Saint Ann's Times | Winter 2025–26

SAINT ANN’S TIMES

WINTER 2025–26

Editorial Staff

Robin Becker, Director of Communications

Hannah Swacker Kurnit ’97, Director of Advancement

Elena Sheppard ’05, Communications Manager

Jacob Goodhart, Alumni Relations Manager

Julia Itzler, Events Associate

Sixty Years of Saint Ann’s Winter 2025–26

Welcome to the Winter 2026 Saint Ann’s Times magazine. I’m glad you’ve found your way to these pages, and I think you will be, too. Winter may bring shorter, darker days, but we have no shortage of milestones to celebrate and memories to honor; and the lack of sunlight does not dim the many bright moments we’ve experienced so far this year. Inside this edition of the magazine, you will find dispatches from Ghana and Guatemala to the Music Lab and Fourth Floor Theater. All of these stories speak to the impact of a Saint Ann’s education, for both our current students and alumni.

This school year is a special one—2025 marked sixty years since our School’s founding. Sixty years of stories, poems, experiments, equations, plays, puppets, dreams, dances, make-believe, and mirth. When I think about what our future holds, I need only to flip through this magazine to see: our students will be curious and courageous; our faculty will be passionate and dedicated; we will continue to take risks, to lean into wonder, and to trust that the most meaningful learning emerges from shared exploration. In short: we will be Saint Ann’s. Now and always.

Yours,

In celebration of the School’s 60th anniversary, we dug back in the archives to find Saint Ann’s Times covers from previous

decades. The magazine has been published for nearly the entirety of the School’s history.

A Brief History of Jazz and Poetry Night

By Marty Skoble, Poetry Teacher

Sometime in 2009 (or around then), I got a phone call from jazz musician Larry Simon asking if I had any students interested in performing with his jazz ensemble at the Cornelia Street Café.

He was running a jazz-and-poetry series in Portsmouth, NH, often featuring Coleman Barks, called Beatnight, and he occasionally appeared at Cornelia Street with a similar program. He wanted to involve teen poets and, having heard of the Saint Ann’s poetry program, wondered if I could suggest “one or two” students. It quickly became clear we could cover the entire bill. Five or six students performed in the fall of 2009 and again in 2010. Larry did a second Cornelia Street show in the spring with adult poets (including me). The students loved performing with music; it was fantastic.

In 2011, he told me he wouldn’t be doing the NYC shows anymore, so I reached out to Jonathan Elliott (music teacher), and we agreed to recreate the event with student musicians that October. We staged it in the Farber cafeteria with jury-rigged lights and a lighting board designed by Dave Schramm (Director of Facility Operations).

It was so much fun that Jon and I decided to do it again in March, and we’ve kept it going twice a year ever since, moving through several Saint Ann’s venues—the Farber cafeteria, the Rotunda Gallery (with art slide shows curated first by Andy Keating , former faculty, and then by art teacher G. Giraldo), and lately the Bosworth Second Floor Lobby. Jazz and Poetry was also the first live, in-person event after the pandemic, held in the gardens behind the art studios. That was quite a celebration!

Years ago, Hannah Sassoon ’11 designed the poster that Emily Bolevice (Director of the After School Program) now uses as a template; Emily even created a typeface based on Hannah’s original design. Every iteration gets a new version; Jazz and Poetry is truly a community enterprise.

The musicians mostly come from Jon’s classes and the poets from the poetry seminar, though walk-ons have become more frequent. Each year the event feels a bit more improvised. It is, in so many ways, a true Saint Ann’s experience.

The Autumn Breeze

Hawks Chirping

The wind blowing

The trees waving

To me

And the leaves fall

The dewdrop slipping

And the smell

Of an apple

By Sejuti R.-B., 1st Grade

Horses

Horses galloping On a field

Of poppies

With silver coats

Shining in the sun

By Alia L.-S., 1st Grade

sort of like a dance but not really because of the subtleness of the movements the blue swirls fiery in the light of the writing spotlight red in the unbreaking blue

By Kaavya J., 4th Grade

Outer Space

So I was walking walking walking

And then I jumped up

And I flew onto the moon

And I saw the sun

It’s so hot

So I went over to earth

And I blasted up with my rocket shoes

I landed on Pluto

Pluto broke

And then I came over to earth

And I was like “Mommy can I have a snack? I want to go to the moon

But I also need a snack.”

By Noa S., Kindergarten

A moth flaps flaps its wings toward the light the moon shining bright at dusk

By Sam E., 4th Grade

What Can We Learn from a Pigeon?

In Harry Lee-Rubin ’16 and Casey Long’s kindergarten class, the school year began with a curriculum centered on animal storytelling. What stories do humans tell about animals, and how and why do we tell them? What kinds of stories do animals tell about themselves? And more specifically, what do the birds, bugs, and rodents of New York City have to teach us?

The curriculum focused on the most reviled—and often most misunderstood—specimens in New York City: pigeons, lanternflies, and rats. Students were encouraged to be curious about these creatures, rather than judgemental.

As part of the unit on pigeons, students learned about the many different feather colors and patterns that can be signature to a pigeon. Students practiced identifying the birds’ colors and textures using resources provided by Liz Velikonja (science teacher). Liz also visited the class to share her knowledge about the birds, including their migration patterns.

The unit culminated with a class trip to Cadman Plaza, where the class celebrated one lucky pigeon’s birthday. Students counted and categorized the many pigeons gathered in the plaza, drew sketches of a few birds, and, of course, sang happy birthday to the pigeon of honor!

The next time you walk past a flock of pigeons on the sidewalk, ask yourself: what can I learn if I choose to be curious?

Elegy for a Sidewalk Pigeon

Turquoise and your scaly talons

Then someone driving

But you had your flock

So it came as a shock when you went diving

Although It sets you apart from the gallons of pigeons

Talentless, always a given they’ll be aware but invasive

sentient indecisive terrible brazen beautiful gray accidental some even say

Governmental

But they haven’t seen you

So unnaturally still

Splayed on the sidewalk you normally fill

Then all of a sudden I’ve looked for too long

And the beak on your face

Is so out of place

I wish I liked the November chill

I wish I could understand birdsong

By Clover D., 11th Grade

stout pigeon with dirty gray feathers pecks at the concrete beneath the clean Toyota dead leaves flap miserably at his feet the world is his oyster

By Mina N., 5th Grade

Professional Development Workshops for Faculty and Staff

Professional Development Workshops offered to Saint Ann’s faculty and staff provide a unique opportunity to gather in community and share expertise among educators. The workshops are entirely designed and taught by Saint Ann’s employees for their peers. This fall, workshops included: an Introduction to Martial Arts, Introduction to Spanish, Printmaking, and a workshop geared toward teachers who work with students in the Upper and Lower Middle Schools. The Professional Development Workshops are a practice of learning and sharing that have become a highlight for the community.

An Evening of Community and Culture

On Wednesday, October 15, families, faculty, staff, and friends gathered to learn about our journey to creating Beloved Community at Saint Ann’s. Beloved Community, a term coined in 1931 by Harvard Philosophy Professor Josiah Royce and later adopted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., envisions a world where love and trust triumph over fear and hatred. This event, which was hosted by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Belonging, was also an opportunity to meet the department’s new director, Stacey Wright, who joined Saint Ann’s in August.

The event centered around creating a tapestry of meaning through music, poetry, and art. Early in the night, we heard remarks from Dr. Selah Johnson and Ebony Murphy, Saint Ann’s Equity Fellows; Renee Noel, parent of Sydnee Henry ’15 (one of the founders of GUST); Kenyatte Reid, Head of School; Bonnie Schiff-Glenn, Head of the Kindergarten; Debra Jeffreys-Glass, Head of the Lower School; and Gary Langol, Music Teacher.

Following the remarks, we hit the dance floor! With DJ Mark Rumble (Building Staff) providing the music and seniors Tori H. and Diana S. leading the way, we learned the joyful line dance “Boots on the Ground” (and a few others!).

For the final event of the evening, poet and educator David Allen guided us through a special reading of “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman. Together, we expanded and created meaning through the words.

During the Evening of Community and Culture, we celebrated and uplifted the meaningful strides Saint Ann’s has made toward fostering diversity, equity, and belonging, and all that we have to look forward to now and in the future. Let’s keep nurturing this sense of Beloved Community as we move forward together.

Fall Sports at Saint Ann’s

This fall was an exciting season for high school sports teams at Saint Ann’s. The Boys Varsity Soccer Team finished the regular season in fourth place. In the playoffs, they defeated the #1 seed Avenues and went on to win the Athletic Conference of Independent Schools (ACIS) Playoff Championship! The team then received the #6 seed in the New York State Tournament but lost in the first round to Columbia Preparatory School in overtime.

Meanwhile the Boys JV Soccer Team finished the regular season in third place and made it all the way to the ACIS playoff final, where they lost in penalty kicks to Avenues.

The Girls Varsity Soccer Team had a strong showing in both leagues. They finished the regular season in second place in the ACIS and in third place in the Athletic Association of Independent Schools (AAIS). In the AAIS tournament, the team lost in the Quarterfinals to the #6 seed Marymount.

In volleyball news, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team won the ACIS regular season Championship and finished fourth in the AAIS. In the AAIS Tournament, they defeated the #1 seed Marymount in the semifinals and advanced to the Final of the AAIS Tournament before losing 13-15 in the fifth set to Brearley. The team then received the #6 seed in the New York State Tournament. They defeated #11 seed Avenues in their first round match and lost to the #3 seed Maymount in the Quarterfinals.

The Girls JV Volleyball team finished the regular season in fifth place in the ACIS and in seventh place in the AAIS. In the AAIS tournament, the team lost in the Quarterfinals to the #2 seed Packer.

The Girls Cross Country team won the ACIS Championship. The winning team of girls were Isabel H., 10th grade (1st place), Lily W., 10th grade (2nd place), Oona F., 9th grade (8th place), Alice P., 9th grade (16th place), Jane A., 10th grade (29th place), and Asha M., 12th grade, out due to injury. The Boys Cross Country team were the runners up in their championship meet. The members of the team were George N., 10th grade (3rd place), Raiden G., 10th grade (6th place), Ulysses M., 12th grade (8th place), Christoper Fuentes, 10th grade (24th place), Van C., 11th grade (31st place), Julian K., 12th grade (54th place), Thomas E., 11th grade (56th place), and Dash P., 9th grade (62nd place). Both teams competed in the New York State Championship in November.

Congratulations to all our athletes and coaches!

Middle and High School Art Open Houses

Instead of traditional parent/guardian conferences, the Art Department hosts two Open Houses each fall: one for 4th–8th grade families and the other for high school. Teachers create beautiful displays of student work throughout the townhouses. Parents/guardians are encouraged to wander through the building to experience the work their children and others have created so far this year.

High School Play: The Importance of Being Earnest

The first production of the 2025–2026 Saint Ann’s Theater season was The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

Directed by Maria Osborn Associate Director: Gena Oppenheim

This farcical comedy was brought to life by a dedicated company of high school students: eighteen actors and fourteen crew!

Here are a few moments from the Fourth Floor Theater-turned-drawing room!

Photography by Mae G. (12th Grade) and the 2026 Yearbook Editors

Music Scoring for Multimedia

Collaboration is a key tenet of a Saint Ann’s education. From theater productions to science labs and athletic teams—each year, students work together to create something bigger than themselves in countless ways. And in Gary Langol’s (music teacher) Music Scoring for Multimedia course, high school students learn the art of composition in order to apply their knowledge to the work of their peers—writing original scores for films, animations, and dances produced in other courses.

Gary’s class begins each year looking at the rich history of the link between music and drama in the performing arts. From Shakespeare to Japanese Kabuki theater, through the silent film era to the Golden Age of Hollywood into the present, the strength of music in storytelling is highlighted. What happens when these worlds collide on screen, for example? What role does music play in a film? To better understand the impact of a film’s score, students watch famous scenes stripped of music to feel how perception shifts when sound disappears.

This exercise also reveals how music can both alter and support the story unfolding on screen. These lessons are particularly useful for students who have prior experience composing music, though not specifically for film or other media. Unlike when writing concert music, film composers must support what’s happening on screen; and for the most part, the music must add to the storytelling, not take the lead.

As Gary puts it, “There is a delicate balance between what the composer is saying and what the film is saying.”

Throughout the course, which meets twice a week in the Music Lab, students offer feedback on each other’s work, watching and listening for this balance. Comments such as, “There’s too much texture here,” or, “This moment needs more weight,” help students to elevate their scores to better align with the action unfolding on screen.

Collaboration is at the heart of the course. Each year, students from Music Scoring for Multimedia partner with students in Deborah Dobski’s (film teacher) Moving Image III, an advanced 16mm color film production and cinematography course. Gary says that witnessing the partnership between student composers and filmmakers is one of the most rewarding aspects of the course.

Through conversations about story, emotion, and the role of music in a given scene, Gary and Deborah support their students’ creative journeys and collaboration. The final projects—original, short narrative films created entirely by students—are a beautiful representation of the artistic depth and breadth of a Saint Ann’s education.

The collaboration doesn’t stop there. Gary’s students also work with Larissa Tokmakova’s (Chair of the Art Department) Animation class, creating original music for animated projects. In past years, students have composed for dance and theater productions as well.

Music Scoring for Multimedia offers students the opportunity to learn from working with their peers while gaining practical experience in artistic production. Gary encourages his students to think of composing for film “like opening a coloring book.” The framework is there; but the composers get to experiment with the colors. What makes this class unique is that—the pages of the coloring book are drawn by fellow students.

Spinning, America

[And] I used to think poets were Unnecessary And basketballers too—

It’s a strange, stumbling sort of thing, Shower eyed searches, That leads me to acknowledge.

It’s a strange, stumbling sort of thing, Polyester sewn That lets me and you empathize

It’s a strange, stumbling sort of thing, Men in cars & boat trailers That makes us see for them

We used to never have AC We would sit in the warm or the cold And [we] think photographers are necessary. But we opt for Seeing, when we can.

By Eland B., 10th Grade

Picnic with a View

Apples, and cider, and donuts, oh my! On Friday, September 19, we gathered for our annual Picnic with a View. Brooklyn Bridge Park provides a beautiful setting for the gathering, one of the most beloved events of the year. Thank you to the hundreds (and hundreds!) of staff, faculty, and families who helped make this event so special.

What will you find at the eye of the storm?

A tree of gold, a bright blue fire, or way into the past and future? A shining golden sun, a green growing garden or a calm winter day?

By Sky L., 5th Grade

Birds

The neck of a crane chokes my neck. The long white moon flashes the flatland And I look like presidents posed contorted In front of what is an indigo noren.

The long night sky has fifty stars. I cannot see them but I imagine Deities piercing holes in fabric above Fifty holes in fabric wrapped along black hair. I only see a long red river In the tall grass that grows forever Behind what was a spiraling veranda Where my great grandmother drank chamomile And looked after her many birds.

By Moaz M., 12th Grade

Since our founding sixty years ago, Saint Ann’s has been bolstered by the generous support of parents, guardians, alumni, faculty, staff, grandparents, parents of alumni, and friends of our School.

We hope you will uphold this tradition of support by making a contribution to the Saint Ann’s 2025–26 Annual Fund. Gifts of every size will be put to use this school year and will help sustain the quality and the richness of the instruction and discovery that takes place throughout the year.

Make a Gift

Making a gift is now easier than ever: Scan the QR code at right to make your gift or visit www.saintannsny.org/annual-fund

Saint Ann’s now accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal.

Other ways to give include DAF contributions, qualified charitable distributions from an IRA, stock gifts, wire transfers, matching gifts from your employer, and by check.

Planned and estate gifts are a deeply meaningful way to ensure that Saint Ann’s can pursue its mission for generations to come. For more information, please contact Emma Rippee, Director of Donor Partnership, at erippee@saintannsny.org or 718-522-1660 Ext.341.

For questions about giving to Saint Ann’s or getting involved as a volunteer, contact:

Hannah Swacker Kurnit ’97 Director of Advancement

718.522.1660 Ext.345

hkurnit@saintannsny.org

Regan Murphy Director of Annual Giving

718.522.1660 Ext.317

rmurphy@saintannsny.org

Faculty & Staff News

Golnar Adili

Art teacher Golnar Adili had her work featured in a group show, “What’s Left In the Remaking,” at the Cue Art Foundation. Golnar’s solo exhibition, “Mother, Father,” opened at Smack Mellon in Dumbo on January 24th and will run until March 29. Additionally Golnar was nominated for the exhibition: “Women To Watch 2027: A Book Arts Revolution” at the National Museum for Women in the Arts, and is included in “Who Is America at 250?: Artists’ Books on the State of Democracy,” a group exhibition organized by Codex.

Setare Arashloo

Setare and fellow art teacher Golnar Adili both had their artwork featured in the show “Here & Elsewhere” at All Street Gallery in New York.

Chelsea Ainsworth

Choreography by dance teacher Chelsea Ainsworth was featured in the show “El Mentiroso” presented by Arts on Site.

Jay Batlle

Jungle Press showcased art teacher Jay Batlle’s work at The Paris Danube Print Salon, a new intimate art fair for contemporary prints held at the Hôtel du Danube in Paris, France. Batlle’s new variable edition, titled: “Les Vendanges,” will be exhibited from April 9–12 at the IFPDA event at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.

Loren Bevans ’80

Costume teacher Loren Bevans presented artwork in West Cornwall’s “Twelve Days of Christmas” art exhibit.

Blair Carswell

Blair Carswell, Assistant Director of Technology, ran two marathons this fall: Berlin and New York City. Blair is also a captain with the Brooklyn Track Club.

Emily Eagen

Music teacher Emily Eagen’s whistling is featured as a part of “still and moving: the tactile image,” a new installation by artist Ann Hamilton at the Cleveland Museum of Art through April 19.

Sabina Friedman-Seitz ’07

Substitute teacher Sabina Friedman-Seitz executive produced the feature film Oh, Hi! The film premiered at Sundance and was released theatrically last summer. It’s now playing on Netflix.

Asha Futterman

Lower School associate teacher Asha Futterman released their first book of poetry, Song of Gray!

Christina Massey

Rec arts teacher Christina Massey had her artwork displayed at the Elza Kayal Gallery in TriBeCa and MADE Bush Terminal in Brooklyn.

Stephanie Sassoon

Stephanie Sassoon, art teacher, had several pieces in the group show “Real/Unreal” at Art Projects International in TriBeCa.

Katie Scheele

Oboe teacher Katie Scheele recently performed with Trisha Yearwood as part of her “12 Days of Christmas” tour at the NJPAC and is currently subbing in the Broadway show Chess at the Imperial Theater, where she can be heard (and seen!) on stage playing the oboe and English horn.

Elena Sheppard ’05

Communications Manager Elena Sheppard released her debut book, The Eternal Forest: A Memoir of the Cuban Diaspora.

Larissa Tokmakova

A solo painting show at Vassar College, by Larissa Tokmakova, Chair of the Art Department, was featured in Hyperallergic’s “10 Exhibitions to see this November.”

Birgitta Victorson

This fall, Theater Department Chair Birgitta Victorson was awarded the Lillian Chasen Directing Fellowship at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This fellowship brings a director to campus each year to work with the Kenan Theater Company in the Dramatic Arts Program. Birgitta directed a production of Big Love by Charles Mee.

A Dance Trip to Ghana

Second grade teacher Susie Sokol and After School coordinator Khadijah Siferllah share a love for dance, particularly West African dance. When they met at Saint Ann’s while Khadijah was assisting a breakdancing lesson in Susie’s classroom, they never expected their passion for dance would find them traveling and learning together in Ghana. But last August, Khadjiah and Susie spent a week together near Accra, staying with a Ghanaian host, and learning a traditional dance from Northern Ghana called Bamaya.

Susie and Khadijah both fell in love with this dance while watching it performed at Saint Ann’s by the Ghanaian dance troupe Saakumu. Thanks to a professional development grant from Saint Ann’s in 2003, Susie (who has been teaching here for 29 years) studied the West African balafon (the gyil) at the Dagara Music Center in Accra. While there, she was connected with Saakamu and the dance troupe has been visiting Saint Ann’s annually to perform for the community ever since.

On their most recent trip to Saint Ann’s, Saakamu performed Bamaya, which translates to “the valley is wet.” It is traditionally a rain dance, performed by men dressed as women (as women were historically not allowed to participate due to the dance’s moves which involve pelvis shaking). While watching the most recent Saakamu performance at Saint Ann’s, both Susie and Khadijah were moved by Bamaya. “I loved how the dancers would exert a lot of energy and then completely relax and start to joke with each other,” Susie said. Khadijah shared her thoughts on why she loves Bamaya saying, “It looks challenging and at the same time the dancers are so cool and easy about it.” She added, “It’s truly engaging and impressive.”

From watching that performance, an idea was born. Susie applied once again for a professional development grant from Saint Ann’s, this time to return to Ghana with the express interest of learning Bamaya, to be able to bring the dance back to her students. Her grant was funded, and her trip was planned for Summer 2025. It happened to align perfectly with Khadjiah’s own summer plans, which included a trip to Senegal through a BAM fellowship as the Chuck Davis Emerging Choreographer recipient. The rest, as they say, is history.

In Ghana, Susie and Khadijah stayed with their host, Sulley Imoro, and spent their days learning Bamaya, as well as the accompanying songs, drumming, and sharing stories and histories with local dancers. Sulley and Khadijah, who are both Muslim, particularly bonded over the backlash they’ve faced as Muslim dancers. “He inspired me to keep going,” she said. “No matter what I face and experience.”

Sulley also gifted Khadijah and Susie a treasure trove of materials to bring back to the Saint Ann’s students: skirts, outfits, and instruments which Susie uses in her classroom.

When she returned to the U.S. Khadijah traveled home to Minnesota, where she performed Bamaya and showed footage of her trip in Ghana. “It was so beautiful for my community to see what I’ve been working on,” she shared. “It’s something about the Bamaya skirt—when I travel with it, I want to see how far it will take me.”

Susie has been using lessons learned in Ghana in her second grade classroom. She added, “This whole trip just felt destined to be.”

Snow is white

The snow comes From ice

Ice comes from Cold water

When the moon Is silent

The most shining Is true

The moon shone

Over lots of things

Even the reflection Of the ice

By Beatrix S., Kindergarten

Staying in Touch with Saint Ann’s School

Dear Alumni,

Though I never had the pleasure of attending Saint Ann’s, I have had the privilege of witnessing the beauty of this school through various roles. At first, I was just the partner of an alum. In college, my wife, Rebecca Greenbaum ’07, used to tell me about her childhood school, which sounded like a dream to me. Perhaps you’re reading this as an alum who has tried to explain your alma mater to the uninitiated, only to be met with a blankly confused face, perhaps with a touch of doubt. Having been one of those people, I can assure you that this isn’t because we don’t believe you, but because it sounds radical in the best way possible.

Then I had the distinct pleasure of being hired to assist the inimitable Nancy Reardon, former faculty, in directing her psychedelic rendition of Macbeth in 2018. This dream-like school suddenly became real to me. Maybe it was because I was (lovingly) getting yelled at by Nancy, or witnessing students give performances well beyond their years, or the sense of acceptance I felt every time I walked through the front doors, but I was hooked. I eventually found my way to the Advancement Office as your Alumni Relations Manager, where I have had the chance to meet so many of you and see how our school’s ethos continues to positively affect the mark you make in your respective fields.

Most recently, I’m proud to say that I added a new role to my Saint Ann’s bingo card: Saint Ann’s Parent, when my daughter started in the Preschool this fall. Seeing her love for school is truly the magic that I think is so vital to this community’s identity. If we haven’t had a chance to meet yet, please reach out. I can’t wait to hear your story. Other ways you can stay connected:

• Make plans to attend Alumni Day next May 16, 2026. Guests of honor will be the classes ending in 1s and 6s—if you would like to volunteer as a class representative, contact Jacob Goodhart (jgoodhart@saintannsny.org).

• Keep your contact information up to date (email us at alumni@saintannsny.org to make any changes).

• Give a reading, speak to a class, share your professional expertise and experience. We love visitors!

• Follow our Facebook page (Saint Ann’s School Alumni News), as well as following us on LinkedIn, and Instagram.

• Give a gift! Alumni donations to the Annual Fund are a chance to make contributions in honor or memory of a classmate, a teacher, or anyone who impacted your education.

• Suggest another idea! We’re all ears.

Thank you for keeping Saint Ann’s School’s rich history alive through your influence and input and for carrying on our legacy through all that you do. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you!

With love,

With love,

Jacob Goodhart Alumni Relations Manager

718.522.1660 ext. 323 | jgoodhart@saintannsny.org

Make a Gift Scan QR code or visit saintannsny.org/annual-fund

Celebrate Saint Ann's features notable and innovative voices and talent from across our parent and alumni community. These events bring our community together to celebrate the centrality of the arts at Saint Ann's.

Celebrate Saint Ann’s: Saturday Church with Damon Cardasis ’01

On October 8, alumni, parents, staff, and faculty gathered to see the Off-Broadway musical Saturday Church. The show was conceived for the stage by Damon Cardasis ’01 and based on the film of the same name, which he wrote, directed, and produced. The performance was followed by a talkback with Damon, as well as the activist, artist, and LGBTQ community leader, Michael Roberson, and Ballroom icon, Lee Soulja.

Celebrate Saint Ann’s: Game of Go Workshop with Will Lockhart ’08

On November 7, Saint Ann’s welcomed Will Lockhart ’08 back to campus for a Go workshop and film screening. Saint Ann’s has a long tradition of playing Go, the ancient Chinese strategy game. Former faculty member Paul Lockhart was the one who originally brought Go to Saint Ann’s. Continuing that legacy, Will hosted a workshop for students, parents, faculty, and alumni, followed by a screening of The Surrounding Game, a documentary he directed and produced about three young Americans striving to become the first Western professional Go players.

Meghan O’Rourke ’91 Visits the High School

On October 9, Meghan O’Rourke ’91 visited the High School for a thoughtful discussion about artificial intelligence in education, a topic that she recently wrote an opinion piece about for The New York Times. Meghan shared additional insights from Yale University’s approach to integrating AI as a tool rather than a replacement for critical thinking and creative work. She explored the balance between using technology effectively—such as for research—and resisting its tendency to automate tasks that strengthen our own skills, like writing. The talk was followed by an engaging talkback with students.

Pre-Med Club Hosts Dr. Alexes Hazen ’83

On October 30, the Pre-Med Club welcomed Dr. Alexes Hazen ’83 for a discussion about her path from Saint Ann’s to a distinguished career in plastic and reconstructive surgery. An educator and practicing surgeon for nearly twenty years, Dr. Hazen also spoke about her community engagement, including her service in the Peace Corps, and medical missions with the non-profit Women for Women, which provides care for women and children who are victims of violence. Dr. Hazen and the students discussed everything from entering the medical field to balancing work and life.

First Monday Concert with Rebecca Brudner ’12

On December 1, alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff gathered for the First Monday Concert featuring vocalist Rebecca Brudner ’12 and pianist Dan Rubins. Rebecca performed songs written by kids and teens enrolled at Hear Your Song, a non-profit she co-founded with Rubins that empowers young people living with serious illnesses and complex health needs to make their voices heard through collaborative songwriting. To learn more about the organization, visit www.hearyoursong.org.

Celebrate Saint Ann’s: On a String with Isabel Hagen ’09

On December 9, over sixty alumni, students, staff, faculty, former faculty, current parents, and parents of alumni gathered for a private screening of Isabel Hagen ’09’s debut feature film On a String. The audience enjoyed popcorn and other movie theater concessions to sustain them through all the film’s laughs. Isabel wrote, directed, and starred in the movie which also features her brother Oliver Hagen ’04, a pianist and conductor, as well as current Saint Ann’s parent and actor Fred Weller. The premiere was followed by a talkback with both Isabel and Oliver.

Alex Nam ’21

Over the past few years, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for how Saint Ann’s has shaped my approach towards lifelong learning. I am a musician and am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in piano performance at Juilliard. However, before this, I did my undergraduate work at Yale, where I studied mathematics and philosophy.

This apparent change in plans has prompted some people to ask whether my math degree was just a back-up in case music didn’t work out, a perspective which never occurred to me. I actually always knew that I wanted to be a musician but hoped to explore a wider range of studies before focusing solely on music. I credit Saint Ann’s with encouraging the curiosity and joy in learning that has guided me on this journey.

Since I’ve been back in New York, I’ve enjoyed performing around the city. Some highlights include returning to Saint Ann’s to give a duo recital in June, collaborating with brilliant colleagues in chamber music concerts at Juilliard, and playing a series of solo recitals in the middle of Grand Central Terminal as part of the Humans of New York installation in October.

Katie Dutko ’05

War-damaged schools and caravan classrooms in displacement camps in Iraq, vocational training centers in Egypt providing Sudanese refugees with employable skills, community-led farmer field schools and regenerative agriculture sites in Niger and Ethiopia, remote primary schools in the rural highlands of Guatemala — my career in humanitarian aid and development has brought me around the world, to these and other places of learning. I’ve managed projects providing education and job opportunities to refugees, emergency food and health services to people impacted by conflict or climate disasters, and building community resilience in drought-prone areas. My work at local NGOs and, for nearly a decade, at Catholic Relief Services, a large international NGO, is dynamic and enlightening. Every few years my family and I move countries, learning different contexts, languages, and political and social systems. My curiosity about the world, past and present, was first sparked by my endlessly creative teachers at Saint Ann’s who inspired childhood dreams of being an archaeologist; I’ve been able to scratch that itch by visiting incredible historic sites in the countries where I live and work as a humanitarian. Beloved teachers Marielle Vigourt (former faculty) and Victor Marchioro (former faculty), among others, nurtured my enthusiastic study of languages which continues now, albeit in less academic form. Learning snippets of Hausa, Swahili, Kurdish, Arabic, and Amharic may make me only marginally better at my job, but it enriches our daily interactions and deepens our connections to the communities we live in.

Magdalena Gross ’00

Over the last twenty-plus years since I graduated from Saint Ann’s, I’ve gone from being an 8th grade teacher, to a professor of education, to now working at the fastest growing startup in history. At Mercor, I teach experts how to operationalize their knowledge to teach AI to get smarter. All the while, I’m a mom, in theater, and I paint murals—huge ones. None of these transitions or multiple lives seem to make sense together, on paper, but Saint Ann’s taught me that all our interests are related; that the arts inform science, cognition informs relationships, and much much more. Saint Ann’s made sure that every single interest I had was observed, nurtured, and explored. I learned how to learn, and in a massively changing world, learning to learn is maybe the only skill anyone really needs.

Over the years, I have harnessed what Saint Ann’s offers each child: the confidence to trust myself to learn anything, to reinvent myself completely, to get creative and ask questions that make me relevant wherever I land. Angelo Bellfatto (art teacher) taught me to interrogate my assumptions about the human form to get better at painting. Ruth Chapman (former faculty) showed me that rigor and warmth aren’t opposites in writing or essays. Christina Reyes (former faculty) modeled what it means to see potential in every student as she spent hours and hours teaching me Spanish. I got so good at Spanish, in fact, that someone asked me if I was a native speaker when I went to Madrid at sixteen years old. These lessons show up in my work, in motherhood, and in my paintings to this day.

Saint Ann’s essential gift was permission—permission to refuse to become ONE thing. I’m still growing, still becoming, still discovering what else I might become in the next forty years.

Teaching Constitutional Law

By Bernie Meyler ’91

When I teach first-year Constitutional Law at Stanford Law School, one of the most frequent misconceptions I have to address early on is that every question will have a right answer. The U.S. Constitution is a fairly short document, especially when compared with many of its international counterparts, and it has already been interpreted over almost two and a half centuries. So students often reasonably imagine that we will be surveying a set of established doctrines. And those do exist. Yet many of the constitutional issues we cover in class remain unresolved, from specific quandaries about the president’s authority to fire administrative officials like the chair of the Federal Reserve, to the broad question of the “right” way to interpret the Constitution.

During my time from first grade through high school at Saint Ann’s (interrupted only by a brief stint at Stuyvesant), I never contemplated a career involving law. But the way that I approach the classroom and my scholarship at Stanford is imbued with the formative influence of my Saint Ann’s education. From reading Plato with Jack McShane (former faculty), to interpreting Shakespeare with Carol Rawlings Miller (former faculty), to the immersion in the world of epic in Victor Marchioro’s (former faculty) class on James Joyce’s Ulysses, I learned how much classic texts have to offer us and that even middle schoolers can have new ideas about these works. Stanley Bosworth’s famous statement about teachers getting under the table if that’s where a student learns best, expressed much about how the School functioned, particularly the absolute lack of hierarchy when it came to intellectual matters.

As Harvard Law Professor Duncan Kennedy’s “little red book,” Legal Education and the Reproduction of Hierarchy, explained many years ago, much of the history of legal education has been the antithesis of the Saint Ann’s ethos. The so-called “Socratic method” served a function of intimidation rather than opening up inquiry. The hierarchies between faculty and students or faculty and staff prepared students for the hierarchies of law firms. Legal education has changed since then, but there sometimes remains too little space for students to believe in their own questions and to believe that they should pursue them even when beset by doubts.

Much of my aim in teaching is to give my students the analytical and interpretive tools to think creatively about the law, both as practitioners and as citizens. During the past twelve years that I have been at Stanford, I have encountered a number of Saint Ann’s alumni who have already embarked on that enterprise, including Anne Warnke ’14 and Jon Connolly ’04. Jon, currently a professor of History at the University of Illinois, Chicago, pursued a PhD in History as well as the JD. I have set up several other JD/PhD programs, including in Modern Thought and Literature and English and have been amazed by the insights that my graduate students in these programs have derived from putting law into dialogue with various areas of humanistic inquiry.

A danger of education in professional schools is that it can become instrumental, solely for the purpose of producing people who can occupy certain jobs. I always try to advise my students that they are on one stage of their journey but that, as I discovered at Saint Ann’s, learning should continue throughout one’s life. And many Stanford graduates wind up in different professions, even though those who return say that they use the kind of thinking that they discovered in law school every day.

I am also passionate about the idea that understanding law, particularly constitutional law, should not be exclusively a professional matter or the province of lawyers. One of my favorite activities for the past five years has been an annual Shakespeare trial in collaboration with UC Irvine and UC Berkeley. Organized by one of my PhD advisor in English, Julia Lupton, this event pits me against UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, arguing in a criminal prosecution of a Shakespeare character under contemporary California law. We tried the “weird sisters” of Macbeth for violations of food safety regulations (and they mounted a religious liberty defense). We also argued about Brutus’s responsibility for insurrection in Julius Caesar shortly after the events of January 6, 2021.

My education at Saint Ann’s infused me with a desire to find and create spaces of intellectual inquiry and collaboration without hierarchy and the knowledge that no question is too settled or too elementary to ask. These are the impulses I bring to my work every day and that I hope shape my identity as a law professor. If any of the Saint Ann’s affiliates reading this find themselves inquiring about a path in law or law and the humanities, please feel free to reach out, and certainly do let me know if you wind up at Stanford in any capacity!

STATUE OF LIBERTY SERIES BY JAY BATLLE’S 4TH AND 5TH GRADE ART STUDENTS

Campaign Update: 142 Pierrepont Street

It’s been a busy and exciting few months on the project site! The roof was fully removed and rebuilt to support the future playspace, a process that required street closures, cranes, and steel picks from Pierrepont Street. Work is also progressing on the new elevator bulkhead, and inside the building a complex steel structure has been installed to expand the floor area. At the same time, mechanical and plumbing installations are underway, and the project team is actively refining the design and selecting finishes that will bring the new spaces to life.

In December, Core Administration toured the construction site to see a first-hand look at the progress. Want to learn more?

Please contact Hannah Swacker Kurnit ’97 Director of Advancement 718-522-1660 x345 | hkurnit@saintannsny.org

saintannsny.org/142-pierrepont

The Capital Campaign is separate from the Annual Fund, which will continue to fund general operating costs at the School including faculty and staff salaries and benefits, financial aid, and other programmatic expenses.

IN MEMORIAM

Walter Dunnington ’79

Walter “Gator” Dunnington ’79 passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 4, 2025 at his home in Salem, New York. Gator was an avid painter, and extremely active in his Salem community. After graduating from Saint Ann’s, Gator earned a BA in Fine Arts from Bennington College. He is survived by his mother Jacqueline Dunnington and his sister India Dunnington.

Matthew Stephan ’87

Matthew Stephan ’87 passed away on March 15, 2025 at Health Alliance hospital in Kingston, New York. He died as the result of a brain injury sustained in 1994. He was born in New York City and was a gifted pianist. He attended Saint Ann’s and Oberlin College. For the last 30 years of his life, he lived as a brain injury survivor and continued to inspire those around him with his music, zest for life, and determination to overcome the challenges he faced as a result of his accident. He is survived by his mother Kay and his half sister Noelle Pollet, and was preceded in death by his father Sylvester Pollet and his beloved uncle Stephen Mote.

Kiiren Jackson ’20

Kiiren Jackson passed away on October 10, 2025. In addition to being a graduate of Saint Ann’s School, Kiiren was also a graduate of Amherst College where he was a Black Studies major. Kiiren was also a prolific musician. You can listen to his music via this website: http://linktr.ee/kiirenaamer (scan the QR code at the right).

The man

On a cushion

Legs sprawled-out

By the window

2nd floor

Across–a Thai restaurant

The waiter Out for A smoke break

A collage of fumes

Like a little halo

Trembling in the air

The street

Cold Barren

Pierced into Little meteors

All extinguished with one blow

By Avi M., 10th Grade

ARTWORK BY STUDENTS IN LISA & FREYA’S PRESCHOOL 4S CLASS