real thrill.”
1979
My fond memories of high school
exclusively involve BFS, in spite of
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June 2006 • 7
team as him back in the 70s, but he
certainly continued to improve to
great heights. In my office, I have a
photograph from my 8th grade BFS
basketball team. I have many fond
memories of basketball at BFS.
Thanks for a terrific newsletter.”
1986
Jason Altchek ’75 (third from left),
receiving the NASA Stellar Team Award
the long commute by bus and train,”
writes Howard Goldstein. “Being
somewhat (maybe I’m understating it)
geeky, my non-BFS high school was
not the best time. BFS was a nurturing environment that challenged me
in spite of my desires to “play” too
much at the Park. I benefited from
both intellectual and moral challenges
that seem to have served myself and
others in the caring profession I eventually chose after an unsatisfying
career in technology.” Howard is
enjoying his second career as a consumer rights attorney in Florida.
Daniel Wallick writes, “I’m currently
living in suburban Philadelphia working for The Vanguard Group, a
mutual fund company, and enjoying
it very much. My wife and I have
three children – ages 9, 7 and 3 – so
life is often simply getting to the next
event with minimal amounts of damage. My parents still live in Brooklyn
and my two sisters still live in NYC,
so I get back to the Big Apple fairly
regularly. It was great to read about
Michael Henderson in the recent
BFS newsletter. I remember very distinctly playing on the same basketball
Yes, Virginia, teachers do
have social lives. This spring,
gathering for a wonderful
evening in Marjorie Duncalfe’s
home were Martin Moore,
Pat (McIlnay) Lea, Don and
Jennifer Knies, Larry and
Wendy (Abel) Weiss, Frank
and Valerie Lindquist, and
Shelly and Hardy Adasko.
In photo from left are Shelly
Adasko, Pat Lea, Frank and
Valerie Lindquist
Accolades keep coming in for Stone
Park Café, owned and operated by
Josh Foster and Josh Grinker. Their
restaurant, located at 324 Fifth
Avenue at the corner of Third Street
in Park Slope, took first place in the
vote for AOL City Guide’s Best New
York Restaurant. Congratulations on
this wonderful honor.
also taught a third-year architectural
design studio. He continues to help
manage his family’s business. Kitti
writes, “I got just got married last year
in April. Finally! Life is going well.”
1990
Tony Leo and Romy Reading were
married in New Orleans in April of
this year. We hear it was a wonderful
ceremony, right in Jackson Square,
followed by a second line (a traditional New Orleans wedding parade).
Tony’s brother, John Leo ’92, was
best man. BFS classmates in attendance were Katie-Flynn Jambeck,
David Catalano, and Jennie Price.
1996
1987
Arva Blackwood reports that she is
having a wonderful time, working at
a day care center in Brooklyn and life
is really good. She and her fiancé will
marry later this year. She sends her
best to everyone.
Congratulations to David
Concepcion. He is one of twelve
writers accepted into the 2006 Latino
Writer’s Lab for his work-in-progress,
a screenplay tentatively titled “Red
Stick Nation” that focuses on a
Native American minor league baseball team and the discrimination they
face as they play in their divisional
playoffs. Hopefully we will be able to
see Red Stick Nation on the big
screen some time down the road.
Congratulations, David.
“I think of Mr. DeLuca every time
I think of BFS,” writes Kitti
Ongarjphanchai from Thailand.
Kitti is an architect and also teaches
at a university, currently advising two
thesis students per year. Last year he
Nora Bita Manz writes us with wonderful news: “Sgt. Paul A. Manz,
USMC and I were married
September 24, 2005 at the Abington
Baptist Church and celebrated
our nuptials with a reception in our
backyard in Abington, PA. I
currently work as the Assistant
Director of Admissions at Thomas
Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
After graduating from Alfred
University in 2000, I attended
Teachers College, Columbia
University and received my MA and
Paul Manz and Nora Bita Manz ’96
on their wedding day
Ed.M. in 2002. I would love to hear
from my friends from BFS.” To correspond with Nora, please contact
Susan Price at 718-852-1029, ext.
208, [email protected].
1998
Who knew? Julio Pabon is now
a reality television star. He is one
of four lucky Yankee fans selected for
YES’ Ultimate Road Trip 2, a weekly
continued on next page
A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet
“Your last BFS newsletter stirred up memories of Brooklyn Friends
School for me, when I saw that very old picture of the Friends
School Bus, Coach Alan Hughes and that line up of boys.
Marion and Alan Hughes lived next door to us in Brooklyn and they
encouraged my parents to send me to Brooklyn Friends School.
I started in 8th grade, that was after a trip with my parents to Coach
Hughes’ Camp Minnewawa in Raymond, Maine, where I met some
of those wonderful Friends School students.
Accolades to Brooklyn Friends School for providing us with an
outstanding classical education. I felt well-prepared and
graduated from the University
of Vermont in 1945.
It was so nice to read in
Class Notes about Niel
Rising’s eight grandchildren.
My husband and I have eight grandchildren also, all boys – two
in college and the rest go down to age 10. The 10 year old, his
brother and their parents are moving to Switzerland this summer
for four or five years. Our best wishes to Niel, Bob MacCrate
and our dear classmates. Also, we really enjoyed the article about
Bob Gurney ’36!”
–Alice Edwards Horst ’41
6/5/06
10:57 AM
Page 8
8 • BFS Newsletter
continued from previous page
reality show on YES (the Yankees
network) in which the small group
hits the road for all 162 Yankees
regular season games and competes
for prizes along the way. Julio was
recently spotted on the show wearing a Brooklyn Friends School baseball T-shirt!
2005
Nice news for Maurice Chen:
Maurice made the team at Carleton
College and debuted in the season
opening doubleheader.
Former Faculty
Harold Vaughan sends his best to his
students and would love to hear
from all of you. He has fond memories of his years at BFS and enjoyed
the alumni reunion in 2000 when
he received our Outstanding Faculty
Award. If you would like to be in
touch with Mr. Vaughan, contact
Susan Price: 718-852-1029, x208.
Earlier this year, John Storella
stopped in for a quick visit. He is
living in California and reports that
he is well, happily married and
enjoying fatherhood (two little
ones) immensely. John became an
intellectual property attorney after
BFS and is now vice president of
intellectual property affairs with
Ciphergen Biosystems.
Phil Bratnober recently visited
BFS. He is still in Minnesota and
came to NYC as the accompanist
for the Woodbury High School’s
two choirs. The Women’s and Mixed
Choirs, under the direction of
Remembering Reva “Susie” Ruth Press, Class of ’49
My cousin Susie was a beautiful, bright, feisty woman, who overcame
life’s exigencies with grace, humor, and –ultimately – outstanding success.
A Philosophy major at Bryn Mawr, Susie was a single mother with three
children when she entered the commercial work force by way of the personnel department in a N.Y.C. department
store. From there, slowly but steadily, she
rose to become a global marketing director,
providing future financial software systems to
the international banking industry.
She was living an active life in NYC,
retired, and a grandmother of six, when her
life was brought to a sudden end. She is and
will be sorely missed.
–Marion Pertz Goodman’ 50 Susie Press in her yearbook
photograph
Woodbury’s own Daryl Timmer, performed on the Today Show in
Manhattan on their NYC visit and
then treated our Middle School to an
equally amazing performance. Phil
currently teaches speech and theatre
at Woodbury and directs summer
stock at the University of Wisconsin,
River Field. Phil looks wonderful and
says that life is good. Incredibly, Phil’s
daughter Carolyn is now in college
(where did the time go?). Phil sends
his best to all of his BFS students and
colleagues.
In Memoriam
Susie Press ’49
Anthony Villamena ‘61
Stephen Wadsworth ’64
Paul Vetri ’82
Please send your news and photos to
Susan Price, Alumnae/i Director
718-852-1029, x 208
[email protected]
The Newsletter is published
bimonthly by Brooklyn Friends
School, a coeducational, college
preparatory day school founded in
1867 by the Brooklyn Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends.
Brooklyn Friends School is a member
of the National Association of
Independent Schools.
Newsletter, June 2006
Editor: Joan Martin
Writer: Jeffrey Stanley
Class Notes: Susan Price ’86
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