Together . . . - Poly Prep Country Day School

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A L E T T E R F R O M T H E H E A D M A S T E R This year has truly been outstanding. We kicked things off in September with An Evening with Friends—a spectacular night and an overwhelmingly successful fundraiser for the September 11 Memorial Scholarship Fund. The event was the perfect launch to a year that has seen tremendous student achievement made possible by the tireless efforts of parents, faculty, and staff providing support and guidance for our community. I invite you to take a look at Poly’s Annual Report, included in this magazine. You’ll see that the wonderful giving from the 2005–2006 school year has definitely spilled into 2006–2007, which has seen record philanthropy from parents, alumni, and friends. This publication provides a glimpse at some great student and faculty accomplishments. As always, their endeavors surpass all expectations, and I am constantly reminded why Poly is such an incredible place to be. David B. Harman A M e s s a g e f r o m t h e E d i t o r What a difference six months make! Although I visited Poly’s main campus several times by last August, I did not officially become a full-time employee until mid-September. As anyone who has ever worked for a school will tell you, starting after the beginning of the school year is a daunting task. No matter how much time you put in, you always feel a bit behind. The phrase “hit the ground running” doesn’t even begin to describe my first week. Six months into my new role, the chaos continues but so does record productivity for the Communications Office. I have an outstanding team and wonderful colleagues that make writing for and about students, faculty, and alumni easy and enjoyable. I am delighted by the great camaraderie shared among faculty, staff, and administration, who work together day after day to advance Poly’s mission. Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, I think back to my first official piece of Poly business—attending An Evening with Friends. Not a bad first day. Shelley Ruchti Director of Communications 2 P O L Y P R E P M A G A Z I N E
From Poly Rival to Poly Teacher Jose de Jesus has experience with several independent schools, but the former Prep for Prep student calls Poly home Upon finishing undergraduate work at Wesleyan, history teacher Jose de Jesus knew he didn’t want to move back home to New York. So, he completed an intensive two-week teacher-training program at Collegiate School in Manhattan and then accepted a position at Concord Academy, a boarding school in Massachusetts. There he taught history, coached basketball, and helped run the dorm. “The first year was only a half-time job, and it was really sink or swim,” he said. “The kids there were very bright and expected a lot, which can be tough for a new teacher. I had some really strong lessons that earned me credit early on.” De Jesus had planned for only a brief stint at teaching, followed by law school, but began rethinking things after a few short weeks at the boarding school. “I had never planned to stay at Concord for as long as I did, but I caught the bug early and knew that I wanted to keep teaching. One year soon turned into seven,” he said. Family obligations steered him back to New York, however, when his wife became pregnant and he learned that his stepfather was ill. As his wife’s family was from Brooklyn, the two decided to settle in the borough as well, and de Jesus began seeking teaching positions near his new home. During the job search when recruiting agency Carney, Sandoe and Associates told him about a vacancy at Poly, his longtime familiarity with the school made him take notice. “I was a Prep for Prep kid at Horace Mann, and we played Poly in sports. Poly was always around,” de Jesus said. “I remembered that all the kids I had encountered from Poly over the years I genuinely liked and thought they were all smart and down-to-earth.” One of those students was Monique Wilson ’05, whom de Jesus had met while he was an instructor for Experiment in International Living, a summer program that sends high school students abroad for learning experiences. Wilson—who would go on to win the Poly Cup and numerous other accolades—was following in the footsteps of her successful sisters Melanie ’96 and Marilyn ’98 and was a standout at Poly. During one of his interviews on campus, de Jesus was spotted by his former summer student. “I was walking down the hallway with Louise Forsyth, learning about the school, when Monique saw me,” he said. “She ran over to me and gave me a big hug and said, ‘Oh please hire him, I love Mr. de Jesus!’ Then, Louise told me that if Monique Wilson gave me a good recommendation— well, that was big.” Wilson got her wish and soon de Jesus found himself on the faculty. In his third year at Poly, he’s keeping a busy schedule, serving as one of the Form III deans and teaching World History to Form III students, U.S. History to Form V, and an elective on the history of Cuba to seniors. The differences between the boarding school and country day school environments are noticeable but not surprising, he said. “I can’t wake up ten minutes before class anymore!” de Jesus laughed. “I have a commute now, but that’s a good thing because I like to use the time to think and to plan for the day. I loved working at Concord because at a boarding school you live with the kids, so there’s a very close connection there. But for where I am in my life right now, Poly is a great place to be.” When not teaching, de Jesus helps out with admissions events and talks to prospective families about Poly, a task that sometimes pairs the Prep for Prep alum with students currently in the program. He always proves popular with the crowd and likes to talk about an exercise he does with his classes, which he thinks illustrates one of the most unique aspects of the school. “I ask students to identify when their families came to America and from where. One time I did this here, and we had eighteen countries represented, and kids from four continents. Only three had families who had come before the twentieth century—all the rest were relatively recent. That’s rare—you just don’t find that everywhere,” he said. “I then ask the students to imagine sitting next to that family member coming to America for the first time, and I tell them ‘You are the manifestation of that person’s dream. You are a part of that person’s vision for the future, and that’s big. Now, what do we do with that?’” w I N t E R 2 0 0 7 3
Page 1 and 2: m a g a z i n e
Page 3: Contents w i n t e r 2 0 0 7 4 2 Le
Page 7 and 8: It was a night like no other. Poly
Page 9 and 10: “The extraordinary success of An
Page 11 and 12: Poly faculty: Ed Ruck P’95, ‘97
Page 13 and 14: Anderson’s award-winning “Hurri
Page 15 and 16: HilLary Dalldorf—Magnificent frig
Page 17 and 18: S O M A N Y Q U E S T i O N S . . .
Page 19 and 20: Provides Partners to Help Learn the
Page 21 and 22: A CONSTRUCTIVE EDUCATION lower Scho
Page 23 and 24: Two Dedicated Poly Moms In 2006, An
Page 25 and 26: A Tribute to Teachers Too often the
Page 27 and 28: 2 Annual Report 0 0 5 - 2 0 P o L y
Page 29 and 30: 2 From the Chairman of the Board: 0
Page 31 and 32: 2 Revenue 0 tuition and Fees 81% Su
Page 33 and 34: 2 0 ParEnts’ association EXEcutiV
Page 35 and 36: 2 sEsQuicEntEnniaL counciL ($25,000
Page 37 and 38: 2 Margaret Calvi Roberto Caridi and
Page 39 and 40: 2 0 Lawrence Hurwitz Richard Katz a
Page 41 and 42: 2 0 Peter McKinley Edgerton North,
Page 43 and 44: 2 0 Janissia Orgill ’07 What I th
Page 45 and 46: 2 0 Charles Kreines Mark Litvack Da
Page 47 and 48: 2 David Alperin Graham Amon Jason D
Page 49 and 50: 2 0 Certified Management & Maintena
Page 51 and 52: Homecoming 2006

Together . . . - Poly Prep Country Day School

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