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SPRING 2014 1

÷e Blue Doors TheNightingale-Bamford SchoolVolume 8Issue 2Spring 2014

2 THE BLUE DOORS SPRING 2014 1

Schoolhouse ExpansionHead of School Paul A. Burke leads us through the plans for our new schoolhouse

23 | BlackboardHistory teacher Jena Epstein is right where she wants to be.

26 | My Life in the GambiaKatie Bolander ’08 shares her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa.

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Contents12 16 20

Embracing Our CreativityArt faculty member Scott Meikle discusses the importance of creativity as an essential element of great teaching.

A Conversation with Sakina Jaffrey ’80Director of Alumnae Relations Amanda Goodwin interviews House of Cards actress Sakina Jaffrey ’80.

30 | The FairPhotos from last fall’s biennial Nightingale Fair

32 | HallwaysStories and photographs from around the schoolhouse

38 | Class Notes

44 | Voices

Reflections on 10 Years of the London TripFaculty members Brad Whitehurst and Jeff Kearney share their stories.

THE BLUE DOORS

Volume 8, Issue 2Spring 2014

A biannual publication ofThe Nightingale-Bamford School20 East 92nd StreetNew York, New York 10128nightingale.org

We would like to hear from you! Letters to the editor, class notes, story suggestions, corrections, and questions may be directed to [email protected].

In an effort to save paper, we are working to consolidate our mailing list so that we send only one copy of The Blue Doors to each address. If you have received more than one copy of this magazine at your address, please e-mail us at [email protected]. If you prefer to continue receiving multiple copies, please also let us know. Thank you for your help as we strive to reduce our impact on the environment!

DESIGN

Pentagram

LAYOUT

CZ Design

PRINTING AND MAIL ING

Allied Printing Services PHOTOGRAPHY

All photography courtesy of subject unless otherwise noted:

Cover, Jena Epstein, Fair photos, museum visit, and snowy rooftop by Nicki Sebastian

London by Emily Tilson ‘17

Varsity dance, Madeleine Albright, and Cultural Night by Victoria Jackson

Sakina Jaffrey Christmas Pageant courtesy of Andrea Demirjian ’81

Fathers Who Cook by Jennifer Taylor

On the cover: Lily Hrazdira ‘24 looks out at the audience during the Class II presentation, “Sights and Sounds of New York City,” on February 11.

2 THE BLUE DOORS SPRING 2014 34 THE BLUE DOORS

Imagine a new schoolhouse. Tie it to a vision. Connect it to our essence. Articulate clearly how the acquisition of additional square feet could translate to an enhanced educational experience for Nightingale girls. This was the challenge presented by Board President Nina Joukowsky Köprülü ‘79 and our board of trustees in December 2011. With the acquisition of not one but two townhouses directly to the east of our existing schoolhouse, we were given the rare opportunity to rethink every inch of our space.

Thanks to the dedication of trustees committed to our “one schoolhouse” philosophy and their willingness to invest in this project, we are able to add more space while maintaining—and even strengthening—the K–XII community that is a hallmark of the Nightingale experience. Throughout the design process, we have remained grounded in our mission and focused on who we are as a school and a community. Faculty, staff, students, and parents have all been given opportunities to contribute their ideas and perspectives to this project; the final result will reflect thousands of hours of deep thinking about how best to educate the mind and heart of every Nightingale girl.

My long-serving predecessors understood the importance of community to the Nightingale experience—Joan McMenamin often said that “a small school humanizes the vast city that surrounds it” and Dorothy Hutcheson embraced this community with unparalleled energy and purpose—and we are committed to retaining and enhancing important spaces for students and faculty to gather. From an expanded Lower School library allowing for more opportunities for creativity and collaboration to separate spaces for older girls to connect with friends and faculty, our schoolhouse will continue to be a place where community thrives.

Middle School students will have a floor that is truly their own, punctuated by a signature “disconnect to connect” room: in a schoolhouse built for the twenty-first century, our students will learn how technology can create opportunity and enhance their purpose, but they will also internalize the value of being fully present with friends, classmates, and teachers. Upper School girls will have their own space, as well: a spacious new Upper School Commons that will provide a place for them to meet with teachers and connect with one another.

The student center—the busiest room in the schoolhouse—will be redesigned to improve the flow of people within the space and filled with natural light, thanks to the addition of a large window at its east end. Our main library is also being reimagined and expanded to support the role of a library in the modern age. Certainly there will be room for physical books, but increasingly our students need places to study, collaborate, and learn, no matter the source material. With a new reading room under the historic arched windows, group workspaces, a host of individual study areas, and soft seating throughout, our library will be a place of both learning and connection for our students.

SchoolhouseOur New Head of School

Paul A. Burke leads us through the plans for our new schoolhouse.

This view shows the two townhouses that will be incorporated into the schoolhouse. The townhouse facades will be restored to their original beauty, while the interior spaces will be completely redone. From the inside, there will be no distinction between the current schoolhouse and the new space. It will all flow seamlessly together.


Our new space must be forward looking. With two Lower School science labs, newly imagined Middle and Upper School labs, a greenhouse, and the most advanced technology in every classroom, there is an emphasis on science and technology in the new schoolhouse, but not at the expense of the arts, music, languages, and humanities, as we still believe that a broad-based liberal arts curriculum gives our graduates the best chance of approaching the uncertainties of the world. Our design adds new music spaces, larger art studios, and 14 classroom spaces for the humanities and languages, allowing us to tailor spaces specifically to those areas of study. We will even have a “maker space”: a special room equipped with the latest technology, providing a place for our girls to work together on interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of art, technology, and science. Every girl will have every chance to discover and develop her particular interests.

Above all, we will have flexible spaces that allow students to develop their own uses, their own projects, and their own voices. A public speaking theater, a new athletic training and fitness room, a multipurpose blackbox performance space, and the Upper School Commons are but a few examples.

Twenty-five years ago, Nightingale embarked upon an ambitious and comprehensive schoolhouse construction project that required all students, faculty, and staff to vacate the building for two years; many of our readers may remember the “Nightingale diaspora,” as students attended classes in satellite locations all over the Upper East Side. We are grateful for their sacrifice, as the end result of that project was the beautiful, unified schoolhouse that we all enjoy today. Now it is our turn to adapt and expand our space to support the next generation of Nightingale girls, and we are fortunate that we will be able to complete this work with minimal disruption to the day-to-day lives of our students.

The schoolhouse plans embody our absolute commitment to the success of every girl. Studies show improved student performance and attendance rates with increased exposure to natural light, so large windows and glassed walls will bring considerably more light into classrooms and hallways. Creativity and innovation will flourish in our new spaces, as we make room for cross-disciplinary conversations, collaborative work, and student-directed projects.

This schoolhouse expansion is distinct because Nightingale is distinct, and in the pages that follow, you will have the opportunity to see architectural renderings of what is in store. Our mission statement commits us to the success of every girl by educating her heart and her mind, and therein lies our cue. This design is about bringing out the best in every girl in every space at every moment.

Paul A. BurkeHead of School

We have redesigned our library for the twenty-first century, creating spaces for students to study, collaborate, and learn. We have expanded our reading room tables, added individual study areas, and provided group study rooms for students to work together on projects or to meet with faculty.

This wall of the library will be glass, allowing natural light to flood into the second-floor hallway.

The renovated student center will improve flow, as well as bring the outdoors in through a large window overlooking a landscaped courtyard.

The presence of a courtyard will create a sense of campus, as students will be able to look out from the student center over to the beautifully restored bay windows of the townhouses.

OverviewThis plan of the second floor provides a good overview of the additional space provided by the townhouses (we gain about 20,000 sq. ft. of usable space, a 20% increase) and a sense of how the new space will connect with the current schoolhouse.


GreenhouseLocated on the southeastern corner of our sixth floor, this greenhouse represents our strong commitment to science education for girls at all levels. It will provide the opportunity for students to learn with their hands and to run long-term experiments in biology, chemistry, and the Earth sciences.

Construction ScheduleDemolition work in the townhouses has already begun, and construction will continue uninterrupted until the summer of 2015. Work in the existing schoolhouse is being scheduled around the school year; all renovation will happen during the two summer breaks to minimize disruption to our students.

SUMMER 2014 ScHOOL YEAR SUMMER 2015

current Schoolhouse

Townhouses

completion: August 2015


Upper SchoolIn the new schoolhouse, the third floor becomes a real destination, with its own physical identity reflecting our older girls’ increasing independence. We have incorporated classrooms of varying size, tailored to different styles of teaching and learning. Our new two-tiered public speaking theater reinforces our commitment to every girl’s voice and provides the perfect space in which to practice presentations and debate. Glass walls will allow natural light to flow into the hallways.

This new workspace is but one of our new and expanded spaces for faculty and staff; with this renovation, we are able to ensure a strong adult presence on every single floor of the schoolhouse, supporting the student-teacher connection that is vital to the Nightingale experience.

The Upper School Commons provides a space for girls to study, relax, and meet with teachers or each other; it will be a comfortable, multipurpose space embodying the best aspects of our Upper School experience. The Upper School offices are also part of the Commons, cementing the collaboration between students and adults in the Upper School.


Members of our board of trustees have worked diligently toward the goal of schoolhouse expansion since the acquisition of the first townhouse in 2007; we are grateful for their vision and leadership. We acknowledge with deep appreciation the trustees of the Nightingale-Bamford School from 2007 to the present who have provided so much support for this ongoing project:

Lisa Grunwald Adler ’77Jennifer Brodsky Clarissa BronfmanJim ChanosOdette Cabrera Duggan ’83 Brenda EarlAlice Elgart Brooke Brodsky Emmerich ’91 Blair Pillsbury Enders ’88Alexander EvansM. Fredric EvansDouglas FeaginJim ForbesRebecca GrunwaldShoshanna Lonstein Gruss ’93John HallJohn HannanLiz Hay Patsy Gilchrist Howard ’62Jerry KenneySusan KesslerElena Hahn Kiam ’81Steve KlinskyNina Joukowsky Köprülü ’79 Paul LachmanLucy LamphereAmy Tsui Luke Valerie Margulies Kathy MartinEve Chilton MartiranoCurtis MewbourneBill MichaelcheckGreg PalmDebbie Perelman ’92Renan PierreDina PowellAnna QuindlenDebora SparSusan Tilson Mary Margaret TrousdaleWendy Van AmsonDenise Welsh Juliet Rothschild Weissman ’93 Grant WinthropTownsend Ziebold

BlackboxThe strength of this new blackbox/multipurpose space rests in its apparent simplicity. Located on the lower level, the room will be flexible enough to support student-developed shows, drama productions, music rehearsals, dance rehearsals, PE classes, and a variety of parent association events and meetings.


A La Recherche du Temps Trouvé: 10 Years on the Class IX Trip to London

By Brad Whitehurst

“Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement’s,You owe me three farthings, say the bells of St. Martin’s….”(George Orwell in 1984)

On the same Sunday morning in November for the last 10 years, I have walked up Duncannon Street in London expecting to hear bells, and I have not been disappointed. In my mind’s eye, that first full day of the Class IX trip has always dawned under vivid, azure skies—even though meteorologists would confirm that mid-November promises gray skies and sporadic drizzle—and St. Martin-in-the-Fields has rung in our welcome.

Leading an accordion-like cluster of adolescents, I recall the English rhyme that the students will feel so smart to recognize in the spring when reading George Orwell’s novel 1984 (see above). We slip inside the church—a Protestant interior, the history buffs among us agree, because of the white walls, prominent pulpit, and large, clear windows. Back outside, we cross into Trafalgar Square for photos of the Elizabeth Tower in the distance, home to Big Ben. When the doors open at 10:00 sharp, we enter the National Gallery. During the next 90 minutes or so, each girl, in turn, presents her five-minute docent talk on a painting in the permanent collection. By noon in the bookstore, at least one student announces the need to buy a postcard of “my painting.” Like many of my best moments in the classroom, such experiences have registered as reassuring routine refreshed by new company.

Several years ago as a student was presenting her docent talk, a chic French couple in their 30s or 40s wandered by, paused to listen, and ended up staying. Soon other strangers strolled by, stopped, and listened. At the conclusion of the girl’s talk, the admiring passersby, now grown to a group of eight or ten, broke out in applause. And it was true: she had done an excellent job. Broadly smiling, the French couple approached me to ask how they might retain the curatorial services of my “guide.” When they heard that she was my student, they were impressed; when I clarified that I teach not at a university, but at a secondary school, they were astounded. Different versions of this story have recurred over the years, usually involving adult tourists flummoxed to discover what motivated 15-year-olds can do when given time to research, organize, and practice with a clear goal in mind. The painting project is only one indication of the trip’s larger educational value.

As the brainchild of former Head of School Dorothy A. Hutcheson, the trip was envisioned as an enriching travel experience that would connect to the curriculum (“Nightingale Abroad,” as we like to call it) and also deepen bonds among students and between students and faculty. But how would the trip be financed? Ms. Hutcheson had an idea. As she recollects, “I asked the Class of 2004 senior parents if they would dedicate their class gift to the new trip…and they immediately embraced the concept and raised the largest senior parent gift to date at that time. Their generosity helped undergird the trip for the first three years.” The costs in subsequent years have been absorbed into the school’s operating budget.

Ever since that first trip, one curricular challenge often discussed inside the blue doors has dogged us across the ocean: how do you fit it all in? Like the exterior of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, which has transformed during the past decade from black soot to gray scaffolding to gleaming marble, our itinerary has been repointed and polished with the benefit of experience. As former Head of Upper School David Murphy recalls, “When we arrived at the British Museum and discovered it crammed with screaming younger schoolchildren…, I learned to schedule that location for the afternoon.” For several years now, Windsor Castle has provided the perfect first stop on our Saturday bus ride in from Heathrow Airport. The London Eye, always a crowd-pleaser, has become a permanent feature of our Sunday evening. Added recently were the Victoria and Albert Museum and, just this past year, the Maritime Museum in Greenwich. At the same time, several worthy venues less directly connected to the ninth-grade curriculum have been let go, including Apsley House, the Churchill War Rooms, and the Natural History Museum. Darwin’s House, a very long bus ride south of London, had to be dropped. The Tate Britain, too, has been eased out, despite its wonderful paintings by J.M.W. Turner (and the inevitable groans of dismay from Mr. Loughery). Meanwhile, the core sites have remained: the National Gallery, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Shakespeare’s Globe, the British Museum, and Hampton Court Palace.

In the balance, what has been gained is time. If we did not want our students (and ourselves) to act like type-A New Yorkers on a tourist tear, we needed to slow down. And if group bonding was a goal of the trip, it had to be built into the schedule. Now on most afternoons, students spend an hour or two at the hotel to nap, shower, write in a journal, or visit friends (but no more than six girls in a room, please!) before dinner or an evening out at the theater. In short, the trip’s pace has evolved from breakneck to brisk, allowing some time to reflect, relax, and regroup. I would like to think that we are emulating that oft-repeated British maxim, “keep calm and carry on.”

Peer bonding, however, is not limited to students. Some of my most meaningful conversations with other faculty have occurred while walking along the edge of Hyde Park, riding the boat to Greenwich, or convening in the evening to discuss logistics for the next day’s excursions. I still fondly recall specific occasions—for example, chatting with Ms. Epstein on a long bus ride, raising a glass with Mr. Kearney, and sharing lunch with Ms. Longley after a morning of painting presentations. At such moments, we do talk shop but also share our lives, and we are better for it.

Jane Lee entered Nightingale’s orbit by chance, and ever since we at Nightingale have been grateful for the role she plays in our London experience. Ms. Lee, a former actor and highly sought-after docent at St. Paul’s Cathedral, was assigned to us that first year and has been with us ever since. In recent years, she has agreed to come out of retirement just to lead our groups. Cheeky and deeply informed, Ms. Lee deploys a winning combination of wry wit and irreverent humor—nothing too racy, but enough to charm. As she has been repeatedly reminded for the last several years, she has a standing invitation to be fêted royally whenever she finally ventures to New York. She has warmed to the offer, noting that she wants to see this homey place called Nightingale that she has heard so much about, but no airfare ticket has been purchased.

Reflections on 10 Years of the London TripThis year marked the 10th anniversary of the Class IX study trip to London, now a staple of the ninth grade curriculum and a highlight of the Upper School experience. Longtime chaperones Brad Whitehurst and Jeff Kearney reflect on travels past.


In search of a home away from home, we have repeatedly gravitated to the West London neighborhood of Kensington, just off the High Street. For nine out of ten trips, we have stayed at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington. When the hotel was already pre-booked for 2007, we decamped to Putney, which was mildly charming in a tatty way but inconveniently located. Otherwise, the Copthorne Tara’s large buffet breakfast—whether simple cereal or the heartier English fare of eggs, bacon, beans, and stewed tomatoes—has refueled us for each day of touring. For dinner along Kensington High Street, we have broken into smaller groups. Typically, two chaperones have accompanied roughly fifteen students to sample Thai, Indian, pan-Asian, Italian, or even Californian cuisine. Although we faculty have tried to rotate among different venues, I may actually have eaten Prawn Chilli Men at Wagamama 10 times in 10 years.

For the record, let me address the two most frequently asked questions by adults outside Nightingale. First, do you think the trip is worth it? In a word: yes. Clearly, such an undertaking is enormously expensive (I don’t know the

Ask a London chaperone how a recent trip has gone and you are likely to get a long, smiley yawn. It is no expression of boredom, but exhaustion coupled with a renewed calm and lack of crisis. “It’s a well-oiled machine,” we will boast, adjusting a scarf as if climbing out of a bomber, “went off without a hitch.” While we owe the satisfaction in part to the hospitality and patience of the British people—and to the support of our students—we can mostly thank Sally Edgar (and, in more recent years, Liz Angney), who spent much of the previous summer making phone calls while we were sunbathing or reciting poetry.

To maneuver 45 ninth graders to our cafeteria, let alone through a foreign capital, can be a fool’s errand. It is too often compared to herding cats when it is probably more like chasing squirrels. Yet the London trip has gone so well for so long that we can forget the moments when, despite Mrs. Edgar’s or our own oiling of the machine, things have gone wildly, even comically, wrong. For me, a number of those moments came in the fall of 2007, my first time on the trip. Seven years later, the memories have all the clarity of disaster narrowly averted.

That year, I was told, was different from the previous three. An accident of scheduling had landed us not in the usual Kensington hotel but in the pleasant, decidedly suburban district of Putney; the equivalent of expecting midtown and getting Yonkers or Rye. The lodgings were something out of The Addams Family: Best Western meets Miss Havisham’s house. The building had an almost ramshackle quality—a number of dull hotels fused together with mildew and thatch. A maze of corridors led to oddly-shaped rooms of the sort you might meet in a dream. As we checked in, we asked if the guests should carry torches or wear garlic. It may have been the one overnight trip in school history when the girls refused to leave their rooms.

Needless to say, when a first night fire alarm startled us out of bed and through those winding halls, we were lost. Bear in mind this was without any actual smoke or flames. There were so many exits that the class made a ring around the hotel outside, apart from the few who escaped to an inner courtyard or, curiously, onto the roof. The irony was that only Mrs. Edgar, acknowledged queen of the wake-up call, slept through the alarm.

Not long after, a stomach bug and asthma turned one of the halls into a makeshift emergency ward. When several more of the “well” girls should have been in their own oxygen tents, they convinced us they were healthy enough to tour St. Paul’s Cathedral and climb the 500 winding steps to the dome, all without an inhaler or a cough drop. By the next morning, attendance for breakfast was sparse, but the sick bay was overflowing. Coughing girls made room for wheezing girls, both of whom cleared out for retching girls. In a page out of her own botany notes, Ms. Vivion morphed from nurse to patient. It was a small group that toured the Science Museum that day.

By the middle of the week, as the sick were beginning to rise from their beds, we prepared for an evening at the Royal Theater. Though we had advised our students to dress for both appropriateness (it was a royal theater) and comfort (it was England in November), many appeared in the lobby decked out for a premiere at La Scala: high heels, pearls, tiny black purses. Those were the days when you could still land a prince. Luckily, we assured ourselves, we had left time for a leisurely commute to the playhouse. Though it was raining, we would take the tube and still be there in minutes. After a dinner out in Putney, we walked to the tube station to find it closed.

So we steered the group through rainy Putney to the regional train ten minutes away. It would be easy. We would alight at Waterloo Station and walk the couple of blocks along the south bank to the show. Despite our insistence

that we were from out of town (New York City!) and had a show to catch, that both hearts and minds were at stake, the train dropped us in Waterloo late. Our 30-minute cushion had shrunk to 10.

Waterloo Station is the busiest in Great Britain and a European hub. At any given moment it is stuffed with people, all late for something and most of them grumpy. After all, 2,000 years after Caesar’s invasion, it was still raining. On an evening when the subway is down, crowds and tempers in the station just multiply. But there we were, with just 10 minutes to make it to the theater. All we had to do was cross the station.

I’ll pause here to say again that traveling in a large group is a trick. As opposed to bringing the six or seven girls with whom we tour for most of the trip, movement is limited when we are all together and communication telepathic at times. It is like being a part of one of those animal costumes, where the head, trunk, feet, and rump begin joined but invariably separate, each in a different direction. Our beast had 45 segments, and the station 50 platforms, leading anywhere from Naples to Ipswich. It was not looking good for the Nightingale-Bamford School.

Class IX had learned in biology that at moments of crisis, an impulse drives us to fight or flee. At that particular moment, perhaps fearing for the integrity of the trip or the survival of our tickets, our leader did both. War Horse had gotten excellent reviews and we had front balcony seats. Acting on raw cultural instinct, Mr. Whitehurst began to sprint, moving as fast as a man in corduroy could. His aim, we could only guess as we watched him disappear under Central Clock, was to cut a diagonal path too swift for the group to disintegrate or realize its odds. He was not about to let us miss that curtain.

Neither wet stone nor 5,000 crisscrossing Londoners could slow Mr. Whitehurst that night, but some of us hit snags. Girls trying to run slid sideways like cars on a frozen lake. Some pressed on in their complicated shoes, others abandoned the heels and went for it in socks. Wallets dropped. Train tickets,

jewelry, and room keys went trampled underfoot. With the head of our line nosing toward the far end of

the station, Mrs. Edgar, Dr. Murphy, and I tried to secure the middle. In order to look forward and backward at once, we somehow ran while spinning. Dr. Kasevich and Ms. Epstein formed—or chased—the tail of stragglers. This increasingly amounted to everyone. Our reward would be the story of the “bond between a boy and a horse,” a puppet-driven production set in WWI, but by then it did not matter. It was becoming something larger than War Horse or any puppets. It was about survival. Waterloo may have taken down Napoleon, but we were not the French.

We arrived at the theater with all of the students and many of their possessions. As the house lights dimmed, the chaperones exchanged high fives, knowing that whatever horrors this horse would witness in the trenches, we had seen worse. In fact, 10 minutes into the production, before boy and colt even parted, Dr. Kasevich had to escort three of our own—stomach bug—back to the barracks. Those of us who remained either slept the soundest hours of the week or grew to identify with that irrepressible horse. One jammed pistol had saved Joey from the slaughterhouse, but we had dodged any number of shots.

That night we had not seen our last close call or even bona fide emergency, but it mattered less and less. Whatever troubles London had served us that week, it had buoyed us up to meet them. The painting presentations were dazzling from asthmatic and free-breather alike. The lawns at Hampton Court glowed just as brightly through the rain. Ms. Vivion taught through her misery and returned to healing others. In many ways, that year was no different at all.

Jeff Kearney is a member of the classics faculty and a Class IX homeroom teacher.

total price tag, though I could hazard a good guess), but fortunately, the board of trustees and the administration deal with balancing budgets and covering expenses, and teachers deal with…well, teaching and learning. From a pedagogical point of view, this teacher knows that planning, preparing for, and then spending one week away from school on a once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity is absolutely worth it.

Second, do you ever tire of the trip? Samuel Johnson, as usual, provides the perfect retort: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” Just as I have experienced in tackling Romeo and Juliet with Class IX in September, so I have felt in beginning a round of paintings with them in November: routine and renewal. With any luck, I will never tire of re-reading Shakespeare or revisiting Rubens, so long as new sets of young eyes are there to offer fresh perspectives. And when I am done, may others carry on.

A member of the English faculty, Brad Whitehurst has chaperoned all 10 Class IX trips to London.

The Class of 2017 on the most recent London trip in November 2013.

a chaperone’s tale


By Scott MeikleWhen adults discuss the subject of creativity, they often make a point of saying that they possess no creative ability themselves. Too often, I hear people say, “I haven’t a creative bone in my body. I can’t even draw stick figures.”

Such comments reveal a remarkably narrow view of what it means to be creative. A limited perspective on creativity means that many educators are unlikely to be able to guide students in tapping into their own creative impulses—and it all but eliminates the possibility of assessing students who do engage in creative responses to assignments.

Creative is not synonymous with artistic. The idea that creativity is primarily an artistic phenomenon is a purely Western one. In Eastern cultures, in fact, people actually have a bias toward thinking of science as a center of creativity. Neither of these viewpoints is accurate, nor is either helpful in school.

Creativity is more accurately defined as the act of solving problems for which there are no easy answers—that is, problems for which popular or conventional responses don’t work. Adaptability and flexibility of thought are essential to creativity, as is the ability to recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems and communicating with others, sometimes in an entertaining, nonlinear way.

Human beings are naturally inventive. We’ve all felt the need to communicate our ideas and values as well as to solve varied and complex problems in novel ways. These are skills that most adults already possess; they just aren’t commonly identified as vehicles for creativity.

measures the creative mind in a variety of ways, including the creative potential in areas such as art, literature, science, mathematics, architecture, engineering, business, leadership, and interpersonal relationships. Through these tests, Kim has discovered that children in the United States, especially in kindergarten through third grade, are less creative than similar children of 20 years ago. In an interview, Kim outlines the problem: “Countries investing in creativity can expect new ways of life and of governance, new materials and tools, and new technologies and occupations that we cannot even begin to imagine. This is why it is so important for the U.S. to recognize the importance of, and place a premium on, fostering creativity and creativity research—to put it simply, so the U.S. does not get left behind.”

The reasons for this creative decline? While it’s difficult to say definitively, Kim cites the increased emphasis on standardized testing and too much screen time among children. Kim’s conjecture makes sense, but I’d also add that education’s overall focus on teaching content for students to do well on those standardized tests—and this includes many independent school educators—has led us to downplay the importance of creativity in our teaching and in the work of our students. By using effective techniques and strategies, teachers can empower students to develop their innate creative abilities. The skills that facilitate creative problem solving are competencies that are universally valued by educators and can easily be integrated into our current curricula—without sacrificing any of our academic standards.

As I’ve learned through my own teaching of art to elementary school students, we can and should teach

sequentially when the process or material warrants it, but we can and should also teach creatively when warranted.If you accept the premise that good teaching requires educators to not only tap into their own creativity, but also help nurture the creative skills in students, we have to start thinking about how to do both. No doubt, there are numerous ways to do this, but in my experience, focusing on the following four areas will lead to overall improved teaching:

• Understand and embrace the importance of experiential learning, in and out of the classroom.

• Model creativity for the students. • Work to understand students’ learning styles.• Develop the teaching skills and techniques that enable

creative engagement.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Experiential learning is the process of learning from direct experience—from active physical and emotional engagement. Experiential learning usually extends over a period of time and involves a number of experiences integrated with directed, incremental impact. Students are not treated as passive receptacles to be filled with information; instead, they are active participants who shape the classroom experience.

Teachers who take an experiential approach to instruction become skilled at sizing up a situation in order to identify both the problems and opportunities. The generation of many solutions to a problem encourages—indeed, requires—divergent thinking. In such a setting, instructors serve as guides, mentors, and consultants. They develop

If you embrace flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity, unpredictability, and the enjoyment of discovering things unknown, you are embracing creativity. Indeed, we would be very limited individuals—and terrible teachers—if we were truly devoid of creativity.

A cREATIVITY cRISIS?

Anyone who has seen Sir Ken Robinson speak (or read his books or viewed his TED Talks) knows that he considers creativity an essential skill for our ever-changing, complex, at-risk world. Indeed, Robinson, among others, has made it clear that creativity is fundamental to our future success as a species. “My contention,” he says, “is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.” What he means is that, in school, if we teach children in ways that enhance their intuitive and creative abilities, we will be preparing them to meet new challenges with flexibility and inventiveness. When we nurture creative thought, we help a child to perceive underlying facts and ideas, to see old problems in new ways. When we nurture creativity in students, we help them to develop the very traits they will need in order to become the productive adults of tomorrow.

Unfortunately, we are not following Robinson’s lead particularly well. Educational psychology professor Kyung Hee Kim has observed a recent drop in the creative skills among American children. In her 2010 research, Kim has performed analyses of creativity through a measure known as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) for almost 300,000 American adults and children. The TTCT

Our CreativityEmbracing

Art faculty member Scott Meikle discusses the importance of creativity as an essential element of great teaching.


approaches that honor varied styles of learning and facilitate open discussion, introducing new issues and concerns as needed. They encourage students to be experimental and flexible, all the while guiding the learning process, monitoring performance, and encouraging feedback and self-analysis.

Fact-finding and thoughtful research are vital parts of experiential learning. Concrete facts can inform creativity, especially when students have discovered how to generalize their learning experiences for future use. An experiential approach gives students more choices about what to do next, rather than relying solely on teacher-directed activity. Educational goals are met by allowing the learning experience itself to influence the educational process.

MODELING cREATIVITY

What motivates human creativity? Sometimes creativity emerges because people need to solve a problem or communicate an idea. The desire for novel amusement or complex entertainment also inspires creative thought.

Environmental factors are also influential in motivating a student’s creativity. An instructor’s personal enthusiasm for the material taught can strengthen or dampen the creative impulse. A teacher who wholeheartedly embraces the curriculum inspires creative learning. When we nurture our own creativity, we find many opportunities to model the creative process for our students. Educating a child is almost always an imprecise process. When things don’t go as planned, I like to laugh and share this fact with my students. By modeling constructive responses to making a mistake, we can show children that error is a natural part of the creative process, and that sometimes failure inspires us to new and more effective solutions.

As Nobel Prize–winning novelist Anatole France put it, “An education isn’t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t. It’s knowing where to go to find out what you need to know; and knowing how to use the information you get.”

ADDRESSING STYLES OF LEARNING

Students benefit when teachers diversify their teaching methods to address a wide range of learning styles. People perceive and process information in different ways. A student’s approach to learning is based on personal strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. A preferred learning style may shift according to the task at hand, or one preference might remain strong and consistent throughout childhood. Students learn best when they are able to use a learning style with which they are comfortable. While most children are capable of using a variety of learning approaches, it’s important to teach material in such a way that all students are given the opportunity to express themselves in the manner in which they feel most fluent, otherwise we run the risk of squelching an individual’s creativity and enthusiasm for learning.

There are many available models describing styles of learning and how we can accommodate them in the classroom. My initial response to reviewing some of these models was to question how I could apply them to curriculum planning and teaching style in a natural and consistent manner. I decided to use this information to analyze my own approach to teaching. This proved to be a useful exercise. As with many adults, my

preferred learning style changes with the task at hand. When writing curriculum, I favor a self-directed and strongly intuitive approach. I enjoy making changes to my curriculum, and I’m fortunate to be in a position that allows me to teach students and educate myself at the same time. It proved problematic to refer only to existing models when assessing my teaching program; I sought a more personal and compelling connection to the material. So I decided that a more useful application of the various learning style models would be to reinterpret them in the form of a creativity checklist.

This checklist can be applied to my curriculum in order to ensure that I’m giving my students diverse opportunities to apply different learning styles. During performance assessments, the same checklist can be used to help recognize and nurture individual children’s creative abilities as they manifest themselves.

I’ve organized my list into categories labeled “warm” and “cool.” These terms derive from color mixing theory. Each color has a bias toward feeling warm or cool. The difference between one color and another can be quite subtle, but

it always has a strong impact on how a painting is perceived. Color temperature terminology is personally meaningful to me, so I chose to organize my checklist in this manner—and I now make sure there are opportunities for both warm and cool elements to emerge in the course of my lessons. Thinking in terms of warm and cool learning styles helps me to readily internalize the concepts and techniques I’m looking for in any given lesson (see sidebar on Cool and Warm Teaching on page 18).

Teachers benefit from being sensitive to their own interests and favored approaches to learning. We can better

nurture creativity in children when we understand and accept the ways in which we express our own creativity.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

I view my role in the classroom as similar to that of an orchestral conductor: I strive to enable students to be heard both independently and as part of a harmonious whole. Students thrive when we present a score that is written for the instruments they love to play.

Encouraging creativity in the classroom can inspire and motivate children in unforeseen ways. A healthy balance of purposeful direction and creative freedom delivers the best results: a strong and diverse classroom that is varied and flexible, able to shift course quickly while remaining enthusiastic about exploring any given subject—what is known and unknown.

There is value in learning to assess and identify creativity. If our personal concept of what it means to be creative is narrow, we can’t effectively nurture it in others. Everyone benefits, especially children, when adults internalize a more expansive definition of human creativity. By embracing our own individual creativity, we can create an inspirational classroom that nurtures and encourages inventive and transformative thinking.

Scott Meikle teaches art and woodworking in the Lower School.A version of this article originally appeared in the winter 2014 issue of Independent School magazine.

COOL creative problem-solving skills and techniques:

Practical application of ideas through deductive reasoning

Offering reasons for learning: references to real-life experience/ potential usefulness

Problem solving through group discussions

Reflective and independent observation

Adopting unusual visual and internal perspectives (seeing things from different angles)

Generating several innovative and relevant ideas when problem solving

Combining and synthesizing— capturing the essence of what’s being expressed and identifying it visually

Sequential problem solving

Utilizing knowledge from a past experience for use in the present

WARM creative problem-solving skills and techniques:

Feeling, sensing, using imaginative intuition

Being emotionally expressive/ using fantasy

Being verbally expressive/ articulate storytelling

Employing energetic movement or action: dance/song/rhyme

Creating rich and colorful imagery to communicate with others

Breaking and extending boundaries

Using humor and spontaneity

Desiring to formulate creative solutions

Incorporating hands-on activity

Reasonable risk taking

Cool And Warm Teaching


First off, congratulations on the success of House of Cards. When you took the role, did you anticipate the strong response that the show would receive?

When I sat at the first table-read with [Director David] Fincher and heard Kevin Spacey offer his first direct address to the camera, I got the chills. I had a visceral reaction to the reading, and felt that the show was an amazing hybrid of the best of theater and the best of film. I did not anticipate the widespread and rapid consumption of the show—how Netflix viewers would “binge-watch” many episodes at once or that leaders of China and India would watch the show. I knew it was an incredible project, but because the show is so political and so intellectual, I wasn’t sure whose cup of tea it would be (besides mine!). The response has been extraordinary. I even received a nice tweet from the child of a former classmate who remembered that I attended Nightingale with her mother.

I understand that at Nightingale, you were in the drama club and starred in productions such as Godspell. Did your love of acting and theater begin within these walls?

It seemed that Nightingale knew I would be an actress before I did. When I was in fifth grade, I played Nanook of the North, an Eskimo’s wife. Though I was only 10 or 11 at the time, a 10th grader—Nana Tucker Visitor ‘75—wrote to me: “Dear Sakina, After seeing the most talented Eskimo wife I’ve ever seen, I’m positive that Nightingale has a potential star on its hands.” I enjoyed theater at Nightingale and also played

Peep-Bo in The Mikado and Jesus in Godspell. Before Nightingale, I attended a public school in Greenwich Village, which was on strike most of the time. My best friend and I would make the best of the time by writing plays in the stairwell. So I have long enjoyed theater, but acting was not something that was obvious for me. It was a part of who I was in my soul, in the sense that it was how I expressed myself. I have a longer history of dancing and performed for several years at City Center with the Joffrey Ballet before turning my attention to a demanding academic program at Nightingale.

When you think back to your Nightingale experience, what are you most thankful for?

At Nightingale, I learned how to think and write—gifts that keep on giving. I am thankful for the teachers. Mrs. Wien [see page 43] taught us how to write and to this day we can quote the Canterbury Tales, The Aeneid, and works of Shakespeare. When you are in an all-girls environment, especially in middle school, you do not care what others think and you are not embarrassed. This helped inspire great confidence in me. Nightingale trained us to speak publicly, and even now when I have to conduct publicity for House of Cards, I am not nervous.

I am also thankful for my classmates. I came to Nightingale from a highly eclectic and diverse school in the Village, where my classmates had connections to a range of religions, ethnicities, and even the mob! When I came to Nightingale, people looked the same to me and were more sheltered. I remember referencing Elvis Presley, and a Nightingale girl

saying, “Who is he?” I thought to myself, “I have to get out of this place!” But I was so wrong. Nightingale was great— my class got really close and had the greatest mutual respect and love for each other. I was such a geek, especially for Nightingale—I showed up 15 minutes early to school and won every sportsmanship and attendance award. I loved being there. And it has been great to see the school become far more diverse. I am still close with my best friend at Nightingale, Eliza Foss ’80; we have been friends since fifth grade.

What was your favorite class as a Nightingale student?

So many! Of course, English with Mrs. Wien, Latin with Mrs. von Heereman, Spanish with Ms. Terry [to whom the Class of 1980 dedicated its yearbook], and social studies with Ms. Howard. I also loved math with Mrs. Finn; it was not a subject that came naturally to me, but she made it exciting. Though I have played many doctors on television, I generally avoided the sciences in school!

How about your favorite extracurricular activity?

I enjoyed theater and really loved athletics. I was a fast runner, even though athletics weren’t the same at the time, and I recall winning Field Day awards. I also joined the Nightingale gymnastics team after I stopped dancing full time, though I continued to dance outside of school. I also remember working for the newspaper.

When did you know you wanted to enter acting professionally?

Not until after college. At Vassar, I took every interesting course I could, from anthropology to sociology, Latin, and Chinese, which became my major and allowed me to live in Taiwan. I have two sisters—one attended Nightingale [Zia Jaffrey ‘77] and the other introduced me to my love of Chinese. Even after college, I was not sure that acting was something I wanted to do. I had this concept that you could not simultaneously act and be intellectually at the top of your game. Even as recently as the Academy Awards, Ellen DeGeneres joked [that among “all of the nominees, you’ve made over 1,400 films and you’ve gone to a total of six years of college.”] Once I let that notion go, I knew that acting was my path because it made me happiest. I have never pursued it for money or awards, but simply for the opportunity to express myself.

Your character, Linda Vasquez, is the President’s powerful chief of staff—a smart, loyal leader who is adept at political maneuvering. Do you associate with Linda’s character?

Linda has such a strong foundation and is carried by the courage of her own convictions. There has never been a female chief of staff, and while she is often the only woman in a room of white men, she never doubts herself. I think Nightingale has taught me to—if not be Linda—play Linda. Nightingale made us stand up for ourselves at all costs. Linda, while a powerful power player, is also elegant in her approach and maintains a high level of integrity.

A Conversation with Sakina Jaffrey ’80Sakina Jaffrey ’80 portrays White House Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez in the hit Netflix series House of Cards. Director of Alumnae Relations Amanda Goodwin had the opportunity recently to talk to Sakina about her career, her character, and the impact of her Nightingale experience.

Sakina Jaffrey ’80 in her role as White House Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez


Linda Vasquez is a prominent Hispanic character, and you come from an Indian-American background. What challenges did you face in playing that role?

[David] Fincher cast me because of an essence or a quality that I have. If I waited around for a role tailored to an Indian woman over the age of 40, I would never act! Overall, people have been very supportive about how I have played Linda. I have even received e-mails from people over the age of 50 who started out as actors, but dropped the profession when they had children. They tell me that I have inspired them to jump-start their careers. I am honored to receive these notes, even though entering the acting pool is difficult without having worked

consistently throughout the years. My main piece of advice for them is to wake up and do something creative and fulfilling, and that the circle will ultimately come around to them. I also relate to Linda’s character because of her story. For two years, I wrote a show [that] is comprised of five interweaving stories [documenting] the immigrant experience in America. I was tired of hearing such widespread anti-immigration views!

If you weren’t an actress, what do you think you would be doing?

I would probably be a psychologist or a teacher, but I have no regrets about my career. I am so thrilled to be in a profession that is also my passion.

Your senior yearbook sarcastically compared you to Road Runner and predicted that you would be a coiffeuse. What is the backstory?

Wow—I can’t even remember! I think they called me Road Runner because I was fast and had skinny legs. I have no idea why they pinned me as a coiffeuse. I remember thinking that I was surprised they hadn’t compared me to Curious George—a character I’ve always related to.

What advice do you have for Nightingale students in 2014?

You are completely prepared for whatever comes your way. Be bold, follow your interests, and don’t let other people dictate your passions. When it comes to your life, no one’s idea is right but yours. I would urge students to never pursue something for money, but to pursue what they truly love. My own children are 19 and 16 years old and I always tell them that they can do anything. Peel back the layers of your interests and you will find what you really love.

I also know that it is tremendous to have the support of other women. I am now in a position where people look up to me, and I know that I am here because I was supported by so many women throughout my life. They have helped me so much. This is one aspect of Linda’s character that is sad. She functions entirely on her own.

Lastly, listen and be kind. If anyone describes my children this way, it is the biggest compliment I can receive as a parent. It’s important to listen and take things in!

Jena Epstein was a girl who hated school. Her classes were big and undisciplined, her peers were far more interested in their social lives out of school than learning, and many thought reading—which Epstein loved—was boring.

In sixth grade, Epstein shared her feelings with her parents, who promptly transferred her from her suburban Westchester elementary school to the Masters School, an independent all-girls school in Dobbs Ferry.

The difference between the two schools was like night and day.

“The teachers cared, learning was considered cool, we had wonderful discussions and debates in class,” she says. Her classmates were friendly and interested in far more than boys, fashion, and magazines.

“I came home telling my parents how much I loved school,” she says.

But that didn’t inspire her to be a teacher. It was a calling that crept up on her.

Wanting something “completely different” from home, she went to Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. It was a fantastic experience. She still gushes rhapsodically about her professors and classmates, as well as Minnesota and the Midwest in general. At Carleton, she discovered her love of history, choosing it as her major.

After college, Ms. Epstein kept her career options open by applying both for corporate jobs and to a graduate program at Teachers College, Columbia University, which she ultimately chose. Two days into the program, she knew teaching was what she wanted to do.

Epstein was a bit of a maverick in her program; she wanted to teach at an independent school and Teachers College is passionately focused on improving public school education. While Epstein embraces that philosophy, she is also a realist who saw the toll public schools can take on teachers.

“I love teaching and this is what I want to do for my career. I didn’t want to burn out before I turned 30,” she says.

So when a rare independent school internship opened up at Nightingale, she leaped at it—especially because it was Nightingale. Because of her own childhood experience, she was already a fan of single sex education. On top of that, her sister Elana had attended Nightingale in fifth and sixth grades and even now considers it one of her best educational

experiences. In fact, Epstein had always been a little envious of Elana’s time at Nightingale.

“I think what Elana felt in general is that the teachers really care about you and not just you as a history student but you as a whole person,” says Epstein. She thinks that Nightingale students also love to learn and in part that’s because teachers model their own love of learning.

Counting the internship, this is Epstein’s 11th year of teaching at Nightingale. She has taught history in both the Middle and Upper Schools and has served as a Class V homeroom teacher. Throughout it all, she has continued to educate herself, spending summers in programs such as the Stanley King Counseling Institute in Colorado, the Klingenstein Program for beginning teachers at Columbia, and workshops at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. And, for the past three years, she has joined history teacher Jane Guggenheimer in leading a one-week orientation program for new sixth graders.

Some things have changed for Epstein since she began teaching at Nightingale. Most notably, she married her husband, Eric, in 2009, and last September they became parents to a son, Jonah, in whom they hope to instill their shared love of the outdoors.

Parenthood, not surprisingly, has given Epstein new perspectives on her students and their families.

“I’ve always known that being a parent is a very hard job, just from the conversations I’ve had with the parents of fifth graders and other Middle School girls’ parents, but I would say that I really have a deep appreciation and am in awe of how parents, especially working parents, do it. And I only have one right now!” she says.

And she has a new understanding of the depth of the bond between parent and child.

“When parents get stressed out and worried about something, it really comes from this place where you would do just anything for your child and you want the best for your child.”

Education clearly remains a source of joy for Jena Epstein. She lives a few blocks from school and each day as she walks to work, she sees many Nightingale students on their way to school.

“I always smile when I see how excited the students are to begin their day,” she says, adding,

“I am excited to begin my day, too.” —Kate Rice PP’13, P’20

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Blackboard is a section in which we feature a member of the Nightingale faculty.

Sakina as an angel in the Christmas Pageant in the mid-1970s


After months of preparation, Upper School varsity dancers put on two impressive dance concerts in February, showcasing their performance and choreography skills. For this fun post-performance photo, the girls had a chance to relax and ham it up for the camera!


By Katie Bolander ‘08I am about to finish the first year of my 27-month service as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Gambia, a small West African country almost entirely surrounded by Senegal, except for a small strip of Atlantic coastline. Despite being the smallest country in mainland Africa (pop. 1.7 million), it is ethnically diverse: many different tribes with their own languages and customs call the Gambia home.

Life is difficult here. Outside of the urban areas, farming provides the main source of income, but there is not enough machinery or fertile land to allow for sufficient food and income production. Although most people have at least one relative in an urban area or abroad who sends funds to help their family in rural areas, it is still estimated that close to 50% of the population lives at or below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day. And the Gambia currently ranks 165 out of 186 countries on the UN Human Development Index, which measures a nation’s development by combining indicators of life expectancy, educational attainment, and income.

My home is a small village (pop. 5,000) called Kwinella, where I live with a host family who have become my second family. The village has neither running water nor electricity, and I walk to the local hand pump every day to fetch my water for bathing and drinking. I see and live with poverty and hunger on a daily basis. I eat rice for three meals a day with my host family—and we are not badly off compared to others. Everyone shares one large bowl of food at meals, often eating

with our hands. I am privileged that there is always enough rice, but meals are lacking in protein and vegetables. Kwinella is not too far from the river so we regularly eat fish, but we have only enjoyed meat or chicken on three special occasions when we have slaughtered one of our animals.

I never expected to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa. Although my interest in participating in Peace Corps goes back to my days at Nightingale, I always thought I would serve in Latin America. In eighth grade I traveled to Mexico on a school trip for Spanish students during spring vacation and was both enthralled by the new culture as well as fascinated by how language could connect people and open one’s mind to an entirely different way of viewing the world. During high school I participated in summer programs in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica and began to think about volunteering for Peace Corps. I continued this interest in college, studying abroad in both Brazil and Spain and holding an internship in the Dominican Republic. Ultimately I graduated from Georgetown University as a Spanish major—with a minor in Portuguese and a certificate in Latin American studies—and I knew that I wanted my professional career to involve Latin America in some way. I decided that spending two years in a Latin American country living and working next to people at a grassroots level would help me to have a greater understanding of the culture and the people. So I applied to the Peace Corps, surmising that my language skills and previous experience would result in my placement in Latin America.

the GambiaMy Life in

Katie Bolander ’08 shares her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa.

Katie Bolander ’08 with two traditional kankurangs at a cultural festival


Much to my surprise, however, I was invited to serve as a health sector volunteer in the Gambia. I considered turning down the opportunity and holding out for a Latin American alternative, but I soon realized I would likely never see this part of the world otherwise. The decision to go was scary and not part of what I considered to be my life plan, but I took a leap into the unknown and have not regretted it. I am learning Mandinka, a language that I did not even know existed (those of my parents’ generation might remember it as the native language of Kunta Kinteh in the 1970s television mini-series Roots). I am learning and seeing new things every day, as well as gaining a world perspective that I know will help me in whatever I decide to do in the future.

Being a Peace Corps volunteer is about living with the people you are helping—at their level. It is about learning what your neighbors truly need and want. I have quickly seen that obtaining clean water here is very difficult and a legitimate concern, and my goal is to see a better water system in Kwinella and at the Upper Basic School before I leave. This goal is informed by my personal experience of fetching water every day: if I’m lucky, I make it to a tap that has running water for about two hours every afternoon; if I’m not, I manually pump my water. Most women fetch water for their whole compounds (men are rarely seen at the pumps) and I understand the large burden this places on them. Therefore, I will feel comfortable writing a grant and bringing money into the community for water because I know that it is needed and will be used, unlike a computer lab I saw that had been donated to a village without electricity.

awareness of what it means to be a woman in this world.I have never before felt hindered by my status as a woman

and have rarely even thought about how being a woman might affect my path in life. At Nightingale, I learned the importance of hard work and was taught to be independent, to speak with confidence, to stand up for myself, and to express my opinions. I was taught to follow my dreams and that—with hard work—anything was possible. I learned to strive to be the best I could be, whether I was in the classroom or in the pool or on the track; being a girl was not an impediment. Of course we learned about the struggles of earlier generations of American women and the plight of women worldwide. But this never affected me personally. I am incredibly fortunate that at Nightingale and in New York City, and at Georgetown and in Washington, DC, I rarely had to think about being a second class citizen—something that is the harsh reality for so many women in this world.

It pains me to see women perpetuate cultural norms that hurt them instead of standing up for their rights. When I see this happening, I try to stand up for myself to show other women that they can do it too. While helping at a track meet recently, I wanted to discipline two boys who blatantly disobeyed rules by sneaking onto the vehicle that transported us to the competition. I suggested washing dishes as a punishment for their actions, but a female teacher would not hear of it. “This is Gambian culture,” she said. “Even if a boy is doing nothing or being punished, he should not wash a dish.” She instead went to wake up resting female athletes. I challenged her and was so happy to have female students

In the Gambia, being a woman affects me every day. To cross the Gambia River, I have been forced to sit in the bottom of a boat where it is not possible to see out and water shoots through holes; the men get to sit on top. On a daily basis, men will greet other men within a group of people but not greet any of the women. It makes you feel invisible. I have been exposed to female genital mutilation (it is estimated that more than 98% of the women here are circumcised). I have seen wives being beaten by their husbands. I have seen the jealousy that occurs when a woman’s husband decides to take a second wife, or third, or fourth. It pains me to see that the animosity that results is directed at another woman—the new wife—instead of the man. I am living in a typical patriarchal African society that is also Muslim, and that has changed my

thank me for standing up for them and speaking the truth. But all I can do is set an example and try to educate

people. This is not my culture to change. There is a Mandinka proverb that translates to “for as long as a tree stays in the river, it will never become a crocodile.” I take this to mean that for however long I spend in the Gambia, I will never become a Mandinka. I will always be a New Yorker. I believe change needs to come from within. I try to educate people and show them my way of viewing the world, just as they are showing me theirs. I will always stand up for myself and what I believe in, with the hope that girls will see me doing that and learn that they too can do the same. However, they need to decide for themselves whether they want to try to change cultural norms.

I have spent almost one year here now, a lot of which has been spent on cultural integration. I do not think this is a waste of time or resources, as I have made relationships that will last a lifetime and experienced things that will change me forever. I have learned to accept people’s generosity with a

“thank you” instead of a “no, I couldn’t possibly.” In a country that has so little compared to mine, I have experienced a generosity that does not exist in the United States or any other country I have been to. Everyone, from the toddlers to the elderly, shares everything. People truly care about one another and support each other however they can. When my host sister’s baby passed away, I saw how quickly word traveled and how people came together. Generosity and love is part of the culture in the Gambia, and this makes it rich in ways that cannot be measured.

I will always stand up for myself and what I believe in, with the hope that girls will see me doing that and learn that they too can do the same.

Katie with her Gambian host mother Kankurangs are traditionally associated with circumcision and initiatory rites (when young Mandinka children learn about the culture and their roles in it), but now generally appear at cultural festivals and other events as part of an effort to maintain and celebrate Gambian culture


The weather could not have been better and the spirit of the Nightingale community could not have been stronger at the 2013 Fair, held on Saturday, November 2, 2013. Led by parent chairs Jennifer Gourary P’17, Christina Horner P’20, P’23, and Leigh Hrazdira P’22, P’24, the construction-themed extravaganza was an unqualified success thanks to their tireless efforts, as well as those of our students, parents, and faculty and staff. As Head of School Paul A. Burke said,

“If it wasn’t already clear that this community knows how to pull together a blockbuster event, [the 2013 Fair] was the perfect reminder of the tremendous talent, energy, and dedication that surrounds us.”

The biennial Fair is one of Nightingale’s most prized traditions; this year’s event raised more than $150,000 in support of our students.

Building Our Future: The 2013 Fair

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1) Associate Director of Admissions Melissa Providence ’02 with her goddaughter2) PA Vice President Stacy Calder Clapp ’91 and PA President Valerie Margulies3) Math faculty member and Class VII homeroom teacher Gordon Blyth serves up the ever-popular lemon sticks4) Willow Vura ’21 tries her hand at ping pong5) Kathryn Von Coelln ’19 and Madeleine Riordan ’19 work a shift at the popcorn stand6) Upper School Dean of Students Claire du Nouy takes her turn in the dunk tank7) Former Class III homeroom teacher Laurie Hallen has a bit of fun with [from L to R] Courtney Horner ’20, Lauren White ’20, Gavriela Langer ’20, Caroline Coudert-Morris ’20, and Charlotte Feagin ’20


Ha l l w a y s

Stories and photographs from around the schoolhouse

Dashiel Tao Harris ‘21 examines a painting during a Class V visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art last fall.

madeleine albright visits nightingale

On February 5, students in Classes VI–XII attended a special afternoon assembly with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Rather than delivering a lecture, Secretary Albright chose to run the assembly as a Q&A session, taking questions first from a panel of students who shared the stage with her and then moving on to a half-hour of questions from the audience. The girls prepared for the visit by learning about Secretary Albright’s life and career, and their questions reflected a profound interest in her experiences both as a global leader and as a woman. With candor and good humor, Secretary Albright shared her insights with the girls on a wide range of topics, from stories relating to her interactions with world leaders to the specific benefits of having women in positions of leadership.

nightingale hosts tedx event

Nightingale hosted its first-ever TEDx event on February 22. Organized by art faculty member Maggie Tobin and Academic Technology Coordinator Nicole Blandford, the day focused on the topic of resilience in the face of adversity. Speakers at the sold-out event included singer-songwriter and performance artist Tora Fisher ‘08 who, at age 13, experienced the unfathomable when she was the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed her father, stepmother, and four others; Marc Elliot, who overcame a 20-year struggle with Tourette’s Syndrome by using mind over body; and Madonna Badger, who tragically lost her three children and parents in a fire that destroyed her Connecticut home on Christmas morning in 2011. With their extraordinary personal stories, these presenters and others shed light on the ways in which we can cope with and move beyond difficult and sometimes even unimaginable life events.


mika brzezinski urges girls to know their value

On November 8, 2013, journalist, author, co-host of “Morning Joe” on MSNBC, and long-time advocate for women Mika Brzezinski was the featured guest at Upper School assembly. In a conversation moderated by President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation Dina Powell P’24, P’20 and sponsored by the leadership initiative Open Doors, she encouraged the Class VIII–XII girls in attendance to be confident in themselves and genuine in their interactions; to appreciate and understand that failure can be a powerful motivator; and not to squander the gift they have by virtue of being Nightingale students. Speaking broadly about the importance of earning respect and knowing your worth, she also admonished the girls not to think of the words “ambitious” and “aggressive” as anything but positive and encouraged them to be ambitious in everything they do in life, from their professions to their families. There was much for the girls to take away from what she said, and they were clearly listening.

Although this year’s unusually cold winter may have been unpleasant for many city dwellers, the Kindergarten girls had a wonderful time taking full advantage of their daily roof period for outdoor fun in the snow.

mandela film screening held at 92y

The Nightingale community gathered at the 92nd Street Y on February 26 for a special complimentary screening of the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom in honor of the extraordinary life of South African revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist Nelson Mandela. Hosted in partnership with the 92nd Street Y, the event also featured acclaimed actor Jeffrey Wright and the film’s producer Anant Singh, both of whom spoke about their personal connections to Nelson Mandela and the importance of his legacy. Pictured above from L to R: Jerry Inzerillo P’25 (who, with his wife, Prudence Solomon Inzerillo P’25, was instrumental in putting the event together), Anant Singh, Associate Head of School Jennifer Zaccara, Head of School Paul A. Burke, and Jeffrey Wright.

honors for time regained Cited as “outstanding in content, writing, and design,” the 2013 issue of Time Regained—Nightingale’s Upper School current affairs journal—received Gold Medalist and All Columbian Honors from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association in the “General Magazine Critique” category. Time Regained publishes essays and photography focused on national and international current events. Described by the judges as “a unique and scholarly general magazine,” the journal provides a forum for an open expression of ideas, with provocative articles that spark discourse and debate in the Nightingale community. Congratulations to faculty advisor Dr. Heidi Kasevich and the entire staff of Time Regained on this impressive achievement.


Event co-chairs Jana Happel and Graciela Bitar

The schoolhouse auditorium was filled to capacity on February 21 for CAFE Cultural Night, a celebration of diversity within our community. Showcasing their heritage through dance, vocal, and instrumental performances, students from all three divisions took the opportunity to share a bit of their family’s culture with the rest of the community. The varied program was followed by the annual international potluck dinner, featuring delicious dishes from across the globe.

harold holzer delivers mcmenamin lecture

On April 4, renowned Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer addressed students in Classes VIII–XII as the featured speaker for this year’s Joan Stitt McMenamin Memorial Lecture, presented in conjunction with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Using images from the Civil War, Mr. Holzer demonstrated the power of visual media and reinforced the importance of art in telling the stories of our past. He also delighted the audience with tales from his work as a script consultant for Lincoln, the Steven Spielberg film. At the reception following the lecture, Mr. Holzer generously gave more of his time to speak with students in a smaller setting.

fathers who cook 2014 On March 7, Nightingale dads took center stage at Fathers Who Cook, the beloved biennial event featuring delicious food and drink prepared by more than 60 fathers serving as chefs and sommeliers. The evening kicked off with cocktails—served up by a spirited group of Nightingale dads behind the bar—and a surprise Mariachi band performance, followed by a festive seated dinner. This year, many chefs and sommeliers chose a cultural theme for their menus—from Moroccan and Italian to Fusion Indo-French and Indian, every table showcased the unique talents of its hosts. The event was a huge success and raised over $55,000 to benefit every girl at Nightingale.


moment; she gets some of her best responses from a performance based on her Nightingale teacher Miss Cundy’s fabulously clipped British accent, which she has been imitating since the sixth grade. She is still involved with the Georgiana Institute, promoting auditory integration training for autism and learning disabilities. Annabel has an exciting travel schedule planned for the next few months. She writes: “I’m going to Seattle mid-March to meet with a Chinese colleague about opening markets in China. Tomorrow I go to Stowe for a family ski vacation masterminded by my son Mark, who lives in Hoboken and is a hedge fund trader in New York. I’ll have the fun of having five of my six grandchildren [(ranging in age from 11 months to seven years)] under one roof, and my four teenaged step-granddaughters as well.” Annabel’s busy schedule also includes traveling to Tucson for the biennial Hatch Family reunion for descendants of the Hatch Family who are portrayed in

“The Hatch Family” by Eastman Johnson, a portrait dating from 1870–71 that hangs in the Met. In May Annabel plans to attend her seven-year-old granddaughter’s Irish step dancing recital in New York. “I’m fascinated by this kind of dancing,” she says.

“Apparently [the Irish] learned to dance with their arms at their sides because the British, who frowned on it, could see in their windows! Is that TRUE do you think? Mrs. Davis, my history teacher at Nightingale, would be telling me to state my source, and I can’t.”

Gwendolyn Humphreys Champniss ‘40 is living in West London, England, with her husband of 68 years, Gerald Arthur Champniss, OBE. She has five children, four of whom live in America and Canada; her only daughter lives in the south of England. Now 92 years old, Gwendolyn has 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Her granddaughter Isabelle Butcher writes that “Gwendolyn talks fondly of her time at Nightingale-Bamford and receives The Blue Doors publication—she says [her days at Nightingale were] some of the happiest days of her youth.”

Helen Mirkil ‘70 published her first book of poetry, Sower on the Cliffs, in April 2013 (BookArts Press). The project took four and a half years to complete and has received enthusiastic reviews. Helen comments: “I worked with Veronica Miller, a noted book designer, and am thrilled with the results.” Since the book’s publication, Helen has been a featured reader at several venues in Philadelphia, including the Green Line Café reading series hosted by poet and publisher Lillian Dunn and the acclaimed poet Leonard Gontarek. Helen notes that she traces her interest in poetry to her days on 92nd Street: “I have been writing poetry since the eighth grade at [Nightingale], when I participated in an elective poetry course. There were seven to ten students in the class, taught by Miss Ross. I am hoping to be able to contact her and thank her for helping me take my first step as a poet.”

Anne Liebling ‘72 writes that her husband, Christian von Graevenitz, lost his battle with multiple myeloma on November 6, 2013.

Rachel Hall Russell ‘72 has been teaching in the Concord and Acton, Massachusetts public schools as a special educator and classroom teacher for 24 years.

Monique Pflieger Leaman ‘51 recently started a new business, Etiquette Necessities, which teaches business etiquette to a variety of clients.

Marion Birdsall Rendon ‘56 writes: “I now have seven grandchildren—five boys and two girls. How did this happen?”

Marianne Duggan O’Brien ‘57 likes road trips and will do almost anything just to go places in her own car. In the last few months she has driven to Indiana, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts for family events; her most recent trip took her to Boston for the premiere of her daughter Stephanie Bell Veneris’s award-winning movie.

Jill Hyde Scott ‘57 spent a month in Australia this winter traveling with her husband, Denny.

Annabel Stearns Stehli ‘57 writes: “I saw just about all the Hydes and Scotts at Jill Hyde Scott ‘57’s 50th anniversary party last summer in Vermont. Jill and Denny have six grandchildren, all adorable.” Annabel is getting more involved in improv comedy in Carrboro/Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and enjoying every

40s 50s

c l a s s n o t e s

Class notes are published twice a year in each issue of The Blue Doors. If you have any

updates you would like to share with your classmates, please e-mail them to [email protected].

70s

She looks forward to retiring and exploring her interests in art and music, but she is most excited about spending time with her two granddaughters, Olive and Natalie. Rachel’s three sons are all married and living in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

Licia Hahn ‘73 is happily celebrating the 13th year of her CEO advisory firm focused on improving the performance of Fortune 500 leaders in the healthcare, media, and financial services sectors. She writes: “I’ve enjoyed sharing my learning with students, most recently at the Yale School of Management, and will be a keynote speaker at the Ford Foundation conference on minorities in the media in May. My husband, Gene, is working on his third book and just debuted his first documentary, The Neglected Story—Race in the North, at the Natchez Literary Film Festival.”

Rosemary Williams Begley ‘73 recently signed four of her animal paintings at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. She writes: “A dear old friend from Nightingale, Sindy Vidor Robinson ‘73, asked me to sign one of my prints for her granddaughter. What a privilege, as Sindy was not only a close friend way back starting in sixth grade, but was also close to my stepbrother Don whom we loved but who died in 2008 from a motorcycle accident.”

Cynthia Chase Cook ‘74 writes that her daughter Caitlin Rose Cook is engaged to be married to Steve Miller. Her son Dylan is a virtual design construction engineer in Georgia, where he is constructing a building for Baxter Construction. For the past 30 years, Cynthia has worked as a registered nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California. She and her husband, Bob, live south of San Francisco.

Empty nesters Deborah Cohen Holland ‘75 and her husband, Nick, are now ensconced in their new home in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and they love living on the ocean. Deborah has moved her pottery to Gloucester and has discovered the joy of rowing Cornish Gig boats. She would love to hear from any classmates passing through!

Jane Dorian ‘78 will marry Steven Safan on May 24, 2014. She sells residential real estate with Partners Trust and is vice president of the Beverly Hills Women’s Club. Her daughter, Sarah Haspel, graduated from college and is working at Frame Denim.

Adrienne Morris ‘80 is still living and working in Providence, RI with her husband, Stewart, and 13-year old daughter, Lily. Lily attends and loves Lincoln School, an all-girls Quaker school, where Adrienne also works, overseeing fundraising and alumnae relations. She writes: “Too funny to find my life path taking me back to a place that feels so much like [Nightingale]. I enjoy my connections with classmates and have become hooked on House of Cards thanks to Sakina Jaffrey

‘80, who is a principal in the series. Watch it if you can—really well written and compelling viewing! 35 years in 2015—let’s try to make an effort to come back?!”

Carley Rand Weatherley-White ‘80 writes: “My husband, Carl, and I are still in New York enjoying the last few months of being empty nesters as my daughter, Katherine, is graduating from Trinity College this spring. My son, Cort, is a freshman at Dartmouth studying German and rowing on the lightweight crew. Needless to say, like all of us here on the east coast he is very ready for spring!”

Tanya Hernandez ‘82 (see Alexandra Stanton ‘87)

Katherine Lipton ‘83 (see Alexandra Stanton ‘87)

Celene Domitrovich ‘86 works in Chicago as the director of research at a non-profit called the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

Hillary Smith Ripley ‘86 is approaching her second year anniversary at IFM Investors, LLC, where she is a member of their infrastructure team and involved in institutional sales. Her daughter, Hawthorne, is in eighth grade now and enjoying her last year of middle school. They still live in Park Slope and still love it. Hillary was able to visit with Hilary Kaye Kronowitz ‘86 when she was in New York for a visit and reports that Hilary, Lowell, and the children are all doing beautifully and still living in sunny Savannah. She was also able to visit with Cameron Paynter ‘86 and her family in Lyme, Connecticut last September, when they were there for Hawthorne’s first squash tournament. She comments:

“The squash proved challenging, but Cameron’s dinner and family were fabulous!”

Amanda B. Lotas ‘87 is living in Kitty Hawk, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, with her husband, Lee, and their 10-year-old son, Henry. She just left her job at the University of Virginia and is now teaching yoga on the Outer Banks. Amanda also does freelance video editing and writes: “If anyone would like to stay with me on their travels to this neck of the woods, by all means e-mail me!”

Vanya Tulenko ‘83 works for WGBH, the PBS station in Boston that co-produces the smash hit series Downton Abbey, and had the opportunity to travel to Highclere Castle for work. She writes: “I was leading a tour of supporters of WGBH, and in addition to Highclere, we visited the town of Bampton, which is the little village where Mary was married and where Edith got jilted. I saw season four being filmed! I also brought our tour to Ealing Studios, where all of the

‘downstairs’ parts of the series were filmed. I was so happy on this tour because I love Downton Abbey and also [because] I was able to return to London, where I had attended graduate school.”

Amanda Schafer Brainerd ‘85 left Warburg Realty in September 2013 to join Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales. She is very happy with this exciting new chapter in her career. Amanda’s daughter Annabelle (Class of 2019) continues to thrive at Nightingale.

80s

[From L to R:] Katherine Lipton ‘83, Alexandra Stanton ‘87, Tanya Hernandez ‘82, and Allison Schoenthal ‘93 participated in the Alumnae in Law panel at the schoolhouse last fall


In April 2013, Lisa Alexander ‘90 received tenure and was promoted to associate professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Her four-year-old daughter, Kira, and husband, Thomas Mitchell (also a law professor at Wisconsin), are doing well. Lisa will be attending her 20th reunion at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut this spring.

Amie Rappoport McKenna ‘90 moderated a successful Alumnae in Law panel in November (see Alexandra Stanton ‘87), and continues to devote herself to the role of chair of the alumnae fund. She has helped direct two national campaigns that established federal legislation to help children with food allergies: in 2005, President George W. Bush signed a bill requiring food manufacturers to list major allergens in plain English on packaged foods, and in November 2013, Amie was present in the Oval Office as President Barack Obama endorsed and signed a bill authorizing schools to stock emergency epinephrine for use in allergic emergencies.

Linnea Knox, daughter of Celena Kingson Knox ‘93 and Jamie Knox, will be starting Kindergarten at Nightingale in the fall!

Irene Grassi Osborne ‘93 and her husband, Steven, welcomed baby Emilia Cristina Osborne in November 2013.

Allison Schoenthal ‘93 (see Alexandra Stanton ‘87)

Palmer Jones O’Sullivan ‘94 and her husband, Ryan O’Sullivan, welcomed twin daughters in December 2013: Lachlan Hayes (“Hayes”) and Palmer Plum (“Plum”). The girls were welcomed by big brothers Finn (6) and Ford (4).

Kathryn Wellin Thier ‘94 moved from North Carolina to Oregon last summer when her husband began a PhD program in educational policy and leadership at the University of Oregon. After years as a journalist and communications professional, Kathryn has transitioned into teaching public relations writing and reporting at UO’s School of Journalism and Communication. She writes: “I find myself sharing insights on writing with my students from my Nightingale days and recognize anew the amazing training I received from teachers such as Christine Schutt and Lois Wien.”

Taylor McKenzie-Jackson ’95 writes: “My husband, Stephen, and I are living in Carnegie Hill with our daughters, Annabel, age four, and Allie, almost three. We’re so happy to be back in the neighborhood and part of theNightingale community!”

Damaris Wollenburg Maclean ’97 (see faculty and staff notes)

The clinic where Kirsten Meisinger ‘87 serves as medical director was selected this year as a Robert Wood Johnson site of excellence in primary care. Kirsten also helps lead a team that is bringing primary care to Brazil.

Alexandra Stanton ‘87 has joined the Kennedy Center Board, elected by President Barack Obama. She serves as CEO of Empire Global Ventures LLC, a NY-based international trade and business development firm. On November 18, Alexandra joined Katherine Lipton ‘83, managing director and associate general counsel at JPMorgan Chase, Allison Schoenthal ‘93, partner at Hogan Lovells LLP, and Tanya Hernandez ‘82, professor at Fordham Law School, as panelists on an Alumnae in Law panel held at Nightingale and moderated by Amie Rappoport McKenna ‘90.

Meredith Wong ‘87, senior coordinator of adult and access programs at the Jewish Museum, hosted Nightingale alumnae in November for a private tour of the highly acclaimed Chagall exhibition. The group was also joined by former school nurse Ruth Rosenfeld.

Elizabeth Klein ‘88 is celebrating over a dozen years of her own art advisory business, Reiss Klein Partners LLC, which acts as private curator to both new and established art collectors, providing expertise and experience in an increasingly complex international art market.

Winnie Abramson ‘88 writes about food and health; her first book, One Simple Change: Surprisingly Easy Ways to Transform Your Life, was published in December by Chronicle Books.

Caroline Werner ‘90 was promoted to adjunct assistant professor at NYU School of Social Work, where she teaches social welfare policy and mental health policy master’s level courses. In addition to her private counseling practice at Mt. Sinai Beth Israel’s Center for Health and Healing, Caroline continues to consult with organizations on employee productivity, retention, and stress management. She and her husband, Karl, welcomed their third child, Nathan, at the end of 2012, joining big brothers Gavin and Dashiell.

Christina Hewett Call ‘91 welcomed a happy and healthy Charles Tucker Call, 8 lbs 2 oz and 21 inches, in February 2014.

Lauren Hirshfield Belden ‘93 and her husband, Nate, welcomed a baby boy, Milo Field Belden, on January 30, 2014. Milo (pictured here at 2 weeks old) joins proud big sister Olivia. While adjusting to life with two munchkins under two is proving to be both exhausting and exhilarating, Lauren and Nate are also busy gearing up for another exciting

“birth”: their Sonoma-grown and produced wine brand! The first vintage of Belden Barns wine will be released later this year. Please feel free to reach out to Lauren if you want to visit the vineyard or learn more.

Alumnae gather at the Jewish Museum for their private tour

90s

Zoe Settle ‘00 and James Hubert Schriebl were married in February 2014 at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park, surrounded by many Nightingale friends (photo above).

Elizabeth Bacon ‘00 and her husband, Aaron Scherb, were thrilled to welcome their son, Elias Bacon Scherb, in November 2013. Elizabeth is a third grade teacher at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.

Johanna (JoJo) Cohen ‘00 married Eric Fleiss, also from NYC, on January 18, 2014 in Los Angeles, where they live. She became a mom to Teddy (7) and twins Benji and Caroline (4). JoJo writes: “I couldn’t be happier! Still working in fashion and very busy now as a working mom but loving every minute.”

Jessica Kreps ‘03 married Adam Ian Rothenberg on October 27, 2013 at the Brooklyn Museum. Jessica is the associate sales director at Lehmann Maupin, a New York art gallery, and Adam is a partner in BoxGroup, a New York company that invests in startup technology businesses. Joanna Mason Anderson ‘03 and husband Michael welcomed a baby girl, Philippa “Pippa” Mae Grace, on December 26, 2013. Joanna writes: “She was quite the Christmas present! She was 7 lbs 4 oz and 19 inches. I am enjoying being a new mother and both Michael and I are getting used to our new sleep schedule (or lack thereof!).”

Emily Bailin ‘03 is finishing her third year as a doctoral student in the education and communication program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests revolve around critical media literacy, multimodality, the relationship between identity development and popular culture, youth media production, and hip-hop education. She teaches middle school and high school media arts electives, offers workshops on topics related to her research interests, and serves as a curriculum writer and consultant for schools and non-profit organizations. She lives downtown with her sister, Sara Bailin ’05 (and her puppy, Zombie).

Ashley Billman ‘04 is currently in her second year of teaching Upper School English at Norfolk Collegiate School, in Norfolk, Virginia.

Samantha Margalit ‘04 started her own wedding photography business, Samantha Lauren Photographie, and shoots weddings and engagements in and around NYC and the Hudson Valley. She also recently got engaged herself and is planning a NYC wedding for late summer/fall.

Kate Berger ’05(see Daphne Schmon ’05)

Marietta Dindo Danforth ‘98 married Brad Danforth on April 27, 2013. The two were introduced by Emily Grant Turner ‘98.

Emily Driscoll ‘98 married Srineel Jalagani in Hyderabad, India in November 2013. Emily’s documentaries Invisible Ocean and Shellshocked aired on WLIW21 in February 2014. Her next documentary, Brilliant Darkness, is about fireflies in Japan and the importance of nocturnal environments.

Jessica Rochester ‘99 is still with the Emergency Food Network and does program and development work. She’s very much a Minnesotan/Midwesterner now, loves her work, and is quite involved in the community and volunteering. She writes that her interest in the environment and the sciences were kindled and fueled by Karen Dressner and Elaine Williamson [see page 43].

Over the summer, Paloma Figueroa ‘01 left her non-profit job after nearly five years to join the tech army of San Francisco. She now wears several hats at an exciting mobile app startup called Gigwalk. Paloma writes:

“I am able to make big, impactful decisions around culture-building and people operations for a rapidly growing team. Every day is a new and exciting adventure!”

Caroline LeFrak Bierbaum ‘02 (see Daphne Schmon ’05)

Elisabeth Sacks ‘02 writes: “The past year has been a busy one for me: In November, I was married to my husband, William Cornell Baker, a rare book and ephemera dealer who currently works as the executive director of the Institute Library in New Haven, Connecticut. Dana Liljegren ‘02 and Rachel Walman ‘02 were both in the wedding party. Will and I have been living here in New Haven for the past three years while I completed my residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital. I also matched at my first choice for fellowship: we’re heading west to Pittsburgh, where I will be a fellow in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Alexis Lowry ‘03 married Daniel Murray in August 2013. Alexis is now a curator at the David Winton Bell Gallery, Brown University’s contemporary art gallery and home to an important part of the university’s permanent art collection.

00s


“At Last,” and an arrangement of “Ashokan Farewell” that Greg produced for the Ken Burns PBS series The Civil War.

Class I homeroom teacher Hilary Lucas and her husband, Keith, welcomed daughter Harmony Gale Lucas on March 20.

Director of Community Service Damaris Wollenburg Maclean ‘97 and her husband, Reid, welcomed their second child, daughter Ardith Jane, on February 20. Damaris, Reid, and big brother Silas are all doing well.

In recognition of her work as co-chair of the Princeton University Class of 1993 20th reunion, Director of Annual Giving Kristin Green Morse received the Class of 1947 James Scott Clancy Memorial Reunion Trophy, which is awarded annually for the best planned and run major reunion.

“A Couple of Artists,” a joint exhibition of work by Art Department Head Marc Travanti and his wife, Margaret Clark, ran for five weeks at the Art & Music Center Gallery at Aquinas College in Michigan this winter. The show marked the first time that Marc and Margaret had exhibited their work together.

English faculty member Brad Whitehurst was named a semi-finalist in this year’s prestigious Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize competition for his collection of poems, “The Element We Live In.” Of the 350 poets who submitted their work to the competition, only 22 were selected as finalists and semi-finalists; judges for this annual prize have included some of the most important poets of our time, including Richard Wilbur, Charles Simic, and Mary Jo Salter.

Tora Fisher ’08 was a featured speaker at Nightingale’s first-ever TEDx event on February 22 (see page 33).

Idorenyin Akpan ‘11 is studying abroad in São Paulo, Brazil for the semester. She writes: “It’s amazing here, and I’m hoping to make some business contacts (and friends) here so that maybe I can return after I graduate next year.”

Sayda Morales ‘11 has received national attention for starting a group at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington called All Students for Consent (ASC), which strikes back against patterns of sexual violence on campuses. The New York Times recently interviewed Sayda about her work with ASC, and the organization also recently won a Consent Revolution Award from the organization FORCE, which is committed to combatting sexual violence. A junior at Whitman, Sayda is spending a semester abroad in Rabat, Morocco, studying issues of migration and transnational identity.

Millicent Hennessey ‘12 recently returned to Nightingale to teach debate strategy to Upper School students.

Alexandra Stovicek ‘13 will be interning at the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office this summer.

At the January 2014 Young Alumnae Assembly, Daphne Schmon ‘05 spoke about her experiences making films that inspire social change. Daphne recently completed her second film, Shifting Ground, which follows three women in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. Daphne also recently mentored aspiring filmmaker June Liu ‘14. She was joined on the panel by Caroline LeFrak Bierbaum ‘02, president of Empire Athletics Management, a sports management company that represents professional marathoners, road racers, and track and field athletes; Kate Berger ‘05, who co-founded the organizational company Done and Done NYC; Melanie Kimmelman ‘06, who recently completed the Sotheby’s Master’s program in art business and works in public relations at the David Zwirner Gallery; and Nella Williams ‘06, who recently returned from three years with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, which places native English speakers in Japanese schools to act as English teachers and cultural ambassadors.

Melanie Kimmelman ‘06 and Nella Williams ‘06 (See Daphne Schmon ’05)

Zoë Johannes ‘07 is living in London, working at the Rhodes Project, a research project that explores the career trajectories of female Rhodes Scholars, and attending law school part time. In 2013 she played Cinderella in the traditional British pantomime of the same name and traveled to Iceland on tour with her LGBT choir, the Pink Singers. She writes:

“It was very cold.”

On March 15, Artist-in-Residence Ian Spencer Bell danced versions of new talking dances called

“Translations” at the Queens Museum as a part of ETERNiDAY: Queens Poet Lore Festival of the Language Arts, curated by Queens Poet Laureate Paolo Javier. He writes that the “work is deeply personal and comes from a long consideration of how to combine my writing and dancing.” Ian also appeared on stage March 19 and 20 in “Elsewhere,” an evening-length concert of new work at the Martha Graham Studio Theater, which received an enthusiastic review in the March 21, 2014 edition of The New York Times.

Initiales 3, a French literary-artistic journal produced by L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, recently marked the centennial of the birth of renowned French writer and filmmaker Marguerite Duras by publishing portions of interviews conducted with her several years ago by modern languages faculty member Susan Cohen-Nicole, who has also published a book and numerous articles on Duras. Here at home, in her role as advisor to Women’s Rights Club, Dr. Cohen-Nicole helped to organize a sneak preview film screening in February of the new documentary, Brave Miss World.

Music faculty member and professional violinist Gregory Harrington performed in the main hall of Carnegie Hall on December 4, 2013, opening for the New York Tenors at their

“The Spirit of Christmas” concert. Backed by piano, bass, and drums, Greg’s varied repertoire included South American tango, a little gypsy fiddling, Etta James’s

faculty and staff notes

Dorothy Barrett Fuller ‘36 passed away on November 14, 2013. She was 95.

Elizabeth Guile Orr ‘38 died at her home in Quogue, New York, on December 10, 2013, at the age of 93.

in memoriam

Pamela Marsh Heinzer ‘49 passed away on November 24, 2013, in Stamford, Connecticut. She was 82.

Betsy Peters Callahan ‘50 passed away on December 23, 2013, in Vero Beach, Florida.She was 81.

Pamela Brandt Denniston ’59 passed away on October 19, 2013, after a two-year battle with lung cancer. She was 71.

Elizabeth Spear Rogers ‘91 passed away in February 2013.

Elaine Williamson, beloved member of the science faculty from 1983–2009, passed away at the age of 74 on November 12, 2013, after a short illness. She is survived by her husband, Ron; her children, Jimmy, Annie, and Elizabeth; and seven grandchildren.

Elaine’s primary role at Nightingale was as a science teacher, but her life at Nightingale extended far beyond that. In her 27 years at our school, Elaine shepherded

an exchange with a school in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s, coached volleyball, served as a homeroom teacher, and chaperoned many, many trips to the Mystic Aquarium, among other things.

Elaine loved marine biology. Before arriving at Nightingale, she served as an educator at Mystic Aquarium, where she developed and taught in a popular traveling classroom that brought sea creatures to children in Connecticut and Rhode Island elementary schools. She also introduced New York City public school students to marine life found along local shores through her work at the New York City Boathouse; her teaching was facilitated by a touch tank that she designed and stocked with local shoreside fauna and flora.

For many of us at Nightingale, Elaine Williamson was more than a colleague. She was a mentor and a friend. She loved the teaching life, valued her colleagues, and cherished her time with the girls.

elaine williamson

Remembering Lois Wien

by Fernanda Winthrop ‘00

Sometimes a student will ask me if she might start spelling the word “you” with a single letter, as that is how it is so often done these days. But I have one particular student who loves to use big words, and she does not use them lightly. Words are serious business to her. This student frequently comes into school with a new word and a plan to add it to her repertoire. She recently expressed her desire to use the word “persnickety” in a composition she was writing for English class. This led to some dictionary work (for my benefit, really, so as not to mislead her into misuse). What I found was this definition:

“adj. placing too much emphasis on trivial or minor details.”Lois Wien was not persnickety.Lois Wien was fastidious (adj. very attentive to and concerned

about accuracy and detail).Her fastidiousness was decidedly non-persnickety.In every conversation I have with my Nightingale classmates

or my sisters (also Nightingale graduates), it is Lois’s focus on and attention to details as an English teacher that trumps all other memories. Not that Lois Wien is to be remembered only as the strictest grammarian any of us encountered as a high school student. It was not lost on her students that every single spelling correction, misused semicolon, or forgotten comma Lois pointed out in a student’s writing, marked with her precise (and sometimes intimidating) pen and deducted from that student’s grade, was evidence of her love, devotion, and commitment to each and every one of us. It is a rarity to find another teacher who, as my sister Elizabeth (Class of ‘97) remembers, often read manuscripts that crossed her desk backwards to ensure that every word was spelled correctly, who could squeeze sonnets out of 15-year-olds (in perfect iambic pentameter), and who was present at every single one of our performances and concerts, sitting in the upper left hand side of the auditorium.

We, the graduates of the school of Lois Wien are a quirky bunch, perhaps slightly masochistic, but certainly high achieving. Lois instilled standards of written communication that, as adults, we pride ourselves on maintaining in a world where such standards are in flux or even in decline. Lois Wien is the teacher who, because of her devotion to us, brought out some of the best work we would produce while at Nightingale. Her influence upon us as graduates has reached far beyond.

Former English Department Head Lois Wien taught at Nightingale from 1973–2002. She passed away in January 2014 in New York City.

Fernanda Winthrop ‘00 is a Class III homeroom teacher at Nightingale.

Idy Akpan ‘11 in São Paulo


Voic

es

Alexandra Damley-Strnad ’13 is a freshman at the University of Miami.

They say that engineers are professional practitioners, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. But is that all they do? Forever a Nightingale girl, I found myself questioning this simple definition. After my first semester as an aerospace engineering major at the University of Miami’s College of Engineering, it is clear to me that engineering involves more than that.

My inaugural steps on campus were on an unbearably hot and sunny mid-August day. Head held high during orientation week and eager to dive into whatever would come my way, I was amazed by my beautiful surroundings: palm trees swaying in the breeze, a sparkling fountain in the lake at the heart of campus, and modern, state-of-the-art buildings with a tropical feel. However, I soon learned that there was much more to this school than what met the eye. My classes were typical for first-year engineering: accelerated physics and calculus, English, and an introduction to the field of engineering that exposed us to ethics, various mathematical programs, computer science, and program-based design and modeling tools. Although this course load may seem light, it came with countless projects, presentations, and labs. Professors warned us that every hour in class became three hours of work outside of it. This was no exaggeration—the time quickly added up!

For me, an engineer’s primary contribution is solving problems, and there are always questions to be answered. Projects quickly set me along this path: building a 10-foot model

bridge compliant with National Bridge Inspection Standards, designing a mousetrap-powered car that could travel 50 feet, as well as a contraption that launches and catches eggs without cracking them, and using real-world standard shop machines to build usable nuts and bolts from scrap metal. These projects demand attention to detail, thinking on your feet, time management, resilience from inevitable failures, confidence, and a fierce, “go get ‘em” attitude—all qualities I gained from my years at Nightingale.

So far, my time in Miami has been brimming with personal achievements and learning experiences for which I am truly grateful. In addition to my academic work, I am a passionate sailor and have found a great competitive spirit among my similarly minded teammates on the University of Miami’s sailing team. I will never forget the feeling of my first collegiate regatta last fall—outfitted in my orange and green pinnie with the enormous “U” on the back—and I am particularly proud that my teammates on the women’s team chose me at the start of second semester to serve as their captain.

Nightingale reinforced my belief in doing things to the best of my ability. And with six months of college now behind me, I am eager to see what comes next. This summer, I will build on my personal commitment to being a girl in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields by working as a research assistant in the lab of an aerospace engineering professor. I have sailed out of the blue doors, but the lessons I learned behind them remain with me. I look forward to staying in touch, and I wish you all fair winds and following seas.

Here we feature the voice of someone in the Nightingale community. If you would like to share some of your thoughts or experiences with others in the community, please contact us at [email protected].

HEAD OF ScHOOL

Paul A. Burke

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Rebecca Rasmussen Grunwald, President Blair Pillsbury Enders ‘88, Vice President Elena Hahn Kiam ‘81, Vice President James D. Forbes, Treasurer Gregory Palm, Secretary

Clarissa BronfmanPaul A. Burke, Ex-officioJames S. ChanosBrenda EarlBrooke Brodsky Emmerich ‘91, Ex-officioAlexander EvansDouglas FeaginShoshanna Lonstein Gruss ‘93John HallJohn J. HannanPatricia Gilchrist Howard ‘62Steven B. KlinskyPaul LachmanValerie Margulies, Ex-officioCurtis Mewbourne Renan PierreDina PowellDebora SparMary Margaret Trousdale

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS

Jerome P. Kenney Susan Hecht Tofel ‘48 Grant F. Winthrop Nina Joukowsky Köprülü ‘79

HEAD OF ScHOOL EMERITA

Dorothy A. Hutcheson

PARENTS ASSOcIATION OFFIcERS

Valerie Margulies, PresidentStacy Calder Clapp ‘91, Vice PresidentNatalie Stange, Secretary/Treasurer

ALUMNAE BOARD

Brooke Brodsky Emmerich ‘91, PresidentZoe Settle ‘00, Vice PresidentMelissa Providence ‘02, Secretary Amie Rappoport McKenna ‘90, Chair, Alumnae Fund

Paul A. Burke, Ex-officioElizabeth Victory Anderson ‘88 Elizabeth Boehmler ‘94 Elizabeth Riley Fraise ‘98 Sage Garner ‘04 Daphra Holder ‘03 Hillary Johnson ‘76 Elizabeth Friedland Meyer ‘89 Palmer Jones O’Sullivan ‘94 Arden Surdam ‘06, Ex-officio Melissa Elting Walker ‘92 Samantha Wishman ‘06, Ex-officio

OFFIcE OF INSTITUTIONAL

ADVANcEMENT

Mary Richter ‘93Director of Institutional AdvancementAmanda GoodwinDirector of Alumnae RelationsKristin Green MorseDirector of Annual GivingJessie Page ‘03Advancement AssociateAndrew PetersonDatabase ManagerKaty RitzDevelopment OfficerNicki SebastianDirector of Digital CommunicationsSusan TilsonDirector of Publications

46 THE BLUE DOORS

The Nightingale-Bamford School

20 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128

nightingale.org

Nightingale

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