FCS_QuakerWorks_Spring2023

ON THE COVER

Henry ’27, Jaya ’27, and Zoe ’28 in the Middle School fall production of Annie JR

See "FCS On the Stage" on page 8 for more details and other recent performing arts updates.

2022-2023

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

James C. Wright, Clerk

Tami Benton-Condiff, Vice Clerk

Betty Bard, Treasurer

Laura Jackson '65, Recording Clerk

LiRon Anderson-Bell

Natalie Aronson Cooper '05

Earl Ball

Quinn Bauriedel

Liza Ewen

Bill Georges '88

Seth Goldblum

Jackie Guynn '89

Jon Harris

Anja Hilliard

Karen Horikawa '77

Juan Jewell '68

Mary McCabe

Chinwe Onyekere '94

Alex Rolfe '01

Aaron Selkow '88

Tom Tritton

Joshua Wasserman '02

Roderick Wolfson

Barbara M. Cohen, Emerita

Ken Dunn, Emeritus

Ann Satterthwaite, Emerita

Joanna Haab Schoff '51, Emerita

Koji Shimada, Emeritus

Gardner Hendrie '50, Honorary Trustee

Quaker Works

The Magazine of Friends’ Central School

Head of School

Beth Davis Johnson ’77

Editor

Clare Luzuriaga

Director of Communications

Contributors

Lydia A. Martin

Assistant Head of School for Communications, Enrollment, and Strategic Initiatives

Katherine Clayton

Communications Manager

Ash Williams

Digital & Social Media Specialist

Andrea Nuneviller

Director of Home & School Partnerships

Frankie Zelnick

Institutional Data Manager

Colette Kleitz

Chief Development Officer

Linda Waxman Wasserman ’75

Senior Development Officer

Matt Cohen

Director of Leadership Giving

Melissa DiNofia-Bozzone

Development Officer

Jody Mayer

Alumni/ae Director

Tinuke Oyefule

Annual Fund Manager

Cary Snider ’11

Donor Relations Manager

Kathleen Chavis

Development Associate

Photography

Michael Branscom, Polina Bulman, Katherine Clayton, Matt Cohen, Jay Gorodetzer Photography, Clare Luzuriaga, Paola Nogueras, Kate Riccardi, Jim Roese, Mark Tassoni, Andy White '03, Ash Williams, Day Yohannes

Layout

Clare Luzuriaga, Nancy Biddle

We welcome any comments, letters, photographs, and suggestions for future issues. Please send all to communications@friendscentral.org

Friends’ Central School

1101 City Avenue

Wynnewood, PA 19096 communications@friendscentral.org

Connect with us on social media facebook.com/friendscentral twitter.com/friendscentral instagram.com/friendscentralschool youtube.com/friendscentralschool

Read past issues of Quaker Works at friendscentral.org/publications

PLEASE RECYCLE

Letter from the Head of School

Dear Friends,

Happy Spring! As Friends’ Central’s two beautiful campuses start to flower again and the athletic fields are back in action, I feel reinvigorated by the joy and energy of this wonderful community in which you all – students, families, colleagues, alums, and friends – play an essential role.

In this issue of Quaker Works, you’ll read about, among other things, academic, artistic and athletic triumphs, outstanding musical and theatrical productions, the successes and great work of many FCS teachers – inside and outside of the classroom – new FCS Board members, and ongoing planning for the next phase of our Center for Innovation and Design (the CID). We also share some details about the School’s Strategic Plan that was recently approved by the Board of Trustees. Over 100 FCS employees helped generate ideas and dreams to craft this first phase of the plan. And, in our Notes from Friends section – starting on page 31 – you’ll read updates and news about FCS alums spanning many decades. We love to hear from you all!

This spring, our community was enriched by visits from a range of renowned experts, writers, artists, and thinkers. There are simply too many to list. Among them was Jerry Craft, New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid and Class Act, who spoke to students on both campuses in February. In March, Heather McGhee, author and expert in economic and social policy, visited the Upper School as part of a book tour for the Young Reader's Edition of her groundbreaking book, The Sum of Us: How Racism Hurts Everyone. Still to come later in April is our 2023 Distinguished Visiting Justice Leader H. Bernard Hall, Assistant Professor of Urban Teacher Education at Drexel University. Check out the Visitors to Campus Section on page 16 to read more about the incredible range of experts we've had the pleasure of learning from and interacting with this year!

Friends’ Central’s inaugural Conference on Consent and Healthy Relationships takes place this May, bringing together local area high school students for a keynote speaker and workshops. The conference – a key part of the School’s Healthy Relationships and Consent Program – is led by Al Vernacchio and funded by an Edward E. Ford Foundation Educational Leadership Grant and generous gifts from our community.

As always, the prospect of welcoming fellow alums back to campus for Alumni/ae Weekend 2023 (May 12 and 13) is a true spring highpoint for me. I look forward to seeing many of you then, and I can’t wait to welcome other community members to campus throughout the spring!

Kind regards,

Beth D. Johnson '77 Head of School

Campus Log

At the second-annual Community Celebration on September 18, school spirit was on full display, with Head of School

center!

THIRD GRADE LEARNS ABOUT THE WATER SYSTEM

In October, Upper School science teacher Chris Guides visited the third grade to talk about the School's water system and how it works with the local watershed. Students learned how FCS is maintaining our grounds in purposeful ways to help support the local watershed and prevent flooding. They took a walk around the Lower School campus to observe the systems of pipes and drains and the multiple retention basins that help collect rain water.

See page 12 for more about Chris Guides' work on both campuses.

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL & THE PSOC ICE CREAM SOCIAL

On September 9, Upper School International students held a Mid-Autumn Festival and Chuseok celebration, including bubble tea and mooncakes. Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Moon Festival or Lantern Festival; it is celebrated in Asian American communities and countries like China, Singapore, and Taiwan. Chuseok is a traditional Korean holiday that falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar year. Families gather for delicious feasts to celebrate the year’s harvest and give thanks to their ancestors.

On September 10, the Parents of Students of Color (PSOC) held their annual Ice Cream Social to kick off the new school year. At the Ice Cream Social, the community recognized Chuseok and Mid-Autumn Festival with a lantern-making craft and some traditional treats.

HELLENIC HISTORY NATIONAL TOURNAMENT ACCOLADES

In July 2022, Niko Krontiris ’23 and Yianni Krontiris ’22 and their sister Liana took first place in the AHEPA Hellenic History National Tournament. Competing first in a regional round in April 2022, the team of siblings progressed to the international competition, held in Florida in July. The three were up against student teams from Canada, Connecticut, and New Jersey. For the competition, the students were given the book Hellenika: Heritage and History by T. Peter Limber to read. There were 24 questions in each round based on the book. The AHEPA competition was open to all students in grades 8-12. Congratulations to all three!

In September, the eighth grade went to Paradise Farms for a full day of activities and adventures.

At the Lower School's 21st annual Harvest Fest in October, the community celebrated the growth in the Lower School's organic garden. In the previous winter, students started seeds which were grown indoors and planted outside in the spring, when they sowed the seeds in the soil and watched them come to life. Over the summer, vegetables were harvested and pickled, and more seeds were sown for the 2022 fall harvest.

In October, students in John Gruber's Upper School Botany class sampled heirloom apples from Scott Farm in Vermont. In September, John had visited the USDA apple research station in Geneva, NY, to see apple and grape varieties as part of his Hendrie stipend for the study of genetic diversity.

Students in 4a conducting a chemistry experiment involving yeast in science class in February

Fifth graders demonstrated their creations to the younger grades at their Robotics Fair in December.

MLK Day of Service 2023 brought together community members for a wide range of service projects on the City Avenue campus.

Thanks to all who participated!

The Kindergarten Undersea Play in December was a hit and a wonderful way to culminate the students' study of Water, the Lower School's fall 2022 thematic focus.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRATITUDE TREE

At a Middle School Meeting for Worship in November, students gathered in Shimada around a tree created by the Service-Thru-ART group. Community members created colorful leaves with messages of gratitude and hung them on the branches. The tree was decorated with fall colors and expressions of thanksgiving and was on display in the Middle School entranceway.

In February, seventh graders participated in Jump Rope for Heart. Prior to the event, they displayed their personal hearts images in the Middle School, explaining why they support the event. They also collected donations for the American Heart Association.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVICE GROUPS HEAD OFF CAMPUS ONCE AGAIN

In October, Middle School service groups were able to travel off campus for the first time since March 2020! The student groups partnered with the Please Touch Museum, Friends of the Bala Cynwyd Heritage Trail, Overbrook Preschool, the Deaver Wellness Farm at Lankenau Hospital, and the West Philly Senior Community Center. Other Middle School service groups were active on campus, working with the Admissions and Communications departments, visiting the Lower School, monitoring stream health and removing invasive vegetation in Morris Park, creating art for the greater good, and designing in the Center for Design and Innovation (CID) to support the FCS community.

FIFTH GRADERS IN ROCKY RUN 5K

In November, Christie Kapothanasis and fifth graders Henry Raiten, Nate Muse, and Theo Oberfield from the Lower School cross country club participated in the Rocky Run 5K in Philadelphia. They were joined by Ashley Best-Raiten (Henry's mom) and Felicia Lin (Theo's mom), and cheered on by Nate's mom (and FCS Kindergarten teacher), Tanya Johnson Muse '02, and brother, Omar Muse '26. The boys had a great showing for their first ever 5K. They came in 65-67 out of 120 in the under-15 age group.

SIXTH GRADE SCIENCE FAIR

In January, sixth grade science held a science fair to showcase the Cell and DNA projects they created in the Center for Innovation & Design (CID).

LUNAR NEW YEAR PARADE

In January, second grade students joined their Nursery buddies for a Lunar New Year parade through the classrooms, halls, and playgrounds of the Lower School.

DISTINGUISHED SCIENCE AWARD WINNER

Having been named a finalist in the spring of 2022, Dev Gupta '23 earned a Distinguished Science award in the 75th Annual Delaware Valley Science Council Awards in October, winning a cash prize of $350. Winning students were recognized for their outstanding achievement in STEM fields. The winners had all submitted exceptional applications for judging earlier in the year and sat for interviews with area scientists in the fall. Congratulations, Dev!

UPPER SCHOOL MATH ACCOLADES

Eleven Upper School students took part in the HiMCM International Math Modeling Contest in November. The students were given two weeks to develop, test, and, describe a mathematical model for an unfamiliar real-world problem. The paper they submitted had to be 20 pages long, not including sources or code. The FCS participants were Justin Chen '26, Kevin Dai '23, Jack Barsotti '24, Claire Samaha '23, Henry Mu '23, Christopher Samuel '26, Rita Tang '25, Dev Gupta '23, Aaron Staugaard '25, Sasha Giuntoli '25, and Luke Halpern '25. Jack Barsotti earned a perfect score in the competition, and FCS team tied for fifth place, placing amongst large public high schools.

In February, based on his outstanding performance on the AMC 12A & AMC 12B, Jack Barsotti was invited to take the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME). The AMC 12 is one in a series of examinations –followed in the United States by the American Invitational Examination and the USA Mathematical Olympiad – that culminate in participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

In March, a group of FCS mathematicians participated in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3 Challenge) 2023. Led by Dev Gupta, the other team members were Michael Chou '23, Claire Pillar '23, Alex Rice '23, and Jack Barsotti. The team completed the 14-hour challenge, placing in the top 25% of competitors and advancing to the second round of judging where they remain contenders for a cash award of up to $20,000.

UPPER SCHOOL ORAL PROFICIENCY CONTEST

In February, the annual Oral Proficiency Contest was hosted by Plymouth Whitemarsh High School and open to students from Montgomery County schools. Silas Costa '27, Edward Lobel-Clark '23, Hailey Marchan '26, Christopher Samuel '26, and Quin Stovall '24 took part, accompanied by World Languages teachers Dafne Foote, Sonja Srama-Souder, and Alejandra Socorro. Quin Stovall was awarded the gold medal for Spanish Level 3, Christopher Samuel won the gold medal for French 3, and Silas Costa won the silver medal for French 2. Congratulations to all the participants!

SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING SILVER MEDAL

Marcus Chiang '23 was awarded a silver medal in the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing competition in March for his story, titled “Tokyo,” that won the FCS writing contest last year. Congratulations, Marcus!

FCS on the Stage

This spring's Upper School musical was a fabulous production of Into the Woods, directed by visiting artist Ryan Pater, starring more than 20 performers, and supported by an even larger tech crew.

This year, outstanding performances across the divisions have earned rave reviews. Congratulations to the actors, singers, musicians, and tech crews on their resounding success!

Featured on this issue's cover, Annie JR was this fall's Middle School musical. The production was filled with incredible joy and energy. Congratulations to the cast and crew on an outstanding musical!

UPPER SCHOOL MUSICIANS GO FURTHER

In January, Luke Halpern '25 (contrabass) and Michael Chou '23 (viola), along with other talented musicians from across Montgomery and Bucks County, performed at the Pennsylvania Music Education Association (PMEA) All-District Orchestra Festival under the baton of Maestro Tim Schwartz. Through competitive audition at the festival, Michael also advanced to the PMEA Regional Festival held in March. Luke did not compete for regionals as he was playing in the pit orchestra for the Upper School musical, Into the Woods, taking place that week. Claire Samaha '23 (saxophone) represented Friends' Central at the All-District Band Festival in February. Michael, Claire, and Luke are members of the Philadelphia Sinfonia, Delaware County Youth Orchestra, and Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, respectively, as well as Friends' Central's own Orchestra and Jazz Band, directed by Carl Bradley.

UPPER SCHOOL STUDIES ANGELS IN AMERICA

In February, 11th and 12th grade students ended their three-week unit on Tony Kushner's 1993 play Angels in America: (Part I) Millennium Approaches with a program about Friends' Central's production of the play in 2014. Students heard from former director Terry Guerin and designer/technical theater director CJ Keller (now CID Co-Director), as well as a panel of FCS alums who were part of the 2014 production and appeared via Zoom: Olivia Backal-Balik '15, Samara Bradley '15, Elliot Davis '15, Grace Kauffman-Rosengarten '16, Julian Shapiro-Barnum '17, and Lior Wolf '15. The alums took questions from the audience about what it was like to be high school actors working on such a groundbreaking and challenging play.

Tying into the unit, in January, Friends' Central hosted two panels from the National AIDS Memorial Quilt on the City Avenue campus. Each panel memorializes one individual – or group of individuals – lost to the AIDS pandemic. It is a powerful and beautiful memorial. On January 27, FCS also hosted the “Until It’s Over” HIV/AIDS Timeline. Brought to the School by The AIDS Fund, the display of placards stretched across the Felsen Common, allowing students and colleagues to walk through the history of the AIDS epidemic from 1981 to the present.

2022 PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL WINNERS

At the 2022 Annual Playwriting & Monologue Festival this fall, Leo Flora '22 took second place for his play Old-Fashioned Bandits (submitted as an FCS student), Abigail Greenberg '27 won second place for her play, Untitled, and Silas Costa '27 also received a second place prize for his play Inside Myself, Inside Herself. The prize winners were chosen from over 500 submissions from students in 30 different schools.

NATIONAL TRUMPET COMPETITION

Kokayi Jones '23 was a quarterfinalist, High School Division, at the National Trumpet Competition held at The University of Colorado, Boulder this March. Trumpet players from around the country submitted recordings, and the top 40 were selected as quarter finalists to compete in the live rounds.

TWO-TIME SHAKESPEARE COMPETITION WINNER

Lucy Shea '23 performed in the Philadelphia Branch English-Speaking Union (ESU) Shakespeare competition in February, and she won for the second year in a row! She will be heading to New York in April for the National finals, which are returning to the Lincoln Center in New York City for the first time since the pandemic.

FCS VOCAL GROUPS IN A CAPPELLA SING-OFF

At the Main Line A Cappella Sing-Off at Haverford College in January, sponsored by Ardmore Rotary, FCS vocal groups the Grace Notes and the Foxtones came in second place. The students won $750 which they directed to Guitars for Good, a non-profit founded by Dev Gupta '23 and Jace Anderson '23 that provides instruments and lessons to students in the Philadelphia area that would otherwise be unable to obtain them.

PRIMA LINGUA DERIVATIVE FAIR

The Prima Lingua Derivative Fair, held in January, is an annual highlight of the sixth grade's language-learning experience. Prima Lingua students spent the previous month researching and compiling hundreds of derivatives from a multitude of world languages that evolved from a Latin word that they each chose. Dave Thomas, Maker Space Coordinator and a devoted fan of the project, guided the students in the School's new Center for Innovation and Design (CID) to create structures that embodied the words. From a lunar moth display for the derivatives of "luna" to a scarecrow guarding a field of corn for derivatives of the verb "terrere," the projects were spectacular.

NATURE NURSERY CELEBRATES HOLI

Nature Nursery celebrated Holi on March 8. The students held their squirt bottles of colored water up as they waited for the countdown, "5...4...3...2...1... Happy Holi!" They had so much fun running around and squirting each other!

READING OLYMPICS BLUE RIBBON WIN

FCS Bookworms, the fifth-grade Reading Olympics team, won a blue ribbon in March at the MCIU Reading Olympics, a nationwide reading event that encourages students to increase the quality and quantity of books they read for enjoyment.

MODEL UN AWARDS

The Upper School Model UN team (partially pictured above) competed in January at the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. Congratulations to Piper Moore '23 and Jack Barsotti '24 on winning Outstanding Delegate awards. Claire Pillar '23, Allie Whellan '23, and Leo Deng '23 comprised the leadership team, and their faculty advisor was Alex McDonnell '87.

MOCK TRIAL BEN FRANKLIN INVITATIONAL

In January, Upper School Mock Trial headed to two days of competition at the Ben Franklin Invitational hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. This marked the Mock Trial team's return to in-person competition. They were accompanied by Mary Fran Torpey, Tom MacFarlane, and Steve Chawaga, attorney advisor and FCS past parent.

UPPER SCHOOLER ASTEROID DISCOVERY

In February, Andrew Yu '25 was credited with discovering 2022JU7, a Provisional Minor Planet. Andrew observed this asteroid in May 2022. Within a week, it was confirmed by the International Astronomical Search Collaboration and assigned the preliminary name P21tVj6. Since that time, it has been observed by others, and its orbit has been confirmed, earning it the official title 2022JU7. It will carry this name for another three to five years as more researchers refine its orbital parameters. Then, Andrew will have the opportunity to name it! This is only the second time our FCS search team, F.A.S.T., has had the chance to name an asteroid. Our first was 2021GC134, a counter-rotating Mars-crossing asteroid, discovered by Fotini Mourelatos '22 and Upper School physics teacher Deborah Skapik in 2021.

BETH DAVIS JOHNSON ’77 ON MAIN LINE TODAY POWER WOMEN LIST

In October, Head of School Beth Davis Johnson '77 was included in Main Line Today's "Power Women of the Main Line and Western Suburbs." The list recognizes 20 women who are all "poised, passionate, and persistent." Beth received her award at the Power Women Summit in October.

Read Main Line Today's article about Beth at bit.ly/BethJohnsonPowerWomen

GINGER FIFER

Ginger Fifer, Admissions Counselor and former Lower School leader, contributed a chapter to Kathy Hirsh-Pasek's latest book on thematic learning, released in November by Columbia Press. The book is titled Making Schools Work: Bringing the Science of Learning to Joyful Classroom Practice, and Friends' Central is the star of Case Study #1!

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is the Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Temple University and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; she is also parent of FCS alums Joshua Pasek '01, Benj Pasek '03, and Michael Pasek '08.

MARGARET SOMERVILLE ’83

Middle School Latin teacher and Presbyterian minister

Margaret Somerville '83 is a contributing writer for Patheos, a "non-denominational, non-partisan online media company providing information and commentary from various religious and nonreligious perspectives."

Margaret is Director of Alignment: Interfaith Contemplative Practices, which brings together leaders of different traditions in an alternative worship experience. Her work in interfaith contemplative practices has been presented at the last two meetings of the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Her Doctor of Ministry is in the field of interfaith contemplative practices.

Read more about Margaret at interfaithalignment.org

TRANSFORMING THE CAMPUSES: MAPPING TREES AND PLANTING RAIN GARDENS WITH CHRIS GUIDES

Upper School science teacher Chris Guides has been, for many years, quietly at work across both of Friends’ Central's campuses implementing highly effective sustainability landscaping measures, independently, in collaboration with Physical Plant staff, and with the help of students and colleagues from all divisions. Along with Middle and Upper School students, he has also been documenting trees in the School’s arboretum.

Chris joined the Friends’ Central Middle School as a science teacher in 1999 and began to turn his attention to the landscape of the City Avenue campus just a few years later. In 2013, Chris transitioned to the Upper School, where he has been teaching science ever since. He currently serves as Chair of the Science Department, and, in addition to all the curricular work he’s been doing, he has played a key role in Friends’ Central’s sustainability initiatives over the years.

The transformation of the retention basin at the front of the Lower School into a campus feature, filled with beautiful native plantings, is among his most impactful projects. A retention basin is an area created intentionally to manage stormwater runoff, for protection against flooding, for erosion control, and to serve as an artificial wetland and improve the water quality in adjacent bodies of water. Most retention basins are maintained just by cutting the grass once a week in the spring and the summer, but they have the potential to be converted back into areas of native plantings, as Chris explained. The Lower School’s retention basin, thanks to Chris’ plantings, has become a perfect place for Nature Nursery students, who use it regularly for classes and play. It’s a fenced-in area, full of open spaces and wonderful native plants that the youngest students can explore safely.

On the City Avenue campus, along with documenting the trees, Chris –assisted often by students who are in Tree Club or as part of service projects – has been planting rain gardens and designating and maintaining specific areas of the campus for native plantings which are now flourishing. QW

MEGAN SCHUMACHER

In October, Upper School English teacher and drama director Megan Schumacher's new play ...and stones had a performed reading at the Bluver Theatre at The Drake.

The play's synopsis is as follows: "In the summer of 1933 just outside of Birmingham, AL, schoolteacher Elizabeth Lawrence was lynched for scolding a group of white children who had been throwing stones at her. Through a contemporary lens using Angelina Weld Grimké's poem 'Tenebris' and a split stage, this play imagines her son's pursuit of justice for his mother and considers the courageous pursuit of equity by all Black bodies in the face of racism."

Megan is a distinguished playwright, director, and dramaturg. In February, Megan directed two of four one-act plays at Arcadia University. The plays were part of The Trailblazers series, a collection of short plays by women playwrights of the mid-20th century.

CAROLINE MAW-DEIS

Middle School art teacher Caroline Maw-Deis was one of the fiber artists participating in the Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers Pop-Up Shop in Chestnut Hill in December. Caroline submitted 50 of her handmade baskets, woven both traditionally and sustainably with unusual items, in addition to woven clay baskets, sachets, and tapestries.

DANIELLE SAINT HILAIRE

Upper School history teacher and scholar Danielle Saint Hilaire participated in a panel discussion of The Search for Founding Black Mothers, hosted by Morgan State University and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The panel discussion was held at the intersection of Black History and Women's History Months on March 6, also recognized as Founding Black Mother Harriet Tubman's birthday.

As described on its website, The Search is "a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary journey across the Humanities, inclusive of History, Literature, Politics, Gender Studies, Arts, Geography, Archeology, Archiving, and Digital Media storytelling."

The discussion was presented to Phi Delta Kappa, a national professional organization for women in the field of education. Danielle and her fellow panelists talked about the pedagogical impact of The Search on their work in the classroom and beyond, as well as the nature of teaching History in the current social and political climate.

Danielle was named a 2022 Frederick Douglass-James Madison Fellow, awarded to only one teacher of color throughout the nation by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation.

NASA AMBASSADORS: TEACHING ECLIPSE LITERACY

Upper School physics teacher Deborah Skapik has been selected to be a NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador. And Deb was thrilled to discover that a former student of hers, Ha-Eun Choi ’21, is also a NASA Eclipse Ambassador.

“The Ambassador program,” explained Deb, “is designed to teach eclipse literacy, which is exactly what I’m interested in.” It draws in a mixture of educators and people of all ages – undergraduates through amateur astronomers. Deb was part of the NASA Ambassador Eclipse program in 2017. The program has since expanded, and the application and selection process is now longer and more extensive.

“The NASA Eclipse Ambassador program aims to train people to run workshops that teach people how to watch safely,” explained Deb. “The idea is to put out the right information and get as many people out there looking at the eclipse as safely as possible. As Ambassadors, we’re responsible for this outreach, and to have NASA’s backing is what I’m so excited about.”

“There are two eclipses on the horizon,” said Deb. “On October 14, 2023, there will be an annular solar eclipse, where the moon will come in front of the sun but not cover it completely for anybody in the country; there will be a ring of sunlight around it. So it’s very beautiful, but it’s an eclipse that no one will be able to watch without eye protection. On April 8, 2024, there will be a total eclipse.”

“I’m hoping that the October 2023 event will get people excited about the April 2024 one. Seeing a partial eclipse is exciting and beautiful but experiencing a total eclipse – for so many reasons that are non-astronomical – is just incredible. I consider the October eclipse to be a ‘teaser.’”

At Friends’ Central this summer, Deb will be running a Summer Science Institute in Observational Astronomy with a concentration in eclipses. It will be a four-day program, open to all current FCS students in ninth grade and above. Through the Summer Science Institute, Deb will be forming the Moonshadow Team, a team of FCS students who will themselves become FCS eclipse ambassadors. In the fall, Moonshadow Team members will go to local schools in the Philadelphia area to hold workshops where they will train teachers and students to watch the eclipse. Ultimately, the aim is for the Moonshadow Team to travel to Vermont prior to the 2024 eclipse.

Deb’s boundless energy and her enthusiasm for eclipse literacy extends beyond the hands-on classroom and workshop training sessions. She is the author of the recently published Look UP, Below!, an educator’s guide to the April 2024 eclipse, written with the support of a Hendrie stipend. QW

Excerpted from the full article about Deb Skapik, published at bit.ly/FCSDebS (See page 39 for a Q&A with Ha-Eun Choi ’21, another NASA Ambassador)

Meet the Newest Members of Friends' Central's Board of Trustees

Natalie Aronson Cooper '05

A small, strong, organization can provide enormous opportunities. I experienced firsthand the positive impact that Friends' Central creates for its entire community. I serve to give back to an institution that gave me so much.

Earl Ball

My life has been enriched by Quaker education, and I have longstanding respect for the education provided by Friends' Central. At this particular time, I find the vision provided by Beth Davis Johnson '77 both mission-driven and compelling.

Bill Georges '88

Friends' Central was foundational to my education and my pathway in life. I’m hoping to support the School so others can benefit from the same opportunity.

Who we are & why we serve

Jackie Guynn '89

As a 1989 graduate with a longtime family commitment to Friends’ Central (my brothers graduated in 1973 and 1975), I am thankful to give back to the community which shaped my life in so many meaningful and happy ways. In these challenging historical times, I am excited to be able to contribute to the future development of intellectual curiosity, growth, and learning – with a dedication to equity and justice – in this transformational and inspirational time in Friends’ Central’s history.

Anja Hilliard

I strongly believe by recognizing the Light in every single person and being open to continuing revelation, we will make this world a better place. Friends' Central provides a community in which those values are held high and in which students are prepared to peacefully transform the future.

Karen Horikawa '77

Friends' Central is a vibrant, nurturing community, and I am proud to be a FCS alumna. The School's Mission and Vision are so powerful and rich – they truly speak to the development of learners and activists that will lead and and inspire the growing, complex world around them. I am thrilled to serve this amazing School as it sets the pace moving forward.

SINCE 1845,

QUAKER TRADITIONS

VALUES-DRIVEN LEARNING

INSPIRATIONAL TEACHERS

INDEPENDENT AND CURIOUS STUDENTS

It’s an exciting moment in the School’s history. As our visionary leaders continue to move Friends’ Central forward, your philanthropic support will help us to go further. Our promise is to remain rooted in who we are, while ensuring we have the resources to dream our future.

Dream big with FCS and make a gift to the Friends’ Central Fund today!

CAMPUS LOG

FCS welcomed authors, scientists, artists, and leaders who enriched and challenged our community this year including the following

VISITORS TO CAMPUS

AUTHOR AND POLICY ADVOCATE HEATHER McGHEE

Heather McGhee, New York Times bestselling author and policy advocate, visited the Middle and Upper School in March on her book tour for the Young Reader's Edition of her groundbreaking book The Sum of Us: How Racism Hurts Everyone.

Heather is an expert in economic and social policy. As the former president of the inequality focused think tank Demos, she has drafted legislation, testified before Congress, and contributed regularly to news shows, including NBC's Meet the Press. She chairs the board of the Color of Change, the nation's largest online racial justice organization.

MARINE BIOLOGIST EMMETT CULHANE ’09

In November, Emmett Culhane ’09 visited Kindergarten students in KB to give a presentation on his ocean research in connection with the Lower School's fall theme of Water. A marine biologist and PhD candidate at MIT, Emmett spoke to the students about the layers of the ocean. He showed some shark videos and shared some facts, including how many fish there actually are in the sea!

AUTHOR AMY SARIG KING

In September, in collaboration with local independent bookstore Children's Book World, author Amy Sarig King visited the fifth and sixth grade on the City Avenue campus. Amy's recently published book Attack of the Black Rectangles addresses the issues of censorship and intolerance. It just so happened that the week before Amy's visit (September 18-24) was Banned Books Week, an ideal opportunity to introduce the topic!

AUTHOR

ERIN ENTRADA KELLY

In collaboration with Main Point Books, New York Times bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly visited the Lower School in October for a special assembly. Erin is the author of the Newbery Award–winning Hello, Universe (2017). She has just released, Surely, Surely Marisol Rainey, the second book in her Maybe Marisol series about Marisol, an imaginative Filipina American girl.

UKRAINIAN ECONOMIST ANDREI KIRILENKO

Last spring, Andrei Kirilenko, a professor of finance at the University of Cambridge in the UK, visited Grant Calder's U.S. History class via Zoom. Professor Kirilenko grew up in Ukraine, and in recent years, he has served as a consulting economist to Ukraine’s ministry of finance and central bank. In the spring of 2022, Andrei's mother was found dead by a neighbor in the besieged city of Mariupol. Andrei spoke with the students about the first few months of the war.

Read Grant Calder's full piece about Andrei Kirilenko at bit.ly/FCS-AKirilenko.

ACTIVIST INGRID LAKEY

In September, we had a visit from Ingrid Lakey, climate justice activist and co-founder of Earth Quaker Action Team or (EQAT). At the Peace Day Assembly, Ingrid spoke to Middle and Upper School students about the many ways in which young people can use their gifts to support activism related to climate change, a just and sustainable economy, and any other cause about which they might be passionate.

BOSTON RED SOX MINOR LEAGUE PITCHER BRENDAN CELLUCCI

In January, Boston Red Sox minor league pitcher Brendan Cellucci spoke with members of the Upper School baseball team about the path from high school to the pros.

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR

JERRY CRAFT

In February, author Jerry Craft spoke to students in all three divisions.

Jerry Craft is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the graphic novels New Kid and Class Act. New Kid is the only book in history to win the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature (2020); the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature (2019), and the Coretta Scott King Author Award for the most outstanding work by an African American writer (2020).

MUSIC DIRECTOR MATT DOEBLER

Matt Doebler, Music Director of the National Tour of Jagged Little Pill, returned to campus to speak with Upper School Chorus students in January, while the show was running in Philadelphia. He has done a lot of work as a pianist and conductor on multiple Broadway shows and national tours. Matt has previously visited Friends’ Central both in person and via Zoom.

A CAPPELLA GROUP STAAM

In March, Staam, an a cappella group from Washington University performed at a Middle School assembly that was also attended by Upper School Chorus and the Upper School Jewish Affinity Group. We were so happy to see FCS alum Ben Miller ’20 (center, with the microphone), who is in the ensemble!

SCIENTIST DR. JOSÉ DIEGO RODRIGUEZ

In March, Dr. José Diego Rodriguez, father of Dakota Diego Brait ’26, came to talk with Deb Skapiks physics students about dark matter!

Athletic News

GIRLS’ SWIMMING WINS SIXTH CONSECUTIVE FSL TITLE

Congratulations to FCS girls’ swimming, who went undefeated (7-0) this season and claimed their sixth consecutive FSL title. The team scored the most points in the FSL Swimming Championships since 2011, tying the previous record of 124 points. The team also did well at the Eastern Swimming Championships held in February at Franklin & Marshall College. They finished in 10th place, the highest in FCS program history. Congratulations to Clara Behling ’24 for her outstanding performances in the A finals. Also congratulations to the 400 Free relay team of Hope Lane ’23, Chloe English ’24, Claire Pillar ’23, and Clara Behling ’24 on being the first relay in program history to make an A final.

GIRLS’ TENNIS WINS FSL CHAMPIONSHIP

This October, in an undefeated season, Friends' Central girls' tennis became the 2022 Friends Schools League Girls' Tennis Champions. They achieved this title after a hard-fought 3-2 championship win over visiting George School.

“I can’t stop thinking about the season and how much they had to overcome," said girls’ tennis coach Anthony Patarino. "All of the time, energy, and sacrifices that went into completing a perfect season. I can feel how much this team loves tennis and how much they wanted to win. Seeing the smiles on their faces when we won the title gave me a deeper level of pride than I could possibly describe. I was euphoric.”

Congratulations to singles players Margot Groundwater ’26, Savina Copas ’24, and Allie Whellan ’23; and doubles players Maddy Jackson ’26 and Grace Schlegel ’24, and Lauren Coss ’23 and Lindsay McCammon ’23.

AVERY LEWIS ’24 CONTINUES TO SHATTER RECORDS

Congratulations to Avery Lewis ’24, who continues to break records and garner accolades. At the Millrose Games in early February, Avery jumped a Meet Record 6.06m/19-10 3⁄4 to win the High School Girls' Long Jump!

At the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association (PTFCA) Indoor State Championship in late February, Avery broke her own state record in the 60M. Her new record time of 7.22 places her third in the U.S.A. And Avery didn't stop there. She won the 200M in a blazing 23.79 time, a U.S. #8. She also won the Long Jump. Her performance helped lift Friends' Central to a second place finish out of the entire state of Pennsylvania. For the second consecutive year, Avery was awarded the PTFCA Girls’ Athlete of the Year for the 2023 Indoor Track and Field season.

Avery went on to a national title in the long jump with a leap of 20-5 and third place in the 60M (7.39) to earn All-American recognition at New Balance Nationals Indoors in March.

FRIENDS SCHOOLS ALL-LEAGUE HONORS

Congratulations to our student-athletes, who have earned Friends Schools League honors during the fall and winter season. All-League and Honorable-Mention squads are selected in each sport at the end of each season by the coaches of that sport. In selecting players to the All-League or Honorable-Mention squads, sportsmanship is as important as athletic prowess.

FRIENDS SCHOOLS LEAGUE FIRST TEAM ALL-LEAGUE WINNERS:

Cross Country:

Quin Stovall ’24, Theo Strauss ’24

Boys' Soccer:

Max Mattioni ’23, Mason McCrea ’24

Girls' Tennis:

Savina Copas ’24, Margot Groundwater ’26, Maddy Jackson ’26, Allie Whellan ’23

Girls' Basketball:

Sana'a Garrett ’23, Logyn Greer ’25

Boys' Swimming:

Oskar Bauriedel ’26, Finn Hilliard ’24, Cooper Johnson ’23

Girls' Swimming:

Clara Behling ’24, Chloe English ’24, Penelope English ’26, Hope Lane ’23, Sofia Moran ’23, Claire Pillar ’23

Wrestling: Theo Dankoff ’24, Melania Diah ’23

FRIENDS SCHOOLS LEAGUE HONORABLE MENTION ALL-LEAGUE WINNERS:

Cross Country:

Sofia Moran ’23, Duncan McLuckie ’25

Field Hockey: Sophia Bozzone ’26

Boys' Soccer: Solomon Murphy ’23

Girls' Tennis: Grace Schlegel ’24

MAIN LINE GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NAL’LA BENNETT '25

Nal’La Bennett ’25 was named Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week in February. The sophomore guard has been a welcome addition to the Phoenix this winter, averaging 15 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals per game this season! In Friends’ Central's Shimada gym on Spirit Night in January, Nal’La set the School record for three-point baskets (11), scoring 39 points in a win against Academy of the New Church. Friends’ Central girls' basketball head coach Vincent Simpson shared, “Nal’La has been a great addition to our program. She’s a hard worker; on and off the court she brings good energy. You might not get many smiles or words on the court but, off the court, you’ll get all the laughs and jokes. She’s a great kid.”

Excerpted from a PA Prep Live article by Bruce Adams

INDIVIDUAL FSL CROSS COUNTRY TITLE FOR QUIN STOVALL ’24

This fall, Quin Stovall ’24 won the individual girls’ race at the FSL Cross Country Championship with a time of 20:46.73. This achievement makes Quin the fourth Friends' Central female athlete to take the individual FSL cross country title, along with Olivia Cieslak (former student), Lydia Russell ’20, and Rebecca Wusinich ’20.

“I felt really strong,” Quinn shared. “I thought the hills would be a lot harder than they were, but I trained for them, and I feel like I had a really good race."

Excerpted from a Philly Sports Digest article by Mark Zimmaro

Girls' Basketball: Nal'La Bennett ’25, Kaiya Rain Tucker ’25

Girls' Swimming: Evie Watkins ’26

Wrestling: Kade Anderson ’25, Roma LoGiurato ’25

SANA'A GARRETT '23 TAKES THE PHOENIX TO A NEW LEVEL

The relentless defense of point guard Sana’a Garrett ’23 helped bring the FCS girls’ basketball team to a 37-27 win over Spring-Ford at the Blue Star Invitational at Jefferson University in January. Sana'a, a bundle of energy and toughness, is pretty much indispensable for the Phoenix. She spends very little time off the floor. “I just want to bring the energy back and put us back on top,” Sana’a said. “She’s somebody I would love on my team,” girls’ basketball coach Vinny Simpson said. “She’s a great defender, a great leader, and a good person to be around.”

Excerpted from a City of Basketball Love article by Andrew Robinson

MEL DIAH ’23 IS ALL-AMERICAN WRESTLER

Melania Diah ’23 placed second at the 87th National Prep Wrestling Tournament (138 lbs Girls’ Division) earning All-American honors for the second time in as many years. She recorded only one loss against female wrestlers this year, placed eighth at the Pennsylvania Independent School Wrestling Tournament (138 lbs Boys’ Division), and earned All-Friends-League First Team honors. Mel served as a senior captain of the wrestling team this year, bringing an incredible work ethic and joy to the practices. Throughout her years as an FCS wrestler, Mel’s impact on her teammates, coaches, and on the program’s history has been impactful. We wish her nothing but the best as she continues her journey beyond Friends' Central.

BALLERINA

MISCHA CHAROV ’26 EXCELS NATIONALLY

Mischa Charov ’26 is a professionally trained Ballerina who competes nationwide. In January, she traveled to Puerto Rico to take part in the Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition. There, she won first place in Ballet and first place in Contemporary in the Senior Age Division. Mischa was also invited to perform at their “Future Stars in Dance” Gala. In February, Mischa competed at the National Ballet Competition in Delaware and won second place overall in the Senior Age Division. At both competitions, she received full scholarships to training programs at ballet schools around the country, including Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet.

MAYA BROTHERS ’26 WINS ONTARIO CUP

Freshman Maya Brothers began cycling when she was just nine years old. Last year was her first official competitive season. This year, she went to Milton, Ontario twice; once to race the Ontario Cup, where she placed first, and again to race Provincials, where she placed third in the U17 category. She also has taken a leadership role on her Star Track cycling team as the Junior Endurance Coach, where she helps by giving tactics and support to her teammates. She is currently training for the Junior Track Cycling Nationals in Los Angeles in the 15-16 category this summer. Maya said, “Racing for Star Track is such an amazing community where I’ve met lifelong friends and developed a respect for the sport and those around me.”

UNDEFEATED SEASON FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS’ & BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Middle School boys’ and girls’ basketball achieved an undefeated season, finishing with a 14-0 record. Both teams capped off their undefeated season by winning the Philadelphia School Invitational. Coach Devin Coleman ’11 shared that the boys’ team displayed a great deal of skill and camaraderie throughout the season. Girls' team coaches Ryan Tozer and Erica Seay expressed that, “More important than our wins was our team chemistry. Their level of support for one another was a true demonstration of school spirit.” It takes a special kind of group to go an entire season without losing a single game, especially in a team-oriented sport that relies on the contributions of all players. Congratulations!

JULIA EPPS ’28 AT US NATIONALS

At the Challenge Cup, held in Philadelphia in September, hundreds of figure skaters came from all over the country in hopes of qualifying for the US Nationals event in January in San Jose, California. Among them were Julia Epps ‘28 and her partner Blake Gilman, who garnered a silver medal in the highly competitive field of ice dance. At 12 years old, Julia is the youngest ice dance junior competitor in the country to enter the qualifying season! At the US National Event in San Jose in January, Julia and Blake ranked eighth in the Junior level. One week later, they traveled to Germany for the Bavarian Open in Oberstdorf, where they competed in the Advanced Novice group and earned another silver medal. In December, Julia and Blake qualified for Team USA. “It was a great accomplishment because we had worked for it for a while. A highlight was getting our jackets; it meant all our work was paying off,” said Julia. Julia and Blake were featured in a video interview and article on 6abc Action News on March 18, showing them in action on the rink and highlighting their incredible achievements.

Alumni/ae Athletes in the News

In his sophomore year at the University of Pennsylvania, EDWARD HOLLAND III ’21 is coming into his own. In the fall season, he amassed 92 minutes across seven games. “He’s worked on his game physically. He’s stronger — more complete athletically,” coach Steve Donahue said. “More than that, I think he’s more used to the nuances of college basketball: guarding different positions [and] quicker guys. I think that’s been part of his maturation in particular … making the coaches trust his defensive instincts.”

Excerpted from a Daily Pennsylvanian article by Kristel Rambaud

COLLEGIATE BASEBALL SIGNINGS

Congratulations to the following student-athletes who have signed their NLI and made the commitment to play collegiate baseball:

Julian Abreu ’23: Marist College

Darius Adkins ’23: Saint Joseph's University

Alejandro Flores ’23: Penn State University at Harrisburg

Lucca Frattone ’23: Wesleyan University

In just the second track event of her young collegiate career, MICAH TRUSTY ’22 set a Villanova University women's track and field record in the 600M with a time of 1:30.47 at the Penn State National Open in January. Micah eclipsed the previous Villanova standard of 1:31.55 which had been held by Siofra Cleirigh Buttner since January 23, 2015. The record performance highlighted another strong day of action for the Wildcats at Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track as the two-day Penn State meet wrapped up.

Excerpted from an article on Villanova.com

Photo of Micah Trusty courtesy of villanova.com

Brown University Squash teammates BLAKE ROSHKOFF ’20 and LEO SHACK ’21 won the College Squash Association National Championship held in February at the Arlen Specter U.S. Squash Center in Philadelphia. Blake earned a silver medal in squash at the Maccabi games last summer in Israel, and in March 2022, Blake partnered with Rachel Mashek to win the mixed doubles Intercollegiate National Championship and the National Mixed Doubles Championship.

During the fall season, the Lower School fifth-grade Cross Country Club, run by Christie Kapothanasis, visited the City Avenue campus to compete in a Middle School cross country meet.

SILAS COSTA ’27 AND ILANA WASSERMAN ’29 EXCEL AT GFS INVITATIONAL

In October, the Middle School cross country team raced at the GFS Invitational, with 351 runners total competing in the 1.8K race. Silas Costa ’27 finished eighth for the boys’ and 10th place in the combined race with a time of 11:55. Ilana Wasserman ’29 finished 23rd for the girls’ with a time of 15:05.

ARI BARAK ’27 IS NATIONALLY RANKED CLIMBER

Ari Barak ’27 competed in the Bouldering Region 82 (comprising Eastern PA, Western NY, NJ, and DE) in February and finished eighth, advancing to the Division 8 Competition. Ari climbed against the top 13 climbers from region 82 (MD, VA, DC). On the first day of divisional, he placed 13th and advanced to the second day. He placed fifth on day two and advanced to the USA Climbing Youth National Championships this summer. In his first competitive season, Ari has become a nationally ranked climber.

MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILY GAME DAY

In October, the Middle School hosted the annual Family Game Day to bring their fall season to a close. Parents and caregivers were invited to join their student-athletes on the field!

An Upper School Spanish Class Reimagined

For students wanting to immerse themselves in Spanish while getting hands-on insight into a range of Spanish-speaking cultures, Friends’ Central Upper School’s Contemporary Latino Experience is a unique curricular opportunity. The class has shifted its focus in the last two years to the experience of Latin American immigrant groups in the United States. Cristina Pérez, Chair of Friends’ Central’s World Languages Department, is the creative force behind the revised yearlong Upper School Spanish offering which is open to all juniors and seniors who have completed Spanish III.

The class, as it was originally taught, touched on various cultural traditions – such as music, dance, and local cuisine – of several Latin American countries. “The objective of the reimagined class,” Cristina explained, “is for the students to have, by the end of the year, a nuanced understanding of four or five different Latin American immigrant groups who are represented in the United States in large numbers. Students learn about the history of each of the countries and about the current relationship and foreign policy between the United States and those nations. They also discover what’s happening with many of those immigrants, now that they live in the United States.”

As an immigrant from Colombia and the daughter of a Cuban immigrant, Cristina is well aware on a personal level of the vast difference between the two experiences and the perspectives that have been shaped by each. “I find it immensely frustrating when people consider Latino immigrants to be one giant monolith.”

As the culmination of each country’s unit, Cristina invites a visitor originally from that region to the class to answer the students’ questions and provide valuable first-hand insight into the immigrant experience of someone from the particular place.

“Last year was the first year I taught this newer class,” Cristina shared. “We begin with Puerto Rico, taking in a very broad history, from its being a colony of Spain, to its independence, to how it became a territory of the United States. We look at how, beginning in 1917, the US started giving citizenship to Puerto Ricans primarily so that they could fight in World War I. Then we study Puerto Ricans

in this country – Why do they come here? Where do they tend to live? – We study the recent hurricanes, the 2006 budget crisis.”

At the end of the unit on the Puerto Rican immigrant experience this October, Cristina invited Puerto Rican pianist, composer, choral conductor, and educator Suzzette Ortiz – friend of FCS music teacher Michele Zuckman – to the class. Along with answering questions in Spanish, Suzzette had the entire class performing a lively rendition of a Puerto Rican song, with students drumming and singing in unison.

By the time the representative from each immigrant group visits, the students are prepared with informed questions. “We study, for example, the politics of Puerto Rico, which are very much about whether to become the 51st state, to become an independent country, or to keep the status quo. There are three political parties, and each party represents one of those movements.” The students are able to draw upon what they’ve learned to formulate their questions for the visitor, which are always in Spanish.

“Last year, we had a fantastic visitor for our Mexican unit, Cesar Viveros, a Mexican immigrant and Philadelphiabased mural artist who has spent over 15 years creating public art in the United States and his native Mexico.”

CRISTINA PEREZ

“Mexico is the next country we study,” Cristina said, “and it’s in such a different situation, of course, from Puerto Rico. We learn about the historical relationship between the United States and Mexico, and we explore the current situation on the Mexican/US border. We get a sense of what a Mexican immigrant’s experience in the US might typically look like.”

“Last year, we had a fantastic visitor for our Mexican unit, Cesar Viveros, a Mexican immigrant and Philadel-

phia-based mural artist who has spent over 15 years creating public art in the United States and his native Mexico. Prior to his visit, we studied his work,” said Cristina.

“The countries we covered last year were Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, and Venezuela. Having taught this for a year, the material is now pretty much set, so I’m hoping to cover at least one or two additional countries this year.”

The variation in each country’s immigrant experience and historical relationship with the United States makes for rich and complex learning opportunities.

“When we study Cuba, students learn about Batista and then Castro and the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students have a sense of how special the Cuban relationship is with the United States,” Cristina said.

For the Cuban unit, Cristina’s mother, Oria Pérez, has been the class visitor. Oria came to the States in 1960 as a Cuban refugee and lives in Miami among a large community of Cuban immigrants and their descendants. Oria fielded questions from the students about the Cuban revolution and exile.

The next area of focus is Venezuela, where the relationship with the US is, yet again, entirely unique. Upper School math teacher Greg Klein came to teach a class in English on economics, providing an understanding of economic factors affecting Venezuela such as hyperinflation. Last year, the Venezuelan class visitor was Friends’ Central’s own Upper School Spanish teacher Alejandra Socorro.

With the exception of Greg’s visit, the class is entirely in Spanish. “All of the materials we read and study are authentic and contemporary, including CNN in Spanish, BBC Mundo, France 24 en Español, and El País (the global Spanish newspaper),” Cristina explained. “We watch newscasts and reports in Spanish, and class discussions are all in Spanish.”

At the end of each unit, the students’ culminating assessment is a presentation they research for two weeks using only authentic Spanish sources. Examples of this year’s Spanish oral presentations about Cuba are: The Peter Pan Refugees, Cuba Today, and The Role of Cuban Immigrants in American Politics.

Along with providing a Spanish-immersion experience that puts into practice the previous three years of Spanish study, the new class straddles social studies, history, and politics and is a wonderful addition to Friends’ Central’s rich curricular opportunities. And the cross-cultural connections and understanding that arise from interactions with the visiting members of each immigrant community bring an invaluable dimension to the learning. For the 2023-2024 school year onwards, the class has officially been retitled and is now The Latino Immigrant Experience, reflecting its new focus. QW

Friends’ Central Unveils a New Strategic Plan

InJanuary, Head of School Beth Davis Johnson ’77, along with several Administrative team and faculty members, unveiled Friends’ Central’s Strategic Plan to current families, offering them, in her words, “a glimpse of the future of the School.”

The new Strategic Plan is the culmination of a year’s worth of surveys and small-group work and comes at an exciting moment in the School’s history. “Over one hundred FCS employees helped generate ideas and dreams to craft this first phase of our Strategic Plan, which was approved by the Board of Trustees,” Beth shared. “This plan is a beginning; it represents what we want to accomplish in the next two to three years.”

“The plan outlines priorities that emerged through planning, some of which have already begun – a set of aspirations to move Friends’ Central forward from a place of strength through ideas that are student-centered, intellectual, and mission-oriented.”

At the presentation, families heard about the three pillars of the plan: Faculty & Staff, Curriculum & Facilities, and Community, with an explanation of how Quaker values and diversity, equity, belonging and inclusivity are woven throughout the pillars.

PILLAR 1: FACULTY & STAFF

The goal of the first pillar, Beth shared, is to “attract, retain, and invest in a talented, diverse, and expert faculty of true distinction.” The initiatives around this goal as outlined in the Strategic Plan include expanded professional development opportunities, increased compensation, an emphasis on collaboration and community-building, and a recognition of the importance of expanding diversity efforts to include gender expression, religion, and ethnicity. “While we have made important progress, we have more work to do!” Beth said.

“ This plan is a beginning; it represents what we want to accomplish in the next two to three years.”

BETH D. JOHNSON ’77

PILLAR 2: CURRICULUM & FACILITIES

Associate Head of School Alexa Dunnington Quinn ’98 presented the second pillar, the goal of which is to, “design and adopt innovative, intellectual and interdisciplinary curricular and co-curricular experiences that are supported by world-class facilities on both campuses.”

Alexa shared, “The tasks under this goal will all serve to bring innovations to our curriculum and the co-curricular experiences that we offer at all levels.”

On the curricular and co-curricular front, Alexa shared a range of initiatives underway and on the horizon. Plans are in place to reevaluate each division’s daily schedules to ensure that schedules “support our pedagogical and community priorities across each division.” Other initiatives include implementing more learning experiences beyond the boundaries of the campuses – such as signature trips and international travel opportunities; more courses that are cross-listed or co-taught; and “augmenting our teaching of Humanities in the way that recent initiatives and spaces – such as the Light Lab and Center for Innovation and Design – have done for the Sciences, Math and Technology curricula.”

“Since such pursuits are often supported and even made possible by the built and natural environment of our campuses,” Alexa shared, “this goal also encompasses inspiring and exciting facilities – both those that would be new and modifications to existing facilities and grounds.”

Upper School science teacher John Gruber spoke about our unique and distinctive curricular programs focused on conservation, biodiversity, and ecology that are currently taking place. Among those are “field studies, lab research, and habitat restoration work that bring students into the middle of exploring how our own environment

serves as a living laboratory for some of the most interesting evolutionary and ecological questions one could take up,” John shared.

CJ Keller, Co-Director of the Center for Innovation & Design (CID) then shared exciting new developments on the facilities front, with Phase I of the CID now in full operation and planning and fundraising underway for Phase II. (See page 28 for more details).

Lower School Principal Melody Acinapura spoke next, sharing the exciting news that the Lower School is “about to embark on a comprehensive facilities plan.” The Lower School has “been given the greenlight and the support to hire a consultant to help us strategically assess our Lower School campus. This is an opportunity to think critically and creatively about our space and start to consider ways we can repurpose, reimagine, and redesign,” said Melody.

PILLAR 3: COMMUNITY

Alexa Quinn ’98 once again addressed the audience to talk about the third pillar of the Strategic Plan, Community.

GOING FURTHER WITH THE CID: ENVISIONING PHASE II

Friends’ Central’s facilities related to STEAM education have been undergoing a tremendous expansion since 2016. Most recently, the generous support of Rich Ulmer ’60 helped the School launch Phase I of the Center for Innovation and Design (CID) in the fall of 2022.

In 2016, Friends’ Central unveiled The Ulmer Family Light Lab, a cutting-edge facility dedicated to creation and innovation for students in Nursery School through grade 5. It has enriched the Lower School curriculum immeasurably since its inception.

The Ulmer Family Light Lab represented the School's first major STEAM-related facilities project in recent history, and it helped set into motion exciting plans for the Middle and Upper School campus which are already unfolding this school year with the opening, in September, of Phase I of the CID.

Upon its unveiling this fall on the City Avenue campus, the CID instantly became a thriving center for creativity and innovation.

“This February, we averaged over 80 students entering the CID daily, with a record high of 125 students on one busy Wednesday,” said CJ Keller, CID Co-Director. The CID is in full-time use, either as part of classes, for the newly formed Robotics Team and other clubs, or for students’ independent projects. “We’ve laser-cut a 3D periodic table of elements to support a visually impaired student,” said CJ, giving just a few examples of the myriad projects happening in the CID. “We’ve made bird and bat houses for the City Avenue and Lower School campuses. French and Latin classes have taken virtual reality trips abroad with our VR headsets. Students have recorded movie scenes and podcasts in the greenscreen studio and created Petri dish mazes for science classes using the 3D printer.”

Head of School Beth Davis Johnson ’77 has set a completion date of fall 2024 for Phase II of the CID.

“The beauty of doing this (Phase I) trial set up before the redesign of the building is that we have learned what is popular and what needs improvement,” shared CJ. “With Phase II of the building, we’ll be able to address acoustic concerns, space limitations, and create more efficient student project storage. We’ll add a mezzanine, a few

walls, and glass so the CID will be able to accommodate multiple classes in a single block comfortably. With designated spaces for design and prototyping, fabrication, robotics, and a VR/media studio, we’ll be able to offer new classes for students in design thinking, engineering, and community programs. And, as part of the renovation, we hope to include a covered outdoor classroom and are aspiring to LEED certification to work towards a greener future.”

Rich Ulmer shared, "It has been an incredible joy to see the second leg of STEAM education extend to the City Avenue campus with the Center for Innovation & Design. This direction of education is the future of learning."

Rich is hoping others in the community will join him in philanthropically supporting the School to make Phase II of the CID a reality. QW

Read more about Phase I of the CID in a article by Cary Snider ’11 at bit.ly/FCS-STEAM23 and the 2016 launch of The Ulmer Family Light Lab at bit.ly/FCS-STEAM-LL-2016

The goal of this pillar is to “strengthen our values-driven community and empower our students to address immediate local and global challenges, and lead lives of purpose.”

Under the Community pillar, the plan seeks to “create new and additional opportunities and structures that nurture our commitments to diversity and inclusivity, to stewardship of people and the environment, and to values-driven learning,” Alexa shared.

Al Vernacchio, Coordinator of Gender, Sexuality, and Consent Education, spoke about the first-ever student conference on consent and healthy relationships that will be taking place this May. The conference is made possible by “the Edward E. Ford Foundation Educational Leadership Grant, along with the generous financial support of members of the FCS community and beyond,” Al shared.

Nefetaria Yates, Friends’ Central’s Director of Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusivity, spoke via video about the recent expansion of the School’s Department of Institutional Diversity, Equity. The goal of the Office is to support, assist, and enhance Friends’ Central’s commitment to eliminating harmful bias and discrimination, to close opportunity gaps, and to advance critical conversations and initiatives that

Ad.qxp_Layout 1 3/14/23 9:48 AM Page 1

promote inclusivity, equity, and social justice on campus and beyond.

Middle School Principal Andy White ’03 shared a goal, under the Community pillar, to “strengthen our relationships and partnerships by intentionally investing our own FCS resources and applying them towards educational equity in our nearby communities. We can expand our network to welcome and create opportunities for students and families beyond our zip codes.”

And, also within the Community goals, Upper School Principal Lee Payton presented sustainability initiatives driven by the School’s Sustainability Committee, including identifying and executing manageable short-term projects and formalizing the roadmap for our long-term sustainability journey.”

A PATH FORWARD

Beth concluded the information-packed presentation by letting families know that they will be kept up to date on how to support the School as we move forward with the Strategic Plans initiatives. “None of this excitement and growth happens without you and your children,” she said. “Thank you for your partnership and commitment to Friends’ Central School.” QW

Volunteer as a Friends’ Central Alumni/ae Class Representative

Together, we go further

ALUMNI/AE WEEKEND

It’s time to gather with Friends

May 12-13, 2023

Friday, May 12

6 pm Fabulous Fifties Reception and Dinner - Classes of 1950-1960

MERION CRICKET CLUB, 325 MONTGOMERY AVE., HAVERFORD, PA 19041

Saturday, May 13

9 am

10-10:45 am 11-11:30 am

Reunion Check-in Opens

BREAKFAST RECEPTION ON FELSEN COMMON

Meeting for Worship

Introduction by Head of School, Beth Davis Johnson ’77

SHALLCROSS HALL - MEETING ROOM

Distinguished Alumni/ae Awards

Elizabeth Cohen ’83 | Juan Jewell ’68 | Phillip Scott ’73

Luncheons and Class Photos

Classes of 1950 to 1972 and the 50th Reunion Class of 1973

SHALLCROSS HALL

Classes of 1974 to 2018

FELSEN COMMON

Phoenix Athletics Contests

LACROSSE, BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL FIELDS AND THE ULMER FAMILY TENNIS COMPLEX

Center for Innovation and Design (CID)

Tours of the new STEAM workshops, formerly the Rex Gym

Archive Display

MAIN BUILDING - FIRST FLOOR

Alumni/ae of Color Gathering with Director of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging, Nefetaria Yates

SHALLCROSS HALL - PHOENIX ROOM

All-Alumni/ae Reception

LIQUID ART BARREL HOUSE, 990 SPRING GARDEN ST., PHILADELPHIA , PA 19123

For more information or to register online, scan the QR code or visit friendscentral.org/alumniae/weekend

NOTES FROM FRIENDS

SHARE YOUR ALUMNI/AE NEWS

Friends’ Central School encourages all alumni/ae to share news in the “Notes from Friends” section of Quaker Works. Send us your photos! To contribute, email communications@friendscentral.org (All alumni/ae notes are edited for length, grammar, and content.)

1943

Dorothy Coleman Dangerfield shares, "I started Friends Central in Kindergarten in 1930, and I am still here, in my home of 67 years, raising great children. I still drive, do all the wash, shopping, and cooking. Can anyone top that?!"

1951

Deb Hazzard Nash and Stella O’Brian Fulton live in the same retirement community in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and continue to enjoy their time together playing bridge and reminiscing about their 75-year life’s journey. They love staying connected to those who are left from the Class of 1951. There are two other FCS alums living in the same community!

1953

Frank Markland will never forget, “Playing Tommy (the male lead) in Brigadoon and having to walk (limp) across stage with a broken leg from football telling Fiona (played by Debbie Miller Lakoff), ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.’”

1956

Carol Jerjisian Churukian shares, "Retirement has different meanings to those of us who choose to remain active. Although I'm no longer organist/choir director in area churches nor do I teach piano students, I have a piano partner with whom I play literature by composers such as Debussy, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Ravel, as well as lighter pieces by other musicians, too.”

1957

Richard Klein reports, “After 36 years as a trial and appellate judge in Pennsylvania and 13 years doing mediation and arbitration, I have joined McElroy Deutsch as ‘of counsel,’ continuing my mediation and arbitration and consulting on appeals and trials. The firm has 18 lawyers in Philadelphia and is based in Morristown, NJ. It has 175 lawyers and a national practice.”

1958

Carol Pritchard Heiges remembers, “ATCFAW Club! Those who know KNOW! Marge McCullough Gualtieri, President”

1959

Richard Graves shares, “After not traveling during COVID-19, we managed to catch up

K. Barry Sharpless '59

Only five scientists in history have won a Nobel prize twice, and among those five is K. Barry Sharpless '59. This incredible honor puts Barry in the company of Marie Curie. Barry accepted his second Nobel prize in chemistry on October 5, 2022. He was part of a team of three scientists recognized for devising a method to “click” molecules together that has been described as working like “molecular Lego.”

A longtime faculty member at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, Barry himself coined the term “click chemistry” to “describe reactions that are fast, high-yielding, and clean, meaning that they do not produce a lot of unwanted side-products,” explained Dr. Phillip Broadwith, in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s magazine Chemistry World. “One of the first ‘click reactions,’ the copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, was discovered independently by Sharpless and Meldal and had sprouted its own branch of synthetic chemistry,” he added. Catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition is now a widely used method to make drugs and map DNA.

K. Barry Sharpless won his first Nobel prize in chemistry in 2001 for his work on catalyzed oxidation reactions, another type of chemical reaction used to produce drugs.

Barry’s father, a birthright Quaker, sent him to Friends’ Central in seventh grade. It was clear from Barry’s yearbook quote –where he is described as a “science whiz” – that his passion for science began early. However, science was not his only interest. He was also enthusiastic about learning German. Through classes with Ruth Fiesel, Barry quickly developed a proficiency that was enhanced by his contact with the exchange students from the Hans Hubert Gymnasium in Gräefelfing near Munich.

In his junior year at FCS, Barry grew 12 inches and was recruited for the football

team when the coach spotted him beating some of the top players in arm wrestling.

In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Tim Patterson ’59, who played on the undefeated football team along with Barry, described Barry as, “just a regular guy. He didn’t push anything in front of you saying he was brighter than the rest of us.”

Sharpless attended Dartmouth College as an undergraduate and went on to receive a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University. He has taught at MIT and Harvard, and, in 1990, he joined the faculty of Scripps Research Institute, where he is the W.M. Keck Professor of Chemistry.

Along with two Nobel prizes, Barry has been widely recognized for his scientific achievements over many decades, being elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1985 and receiving, among myriad accolades, the King Faisal International Prize for Science and the 2019 Priestley Medal, the American Chemical Society’s highest honor.

“When the Class of 1959 had their 50th Reunion in 2009,” said Dave Branning '59, “Barry and his wife both came. He had already won his first Nobel award in 2001. His wife said to me at our Reunion Sunday brunch, ‘If Barry lives long enough, he will win another Nobel Award.’ I never forgot that comment, and she was absolutely right.”

Carry Cooper '70, who lives in Sweden, kept us posted on all the festivities surrounding the Nobel Prize ceremony that was held in the Symphony Hall in Stockholm. Carry was kind enough to send flowers on behalf of Friends' Central to Barry at the ceremony.

Carry wrote, “I’m still taking in that an alum of FCS has won his SECOND Nobel Prize! It’s so amazing. Anyone who visits Stockholm should visit the Nobel Museum. Our laureate will be on display!”

The Fabulous Fifties in the Spotlight: Hubert Hitziger ’58

& Peter Dietrich ’59

As FCS alums from the 1950s and the Class of 1960 make plans to gather together this Alumni/ae Weekend (May 12-13), we had the chance to catch up with Hubert Hitziger ’58, who lived with two-time Nobel Prize Winner Barry Sharpless ’59 and his family as an exchange student at FCS.

Hubert remembers his time at FCS fondly. “Having lost my family and my home in the war, my year at FCS and with the Sharpless family was a tremendous highlight for me,” he shared. “I also appreciated very much that Dr. Merrill Bush and Mr. Kirk agreed to rowing at Vesper Boat Club instead of playing soccer and football.”

Hubert's success in rowing was highlighted in local newspapers. Later, Hubert put his talents toward engineering and became a leading international expert on internal combustion engines. Now, he lectures as an Honorary Professor at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern.

Peter Dietrich ’59, another German exchange student with a passion for water sports, manned the notorious Flying Dutchman, an Olympic-class sailboat. After his time at Friends’ Central, Peter took part in many sailing competitions throughout Europe, studied at the University of Munich, and took over his family automobile business. Later, Peter became a member of the Board for European Dealerships and Affairs.

Peter Deitrich and Hubert Hitziger have been back in touch with their FCS classmates via Zoom calls.

As we look forward to Alumni/ae Weekend 2023 and the many class reunions that will take place, we fondly remember our German exchange students, Peter, Hubert, Inga Cornrumph Bretherton ’52, and the rest of the Fabulous Fifties.

during the last 12 months with trips to London, the British Isles, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Too much in one year, so now we will stay put for a while.”

Robert Hall reports, “Janet and I have been married 59 years, with three kids, seven grandkids; all successful because they were raised in Lake Wobegon. We love being with them in Arizona, Maine, and Colorado. We are facing the challenges of entering our 80s, and for me, the post-polio syndrome issues related to my eighth grade bout with polio. We've loved the gatherings for our Class of 1959 and are grateful to Dave Branning for being our class 'President' and keeping us all in the loop with classmate updates! At this stage, humor keeps us going; we laugh a lot, especially at things over which we have little control.”

1962

Sally (Price) Lindsay Honey shares, “Dear Class of ’62 Friends, 2022 has been a good year for Stan and me. After 34 years of racing and cruising our Cal 40 sailboat, Illusion, from California to Hawaii to Alaska to Mexico and through the Panama Canal to Maine, last spring, we enlisted as crew three terrific sailors and won the 635-mile Newport to Bermuda Race, beating 108 other boats. Very satisfying! After the race, Stan and I sailed the boat to Annapolis, MD and sold her to our nephew. In her place, we have bought a 'sailor’s' powerboat, Sarissa She is a whole new world for us, and we are excited to explore the Pacific Northwest to Alaska and also the East Coast, including 'the Loop' – from the Great Lakes down the Mississippi and up the East Coast to the St. Lawrence. Sarissa will be the perfect boat for these trips.

In our time off the water, we are still giving back to sailing through volunteer work with both World Sailing and US Sailing. I am currently the chair of the World Sailing’s Special Regulations Subcommittee, which is responsible for worldwide safety requirements for sailors. Stan is a director

of US Sailing, and we are both on the US Sailing Safety at Sea committee, as well as the Cruising Club of America Safety and Seamanship Committee. So, lots of effort to keep the sport as safe as possible while promoting its use.”

1963

Clemence Ravacon-Mershon recalls, “I still treasure my selection as a representative of FCS at the 1963 weeklong urban workcamp in Philadelphia. It opened my eyes to the urban/rural divide (latter where I lived), as well as racial inequities in civic engagement and institutions! That week's lessons also connected closely to many of the concepts we learned in our six senior social studies mini-courses.”

1965

Annabelle Brett reports, “With my husband, John Heymann, I am thrilled to have curated for a local church gallery an art exhibit called 'A Family Affair,' which features John's photographs, my watercolors and collages, my late mother's paintings and silkscreens, and my late sister's (Beth Brett ’62) decorative knitted and appliqued swatches.”

1967

Wayne Michaud presented "Considering Electric Vehicles" in January to Sacramento Friends Meeting members. Wayne plans to give similar presentations virtually in Green-Driving-America-funded areas of Vermont and New Hampshire to raise awareness of the environmental/energy/health/cost benefits of low- to zero-emission vehicles.

Wayne gave a virtual presentation last December to FCS's Kat Clayton's Sustainability Club on how to implement student-led idle-free schools campaign, which addresses prolonged, largely unnecessary vehicle idling that often occurs during school dismissal period."

1970

Charles Gregory reports, “In January, I rotated off the Vestry at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale. I'd been the Senior Warden for the last two years at a time when we faced a Rector transition as well as COVID-19. I was blessed with a wonderful team, and my term was extremely successful. Lorraine Gregory and I recently visited her mother, Rose, in Houston. We celebrated Rose's 89th birthday."

1973

Roland Beverly recalls, "How kind the nurse Mrs. Kempin was to me and the smile of Larry Meredith, the maintenance worker."

Louise Schalow Del Vecchio shares, “One of my favorite memories was sitting on the low boughs of the copper beech trees and relaxing there. They sometimes gently swayed in the wind which I found very relaxing. Many of those beautiful trees are gone now, due to air pollution and old age. I wonder if the William Penn tree in the woods (near Lankenau Hospital) still lives.”

M. Penny Levin remembers, “Mr. Ely's Russian class. He'd rant and rave and try to trip us up, but we left there with the best language education ever – not to mention the most fun!”

Eliza Schwab Petersen remembers, “An elective vocabulary class was helpful in most areas of future learning, organizational skills, confidence building, and in growing a love for words. Hockey, bowling and lacrosse were super fun – great camaraderie."

1976

Neil MacGaffey shares, “I retired in June of 2022 and have been very much enjoying having greater flexibility with my days, lots

2023 Distinguished Alumnus Juan Jewell ’68

Juan Jewell ’68 will be recognized by Friends’ Central School as a Distinguished Alumnus at Alumni/ae Weekend 2023 for dedicating his career to education and for his lifelong love of Friends’ Central School.

Juan retired after a 40-year career in education that began as an Upper School history teacher at Friends’ Central School. Juan went on to teach and serve as an administrator at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. and at the Paideia School in Atlanta. Juan has served on the Board of Directors of the Friends Council on Education and has been on the Board of Trustees at Sandy Spring Friends School, Friends’ Central School, and the International Friends School. Juan and his wife now live in Redmond, WA, to be near their daughter and four grandchildren.

2023

Distinguished Alumnus

Philip E. Scott ’73

Philip E. Scott ’73 will be recognized by Friends’ Central School as a Distinguished Alumnus at Alumni/ae Weekend 2023 for his leadership and generosity to the Friends’ Central community.

Phil earned a BA in anthropology from Amherst College in 1978 and a Master of Architecture in 1985 from the University of Virginia.

He was the Principal and Senior Architect of Kise Straw & Kolodner Inc., an architecture, urban planning, and historic preservation firm located in Philadelphia. Phil worked at KSK beginning in 1999. A focus of the practice is urban area revitalization and redevelopment. KSK’s projects include housing, cultural facilities, religious buildings, behavioral health, green buildings, municipal buildings and libraries, and educational buildings. In January of 2019, Phil started his independent firm, Phillip E. Scott RA. Prior to KSK, Phil worked for over 10 years for John Milner Associates, a historic preservation and cultural resources firm.

of road biking, spending more time reading and with friends and family, and keeping busy with volunteer work.”

1978

Karen Knowles recalls, "I tried to play all the sports while I was a student at FCS. I really wasn't good at it, so I was the manager of all the girls' sports teams. I loved it and always had a great time with my classmates and the other teammates. "

Susan Kendall Thompson shares, “I am grateful for the inspiring teachers I had, including Mr. Ely, Mr. Parr, Mr. Phelps, Mr. Farraday, Mrs. Moore, and Mrs. Preston.”

1983

Jay Carlson remembers, “Winning the Friends League soccer and baseball championships senior year.”

1985

Robynne Slotnick Pendaries reports, “In addition to my work as a Professional Organizer, I am almost finished my course for coaching adults with ADHD. I am loving the whole back-to-school learning environment after all of these years!”

1987

Paul Paz y Mino shares, "I was thrilled to fly home to Philly from CA to go to a few Phillies postseason games last fall. Seth Lundy and I were

there for the NLCS clincher and were part of the epic 'bedlam at the Bank' Harper home run moment. Hoping for another chance this year!"

1988

Christa Sanders reports, “I now have dual citizenship with the US and Ghana. I am the Campus Director for Webster University Ghana, in Accra, Ghana. I had the chance to visit FCS this spring and loved getting to catch up with Ms. Beth!”

Aaron Selkow shares, “Every time I step onto the campus is special for me. Most of my life has been spent actively connected in various ways to the School, and I feel it is hardwired into who I am.”

2023

Distinguished Alumna Elizabeth Cohen ’83

Elizabeth Cohen ’83 will be recognized as Friends’ Central School’s Distinguished Alumna at Alumni/ae Weekend 2023 for her loyalty to Friends’ Central School and her dedicated service as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Liz earned her BA in psychology from Duke University and her MBA in marketing from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. As Vice President of the Melior Group, Liz provides strategic vision and directs business development initiatives in the healthcare, culture and hospitality, and education sectors.

Liz served as a member of Friends' Central's Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2022 and is the parent of Cara, Jane ’20, and Allison ’23. Liz’s sisters, Andrea ’86 and Ellen ’88, are also graduates of Friends’ Central.

Blackburn Society The

The Blackburn Society recognizes alumni/ae, parents, and friends who have made the thoughtful decision of including Friends’ Central in their estate plans.

Many loyal FCS alumni/ae, parents, and friends have chosen to become members of the Blackburn Society and receive the satisfaction of knowing that their future gifts will benefit deserving young people seeking an FCS education.

Bequests to the School follow in the tradition of Eliza E. Blackburn ’22, the beloved faculty member who left her estate in the care of the Board of Trustees and enabled the purchase of the Lower School Campus in 1990.

Here are some common options to consider:

BEQUEST | CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST | LIFE INSURANCE POLICY BENEFICIARY RETIREMENT ACCOUNT BENEFICIARY | CHARITABLE IRA DISTRIBUTIONS

Register for the Blackburn Society, or contact development@friendscentral.org with questions.

1995

Andrew Scharff reports, “Still working full time in the circus arts, including clowning with Healthy Humor as a Red Nose Doc at CHOP. I'm excited to travel to Uruguay and Argentina in March and April as the fifth trip of my ‘Clown the World’ project. It’s the first trip since we barely made it back to the States from Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana in March 2020. @clowntheworld on instagram and facebook”

1997

Shahram Shamloo became the Chief Dental Officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

1998

Brendan Tozer shares, “My wife, Jill, and I have two daughters, Madeline (7) and Lillian (5). We live in a community called Nocatee in Ponte Vedra, FL, right between

Jacksonville and St. Augustine. We love the weather and being able to take the girls to school on a golf cart! In 2022, I started a new business with two partners called A1A Wholesale Supply, distributing building materials for the roofing industry.”

Ross Trachtenberg recalls, “The strong relationships with the faculty and staff that I formed as a student became even stronger when I worked at the School. FCS was always a warm and welcoming place to attend as a student and to work at for many years.”

Jeff Brody reports, “In January 2023, I started a new job with the American Cancer Society as a Director, Corporate Relations. In my role, I am partnering with regional Fortune 500 companies and their employees in their support of the organization's work.”

1999

Rimi Chakraborty co-authored a book scheduled for release in October 2023 entitled Rise Beyond Resilience to ROOTsilience: 7 Steps to Conscious Leadership

Inspired by ancient teachings and modern science, the book combines three key branches: conscious leadership, healing foods, and mind-body integration.

2000

Nico Wright has been living in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2011, designing public urban landscapes around the region, learning to surf, and climbing the great granite of the Sierra Nevada. This past year, he and his wife, Erica Priggen Wright, took on a teenager as a resource family and are excited to see him take off into the world as a young adult, as he turned 18 this winter.

2002

David Gershkoff Slusky was recently promoted to full Professor of Economics at the University of Kansas, where he is also a full Professor of Population Health (by courtesy). In addition to serving as the Executive Director of the American Society of Health Economists, David has also stepped into

2008

Jackson Greenberg shares, “Mr. Bradley was always encouraging us to write music. I finally took him up on it, and at our Junior Spring Concert, we performed a song of mine with the jazz band. Terry Guerin heard this song and asked me to write music for the two plays – Dracula and The Tempest –in my senior year. Now, I write music for drama professionally!”

Taylor Lee married Andy Simon on November 12, 2022 at Reading Terminal Market.

2009

the role of Interim Chair for the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing. David also just returned from a yearlong sabbatical in Stockholm, where he was a visiting researcher at Uppsala University, Stockholm University, and Stockholm School of Economics. His research has been in healthcare economics, including reproductive healthcare. He was one of 154 economists who signed an amicus brief submitted to the Supreme Court for the recent Dobbs case.

2007

Joshua Aichenbaum reports, “In 2021, I published my first children's book titled Do You Speak Tree? This Earth Day, I'm publishing the sequel! Like the first book in the series, Do You Speak Bear? is a nearly wordless graphic novel for young readers that makes speaking up for the environment universal and fun for everyone.”

Curtis Pawley, along with long-time friend KJ Rothweiler, was featured in The New York Times on June 5, 2022. Both revealed their identities after anonymously piloting a popular film and arts podcast with a national following. Read the New York Times article at bit.ly/FCSCurtisP

2011

Daniel Segall announces, “I won two ASCAP Awards recently: the 2021 Jay Gorney Award and the 2023 Harold Adamson Lyric Award - Country Division. I also won the December 2022 Bluebird Cafe Golden Pick Award.”

2013

Daniel Banko-Ferran fondly remembers the Carnegie Hall Trip.

Andrew Nadkarni reports, "I've just finished my documentary short, Between Earth & Sky, which I've been working on for the past three years. It's about my aunt Nalini, her fall from a tree, and an exploration of "what grows back" after a disturbance. Nalini spoke at FCS in 2012, I believe. We just had our world premiere at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, where it won the Oscar qualifying 'Best Short'! It'll next be streaming April 18-23 as part of DC Environmental Film Festival's Earth Day series."

Holly Woodbury recalls the drama program: “Times spent in play and chorus rehearsal are my most cherished memories from FCS.”

Ha-Eun Choi ’21

Ha-Eun Choi ’21 has been selected to be a NASA Eclipse Ambassador, along with her former FCS physics teacher Deborah Skapik (see page 13)

A second-year student at Colgate University, Ha-Eun is on her way to becoming a research astrophysicist. At Colgate, she’s active on campus, running the planetarium and working in Colgate’s observatory. In the spring of 2024, Ha-Eun will be heading to the University of Wollongong in Australia for a semester abroad. While she won’t be on the continent for the 2024 eclipse, she’ll take part in planning pre-eclipse educational events.

As a student at FCS, Ha-Eun was a member of Team Radio Phoenix, a group founded in 2017 by FCS students interested in astronomy and mentored by Deb Skapik. Ha-Eun traveled with Team Radio Phoenix to Hawai’i in 2019 to present at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting. AAS members and colleagues come from across the globe to learn and to share their latest research with an audience of astronomers and space scientists at all career stages, including a select group of high school and college students.

“It was impressive to see Ha-Eun evolve from a physics student who was interested in asteroids, to doing the research that she did on asteroids here at FCS, to the Pulsar research, and now beyond into college,” Deb said. “It was an incredible experience watching her grow. I’m just amazed by the things she’s done.”

Q&A WITH HA-EUN

What inspired you to be a NASA Ambassador?

My advisor at Colgate, Thomas Balonek, brought up the opportunity to become a NASA Eclipse Ambassador to me, and I was immediately excited by the prospect. Particularly as an Asian American woman pursuing a career in STEM, I’m passionate about becoming a role model for young, curious minds and filling the spot of representation I rarely saw growing up. So, along with research, I’m interested in outreach and education.

What are you majoring in at Colgate?

I’m an Astronomy/Physics major and an Art/Art History minor.

What extracurricular activities are you participating in at Colgate?

I’m heavily involved in Colgate’s planetarium, the Ho Tung Visualization Lab. There, I work as a presenter, playing various weekly shows and giving talks on the night sky as I fly through space across the screen of the dome. I also am involved with Colgate’s observatory, Foggy Bottom, where I spent most of last summer conducting research on the optical variability of quasars. Along with that, I’m generally involved with all aspects of astronomy at Colgate and have actively sought out learning how to use all of our instruments, including our 16-inch telescope, 8-inch telescopes, evScope, and solar scope. Lastly, I’ve also just been elected to be the new president of Colgate’s Astronomy and Astrophotography club, and I’m actively involved in our Korean Culture Association as Publicity Chair.

What are some highlights from your time at FCS?

Everything I was able to learn and engage with through my classes with Dr. Skapik, Team Radio Phoenix, and F.A.S.T. (Friends’ Central’s Asteroid Search Team)! Through working with the Pulsar Search Collaboratory and spending much of my free time sifting through and analyzing data, my initial interest in science was nurtured and grown into the full passion for astronomy and physics that I hold today. Some highlights overall are the trips I went on with Radio Phoenix –to Bucknell, West Virginia University (for the capstone event for the Pulsar Search Collaboratory), and Hawai’i – as well as my FCS senior project during which I prepared and gave astronomy lessons to some classes at the Lower School. The opportunity that my peers and I were given to present our work at the 235th Astronomical Society Meeting (in Hawai’i) was a major highlight from my time at FCS. Getting to present alongside professionals that I strive to become like was a valuable experience that I’ll never forget. This trip further solidified my goals and boosted my confidence in my abilities.

2016

Lily Snider is a Fulbright Scholar for the 2022-2023 academic year, having been awarded as an Arts Fellow in Creative Writing. She is completing her project on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, Portugal, where she has been researching the story of the Jewish population's arrival in and diaspora from the islands, with an interest in themes of place, periphery, and the ever-present search for home.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international academic exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, operating since 1946 with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills.

IN MEMORIAM

Patricia Dugan ’56

Shirley Smith Earle ’51

Julie Miller Edgerton ’47

Barbara Acomb Elliott ’47

Benjamin Freeman ’55

Barbara Zilling Fuller ’55

Mac Given

Gayle Harmer

Joan Hoover Hellwege ’52

Rachel Kessler ’92

Allan Mackey ’55

Anne Markland ’56

Walter Michels ’49

Joan Branen Rawles-Davis ’53

Judith Deemer Roseland ’60

Jack Schwartz ’67

Paul Seltzer ’60

Marcia Slade

A. Lawrence Spitz ’57

John White ’61

The Gayle S. Harmer Endowed Scholarship

In honor of Gayle Harmer, beloved Lower School mathematics teacher and coordinator who recently passed, an anonymous donor has established the Gayle S. Harmer Endowed Scholarship. A generous gift has created an endowed scholarship that will provide tuition assistance for deserving Friends’ Central students in perpetuity.

Hired in 1999 after years working as a CPA, Gayle served Friends’ Central until her retirement in 2012. Gayle bolstered the FCS Lower School math program by writing schoolwide curriculum, supporting classroom teachers in their math pedagogy, teaching hands-on special blocks known for imaginative puzzle making and block building, and by hosting an extra-curricular “Morning Math Club” for high-achieving students.

When her own daughter, Rebecca Harmer Livingston ’06, attended the Lower School in the 90s, Gayle was an active parent, whose gentle personality and soaring intelligence in mathematics drew the curiosity of School leaders and ultimately led to her hire. Former Lower School Principal Joe Ludwig ’69 recalls, “When I think of Gayle, I always think of her smiling. She was a very positive person. Gayle was in many ways understated, quiet and kind–I don’t even think many people knew how smart she was.”

In addition to the legacy of the Gayle S. Harmer Endowed Scholarship, Gayle is remembered at FCS by her daughter Rebecca Livingston ’06, and by her grandson, Kindergartner Conley Livingston who, because of Gayle’s influence is a David Bowie superfan and a proud member of Friends’ Central’s Class of 2035.”

“My mom’s job as the Math Coordinator brought her so much joy because she was able to work with children, share her love of numbers and math, and be part of a larger community. Friends’ Central was a place where she developed deep and lasting friendships.”

REBECCA HARMER LIVINGSON ’06

If you are interested in contributing to the Gayle S. Harmer Endowed Scholarship, please contact the Development Office at 610.645.5039.

ReunionWeekendHalfPageAd2023.qxp_Layout 1 3/14/23 4:03 PM Page 1

Former Board Member Phillip Scott ’73 for his leadership and generosity to the Friends’ Central community CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI/AE:

Former Board Member Elizabeth Cohen ’83 for her loyalty to Friends' Central School and her many years of dedicated service

Board Member Juan Jewell ’68 for dedicating his career to education and his lifelong love of Friends’ Central School