tower hill summer 2012 bulletin

Tower Hill Bulletin Summer 2012 1

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Summer 2012 Volume 48.Number 1

In this issue...2 ............. From the Headmaster

4............. Reminiscing with Legendary Betty Richardson

6 ............ Stuck With the Universe the Way It Is: Seeing Red With Dick Joyce ’61

7 ............. Jon Holzman ’03: Our American Hero

8 ............ Unique, Ahead-of-the-Curve Accessories Make World-wide Fashion Statement

10 .......... An Immense Cultural Vista Reopened at the Met

12 .......... Math and Science Center: Creating the Finest for the Future

14 .......... Harnessing the Power of Digital Technology for Education

16 .......... An Alumna Inspires the Community to Serve

18 .......... 92nd Graduation Exercises and Awards

20 .......... Tower Hill News

22 .......... Welcome to New Faculty and Staff

24 .......... New Schedules Put Learning Priorities First

25 .......... Jackie Hamilton: Advancing Equity and Justice

26 ......... Around Tower Hill

28 ......... Faculty Production Illuminates Audience and Actors

30.......... Which Teacher Had a Profound Impact on You?

32 .......... Over the Years

33 ......... Homecoming and Reunion 2011

34 ......... Homecoming 2012

36 ......... Alumni Events

38 ......... Class Notes

Headmaster Christopher D. Wheeler, Ph.D.

2012-2013 Board of Trustees

Earl J. Ball III, Ph.D., Chair

Ellen J. Kullman ’74, Vice Chair

William H. Daiger, Jr., Treasurer

Linda R. Boyden, Secretary

Theodore H. Ashford III Ben du Pont ’82 Charles M. Elson

W. Whitfield Gardner ’81 Thomas D. Harvey

Pierre duP. Hayward ’66 Michael P. Kelly ’75

Henry Mellon Ann C. Rose

David P. Roselle Christopher Saridakis Michelle D. Shepherd

Matthew T. Twyman III ’88 Lance L. Weaver Dennis Zeleny

Chief Advancement Officer Julie Topkis-Scanlan

Editor, Communications Director Nancy B. Schuckert

Associate Director of Advancement Kimberly A. Murphy

Director of Alumni Programs & Development Office Special Events

Kathryn R. Warner

Alumni Relations E. Bradford du Pont, Jr. ’82

Advancement Services Manager Julie Goldston

Database Manager/Gifts Coordinator Katie Smith

Photography Valeri Stanton

Design/Layout Kedash Design

Submissions to the Bulletin, suggestions for articles, photographs or letters are

welcome. Mail information to the Development Office, Tower Hill School,

2813 West 17th Street, Wilmington, DE, 19806

or email [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit

submissions for space and content.

Tower Hill School welcomes students of any race, religion, color or nationality.

The school does not discriminate in its administrative policies or in the

administration of its program.

If you would like to submit Class Notes, check our updated sport scores or

read about the latest events sponsored by the Alumni Council, please visit our

website at www.towerhill.org.

Cover: Betty Richardson, Girls’ Athletic Director, 1952-1961, 1963-1996

2 Tower Hill BulletinSummer 2012

August 2012

Yours for Tower Hill,

Chris Wheeler, Ph.D., Headmaster

Dear Friends,As the summer of 2012 comes to a close, we conclude the fourth—and best—year of our Summer at Tower Hill program with over 800 participants involved in academic,

enrichment, sports and day camps. The campus has once again been busy with construction following the May groundbreaking for our 25,000-square foot Math and Science Center, which will be completed next summer and open the fall 2013.

I am looking forward to the opening of school in September and my eighth year with Tower Hill. On the Admission front, we start the year again on a high note with an enrollment of 750 students, which clearly signals the continued strength of the school.

More than halfway through the 2012 London Olympics, I, along with millions of other viewers, have been glued to the TV to watch favorite athletes compete. I’m reminded that each Olympian constantly strives to achieve breakthrough performance in his or her event.

This issue of the Bulletin focuses on the essence of Multa Bene Facta—the many ways in which our school community thrives in the spirit of giving its best. In addition to my interview with legendary Betty Richardson, highlights for me are the two articles about our recent grads—Jon Holzman ’03, Lizzie Fortunato ’02 and Kathryn Fortunato ’02. Nothing underscores the enduring quality of students’ experiences at Tower Hill more than the way our alumni let their lives speak after graduation. The articles about Dick Joyce ’61 and Sheila Canby Vosss ’66 show how this Hiller tradition creates lasting value for our community and for the world. Read about Gracie Firestone ’11 who energized us to make a stronger commitment to our service-learning program. Today community involvement is embedded in our curriculum from the earliest grades.

Today we live in a complex world where we are challenged by the question, “Can individuals make a difference?”—a question that Betty, Jon, Lizzie, Kathryn, Dick, Sheila and Gracie would answer with a resounding “Yes!” Their good works inspire each of us to excel and make a difference.

In this issue you’ll find a new feature entitled Which Teacher Had a Profound Impact on You? I hope our alumni remembrances are not only a reminder of those who inspired you, but an opportunity for you to share your own story with other classmates. Educational success begins in convincing the best people possible to teach and giving them an environment where they can pass on their wisdom. How fortunate we are to stand on a tradition of great teachers!

Enjoy this issue of the Bulletin! We look forward to seeing you on Ocotber 19-20 for Homecoming 2012.


The Essence of Tower HillMulta Bene Facta

t Tower Hill our students have many experiences and explore many dimensions of learning and life. Inspired by teachers, coaches, previous generations of Hillers and a rich tradition, the joy of learning abounds and inspires future goals. With vitality and a keen awareness of the Hiller heritage, our graduates go on to create lasting value for our community and for the world.

A



Reminiscing with Legendary Betty Richardson

By Chris Wheeler, Headmaster

I suppose the punch had something special in it?

Well, all I can tell you is that it was really good. I remember a party where a headmaster’s wife was banging her cup on the table after the bowl was empty and yelling for more! And no, I won’t tell you who that was!

That should probably remain a secret!

I also remember the days when there used to be a lady in the kitchen who would come in at 5 in the morning and make the most wonderful sticky buns once a week. They were out of this world! You could smell them throughout the entire building on that day. Then for some reason the administration decided to hire some kind of outside food service

to prepare the meals. It was supposed to be very good, but they only lasted two years because their food turned out to be quite bad! Awful, really. On Grandparents’ Day they actually served pizza to the grandparents! It was quite a scandal. The school has got a fabulous food service now. All the options—it’s amazing! It’s hard to decide what to have from all the choices.

Were you always at Tower Hill during your professional career?

Well, you know, I left Tower Hill in 1961. I heard from someone that public school teachers got more money than private school teachers, so I thought I would give it a try. I didn’t realize at the time that more money didn’t necessarily mean a better work environment. When I left in ’61, Malcolm Coates was an English teacher. Two years later he was the headmaster. He called me up and said, “Betty, we have an opening in girls’ athletics. Why don’t you come back and take the job?” I told him that I would be there the next day! I couldn’t wait to get back to Tower Hill. I hated my public school experience! I feel so fortunate to have been given the chance to return to the school I love.

Things are different today—the school is bigger, we have a lot of new facilities…

I think what has been done with the campus in recent years is just fabulous. It is like a college campus now. But I think that what is important is that the basics are still the most

Betty joins faculty members Steve Hyde ’59, Patty Marshall and John Pierson ’59 at Homecoming 2006.

I recently sat down with Betty to chat about some of her memories of Tower Hill. She was moving around her home pretty well despite a recent fall and subsequent hip surgery. Here are some moments from our conversation that I hope you will enjoy.

Betty, it’s great to get to spend some time with you today. Tell me about your thoughts of Tower Hill yesterday and today.

Well, when I first came in 1952 everybody—I mean the faculty—was involved in everything. We did have the requirement that all students took athletics. All the teachers were coaches. We didn’t have all the sports that you have now, but all the teachers coached. It was nice for the kids because they got to know all the teachers in a couple of different ways.

We were a small, tight-knit group of teachers. The school was much smaller then, and we all knew each other really well. We taught, coached, led activities and socialized together. We were all so close.

Any special memories?

Well, quite a few! I remember some funny things…

Yes?

Like when we would all get together at someone’s house for the Christmas party. The party was a lot of fun. I shouldn’t tell you this, but two days before the party we would make the punch down in the cafeteria…



important part of Tower Hill. I mean, the education the kids are getting is still so strong—the faculty is terrific. The kids have so many extras—so many choices—in subjects and sports and activities. It’s wonderful. You know, David Blanchard used to talk about the three legs being the foundation of the stool. He meant that to mean academics, arts and athletics at Tower Hill. All three were equally important. I think it is the same today. The difference is that the kids have so much more to choose from. They are getting a great education.

Did you have any difficult times at Tower Hill?

I remember once a parent made me so mad! I walked out of the meeting and left the school grounds. Maybe I should have controlled myself better—I have a quick temper—but this one time I got mad quickly and I stayed mad for a long time. You know, sometimes parents just become so unreasonable! Most of the time, in the old days, the parents backed you up—they supported the teachers. The parents assumed that the teachers knew what they were doing. I

think things have changed a lot since then. Today it seems that if the child is not doing well, it is always the teacher’s fault! The parents do a lot of questioning and put the teachers under a lot of pressure. I don’t think the level of trust is the same today as it used to be. But that’s not every parent, of course. I think that most parents understand what a wonderful place Tower Hill is for their children.

I’ve always wondered how the Rice Paddy got its name. Do you know?

Yes! I remember that the school acquired the property at one point—I don’t remember exactly when. It was just a crummy field. The school planned to send in the bulldozers and level it off, but before they did the kids got a look at it. I don’t remember who it was, but it was an upper-school girl who said, “It looks just like a rice paddy!” And so the

Far left:

“Miss Rich” challenged and motivated her players to be their best. During her tenure, her teams won 14 state championships. She was quoted in the Evergreen yearbook as saying, “She who has the will can not be beaten.”

name immediately stuck. It’s been the Rice Paddy ever since. It was the only field we had in the early days for some of the girls’ sports.

I know that golf has been important to you in the years since your retirement. Would you tell me about your golf game?

Well, it’s going backwards now since my injury! But really I just play for exercise anymore. I have a good friend that I like to go around the course with, and we walk nine holes. I really enjoy being outside. I always have.

Any thoughts to close?

Well, I’m not a philosopher—I’m just a teacher. And I just love kids. Tower Hill was such a wonderful place to work. We were a family. I feel so lucky that I got to spend my career at Tower Hill.

Thank you so much, Betty!

Betty was honored for her service and commitment at the Richardson Field rededication in September 2007. The synthetic turf field was part of the school’s master plan that transformed the athletic/physical education facilities. Right: Fans of Betty joined the celebration in front of the new press box.



Stuck With the Universe the Way It Is: Seeing Red With Dick Joyce ’61

experience. In Dick’s case, his interest in space began in the age of Sputnik with a backyard telescope he and his dad, a DuPont chemist, made from grinding a mirror and from a sixth-grade teacher who taught him the essentials of celestial navigation. He parlayed perfect grades in Mr. Crichton’s Biology and Mr. Hutt’s Chemistry and Physics classes to acceptance in the strong science programs at Williams College and UC Berkeley.

Long days and nights in physics labs in college transformed him into an innovative scientist. He says, “Not only did I have the benefit of having parents who made the financial sacrifice to send me to Tower Hill for a good education, but I also had the good fortune to move from laboratory physics into astronomy at the time that the subfield of infrared astronomy was in its infancy. Most of its pioneers were also physicists, and I was lucky to work with them when infrared astronomy was driven by the new detector technology that had been the focus of my graduate work.”

Though Dick easily moved from the laboratory to the observatory, he

considers himself a physicist. “It’s just that I work in a ‘laboratory’ over which nobody has any control,” he says. “I am stuck with the universe the way it is; I cannot turn a knob to get more light from a distant galaxy. Instead I must devise a clever experiment if I want to study the birth and death of stars. With rare exceptions, individual stars and galaxies don’t change at all during a human lifespan, so we must observe large samples to build up a coherent, statistical picture of their taxonomy and evolution.”

Dick’s Tucson casita, surrounded by dry washes and saguaro cacti, is the perfect place for him and his wife Sandy to play with their two yellow labs. He still drives his 1965 Rambler and maintains an interest in timekeeping, though now its focus is on interstellar space. In a country where the word “stars” denotes celebs, America needs many more scientists like Dick Joyce.

Ron Strickland is author of Pathfinder: Blazing a New Wilderness Trail in Modern America. His guidebook to the North Country National Scenic Trail will be published in 2013.

Five decades ago Dick Joyce set out from Tower Hill on a journey that now includes a quest to survey 15 million galaxies. His involvement in a collaborative effort with Berkeley will provide a link between the Big Bang and the universe that we live in today.

IBy Ron Strickland ’61

n 1959 shortwave radios often brought in as much static as programming. But if atmospheric conditions were favorable, Dick Joyce often calibrated his wind up, analog wristwatch to the time of the U.S. Naval Observatory. That meticulousness was an early clue to the path that Dick would take toward becoming an expert on infrared astronomy. Since 1973, he has worked at Kitt Peak National Observatory, high above the floor of the Sonoran Desert, helping graduate students and postdocs investigate cosmological conundrums, such as the origins of the universe and the existence of habitable planets.

As a yearbook photographer at Tower Hill, Dick loved to watch the twin lens Rolleiflex images emerge in developing trays in the closet darkroom located beneath the main staircase. In Chemistry and Physics, he had a passion for heroically extrapolating results out to as many decimal points as humanly possible on his slide rule.

Today Dick Joyce is part of the revolution that has radically changed the science once called stargazing. Now the heavens are populated with black holes, radio source quasars, gravitational lenses and even parallel universes—a far cry from mankind’s traditional cosmological metaphysical world.

In Outliers: The Story of Success Malcolm Gladwell posits the idea that “geniuses” such as the Beatles and Bill Gates attribute their native abilities to lucky breaks in acquiring at least 10,000 hours of invaluable, ahead-of-the-crowd



about being a student at Tower Hill.

During this past year, Jon flew combat missions with a U.S. flag in his flight bag for the purpose of one day presenting it to Tower Hill as a modest expression of thanks for the kindness and support the school extended to him and his unit. The flag arrived in early June with a certificate stating that it had traveled over the skies of Afghanistan on over 100 missions “in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in honor of Tower Hill School.”

Jon completed his tour this summer and will return to Germany to complete his last three years of service working with helicopters and training new pilots. He will be getting married to Kristin Riall this September in Ireland on the Aran Islands.

Like his older brother Casey Holzman ’90 who was a captain in the U. S. Marine Corps, Jon has sacrificed much in order to serve our country and keep us safe from harm’s way. We are indebted to our troops for their service to our nation. Jon provided students with a unique opportunity to explore what it means to support our troops. It has been an honor to serve Jon and the Phantoms this year.

Above: Mrs. Edinger and her 4th-grade class honor Jon Holzman ’03 with American flags, information they learned about their hero through this year’s correspondence and treasures they discovered he left throughout the school.

Below: In gratitude to Tower Hill, Jon flew over 100 missions for Operation Enduring Freedom with this flag, which is now on display at the school.

The Class of 2020 Gets to Know Their American Hero

Michael Donnelly ’20 and Henry Barton ’20 share what they learned about Jon Holzman through their correspondence:

Jon left lots of things at Tower Hill to remind us of him. First we found a painting he did in Middle School hanging over Mrs. Palmer’s desk. Next we found his first published book from Kindergarten in the Lower School office. It’s called The Trouble with My Dog. We found Jon’s cool underwater shots of marine life creatures in the science department. Jon loves scuba diving and taking underwater pictures. He was certified as a diver at the age of twelve.

Jon completed his last laps of fourth grade track on crutches! He was determined to make the Ten-Mile Club and he did! In Upper School Jon kept running and was on the cross-country team.

Jon remembers making gingerbread houses, his Ingleside buddy and going to Colonial Williamsburg. Mrs. E-bear told us he helped turn beds into a fort and battled with their toy muskets!

Jon graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science and earned his FAA licenses so he could fly commercial planes, multi-engines and be a flight instructor.

After college, Jon joined the army to be a pilot. He trained at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and earned the Distinguished Graduate Award in Apache flight school. The army sent him to Germany where he met his fiancé. Our class will never forget his service to our country. All we can say is THANKS!

By Laurie Edinger, Mrs. E-Bear, Fourth Grade Teacher

A t the start of each school year, my fourth grade class is asked what it means to pledge allegiance to our flag. What do the words mean when we say, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” What are we agreeing to do? What does this promise mean to us as Americans and as individuals? What does it mean to “support our troops” and who are they?

Jon Holzman ’03 was deployed in July 2011 to serve our country as an army pilot in southern Afghanistan. Jon has been a Chief Warrant Officer 2 and attack pilot commanding a Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter. When we learned of Jon’s deployment, the fourth-grade class not only adopted him but his entire company, the Phantoms.

The class sent Jon letters, Girl Scout cookies and a few items to make being away from home a little easier. Jon wrote back many times answering questions about what it was like to fly a giant helicopter and what he remembered

Jon Holzman ’03: Our American Hero



and would integrate rope, wood, beads and metal to create one-of-a- kind items. Michaels and Calico Corners became staple local suppliers as Lizzie sought to source additional materials for her creations.

As Lizzie refined her aesthetic skills, she realized an increasing demand from friends and began selling pieces as one-off requests. The twins brokered their first retail deal with Peter Kate Shoes in Greenville with a nautical-themed line that featured large statement necklaces that integrated coral and rope. While Lizzie worked her fingers to the bone to push the order, Kathryn stepped in to help negotiate the terms of the deal. With senior year coming to a close, Lizzie worked tirelessly on yet another creative endeavor, her AP Art Installation—a patchwork American flag from recycled denim and T-shirts donated by members of the Tower Hill upper school community in remembrance of the devastating September 11 attacks.

When the twins headed to Duke University fall of 2002, they decided to leave the sewing machine at home. They wanted to explore college life, rush a sorority and stand in line for basketball tickets. The jewelry business—then a mere hobby—took a backseat. They didn’t stop wearing their old creations though, and the following semester,

Lizzie recognized a trend. More and more girls around campus inquired about the jewelry she and Kathryn wore. Girls were so interested that some offered to buy pieces right off their necks. Lizzie and Kathryn quickly bunked the beds in their sophomore dorm room, bought a new sewing machine and found the key missing resource—the number one bead store in North Carolina. Ornamentea was a treasure trove of beads, wire, fabric, tools and fasteners. It was the last ingredient needed to re-ignite the creative fire. From that point on, Lizzie was increasingly found in her dorm room filling orders, while Kathryn sat in on her classes; don’t tell Duke!

Their first trunk show, spring of their sophomore year, sold out in under 30 minutes and generated another 50 orders. To celebrate, the girls sat down to an Italian feast and reviewed each order. The Italian tradition still holds

LBy Alex Fortunato ’05

Unique, Ahead-of-the-Curve Accessories Make World-wide Fashion Statement

izzie Fortunato Jewels (LFJ) is a homegrown fashion accessories company based in SoHo, New York. It’s run by twin sisters Elizabeth (Lizzie) Fortunato ’02 and Kathryn Fortunato ’02, who now have assembled a team of seven and sell in over 50 stores worldwide.

In 1997 as the Fortunato twins, my older sisters, prepared for eighth grade, Lizzie begged our mom to sign her up for a summer sewing class—not surprisingly, she brought the median age of the class down by about 40 years! It was one of the few activities that didn’t interest both girls. As Lizzie learned the fundamentals of the sewing machine, Kathryn tutored younger kids in math to keep her skills sharp in the off-season. Little did the Fortunato twins realize that they were busy honing their professional skills that would kick-start a flourishing jewelry business.

As my sisters progressed through upper school, Lizzie pursued English and the arts, while Kathryn’s focus was math and sciences. Lizzie continued crafting, sewing and designing, but her interest was shifting from custom clothing to handmade jewelry. The mixed material approach she is now known for was used from day one: Lizzie would combine whatever resources were available to create unique necklaces, bracelets and earrings. She would repurpose old clothes for the backing of necklaces



today as they treat their entire team to a great meal after a show, however, now Kathryn is left to review orders the next day. The initial trunk show financed their first trip to Paris, which has since become a reoccurring destination as they visit each season for fashion week. Although my sisters had started selling in a few stores in North Carolina and began receiving international press, they still presumed they would need “real” jobs upon graduating from Duke. Much like it did at the end of Tower Hill, as graduation approached, less and less time was dedicated to the business.

In 2006, after graduation, my sisters found a small apartment in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and started full time jobs. Lizzie was working for a Fashion PR firm and Kathryn settled into the hectic schedule of investment banking. While production for LFJ slowed with a new work schedule, the demand steadily increased. Less than a year after Lizzie started work in fashion PR, she abandoned the gig to start her namesake line. Shortly thereafter, she was awarded the 2007 Sweetest Thing Award by the notable fashion website Daily Candy. Not even a year later, she received her first major piece of press. Lizzie recalls a best friend and fellow Hiller Sarah Kalamchi ’02 calling

her early one morning in April of 2008 and saying “run downstairs and grab Women’s Wear Daily.” There, Lizzie saw one of her mixed-medium creations on the cover of the paper. This praise gave Lizzie the confidence to keep building the business and helped propel the line into the mainstream. In 2010, with Lizzie Fortunato Jewels seeing steady growth, the twins decided to move out of the apartment and finally get some office space. Kathryn surprised the family by telling everyone that she was leaving the banking world to take on the jewelry business full time.

Finally, with both twins working under the same roof, the LFJ magic truly ignited. Since that point, the twins have reached new markets including Asia and the Middle East. They continually receive international accolades from Elle, Vogue, The New York Times, and W Magazine among other high-end fashion publications. In 2010 they had the opportunity to show their collection at Lincoln Center, when Harper’s Bazaar named them one of the “most promising accessories lines in the world.” The line now sells at more than 50 retailers internationally, and their treasures can be found

Above right: Antique textiles used on the front of these limited edition clutches are from a remote mountain village in Peru. Lizzie, Kathryn, Alex and their father traveled there this spring to hike Machu Picchu. Travel has played a very large role in providing inspiration and materials for their collections!

Left: Lizzie Fortunato Jewels is a NYC-baed accessories line designed by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Fortunato (right) and operated by her twin sister Kathryn (left).

Above left: Lizzie Fortunato Jewels fuses a range of found, reclaimed and precious materials from remote areas of the world. With exquisite craftsmanship, the line’s statement jewelery and leather have become popular worldwide.

While Alex Fortunato ’05 hasn’t always related to his sisters’ love for fashion, nor has he appreciated the beads and supplies found in the sofa at home, his sisters’ entrepreneurial spirit certainly influenced him. Earlier in the year he left a secure position at a Los Angeles-based digital media studio to start FoxSpring Labs (FSL), a tech startup in San Francisco creating mobile apps for the iPhone and iPad. Joining him at FSL is his fellow classmate Laird Hayward ’02. It seems that in addition to teaching ambition, discipline and a broad skill set, Tower Hill has instilled the entrepreneurial spirit in all three Fortunatos.

Photos by Jason Ross Savage

in many domestic cities including New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Aspen, Miami and Chicago. One can also purchase directly from their recently launched e-commerce shop: www.shop.lizziefortunatojewels.com.



An Immense Cultural Vista Reopened at the Met

A s we traveled through Tower Hill with its small class sizes, our classmates often felt like a family. We have taken pride in their accomplishments over the years since our graduation. Many are now reaching the autumn of their careers, and many have made powerful and unique contributions to their various personal arenas. Notable in this is Sheila Canby Voss ’66.

In June 2009, Sheila was selected to head The Metropolitan Museum’s Department of Islamic Art. In October 2009, Sheila moved to New York City to assume the position of the Patti Cadby Birch Curator in charge of the museum’s Department of Islamic Art. She orchestrated a rather remarkable sprint to the finish line of the grand reopening and celebration of this massive and diverse collection of work. Since that time the headlines have been exploding with praise for the newly reopened galleries, now known as the Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and later South Asia.

No amount of hyperbole can actually do justice to the newly opened wing. Museums can be rich in the depth of their collections, and this is undoubtedly a fair claim for the Metropolitan. But internationally museums have now moved toward a sense of responsibility to be more than safe storage for objects—their task is also to present collections in ways that tell a story that reveals their larger import. The objects must also exist in a context that honors the past but insists on the relevance of these objects

By Anne Oldach ’66

in the present moment. The diversity of cultures and materials, as well as contextual backstories for the fifteen rooms of the Met’s reopened galleries and their objects, is monumental. And yet the experience for the viewer is a steady course running through the spaces that carries one along confidently from each new outpost to the next. The collected works exist in a rather complex balance of sacred and secular contexts that challenged organizers to address religious and cultural sensitivities, to say nothing of dispelling misconceptions and unwarranted prejudice. In every element of this transit, one senses a steady guiding hand.

Coincidental to the task of reopening the galleries was, of course, the endeavor of creating new publications. Sheila would be the first to note none of this was accomplished alone, but coordinating the efforts of so many for a single purpose was quite another achievement. The catalogue Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art covers work of Islamic lands from the 7th through the 19th centuries and is geographically inclusive of areas from Spain, Morocco, Southwest Asia, the Near East, Central and South Asia to India.

Sheila’s own particular area of specialization is Persian miniature painting. Her dissertation, The Rebellious Reformer, concerns Riza-yi Abbasi of Isfahan. “Riza” brought an incredibly humanistic sensibility to his

drawings and paintings, breaking out of restraining bonds to represent the fullest expression of both the sensuous beauty and the complexity of the human psyche, trumping the already exquisitely naturalistic and decorative work of a long line of Persian court painters. Riza’s own patron was the subject of the last exhibit Sheila mounted for the British Museum—Shah Àbbas: The Remaking of Iran (February-June 2009)—for which she wrote two publications, Shah Àbbas: The Remaking of Iran and Shah Àbbas and the Treasures of Imperial Iran (British Museum Press). Shah Àbbas, whose reign from 1587-1629 was marked by prolific building campaigns and extensive patronage of artists and artisans to fill his mosques and palaces with the finest workmanship he could find, can be



Dish Depicting Two Birds among Flowering Plants, ca. 1575–90. Turkey, Iznik. Stonepaste; polychrome painted under transparent glaze. H. 2-3/8 in., Diam. of rim: 11-3/16 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of James J. Rorimer in appreciation of Maurice Dimand’s curatorship, 1933-1959, 1959 (59.69.1)

The Lovers, dated Tuesday, 8 Shawwal A.H. 1039/ May 21, 1630 A.D. Artist Riza-yi `Abbasi (ca. 1565-1635). Iran, Isfahan. Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper. Painting: 6 7/8 x 4 3/8 in. Page: 7 1/8 x 4 3/4 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Francis M. Weld Gift, 1950 (50.164)

Panel with Horse Heads, 11th century, Egypt Wood (teak); carved. Object: L. 13 3/4 in. x W. 8 15/16 in. x D. 11/16 in.; Object with mount: L. 14 1/8 in. W. 9 1/8 in. D. 1 5/8 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1911 (11.205.2)

All Images: © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

But Sheila does so much more with her warm, articulate and incredibly generous nature; she invites the novice to enjoy her splendid Arabic, Iranian, Turkish and South Asian world.

Sheila received her B.A. from Vassar College, summa cum laude and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. She recently related the story of looking for work just out of college. Her father had a friend in Boston who lived next to a man who worked at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Sheila had decided she really wanted to work in a museum and dutifully sent a letter to her father’s friend’s neighbor stating this and requesting he think about hiring her. At the time there was no position available, and she got a return response that did not discourage her from repeating her request. As persistence often does pay off, she was finally offered a position doing whatever seemed pressing at the time. And at some point, Sheila suggested to her supervisor that she’d very much like to inventory the Islamic work in the museum’s collection, which seemed to be mostly ignored by the rest of the museum staff. And this was the start of a career that has provided many enthusiastic observers a great deal of pleasure and enlightenment.

likened to the patronage of the great popes and princes of Europe.

In the newly opened Met galleries special care was taken to provide comfortable seating for those drawn to extended examination of the illuminated manuscripts and unique works on paper. Meanwhile the 15 spacious rooms celebrate a glorious display of ceramics, textiles, carpets, glass and metalwork organized geographically. One is also impressed by the ornamented screens, stone and wood panels, ceramic plates and braziers. Refined traditions of drawing, painting and calligraphy—organic and geometric patterning—all distinguish the arts of the Islamic world. In a recent lecture Sheila shared how Persian weavers melted coinage and drew down fine threads of gold and silver that were subsequently used to wrap fine silk threads for embroidering clothing and other textiles.

In accepting her appointment Sheila noted, “the Met’s Department of Islamic Art, contains the preeminent collection in that field in the United States…I am very much looking forward to working with…the talented curatorial team for the new galleries, which have the potential of reawakening public

interest in and enlivening research on the arts and culture of the Islamic lands stretching from Spain to China.” This ambition has been truly realized. With hundreds of visitors flocking to the new wing, New York Times articles honoring

the modern Moroccan plaster carvers who created a magnificent courtyard, and the attention of scholars and laymen pouring over the collection and the catalogue, her efforts must stand as one of the leading events that have brought greater attention to the artwork of Islamic lands in modern times.

Sheila’s travels have been rather more geographically diverse and perhaps more public than most of our classmates. Prior to working at the Metropolitan, Sheila served at the British Museum, where she was curator of Islamic art and antiquities, and she previously held positions in curatorial and research areas at the Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Fogg Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She served as a visiting lecturer in the Art and Archaeology Department of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She serves on numerous committees including: the Asia House, London; the Council of the British Institute of Persian Studies; the Islamic Art Circle; the British Institute of Persian Studies; and the Society for Iranian Studies (in the U. S.), as well as the Royal Asiatic Society. She has curated dozens of exhibitions and installations and authored numerous publications such as Islamic Art in Detail (2005), Persian Love Poetry with Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis (2005) and Safavid Art and Architecture, 1501-1722 (2002).


using this language to understand science that our students will prepare themselves for the increasingly technological world. Subsequently, the first step in equipping our students is to more closely align the math and science departments. Being in the same building will encourage cross-curricular programs and learning opportunities.

As the famous physicist Richard Feynman was fond of saying, “The gravitational force is weak, so weak it takes a mass the size of the earth just to pull a leaf off of a tree.” But the earth is massive, and so even though the force is weak, it pulls hard enough to make the study of its effects difficult in the confines of a classroom with eight-foot ceilings. The new physics lab will have an area where the effects of gravity can be studied and actually observed by students. This kind of learning requires

ceilings considerably higher than our current classrooms. After all, a rock dropped from rest falls 16 feet in just one second, and it would take a 32-foot pendulum to have a period of swing of only about 6 seconds! Add to that an electronics lab, a workshop, movable tables, walls that can be written on, and floors that are super smooth and level, the latest presentation tools, and you have a wonderland for a physics teacher and perfect learning environment for students.

Each teacher will have his or her own lab. Experiments that can remain in place for days, weeks and even months will take teaching to a new level. Currently teachers have to tear down what is created each day to move it to the next classroom that they teach in or to clear the way for the next teacher coming in.

By Tom Hoch, Chair of the Science Department

O n May 16, Tower Hill School celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future Math and Science Center, which will open for the 2013-2014 school year. While construction this spring of the 25,000 square-foot innovative facility was the first visible sign for the community, a great deal of work had already been completed behind the scenes. This article is written to share philosophies behind the building and the features to support those philosophies.

Math is the language of science. Why can the physical world be modeled by mathematics? This is a very deep question, and even though we may not know the precise answer, we see the unity between the two disciplines. It is only through seeing this deep connection and being competent at

math and science center: Creating the Finest for the Future


The new building will have two physics labs, two chemistry labs and two biology labs—one for each upper school science teacher. Peppered in among the labs, will be five mathematics classrooms. In addition there will be a large lecture hall that will seat 70 people. This will be ideal for presenting talks, bringing in guest speakers or meeting with an entire class of students.

The Math and Science Center will be a building that teaches. It will allow teachers to instill knowledge in our students through ways of teaching that they don’t yet comprehend. The opportunity to design a physics lab at a previous school totally changed my teaching as a result of the new space. Learning opportunities that were never considered due to the limitations of space became possible and a whole new world of possibilities opened up.

While our community will be inconvenienced by the construction until the building is completed for the 2013-2014 school year, we’re looking forward to a new state-of-the-art facility. In the meantime, we are ramping up the teaching staff and the curriculum, as we get ready to make the move. Starting this

fall, many courses will have extended periods—70 minutes—to meet the needs of better science lab time.

A new science position has been added, as we have hired a very fine biologist. In addition, each of the three major science disciplines—biology, chemistry and physics—will offer a college-level class to top students looking to take the most challenging courses offered at the high school level. These top courses will require the culmination of the entire science education that students have received at Tower Hill in order to succeed. To ensure that our students are prepared for these high-level courses, vertical teams have been created with top-level instructors, responsible for supervision of the entire science education in their discipline, starting in the 4th grade. Toward that end, in addition to my Upper School classes, I will be teaching in the Middle School for the next few years to ensure that deep connections between the language of science (mathematics) and the pursuit of an understanding of the physical world is started at a young age. The goal is to create the finest science education anywhere, and the building is a major stop toward that goal.

During the summer, contractors have been working to establish the building foundation in preparation for the structural steel frame of the building to be erected this fall.

Tower Hill School Math and Science CenterContinuing the Tradition of Excellence

The building will enhance the quality of mathematics and science at Tower Hill and will feature:

•Classrooms/Laboratories

nTwo Chemistry classrooms/ laboratories

nTwo Biology classrooms/laboratories

nTwo Physics classrooms/laboratories

nFive Mathematics classrooms

•Classrooms will be equipped with SMART Boards and computers

•Walls will have writable surfaces to encourage collaboration and enhanced learning

•Laboratories will be designed as flexible spaces conducive to uncovering the mysteries of science

•70-student lecture hall

•Observatory

•Extensive prep and storage rooms for faculty

•Two conference rooms and two department offices

•A bridge to connect the second floor with the main building

For details about the Math and Science Center, including floor plans and a video, or to donate online, go to www.towerhill.org/mathscience

For questions on giving to the Math and Science Center, contact Julie Topkis-Scanlan, Chief Advancement Officer, at [email protected] or 302.657.8353.


D igital technologies continue to disrupt and re-shape the world of K-12 and higher education in myriad ways. Tower Hill has engaged these technologies directly, most recently in the creation of our online learning platform (eSchool). Advancements in technology are now forcing another disruption, this time in the world of educational textbooks. There is a proliferation of “digital textbooks” in the educational market place, and Tower Hill is beginning to engage this movement carefully and thoughtfully in order to help shape its direction, always with an eye to serving our students well.

As is the case with much technological development, the language used to describe products is flexible and nuanced, and terms are not necessarily interchangeable. For example, the term “digital textbooks” encompasses varying genres of traditional books now available in digital format. The most common are:

> “traditional” digital textbooks: textbooks that have been merely digitized by a given publishing house, meaning that the product looks and functions like a traditional book.

> eBooks: books of all genres (including textbooks) that have been either digitized or created on/for a digital reading platform, such as Kindle®, Nook® or others.

> iBooks®: designed exclusively on and for Apple-ecosystem products (iPad®, etc.), authors use Apple-provided templates to create their own books of all genres (including textbooks) by creating and/or sourcing content that does not infringe on existing copyright(s). In order to

Harnessing the Power of Digital Technology for EducationBy Kevin J. Ruth, Ph.D.

distribute (sell) the new work, the author agrees to use Apple as the sole distributor, with a percentage fee per sale to Apple. In other words, it’s akin to developing an App that is sold in the App Store.

> Open-source digital textbooks: these books are designed to disrupt the traditional textbook market, as they are free and easy for individual users to create. Like iBooks®, an author creates his/her own content, or it can be sourced from any site that labels its work an Open Educational Resource (OER). OER digital textbooks are friendly to all platforms (PC, Mac, mobile devices), whether in terms of creation or use. To that end, an entirely new licensing system has been devised: Creative Commons (www.creativecommons.org). There are varying degrees of Creative Commons licenses, but at the heart of each license is the notion of allowing the content to be shared among multiple users, without worrying about copyright issues.

Tower Hill is entering this movement over the summer in two ways, both centered on the same product:

FlexBooks by CK12 Foundation (www.ck12.org), a group in the OER movement. Their objective is to provide free textbooks with rich, embedded multimedia functionality to K-12 students, and their platform invites users either to employ existing FlexBooks or to create new ones, following a Creative Commons 3.0 license. In June, Dr. Kevin Ruth, who has been trained by CK12 Foundation on their FlexBook platform, will guide a group of Tower Hill teachers in the creation of their own FlexBooks, which will begin to appear in classrooms, to varying degrees, next school year. Teachers will learn how to use the CK12 platform, how to source existing OER content, how to import self-generated content, and how to curate a digital textbook over time. Beginning in August, Kevin will lead a team of public and charter school teachers from local middle and high schools, including some Teach for America participants, in a year-long “course” that will provide guidance in the creation and curation of FlexBooks, as well as a partnership

Dr. Ruth has led Tower Hill’s efforts in digital technology.

The home page of Tower Hill’s new online learning platform, eSchool.


Harnessing the Power of Digital Technology for Education

in implementation in various schools. The group will hold four face-to-face meetings at Tower Hill throughout the school year and will utilize our eSchool online learning platform between meetings to facilitate work on the actual implementation of the FlexBooks, from studies in student engagement and retention of material to identification of teacher-driven “dashboards” of data, meaning what teachers would like the platform to tell them about how students are using FlexBooks.

While digital textbooks of all stripes have their utility, Tower Hill is pursuing

FlexBooks in particular because their promise is so great. Put simply, CK12 has created a product that moves beyond the mere textbook. A FlexBook is a digital product that combines the concept of a textbook, a one-stop repository of codified knowledge, with practice and assessment, in the form of digital comprehension checks and even interactive quizzes, all in one place—on one website. In other words, the textbook is no longer separate from the course; it is integrated even more deeply into the course.

These technologies will only continue to develop at a dizzying pace, but it is

Tower Hill faculty have the opportunity to become creators and curators of knowledge materials.

important for Tower Hill to be involved in their progression, as the school can play a vital role in providing feedback directly to CK12 Foundation, in terms of what works well, what does not and what functionalities teachers would like to see in future iterations. That kind of relationship does not exist with traditional publishing houses. With this advancement in technology, Tower Hill faculty have the opportunity to become creators and curators of knowledge materials; what is more, as curators, they can make changes to the content (add new multimedia, lengthen a section of text, etc.) whenever they desire.

As more and more students use devices (tablets, laptops, even phones) in our classrooms, to the point of a putative device requirement for all students, FlexBooks (or any other digital texts, for that matter) will play a key role in how teachers and students use those devices. Rather than students having a device plus a number of heavy textbooks, FlexBooks will allow us to reduce the number of heavy books students need to lug around in their backpacks.

From a pedagogical and philosophical view, though, we continue to believe in the value and sensory experience associated with the use of paper books, such as when reading a novel for an English course. Accordingly, an essential question for faculty and students over the next few years will be how we attain and promote a balance of paper books and digital books.

An essential question for faculty and students over the next few years will be how we attain and promote a balance of paper books and digital books.


An Alumna Inspires the Community to Serve

By Chris Morrow, Director of Service Learning and Dan Hickey, Head of Upper School

The Firestone Challenge “I challenge the faculty to encourage an inter-divisional definition of learning. With the addition of the Tower Tots program, Tower Hill now welcomes ages 3 through 18. All learning in the same building, all able to interact if activities are created for them to do so...they can strengthen the community of which we are so proud.”

But it was her astounding maturity, the respect that she enjoyed from every student and teacher in school and the grace with which she conducted herself that influenced so many to support the causes she led. Indeed it was remarked when she received the 2011 Alison Arsht Leadership Award at her graduation, that never was there a more perfectly suited name for her as “Grace.”

And so it was that when she gave her graduation speech—which challenged Tower Hill to step up its commitment to service and to more intentionally foster relationships and activities

T here is the rare student who comes along every so often who is remarkably mature and who transforms into a young adult almost before your very eyes. This exceptional student can come to be viewed, rather than from the traditional teacher-to-student lens, practically as a colleague. This is the student who the faculty or administration seeks out when something needs to get done, or to understand the current student climate, or to get advice on important student-related decisions. One such student is Grace Firestone of the Class of 2011.

Grace’s Tower Hill resume was astounding—a classroom leader with a 3.8 GPA and 800 on one section of the SAT; a service leader who founded her own non-profit organization, Let the Kids Play, which collects sports equipment for underprivileged children locally and all the way to Africa; a team leader who was a six-time team sport captain; and a leader by example who worked selflessly and tirelessly for others, organizing thank you breakfasts for members of our cafeteria staff, business office and maintenance crew. For no other reason than to say thank you.

Gracie leads a group of athletes from various schools in Delaware participating in Let the Kids Play, a non-profit organization she created to provide sports equipment for disadvantaged youth.

The inaugural MLK Day of Service at Tower Hill brings over 300 students, parents, faculty and staff to dedicate their morning to service on January 16, 2012.


among the Upper, Middle and Lower School divisions—people paid attention.

As if this weren’t incentive enough, ensuing events would only solidify the school’s commitment to take up Gracie’s call and institutionalize in some further way the service and bridge-building that she embodied. You see, the day after her graduation, Grace Firestone’s heart stopped.

Through a combination of a quick-acting brother, expedient paramedics, expert medical care, the collective prayers of an entire community and a will of iron, Gracie survived.

While it is still a mystery as to why her heart stopped (doctors think it could have been a virus of some sort), the entire Tower Hill family’s reaction to this near tragedy was a resounding example of what this young lady and all she had accomplished meant to our community. And while it may not have taken a near-death experience to promote the service programming for which Gracie advocated to become a reality, it certainly did provide an extra surge of momentum, not only to serve others, but to honor someone who represents everything we hope for in our students and alumni.

Over the past several years, Tower Hill has embraced a service-learning model, a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. Most service-learning activities initially involved either the Lower, Middle or Upper School, working separately within their division or grade. It was, in part, Gracie’s graduation speech that launched the first all-school service-learning event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 16, 2012.

The Tower Hill Martin Luther King Day of Service met Gracie’s challenge, and true to form, she was in attendance to see her words become reality. Over 300 students, faculty, staff and parents came together to support many causes. Attendees participated by donating

items to local/national organizations and by helping with hands-on activities. Although that Monday was a holiday and school was not in session, the community was encouraged and many stepped up to dedicate their morning to support others in need.

Activities such as making bookmarks, creating no-sew scarves and writing letters to the men and women in the armed forces were well attended by our lower and middle school students. Our upper school students participated in collecting goods for local organizations such as The Lutheran Community Services, U.S. military, Nativity Prep, Food Bank of Delaware and many more.

A big highlight of the day was the Humane Association, which visited with two dogs up for adoption, Samuel, a very sweet “puppy” hound, and Jesse, a two-year-old Chihuahua. Both dogs were adopted and found forever homes.

Speakers shared stories and promoted awareness of the mission and needs of specific organizations. One moving talk, in particular, was given by Jim and Jonnie Holzman, parents of CW2 Jon Holzman ’03, an Apache Helicopter fighter pilot stationed in Afghanistan. The Holzmans shared the importance of supporting our men and women in the armed forces, as many of them may go for weeks without contact from family or friends. See story on page 7 about Jon Holzman.

Thanks to Gracie’s passion for helping others and her challenge to Tower Hill, Martin Luther King Day of Service will be an annual event.

On April 2, 2012, the National Federation of State High School Associations honored Gracie in a ceremony at Tower Hill for being its National High School Spirit of Sport Award winner for an eight-state region, including Delaware.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed or moved by a nomination as I was by Gracie’s,” said John Gillis, the federation’s associate director. “Her story is really exceptional and inspirational as she truly exemplifies what the Spirit in Sport Award is all about. From her outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments, to helping others through Let the Kids Play, to overcoming her own challenges, Gracie serves as a strong role model for all of us.” Gracie had earlier reached out to Gillis in an email promising that “the Spirit of Sport will forever run through my veins.”

Gracie Firestone just completed her first year of college as a pre-med honors student at the University of Delaware, where she also competed on the club soccer team. Surgically inserted implantable cardioverter-defibrillator notwithstanding, her heart seems to be doing just fine, and it remains the inspiration behind Tower Hill’s ever-expanding service learning endeavors.

Gracie accepts the National High School Spirit of Sport Award at the spring sportsmanship rally at Tower Hill in April 2012. Presenting the award were Tommie Neubauer, Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association; Senator Michael Katz; and John Gillis of the National Federation of State High School Associations.


Tower Hill’s 92nd Annual Graduation Exercises occurred on Saturday, June 2, 2012. Dr. Patricia Medeiros, Assistant Head of Upper School and Upper School Dean of Students, gave the invocation, followed by greetings from Headmaster Dr. Christopher Wheeler. Faith Lyons, class president, and John Schreppler, the class-selected speaker, addressed the graduates and guests. Class of 2012 member Kianna Collins introduced Mrs. Leslie Sysko, Upper School English teacher, who delivered the commencement address. The Headmaster, Board Chair Dr. Earl Ball and Upper School Head Dan Hickey presented diplomas to members of the Class of 2012. Following the ceremony, the graduates and their guests celebrated with a reception at the Hayward House.

For speeches, photos and video, visit www.towerhill.org/graduation.

American University Bard College Barnard College Bloomsburg University Boston College Boston University Brown University Catholic University Champlain University Coastal Carolina University Colgate University College of Charleston College of William and Mary Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Delaware State University DeSales University Drexel University Duke University Elon University Emory University Fairfield University Fordham University Franklin and Marshall College Georgetown University George Washington University Gettysburg College Hampton University Haverford College Hofstra University Howard University Indiana University—Bloomington

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Ithaca College James Madison University Kenyon College Lafayette College LaSalle University Lehigh University Loyola University (MD) Macalester College Manhattan School of Music Miami University of Ohio Michigan State University Millersville University Muhlenberg College New York University New York University— Tisch School for the Arts Northeastern University Northwestern University Oberlin College Penn State University Pomona College Purdue University Rice University Rider University Rollins College Saint Joseph’s University Sarah Lawrence College Siena College Skidmore College Smith College Susquehanna University Syracuse University Temple University

Texas Christian University— Honors Program Towson University Tufts University Tulane University University of California—Santa Barbara University of Chicago University of Colorado—Boulder University of Delaware University of Georgia University of Kansas University of Maryland University of Miami University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill University of North Carolina—Wilmington University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of Richmond University of Rhode Island University of South Carolina University of Tampa University of Texas—Austin University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Wisconsin—Madison Vassar College Villanova University Virginia Polytechnic University Wagner University Washington and Lee University West Chester University West Virginia University Yale University

Class of 2012 Colleges The Class of 2012 was admitted to the following—matriculated colleges in bold:

92nd Graduation Exercises


Cum Laude Induction—Inducted at the beginning of their senior year Jessica Dixon-Ford Levi Zoë Gray Faith Ann Lyons Logan Michael Kleszics McCabe Emily Ann Smith

Cum Laude Induction—New Inductees Joshua Benjamin Combs Darcy Knowlton Dobis Madeleine Hope Durante Christina Elliott Freibott Erin Elizabeth Yatzus

National Merit Commended Students Levi Zoë Gray Faith A. Lyons Vivian Lea Prieto Emily Ann Smith Matthew M. Taylor

Haon Award in Art Ross Waite Bolling

David E. Scherer Dramatics Award Levi Zoë Gray Vivian Lea Prieto Certificate of Honor: Logan Michael Kleszics McCabe

Dramatic Productions Award Bradley Wilson Wolak

Algard Mathematics Award Jessica Dixon-Ford Certificates of Honor: Faith Ann Lyons, Emily Ann Smith, Levi Zoë Gray, Matthew McNair Taylor

Frank C. Ashby Language Award William Kenneth Schwartz

P. Edward Hughes History Award Madeleine Hope Durante Mason Scott Lester Certificate of Honor: Faith Ann Lyons

Crichton Science Award Jason Amit Shah

William J. Carveth Music Award Vivian Lea Prieto

Tower Hill School Community Service Award Kianna Marie Collins John Alexander Guzzetta

Tower Hill School Athletic Awards Boys: Stone Alexander Lieberman, Logan Michael Kleszics McCabe Girls: Christina Elliott Freibott, Kelsey Lauren O’ Donnell

Spiller Achievement Award Madeline Rose Silverman

Trustees’ Award for Academic Excellence Levi Zoë Gray

Trustees’ Award for Service Bradley Wilson Wolak

Alison Arsht Leadership Award Faith Ann Lyons

Faculty Awards

Timothy B. Golding Endowed Faculty Chair In English Kathryn I. Reese

Faculty Chair In Lower School Amy J. Bickhart

William Lloyd Kitchel II Endowed Faculty Chair Laurie Mather Edinger

Faculty and Staff RecognitionTower Hill recognized members of the faculty and staff who have contributed significantly during their years of service.

Jeffrey Long: 3 years Dr. Patricia Medeiros: 10 years Jorge Pardo: 18 years Jack Burnam: 20 years Cathy Dixon: 28 years Pamela Matsanka: 30 years

Parent RecognitionThe following parents were recognized for having accumulated 20 or more “student years” at Tower Hill School. Their last Tower Hill student is graduating with the Class of 2012. Mr. Romain L. Alexander and Mrs. Cherise R. Taylor-Alexander: 22 years Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Bolling III: 26 years Mr. Steven A. DiSabatino: 24 years Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Freibott: 23 years Mr. and Mrs. Kurt E. Houff: 25 years Ms. Helenor C. Ketcham: 24 years Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Kullman: 42 years Dr. and Mrs. Garrett B. Lyons, Jr.: 54 years Mr. and Mrs. Gregory W. Powell: 24 years Mr. and Mrs. John J. Schreppler II: 37 years Mrs. Dana Silverman: 21 years Mr. Michael I. Silverman: 21 years Dr. Gary H. Slatko: 22 years Ms. Ilene L. Slatko: 22 years Mr. and Mrs. John A. Snyder: 39 years Mr. and Mrs. Stewart S. Tan: 24 years Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Zeleny: 24 years

Awards Ceremony—June 1, 2012


By Jacquelyn L. Hamilton, Head of Lower School

In the Lower School, we know that we can be successful in our work with children

when we acknowledge current research on how children best learn. We listen to one another as colleagues and listen to our students in order to best meet their needs. In doing so, we create a vibrant learning community where teachers continue as learners and students thrive. We know that everything that happens in our classrooms matters and that connecting our students to good ideas yields great results. We believe that it is important to remain focused on the development of critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and character.

Rethinking and refining the curriculum has been an ongoing process among Lower School faculty. To follow best educational practices and to ensure that curricular content is current, we dedicate time each year to that important work. Over the last five years, we have engaged in the activity of mapping and revising the curriculum. This year, we created and shared online an articulated version of that curriculum with our families and with families who indicated an interest in the school.

This year our preschool faculty connected with their students in ways that provoked genuine learning and inspired active engagement using interactive activities facilitated through

LoWEr SCHooL

Tower Hill School News

Smart Boards! Further, our Tower Tot, Prekindergarten and Kindergarten children experienced sensory feedback as they traced numerals and letters, made words and began to create number sentences while learning the capabilities of iPads. However, as elementary practitioners, we believe that the best “computer” rests on one’s neck. Yes, the “three Rs” continue to receive top billing in our Lower School!

First grade students studied communities this year—their classroom, school and city. They constructed a community using LEGO® bricks, including a replication of Tower Hill School from electronic drawings produced by the LEGO Corporation. Through their study, children grew to understand and to appreciate the importance of working together in order to build a successful community. To celebrate their accomplishments, students hosted an Interactive Community Expo, each in the role of a community helper.

In our second grade classrooms, homeroom and reading faculty collaboratively taught reading classes emphasizing the development of comprehension strategies. Inferential and critical thinking, best learned through intentional teaching, was taught to the smaller groups throughout the school year.

Shakespeare came to third grade! Our reading and drama faculty collaborated to develop a curriculum that had our students read developmentally appropriate versions of Twelfth Night. Follow up activities included dramatizations of scenes with Middle and Upper School students who had also studied the play. Additional activities with the art and music faculty

were included in this curricular unit.

We have begun to observe the benefits of sustained foreign language instruction in the Lower School. Fourth graders studied Ricitos de Oro (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) and presented dramatizations for our Kindergarten classes and during town meetings. Our third graders began written communication with students in Argentina who are learning English as a second language.

Fourth Grade Secrets of the Garden, a new version of the science fair, and the end-of-the-year service learning project developed by the children were extensions of the Williamsburg colonial study and an example of what happens when learning experiences are transferred to other content areas within the curriculum. Because most of the children’s work was self-directed, they were fully engaged, and the quality of their work was superb!

As we move into the 2012-2013 school year, we look forward to the opening of the Lower School Math Lab. All of our students, Tower Tots through Fourth Grade, will have regularly scheduled classes with a learning/math specialist who will work with students and teachers to reinforce or challenge skill development in mathematics.

The committed and enthusiastic teachers who shape the Lower School experience at Tower Hill motivate children to seek, to explore, to care about ideas, and to be mindful of others. We continue our work to instill in them the capacity to understand the connection between ideas in the classroom and the events that transpire in that world beyond the walls of the school.

We know that everything that happens in our classrooms matters and that connecting our students to good ideas yields great results. We believe that it is important to remain focused on the development of critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and character.


By Daniel Hickey, Head of Upper School

In the speech he delivered at graduation on June 2, 2012, senior John Schreppler closed his remarks

by saying “…the Class of 2012 has changed and grown so much over the years, experiencing lows and highs, good times and bad, but in the end emerging as without a doubt the best class ever to come out of Tower Hill School.” While this assertion may be debatable (particularly by the audience of an alumni magazine), there are elements of truth to what John said, less so regarding the ranking implications as much as its characterization of the diversity of experience embodied by our latest senior class. This diversity of experience not only captured the essence of this particular class, but it is also a fitting label to characterize the 2011-12 school year.

In addition to ending the year by saying goodbye to the “best class ever,” the year began when we welcomed our “largest class ever” of freshman to an orientation that included team-building exercises, service and rock climbing.

In the realm of academics, the Upper School continued its forward-thinking. Faculty put the finishing touches on significant changes to the day schedule to be implemented at the start of the 2012-13 school year. In addition to breaking ground for the new Math and Science Center, a new curriculum sequence, updated advanced courses and an additional faculty member demonstrate our desire to further enhance our science program.

But as usual, the events of the school year that are most memorable seem to be those that occur outside the realm of the typical classroom. Over 50 faculty and 60 staff members were involved with the play All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, including 15 members of the Upper School. Not only was the play popular and well-attended, but it gave teachers a true taste of how very busy and

talented our students are (and we didn’t have to play a sport on top of it!).

Another highlight was Diversity Day. Students from our Diversity Club planned and led an Upper School-wide retreat where faculty and students engaged in conversation and exercises designed to enhance our awareness of our own notions and behavior toward those who are different from us in some way.

During his graduation speech John also said, “I would like to thank the teachers for the things they taught us that have nothing to do with algebraic equations, chemical properties of elements, or how to write a five-paragraph essay… I urge the teachers to keep in mind the power and influence they have on us students, and to use that power for good, not evil!” The academic program and college readiness that are vital to Tower Hill’s standing as a school are well in tact, but we are reminded by John’s wise words that the meaningful experiences built here beyond the reach of chalkboards and Smart Boards are often the most enduring (especially when they’re not used for evil).

UPPEr SCHooL

By Pamela Matsanka, Head of Middle School

As the saying goes—out with the old and in with the new. This year, our Middle School faculty invested time

in improving two of our old standards—the daily schedule and exams for fifth and sixth grade students.

Over the years in our zeal to provide wonderful experiences for our students, we had stuffed the schedule full of exciting academic offerings and values-oriented enrichment. The schedule became unwieldy and created a frenetic pace leaving little time for students to reflect upon what they learned before sprinting off to the next class. After two years of planning, we will introduce a new schedule this fall outlined on page 24.

This year we reviewed the value of having fifth and sixth graders take a

full load of final exams. We were seeking a better way of assessing curricular concepts taught during the year. Kathryn Reese, sixth and eighth grade English teacher, led the faculty in their creation of the Academic Olympics. During exam week this year, students were involved in informal, high-energy assessments created by their teachers. Students prepared for the Academic Olympics through the traditional process—two- or three-week classroom reviews and study guides. Students were put into teams by country, and each designed a team t-shirt. Diane Smith, sixth grade Reading teacher, helped create an exciting opening ceremony. Teams, carrying their country’s flags, paraded around the track on DeGroat Field and sang the Star Spangled Banner.

Each subject area developed an “exam” for the Academic Olympics. For example, the English exam was grammar/reading kickball for sixth graders and “numbers grammar” and a reading bee for fifth graders. One of the most interesting exams was the scavenger hunt created by History teacher Wiz Applegate. To

learn about Tower Hill, each student focused on one decade of the school’s history. Alumni from that decade were invited to return to the school for a day. Alumni took students groups around the building and gave them a sense of what things were like “back then.” Students shared their information with the class. On “exam” day, students had a scavenger hunt designed to test what they had learned. Thanks to all alumni who took part! Throughout “exam” week, each team earned points by successfully competing in the different subject events and a closing ceremony was held to celebrate the winning teams and the end of the school year.

Out with the old and in with the new. With my retirement at the end of the school year, I look back on my 30 years with Tower Hill as a very fulfilling time. I’ll miss everyone—students most of all! Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of this special community. My life has been forever enriched by the experience, and I will always have a fond place in my heart for Tower Hill School.

MIDDLE SCHooL


Katie Smith: Database/Gifts Coordinator—Katie comes to Tower Hill after five years with Operation Warm, Inc. She was associate director of development with responsibilities that included office administration, database administration and education, grant

writing and marketing communications. Prior to that, Katie was assistant stage manager and prop coordinator for Opera Delaware, Inc. and guest services manager at the Fairville Inn in Chadds Ford.

Mary Elizabeth Snyder: Middle School Spanish— Mary Elizabeth is a 2007 graduate of Tower Hill and recently completed her B. A. in Spanish and International Relations from the University of Delaware. While in college, she studied abroad in

Granada and Quito, and this year she returned to Granada to work in the Spanish Ministry of Education as a teaching assistant. Mary Elizabeth will also coach and get involved in other Middle School activities.

Ann Sullivan: Fourth Grade Teacher—Ann completed her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education at King’s College and has been a substitute in the Lower School for the past couple of years. Prior to this she was a sixth grade teacher at Drexel Neumann Academy, taught at

A. I. du Pont Hospital for Children and for five years was a fifth grade teacher at Immaculate Heart of Mary.

New Faculty and Staff AssignmentsPaul Capodano—Head of Middle School Caroline Clifford—Head of the Language Department Megan Cover—Dean of Students, Upper School Assistant Head Meghan Donlon—Director of Academic Technology James Erhardt—Kindergarten Teacher Julie Goldston—Advancement Services Manager Lista Lincoln—Health Teacher Gabie Stella-Carlton—Kindergarten Teacher Annie Zeberkiewicz—Middle School English teacher

Donna Gleason: Business Office, Assistant to the Business Manager—Donna recently retired as Chief Financial Officer at Salesianum School after 29 years of service. Donna has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, and will bring a wealth of

experience to the Tower Hill Business Office.

Jerry Lamborn: Math—Jerry has been part of the Tower Hill coaching staff for our boys’ basketball team for the last couple of years. Prior to that, he was with various businesses in the area, including Pitney Bowes. After deciding that his interests lay in teaching, he returned

to college and completed his undergraduate degree and a Master of Arts in Teaching at Wilmington University.

Zerrin Martin: Choral Director—Zerrin graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and a minor in Viola and Instrumental Music Education. She also earned her K-12 teaching certificate for music.

She went on to earn her masters in Choral Conducting from the Westminister Choir College at Rider University last May. Zerrin was most recently the Choir Director at New Brunswick High School. She also has been the Choir Director with the Trouveres choir, which is part of the Pennsylvania Girlchoir in Philadelphia.

Jennifer Romano: Upper School Biology—Jennifer graduated from Ursuline Academy and Villanova University. She completed her Master of Education in Biology from the University of Delaware in 2008. For five years Jennifer taught biology, chemistry and

anatomy at Padua and then became part of the faculty team at Salesianum. She was named the Biology Teacher of the Year for Delaware in 2009 by the National Association of Biology Teachers.

Welcome TO NEW FACULTY AND STAFF


he first major change in a few decades to the Tower Hill schedule will be implemented for the 2012-2013 school year. The impetus behind the enhancements was student-centered, as we strived to move to a school day that was conducive as possible to a rigorous and character-focused, but also healthy and happy, educational experience.

In the fall of 2010, the faculty and administration took on the challenge of assessing our schedule, which nearly all alums would recognize. In the ten-day cycle Mondays were always days one or six; Fridays were always days five or ten. Classes met at the same time every day for the same amount of time. Most classes met either eight or nine times in the ten-day cycle. When a class did not meet, a drop day (free period, study hall) or elective took its place or time.

To aid our inquiry, we worked with consultants from Independent School Management who helped us by sharing the data they had collected from Tower Hill, posing questions and showing us some different ways to look at the schedule. Then the hard work began. We assessed our use of time, our use of space, our program, our students’ experiences. We asked more questions including: did the courses have enough time to cover the curriculum; was there a balance between free time for students and academic study; was there variety in the course of the day, the week, the year; is the homework load manageable? Teams of teachers met to discuss themes like our yearly calendar, our homework/test policies, our use of time throughout the day. Finally, all schedule conclusions, requests and recommendations had to be considered with the school’s mission and values in mind.

After months of research and design, several models were presented to the faculty in each of the three divisions. By the spring of 2012, after considering

New Schedules Put Learning Priorities First By Carol Pepper, Director of Curriculum Development

a number of models and keeping best practices in education in mind, each division chose a new schedule for the fall of 2012.

Middle and Upper School ScheduleSchedules will move beyond the days of the week. The Middle and the Upper School will adopt a seven-day cycle for their class schedules—one that is not bound by the days of the week. The day in the cycle will determine the order of the classes on that date.

Classes will meet at a different time each day. Research has shown that none of us are “at our best” the entire day. Varying the time of day a class meets will allows students and teachers to be at their “best” time in every class not just one or two.

Classes will have the opportunity of extended periods. Middle School classes will have the option of a 60-minute class (current class length is forty minutes). Upper School courses can have up to two 70-minute classes (current Upper School course length is 44 minutes). The extended period will allow for innovative learning experiences as well as meet certain needs like better science lab time.

There will be breaks throughout the day. No more than two classes meet consecutively in the daily schedule, which allows students and teachers time to process information. A longer break mid-morning will also allow us to build on Tower Hill’s important advisory and character education program. Even with these breaks, class time is not lost. In fact, for many classes the amount of minutes per year increased; how we use the time we had shifted.

Drop days disappear. In our new seven-day cycle, classes meet for longer periods but fewer times. Middle School classes will meet up to six times in the seven-day schedule; Upper School classes will meet five times. This means fewer classes

T meeting every day. We are hopeful that the daily homework load will be more manageable even with no drop periods.

Thursday Morning Will Have a Late Start: The Middle and Upper schools will start school at 8:40 a.m. every Thursday. The late start will allow the faculty the much needed in-service time to meet to discuss our program and curriculum. There will be supervision available for those Middle School students who need to be at school early.

Lower School ScheduleIn the ideal world, all three divisions would be on the same schedule. When we attempted to place the Lower School program into a seven-day cycle, there was a dramatic shift in time use. We realized that the Lower School program would be best served through a six-day cycle. The new Lower School six-day cycle has some rotation; however, the days are more patterned—an approach more appropriate for our younger learners. The new Lower School model does include longer blocks of homeroom time, a wealth of experiences in special classes and variation over the course of the school year.

Every schedule is a compromise. The time in school, the space available and the program are limited. We will continue to evaluate how our new schedule supports or impacts the Tower Hill experience including academics, activities and athletics, and we anticipate that there will be small adjustments in the months ahead.

Our hope is that the new schedules, which are more aligned with best practices, will help students and faculty better manage homework, stress and the business of the school day. As Stephen Covey once said: “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” We feel we have accomplished this goal and are excited to support each other as we explore the different ways we will experience learning at Tower Hill.


JACKIE HAMILTON:

Advancing Equity and

Justice

assessment tool included a self-study followed by a visit from a team of educators from across the country. Jackie’s training in literacy development and learning made her a natural to join this effort, and she became a member of the evaluation teams. In Jackie’s words “she developed friendships with amazing educators” from across the country. But circumstances would thrust her into a much different role.

The 1994 PoCC was in Albuquerque and was focused primarily on the culture and contributions of Navajo and Latino populations. During the conference, an unanticipated announcement was made that the PoCC would be held every other year, rather than annually, and a portion of the funding would have to come from local organizations that supported independent schools. Fortunately, it is a real tribute to the Philadelphia area that the Multicultural Resource Center of the Independent Schools of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley and a number of independent school heads supported the effort led by Randolph Carter, NAIS Director of Diversity and Multicultural Education, to ensure that the conference met every year. With the 1995 conference scheduled for Philadelphia, Mr. Carter turned to Jackie and two others to chair the events!

Planning for the 1995 conference included a new element—a student conference that was to occur simultaneously with the PoCC. Mirroring the PoCC, the vision for

the SDLC was for students from independent schools who reflected their multiracial and multicultural background to come together to “develop effective crosscultural (sic) communication skills, better understand the nature and development of effective strategies for social justice, practice expression through the arts and learn networking principles and strategies.” The first conference, with 20 students attending, was so successful that it has been held every year since with attendance reaching over 1,500 students at the last conference in December 2011.

Jackie’s leadership of the 1995 PoCC led to her appointment to NAIS’s Call-To-Action, the organization’s national think tank and advisory council on diversity in independent schools. Call-To-Action is one of the most critical NAIS groups, as it oversees every aspect of the work for justice and equity that is at the core of the NAIS mission. Through her work with this group, Jackie helped design a new instrument for public and private schools to measure multicultural competency, assisted with the planning of the PoCC/SDLC, worked on the NAIS Diversity Handbook project and contributed greatly to workgroups concentrating on initiatives to support people of color and women who aspire to leadership in independent schools.

Over her career Jackie has helped develop the vision and create blueprints to move schools closer to the ideals of inclusive, fair and just communities. She has touched thousands of teachers and hundreds of schools, but most importantly, her work has had a positive influence on a generation of students.

L ower School Head Jackie Hamilton has helped shape the path for independent schools in this country through her work with the National Association of Independent Schools. In particular Jackie has been involved with and made significant contributions to help NAIS in its ongoing efforts to achieve one of its stated aims to “lead schools toward the objectives of equity and justice.” The most prominent initiatives of the NAIS Office of Diversity and Multicultural Education—now the Office of School Consultancy Services and Leadership Equity and Diversity—are the People of Color Conference (PoCC), the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and activities supporting each of these efforts. Jackie Hamilton has played an increasingly significant role in their success since 1989.

The second PoCC was held in Philadelphia in the fall of 1989, which was fortuitous for Jackie, as she was teaching at Episcopal Academy at the time. The conference then and now recognizes that people of color working in independent schools need an opportunity for “networking and support,” while schools need “to find ways to build and sustain inclusive communities.” Jackie attended the first conference and over the next three years learned about the NAIS Multicultural Assessment Plan. MAP was NAIS’s first attempt to help schools look at issues of inclusivity, methods for meeting the needs of students, school culture and curriculum. The comprehensive

By Harry Baetjer, Associate Head of School

Jackie is one of two educators from across the country who will receive the NAIS Diversity Leadership Award at the upcoming conference in March 2013. She will speak at the event and be honored at a ceremony for her exceptional leadership.


AROUND TOWER HILL

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1. The 8th Grade performs “Pirates, Eh!,” four ten-minute plays written by professional and student playwrights from the University of Iowa. Thanks to our strong alliance with the university’s renowned playwriting program, this marked the fourth year our 8th-grade class performed their plays.

2. The Blue-Gold Club and Diversity Club co-sponsored the Blue-Gold Fashion/Talent Show and International Dinner on November 18. The increasingly popular event was broadened to include entertainment acts to complement the fashion show. Proceeds from the event benefitted Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual disAbilities, which Tower Hill has been privileged to support since the first Blue-Gold football game in 1956.

3. The Green & White Club held its major fundraiser for the year on January 28 in Carpenter Field House, which was transformed into a casino, complete with tables for roulette, blackjack and craps. The silent auction and raffle prizes included tickets to the Dr. Oz Show and a plane ride with Headmaster Chris Wheeler. The event raised over $9,000 to help support the athletic preservation project.

4. Tower Hill loves Shakespeare! The “Tower Will” program was a unique learning experience throughout the year for students across the school—Shakespearean events, curriculum integration and cross-divisional activities. The Upper School performance of “Twelfth Night” in April was the culminating event for the year.

5. The 57 members of the Class of 2016 celebrate Moving Up Day on June 8. Head of Middle School Pam Matsanka was recognized for her 30 years of service to the school.

6. A second-grade student portrays Harry S. Truman in the grade’s first Presidential Wax Museum on February 2. Students recited important facts about their selected President or first lady when visitors pressed their red activation button.

7. Tower Hill creates possibly the largest Ebru scarves ever made! Over 300 students, faculty and staff participated in learning the ancient art of floating ink and paint on water to create unique designs. The scarves were displayed on the production set of the Upper School play Twelfth Night.

8. William Rappolt discusses the topic “Makers of the 21st Century Financial Systems” for the Forum speaker series on April 10. This year’s theme focused on individuals who made important decisions that affect the century in which we live, in the belief that history is not merely a flow of inevitable events. Rappolt and his wife Pam founded the Forum in 1998 in honor of their children Gabrielle ’93, Sara ’96 and Bill ’99 and the scholarship of the Tower Hill faculty.

9. The Evening of the Arts on April 25 featured the opening of the all-school art show and a variety of small musical ensembles performing throughout the facility. The Studio Art classes displayed creative, out-of-the-box installations throughout the building.

10. Our girls’ tennis team captures their 3rd consecutive state title and 14th overall title. Tower Hill continues to hold the 3rd highest number of state championships. This year four of our teams won the Delaware Independent School Conference—field hockey, baseball, boys’ lacrosse and girls’ tennis—and four teams competed in the state tournaments—field hockey, girls’ basketball, boys’ lacrosse and girls’ lacrosse. The boys’ tennis team placed 3rd and the golf team placed 6th in the state. Girls’ track set a new record, and two of our wrestlers placed in the state, a first in over a decade.

11. Remember the athletic team photos lining the hallways from the school to Carpenter Field House? To better preserve our athletic history, all photos will be incorporated into murals. Don’t miss seeing the new, improved areas during Homecoming 2012!

12. CulinArt, our dining service partner, takes nutrition seriously. The healthy high-quality program focuses on freshness, variety, a high level of service and local and organic purchasing when possible. CulinArt clients include Fortune 500 businesses, esteemed universities, private schools and cultural institutions.

AROUND TOWER HILL

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Faculty Productionessays in 1988 and drew his title from the first entry that listed basic rules for living kindly and simply. He exhorted us to take a step back from our daily stresses to recall that the important lessons in life were actually imparted to us during our earliest educational years. He reminded us to share, to play fair and to clean up our own messes, and he pointed out that the world would be a much better place if we all adhered to these basic ideals.

Darla chose the play because of its clear-cut yet powerful message, its potential appeal to a wide age-range of students and its practical ability to accommodate a large cast. When the call went out for actors, Darla found herself inundated with the largest number of volunteers in the history of faculty shows. In the end, a total of 60 Tower Hill employees appeared on stage or as part of the behind-the-scenes efforts. The result was a coming together of individuals who had not typically interacted on a day-to-day basis and the creation of a unique energy that many had not previously experienced. However, the cast quickly ascertained that Max and her partner in crime, Technical Director Matt Kator, had intentionally chosen this play for its singular ability to teach the actors

a lesson or two about theater, art, each other and the magic that exists when people come together for a common cause. Here is what was learned…

Be Aware of WonderDespite being in front of classes or teams or parents on a regular basis, many faculty do not find it comfortable to step in front of a large audience. Yet several were amazed by the untapped abilities lying dormant within them. As Scott Zeplin, Middle School Music teacher explained, “For some reason, 95% of the folks on stage walked in with (an) ‘I can’t sing’ (attitude) but somehow, once they jumped the mental hurdle, opened their mouths and started pushing air, it all worked.” Others, like Second Grade teacher Laura Ouladdaoud, recognized the wonder that is created when diverse individuals come together and provide support for one another. Laura cited, “I can’t help but focus on how the play highlighted the strengths of each individual person but could only be what it was because we all worked together and played our parts well; it was a true team effort…”

Live a Balanced Life In his essay, Fulghum reminds us to learn and think and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work

By Dr. Amy Cuddy, School Psychologist

O n a blustery evening this past February, the seats of the P.S. du Pont Theater were filled to capacity. The crowd was hushed and anticipation was high, as members of the Tower Hill community came together to support yet another outstanding theatrical venture brought to us by the Performing Arts Department. As the curtain lifted on opening night, the spotlights fell on several oversized kindergarteners coloring, twirling and generally frolicking on stage. What was unique, however, about these kindergarten students—size aside—was that they were actually members of the Tower Hill faculty and staff performing in the latest installment in the now long line of faculty productions undertaken by members of the community at large. This past year, Darla Max, Director of Performing Arts Facilities, added her name to the list of brave directors who dared to wrangle, mangle and mold various members of the administration, faculty, staff and cleaning crew into actors, singers, comedians and dancers. The result was a resplendent production of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, a musical production adapted from the best-selling book of the same name by author Robert Fulghum.

Fulghum published his book of short

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some every day. For the faculty, the play forced us to bring balance to our lives. It caused us to step outside of our daily routine to do something different. Upper School English teacher Leslie Sysko felt this way, “We all perform during the week in class, but weekends are for other parts of ourselves. What I found was the application of difference to my schedule made something come alive that’s normally not there, or it’s sleeping—obligation, commitment and belonging…gave way to creativity, uniqueness and concentration.” The participation in the process of creating art was inspiring to many, as faculty found themselves stretching, growing and being exposed to a completely unfamiliar world. Second Grade teacher Patricia Tinney was blown away and reflected, “After the first show I thought ‘Wow, what an experience!’ and I was so grateful to be a part of the memories!” Lista Lincoln, Director of Health, was awed to be a participant in the time-honored process. “To see Darla and Matt (with the help of the awesome students) truly work their craft was wonderful. They know how to create art, and it was special getting to be a part of it.”

Share Everything Tower Hill is a school that can boast a certain level of togetherness, because our three divisions co-exist under one

roof. However, there are many of us who do not interact on a consistent basis. The most powerful sentiment shared by all who participated in the Kindergarten experience was the joy they felt while simply sharing time together. Socializing during rehearsals and being thrown into unique scenes such as Stuff in the Sink or Uh-Oh allowed teachers, administrators and staff to bond via humor, nervousness and overall silliness. “I think for me it was so fun to work with everyone in the building. We spend so much time working under one roof, but rarely do we all get to work together,” shared Upper School Math teacher Will Thayer. Lower School Prekindergarten teacher, Lynette DeShane, saw things this way, “It was a great way to…meet and bond with faculty and staff from other divisions who I wouldn’t have otherwise had a chance to know. It went a long way towards helping us all feel like one group as opposed to many.”

The togetherness that was created during the play transcended the time on stage, as faculty made connections that have persisted beyond the play itself. In referencing another cast member, Prekindergarten teacher, Theresa Shorey noted, “Here’s a guy I rarely saw…Now, when we pass each other in the halls, it’s like seeing an old friend.” The strength of such ties is undoubtedly the

1. At the heart of All I Really Need are various lessons for life, which range from simple observations about human interaction to a moment of personal enlightenment.

2. No matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

3. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten is a series of delightful stories featuring colorful characters. The Mother of the Bride is about a perfectly staged wedding—until the bowling ball of fate rolls down the aisle and turns into a disaster.

4. The Stuff in the Sink, a favorite vignette, brings to life an amusing story about the yucky mess that’s left in the sink after washing dishes.

5. All I Really Need was a cohesive community effort. The t-shirt worn by the faculty and staff was designed by Ms. Max and hand printed in various pastel colors by the Prekindergarten students. Upper School students were the stage managers for the production.

primary lesson that Max and Kator had intended for both audience and actors to take from their viewing of Kindergarten. After leaving the first read through of the script, Psychological Consultant Fran Henkel said, “I remember as I left…that I was feeling lighter and again more aware of why I remain at Tower Hill…THE RELATIONSHIPS, our connectedness with one another. Our bunch of crazy people provides a sense of community when we are focused, organized and have an agreed upon goal to work towards.”

Perhaps this is why Max herself reflected so fondly on a particular mental snapshot from the show. “My favorite moment in the show (was) when Chris Wheeler (Headmaster) and Shamarr Stevens (member of the school cleaning crew) held hands and sang ‘Hold hands and stick together when you cross the street.’ The entirety of our community fits in the space between those two hands. The fact that so many people from every walk/position in the school came together to make this production happen—blew me away!” And so it was for the cast and crew of Kindergarten, as it was in Fulghum’s original poem. This simple sentiment rings true now as it did then...“And it is still true, no matter how old you are: when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.”

Illuminates Audience and Actors

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I was fortunate to have a handful of great teachers when I was at Tower Hill, but one that comes to mind is Hugh Atkins. To this day, when I pick up a book I wonder to myself whether Mr. Atkins would put it on his book list (I only have 11 books left on the BBC’s list of Top 100 novels, Mr. A!). I was never an English major, and although his instruction helped guide my professional writing, he taught me so much more. He taught me to challenge myself in my reading—in and out of the classroom. Mr. Atkins always said reading more will make you a better writer, and I think that has more than proven true. But, it wasn’t just about grammar and the classics, it was about the messages he pulled from books that really stuck with me. He taught me to think critically and push myself beyond the analytical analysis. He showed me how to communicate, guided us on interpreting interpersonal relationships, trained us not to fear the controversial, and helped give us a greater appreciation for other cultures. Those are the lessons that I carry with me and helped shape my beliefs today. Tower Hill was such a large part of our lives in such formative years. I’m grateful I had influences like Mr. Atkins who helped me to develop into a well-rounded, open-minded person, not just how to use semicolon.

—Jill M. Shotzberger ’00

I saw your request for teacher experiences/influences at THS, and I do want to say that Mrs. Griffin greatly influenced my life. She devoted extra hours helping me get through geometry and word problems, but perhaps more

Which Teacher Had a Profound Impact on You?

importantly she served as my advisor. She encouraged me to run for senior class co-chairperson, which I never would have done without her prodding. I don’t think I would have been accepted into Duke without her recommendations. She was a fabulous teacher and an excellent mentor.

—Katherine Leibu Cary ’82

Two seemingly diverse Tower Hill teachers had a significant impact on my life. First was Oli Crichton who generated a deep appreciation for biology and the scientific method such that I knew at the time of graduation I wanted to be a doctor. The second, across the spectrum of personalities, was Bob DeGroat. Coach De taught me and many others that a combination of hard work, analysis, confidence and performance would invariably produce a superior outcome. Their lessons were invaluable in my surgical career and I will be eternally grateful for them.

—Dr. Bill Mullis ’60

The impact history teachers Dr. Wasson and Mr. Hyde had on me reflect the profound emphasis Tower Hill placed on scholarly pursuit, and led to social and economic repercussions in my own life. Dr. Wasson imbued in me a love of seeking knowledge for knowledge’s sake—a trait that has kept me relatively sane while living in Los Angeles. Mr. Hyde taught us that even serious matters should not always be taken too seriously. He also recently lent a vital hand in my gaining a new writing gig, for which I’ll be eternally grateful.

—Alexis C. Jolly ’01

n The Lookout, our monthly e-newsletter for alumni and alumni parents, we requested readers send us a quick note and let us know which Tower Hill teacher had a profound impact on them and why. Thank you to all who shared their thoughts. If you would like to share your input, contact us at [email protected]. I


Walter Daub—he taught me English and was my soccer coach. He was VERY patient with and understanding of my adolescent growing pains. Great guy!

—Richard Ehret ’78

Each of these three teachers had a profound impact on my experience at Tower Hill and taught me many things that would serve me well later in life.

Mr. Pierson taught me the importance of taking my work seriously, both in the classroom and on the defensive line. He made me understand that if I put in the time and effort in my athletics and academics that I would be rewarded for such efforts. That lesson continues to resonate with me to this day.

Mr. Baetjer made me enthusiastic about my studies. When I had him for history class, both in middle and upper school, he really brought alive the material and taught me how to handle my tasks with passion. Today my favorite subject continues to be history, and I try to gobble up as many historical novels and biographies as I can.

Mr. Hyde allowed me to have a sense of humor (which remains debatable at best) when literally tackling my issues on the football field. While there were many times to take the game seriously, Mr. Hyde appreciated that there was also time during which I could poke fun at myself as well as the entire culture of high school football. As an attorney, most of my work is fairly serious, but I still find the time to collaborate with my ad agency clients, pushing the envelope

to create ads that are funny and that push the envelope.

These three teachers, and many more, have helped make me a more well-rounded person than many I have met later in my life who have not been so fortunate to have not only the Tower Hill education, but more importantly the Tower Hill family that comes with being a part of the community. Though I graduated from Tower Hill more than 25 years ago, I remember many of those experiences fondly as if it was yesterday.

As a toast to these three men, I would like to raise a 7-11 Big Gulp to each in their honor. Why a Big Gulp? (Do they even make those anymore?) Because during the football season, that was our reward for making 10 tackles, a sack or an interception. Fortunately, I was on the receiving end of many Gulps during the fall football seasons of 1982 and 1983.

—Larry Beckler ’84

In my 10 years at TH—PK to 8th grade—there were many teachers who had a profound and lasting impact on me resulting in me still remembering their names and faces: Miss Andino, 1st grade; Miss Harvey, 2nd grade; Mrs. Drake, 3rd grade; Miss Norris, 4th grade; Mr. Whitman, 8th grade Science—he was terrific and a very nice man; and Harry Patterson, Math. Mr. Drake, Middle School History—I’m sorry, I no longer remember the two historical documents we had to memorize, one being the Declaration of Independence and the other Lincoln’s Gettysburg address? Mr. Byrne, Middle School Math—a very nice man; Bob DeGroat—he made recess a lot of fun, a wonderful man.

Betty Richardson, a legend whom I am fortunate enough to still see from time to time.

Miss Buckles “OK B”, 7th grade English whom I know I tortured with my

struggles but have ever since diligently tried to rectify that by doing my best in all aspects of English, especially grammar, spelling, etc. Sorry, no more diagramming sentences because I finally “got it.” Ed Hughes, History and sub-midget football for two years because I was so small; I will always remember his vociferous coaching from the sidelines. Most importantly, he gave so much to TH for so long as did most of these wonderful people. God bless them and please forgive me for those I have not included. Alison McKenna, Director of Development (forever) who taught me so much about alumni and parent relations, and especially how to successfully raise money for TH. And lastly lest they be overlooked, the two headmasters, Brooke Stabler and Malcolm Coates, who were outstanding leaders of TH!! Yes, I and my family, including daughter Lindsay who is a teacher there, bleed green and white thanks to these outstanding people and and so many like them who have followed!!

—Alex Wise ’64

Every teacher at Tower Hill has a tremendous influence on their students, influence that has a lasting impact on the growth of the students from childhood to adulthood. The innumerable life lessons learned at Tower Hill have left a positive mark on all alumni and are reflected in their lifetime achievements.

—Jon Holzman ’03

Stephen Sye ’93 shared a YouTube video he created about influential teachers. He mentioned Middle School Reading teacher, Tom Hughes, who was his wrestling coach. Stephen recalled how Mr. Hughes was able to instill the importance of a strong education into athletics. He was an all-around educator and knew how to motivate wrestlers.


AT TOWER HILLOver the YearsOver the Years

They’re back! Julia Ann Patterson McKay ’39 (left) and Margaret Porch Lounsbury ’37 (right) returned to the Alumni House this past spring to help us identify old photos. If you recognize yourself or classmates in any of the unidentified photos below, we would enjoy hearing from our alums. Contact Kathy Warner at 302.657.3858 x 235 or [email protected].

Front Row: Art McGeorge ’38, Ned Carpenter ’39, Robert Cooke ’39, Arthur Ketcham ’39, Henry Bradford ’39

Middle Row: Millard Zeisberg ’39, David Snellenburg ’39, L. Dutton Bothwell ’39, Will Robert Porter ’40, Frank McHugh ’39, Irving Walls ’40

Standing: Margaret Zeisberg Guthrie ’35


H

Class of 1961 50th Reunion

The Class of 1961 held its 50th Reunion during the 2011 Homecoming. What a beautiful weekend! There was some fear that not many would return, as the only other large gathering for this class was the 25th Reunion in 1986. But return we did!

The first get-together was at the BBC Tavern and Grill in Greenville Friday night. It was wonderful to see classmates, some of whom we had not seen in 50 years. Hard to believe! Some had changed a lot, some not at all—but all for the better.

The events on Saturday at Tower Hill, including the cocktail reception, brought us together in small and large groups. The night ended with a dinner at the Wilmington Club. There was a brunch Sunday at the Timothy B. Golding Alumni House.

Classmates who were hesitant to come to the 50th Reunion said they were so glad they did. It was wonderful to be with everyone who had spent so much time together in the ’50s and ’60s. We were truly “gathered here in joyous union.”

The $10,000 raised by the Class of 1961 to fund the purchase of teaching materials in the new Math and Science Center signifies a commemoration of our time at Tower Hill.

Winkie Fairman Gummey ’61, ruthie Williams Cornelison ’61, Jock Hamilton ’61

Sharing Memories and Renewing FriendshipsHomecoming and Reunion 2011

omecoming 2011 was a great success. It was a busy weekend with the traditional pep rallies and athletic contests on Friday for our students. Many of the reunion classes gathered casually on Friday evening at various locations around Wilmington. On Saturday morning about 90 people competed in the 5K run/walk, the kick-off event for the day. More than 60 people toured the campus. The weather cooperated for the picnic lunch and was perfect for the afternoon games. Alums came from as far as Hawaii and Japan to reconnect with their classmates and visit their alma mater. More than 300 alums, trustees and other members of the Tower Hill community joined Headmaster Chris Wheeler at the headmaster’s residence Saturday evening for the reunion reception. This was the second year the event was held at the Hayward House, and all agreed that we are very lucky to enjoy this venue for alumni events like Homecoming.

Founders’ Achievement Awards—2011 HonoreesThe Founders’ Achievement Award is the preeminent award created to recognize and celebrate distinguished members of the school community for their exemplary service and significant contributions to the development of the school. The following were presented by Headmaster Chris Wheeler at the reunion reception:

William A. Bours III—Served on the Tower Hill School Board of Trustees for 26 years, as president from 1977-1981.

Malcolm Coates—Headmaster of Tower Hill School from 1960-1976.

Pierre Samuel du Pont III ’28—Served on the Tower Hill School Board of Trustees for 41 years, as president from 1952-1977 and chairman from 1977-1988.

The Class of 1961 renew friendships at the 2011 reunion reception at the Hayward House.

Betty Bours and Barbara Bours Brady

’66 accept the award from Headmaster

Chris Wheeler in memory of

William A. Bours III.

Malcolm Coates accepted the Founders’ Achievement Award and spoke of his appreciation and love of Tower Hill

Pete du Pont ’52 accepts

his award on behalf of his

father Pierre Samuel

du Pont III ’28.


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Calling all Hillers! COME HOME!

Saturday Events—October 20, 2012For Everyone

8:00 a.m. Homecoming 5K run/Walk—Register on the terrace of the Alumni House; Run/Walk starts at 8:30 a.m. on 17th Street at the main entrance of the school.

Noon-2:00 p.m. Lunch—Under the Homecoming Tent

For Alumni 9:30 a.m. Alumni Field Hockey, Soccer and Flag Football—Field Hockey on Richardson Field; Flag Football on DeGroat Field

5:30 p.m. reunion reception—For classes ending in “2” and “7” and all classes that previously celebrated their 50th reunion. Enter the Hayward House from Tower Road. Class photos begin 6:00 p.m.

The Arts

All day Monique rollins displays her oil paintings, charcoal drawings and collages Founders’ Gallery, P.S. du Pont Arts Center

Tour 10:00 a.m. School Tour—Main building, 1919 Auditorium, Field House with Headmaster Chris Wheeler and Associate Head Harry Baetjer

Athletic Events

Friday—October 19, 2012 3:45 p.m. 3rd Team Field Hockey vs. St. Mark’s—Richardson Field

4:00 p.m. 3rd Team Volleyball—Weaver Gym

5:30 p.m. JV Volleyball vs. Wilmington Christian—Weaver Gym

6:30 p.m. Varsity Volleyball vs. Wilmington Christian—Weaver Gym Saturday—October 20, 2012

11:00 a.m. Varsity Field Hockey vs. St. Andrew’s—Richardson Field

11:00 a.m. Varsity Soccer vs. St. Andrew’s—DeGroat Field

11:00 a.m. JV Soccer vs. St. Andrew’s—Nitsche Pitch

12:30 p.m. JV Field Hockey vs. St. Andrew’s—Richardson Field

2:00 p.m. Cross Country vs. St. Andrew’s, Layton Prep— Rockford Park/DeGroat Field

3:00 p.m. Varsity Football vs. St. Andrew’s—DeGroat Field

Homecoming & Reunion 2012 October 19-20


Calling all Hillers! COME HOME!

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Homecoming & Reunion Registration Saturday, October 20

Name/s Class of Home Phone Email _________________________ ______ ________________ ___________________

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How many will be joining us for lunch (12:00-2:00 p.m.) ___Alumni/family ___Students ___Parents ___Grandparents ___Faculty/staff ___Friends

Will you be joining us for the alumni reunion cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. at the Hayward House? Name/s

HOMECOMING 5K RUN/WALK—8:00 a.m. Registration; 8:30 a.m. Start Time Name/s Run/Walk Relation to THS Age T-Shirt Size

______________________ _______ ________________ _____ _____________________________________ _______ ________________ _____ _______________

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ALUMNI GAMES: FIELD HOCKEY, SOCCER, FLAG FOOTBALL—9:30 a.m.Former field hockey players join Wiz Applegate. Family and friends are welcome to join the Alumni Council for soccer or flag football. Name/s Event___________________________________ ___________________________________

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Mail or fax this completed registration form to: Tower Hill School, 2012 Homecoming, 2813 W. 17th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806

Phone: 302.657.8353 Fax: 302.657.8373 Or register online at www.towerhill.org/homecoming2012.

Waiver for 5K and Alumni Games In consideration of this entry being accepted, I, intending to be legally bound, hereby for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, waive and release any and all rights I may have against the organization holding this event, its agents, representatives, successors, and assigns for any and all injuries suffered by me at said event.

_____________________________________________________ _______________Signature (parent if participant is under 18) Date

(S/M/L/XL) (Youth/Adult)

For the most current schedule of events, go to www.towerhill.org/homecoming2012


Alumni Celebrate the History They Helped Create...

and the Future They Inspire

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1. Boston Alumni Reception at the Harvard Club—October 19, 2011 Philip Laird ’73, Henry Shepherd, Joyce Pierson Shepherd ’57, John Black ’67

2. Logan House Holiday Gathering—December 23, 2011 Susie Wood Waesco ’90, Mike Hyde ’87, Kevin Waesco

3. University of Delaware Alumni Reception at Klondike Kate’s—February 9, 2012 Jenni Williams ’10, Samantha Bush ’11, Nikki DeShane ’11, Lauren Boudreaux ’11

4. Washington, D.C. Alumni Reception at the Cosmos Club—December 8, 2011 Berta Smith, Wade Smith ’62, Headmaster Chris Wheeler

5. Alumni Tailgate at the Alumni House—November 11, 2011 Jeff Simonton ’75, Ellen Jamison Kullman ’74, Mike Kullman, Patrick Ashley ’76

6. NYC Alumni Reception at the Yale Club—February 16, 2012 Anna Lipman, Ashley Altschuler ’90, David Lipman ’95, John Robinson

7. Senior Dinner at Hayward House—May 14, 2012 Kathleen Snyder ’12, Will Schwartz ’12, Holly Alexander ’12, Sydney Slatko ’12, Meredith Zeleny ’12

8. BBC Guest Bartender Evening—February 29, 2012 ruly Carpenter ’58, Tori Maxmin Gravuer ’86, Nancy Greenberg, Brad du Pont ’82

9. Donor Recognition Reception at Hayward House—March 13, 2012 Alisha Wayman Bryson ’91, Wiz Montaigne Applegate ’79, Winkie Fairman Gummey ’61

10. Annual Golf Outing at Bidermann Golf Club— June 11, 2012 Headmaster Chris Wheeler, Tina Hayward, Pete Hayward ’6610

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Class NotesStay Connected Update your email address at www.towerhill.org and receive Class Notes monthly

The wedding of Dr. Alexandra Otto ’01 and Dr. Timothy Newhook took place on September 17, 2011, at the Vicmead Hunt Club. Former teacher Blanche Messick enjoys the celebration with alumni from her PreKindergarten class. Front Row: Dr. Pamela Jennings ’01, Dr. Mona Yezdani Gillen ’01, Mrs. Messick, Jill Hocutt ’01, Casey Owens ’01, Dr. Alexandra Otto Newhook ’01. Back Row: Wilson Braun ’01 and Adam Kalamchi ’01.

On May 12, 2012, Lindsay Hobbs ’95 married Michael Acevedo at the Brantwyn Mansion. Pictured are Layton Skelly Griffin ’95, Lindsay Phelps Hobbs Acevedo ’95 and Andrea Tsavalas ’95. Photo by Carly Abbott ’97.

Lanita Ward-Jones ’99 and Lt. Rakiyah Jones celebrate during their first dance at their wedding on September 3, 2011.

Trip Black ’95 and his wife, Nicole, share this picture of their second son, Griffin Alexander Black who was born in May 2011. First son, Tucker, is thrilled to be a big brother.

Pembry Keller Saez ’96 and Pedro Saez welcomed Jack to their world in May 2012.

Congratulations to Heather Weymouth Lowry and her husband Matt on the birth of Emmett Brinton Lowry.

Weddings1975 Margaret Savage Brownell married Ken Brownell in June 2011

1992 Dr. Erica Edell married Jeff Bernfeld on May 19, 2012

1995 Lindsay Hobbs married Michael Acevedo on May 12, 2012

1999 Lanita Ward-Jones married Lt. Rakiyah Jones on September 3, 2011

2001 Dr. Alexandra Otto married Dr. Timothy Newhook on September 17, 2011



It’s a Boy1985, 1987 James Reed Allabashi to Susan Reed Allabashi ’87 and Tim Allabashi ’85 on March 30, 2012

1987 John “Jake” Brown Pierson to Heather and Jay Pierson on February 17, 2012

1990 Nicholas James to Susan Wood Waesco and her husband Kevin on December 13, 2010

1992 Logan Ross Ward to Monica and Chris Ward on March 22, 2011

1995 Griffin Alexander Black to Nicole and Trip Black on May 15, 2011

1996 Charles Alexander Carmine to Lindsay and Andy Carmine on October 13, 2011

1996 Joaquin “Jack” Keller Saez to Pembry Keller Saez and husband Pedro on May 2, 2012

1996 George Anthony Kyriakakis to Aleni Pappas and Anthony Kyriakakis on April 19, 2012

1997 Emmett Brinton Lowry to Heather Weymouth Lowry and her husband Matt and on October 16, 2011

1997 Richard “Tripp” Embry Downing III to Bob Downing and wife Amy on December 19, 2011

1999 Cole Michael Boulden to Melissa and Rory Boulden on November 5, 2011

It’s a Girl1990 Elliott Wellford Rowland to Walter Rowland Jr. ’90 and Arden Hess Rowland on April 12, 2011

1991 Camryn Ahalya Martin to Greg and Anjali Rao Martin on April 17, 2012

1994 Maclane Annabelle Auerbach to Whitney and Josh Auerbach on October 26, 2011

1995, 1997 Ines Sheer to Sonia Duprez ’97 and Michael Sheer ’95 in 2012

1996 Bennett Masa Ikdea-Thew to Kosuke and Claire Ikeda-Thew in July 2011

1996 Elizabeth “Izzie” Burrage Schmeiser to Bryan and Elizabeth Neilson Schmeiser on September 14, 2011

1996 Margot Caram to Abby Dobrzynski Caram and her husband Bill on January 6, 2012

1997 Paige Benton Prezzano to Caroline Gee Prezzano and her husband Doug and on October 9, 2011

It’s Twins1997 Daniel Jared Kimmel and Juliette Morgan Kimmel to Kimberly and Larry Spiller Kimmel on April 21, 2011

DeathsAlumniAnne C. Anderson ’66 on June 22, 2011

Margaret Aspril Boyer ’33 on April 2, 2011

Alexis I. du Pont de Bie ’62 on April 9, 2011

E. Lea Carpenter du Pont ’57 on April 6, 2012

Sydney Craven Spruance ’56 on December 13, 2011

H. Clinton Davis ’40 on October 9, 2011

Catherine Dill Holliday ’34 on July 20, 2011

Prof. Crawford H. Greenewalt ’55 on May 4, 2012

George S. Harrington ’35 on June 2, 2011

Jonathan L. Hoelzer ’01 on April 19, 2011

Jean Houghton Clark ’57 on April 11, 2012

Robert W. Kidd III ’58 on March 4, 2012

Douglas W. “Chip” MacKelcan ’67 on July 30, 2012

Barbara McKinstry Lawton ’42 on May 15, 2011

Margaret McKinstry Maull ’41 on July 28, 2011

James G. McMahon, Jr. ’47 on May 17, 2011

Gerald Montaigne, Jr. ’38 on May 24, 2011

Mary Kaye Phelps Carpenter ’35 on March 14, 2012

William H. Porter, Jr. ’55 on April 20, 2011

Joseph L. Pyle ’42 on October 28, 2011

C. Leslie Sweeney, Jr., ’46 on March 9, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor Dean ’35 on April 7, 2011

Eleanor Thompson Pease ’40 on October 7, 2011

Andrews R. Timmons ’07 on February 17, 2012

Richard W. Trapnell IV ’68 on June 6, 2011

John Warner ’42 on January 2, 2012

Katherine Worth Altaffer ’47 on January 6, 2012

E. Brinton Wright III ’56 on January 17, 2011

Former Faculty/StaffSandy Wang on September 17, 2011

Rory Boulden ’99 and his wife, Melissa, write that Cole Michael Boulden was born in November 2011.

Proud parents, Walter Rowland Jr. ’90 and his wife Arden Hess Rowland, hold Elliott Wellford Rowland who was born in April 2011.

Son George Kyriakakis was born to Aleni Pappas ’96 and Anthony Kyriakakis in April 2012.



1952 60th Reunion YearRobert Richards continues to tutor at the Learning Lab helping those who want to learn English. He and his wife Sally have taken a number of trips with Exploratives, domestic and foreign. “Excellent programs!”

1953Mary Ann Filson Smith writes that she is still living on Bowen Island and has many good friends and neighbors. She is an active volunteer but still has plenty of time for her six grandchildren, ages one through sixteen.

1956Beverley Wellford Rowland and her husband Walter Rowland ’57 have a granddaughter, Elliott Wellford Rowland, who was born in April 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. Elliott joins her sister, Wyatt Reed Rowland, who was born in 2009 to Walter Speed Rowland ’90 and his wife Arden Hess Rowland. Carol McGrew Getty retired and was named Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice at Park University.

1957 55th Reunion YearMike Castle was featured in an article in Delaware Lawyer, Winter 2011/2012 issue. Mike works for DLA Piper, the largest law firm in the world with offices on every continent except Antarctica, in the firm’s government affairs office in Wilmington and Washington, D.C.

1958Alice Beasley Hupfel shares that the Museum of Contemporary Art in Georgia had a show of the work of her daughter Gretchen Hupfel

1927Elizabeth Baily Siner celebrated her 103rd birthday on October 28, 2011. She lives in Winter Park, Florida. Elizabeth writes, “I can’t believe Tower Hill is so big! What a change since my day.”

1942 70th Reunion YearLloyd Thoms received a postcard from Mary Hughes Preyer. Mary reports that she and her husband were in Brazil last year and are now living in a retirement community in Lexington, MA.

1943Anne Carpenter Waugh writes that although five generations of her family have lived in Delaware, she relocated to northwest Idaho to be near her son. “Not long a ago we had a moose in our front yard—quite a change!”

1947 65th Reunion YearThrough a chance meeting with Edwina Bell, former director of development at Tower Hill, Betty Baldwin Kennedy has reconnected with Tower Hill and other members of her class. Betty began chatting with Edwina at a lecture in Virginia where they both currently live and discovered the Tower Hill connection. It is a reunion year for the class of 1947, and she hopes many will visit the campus for homecoming on October 20, 2012.

1949Mary Whiteside Dewey writes that she turned 80 and is still painting a lot. Edward White reports that he stays in touch by email with Dale Collins who is happily situated in Portland, Oregon.

1950Betty Keith Luke’s granddaughter Stephanie Luke Lazar ’08 graduated from the University of Miami in May 2012.

1951Renis Siner Paton tells us that nine out of ten grandchildren were at her cottage in Rehoboth on and off last summer. She and her husband are planning to spend more time there as their daughter Katie Paton Cutlip ’88 takes over their appraisal business.

’82. Alice and her son Mott ’86 attended the Hupfel family evening, and Alice shared, “All of Gretchen’s friends were there, and they stood up and talked about her as did the gallery owner and other people who had written articles about her after she passed away. It was a wonderful evening!” Alice also writes that her other daughter Allison Hupfel Porter ’80 moved back to Washington State after years in Mexico. Allison’s son Will was a freshman at Evergreen State College, her son Sam attended the Putney School in Vermont and her daughter Isabelle attended school in Washington. Last fall Pat Williams was highlighted in an article in The News Journal called Pat Williams: NBA Executive and Tower Hill Graduate Keeps Churning Through Life. As senior vice president of the Orlando Magic, the team he co-founded in 1986, Williams has been taking a break from his busy schedule of making motivational speeches, writing books and running marathons to battle multiple myeloma.

1959 Andrew A. Smith tells us he is “happily retired in LA (Lower Alabama) trying to catch fish and watching grandchildren play sports—volleyball, soccer, football and baseball.” Congratulations to Chris Getman who was one of this year’s recipients of the George H.W. Bush Lifetime of Leadership Awards at the Yale University Athletics Blue Leadership Ball. The award recognizes Yale alumni who were varsity athletes during their undergraduate years and have gone on to offer distinguished leadership in their work and in their contributions to society. However, his most prominent role may be as the keeper of Handsome Dan, Yale’s beloved mascot, for 25 years.

Lloyd Thoms ’42 shared this photo taken on September 8, 1968, at his wedding reception at the Wilmington Country Club. Front row: Ellsworth K. Holden ’42; unidentified guest; Dorothy Jane Diver Thoms, wife of Lloyd Thoms; Jean Mears Diver ’42, wife of Clifford Diver; Robert Wuertz ’42. Back row: Donald Rydgren ’41; Lloyd Thoms ’42; Rolfe Eldridge Glover ’42; Glenn Evan Tisdale ’41; John Warner ’42.



1960Tower Hill alumni and hundreds of friends attended a celebration of Terry Collison’s life hosted by Helen Collison and her two sons in May 2011 at the Mendenhall Inn. It was a joyous occasion, bespeaking Terry’s zest for living, with a live band, many funny remembrances, lots of good hors d’oeuvres and a slide show of moments and folks that many Hillers would remember. Ford Draper commented, “What an unusually varied, talented, energetic, friendly guy…and courageous too, knowing what he went through…a genuine original…and a very generous, fundamentally nice person! Wow, that was a mouthful but it’s the way I came to see him.” Ford says that he feels lucky to have gotten to know Terry better while working together on their 50th Tower Hill reunion. Bill Marmion is in his 27th year of teaching and coaching at St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas. He sends his best to all. Adrienne Arsht was recognized last October in Wilmington by the Delaware Community Foundation. She was awarded the foundation’s first Delaware Family Philanthropy Award for her family’s contributions to the health and education needs of Hispanic families in Delaware.

1961 Last April, Tom Tully a Marine combat veteran, visited Tower Hill with three other veterans who spoke with the Vietnam War class taught by Brad du Pont ’82. The four veterans shared their personal experiences from the war, including those of the Tet Offensive in 1968. Students were moved by each veteran’s story and struck with the realization that these men were only 18-19 years old—their age—when they fought in Vietnam. Robert Hempstead wrote us from Singapore that although he was unable to attend his 50th reunion last year, the reunion emails allowed him to “live vicariously through long, dormant memories” and reflect on the impact Tower Hill had on his life. After 7th grade his family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and it was Tower Hill’s required reading of Tom Brown’s School Days that gave him the confidence to survive his boarding school. Robert recalled Mrs. Buckles diagramming classes and Mr. Drake who ignited his lifelong love of history. After graduating from MIT, Hempstead

received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Since last year, he has been setting up an advanced R&D group for Western Digital Corp. in Singapore. He commented that “Tower Hill instilled in me a love of learning.”

1964Joan Saxton writes that she feels so blessed to renew ties in the last few years with Lee Oldach Francis and Dave Cain, another Texan.

1965John McKay writes us about his sailing trip in April with his wife Linda, Barbara Hanke Hayes and her husband Steve, and two other couples. One of those “it’s a small world stories” surfaced when they docked in Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda. Next to them was a boat from Middletown, Maryland, which was headed home after completing the World ARC 16-month circumnavigation. When the folks from the other

boat learned John was from Delaware, they wanted to know if he knew Jim Geddes ’67 who had been sailing with them on the 16-month adventure. Jim and John grew up next door to each other in Greenville. Jim retired from his law practice in Wilmington to sail around the world.

1966According to Barbara Bours Brady, the Class of ’66 had their best reunion yet in 2011. From the informal gathering at the BBC Tavern and Grill Friday evening to the many activities at school all day on Saturday, the lively reunion reception at the headmaster’s house to the wonderful buffet dinner at Betsy and Ed Weisbrod’s home, a good time was had by all. The Class of ’66 can still meld into a cohesive group after all these years. They are hoping to get together again before the 50th reunion. Barbara and her mother Betty Bours received the Founders’ Achievement Award on behalf of Barbara’s father William Bours

Headmaster Chris Wheeler with Betty Bours at the Homecoming 2011 5K run/walk. Betty commented that she wanted to thank everyone for the Tower Hill umbrella she received for the race and commented, “I presume I won for either being the oldest or the slowest to finish.”



at homecoming last year. Betty sent the following note: “I’d like to thank all of you and the Board members for selecting Bill as one of the three recipients of the Founders’ Achievement Award to those people who had previously generously helped the school…I am so appreciative and can hardly express my true thanks.” Lifelong resident of historic New Castle, Jim Travers, has created walking tours of one of Delaware’s most historic towns. The News Journal published an article about him called New Castle’s Walking, Talking History Lesson: Jim Travers is Offering Knowledge-packed Town Tours. Sheila Canby Voss, curator of Islamic art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, has helped return the collection to the galleries, which were closed in 2003 for renovation. The new, much expanded installation includes 1,200 pieces of work spanning more than 1,000 years. See the story about Sheila on page 10.

1968 Mary Carpenter and Katie Carpenter ’75 spoke to the fourth grade about their book Lost and Found in the Mississippi Sound—Eli and the Dolphins of Hurricane Katrina. Katie is an award winning documentary film producer, and Mary is a well-known journalist for a variety of magazines and newspapers including Time and The Washington Post. The authors spoke to the class about the challenges they faced when writing the book and producing a documentary about the eight bottlenose dolphins swept out to sea by Hurricane Katrina and their amazing rescue. More information about the book and the documentary can be found at www.dolphinsofkatrina.com.

1969Chuck Durante was inducted into the 18th Annual Delaware Hall of Fame in November 2011 at Cavaliers Country Club. Durante ran the two-mile at Tower Hill and Haverford College. As a contributing sportswriter, he has covered Delaware high school track for over 40 years for The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Delaware State News, The News Journal, Community News and other publications. Former teacher and legendary track coach Bob Behr spoke on Chuck’s behalf at the dinner and was joined by other Tower Hill alumni, faculty and staff.

1971Heather McClean Nickodem retired from teaching in 2008 in order to write fulltime. After penning her memoirs, she wrote a romance novel on a dare. To her surprise, the Florida Writers Association named Red Sky at Night the 2010 Unpublished Book of the Year. Spencer Rumsey won first place for the best feature story in the New York Press Association’s 2011 Better Newspaper Contest. The piece, called Soldiers of Misfortune, was about homeless veterans on Long Island. Spencer is the senior editor of the Long Island Press, an alternative weekly, where his blog, Rumsey Punch, inhabits the home page of www.LongIslandPress.com.

1974Alumna Ellen Jamison Kullman was featured on the PBS Nightly Business Report. Kullman, one of 12 women who head Fortune 500 companies and the first female CEO of DuPont, discussed maintaining a work-life balance and keeping science at the forefront of the company. The program was filmed in Wilmington, including portions at Tower Hill School with past Assistant Athletic Director Patty Marshall. Ellen was also ranked 4th in Fortune’s most powerful women in business. Last January Virginia A. Seitz, Assistant Attorney General, authored President Obama’s response to recess appointments without Senate confirmation. Seitz wrote the 23-page memo supporting the legality of these appointments.

1975Margaret Savage Brownell tells us she was married for the first time in June 2011. “Married life is fabulous—just bought a house in Leverett, MA. Life is full of unexpected changes!” In December, Mike Kelly joined his daughter Joanna ’10, who is a junior at Columbia University, at the Tower Hill alumni reception at the Yale Club. Many alums from the NYC area joined Headmaster Wheeler and other members of the Tower Hill community for an opportunity to reconnect and hear what’s happening at the school.

1976Mary Fuller Bond and her husband Martin Bond ’74 share that they are still doing “eldercare” with Mary’s parents and were sorry to miss her 35th reunion last year. The Bond’s daughter Louise, 24, is with a skin care company in Blacksburg, VA. Anne, 21, is a junior at Lafayette and studied in New Zealand for a semester. Marty and Mary enjoyed several recent trips to England, Turkey, Greece and Israel.

1978Jay Edinger was honored by Tower Hill at the senior awards ceremony in 2011 for his 15 years of advising the Tower Hill Mock Trial Team, a role from which he retired. Jay received a standing ovation. He was presented with a plaque commemorating his contribution and a collection of letters from members of the team, parents and alumni. John Hughes writes that he and his wife Kelly visited the Dr. Oz show and “had a ball.” John had attended the Green and White Club’s Casino Night last February and was the lucky winner of tickets to the show. Mehmet Oz graciously visited with John and Kelly after the NYC taping. John wants to thank all of you who made such an excursion possible. Mehmet Oz was the honorary chair for the 2012 Blue-Gold game in June. Mehmet played in the Blue-Gold game in 1978 representing Tower Hill. The 57th Annual Blue-Gold All Star Football Game was held at the University of Delaware.

1980Congratulations to Sandra Pettit Durgin who received her Master of Science of Nursing Education from Drexel University.

1981Congratulations to John Flynn who was promoted to full professor on the clinical educator track at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In April 2011, Regina Wells Clark and her husband danced the tango in the Baltimore Alzheimer’s Association Memory Ball. “We raised over $38,000, placing second for money raised.” In October 2011, Regina ran her first 5K race, and she plans to run the Marine Corp 10K in October 2012.



1982 30th Reunion Year In December 2011, Allison Barlow joined four alumni at the 16th Annual Evening with the Stars at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. to recognize their outstanding youth service leadership efforts for NativeVision. The honored alumni included Trip Ashley ’10, Zoe Blake ’11, David Kullman ’12 and Stephen Kullman ’12. NativeVision, co-founded by Allison, is an unprecedented enrichment and empowerment initiative for Native American youth and their families, operated by the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, in partnership with the NFL Players Association. In addition to their service at past NativeVision camps, Trip, David, Stephen and friends and families of the Tower Hill boys’ lacrosse team raised over $10,000 for NativeVision. See 2012 Class Notes for an update on NativeVision 2012. After graduating from Tower Hill, Susan MacDonald Roddey graduated from Davidson College and married fellow Davidson grad Hunter Roddey in 1987. Susan and Hunter attended Princeton Theological Seminary and each graduated with a M.Div. in 1990. Susan went on to finish a Doctor of Ministry with a specialization

in Pastoral Counseling at Columbia Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, in 2008. Currently, Susan is working as a North Carolina Certified Pastor Counselor/Therapist and as associate pastor. Susan and Hunter have two teenage children, Harrison and Caroline. Susan’s mother, Jeanne MacDonald, reports that her family lived in Wawaset Park for many years, but they have retired and moved to Charlotte. “We miss all our friends in Wilmington!”

1983 Paul Foldi, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, gave Tower Hill students an insider’s view of Washington D.C. during the 7th grade trip in February. Paul talked about the practical functions of the Executive Branch and the State Department. While covering topics ranging from Iraq to immigration, Paul gave a dynamic and engaging presentation that got students excited and interested.

1985Leora Ger Bloom tells us that in April 2012 her book Washington Food Artisans was published by Sasquatch Books. In it, she tells the stories of 17 farmers, fishermen, foragers and ranchers who live in Washington state. The book also includes recipes that use the ingredients from some of Washington’s best chefs.

1986After last year’s reunion reception on campus at the Hayward House, the Class of ’86 went to the World Café Live at The Queen in downtown Wilmington for an 80s dance party. Mary Wiggin, who chaired the Class of ’86 reunion commented, “We had a great time and the turnout was better than we expected!”

NativeVision and its co-founder, Allison Barlow ’82, center, honor Stephen Kullman ’12, Zoe Blake ’11, Trip Ashley ’10 and David Kullman ’12 for their service and dedication to Native American youth.

The Tower Hill Class of 1986 gather to mark their 25th reunion in October 2011.



1987 25th Reunion Year Last year Mary Beth Searles became development director at the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center, a non-profit law firm in Denver, Colorado, that represents abused and neglected kids, primarily those in foster care. She updated us this past spring that she moved on to a new job as senior director of development for the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder, Colorado. Susan Reed Allabashi wrote to us to say that she and her husband Tim Allabashi ’85 had a banner year. “With Tim’s Philly Steaks opening in Norwalk, CT, and the birth of their son James, there have been many changes for the better in our lives.” They are looking forward to their 25th reunion and returning to campus.

1988Hillary deLeeuw Spruance ’92 writes that her brother Jason B. deLeeuw is in the U.S. Army and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel effective February 2011. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his work in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. “We are all so proud of him and his work and wanted to share the news.” James Dearworth writes, “Life is good. I am happy to report that my family and I will be

able to stay in the Northeast. This year I earned my tenure at Lafayette College to become an associate professor in the biology department.”

1990Fleming McCoy Ackerman coached 1st grade soccer, which was great fun and mostly all about the snack! She commented, “I played field hockey, but they don’t know that!” She is hoping all her classmates are doing well!

1991 Alisha Wayman Bryson was one of ten women, business leaders in the construction industry, to meet with Mitt Romney last April while he was in Wilmington. They were invited to talk with him to discuss the problems facing small businesses today. The meeting took place at R.C. Fabricators, Inc., a steel business owned by a woman. Footage of the event was on Meet the Press. “It was my 15 minutes of fame,” commented Alisha.

1992 20th Reunion Year Brooke Doherty Thaler and her husband Russ just relocated from Maryland to Connecticut. Russ has a new job hosting a talk show on NBC Sports Talk. Brooke was inducted into the Dickinson College Sports Hall of Fame for field hockey and lacrosse in September 2011.

1996Emily Samson Tepe performed at the Baby Grand in Wilmington last November. Emily, who performs under the name IVA, gave her first public performance at the age of nine on The Grand’s main stage. Congratulations to Brett Levy who received his Ph.D. in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Michigan in August 2011. Brett has been a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also released his first, full music album, some of which can be heard at www.figure45.com. Also Brett recently got engaged, so this was a big year for him!

1997 15th Reunion Year Larry Spiller Kimmel is currently a partner at Kimmel, Roman & Peltz and practices plaintiff personal injury and worker’s compensation law. He and his wife, Kimberly, recently had twins. Rubin Liscano writes to thank us for including him in the distribution list for The Lookout, Tower Hill’s e-newsletter for alumni and alumni parents. Rubin was an exchange student and his exchange year at Tower Hill was one of the best years in his teenage life. He enjoys seeing and hearing from the school, his classmates and other alums and can be reached at [email protected]. Ryan Schultz is engaged to Lauren Golt ’03 and will be married in September 2012.

1999Lanita Ward-Jones wrote us about her wedding in September 2011 in Thompson, CT. She married Lt. Rakiyah Jones at a gathering of close family and friends. Lanita comments “that it was the most wonderful day ever; the weather was lovely and the company divine.” Mrs. Melissa Martinenza Newell served as best person. The newlyweds are currently stationed at Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, NC. Don and Wendy Oren, proud parents of Dan Oren, report that Dan has been in the Navy since 2005. He is a pianist in the 6th Fleet NATO Band in Naples, Italy. He travels around Europe and Africa playing in ensembles or solo performances.

The families of Alix Hyde Barrell ’89, Corbin Pierson Woods ’89, Kelle Doherty Sanchez ’89 and Michael Hyde ’87 get together to celebrate the holiday in December 2011.



2001Morgan Hendry has been working for several years at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory near L.A. He worked on several projects, including the Mars Rover Curiosity that launched in November and successfully landed on Mars in August 2012. Morgan designed a thermally-protected box that houses the pyrotechnics involved with the complex landing sequence. It was NASA’s most complex landing on any surface, anywhere to date. The wedding of Dr. Alexandra Otto and Dr. Timothy Newhook took place in September 2011 at the Vicmead Hunt Club. Bridesmaids were

Casey Owens, Mona Yezdani Gillen, Pam Jennings, Tara Boulden, Meg Martz Smith ’96 and Katherine Stokes. Other Hillers in attendance included Thomas Messick ’84, Megan Martz ’96, Dr. Tara Boulden, Jill Hocutt, Steve Martinenza, Wilson Braun, Adam Kalamchi, Jesse Silliman, Valarie Messick Elliott ’75, Richard Elliott ’54 and Erin Kenney. Three of the five members of the Wilmington-based Spinto band include Thomas Hughes, Sam Hughes ’03 and Nick Krill. For the first time since their breakout album Nice and Nicely Done, the band has no label. They recorded Shy Pursuit in their own home studio nestled in Hockessin at their own pace, funded with money made from touring and merchandise sales.

2002 10th Reunion Year Science teacher Elliot Mitchell reports that David Hindin graduated from medical school and started his surgical residency at Penn this summer. David asks to send his regards to all.

2003Amanda Schuckert was awarded her white coat by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in November 2011. The prior summer she traveled with other vet students to Thailand to provide a free mobile clinic for pets in remote areas.

2007 5th Reunion Year Rachel Spence is attending graduate school at George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs. In the spring of 2011, Mahi Trivellas received the Holgate Award for her dedication to the Yale lacrosse team, the ideals of Yale and the success of women’s lacrosse. Twin sister Myra Trivellas, also a member of the lacrosse team, was recognized at the awards ceremony. Mary Elizabeth Snyder was in Granada, Spain, as an assistant English teacher in a Granada elementary school. This was her second trip to Granada, having studied there for a semester through the University of Delaware’s Study Abroad program. Mary Elizabeth will be teaching Spanish in Tower Hill’s Middle School beginning fall of 2012.

2008Caitlin Van Sickle was named All-American by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. The UNC Tarheels, who claimed the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Championship—their first since 2007 and 17th in program history—ranked 2nd in the NCAA Championship. Amy Smith recently graduated from Connecticut College and was given two awards at the college’s annual honors and awards ceremony in May 2012. Smith was awarded the American Institute of Chemists Foundation Award, given to a student who displays excellence in chemistry. She also received the Jose Limon Award, which is given to a junior or senior dance major who has outstanding accomplishments and has demonstrated dedication to the dance field. Ryan Hidalgo graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Microbiology and Cell Science. He plans to continue onto medical school.

Left: While visiting the Flower Market, Heather Weymouth Lowry ’97 stopped by the Alumni House with her son Emmett. Heather shared that she and her husband Matt would be moving to Austin, Texas, for his new job.

Below: Anjali Rao Martin ’91 (right) with her new baby, Camryn, and Irene Permut Swift ’97 (left) with her new baby, Max, also stopped by the Alumni House that same day in May to say hello.



2009Last fall Mary Hobbs held the Haverford College record for field hockey points and goals. She was named the Centennial Conference’s offensive player of the week. Caleigh Azumaya was awarded a Harrison Award through the University of Virginia. The award supports students who present detailed plans for research projects that have been endorsed by a faculty mentor. Caleigh, who is a chemistry major studying physiology, is researching mapping the synthesis and translocation of hyaluronan through its synthase. Stephanie Bernasconi, a Dickinson College senior, recently completed a 12-week study abroad program with the Sea Education Association. Though the first six weeks of the curriculum took place in a classroom, Bernasconi spent the second half of the semester on a 3,000-mile journey in the Pacific Ocean. Justin Hicks was featured in a Bucknell article entitled Hicks Wastes Little Time Sprinting to Success at Bucknell. Based on the records he has set in track, one would assume that he has been running track for the greater part of his life. But it was the head track coach at Tower Hill, Nick Russo, who approached him during his junior year and asked him to come out for the team. In addition to pursuing a degree in neuroscience, Justin works on-campus as a resident assistant, a recycling monitor and a caller for Bucknell’s Student Calling Program. Andrew Gemmell, who swam on our varsity team as an 8th grader, qualified for the 1,500 freestyle in this summer’s Olympics in London. He missed competing in the finals by less than two seconds.

2010Jenni Williams is an exercise science major with a minor in disabilities at the University of Delaware. As a member of UD’s Service Learning Scholars fellowship program, Jenni became involved in challenging and instructive community-based projects, which offered her the opportunity to be a mentor for students with intellectual disabilities. She also worked in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation program, which helps young adults with disabilities find employment and job training. Emily Schuckert was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad for 2011. As a member of the Ivy League championship field hockey team, she started all games last season and was awarded the Coaches’ Award, given to the player who exemplifies principles, direction and persistence in pursuit of field hockey excellence at Yale. Emily, a junior majoring in Environmental Engineering, was the recipient of one of Yale’s International and Professional Experience Fellowships and completed an internship this past summer in Madrid.

2011 Devin Tracy, a sophomore at Penn State, was one of 34 students in the country awarded a Financial Service Centers of America scholarship. She was also named to the Presidential Dean’s List. Michael Mistras received the Scholar Athlete Award by U.S. Squash. The award is given to student athletes who have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 and participated in at least four U.S. Squash sanctioned tournaments. Michael was one of 10 student athletes who were given special acknowledgment for having achieved this honor all four years of high school. Gracie Firestone was awarded the National High School Spirit of Sport Award in April 2012 at Tower Hill’s spring sportsmanship rally. Gracie, one of eight recipients from across the country recognized by the National Federation of State High School Associations, was named winner of an eight-state region, including Delaware. She was also presented a Senate Tribute by Senator Michael Katz. See page 16 for an article about Gracie. In January 2012, a group of recent alums returned to Tower Hill to speak with current upper school

students about the college admission search and application process. Demetrius Murray ’10 (Clemson), Margie Saunders (Stanford), Noah Chodos (Columbia), Natasha Qureshi (Lehigh), Christie Pletz (Boston College) and Mark Aboff (Carnegie Mellon) spoke about their own experience of applying to college and the anxiety surrounding the process for both students and parents. Looking back, alums suggested that students set realistic goals, work hard in their college search, and as a result, they will be accepted to a school where they can thrive.

2012 David, Stephen and Maggie Kullman ’08 volunteered at the 2012 NativeVision Camp held in Tuba City, AZ on the Navajo (“Dine’”) reservation in June. Approximately 1,000 Native American children participated in sports, art, leadership, youth entrepreneurship and cooking activities. In addition, under David and Stephen’s leadership, the Tower Hill lacrosse team raised $3,600 for the NativeVision Camp from this past year’s goal-pledging initiative.

Faculty Chris Aitken, physical education and soccer coach, was inducted into his high school athletic hall of fame with his varsity soccer teammates. In 1993 the team from St. John the Baptist, West Islipm, NY, was voted the #1 high school boys’ soccer team in the country. Chris played midfield. Chris recently trained and competed in his first ironman triathlon. The race, which took place in Louisville, Kentucky in August 2012 included a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon. In addition to completing the triathlon, Chris raised funds and awareness for cancer through the LiveSTRONG Foundation. In May Hugh Atkins, chair of the English department, had a collage accepted in the National Collage Society’s Annual National Juried Show, which opened this summer at the Berman Museum in Collegeville, PA. Upper School History teacher Arturo Bagley presented a workshop called Instigators of Change: Youth in the Civil Rights Movement in History and Film at the People of Color Conference in Philadelphia in December 2011. He examined the role young people played

Olympian Andrew Gemmell ’09 pauses at the DISC championship meet in 2005 at St. Andrew’s where he won the 500 freestyle.



One of 80 chosen from 540 entries, Hugh Atkins’ collage was displayed at the National Collage Society’s Annual National Juried Show this summer.

in the Civil Rights Movement and the ways that involvement has been portrayed in films. Bagley also helped publish a book on the life of Coretta Scott King. Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King provides an insightful look at the life of the author, human rights activist and wife of famed Civil Rights Movement leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The book was written by Mrs. King’s sister Edythe Scott Bagley. Although Mrs. Bagley passed away last summer, her dream of having her sister’s story published was carried on through her son Arturo and her niece, Bernice King. This spring you may have heard 91.7 WMPH playing music from the first CD of Sara Bush, Lower School music teacher. WMPH is a student-run broadcast from Mount Pleasant High School, which often focuses on homegrown artists in this area. Sara recorded the CD in 2007 when she completed her Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at the University of Delaware. Ann Clay, first grade teacher, presented a talk entitled Beyond Building: How to Enrich All Content Areas Through the Use of

LEGO® Bricks in the Differentiated Classroom at the 2012 Staff Development for Educators Midwest Differentiation Conference in Chicago in July 2012. She has also been selected to present her talk Finger-tastic: Non-Traditional Manipulatives for Number Sense and Fine Motor Development at two upcoming conferences this year—the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2012 Regional Conference and Exposition in Dallas and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2012 Regional Conference and Exposition in Chicago. Tower Hill’s three librarians Ellen Dolmetsch (Lower School), Cinda Crane (Middle School) and Ellen Potter (Director of Libraries and Upper School) attended the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association Annual Conference in Hershey, PA. Ellen Dolmetsch and Julie Smith, 3rd grade teacher, attended a Bureau of Educational Research conference entitled What’s New in Childrens’ Literature. Ellen Dolmetsch had a rug displayed in a national show sponsored by the American Traditional Hooking Arts. She

also had a solo show in May 2012 in Arden. Rowena Macleod, Lower School art teacher, juried a works on paper art show in the fall of 2011 at the Newark Arts Alliance. She also participated in a group show at the Chris White Gallery in Wilmington in the spring of 2012. Laura Ouladdaoud, 2nd grade coordinator, presented at a conference sponsored by the Texas Association of Literacy Education in San Antonio last

February. The conference was entitled Literacy Summit: What’s Hot in Literacy for 2012. She presented research that was done on interactive e-books and reading comprehension in struggling readers. Peter Rust, Upper School science teacher, earned a Master of Science in Science Education from Montana State University during the summer of 2011. Frank Singles organized, with the help of the University of Delaware, a conference entitled Supporting the Common Core Standards through Social Studies. The conference focused on standards identified as the core concepts students should know at each grade level. During this past summer, Rachel Marlowe, After School program and choreographer for many Tower Hill productions, worked for the Greater Ocean City Theatre Company, a professional theater company that attracts Broadway performers. Rachael appeared in all three of the major productions—Crazy for You, Cinderella and Hairspray. In April Stacy Palmer, administrative assistant to the headmaster, was thrilled to get a new folding machine for the school at a great savings from a local company with a Tower Hill history. It was purchased from Tower Business Systems, a company named after Tower Hill School. The founder’s children, Brad McMillan and Beth McMillan Splaine graduated from Tower Hill in 1983 and 1986, respectively. The sales person, Kevin Laird, who has been with the company for 30 years, recalled how and why the company was named—because of the great education the owner’s children had received, as well as when the tuition bills came due!

Past faculty Frank Ashby, Language Department from 1956-1987, wrote last fall to thank us for the invitation to Homecoming 2011 and for sending the excellent and informative Spring/Summer 2011 Bulletin. He recalled that Homecoming was always such a happy occasion, but physical limitations continue to make his life and travel a bit difficult. He commented that “the Bulletin interview with Chip MacKelcan ’67 was most interesting…as a 10th grader, Chip was in my afternoon French class when someone rushed in to say that JFK had been shot in Dallas. Now it seems so long ago. A sad feature of the Bulletin



fter graduating from Tower Hill where he had been inspired by several of his teachers, Chip pursued opportunities in the education field to teach and coach. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Hobart College and baffled opposing hitters with his knuckle-curve as a pitcher on the baseball team. Chip also obtained a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University.

Chip’s career in education began at Oak Grove-Coburn School in Vassalboro, Maine, and continued in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, at the University Liggett School where he taught history, coached baseball and basketball, and became the head of the upper school. Louisville Collegiate School hired Chip in 1981, which began a 30-year tenure as a head of school that continued at the Columbus Academy (OH), Durham Academy (NC) and most recently at the Sanford School in Hockessin (DE). He stepped down from his position at Sanford in 2011 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Chip was very involved with professional organizations in an effort to enhance the broader independent school community. Faculty and students knew him as a visible and accessible leader who took a personal and genuine interest in all members of the community.

When interviewed by Headmaster Chris Wheeler last year for the Spring/Summer 2011 Bulletin, Chip commented, “It feels good to have helped a lot of people along the way. That is something I really enjoyed.” To read the full article about Chip, go to www.towerhill.org/publications.

Dr. Crawford “Tuss” Greenewalt, Jr. ’55 . June 3, 1937-May 4, 2012

Douglas W. “Chip” MacKelcan Jr. ’67 . August 22, 1948-July 30, 2012

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In Memoriam rom the age of eight, Dr. Crawford “Tuss” Greenewalt, Jr. was interested in ancient civilization and his passion never wavered. After graduating from Tower Hill School, he received his B.A. in 1959 from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in 1966 from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1966 he began his teaching career as professor of Classics and Archaeology at the University of California-Berkeley where he remained until he retired in 2010.

Crawford excavated for more than a half century at the archaeological site of Sardis in western Turkey. Throughout his career, his focus of research was archaeology of ancient Sardis and the Lydians, the native Anatolian people famous for inventing coinage. His first visit to Sardis was as a photographer in 1959. He returned to the site every summer thereafter—as archaeologist and then as director of the archaeological exploration for the project. He excavated throughout the site, fundamentally transforming our knowledge of the ancient city. As a student he also dug at the nearby royal cemetery at Bin Tepe, spending three summers tunneling in one of the colossal burial mounds. As director, he oversaw the excavation of the colossal fortification walls and monuments. His publications include about 100 articles and essays, primarily about the archaeology of Lydia and East Greek pottery.

He was highly respected and remembered with fondness by all who came in contact with him: professional colleagues, students, fellow workers in Turkey and friends.

was Harry Baetjer’s warm appreciation of Jim Ten Broeck from whom we had not heard for some time. It is always good to read of the way in which Tower Hill continues to grow with such success in so many fields.” Tim Golding announced that the 2012-2013 school year will be his final one as Wooster School’s headmaster. He will have served five different schools spanning a 43-year career in education. In his letter to the Wooster community, he commented, “In retrospect, it was a personal blessing to recognize that after my first year of

teaching in 1969-70, I had found my life’s calling: a passion for working with students of all ages in many capacities. Children are what have brought true joy and purpose to my life, just as our two children and two grandchildren do currently.” Tim was headmaster of Tower Hill from 1986-2005. George Martz was highlighted in the Fall/Winter 2011 issue of Greenville & Hokessin Life in an article entitled Forging a Path to Artistic Expression: George Martz Doesn’t Let Parkinson’s Disease Get in the Way of His Art. George shares

that he is lucky to be painting and finds it therapeutic. Adapting painting methods to his symptoms has been a work in progress. He taught art at Tower Hill for 28 years before retiring in 2010. Since his retirement in 2011, former math teacher Bob DeNigris has spent six months on glorious Maui. He has volunteered for the Pacific Whale Foundation, doing multiple tasks, including computer work and photo gallery exhibit greeting. He says, “Hawaii is a great place to be” and has recently made it his permanent home.

Ensure a Future of Excellence for Tower Hill School

Every new generation of Hillers owes a large part of their success to the generations that came before them. One generation shepherding the next and the next.

Planned/deferred giving is a wonderful way to contribute to Tower Hill School to ensure a strong future for generations of Tower Hill students. Such gifts may be arranged through trusts, bequests and other estate planning vehicles.

Your planned gift will prepare the next generation of Hillers to be leaders, thinkers and citizens of the world.

Please contact the Development office at 302.657.8353 for more information about making a planned gift to Tower Hill School.

Tower Hill ScHool

2813 West 17th Street

Wilmington, DE 19806

Please keep us informed with all updated addresses.

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Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Math and Science Center, May 2012

tower hill summer 2012 bulletin

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