THEY BECOME EFS ALUMNI CAREER SPEAKERS! grow up

ulletinboard 

SPRING/SUMMER 2008 

For Alumni, Families, and Friends of Elmwood Franklin School www.elmwoodfranklin.org

Gifts that keep 

on giving. 

THE ELMWOOD FRANKLIN SCHOOL KEY SOCIETY 

As you consider your investments in the future, we hope you will include 

investing in the future of Elmwood Franklin School and its students. The 

Elmwood Franklin School Key Society recognizes individuals who have 

provided for the school through planned giving. 

One such gift is a Charitable Gift Annuity. Here are just some of the 

benefits: 

A tax deduction for your gift 

Guaranteed income for life 

Annuity income is partially tax-free 

Capital gains tax savings on appreciated property you donate 

The remaining principal goes to Elmwood Franklin School when 

the contract ends 

WHY WAIT? PLAN YOUR LEGACY TODAY. 

Call Julie Raynsford Berrigan at 716-877-5035 or visit 

www.elmwoodfranklin.org and select “Planned Giving” under the Giving 

dropdown menu to start planning your gift today. 

Elmwood Franklin School is Western New 

York’s oldest pre-primary through eighth 

grade independent school, emphasizing 

high academic achievement, good study 

skills, and positive character development. 

Elmwood Franklin accepts qualified 

students without regard to race, color, 

religion, or national origin. 

2008 • 2009 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Alice Jacobs, President 

Philipp L. Rimmler, Vice President 

Michael Hogan, Treasurer 

Grace Walsh Munschauer ’70, Secretary 

Paula Ciprich 

Shashi Davae 

Ravi Desai 

Matthew Enstice 

Annette Fitch 

Arthur Glick ’71 

Alison Keane 

George Kermis 

Madeline Ambrus Lillie ’64 

Eric Lipke 

Elizabeth Duryea Maloney ’70 

Gail Mitchell 

M. Bradley Rogers 

Trini Ross 

Michele Trolli 

2008 • 2009 ALUMNI COUNCIL 

Stephen Kellogg, Jr. ’77, President 

Amy Decillis Bard ’86 

Gitti Barrell ’71 

Tricia Barrett ’92 

Kristin Schoellkopf Borowiak ’82 

Kary Fronk Clark ’91 

Rob Drake ’96 

Charles Hahn ’68 

Susie Lenahan Kimberly ’64 

Madeline Ambrus Lillie ’64 

Kim Rich Lupkin ’80 

Elizabeth Duryea Maloney ’70 

Samantha Friedman Olsen ’00 

Howard Saperston III ’85 

Mary Franklin Saperston ’60 

Eric Saldanha ’85

ulletinboard SPRING/SUMMER 

12 

HEATHER SMITH ’90 

Heather Smith really believes that 

young people can just press a lever and 

change the country 

4 FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 

6 FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT 

8 TIME TRAVELER 

A poem written collaboratively by the Class 

of 2008 

10 CLASS OF 2008 

18 PREP WORK 

A look at the importance of play in 

education 

22 MEET OUR PREP TEACHERS 

24 THE FUTURE IS HERE 

Eighth grade students planned, designed, 

and built cities of the future 

26 

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON EARTH DAY 

Astronaut Gene Cernan shares 

his unique views of our magnificent planet 

with EFS students on Earth Day 

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 

The bulletinboard is published twice a year by 

the Development Office for alumni, families, and 

friends of Elmwood Franklin School. 

EDITOR/WRITER 

Sally Jarzab 

DESIGN AND LAYOUT 

Rebecca Murak 

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 

Julie Berrigan 

28 COME ALONG AND LEARN 

With Prep I on their trip to the Williamsville 

Planetarium 

44 ALUMNI EVENTS 

Graduate Brunch June 8 

All-Alumni Open House June 6 and 7 

48 FAMILY TIES 

Multi-generational families at EFS 

50 ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE 

By Madeleine McQueeney ’01 

COVER ART 

Nylon and wire abstract sculptures created by 

sixth grade students. 

FOR CHANGE OF ADDRESS 

Please mail any address updates to Elmwood 

Franklin School Development Department, 

104 New Amsterdam Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216, 

call 716-877-5035 or email 

development@elmwoodfranklin.org. 

34 

2008 

HERE I AM 

Holocaust survivors Sol Messinger and 

Bill Eisen share their stories with eighth 

grade students 

38 NEWSOFNOTE 

39 NAMES IN THE NEWS 

40 DAY TO DAY 

42 FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE 

53 CLASS NOTES 

TO SUBMIT CLASS NEWS, visit 

www.elmwoodfranklin.org and select “Share Your 

News” under Alumni. 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK 

Please email opinions, editorials, and letters to the 

editor to sjarzab@elmwoodfranklin.org. Letters must 

contain sender’s name and contact information for 

verification.

4 FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 

the curveball 

IS OFTEN JUST A TEST 

I thought I knew all about being a head of school. 

After all, I’d already spent 17 years critiquing how 

others did the job. I thought I knew the things I 

did well and what I still needed to learn. I’d played 

many positions on the independent school team: 

teacher, coach, advisor, admissions director, 

division head, development officer, parent. Yet, I

was unprepared for some of the curveballs 

that were thrown my way as head of school. 

I learned quickly not to ask the question, 

“Who does that?” The answer seemed 

invariably to be, “You.” Among the curveballs 

thrown my way that first year was fifth grade 

puberty class. The conspiracy theorist might 

think that this topic was purposely avoided 

during my interview and is nowhere to be 

found on my job description, but I like to 

think of it as a nasty pitch that had me off 

balance at first but that I’ve since learned to 

hit. After two years, there’s not a question 

the 5 th graders can ask that will catch me off 

balance again. In the process, I’ve learned to 

anticipate the curveballs that come with the 

job and strategies to cope with them. 

Although I’m a huge sports fan, I rarely 

count on sports figures for educational 

philosophy. Nor do I expect to find them on 

the op-ed pages of the New York Times. But 

just recently, that’s exactly where I found an 

interesting piece from former major league 

baseball player Doug Glanville, titled Hitting 

Curves (of All Sorts), on May 9, 2008. Just 

as I was reviewing the triumphs and 

challenges of the year and looking back on 

my first two years as head of Elmwood 

Franklin, I stumbled across this column that 

seemed to speak to my experience as an 

educator. And the more I thought about it, 

Mr. Glanville seemed to have captured one 

of the lessons we try to teach our students: 

“The curveball is often just a test.” We all 

have to face curveballs. Like a major league 

hitter, we sometimes only have a split second 

to decide to swing or let the pitch go. As Mr. 

Glanville writes, “We spend so much time 

cruising along, looking to hit the straight 

and dependable fastball, that the audacity 

of something different can cause us to 

forget any and every tactic that once gave 

us comfort and success.” Most adults have 

developed ways to cope with life’s curveballs, 

but where did we learn this? And how do we 

know what to do when the situation is 

totally new? 

Our students need to be prepared to hit the 

curve too, but teaching them how and when 

to swing and when to take a pitch is a long 

process, characterized by patience and 

practice. Prep is tee-ball. Like baseball 

tryouts, the teachers work hard in Prep to 

assess skills, try each “player” at each 

position to help determine where he or she 

might find success. They patiently build 

skills and, more importantly, build 

confidence through predictable routines, 

lots of encouragement, and trial and error. 

By the time the students head off to first 

grade, they’re ready for live pitching. Just 

like on Little League baseball fields that are 

tailored to the skill level of the players, 

grades 1 through 4 provide opportunities 

for our students to grow and improve their 

skills. Their teachers only throw straight 

pitches so students can learn their own 

sweet spots. We expect each of our students 

to make an out from time to time, but they 

know they’ll have more opportunities and 

they learn from their mistakes. 

As they transition to Upper School and 

prepare for the major leagues—high school 

and college—our students begin to see 

more and more curveballs. Academically and 

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 5 

socially, the game gets more challenging and 

our teachers work hard to support and 

encourage each student to be patient and 

disciplined and learn to deal with more 

challenges. Our Upper School students get 

batting practice everyday in the form of 

science, math, English, music, and the rest of 

their classes. They learn to master their 

approach to academics, athletics, the arts, 

as well as relationships with peers and 

teachers. EFS students demonstrate that 

they are prepared for every type of 

challenge that is thrown their way, and we 

provide them with the opportunities to step 

to the plate as often as it takes to develop 

their metaphorical swing. As Mr. Glanville 

points out, “You can win your battle with 

that curveball by just taking it in stride.” 

This edition of Bulletin Board offers a few 

more baseball analogies. The article on our 

Prep department shows the benefits of 

playing the field. The feature on Heather 

Smith ’90—whose drive and focus brought 

her to her role as executive director of Rock 

the Vote—conveys the importance of 

keeping your eye on the ball. And our 

coverage of the all-alumni open house in 

June will surely have you rooting for the 

home team. It just goes to show that, 

whether in person or in print, it always feels 

good to touch base. 

Sincerely, 

Tony Featherston

6 FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT 

a message from 

THE BOARD PRESIDENT 

I am writing this column a week after eighth grade 

graduation, the first in which one of my children was a 

graduate. As I watched this group of accomplished young 

men and women walk across the stage, I thought also of 

them as the four-year olds many were when they first 

entered Elmwood Franklin. Although the smiles are 

recognizably the same, the transformation in them is hard 

to believe. Among many other things, they all offered a 

firm handshake when they received their diplomas.

What a gift they were given, to spend many of their 

formative years in this unique school, literally growing 

up together. I can now understand why our alumni 

often say that coming back to EFS feels like coming 

home. On behalf of my own family, we will be forever 

grateful for the teachers, administrators, staff and 

caring community of parents and fellow students that 

make such an education possible. 

The Board of Trustees has had a busy and productive 

year. As part of our work to prepare for the New York 

State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) 

accreditation process, the Strategic Planning 

committee, working with the administration and 

utilizing input from our surveying efforts, revised and 

updated our Mission Statement and Statement of 

Purposes and Objectives. This exercise provides us 

with one succinct and uniform message to convey 

what an Elmwood Franklin education is all about. 

These statements will appear in our publications and 

throughout the school. Board discussion on this 

topic also served to solidify in trustees’ minds the 

values that are held near and dear to our community 

and that need to be maintained as part of an EFS 

education. At the same time, we are mindful that we 

must be open to changes in our society that suggest 

the need for changes in our educational process. 

At a more concrete level, many of you have seen our 

new dining room, completed over spring break. Many 

thanks to the trustees who led the design and 

construction effort in coordination with Tony, Ziggy 

and others, without a single school lunch being 

missed. Many thanks also to numerous generous 

donors without whose help the project could not 

have happened, including the Rimmler and Foley 

families who gave lead gifts to the effort. Thank you 

also to all of our Annual Fund and Auction volunteers, 

who year after year produce fundraising results which 

stand up to some of the most prestigious 

independent schools in the country. Our community’s 

longstanding generosity is critical to our ability to 

enable Elmwood Franklin to remain in the forefront of 

pre-K through 8 independent schools. 

In the upcoming year, the Board will continue our 

strategic planning process. Like most independent 

schools across the country, we will be grappling with 

the issue of affordability, maintaining a balance 

between sustaining our program at its highest level 

while keeping our tuition as affordable as possible. 

Long-range financial planning, which allows for the 

growth of resources to continue to support financial 

aid, will be critical to meeting the challenges of our 

demographic and economic reality. We will also 

engage in a campus master planning process, to 

evaluate options for future facilities needs. 

Finally, I would like to thank three outgoing trustees, 

George Bellows, James Gately, and Seymour Knox, IV, 

for their outstanding Board service and dedication 

to Elmwood Franklin. They will be missed. We 

welcome four new trustees in the 2008-2009 

school year: Paula Ciprich, EFS parent and secretary 

of National Fuel Gas Co.; Shashi Davae, EFS parent, 

EFS Annual Fund chair and active EFS volunteer; 

Ravi Desai, father of three EFS students, physician, 

and former Board chair of Westminster Early 

Childhood Programs; and Brad Rogers, head of The 

Gow School. The Board looks forward to working 

with our new trustees, all of whom I am confident 

will bring dedication and unique perspectives to the 

table. 

Thank all of you for your continued support and 

interest in Elmwood Franklin. I wish you a 

wonderful summer. 

Sincerely, 

FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT 7

traveler 

8 EFS GRADUATES 

T I M E 

Composed collaboratively by the 

CLASS OF 2008 

Arranged by 

MARGOT VINCENT ’85

I wake up feeling like a brick. 

Today, I will depart. 

Letting my imagination wander, 

My mind opens like a window. 

I carefully clutch years of memories. 

In the darkness of my room, 

A melody comes into tune. 

I am sitting on wood chips, 

Surrounded by purple pencils— 

The building blocks of my future. 

The wind howls outside, 

Blowing me from my shelter. 

Flowers bloom and burst— 

Empty trees turn to full color. 

A blink ago, 

I am grasping my mom and dad’s hands. 

Tears scream how I don’t want to let go. 

I wonder who that is in the photograph, 

Wearing the itchy blue wool vest, 

Hair neatly combed, 

Walking into a rainbow room. 

I flip on the light of my memories. 

ZZZZZT—the power goes out. 

In the predawn hours, 

I fumble for a flashlight. 

The yellow beam illuminates my mind. 

The clock of my heart strikes 8:30. 

Doors swing open. 

Running, jumping, sliding through the tunnel, 

I am a reclusive Blue Bear. 

My life goal is flying high on the swing set. 

Here is where it began. 

Numbers in a countdown fly by. 

Years fill with fun, sadness, happiness, 

learning and friends. 

I take residence in my second home—my shelter. 

This is the place that glistens 

with my proudest moments. 

I splash around in my memories. 

The waves wash over me. 

My hands begin to slip. 

I keep holding on. 

I blink. 

I walk through the halls. 

They whisper of bruises, cuts, scars on the brain. 

Trees of lost time race past my window. 

I am carefree and happy— 

Crying with sadness. 

Smiling so wide it hurts. 

I blink—it is inevitable. 

My first day of third grade. 

Friends on the playground, 

Around the World, 

Fourth grade immigration. 

A trek across the great divide to Upper School. 

Diving into Beaver Island’s Blue-Gray water, 

I swim through Egyptian tombs and 

Medieval Times. 

Traveling past a Pi day party, 

I catch a glimpse of the sunny trails of Onyahsa. 

Emerging from the water, 

Memories litter the sand. 

Some are deep and vivid, 

Others are barely there— 

Washed over by the sea of experience. 

I try hard not to blink. 

Kissing Bridge, Letchworth, Quebec and 

Pathfinder. 

All of the funny memories. 

The ups and downs are a wild roller coaster ride. 

I blink once, then twice. 

It is time for me to go. 

From this wonderful place. 

From this wonderful life. 

I have to hold strong. 

I have to move on. 

This day I thought would never come. 

Why do I have to leave? 

I can’t concentrate— 

Excited for a new beginning. 

I don’t want to move on, 

I don’t want to go back. 

Standing on the bridge of adulthood, 

I teeter on the edge of my childhood prime. 

Have I packed the right things? 

What do I need for this trip? 

I am heading on a voyage, 

To the far-off land of no more 

basketball at recess. 

There are friends I might not see again. 

My face softens. 

I remain strong. 

EFS GRADUATES 9 

My class, loud and proud, 

Changed me in ways I will never forget. 

No one will erase years of cheers, 

Chills and thrills, 

Small classes, good teachers, 

Cookies for snack, non-dress-code Fridays. 

These are permanent-markered on my heart. 

Now it is the end. 

My new world will begin. 

Destiny rests quietly in the palm of my hand. 

I gently close my fingers. 

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. 

Daylight’s shrill voice calls. 

Snapping off the flashlight, rain begins to fall. 

A chorus of bon voyage swells. 

The end of one journey becomes the start 

of the next. 

Stepping onto the bridge, 

I quickly see that it is sturdy, secure, 

makes no noise. 

My bag is perfectly prepared and packed. 

I walk over my fears— 

To my new life. 

The sun breaks through. 

Joy lines my heart. 

Truth dances and smiles in my soul. 

Soon there will be a rainbow.

the class of 2008 

F R O M L E F T T O R I G H T 

Seated: Melissa Jacobs, Brianna Simmons, Madeleine Schlehr, Amanda Chinn, Sarah Abell, 

Taylor Gillespie, Sarah Miller, Danielle Trolli, Kylie Jones, Nicole Casacci, Grace Clauss 

Row 1: Christine Stephan, Kaitlyn Henry, Hannah Elsinghorst, Hijab Khan, Julia Liguori, 

Erica Dalton, Susan Winkelstein, Minerva Ringland, Eliza Kaye, Victoria Lester, 

Catherine Williams, Sukie Cleary, Ivey Spier 

Row 2: William Zacher, Lachlan Kellogg, Lucas Walsh, Nickolaus Osinski, Louis Jacobs 

Row 3: James Blackwell, Matthew Stefura, Ryan Tick, Zander Metz, John Loree, Murray Bibas, 

Gabriel Bialkowski, Aaron Markel, Paul Fix

Sarah Abell 

Gabriel Bialkowski 

Murray Bibas 

James Blackwell 

Nicole Casacci 

Amanda Chinn 

Grace Clauss 

Sukie Cleary 

Erica Dalton 

Hannah Elsinghorst 

Paul Fix 

Taylor Gillespie 

Kaitlyn Henry 

Louis Jacobs 

Melissa Jacobs 

Kylie Jones 

Eliza Kaye 

Lachlan Kellogg 

Hijab Khan 

Victoria Lester 

Julia Liguori 

John Loree 

Aaron Markel 

Zander Metz 

Sarah Miller 

Nickolaus Osinski 

Minerva Ringland 

Madeleine Schlehr 

Brianna Simmons 

Ivey Spier 

Matthew Stefura 

Christine Stephan 

Ryan Tick 

Danielle Trolli 

Lucas Walsh 

Catherine Williams 

Susan Winkelstein 

William Zacher 

Buffalo Seminary 

St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute 

Nichols School 


Nardin Academy 

Sacred Heart Academy 






Miss Hall’s School 


Berkshire School 









City Honors 




City Honors 

Clarence High School 

Park School 








Nardin Academy 


EFS GRADUATES 11

✓ 

CONfıdence 

o t e o f 

Heather Smith ’90 really believes 

that young people can just press a 

lever and change the country.

14 GRADUATION SPEAKER 

THAT “ROADLESS RULE”—WHAT HEATHER CALLS HER 

BUT RATHER THAN GIVING UP GOALS, HEATHER JUST 

MAKE REAL PROGRESS, SHE HAD TO NOT ONLY WORK 

CARED ABOUT THESE ISSUES TO BUILD A BASE OF POWER, 

If only all young Americans were as motivated as 

Heather Smith—then her job would be done. She 

wouldn’t need to make appearances on the Today Show 

and Larry King Live, be interviewed by Us Weekly, 

Esquire, and Glamour, work with artists like Christina 

Aguilera and Beyoncé, or speak personally with the 

Presidential candidates on behalf of the 45 million 

young Americans presently of voting age. She 

wouldn’t need to travel the country, carry two cell 

phones, or work past midnight most weekends. 

If all young Americans were as motivated as Heather 

Smith, they would already be doing what she and the 

organization she runs are trying to get them to do: 

vote. And by voting, make their voices heard. As 

executive director of Rock the Vote, Heather truly 

believes—despite commonly held notions in 

Washington and elsewhere—that young people can 

make a difference in politics. 

According to Heather, the days when the youth vote 

could be ignored are long gone. An estimated 44 

million 18- to 29-year-olds will be eligible to vote in 

2008, constituting 21 percent of the eligible voting 

population. There are more of them than there are 

seniors, notes Heather. 

Considering the surge in young voter participation in 

recent years (in the 2004 national elections, young 

people went to the polls in numbers marking the 

largest single increase in turnout among this 

population ever—and in many of this year’s caucuses 

and primaries, turnout has doubled, tripled, and even 

quadrupled the rates from four years ago), Heather 

has good reason to expect that this November will see 

the highest young voter turnout in American history. 

“The proposition that young people don’t vote has 

finally been proven wrong,” said Heather. “We have 

propelled candidates to victory in both parties and 

reinvigorated our democracy with millions of new 

young voters this primary season. [Young voters] are 

now poised to be decisive in choosing the winner in 

November.” 

Heather says that her work is to build a movement. 

“We understand that if a difference is going to be 

made, we have to be that difference. As good as the 

increased participation has been so far, we need to act 

now to ensure it continues, grows and will matter for 

what we all care about.” 

This year, Rock the Vote aims to register more voters 

than ever before (two million to be exact), engage 

hundreds of thousands of volunteers in a national 

campaign, and foster communication that will sustain 

these efforts post-election. 

“My organization was founded on the principles of 

freedom of speech and artistic expression,” Heather 

explained. “There was an attempt by our elected officials 

in Washington to censor our music, and in the spirit of 

rock-n-roll, we rose up. Artists like Madonna and 

Michael Stipe used their voices to encourage young 

people to use their right as Americans to fight back 

when powers tried to deny our fundamental freedoms. 

Hundreds of thousands of young people responded by 

registering and voting. Today our music is not censored, 

but our freedoms and future are more at risk than ever 

before, as there is incredible hunger, climate change, and 

inequality around the world. And young people have the 

power to do something about it.”

FIRST BIG VICTORY—WAS LATER OVERTURNED. 

SWITCHED TRACKS. SHE REALIZED THAT IN ORDER TO 

ON ISSUES, BUT SHE HAD TO CONVINCE VOTERS WHO 

SO VICTORIES COULDN’T BE REVERSED IN THE FUTURE. 

And if ever there was a testament to the power of 

young people, it’s Heather herself. She was named one 

of Esquire magazine’s Best and Brightest of 2007. 

Having started with Rock the Vote as a volunteer at 

age 26, she’s risen to its helm in just five years, 

surprising even herself in some ways. 

“I never knew how to answer the ‘what do you want to 

be’ question when I was younger,” Heather said. “In 

grade school and high school I just learned as much as 

I could and figured out more about my interests and 

skills. In college, I pursued leadership opportunities, 

new experiences, and the subjects that intrigued me. I 

have always been ambitious and intellectually 

curious—I graduated from Duke University with a 

major in economics and public policy and minors in 

Spanish and documentary studies and photography. 

When graduating from college, I tried to find a job 

that combined my interests and skills to make the 

most impact I could have on the world.” 

That ideal led Heather to her first job as a grassroots 

organizer working on environmental and justice issues 

for Green Corps’ Field School for Environmental 

Organizing in Boston. “I was supposed to work on Wall 

Street or attend law school,” she said. “My dad kept 

faxing me law school applications, but I didn’t budge.” 

Instead, just one year out of college, she found herself 

entrenched in a campaign to convince President Bill 

Clinton to protect 60 million acres of roadless areas in 

the national forests. She was invited personally to hear 

the announcement that, in a final executive rule, those 

pristine wilderness areas were to be protected. As she 

rode the bus to the White House, amid politicians and 

leaders of major environmental groups, she couldn’t 

help noticing that she was the youngest one there— 

“by at least 25 years,” she said. On the bus ride back, 

she remembered, “calls started to come in—dozens of 

media outlets, eight senators, and thousands and 

thousands of students were gathered all around the 

country to celebrate this victory. I yelled out the 

update from each state after each phone call, and [the 

others on the bus] all looked at me with fear and 

envy: young people were starting an environmental 

movement.” 

That “roadless rule”—what Heather calls her first big 

victory—was later overturned. But rather than giving 

up goals, Heather just switched tracks. She realized 

that in order to make real progress, she had to not 

only work on issues, but she had to convince voters 

who cared about these issues to build a base of power, 

so victories couldn’t be reversed in the future. “My 

interest in voting issues grew from realizing that real 

power lies in those that make decisions, and those 

decision makers are influenced by money and votes. 

Votes seemed like the answer, as the majority of this 

country wants the same changes I do. Engaging young 

people in politics was a natural way to ensure that the 

issues we care about get addressed. 

“And in 2004, I led the largest youth voter 

registration and get-out-the-vote effort in history and 

increased young voter turnout by the largest margins 

ever,” stated Heather. “We did it again in 2006. And 

now in 2008…” 

Well, that’s to wait and see. But Heather’s not afraid of 

looking ahead. What does she envision, say twenty 

years fron now? 

“I can’t predict the future, but I can dream. I hope our 

GRADUATION SPEAKER 15

16 GRADUATION SPEAKER 

country has restored its role as a compassionate 

leader in the world, that climate change policies as 

radical as the problem itself have been implemented, 

and that the racial and economic ills of our country 

are being addressed in thoughtful ways. The only way 

these things can happen is if we take our role as 

citizens seriously and rise up. So, more than anything, 

I hope that in twenty years I can look back at the 

youth movement that we are seeing bubble up today, 

marvel at how it evolved, and feel like I was a proud 

and righteous instigator and leader for the 45 million 

young voters in our country who stood up and 

demanded a better future.” 

LIFE AS A “ROCK” STAR 

Describe yourself in three words. 

Passionate, hard-working, fun. 

How have you changed since your EFS days? 

I’m just as intellectually curious, empathetic and 

stubborn, but now I have more questions than 

answers. I guess you can say I learned humility and let 

my answers get questioned. 

Any specific EFS memories that you particularly value? 

EFS is fully integrated into my memories of childhood 

and early adulthood. In many ways, it is simply the 

setting for many of the memories I cherish: Getting to 

spend time with my grandfather who drove me to 

school often on his way to work (and refused to stop 

at red lights!), meeting some of the people who 

remain my closest friends like Judd Bruzgul and Brian 

Mathias, painting my first picture (a hobby I still 

enjoy), and recently I was reminded of a game we used 

to play at recess that we called ‘Baba the All-time 

Spider’ when I saw my former classmate Babatope 

[Ogunmola] on Jeopardy!. 

Where do you reside? 

I live in a beautiful home in Washington, DC, though I 

seem to split my time between LA, NYC, and DC. 

How do you spend your free time? 

Free time is hard to come by these days, with the 

elections heating up, but I spend the free time I have 

hanging out with my friends, taking pictures, getting 

outdoors as much as possible, and writing. Oh, and I 

guess this is work now, but I love seeing live music. 

What motivates you in your work? In your life? 

A desire to make social and political change to ensure 

a more just and sustainable world. A deep sense of 

right and wrong. And a belief that if something is not 

as it should be, it is my and our obligation to do 

something about it. 

What’s the most fun you have in your job? 

I love the people I work with. I believe that if I am 

going to work as hard as I do, I sure better be working 

with good people who I respect and have fun with. 

What’s the toughest aspect? 

The toughest aspect is that the work is never done. In 

the quest for a more just and equitable society, there is 

always more to do. 

What has been your proudest moment in life? 

That is hard to say. I am proud to be invited to speak 

at EFS. I am proud when I have helped to change how a 

young person sees the world and their role in it—I get 

letters and emails often thanking me for mentoring or 

speaking with or simply inspiring them. I was proud 

when my nephew was born—I made quite a scene in 

the LA hotel lobby where I was standing when my 

brother called with the news and told me his name. I 

immediately checked out of the hotel and took a cab to 

the airport to get on the next flight to Boston. I am 

proud that I have so many great friends and family. And 

I am proud that I live my values through my life’s work. 

ROCK THE FUTURE 

Heather Smith addresses the EFS Class of 2008 

Rock the Vote is well-known for using tactics that 

straddle the line between news and pop culture. Heather 

Smith’s commencement address to the EFS Class of 

2008 was no different, beginning with a preview of Rock 

the Vote’s new campaign promotion, a video clip of 

Christina Aguilera singing “America the Beautiful” to her 

infant son, wrapped in an American flag. 

“

JUST 18 YEARS AFTER LEAVING EFS, I AM NOW LEADING A 

MOVEMENT OF MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE 

IMPACTING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN OUR 

COUNTRY AND HENCE DECISIONS THAT WILL IMPACT 

ALL OF US HERE AND BILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD. 

Some excerpts from Heather’s speech: 

“… I've spoken to young people all around the 

country and I've heard this same refrain: It’s our 

future. It’s our time. It’s time to rock the vote. We are 

each one, but together we are many. And it is our duty 

and right to believe and to envision a better future. 

And to fight for what we believe is right. So, I say to all 

of you, ask yourself why when you see something 

wrong. Ask what an alternative might be. I know you 

can’t vote yet, but you can volunteer. See the 

community and the country. Give back. Sign a 

petition, go to a soup kitchen, volunteer for a 

candidate of your choice. When you hitch your wagon 

to something larger than yourself, you realize the way 

you can play a role in our country’s future. You don’t 

have to do what I did. But you can seek the 

opportunities to learn the country and world and 

explore what your path might be. 

I ask you to do this, because our future depends on it. 

We need to engage as young people to build a 

movement that confronts the common challenges that 

affect us here and around the world. At a time when 

the ice caps are melting, we need you to lead a global 

climate movement. At a time when the education 

system is struggling and college is not affordable for 

most, we need you to lead a movement for better 

wages for teacher and quality education for all. At a 

time when the city of New Orleans still has children 

living in empty trailers, we need you to lead a 

movement to help those in poverty in our country. At 

a time when our country is at war and our reputation 

abroad embarrassing, we need you to work for peace. 

Our country, our democracy, the nation and world 

that you are being educated to participate in actively 

and ultimately, by definition, lead, needs you. As 

Bobby Kennedy explained, it takes just one blow 

against injustice to call forth that tiny ripple of hope. 

The dream of freedom and a just society are yours to 

envision and yours to create. Honestly, the future is 

yours, if you choose to own it. 

You have a task ahead. In the next phase of your life, you 

will go to high school, you will learn more about yourself, 

your strengths and weaknesses as students and as 

humans, you will explore your own sense of self and what 

it means to interact with a larger society. And you should 

enjoy that, enjoy your youth. I also encourage you to use 

your energy to explore the world outside the halls of 

your high school as well and envision the impact you can 

have on the world. Just 18 years after leaving here, I am 

now leading a movement of millions of young people 

that are impacting the presidential elections in our 

country and hence decisions that will impact all of us 

here and billions around the world. 

… Perhaps it was learned from my parents and 

grandparents who are here today, or overhearing 

conversations from the company they kept, or perhaps 

the incredible education and great opportunity to 

explore that the schools like EFS that I had the 

privilege to attend afforded me. But I have lived my 

short life from the precept that if something is wrong, 

you offer an alternative. And that if something is not 

right, it’s wrong. And it is our imperative to call out 

and change that which is wrong and to lead a way 

down a more righteous path.” 

GRADUATION SPEAKER 17

prep 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORK AND PLAY IS A FINER LINE FOR SOME THAN IT IS FOR 

OTHERS. FOR PREP STUDENTS – AND THEIR TEACHERS – IT OFTEN DOESN’T EXIST AT ALL. 

work 

A list of rules hangs on the wall in one of the Prep chosen themselves. They are imagining they are 

classrooms. Some of the rules have to do with veterinarians, caring for a menagerie of stuffed 

following directions, raising your hand, minding animals. They are following the rules of the 

your space. The last one, which reads “Be ready to 

learn,” might bring to mind rows of children sitting 

classroom. They are indeed ready to learn. 

silently at desks, attentively awaiting their teacher’s This segment of the day is for what the Prep 

instruction. Well, it’s late morning on a typical Prep teachers might refer to as “self-directed, open- 

school day, and the kids are not in their seats. They ended activity,” a pedagogical term for, more 

are climbing on monkey bars, building with wooden simply, playtime. Like all Elmwood Franklin 

blocks, working with picture puzzles, standing at teachers over the past century, they understand 

easels with cups of brightly colored paints. They what contemporary researchers are now 

are gluing pom-poms and feathers onto paper. They emphasizing: that play is not just conducive to 

are sitting on cushions reading books they have learning, it’s essential. 

FACULTY PROFILE 19

20 FACULTY PROFILE 

NOT JUST FUN AND GAMES 

Child’s play, as it turns out, is not mere child’s play. It is 

imperative to the cognitive, physical, social, and 

emotional well-being of children. In fact, play is so 

important to optimal development that it has been 

recognized by the United Nations High Commission for 

Human Rights as a right of every child. So states a 2006 

report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 

entitled, “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy 

Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child 

Bonds.” The report was written in defense of play and in 

response to forces that have led to reduced recess in 

many schools. 

The report cites findings that recess periods have been 

eliminated in 26 percent of kindergarten programs – and 

with some unfortunate consequences. Research indicates 

that the decrease in play may have implications on 

children’s ability to store new information, the discordant 

academic achievement between girls and boys, and the 

rates of childhood obesity, anxiety, and depression. 

Besides the obvious physical benefits of promoting health 

and fitness, play equips children with some important 

cognitive benefits as well. Play is important to healthy 

brain development and has been shown to help children 

adjust to the school setting and to enhance children’s 

learning readiness, learning behaviors, and problemsolving 

skills. 

Recess has an important function for teachers, too. For 

one thing, children’s joy is contagious. “There is no sad 

day,” says Prep coordinator Patti Scaffidi. “The children 

walk in with a smile on their faces, ready to start the day.” 

Watching as children learn, grow, and enjoy themselves is 

a high-point for every Prep teacher. 

And while the Prep kids are bustling about the classroom 

or running around the playground, the teachers are 

monitoring, assisting, watching, and most importantly, 

learning—learning how the children think, how they 

move, how they interact, how they learn. These 

observations help the teachers understand their students 

in ways they couldn’t otherwise and are useful when the 

time does come to sit down for a lesson. Teacher 

Shellonnee Chinn finds this perspective valuable. 

“Sometimes the children experience things but cannot 

articulate what they are going through,” she says. “You 

often have to be the student of the student.” Alyssa 

Schwabe finds that the children have many things to 

impart. “I learn from them every day—from creative 

problem-solving to how to truly embrace the moment.” 

PLAY AT WORK 

While the report touts the importance of free play, it also 

recognizes the value of structured activity and 

instruction, which, of course, doesn’t have to mean that 

the fun is over. “All aspects of learning can be fun, 

exciting, and motivational,” says teacher Joy Cianciosa. In 

fact, the entire Prep environment could be described as 

playful. What other word could describe a teacher and a 

dozen children dancing around to a song entitled “Big 

Underwear” while wearing over their regular clothes— 

you guessed it—big underwear? 

“That’s the kind of crazy things we do here sometimes,” 

says Joy, by way of explanation. A little girl with a brown 

ponytail and big red boxer shorts with stars all over tells 

it how it really is: “We do crazy things all the time!” 

Even core academics, such as reading, writing, and math, 

often take a fun approach. In Shellonnee’s Prep II reading 

group, students team up against the teacher in a sightword 

reading challenge, cheering each other on. In 

morning meeting time with Eileen McCarthy, students 

develop math skills with a daily poll, tabulating how many 

children have a pet, how many like bananas, or how many 

have yellow daffodils growing in their yards.

In Prep I, students participate in learning activities that 

revolve around a central theme and reinforce other 

aspects of the curriculum. The little veterinarians 

mentioned before, for example, were conducting their 

imaginative play in the middle of a unit on zoo animals. 

Even snack time ties in the theme, as teacher Kathryn 

Murray makes food choices that corroborate lessons. 

Students get to pretend they’re turtles as they munch on 

broccoli, blueberries, and “worms” (really sliced bologna). 

How much fun is that? 

“Children’s interests always drive the topics and themes 

covered in Prep,” says Kathryn. “The sky's the limit when 

it comes to the inquisitive nature of the young child. We 

try to position ourselves as a guiding hand, open to 

spontaneity and discovery, as together we explore the 

wonders of the world around us.” 

PART OF THE WHOLE 

The role that play has in overall learning and 

development fits in with Elmwood Franklin’s “whole child” 

approach to education, which views each child as a 

unique and multi-faceted being. 

Teacher Jill Jacobs finds that this philosophy serves to 

make her experience more challenging—and also more 

gratifying. “The continuing needs and challenges of the 

children have made me a better teacher—more 

understanding and accepting and very tolerant of 

different learning styles,” says Jill. “I am constantly 

readjusting my teaching style to meet the changing needs 

of the students.” 

Not only is each child’s development complex, the 

different components of learning—linguistic, 

mathematical, spatial, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, 

and intrapersonal—are all inter-related. And so it only 

makes sense that time on the playground would benefit 

time in the classroom, that the workings of the 

imagination would fortify knowledge of the real world. 

“We teach to the whole child: social, emotional, physical 

and cognitive. All areas of development need to be 

targeted,” comments Clare Buchheit-Edson. “I find 

children now come to us with a rather strong cognitive 

basis yet weaker social, emotional, and physical 

development. It is exciting to teach and watch the whole 

child flourish. I love helping to lay the foundation.” 

In the late nineteenth century, when Elmwood Franklin 

School had its beginnings, the concept of educating “the 

whole child” was considered a progressive concept. 

Contemporary research now corroborates its 

effectiveness—something that our teachers have known 

firsthand all along. 

“I feel that EFS is special because all of the teachers 

approach learning from an angle that meets each 

student’s individual needs,” says teacher Marny Karassik. 

“We work really hard to get to know the children’s 

learning styles and personalities to teach them the 

required material. Along with the specialists and the 

special area teachers, we work as a team to provide a 

well-rounded curriculum so that each student can 

succeed.” 

“Success” and “playtime” are not always twin concepts, 

but in Prep, where little bodies need to move, little minds 

need to grow, and little beings need to laugh, they are 

inseparable. After all, what good is success—in school, in 

work, in life—if you don’t know how to enjoy it? 

The full report “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child 

Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds” is available 

online at http://www.aap.org/pressroom/playFINAL.pdf. 

FACULTY PROFILE 21

22 FACULTY PROFILE 

Our Prep Teachers 

Joy Cianciosa, Prep I 

Number of years at EFS: 17 

Birthplace: Buffalo 

What she likes best about her job: “No two 

days are ever the same!” comments Joy. 

“And it’s fun to have a new beginning each 

September. No matter how many times I 

have done something, I can still learn 

something new from the children!” 

Something you may not know about Joy: 

She taught second grade at EFS for 10 years 

before moving to Prep. “I even did my student 

teaching here with Sybil in third grade.” 

Clare Buchheit-Edson, Prep II 



What she likes best about her job: “Each 

day is different,” says Clare. “Unpredictablity 

is the only thing I can count on.” 

Something you may not know about Clare: 

She’s been called “Dr. Vermiculture” in 

reference to her love of worms (yes, worms). 

Clare explains: “I have a worm bin in my 

basement which allows me to do vermincomposting 

on a year-round basis.” Each 

spring, as her students rediscover nature, 

she introduces them to the study of worms. 

Shellonnee Chinn, Prep II 



What she likes best about her job: “I love 

having the opportunity on a daily basis to 

captivate and stimulate a child’s love for 

learning. It is gratifying to teach and learn 

with – and from – a child. These 

experiences make you want to do it year 

after year.” 

Something you may not know about 

Shellonnee: “Teaching is my second career. I 

hold a degree in economics and labor and 

was formerly a corporate supervisor and 

trainer in Washington D.C.” Shellonnee also 

says she loves the outdoors, sleeping in her 

eight-person tent with her kids, fishing, and 

singing around the campfire. 

Jill Jacobs, Prep II 

Number of years at EFS: 6 (20 as a parent!) 

Birthplace: New Jersey 

What she likes best about her job: The kids, 

of course. But also, she says, “the people I 

work with, and the independence and trust 

from the administration.” 

Something you may not know about Jill: She 

was voted “hottest mom” among all of her 

daughter Eliza’s friends, spouses, and 

significant others at Eliza and Brian’s 

wedding last year. 

Marny Karassik, Prep I 


Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio 

What she likes best about her job: What 

other job encourages so much laughter and 

singing? “Singing is like magic,” Marny says. 

“A few notes and my students are quiet and 

ready to listen.” 

Something you may not know about Marny: 

A former cheerleader, a former competitive 

swimmer, and a current AC/DC fan, Marny 

says she “finds peace” in cleaning. 

Eileen McCarthy, Prep II 



What she likes best about her job: “I play 

with children all day and have a wonderful 

team of professionals/friends who keep me 

balanced.” And even after a quarter of 

century in the job, Eileen says, “I am 

growing all the time – professionally, 

technologically, compassionately, creatively, 

and as a woman.” 

Something you may not know about Eileen: 

She taught at Canisius College for a few 

years, teaching the education students 

there about “what to do on the first 

through last day of school.” 

Kathryn Murray, Prep I 


Birthplace: Springville, NY 

What she likes best about her job: What 

Kathryn calls the simple moments—“the 

simple smile when I’ve helped someone, the 

simple wonder in the curious heart, the 

simple wonder in the curious eye, the 

simple magic that comes when the light of 

knowledge twinkles, the simple moments 

when I have touched a life.” 

Something you may not know about 

Kathryn: “I love fast cars and to ride around 

town all summer in my convertible!” 

Patti Scaffidi, Prep II 



What she likes best about her job: Besides 

the friendships she has formed with her 

fellow teachers, Patti lists the children’s 

enthusiasm as a bright spot. “There are 

no sad days; the children always walk in 

with smiles on their faces, ready to start 

their day.” 

Something you may not know about Patti: 

“I am a super-fan for local basketball teams 

– St. Joe’s, Niagara University, Nazareth 

College – and have been for thirty years.” 

Alyssa Schwabe, Prep I 



What she likes best about her job: “I find 

joy in the excitement of the inquiries and 

imaginations of the children. I love to watch 

their genuine friendships flourish and their 

interests soar. They are my sunshine!” 

Something you may not know about Alyssa: 

She describes herself as a “gourmet chef 

wanna-be,” though many of her co-workers 

who are treated to her culinary creations 

would argue with the “wanna-be” part of 

that description.

Meet Prep 

Standing (from left to right): Kathryn Murray, 

Joy Cianciosa, Marny Karassik, Alyssa Schwabe, 

Shellonnee Chinn, Patti Scaffidi 

Sitting (from left to right): Jill Jacobs, Clare 

Buchheit-Edson, Eileen McCarthy 

Not pictured here is Molly Clauss, who teaches 

music and Friendship Club to Prep students. 

Molly was profiled in the Fall/Winter 2007- 

2008 Bulletin Board.

here 

T H E FUTURE I S 

AND DON’ T FEAR – IT LOOKS REALLY COOL. 

HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO VISIT A 

BEAUTIFUL CITY THAT SITS ON THE LAKE 

ERIE SHORE AT 42.93˚ N AND 78.73˚ W. 

Bustling with tourists and residents alike, this 

city enchants people with its beautiful 

waterfront, its close proximity to Niagara Falls, 

and its unique parks and architecture. Sound 

familiar? It shouldn’t. It’s not Buffalo. At least, 

not now. It’s the city of Omega—and it’s what 

some EFS students think Buffalo will be, could 

be, in the year 2150. 

Eighth graders participated in the Future City 

Competition, a part of Engineers Week, a 

national initiative that seeks to increase 

awareness of the engineering profession and 

technology and to help students better 

understand the practical applications of math 

and science principles. Students worked in teams 

to plan, design, describe, and build a city of the 

future (both a physical and virtual model), 

complete with residential, commercial and 

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE 25 

industrial areas, power plants, transportation 

systems, communication systems, and all the 

other civic necessities. 

Omega, with its underground public transport, 

domed park, wind turbines, and fuel cell 

factories, isn’t the only option. Other 

possibilities include MECCA (an acronym for 

Modern, Efficient, Clean-climate Controlled 

Atmosphere), a city in which agricultural, 

residential and entertainment areas are housed 

in climate-controlled domes, and the City of 

Vision, a concentrically designed city that 

features vertical indoor farming and a carbon 

nano-tube fiber optic communication system. 

The EFS teams competed against other regional 

schools in January, scoring very well, particularly 

for first-timers (coming in 14 th , 15 th , and 19 th 

place out of 28 qualifying teams). Judging from 

their vision, our future is in very good hands.

CLOCKWISE 

Cernan (left) and Schmitt 

aboard Apollo 17 during the 

final lunar landing mission in 

the Apollo program. 

(12.17.1972) 

Cernan salutes the U.S. flag 

on the moon’s surface. 

(12.13.1972) 

Cernan (left) and Evans under 

zero-gravity conditions aboard 

Apollo 17. (12.17.1972) 

Cernan driving the Lunar 

Roving Vehicle during the first 

extravehicular activity. 

(12.10.1972) 

Cernan walking on the moon. 

(12.13.1972) 

Cernan coated with lunar dust 

inside the lunar module 

following the second 

extravehicular activity of his 

mission. (12.12.1972) 

Cernan checking out the 

Lunar Roving Vehicle during 

the early part of the first 

Apollo 17 extravehicular 

activity. (12.10.1972) 

Cernan beside the lunar roving 

vehicle during the third 

extravehicular activity. 

(12.13.1972) 

CENTER 

The view of the Earth as seen 

by the Apollo 17 crew while 

traveling toward the moon. 

(12.7.1972) 

ALL IMAGES CREDIT OF 

NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER 

AND JOHNSON SPACE CENTER

A New 

Perspective on 

Earth Day 

Astronaut Gene Cernan shares his unique 

views of our magnificent planet. 

Captain Gene Cernan, who as 

commander of Apollo 17 in 1972 

became the last man to step foot on the 

moon, visited Elmwood Franklin on April 

22—Earth Day. The big-picture 

perspective he gained from numerous 

space missions makes him an effectual 

and inspiring Earth Day speaker. 

“When I was young there was no Earth 

Day,” he told the fourth through eighth 

graders in attendance. “We took for 

granted the sun coming up, the breeze 

being clean, the water being clear. Now 

we are becoming more aware that we’ve 

got to be careful with it, that we must 

become more conscious of this unique, 

special planet that we live on.” 

Earth Day is about responsibility, but it’s 

also about hope, something that Capt. 

Cernan’s presentation supplied in no 

short order. He made it clear that it will 

be today’s children who must find a way 

to save the planet, and he has all the 

faith in the world that they can. 

“Is there anything that’s impossible 

anymore?” he asked. “I urge all your 

teachers—everyone—to go ahead and 

scratch the word “impossible” out of the 

dictionary.” For what seems unlikely, 

even unheard of, now, just might be 

tomorrow’s reality. “Dream the 

impossible,” he said, “and then go out 

and make it happen.” 

“When I was a kid your age, and this 

goes back to World War II, all I dreamt 

about was flying airplanes. Going to the 

moon was only in comic books. Buck 

Rogers was the closest thing there was. I 

didn’t dream about becoming an 

astronaut, because astronauts didn’t 

exist. Now I’m standing here and telling 

you that I lived on the moon for three 

whole days.” 

From the moon, he said, the Earth 

seems as small as a bead—but 

something about seeing it that way also 

makes apparent how big and important 

it really is. 

“As you fly to the moon, the Earth seems 

very big at first, and then it gets smaller 

and smaller and smaller and smaller. The 

horizon closes in around itself, and all of 

a sudden you see something that’s very 

familiar and yet very strange. You see the 

entirety of the world emerge, like a globe 

on your desk,” he said. “You can see 

from the icebergs of the North Pole to 

the snow-covered mountains of the 

South Pole, from the Atlantic Ocean 

across the entire coast of the United 

States, to the deep, dark blues of the 

Pacific Ocean, all in one glance.” He 

showed the kids a photo of the Earth 

from 70,000 miles away. 

“You get way up there and you realize— 

hey, Earth is the only sailing ship you 

and I have to live on together. And it 

truly is a magnificent and beautiful 

planet. It’s our home.” 

Capt. Gene Cernan’s presentation at EFS 

was underwritten by Delaware North Cos. 

THINKING BEYOND 27 

FEW PEOPLE KNOW THE EARTH LIKE GENE CERNAN. WE MAY KNOW OUR OWN 

LITTLE CORNER OF THE EARTH, BUT WE DON’T KNOW ITS ENTIRETY. WE 

DON’T KNOW IT FROM 70,000 MILES AWAY, WHERE YOU CAN WATCH THE 

SUN SET AND RISE SIMULTANEOUSLY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE EARTH.

Monster Flare 

On April 25, 2008, NASA’s Swift satellite 

picked up a record-setting flare from the 

EV Lacertae star. This flare was thousands 

of times more powerful than the greatest 

observed solar flare. A powerful explosion, 

star flares contain millions of times more 

energy than atomic bombs. 

IMAGE CREDIT: NASA WWW.NASA.GOV

Come 

along and 

learn 

with Prep I on If our solar system really is so large— 

their trip to the 

Williamsville 

Planetarium 

one of the largest things a child can 

imagine—then how can it be that the 

whole thing revolves around one small 

star? Join the Prep I students as they find 

some answers—by getting lost in space. 

LEARNING ALONG 29

The Williamsville 

Space Lab and 

Planetarium, 

located within Williamsville North High 

School, is essentially a big, dark room. But it’s a special big, dark room, the Prep I 

students found out, as an enormous robotic star projector cast a realistically 

simulated nighttime sky onto the 30-foot-diameter dome ceiling and propelled its 

occupants into the lovely, starry blackness of space. 

Facts about outer space are perhaps the most puzzling and intriguing pieces of 

information that children can learn: they are at once part of our universe and part 

of our imaginations. The many celestial phenomena reproduced by the star 

projector—moon phases, planetary motion, seasonal changes of the Sun and stars, 

constellations, and even a projection of the Earth—help kids better visualize the 

data they’ve studied, whether its Mars’ rusty red rivers, or Jupiter’s “gooey” air, or 

Saturn’s famous rings (which may be the broken pieces of former moons). 

“We’re really moving!” marveled one student as the simulated stars began to swirl 

above the children’s heads, and she was right. The room was quite stationary, of 

course, but right here on Earth, as the students learned, we’re moving around the 

most spectacular star of all. 

LEARNING ALONG 31

32 LEARNING ALONG 

“We’re really moving” 

marveled one student. 

Planet-gazing: the Real Deal 

You don’t need a space shuttle—or even a 

planetarium—to see the solar system for yourself. 

With a sky chart, binoculars (better yet: a telescope), 

and some perseverance, you’ll be viewing the planets 

with your own eyes. 

MERCURY The solar system's smallest planet flits 

back and forth from morning sky to evening sky 

several times a year. It never strays far from the Sun in 

our sky, so it's tough to find in the glare. From the 

northern hemisphere, it is visible in the morning in July 

and early November. The late-year appearance is the 

best, because the planet will stand highest above the 

horizon. In the evening, Mercury is best seen in late 

August through September, and mid-December. 

VENUS Venus, the dazzling morning or evening star, 

outshines all the other stars and planets in the night 

sky. It begins the year in the morning sky, low in the 

east shortly before sunrise. In mid-July Venus will 

appear in the evening sky, where it stays for the rest of 

the year. 

MARS Mars begins the year as a brilliant orange star 

high in the east at sunset. As the year progresses, it 

will grow fainter, shining only about five percent as 

bright in late summer as in January. It will disappear in 

the Sun's glare by around mid-October. 

JUPITER The largest planet in our solar system is a 

commanding presence in the night sky for much of the 

year. It looks like an intensely bright cream-colored 

star, shining brighter than anything else in the night 

sky except the Moon and Venus. Jupiter is at 

opposition in early July, when it appears brightest for 

the year and remains visible all night. Late in the year 

it is visible only in the evening sky, dropping lower 

each night. 

SATURN Saturn looks like a bright golden star. It 

spends the year in Leo, the lion, and for much of the 

year is close to Leo's "heart," the bright star Regulus. 

It disappears behind the Sun in July and August, then 

returns to view in the morning sky. 

URANUS Although it's the third-largest planet in the 

solar system, Uranus is so far from the Sun that you 

need binoculars to see it. It spends the year in the 

constellation Aquarius. It stages its best appearance in 

September. 

NEPTUNE The fourth-largest planet in the solar 

system is so far away that you need a telescope to find 

it. Neptune is in the constellation Capricornus and 

stages its best appearance in August. 

Courtesy of The University of Texas McDonald Observatory.

Meet Jake 

Jake, as he was introduced to the 

students, is the Spitz A5 star projector 

used to create the realistic simulated 

nighttime sky on the planetarium’s 

dome ceiling.

34 STUDENT PERSPECTIVE 

Here 

I Am 

TWO HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS 

SHARE THEIR STORIES 

At right: Sol Messinger with his parents onboard the SS St. Louis during 

its 1939 voyage from Hamburg, Germany to Cuba. The St. Louis arrived 

in Havana Harbor on May 27 only to be turned away by Cuban officials 

and subsequently refused admittance to the United States. Fearful of 

returning to Germany, the passengers plead for refuge from world 

leaders, and on June 17 the St. Louis docked in Antwerp. Passengers 

were split among Belgium, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands 

after spending more than a month at sea. Despite having come close 

enough to swim to the Miami shore, many of the passengers onboard 

the St. Louis later died in the Holocaust.

36 STUDENT PERSPECTIVE 

The bell rang just as Sol Messinger was at the point in his story 

when, after fleeing the violence of his native Berlin at the age 

of six, he and his parents escaped the detention camp where 

they were being held with help of the French Underground. He 

tried to sum up his harrowing story of loss, suffering, danger 

and—ultimately—triumph in a few sentences. “Finally, we came 

to New York City on June 24, 1942,” said Dr. Messinger, “and 

here I am.” 

History doesn’t fit neatly inside a classroom period any more 

than a person’s life fits inside a single story. Talks by Holocaust 

survivors Sol Messinger and Bill Eisen to eighth graders, part of 

a combined history-English project, certainly showed this to be 

true. But there are always lessons to be learned. 

“The point is,” Messinger told students, “these things can 

happen, and it is important to not allow them to happen again.”

After listening to Dr. Messinger’s and Mr. Eisen’s stories, 

students wrote reports on the accounts and their reactions to 

them. Some excerpts: 

“On May 8, 1945, Eisen and many others were liberated by 

the Russians. Eisen weighed seventy pounds and was in the 

hospital for four weeks. All the time, he was hoping that 

someone else in his family had survived. When he went 

back to his home, everything and everyone was gone. He 

came to Buffalo in 1947 to live with his uncle. 

…Eisen survived seven labor camps total and now works 

with the Holocaust Resource Center. He raised a family in 

Buffalo and calls them his ‘beautiful legacy’ he will leave 

behind someday. 

…Mr. Eisen believes it his mission to tell us about the 

Holocaust. He thinks that we should never forget what 

happened, so that it will never happen again. His message 

to us was tolerance of others, but he calls himself ‘a man 

who has lost hope.’ I think he should have hope. I believe 

that the world may have learned its lesson.” 

BILL EISEN SOL MESSINGER 

-Minnie Ringland 

“Mr. Bill Eisen was born in Miechow, Poland in 1918. In 

1940, he was sent to the Ghetto where he was tortured, 

starved and beaten. In 1942 the Ghetto was liquidated. 

People marched from the Ghetto to the trains. At the train 

station, Nazis selected people to go to the [labor] camps. 

They sent these people off in one direction, and those who 

were not selected for work were sent off to be liquidated. 

…When Mr. Eisen was sent to camps, he was used as a tailor. 

He made the SS uniforms. He claims that because he was 

useful in these camps, the Nazis spared his life multiple times. 

…Mr. Eisen told us that he survived because he had a 

mission. The mission was to pass on the message that 

genocide is a terrible thing and that if you see something 

wrong happening, the worst thing that you can do is to be 

a bystander. Mr. Eisen is a powerful speaker who touched 

my heart and soul with his compelling story about 

surviving the Holocaust, an unforgettable tragedy. 

… His story had an impact on my life. I will get involved 

when something is wrong. I will try never to stand by and 

watch people be hurt physically and emotionally.” 

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE 37 

-Catherine Williams

38 NEWS OF NOTE 

NEWS OF NOTE 

Heads for a Day 

Enterprising students Parker Sanders (top left) and Ravi 

Davae (top right) each recently served as Head for a Day, 

assisting Mr. Featherston with his busy day by handling 

such pressing matters as deciding the dress code and 

choosing the lunch menu. 

Great Job! 

Third graders Emma Zurowski (bottom left) and Parker 

Sanders each spent some time on the Elmwood Franklin 

front lines as Mrs. Kellogg’s assistant for a day. 

Tell Me Another One 

Spell-binding storytellers Karima Amin and Sharon Holley 

(pictured bottom right with fifth grader Ryan Bronstein) spun 

some African tales for Lower School students in January as 

part of the Prince Family Lecture Series. 

And the Winner Is 

Publications produced by the Development Office recently 

received honors in two separate awards competitions. The 

Bulletin Board magazine received a silver medal in the 

Excalibur Awards sponsored by the Public Relations Society 

of America's Buffalo/Niagara Chapter. The Annual Fund 

desk calendar received a bronze medal in the Excalibur 

Awards and another bronze medal in the Council for 

Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of 

Excellence Awards, a competition that includes entries from 

major universities from around the world.

NAMES IN THE NEWS 

SPORTS NEWS 

The third/fourth grade boys’ 

basketball team took the 2007-2008 

league championship in the Father 

Schaus Knights of Columbus fourth 

grade play-offs. 

The girls' Buffalo Ken-Ton Catholic 

League basketball team claimed the 

2008 City Championship. 

The girls' Independent League 

basketball team clinched its first ever 

undefeated season. 

The girls' lacrosse team had an 

undefeated season in 13 games against 

East Aurora, Nardin, Amherst, and 

Williamsville South and out-of-state 

contests against teams from Sewickley 

Academy, Quaker Valley, and Mount 

Lebanon. 

Blue-Gray co-captains for the second 

semester were Jaci Smith and Noel 

Andersen, Blue co-captains; Charlotte 

Jacobs and Joey Todaro, Gray cocaptains. 

The winning teams for 2007- 

2008 were girls’ Gray and boys’ Gray. 

STUDENT NEWS 

Sixth grader Will Lahood took first 

place in Western New York, and ninth 

place nationally, in the elementary 

school National French Contest. Sixth 

grader Helen Boisaubin placed second 

regionally and tenth nationally. In the 

high school division, eighth graders 

Sarah Miller came in second regionally 

and sixth nationally; Erica Dalton was 

third regionally and eighth nationally; 

and Sukie Cleary placed fourth 

regionally and tenth nationally. 

Eighth graders Minnie Ringland, Sarah 

Abell, and Amanda Chinn received 

silver medals in the 2008 National 

Spanish Exam, competing against 

mainly high school students. Nick 

Osinski, Kylie Jones, Aaron Markel, 

Eliza Kaye and Lucas Walsh received 

honorable mentions. 

National Junior Honor Society 

inductions in January included 21 new 

members: seventh graders Kayla 

Brannen, Alexis Bruzgul, Elizabeth 

Cappuccino, Kyle Cramer, Sarah 

Duncan, Maxcy Gayles, Emily Glick, 

Jourdan Green, Samuel Hausmann, 

Alexander Herer, Noah Horan, William 

Kuettel, Kenneth Lipke, Alec Long, 

Molly Mathias, Michelle Moreland, 

Autumn Rolack, Jordan Serotte, 

Valentino Tomasello and Thomas 

Westbrook and eighth grader Ryan Tick. 

Pushing Up the Sky Awards were 

presented in February to fifth graders 

Ned Mathias, Ellie Powell and Tilly 

Powell; sixth graders Marc Cangé and 

Annie Cleary; seventh graders Will 

Kuettel and Angelina Buscaglia; and 

eighth graders Julia Liguori and Dani 

Trolli. In May, awards were given to fifth 

graders Joshua Biltekoff and Jenna Rich; 

sixth graders John Bassett and Sarah 

Obletz; seventh graders Jordan Serotte, 

Alec Long, Noah Horan and Lizzy 

Cappuccino; and eighth graders Gabe 

Bialkowski, Nicole Cassaci, Minnie 

Ringland and Hannah Elsinghorst. 

Sixth graders Kristin Tiftickjian, Amber 

Chinn, Grace Louise Munschauer, 

Rachael Barnes and Matt Morris 

comprised the EFS team that took first 

place out of 48 teams in the middle 

school division and fourth overall (among 

320 teams that included high schools) in 

the spring Stock Market Game. 

Three EFS students placed in the 2008 

SPCA poster contest: Joelle Cianciosa, 

Caroline Hogan and Isabelle Schlehr. 

Eighth grader Paul Fix made his national 

television debut as an actor with an 

appearance on CBS’ “As the World 

Turns” in May. 

Seventh grader Maxcy Gayles traveled 

to Ghana in December with his father, 

Dr. Kenneth Gayles, as part of the 

Association of Black Cardiologists’ 

NAMES IN THE NEWS 39 

continuing education conference, where 

he met President J. A. Kufuor, chairman 

of the African Union. 

Eighth grader Kaitlyn Henry performed 

with the 2007-2008 Buffalo Niagara 

Youth Chorus Chamber Choir along with 

sisters Alayla ’05 and Alyssa ’07. 

Prep II student Michael McClure won a 

gold medal for his piano performance at 

the Stamford Kiwanis Music Festival in 

Niagara Falls, Ontario in April. 

FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS 

Prep I teacher Marny Karrasik 

welcomed daughter Anna Grace on 

June 5. 

French teacher Marigrace Papagni had 

her photography on exhibit at the 

Charles Burchfield Nature Center this 

spring and took third place in the 

amateur photo category. 

The photography of Debby Clark ’63, 

Dee Drew, Marigrace Papagni and 

Ziggy Piadlo was on display in the 

Anderson Lobby of the Johnston 

Theatre throughout the spring and 

summer of 2008. 

PARENT NEWS 

The 2008/2009 Annual Fund will be 

chaired by Shashi Davae, Nena Rich 

and Scott Saperston ’86. 

Chairs for Auction 2009 are Amy 

Appelbaum and Jessica Enstice ’89. 

Dr. Andrew Cappuccino was named an 

Outstanding Citizen of 2007 by The 

Buffalo News for his medical care of 

injured Bills player Kevin Everett. 

BOARD AND CORPORATION NEWS 

Corporation member Robert D. Gioia 

was named an Outstanding Citizen 

of 2007 by The Buffalo News for 

leading the effort to streamline hospitals 

in WNY.

40 DAY TO DAY 

D A Y T O D A Y 

La montagne 

The seventh grade class stands in front 

of the Mont-Sainte-Anne, famed for 

its ski slopes, on their trip to Quebec 

in May. 

Feel the rhythm 

Celebrated musician Wendell Rivera 

brought his Latin rhythms to the EFS 

stage in April. Spanish teacher Maria 

Pesquera joined the performance for a 

demonstration of bomba, a dance 

rhythm native to Puerto Rico. 

Percussionist Francisco Quiñones and 

science teacher Steve Rao 

accompanied, as the students and 

teachers were led through a hands-on 

show of drumming and dancing. The 

assembly was part of a multidisciplinary 

unit about Puerto Rican 

heritage. 

Open with care 

Seventh graders filled and sent 

care packages to U.S. soldiers serving 

in Iraq. 

Pedaling toward progress 

Roswell Park Alliance members 

presented tips on bicycle safety to 

Lower School students in May, after 

fourth graders held a dress-down-day 

fundraiser for Roswell’s new Pedal Pals 

program. When combined with 

proceeds from the Upper School 

Multi-Cultural Food Festival in March, 

the student-sponsored donation to 

Roswell Park Cancer Center totaled 

more than $1,500. 

Old-school sounds 

Science teacher (and drummer) Steve 

Rao performed with his band, Ibis, in 

May, treating students to some soulfunk-groove-rock 

that was just perfect 

for a little break-dancing. The show was 

later broadcast by WBFO-FM 88.7. 

Cultural exchange 

Several members of the Bantu Youth 

Council, an organization of young 

Somali refugees, visited EFS in January 

to share their culture with the second 

graders who sponsored a book drive. 

The teens told about their adjustment 

from living in homes of mud, cooking 

over a wood fire, and standing in line to 

draw water from a well to their new 

lives here in Buffalo. Not everything 

was an improvement, however: “We 

hate snow!” they agreed 

wholeheartedly, though pizza and 

chicken wings got the thumbs-up.

Making friends through books 

Second graders ran a book drive to 

benefit Somali refugee children now 

living in Buffalo. New books were 

collected, wrapped, and donated to 

families in an effort orchestrated by 

parent Susan McGennis. 

E=FS 2 

Student Aris Acharya transformed into 

Albert Einstein, relatively speaking, for 

the third grade’s Famous People 

Convention in March. Students 

prepared creative projects and 

presented oral reports on the famous 

person of their choice. 

Family sing-a-long 

Fifth grader Natalie Harden welcomed 

her father Harold, a noted choir leader, 

to music class in March. 

Stars on ice 

Upper School students participating in 

the “Around the Town” Option visited 

downtown’s Rotary Rink in January for 

some ice skating. 

Girl Power 

Thomas Colson, the author of a book 

series entitled A Girl Named Pants, 

shared his motivational stories with EFS 

students in May. 

High stepping 

Dancers from the Rochez Academy of 

Dance (including a few of our EFS 

students) performed traditional Irish 

step dance in the theatre in celebration 

of St. Patrick’s Day in March. 

DAY TO DAY 41 

Boogie shoes 

Prep students welcomed their moms to 

school in May and let loose at a dance 

party on the EFS stage in celebration 

of Mother’s Day. 

El deslizador de crystal 

The famous glass slipper—and 

everything else in Cinderella—got a 

Spanish translation as eighth grade 

Spanish students presented their own 

version of the fairytale classic en 

Español. 

These boots are made for walkin’ 

First grade “cowgirls” pay a visit to the 

shoemaker in their class play, a modern 

adaptation of the traditional tale “The 

Shoemaker and the Elves.”

F R O M T H E 

dırector of 

deveLop 

ment

ON BEHALF OF OUR 374 STUDENTS, I SINCERELY 

THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR TIME, TALENTS, 

AND RESOURCES TO OUR GREAT SCHOOL. 

As you have seen in prior pages, Heather Smith ’90 was 

our 2008 commencement speaker and what a speech 

she gave.* We were honored to have Heather at Elmwood 

Franklin. She connected very well with our graduates, and 

they too seemed to connect with Heather. Everyone in 

our audience, regardless of age, affiliation to our school, 

or political leanings, walked away with a clear message: 

the Elmwood Franklin School Class of 2008 will be 

among our country’s leaders some day and in that 

process, they are sure to spark some important changes. 

Our Alumni Council suggests potential graduation 

speakers each year (and they certainly outdid themselves 

this time!). The Council also organizes the alumni open 

house event we re-instituted two years ago. More than 

40 alumni returned this year, with many joining us for a 

memorial tribute to former headmaster Russell Anderson. 

A variety of alumni, former trustees and former teachers 

and administrators wrote in with their memories of Mr. 

Anderson. The memories were compiled into a book that 

was presented to Russell’s daughter, Sarah DeVantier ’68, 

during the open house. Not having known Mr. Anderson, I 

found it to be insightful and inspiring to read what so 

many of you wrote. Several former faculty members 

highlighted Russell’s sense of humor, yet also wrote of his 

dedication, the high standards he set, and the deep 

service he provided Elmwood Franklin. Our graduates from 

the ‘60s and ‘70s recalled reading The Buffalo Evening 

News each day, raising money for the Buffalo Zoo (which 

we still do!), and being served tea on Wednesdays. The 

stories were very moving and it was more than clear that 

Mr. Anderson left an incredible impact on so many of our 

community members. I offer one quote to best summarize 

his impact. Cynthia Sass ’76 concluded her letter with, “I 

have always believed that if you touch one person’s life in 

a positive manner, and help them become a more 

productive member of society, then your life was well 

worthwhile. From my perspective, I am lucky Mr. Anderson 

was on this earth and in my life during my formative 

years.” Thank you to everyone who wrote in with 

remembrances of Mr. Anderson. 

During alumni open house weekend, some alumni took a 

tour of the building and in doing so, noticed a few things 

have changed. Our refurbished Upper School, state-ofthe-art 

Johnston Theatre and just-completed dining room 

renovations were showcased on the tour. (Our upcoming 

Annual Report will share photos and details on the 

completed dining room project.) For anyone who missed 

the alumni open house, please know we welcome visitors 

anytime during the year. Simply call the Development 

Office if you are headed our way. 

As another school year comes to a close, I’m pleased to 

acknowledge our many hardworking parent, alumni, 

alumni parent, Board, Corporation, and grandparent 

volunteers. Without you, we would not be Elmwood 

Franklin School. We are most grateful for your leadership 

of and commitment to Elmwood Franklin. On behalf of 

our 371 students, I sincerely thank you for giving your 

time, talents, and resources to our great school. We hope 

to see many of you back in the fall! 

Enjoy the summer months, 

Julie Berrigan 

*Heather Smith’s full speech is available online at 

www.elmwoodfranklin.org and select “Events” from 

the Alumni dropdown menu. 

FROM DEVELOPMENT 43


Graduate Brunch 

EFS CLASS OF 2004 HEADS TO COLLEGE 

Members of the EFS Class of 2004 gathered for brunch at the home of Tony Featherston and Helen Roy on June 8, 2008. With high school behind them 

and new adventures ahead, these young adults took the opportunity to visit with their EFS friends and share their memories and plans for the future. 

Sylvia Blackwell 

Joe Bruzgul 

Allie Burger 

Javier Buscaglia-Pesquera 

Elizabeth Carrato 

Maxwell Collins 

Joshua DiNardo 

Clark Driscoll 

Neal Fatin 

Tyler Finn 

Kerry Freeburg 

Zoe Friedlander 

Julia Friedman 

Shahirah Gillespie 

Alexander Giotis 

Anastasia Hare 

Michael Hong 

Sarah Hunt 

Sarah Hotung 

University of Pennsylvania 

Kettering University 

St. Lawrence University 

Illinois Institute of Technology 

Unknown at time of publication 

Hofstra University 

University of Utah 

SUNY Geneseo 

Buffalo State College 

Union College 

Unknown at time of publication 

New York University 

Union College 

Amherst College 

University of Pittsburgh 

Wheaton College 

University of Virginia 

The College of Wooster 

Tufts University 

Julie Keresztes 

Rachael Kermis 

Seymour Knox V 

Evin Koleini 

Michele Kujawa 

Christopher Modrzynski 

Lauren Maloney 

Ethan Notarius 

Emma Papagni 

David Parker 

Brendan Rich 

Jordan Russell 

Trelsie Sadler 

Emily Simmons 

Benjamin Sorgi 

Abigail Stark 

David Szymkowiak 

Christine Walker 

Amherst College 

Cornell University 

Lake Forest College 

Tufts University 

University of Pittsburgh 

Manhattan College 

Worcester Polytechnic Institute 

SUNY College of Environmental 

Science and Forestry 

Allegheny College 

Buffalo State College 

University of Mississippi 

SUNY Geneseo 

Washington and Lee University 

Brown University 

Pace University 

Williams College 

SUNY Geneseo 

Gettysburg College

WHOWAS 

there 

J U N E 6 A N D J U N E 7 , 2 0 0 8 

More than 63 years of Elmwood 

Franklin history filled the school 

lobby and theatre during the 

All-Alumni Open House the 

weekend of June 6 and 7. 

Members from the Class of 1944 

to the Class of 2007—and 

anything in between—stopped by 

to reminisce and reconnect. 

At right, Dr. Julian Ambrus 

participates in the memorial 

tribute to Russell Anderson. A 

book compiling personal tributes 

from those who worked, studied, 

or volunteered with Mr. Anderson 

was presented to his daughter, 

Sarah Anderson DeVantier ’68. 

ALUMNI EVENTS 45


RIGHT 

Alumni Council president 

Steve Kellogg ’77 speaks at the 

memorial tribute held Saturday 

for former headmaster Russell A. 

Anderson. 

FAR RIGHT 

Deb Clark ’63 (right) catches up 

with fellow alum Beth Waagen ’71. 

RIGHT 

Board member Liz Duryea 

Maloney ’70 (far left) greets 

alumnas of the Class of 1969 

(from left to right) 

Susan Sanderson Kimball, 

Wendy Flickinger Ross and 

Lisa Sandoro Schaus. 

FAR RIGHT 

Alumni parent Teckla Putnam 

(left) and former faculty member, 

alumni parent and grandparent 

Diane Ivins 

RIGHT 

Alumni Council member 

Eric Saldanha ’85 and 

Corporation member 

Barbara Hourihan Downing 

FAR RIGHT 

Former faculty member 

Sue White (left) and 

Varney Spaulding Greene ’57 

RIGHT 

Alumnas of the Class of 1944 

gather to remember their years at 

EFS. (From left to right) 

Mona Hammerly Sprecker, 

Julia Smith Dutton and 

Alma Owen Strachan 

FAR RIGHT 

Young alums Brett ’06 (left) and 

Ethan ’04 Notarius

ALUMNI EVENTS 47 

FAR LEFT 

Head of Lower School 

Susie Barrett Green ’62 with 

(from left to right) alumni parents 

Drs. Julian and Clara Ambrus, 

and board member 

Dr. Madeline Ambrus Lillie ’64. 

LEFT 

(From left to right) James Gardner 

’98, Marisa Kaminski ’00 and 

Dayle Hodge ’97 catch up in the 

library media center. 

FAR LEFT 

Frank P. Wilton and 

Corporation member 

Annette Stevens Wilton ’48 

LEFT 

Alumni Council member 

Susie Lenahan Kimberly ’64 

(left) and Varney Spaulding 

Green ’57 mingle with fellow 

alums. 

FAR LEFT 

Sandy Kennedy Springer ’64 

(left) and faculty member 

Sybil McGennis catch up in the 

Anderson Lobby. 

LEFT 

Attendees of Saturday’s Open 

House gather in the Johnston 

Theatre for a memorial tribute to 

Russell A. Anderson. 

FAR LEFT 

Head of School Tony Featherston 

(left) with Dr. Julian Ambrus 

and Sarah Anderson 

DeVantier ’68 

LEFT 

(From left to right) Alumni Council 

member Tricia Barrett ’92 chats 

with faculty members Rose Gardon 

and Susie Barrett Green ’62.

48 FAMILY TIES 

family 

T I E S 

There is a sizable group of alumni and students who are 

making a family tradition out of an Elmwood Franklin 

education. This group makes up a valuable resource for 

Elmwood Franklin’s future. Not only are their families 

shaped by the school, but the school is inevitably 

shaped by their families. What’s more, some families, like 

the Clauss, Kellogg, Miller, Williams, and Zacher families, 

have been a part of Elmwood Franklin School for more 

than 50 years. 

Ten graduates in the EFS Class of 2008 have a parent 

and/or grandparent who is an alumnus/a of Elmwood 

Franklin School. 

Top row, from left to right: 

Sarah Abell and Charles Lee Abell ’48; 

Grace Clauss and Molly Clauss ’74; 

Sukie Cleary and Missy Cleary ’72 

MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES 

at Elmwood Franklin 

Middle row, from left to right: 

Jeremy Jacobs ’77 and Melissa Jacobs; 

Louis Jacobs, Jr. and Louis Jacobs ’78; 

Stephen Kellogg ’51, Stephen Kellogg III ’06, 

Lachlan Kellogg, Stephen Kellogg, Jr. ’77, Carolyn 

Kellogg Darby ’80 and Justin Kellogg ’82 

Bottom row, from left to right: 

Barney Walsh ’69, Lucas Walsh, Samuel Walsh ’01 

and Benjamin Walsh ’03; 

Reginald Williams, Jr. ’45, Catherine Williams and 

John Williams ’72; 

Nini Augspurger ’59, Darcy Zacher ’84, William 

Zacher and Holly Donaldson ’57 

Not pictured: 

Sarah Miller, Robert Miller, Jr. ’68 and Evelyn 

Gurney Miller ’42

FAMILY TIES 49

50 ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE 

MADELEINE MCQUEENEY ’01 

reflects on soccer balls, field hockey sticks, and 

the value of a well-rounded education. 

THE fırst 

T I M E I E V E R 

PICKED UP A FIELD HOCKEY STICK WAS AT ELMWOOD FRANKLIN. 

AT THE TIME I WAS AN ADAMANT SOCCER PLAYER, RELUCTANT 

TO GIVE IT UP IN ORDER TO EXPLORE ANOTHER FALL SPORT. IN 

SEVENTH GRADE, HOWEVER, I WAS GIVEN THE OPTION TO PLAY 

BOTH FIELD HOCKEY AND SOCCER, WHICH ALLOWED ME TO 

EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW WITHOUT RELINQUISHING THE 

OLD. CONSEQUENTLY, EIGHT YEARS AFTER DEBBY CLARK HAD 

FIRST PUT A STICK IN MY HANDS, I WAS HOLDING A GOLD 

NCAA TROPHY. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF MY 

LIFE, BROUGHT TO ME ON THE MOST FOUNDATIONAL LEVEL BY 

ELMWOOD FRANKLIN. BUT WITHOUT THAT FOUNDATION, I 

NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THAT FIELD.

Elmwood Franklin’s all-encompassing education ensures 

that every one of its students has the opportunity to gain 

a strong foundation for his or her future. The school’s 

commitment to the promotion of novel activities, ranging 

from field hockey to math projects, lays the groundwork 

and allows students to realize that there exist possibilities 

outside the box. By the time I graduated, I had not only 

received an amazingly well-rounded education, but I had 

also gained a propensity to try new things. It is this 

propensity that not only fueled my interest in new 

subjects in high school, but also caused me to choose a 

collegiate major in a subject that I had previously only 

dabbled in. While for a time I had considered majoring in 

economics, I ultimately chose psychology because of my 

interest and desire to learn how people work. As someone 

unsure of my future career, I also liked psychology because 

I saw it as applicable to a wide range of fields—any in 

which one has to deal with people. As it turns out, 

however, psychology is a notoriously tough major to 

complete at Bowdoin. And upon my discovery of this fact, 

I might not have had the fortitude to follow through on 

my desires without an educational foundation based on 

work ethic and perseverance—another gift bestowed 

upon me by EFS. 

As both my major and college choices suggest, I also 

believe that the more well-rounded a person’s education, 

the more prepared he or she will be for future 

circumstances—both personally and professionally. 

Elmwood Franklin’s provision of such an education 

certainly encouraged these beliefs, as I learned early on 

that knowledge in many areas of study is perpetually 

useful. Thus, while I am unsure of where I’ll be twenty 

years down the road, I am sure that I will have 

experimented with many different types of careers to find 

the one that suits me best. I am also sure that my liberal 

arts experience, which began in Prep, will help me excel in 

whichever field I choose. 

Madeleine McQueeney '01 has completed her junior year at 

Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where she is studying 

psychology and economics. In November of 2007, Maddie 

and the rest of the Bowdoin College field hockey team 

completed the seventh perfect season in Division III history, 

capturing Bowdoin’s first-ever NCAA Championship. 

Maddie will split her time this summer between New York City 

and Dartmouth before traveling to Argentina in August 

with her team. 

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE 51 

EIGHT YEARS AFTER DEBBY 

CLARK HAD FIRST PUT A 

[FIELD HOCKEY] STICK IN 

MY HANDS, I WAS HOLDING 

A GOLD NCAA TROPHY.


If you live in New York City, 

live near New York City, or 

just need an excuse to visit New York City 

SAVE THE DATE 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 

NEW YORK CITY 

2008 FALL EFS ALUMNI REGIONAL GATHERING 

Visit www.elmwoodfranklin.org for more details.

Alumnas of the EFS Class of 2004 celebrate their high school 

graduation. From left to right: Emma Papagni, Michele Kujawa, 

Abigail Stark, Emily Simmons and Lauren Maloney. 

1965 

Florence (Sonie) Urban Hunn lives 

in Brunswick near the cities of Albany 

and Troy. Her older son David works 

at HSBC and younger son Henry 

works for NESCO. Both sons live in 

nearby Troy. 

Brooke Tetz is currently living in 

Kennebunk, ME and writes, "I am the 

accounting manager for the New 

Hampshire SPCA. My daughter Kristin 

(29) is a pediatric nurse in Tampa, FL, 

and my son Jared (27) is a restaurant 

manager in Boston, MA. I am so glad 

to be back in touch with Buffalo." 

1968 

Suzanne S. Murray-Bissonnette 

writes, “I think of EFS with such 

fondness, and I still keep in touch 

with Peggy Anthone, Marcy Kelley 

(Kitty) and Laurie Brouse. The legacy 

of an outstanding education remains 

with me, and I’ve been fortunate to 

provide my kids with a similar legacy 

in Connecticut. Best of all, I’m almost 

through it. Hillary is a junior at Sarah 

Lawrence and twins Austin and 

Hunter are sophomores at Tufts. Go 

Blue Team!” 

1969 

Susan Sanderson Kimball writes, 

"what I miss most is PE!" 

Justin Mason Bishop ’99 (pictured above with his 

mother) graduated from Hawaii Pacific University in 

January 2008. 

1981 

Robert Rich III is president of ROAR 

Logistics, an intermodal marketing 

company and third party logistics 

provider that works directly with 

railroads and trucking companies. 

ROAR Logistics was honored as a 

"Fast Track 50" company by Business 

First of Buffalo for the second 

consecutive year. The company 

ranked #13 on this year's list. 

1990 

Babatope Ogunmola appeared on 

the TV game show Jeopardy! on 

February 5 and 6 as a one-time 

champion. 

1991 

Stacie Greenfield is currently 

working in marketing research in 

London, England. She enjoys London 

and the traveling opportunities in 

Europe. 

1992 

Marni Feuerstein Turell writes, “I 

just finished my pediatric residency 

at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s 

Hospital and recently joined 

PrimeHeath Pediatrics in the east 

side suburbs of Cleveland, OH. I live 

in the University Heights with my 

husband Jeff, my son Levi and my 

beagle Trio. I would love to hear from 

long-lost friends. Email me at 

marni.turell@gmail.com.” 

Catherine Decker wed Jay Knower in 

October 2007. She works as a 

freelance writer and illustrator and 

lives in Plymouth, NH. 

1994 

Katherine Moore Rapp and her 

husband Mark teach English at 

Amherst Central High School. They 

just welcomed their first child, 

William, in March. 

1996 

Eliza Jacobs writes, "I married Brian 

Fiore on June 2, 2007 at the 

Genesee Valley Club in Rochester. I 

also began working at PBS as 

associate director of research in 

August 2007. Brian and I live in 

Alexandria, VA.” 

1998 

David Moore received his master’s 

degree in public policy from 

Georgetown University in May 2008. 

He is the project/forestry manager 

for the New York Restoration Project, 

a program founded by Bette Midler 

in 1995 which aims to reclaim, 

restore, and develop under-resourced 

parks, community gardens, and other 

open spaces in New York City. 

CLASS NOTES 53 

Samantha Friedman Olsen ’00 welcomed son Owen 

Thomas on March 5.

54 CLASS NOTES 

BLUE OR GRAY? 

IT DOESN'T MATTER AS ALONG AS YOU'RE 

AN ALUM OF ELMWOOD FRANKLIN! 

1999 

Justin Mason Bishop earned his B.S. 

in military diplomacy and 

international relations from Hawaii 

Pacific University (HPU) in January 

2008. Since his sophomore year at 

HPU, Justin has interned at CUBIC 

Corp., a defense company that deals 

with defense applications and public 

transportation security systems. He 

also assists in predictive modeling for 

defense systems. Justin began 

graduate school at HPU in January 

and will continue to work at CUBIC. 

2000 

Samantha Friedman Olsen and her 

husband Andrew welcomed son 

Owen Thomas on March 5. 

Ian Simmons was recently named a 

Class of l960 Scholar in Economics 

at Williams College. The award is 

given for high academic achievement 

in economics. 

2002 

Alexandra Hare writes, "Last January 

I was accepted as the 2007-2008 

season performance intern for the 

French theater company, Théâtre 

de la Chandelle Verte. We're 

performing Le Jeu de L'Amour et du 

Hasard by Marivaux; I'm playing the 

role of Silvia." 

Do you live locally? If not, do you ever return 

home to visit? Either way, Mr. Tom Ryan has 

a program for you. We are looking for 

alumni to come back in the fall, winter, 

spring and/or summer to see how your 

athletic skills have kept up (or not kept up). 

Based on interest, we would like to host an 

alumni soccer game in the fall, basketball 

contest in the winter, badminton 

2003 

Katie Dryden enjoyed her first year 

at Yale University. 

2004 

Zoe Friedlander graduated from 

Buffalo Seminary and is heading to 

NYU in the fall. 

Shahirah Gillespie was named an 

outstanding young Western New 

Yorker by The Buffalo News in June, 

recognized for winning the Princeton 

Prize in Race Relations. She will 

attend an apprenticeship in genetic 

research at Cornell University this 

summer and will attend Amherst 

College in the fall. 

Rachael Kermis was profiled in a 

June edition of The Buffalo News for 

her participation in the International 

Conference on Head and Neck 

Cancer in San Francisco this July. She 

will present findings of a study she 

and a team of researchers from 

Roswell Park Cancer Institute 

conducted concerning the link 

between throat cancer and the virus 

that causes cervical cancer. 

2005 

Moriah Camp was named a WKBW-TV 

Super 7 Athlete of the Week in January. 

She plays basketball at Nichols. 

tournament in the spring and a golf outing 

or softball game with cookout in the 

summer. 

Think you are up for the challenge? If so, 

please call Tom Ryan at 716-877-5035 or 

email tryan@elmwoodfranklin.org. We 

hope the first alumni athletic event will be 

in September 2008. 

2007 

James Dryden just finished his first 

year at Canisius High School. 

In Memoriam 

1939 

Nelle Sanders Graves passed away 

on November 3, 2007. 

1941 

Frances Grammer Stevenson passed 

away on June 17, 2008. 

TO SUBMIT NEWS OF NOTE 

AND CLASS NEWS, visit 

www.elmwoodfranklin.org and select 

“Share Your News” under Alumni. 

You can email photographs to 

development@elmwoodfranklin.org.

WHAT DO EFS 

STUDENTS BECOME 

WHEN THEY 

grow up? 

pilot tree surgeon jewelry designer funeral director political reporter 

stuntman entomologist museum curator race car driver hand model 

beekeeper pastry chef Shakespearean scholar physicist 

competitive surfer translator midwife feng shui practitioner hurricane tracker 

geologist sleep researcher crime scene investigator publicist 

entrepreneur acupuncturist civil engineer performance artist 

computer animator dolphin trainer classical pianist sports photographer 

wardrobe stylist deep sea fisherman restaurateur haz-mat safety specialist 

research librarian rock star bed-and-breakfast owner park ranger 

comic book illustrator firefighter fashion buyer wedding planner 

fortune cookie writer travel writer concert promoter wedding planner... 

THEY BECOME EFS 

ALUMNI CAREER 

SPEAKERS! 

We’re looking for EFS alumni who are willing to share their 

career stories with our Upper School students during the 

next school year. Alumni from all class years, backgrounds, 

and professions are invited to take part. The Speaker 

Series will feature three to four speakers throughout the 

year in Elmwood Franklin’s Johnston Theatre. 

CONTACT Julie Berrigan at (716) 877-5035 or 

jberrigan@elmwoodfranklin.org.

elmwood franklin school 

104 New Amsterdam Avenue 

Buffalo, New York 14216-3399 

phone 716.877.5035 

fax 716.877.9680 

www.elmwoodfranklin.org 

TO PARENTS OF ALUMNI: 

If this magazine is addressed to your son 

or daughter who no longer maintains a 

permanent address at your home, please 

notify the Development Office by phone 

716-877-5035 or by email 

development@elmwoodfranklin.org with 

the correct mailing address. 

Thank you. 

Non Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Permit No. 1818 

Buffalo, NY

THEY BECOME EFS ALUMNI CAREER SPEAKERS! grow up

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