Spring 2012 - Wheelock College

Dear Alumni and Friends,Spirits were high at two of Wheelock’smost treasured end-of-yearspring celebrations. At Commencement,I joined with familiesand friends in applauding theachievements of Wheelock’s newest graduates.For the first time, the College held separateceremonies for undergraduate and graduatestudents in order to accommodate the growingnumbers receiving degrees.In June, I had the great pleasure of travelingto Singapore, where I presided over twocommencement ceremonies, one celebratingour fourth graduating class receivingthe Bachelor of Science in Early ChildhoodEducational Studies and Leadershipfrom our partnership program with NgeeAnn Polytechnic and another celebratinggraduates of our part-time bachelor’s degreeprogram through our partnership withSEED Institute. Nearly 450 graduates joinedthe thousands of Wheelock College alumniworldwide who are living our mission toimprove the lives of children and families.Reunion in June was also a joyous occasionand an opportunity for me to catch upon the exciting work alumni are doing in theworld. Now, the campus is busy with summerclasses and institutes, conferences, andstudent visitors. A special treat is hosting 65students from Singapore who are spendingfive weeks in Boston taking classes, visitingexemplary early childhood programs, andexploring the city’s excellent museums.In just a few weeks, we will welcome ourincoming Class of 2016 and begin a yearof festivities celebrating Wheelock College’s125th anniversary! I am honored and excitedto be involved in planning the many wonderfulevents that will recognize this majormilestone in Wheelock’s history and the continuingimportance of the College’s commitmentto children and families everywhere.In October, a very special evening at theIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum will bethe first of many anniversary events to beheld on campus, in Boston, and in regionsthroughout the country. Another highlightof the year will be a Wheelock College 2013International Conference, which will explore“On the eve of theCollege’s 125th anniversaryyear, I particularly salutethe thousands of alumniteachers, who have followedin the footsteps of the first12 students to enrollin Lucy Wheelock’s classes.”pressing issues in education, health, andhuman rights affecting children, youth, andfamilies around the world. The Conferencereflects Lucy Wheelock’s own passionatededication to creating international unityin behalf of children as a League of Nationseducation committee member and as anInternational Kindergarten Union leader.I am very excited to report that a wonderful125th birthday gift to WheelockCollege is on its way. Wheelock will beginconstruction this summer on a modernCenter for Learning and Innovation that isdesigned to serve as a creative and technologicalresource for students, faculty, andindividuals working with organizationsthroughout Greater Boston that share theCollege’s commitment to children andfamilies. An exceptionally memorable timeis in store for alumni returning to campusfor Reunion 2013, who will be among thefirst to explore the new Larsen AlumniCenter, which is integral to the design forthe Center for Learning and Innovation.I am thrilled to announce that Jim andSylvia Tailby Earl ’54 have fully endowedone of the Campaign for Wheelock’s majorgoals, a $5 million fund for technologyenhancement and innovation. Now namedthe Sylvia Earl Fund for Technology, thisendowment launches the College on a newcourse, supporting use of technologies thatare absolutely essential to its future andapplying them in innovative ways that willgreatly benefit Wheelock and its mission.Funding of this endowment also helps to putthe Campaign well on its way to success inmeeting its $80 million goal. Thanks to theirgift, and to other generous contributionslarge and small, we are three-quarters of theway home with $60 million already committed.This is more good news with which tolaunch our year of celebration!On the eve of the College’s 125thanniversary year, I particularly salute thethousands of alumni teachers, who have followedin the footsteps of the first 12 studentsto enroll in Lucy Wheelock’s classes. Likethem, contemporary alumni have a passionto serve young children through educationand face many complicated challenges indoing so. Daily, they must, in the words ofMiss Wheelock, “be brave, for there is muchto dare.” In the coming year, the College willbe both bold and brave in building on itsmany new initiatives to support educators,who contribute so much to society and toour world.I encourage all alumni to visit campus inthe coming anniversary year because you areWheelock in the wider world. Make plans withclassmates for a mini reunion of your own,visit us with your families, or come by wheneveryou are in the area. We would love toshow you what is new—there is so much!—and what will be happily familiar to you.I look forward to seeing you on campusor at one of the off-campus anniversarygatherings. Come prepared to celebrate!Sincerely,Jackie Jenkins-ScottPresidentWheelock Magazine 1

News NuggetsWheelock students fromSingapore find their spoton the Boston campus.NEW Partnership with SingaporeInstitute of Technology OffersB.S. in Early Childhood EducationRelationships developed in the early years of WheelockCollege’s presence in Singapore have led to a deepunderstanding of the social, political, and culturalfactors that influence the design of early educationin diverse settings. This understanding, coupled with a rapidlyexpanding need for high-quality child care centers and professionaldevelopment in the early childhood field there, continuesto spur Wheelock’s expansion. As of June 2012, there are 2,767Wheelock graduates in Singapore, and, with a new degree programestablished at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT),there will soon be more.The new partnership with SIT will offer a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in Early Childhood Education, one of seven new degreeprograms SIT is offering in collaboration with internationaluniversity partners that include the University of Glasgow (U.K.),The Glasgow School of Art (U.K.), and Trinity College Dublin(U.K.), in addition to Wheelock.The SIT program overlaps with the phasing out of Wheelock’soriginal bachelor’s degree program at Ngee Ann Polytechnicin 2013, when the last cohort of Wheelock studentsgraduates. “It is with great pleasure that we formally transitionto the Singapore Institute of Technology,” said PresidentJenkins-Scott in her announcement of the partnership. “LikePrincipal Chia of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, President Tan ChinTiong and our colleagues at SIT are committed to excellenceand to continuing the legacy initiated nearly six years ago. Weare most honored and pleased to join with seven other distinguishedinstitutions that are collaborating with SIT to expandexcellent educational opportunities.”NEW Political Science MajorIn keeping with Wheelock’s goal to be a college that teachesquality scholarship combined with a mission to create asafe, caring, and just world for children and families, theCollege has launched a new Political Science and GlobalStudies undergraduate major.Similar to many of Wheelock’s programs, this new majorputs the voices, experiences, and struggles of marginalized groupsat the center of scholarly and intellectual inquiry. In contrastto many traditional political science majors, the College’s newmajor will examine how politics—on local, national, and globallevels—shape, and often limit, the lives of nonelite groups. Fromthe study of how Boston is a hub for sex-trafficked women, toan exploration of how globalization determines the type of foodwe buy from local supermarkets, this major will offer studentscourses that illustrate the ways all our lives are intertwined, theways that local choices have global ramifications, and how thestruggle for equality knows no national borders.Wheelock College wants its students to be leaders in theirfuture careers, and this demands that the College develop in studentsa sense of political engagement and responsibility. The newmajor will offer a compelling range of courses taught by professorsin political science, anthropology, sociology, history, economics,African-American studies, women’s studies, and media studies. Onlyby combining such diverse areas of study can a political scienceprogram capture the complexity of global politics, and culture, inways that pay tribute to multiple experiences.Students will work closely with an adviser to create a personalizedarea of study that speaks to their interests and passions.Courses will be carefully selected to ensure that students buildan academically vibrant major that is as interesting as it is challenging.Toward this end, Wheelock offers students a range ofinternships—from working with local unions to traveling toAfrica—that provide real-world experiences and skills for becomingempowered citizens and future leaders.2 Spring/Summer 2012

News NuggetsNEW QRIS Translation GrantWheelock has received a $27,460 grant from theCommonwealth’s Race to the Top funds to coordinatetranslation of the Foundations of theMassachusetts Quality Rating and ImprovementSystem (QRIS) course, already offered by Wheelock, into Khmerand Chinese, as well as narration of the course in Khmer, Cantonese,and Mandarin. The course is currently available in English,Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese.NEW Course to College& Career (CCC)Recognizing Boston’s need for affordable, transitionaleducation (bridge) programs geared toward nontraditionallearners, Wheelock launched a new programfor adult learners, Course to College & Career(CCC), at the end of February. CCC will serve adult ESOL(English for Speakers of Other Languages) learners who need additionalsupport in order to enroll and succeed in post-secondaryeducation settings. Participants who successfully complete thecourse will receive four undergraduate-level college credits. Alumniwho work with or know of families or individuals who might beinterested can find more information about the course at www.wheelock.edu/ccc.NEW Dual Master’s Degreein Social Work &Organizational LeadershipWheelock now offers a unique dual master’s degree inSocial Work and Organizational Leadership, the firstdual degree of this type in the Northeast region ofthe U.S. Beginning in September 2012, students canenroll in the M.S.W./M.S. program and earn two master’s degreesfor only 78 credits rather than the 90 credits required if the programswere pursued separately. This is a three-year program. During thefirst year of full-time study, students will earn their M.S.W.s, allowingthem to take the social work licensing exam and work as licensedsocial workers while completing the remaining requirements of theM.S. degree on a part-time basis. Find more information about theprogram on Wheelock’s website or by contacting Associate Professorand Chair of Organizational Leadership Irwin Nesoff at inesoff@wheelock.edu or (617) 879-2170.Wheelock Again on President’sCommunity Service Honor RollThe College has been selected for the President’s HigherEducation Community Service Honor Roll again this year,along with only five other colleges and universities in Massachusetts.Launched in 2006, the national Honor Rollannually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solvingcommunity problems and placing more students on a lifelong pathof civic engagement and recognizes those that achieve “meaningful,measurable outcomes” in the communities they serve. Recipients wereannounced at the American Council on Education’s 94th AnnualMeeting, Ahead of the Curve, on March 12 in Los Angeles. Congratulationsand thank you to all in our community—including alumni—who contribute their time, energy, and caring to improve the lives offamilies and children in communities beyond our campus.Wheelock Magazine 3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race to the Top Retreat AdvancesEarly Learning Plans in Massachusetts“It’s time to stop justtalking about educationreform and startactually doing it. It’stime to make educationAmerica’s nationalmission.”—President Barack Obama,November 4, 2009Massachusetts granted Wheelock College $24,999 from its Race to the Top funds for aMassachusetts Strategic Planning Retreat organized by the College’s Aspire Institute.Aspire held a four-hour planning session on May 14 with selected state agencies thatwork with children from birth to age 5 and their families. Titled “Fulfilling the Promise,”the retreat served as an initial planning meeting to support the goals and jointwork that Massachusetts agency leaders have undertaken—as recipients of Race to the Top Early LearningChallenge Grant funds—to more efficiently coordinate and streamline services and programs for youngchildren in Massachusetts.Participants in the Wheelock retreat included 10 Massachusetts state organizations: Department of PublicHealth, Department of Children and Families, Department of Mental Health, Office for Refugees and Immigrants,Department of Housing and Community Development, Executive Office of Education, Departmentof Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Higher Education, Department of TransitionalAssistance, and the Children’s Trust Fund.Race to the Top BackgroundIn 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA),historic legislation designed to stimulate the economy, support job creation, and invest in critical sectors,including education. The ARRA lays the foundation for education reform by supporting investment ininnovative strategies that are most likely to lead to improved results for students, long-term gains in schooland school-system capacity, and increased productivity and effectiveness.The Act provides $4.35 billion for the Race to the Top Fund, a competitive grant program designed toencourage and reward states that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform. Suchreform consists of achieving a significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantialgains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and ensuringstudent preparation for success in college and careers. Massachusetts has won $50 million from Raceto the Top for the pre-K reform plans outlined in its Early Learning Plan.Massachusetts’ Early Learning Plan Receives $50 MillionThirty-five states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico applied for the grants. In addition to Massachusetts,the following states were named recipients: Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio,Rhode Island, and Washington. Nine states, including Massachusetts, were named grant winners in the EarlyLearning Challenge competition, which is part of President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative.The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) is on record as supporting the Commonwealth’s winningplan, From Birth to School Readiness: The Massachusetts Early Learning Plan, 2012-2015. In a letter to theCommonwealth’s Early Education and Care Commissioner Sherri Killins, MTA President Paul Toner calledthe Massachusetts application “an ambitious, yet achievable plan for closing school readiness gaps and improvingoutcomes for all children, especially high-needs children.”Moving From At Risk to At PromiseWheelock’s Seventh Annual Community Dialogueon Early Education and CareMoving From At Risk to At Promise: Transforming Policies, Practices and Communities toSupport Young Children and Their Families was the overarching theme of the presentationsand breakout group meetings during Wheelock’s Seventh Annual CommunityDialogue on Early Education and Care held May 24 on the Brookline campus.Dr. Eleonora Villegas-Reimers, who was among the many Wheelock faculty andstaff who organized and participated in the conference, and Bess Emanue ’76MS, regional coordinator ofthe New England Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network at the University of Massachu-Wheelock Magazine 5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stepping Up Children’s STEM LearningEverywhere you look,whether in Massachusetts,across the country,or around the globe,there is unanimousagreement about theimportance of STEM(Science, Technology,Engineering, and Math)to our future economy,health, and education.The Aspire Institute’s latest report, Branching Out: Expanding STEM Learning in MassachusettsEarly Childhood and Out of School Time Settings, summarizes the proceedings from the secondstatewide Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Out of School Time (OST) STEM Conference,to be held at Wheelock. The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) began collaboratingwith Aspire more than a year ago to raise awareness about the importance and greatrelevance of early and OST STEM learning to later STEM education and eventual career success.Together, Aspire and EEC organized two statewide conferences that brought together ECE and OSTleaders with STEM education experts. At both conferences, participants were briefed on the growing significanceof STEM skills and how STEM learning can be integrated into ECE and OST program activities.In her introduction to the report, EEC Commissioner Sherri Killins commented that the conversationabout the importance of STEM quickly turns to what secondary and postsecondary programs can do toprepare the next generation of STEM professionals. She pointed out that while this is an important considerationwith short-term implications for today’s high school and college students who will soon be enteringthe workforce, often missing from these conversations is how the seeds of STEM education and STEMcareers begin in children’s early years as preschoolers when they are constantly exploring and experimentingwith the world around them.Brain Building in Progress“Learning begins at birth, and happens across many types of settings, including in both formal and informalenvironments,” she noted. “According to the latest science research, early experiences actually influence thearchitecture of the developing brain, much like a house is built from the bottom up. Each sequential step laysthe groundwork for the next set of skills—such as reading and math—and a lifetime of learning.”According to Killins, EEC work is steeped in the understanding that brain building is in progress for youngchildren in enriching environments with caring adults and meaningful and engaging interactions. “To closethe achievement gap, we must first close the opportunity gap by providing enriching opportunities early forchildren and families,” she said.Educators know that parents and early education and careproviders who make intentional links between the activities thatyoung children engage in every day—for example, playing withwater, cooking, and building block structures—can help childrenbegin to understand basic STEM ideas and stay interestedin STEM as they continue to elementary school and beyond.“Once in elementary school, OST programs can play akey role in further advancing STEM education and interest,”Killins elaborated. “There are countless examples of after-schoolproject-based STEM learning activities that engage students indeep, sustained study of STEM subjects that powerfully supplementwhat they are learning in school. Research shows thataccess to high-quality early education and care is vital to helpingall children, especially low-income and high-needs children, togain early literacy skills and academic and social school readinessskills, and increases a student’s chances of successfully completinghigh school, attending college, and becoming a contributingcitizen. STEM opportunities help build children’s brains and arean investment that yields high returns.”Sponsored by EEC and written by Aspire Institute’s seniordirector, Jake Murray, and Aspire’s operations manager, ChristyneAnderson, the Branching Out report outlines strategies forexpanding STEM learning in early childhood and OST settings.Find the report on Wheelock’s website (www.wheelock.edu)under Academics.Wheelock Magazine 7

CURRENT ASPIRE INSTITUTE INITIATIVESInnovation in ActionCenter for Assessment andScreening Excellence (CASE)Across the state, in partnership with theMassachusetts Department of Early Educationand Care, CASE provides high-quality,credit-bearing training and technical assistancein early childhood assessment, screening, andprogram measurement. CASE also overseesthe administration of online QRIS courses forearly childhood educators, helping align earlyeducators’ work with the Massachusetts QualityRating and Improvement System.Course to College and CareerLaunched this spring, this college-bridge programoffers classes tailored specifically to adultlearners, especially those who are non-nativeEnglish speakers. Students typically haveconversational English language skills butneed additional support in order to completecollege-level instruction. Courses will runthroughout the academic year and summer.Connected BeginningsTraining Institute (CBTI)Connected Beginnings, which joined Aspirelast year, is a training institute launched byUnited Way in 2006 to build infant andearly childhood practitioners’ capacity todevelop nurturing relationships with thevery young children in their care. CBTI’sfive staff members drive Aspire’s practitionertraining program aimed, ultimately, atboosting the social and emotional well-beingof young children within their families, theircommunities, and their early care and educationprograms.Educator Mentor Corps (EMC)Aspire is successfully recruiting mentors —retired educators—to work with new teachersin Wheelock’s Greater Boston partner schooldistrict and with early childhood educationproviders in the area. This is an innovativeapproach to helping ease the teacher gap asretiring educators leave the classroom and abig number of new urban teachers are tendingto leave the field early on in their careers.Consider joining the 30 Aspire mentorsalready sharing their experience and insightswith young and talented teachers who wantto become stronger in juggling the manyresponsibilities and administrative duties ofteaching. Visit the Aspire Institute’s website(http://www.wheelock.edu/academics/centersand-institutes/aspire-institute/educator-mentorcorps)to find out more, and to fill out anapplication as a potential mentor.STEM Teacher EnhancementProject (STEP)In fall 2010, Aspire introduced STEP toaddress the urgent need to improve the mathand science background knowledge andinstructional skills of K-5 educators in orderfor them to effectively teach these subjects toall students. During the following year, withNASA funding, it drew on the expertise ofWheelock math, science, and education faculty;leading education experts in the STEMfields (science, technology, engineering, andmath); and current educators to successfullydevelop two online, high-quality four -coursesequences in science and mathematics. Theseare for in-service teachers looking to improvetheir knowledge and pedagogy in elementaryschool STEM education. The courseslaunched in January 2012.Social Work Corps (SWC)In collaboration with Wheelock’s SocialWork Department, this pilot service initiativemobilizes experienced, licensed clinical socialworkers to inspire and supervise future socialworkers completing their clinical hours. SWCvolunteer members also provide support tounder-funded and under-resourced urbanagencies and schools at no cost.Wheelock Magazine 9

THE ASPIRE REPORTSThe Aspire Institute Reports—along with linksto their summaries and related papers—areavailable by following a link on the Aspirehome page. The reports are excellent sourcesof research information, surveys, and proceedings fromconferences initiated by the Institute.ASPIRE WIRE KEEPS THE DIALOGUE GOINGWhere can you go to find out what others are thinking about newsand ideas that matter to Wheelock’s mission? Aspire Wire, the Institute’sblog that posts discussions, articles, and links to “Blogs We’reReading.” It’s another Institute resource and connection point tokeep Wheelock’s extended community informed and talking.In June, the latest blog posts included: The Teacher Talent Exodus; Promoting ThirdGrade Reading Proficiency the Right Way; Three Myths That Challenge Empathy in Children;Student Underperformance: The High Price of Teacher Turnover; Place Based vs. OnlineLearning—The Future of Higher Education; The Parent Blame Game: What to Do WhenScreens Win Out; and Colorado’s READ Act: Should Retention Be Part of the Solution?Bookmark the blog’s web page, http://info.wheelock.edu/aspirewire, and subscribe byemail to read and comment on articles posted by faculty, staff, and other guests.From Aspire WireColorado’s READ Act: Should Retention Be Part of the Solution?Posted May 31, 2012, by Lowry HemphillColorado’s new READ Act is a significant response to persistent gaps in early readingachievement. Only about a third of Colorado fourth-graders reach proficiency on challengingnational assessments, and low-income and Latino children in Colorado havebeen losing ground on national assessments over the past 15 years (NAEP, 2011). Requiringmonitoring for reading progress and the development of reading intervention plans is animportant step taken by the Colorado Legislature.But many policymakers, like the Colorado legislators, show a naïveté about retention as part ofthe solution. Requiring that poor readers be considered for retention, one of the key provisions of theREAD Act, is not likely to improve reading outcomes. There is little in the research on student retentionto support legislators’ hopes that this strategy will have an impact.Longitudinal studies document that low-performing students who are kept back show readingprogress across the elementary school grades that is very similar to that of poor readers who arepromoted rather than retained in grade (Moser, West, & Hughes, 2012; Wu, West, & Hughes, 2008).By the end of fifth grade, poor readers who are retained show reading trajectories very similar tothose of other struggling readers, although the retained students received an extra year of instruction(Moser, West, & Hughes, 2012).Students who are kept back, although given another year to meet expectations, rarely catchup with their peers. A large study of retention in the Los Angeles schools found that by third grade,only 8 percent of Los Angeles children who were retained in grades K, 1, or 2 reached proficiency onCalifornia’s reading assessment.Retention is enormously expensive. In a comparatively low-spending state like Colorado, addinganother year of elementary school can cost more than $10,000 per child, far more than even privateone-on-one tutoring by a reading specialist. Because schools don’t see the costs of retaining a childas a separate expense, the real price of retention is hidden.Colorado’s focus on reversing early failure in reading is praiseworthy, but more effective (andcheaper) interventions deserve state investment: expansion of early literacy programs, reduction ofclass sizes in elementary grades, professional development in literacy pedagogy for teachers, and, forchildren with the greatest needs, tutoring by trained reading specialists.Lowry Hemphill is associate professor and chair of the Department of Language and Literacy, Wheelock College.She collaborates with urban and suburban school districts on strategies for developing children’s deep comprehensionof text.Foundation for the Future ReportThis report, first released two years ago, explores theneed to strengthen science, technology, engineering,and mathematics (STEM) in schools. The reportprovides a concise plan for increasing the number ofskilled pre-K to 6 STEM educators in the Greater Bostonarea, a plan now being implemented by Aspire.Shared Youth, Shared Strategies:A Plan for Cambridge Middle School YouthWith funding from the Nellie Mae EducationFoundation, Aspire developed a strategic plan thatwas approved by the Cambridge City Council andCambridge School Committee. The plan identifiescommunity-wide recommendations for improvingthe participation in and the quality of out-of-schooltimeprograms for Cambridge middle school youth.Aspire Reports don’t vanish intothe air when they’re completed—they lead somewhere.The Institute’s Healthy Connections report and strategicplan is just one example of Aspire Reports that lead toreal progress—in this case, to the creation of a BostonPublic Schools (BPS) Health and Wellness Department, anannual health indicators report, and a forum titled ReducingHealth Disparities to Close the Achievement Gap, run by theBPS last winter.The forum group included Aspire’s Senior Director, JakeMurray, and special guests Mayor Thomas M. Menino andBoston Public Schools Superintendent Carol R. Johnson, inaddition to participants from the Boston Foundation, theChildren’s Hospital of Boston, and the Young AchieversScience and Math Pilot School. The group discussed the linkbetween healthy students and better learning—a commonsenseconnection, but one that usually takes a back seat to10 Spring/Summer 2012

Branching Out: Expanding STEM Learning EarlyChildhood and Out-of-School-Time SettingsSponsored by the Department of Early Educationand Care, this report highlights information andactivities from the 2012 statewide Early ChildhoodEducation/Out-of-School-Time STEM Conference,and outlines strategies for expanding STEM learningin early childhood and out-of-school-time settings.ESOL/Adult Education Providers SurveyIn collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians,the Aspire Institute conducted a survey of ESOLand adult education providers in the Greater Bostonarea. This presentation provides an overview of keyfindings from this survey, one of which was a clear needfor more transition (“bridge”) programs for ESOL andadult learners that prepare them for success in collegesettings and career training programs.BPS Health and Wellness PlanIn 2010, Aspire collaborated with the Boston PublicSchools Health and Wellness Task Force to develop astrategic plan, Healthy Connections, which outlines keysteps for improving the district’s organizational capacityto address student health and wellness outcomeareas. Aspire consulted with district and communityhealth and wellness leaders to develop the report.“Our charge from President Jenkins-Scott is toexplore and expand what is possible. We takethis charge seriously—Aspire’s incrediblytalented and creative staff arrive on campuseach morning eagerto get to work!”Jake MurrayM.Ed. Harvard Graduate Schoolof EducationM.M. Heller School for SocialPolicy and Management,Brandeis UniversityB.A. Bates Collegeother pressing issues impacting schools. Keynote speakerDr. Charles Basch of the Teachers College at Columbia Universitycalled it “A Missing Link in School Reforms.”Bringing school and city leaders together to focus onresearch showing that children with physical and mentalhealth conditions have higher absenteeism and dropoutrates, feel less connected to schools, and perform worse oncognitive and academic assessments than students withoutsuch conditions underscored the point that children’s healthand wellness are vital to the core mission of schools.The forum group also discussed three goals outlined bythe report: improve student fitness, enhance school-basedhealth care, and promote healthy student behaviors andengagement—and the strategies suggested to achievethem. More information about these goals and related strategiesis available through a new e-newsletter and websiteresource recently launched by BPS (www.bpshealthyconnections.org).Before coming to Aspire Institute as its director in 2009,Jake Murray spent four years as a child and youth plannerfor the City of Cambridge, overseeing strategic planning,quality improvement, and program development for earlyeducation, out -of-school-time, and youth development services. Healso served for five years as a director of community partnershipsfor the Harvard Children’s Initiative, leading a range of collaborativeefforts to improve educational outcomes in Boston and Cambridge.Murray’s research interests include professional learning models,new teacher development, and school-community partnerships. Hehas served as a consultant to the Boston Public Schools, the BostonMayor’s Office, the Cambridge Agenda for Children, the BostonRedevelopment Authority-Jobs and Community Services, and OpenCircle, Wellesley College.Email Aspire Institute at aspire@wheelock.edu.Wheelock Magazine 11

StudentsScene onCampusRevving Up Campus SustainabilityAcross the globe now everyone is aware that sustainability is vital—make that Vital, with a capital “V”—to preserving our environmentfor future generations, and at Wheelock we are doing our part bystriving to maintain a sustainable campus. The College now has two LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings: the CampusCenter and Riverway House. Through innovative design features such aslight-absorbing windows, these buildings reduce the College’s energy costswhile conserving natural resources and helping the environment.Recycling is also an important part of our sustainability efforts. Over thelast two years, Wheelock’s recycling efforts, just from paper and journals,have generated 50 tons of recycling and saved approximately 1,250 trees.While this is commendable, we feel we can do much more and havelaunched a campaign to increase both the volume and variety of itemsrecycled on campus. Wheelock’s average annual carbon footprint producedfrom waste is 200 tons, which is equivalent to using 3,544 gallons ofgasoline—or four times the amount of our recycling. If we boost ourrecycling by just 10 percent, we can reduce our carbon footprint from wasteby 2.8 tons, the new goal for this year!AIDS Quilt on The RiverwayIn honor of World AIDS Day last winter, Wheelock’s Soph-Serve student leaders brought a section of the AIDSMemorial Quilt to campus for exhibition in the windowsof the Campus Center facing The Riverway. More than 18million people have viewed the AIDS Quilt since it was firstshown in 1988.The purpose of World AIDS Day is to raise money,increase awareness, fight prejudice, improve educationabout AIDS, and remind people that HIV has not goneaway. According to Joint United Nations Programme onHIV/AIDS estimates, there are now 34 million people livingwith HIV. During 2010, some 2.7 million people becamenewly infected with the virus, including an estimated390,000 children. The vast majority of people with HIV andAIDS live in low- and middle-income countries, but todayHIV is a threat to men, women, and children on all continentsaround the world.Global Learning ReinforcesEarly Childhood Professional DevelopmentLast January, graduate and undergraduate students traveled to Singapore on aweeklong trip with Dr. Paul Thayer (top center) to learn about early childhoodlearning environments there. Together, they took a class on Wheelock’s Singaporecampus, visited several education and health care sites, and learned more aboutthe culture through firsthand experience. Shown here at the Sultan Mosque withBoston and Singapore students is graduate student Carrie LeGeyt ’11’ (top right),who sent in some great photos. Thanks, Carrie!16 Spring/Summer 2012

Community-BasedHuman Services ProgramNinth Annual Certificate Awards CeremonyIn May, 16 excited juniors and seniors completed Wheelock’s 16-creditCommunity-Based Human Services Program and attended a certificatepresentation ceremony, where they were welcomed and celebrated byStefi Rubin, program coordinator; Nancy Toso, practicum supervisor; AfraHamid, field experience coordinator; and Donna McKibbens, interimdean of the School of Education, Social Work, Child Life & Family Studies.More than 60 family members and friends also attended to applaud thestudents’ accomplishments.The students receiving certificates showed a wide range of academicinterests, with majors not only in human growth and development and psychology,but also in math and science, history, and the arts. Some had minorsin communications, education, autism, and child health, and several wereWheelock College athletes.Each participant in the program completed a seminar and a 150-hour supervisedpracticum in schools, community organizations, and after-school settings,or in family outreach programs. While several students focused on children agedbirth to 5 (some in early intervention programs), others were engaged withchildren in elementary, middle, and high school settings, and some worked withadults in a substance abuse program or with adults and seniors with disabilities.Practicum sites spanned Boston, Brighton, Roxbury, Dorchester, East Boston,and Jamaica Plain as well as Cambridge, Brookline, and Malden.Of the 96 alumni who have completed Wheelock’s human services program,an estimated one-third have gone on to graduate school in fields suchas human services administration, social work, special education, and highereducation services. Others are working in community-based positions such asAmeriCorps domestic violence counselor, Peace Corps volunteer, group homemanager, and assisted living activities specialist—all purposeful choices thatare improving the lives of families and the society in which we live.MLK Jr. Day of ServiceMore than 100 members of the Wheelock community completedservice work at preschools around Boston, participating in anationwide effort to transform the Martin Luther King Jr. holidayfrom a “day off” to a “day on.”Wheelock students and staff visited the Crispus Attucks Children’sCenter in Dorchester, the Franklin Square House in Mission Hill, and NICE(Neighborhood Involvement for Children’s Education Inc.) in Roxbury.Service at these preschools included painting, cleaning, and gardening. Inevery classroom, volunteers also created bulletin boards to connect familieswith 2012 service opportunities; labeled classroom items in the languagesspoken by the families at the preschool; and hung pictures representingdiversity in the classrooms.This was Wheelock’s first MLK Jr. Day of Service, developed as part ofthe sophomore-year experience program series known as “SophServe”and Wheelock’s Jumpstart program, an early education program that givesstudents the chance to work with preschoolers on early literacy skills.Wheelock’s MLK Jr. Day of Service aimed to strengthen existing partnershipsbetween the College and the communities of Roxbury and Dorchester bybringing volunteers to locations where Wheelock has established relationshipsthrough Jumpstart. The College received grant funding from the MassachusettsService Alliance to help support this day of service.Thanks to Jonathan Lewis, Wheelock’s associate director for studentsuccess, who helped organize the project and noted: “Each of the projects atthe preschools will significantly improve the ability of teachers to focus theirefforts on children of diverse backgrounds. Our service day is an exciting wayfor us to continue helping the children and communities of Boston.”What Do Wheelock Students Do on Break?International Service LearningMore and more Wheelock students are investing intensiveclassroom time preparing to participate in internationalservice learning programs and returning from themeager to share what they have learned and how it has changed them.Last academic year, during the 2012 winter and spring breaks andin May, a mix of five new and returning programs was offered.Winter Break 2012 – Inclusionary Practice in the Eastern Caribbean:Service Learning in Barbados with Dr. Felicity Crawford; andCross-Cultural Perspectives on Helping Children Cope with Stress: ServiceLearning in Singapore with Dr. Paul ThayerSpring Break 2012 – Lessons from Belfast, Northern Ireland:How Early Childhood Programs Can Help Children Affected by ViolenceHeal with Dr. Diane Levin ’69MS; and Cross-Cultural Service Learningin Puerto Rico with Dr. Jane Yedlin and Dr. Tina Durand.May 2012 – African History, Culture, and Spirituality: Benin andGhana, West Africa with Dr. Joyce Hope ScottWheelock Magazine 17

STUDENTS WITH Adecided to pursue it. In college, I workedat the Hurley School with students learningEnglish as a second language, and, withthe culture and nurturing of the classroom,I was so connected that at times I felt likethey were my children. I’m also comfortablewith the families and like working withthem. I think I have a natural connectionwith teaching and being in a classroom,and I have high expectations for myselfand my students. I can see myself downthe line in an administrative position orbecoming a principal, but I want to be sureI’m confident in my teaching first.how people live have opened up everythingfor me. Local service opportunities and thechance to go to New Orleans and WestAfrica for service learning and truly helpfamilies are top experiences. The faculty areamazing; they really care and go out of theirway to be available at all times to students.I am blessed to have attended Wheelock.WM: How do you feel about Wheelock’smission?AJ: Now that I see what an impact ateacher can have on not just a child but thechild’s family, too, I can say I truly want tohelp fulfill this mission. I have always foundAVA JENNINGS ’12Ava graduated thisspring with a 3.87 GPA;a major in HumanDevelopment with a focus onchildren, families, and culture;and a professional concentrationin child developmentspecialist, birth to 6. She countsbeing the first in her extendedfamily to complete college asher greatest achievement.WM: Being the first in a family to graduatefrom college is very exciting.AJ: It is a wonderful and huge accomplishmentfor my family as well as me. I had relativesfrom the South I had never even metwho came up for Commencement!WM: And teaching is your passion?AJ: Totally. In high school, I took a Teach-Boston summer course on Wheelock’scampus, and tutoring and helping kidsaccomplish goals was so much fun IParticipating in service learning programs inWest Africa and New Orleans with other membersof her Passion for Action cohort intensifiedAva’s desire to fulfill Wheelock’s mission.WM: What is the high point of yourWheelock experience?AJ: Wheelock has given me so many opportunitiesthat would have been impossiblewithout the Passion for Action scholarshipand being in this type of culture. Leavingthe small world of my Boston neighborhood,coming to Wheelock, and seeing andlearning so much else about the world andhappiness in school, even as a child, andalways excelled, which saved me from a lot.I want more than negative things happeningin my community. I want to help children inmy community see they can have more, and,as a teacher of color, I have the backgroundand experience to go into the schools andwork very positively with the children.18 Spring/Summer 2012

PASSION FOR TEACHINGWM: What was the high point of yourWheelock experience?LK: The Passion for Action program andthe resources it gave me not only to be astrong student but also to have a betterunderstanding of myself and how the worldworks. My experiences outside the Wheelockclassroom — my teaching pre-practicumin a school in Lawrence and servicelearning experiences in New Orleans and inGuatemala — have made me want to bemore involved and taught me the value ofcollaboration and teamwork, skills necessaryto be successful in life.WM: You are in the first cohort of Passionfor Action Scholars to graduate.LK: Yes, and it has been nice to help playa role in shaping and improving theprogram and being a role model for otherscoming up. In advocating for students andseeing the program develop, I learned a lotand was more challenged to develop andgrow. I will definitely stay connected to theprogram, by being on the interview committeefor new students, and to itsresources — I want to continue relationshipswith my mentors.LISA KRISZUN ’12Lisa, who is from Germanyand strong in languages—speaking Spanish, German,and French in addition to English—graduatedwith a doublemajor in Elementary Educationand Math and Science and a minorin visual arts. She is licensedto teach grades 1 through 6 butintends to become certified toteach high school grades as wellbecause she enjoys the substantivescience concepts at thehigher grade level.WM: Why Wheelock?LK: It’s such a unique school, and of coursethe mission, which is so important. Also,I learn best from others, so Wheelock’ssmall class size was important and the factthat faculty members really know who youare—you can have real relationships withthem and the sense of a professional connectionright from the start.Lisa’s pre-practicum brought her to a classroomin Lawrence, MA, another Wheelock experiencethat broadened her understanding of childrenin the world near and far.WM: How do you feel about Wheelock’smission?LK: There is the general mission but differentroutes and goals to serve the mission, allaiming for the same betterment but in differentways. It is hard to say we will change theworld because there is so much to change,but we all need to try, even if it is just howwe behave in the world.WM: What are your plans for the future?LK: I will stay in the Boston area. Thissummer, I’m hosting a family from Germanyand will tutor, and in the fall I will beginteaching to get a good foundation beforeextending my teaching license to highergrade levels.Wheelock Magazine 19

C o m m e n c e m e n t 2 0 1 2Let the Celebration Begin!It’s traditional now that on the eve of CommencementWheelock College begins its graduation celebration witha Pre-Commencement Dinner at the President’s House.At the event this year, Wheelock paid homage to founderLucy Wheelock, whose belief in the power of the arts wasreflected in this year’s Commencement theme: “TransformingLives through the Arts and Education.” In her book Talks toMothers, Miss Wheelock celebrated children with inclinationstoward creativity and discussed what children learnwhen encouraged to be dreamers, artists, actors, singers, andmusicians. The power of the arts, she said, can expand andimprove more than just children’s education.“I am delighted to welcome you to WheelockCollege’s 2012 Pre-Commencement Dinner.At this annual event, we celebrate the extraordinaryachievements of our distinguished honorarydegree recipients and acknowledge theindividual support that our dedicated alumniand friends provide to the College and to thestudents who will graduate tomorrow.”― —Jackie Jenkins-Scott, President20 Spring/Summer 2012

Honoring Arts LeadersThree outstanding individuals who have had a profoundimpact on the arts and on the lives of children werehonored guests at the Pre-Commencement Dinner andreceived honorary doctoral degrees the next morningat the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony: JaneAlexander (above, second from left), former chair of theNational Endowment for the Arts, and an award-winningactor, author, teacher, and public servant; WintleyPhipps, a minister, education activist, and renowned gospelsinger; and Kathryn Lasky ’78MS (left), an awardwinningchildren’s book author and public advocate forchildren’s literacy.A Special Thank-YouAt the evening event, Wheelock also paid tribute toretiring trustees Kathryn “Kay” Smith Conrad ’73MS,Christina “Tina” Morris Helm ’64/’98MS, HeatherPeach ’96MS, and Dory Lloyd Rourke ’67, thankingthem for their service and welcoming them as membersof the Corporation. The College also especially thankedJoan Ingram Thorndike for her many years of service onthe Corporation.Something More to Celebrate—Campaign UpdateLast October, the College announced its $80 millionCampaign for Wheelock, the largest capital campaign inits history. At the Pre-Commencement Dinner, BarbaraGrogins Sallick ’61 reported that $57.3 million has beencontributed to date—nearly two-thirds of our goal. Thankyou to all of those who have contributed so generouslyand started the Campaign in spectacular fashion!Looking Forward to 2013Next year’s Pre-Commencement Dinner will be particularlyjoyful as we celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Collegeand the next group of Wheelock graduates going into theworld to serve children and families. Plan to join us for thisextra special event and shared sense of achievement!Wheelock Magazine 21

U n d e r g r a d u a t e C o m mCongratulations to OurFabulous New Alumni!As the numbers grow, dual ceremoniesfor Wheelock graduates“Transforming Lives through the Arts and Education”Such is the theme with which Wheelock College, for thefirst time, held two separate Commencement ceremonieson Friday, May 11, 2012—one for graduatingseniors and one for graduate students. The need for the dualceremonies reflects the increase in the number of undergraduatestudents successfully completing their educations, ofgraduate students earning advanced degrees, and of all studentsparticipating in Wheelock Commencement exercises.“Our alumni are a diverse group in many,many ways, but the common thread I see in themagain and again is their dedication to activelydo their part to improve society. Whether they areteaching in schools or serving on school committees,running a service agency or volunteering atcommunity programs where they live, they puttheir Wheelock values and education to workbenefiting children, families, and communities,which are the heart of a healthy society. We needmore Wheelock graduates out there using theirskills and educations to make a difference.”—Judy Parks Anderson ’62, Trustee22 Spring/Summer 2012

G r a d u a t e C o m m e n c e mWintley Phipps, the acclaimed singer whoseoratorical talents have spread hope across theworld, spoke at Wheelock’s Graduate Commencement,telling master’s degree graduates they wereabout to march into a battle against ignorance but thatthey are up to the challenge. “There is a light of optimismshining in your eyes,” Phipps told the graduates. “Don’tever lose it. Some child will need it.”Phipps, who has performed around the world and for sixU.S. presidents, opened his remarks with a rousing renditionof the Tom Jones song “I Believe.” He described howhe came to found the U.S. Dream Academy, a nonprofitorganization dedicated to helping children who have hada family member incarcerated. He said Wheelock graduatesare bound together by a gene that he called “HPLP”or “Helping People Live Their Potential.” “It’s not an easycalling,” he said. “But, it’s in your DNA.”Graduate student speaker Thomas W. Bentley III toldthe graduates that Wheelock is a unique institution thathas held on to its core values for 125 years, and that it willcontinue to be an invaluable institution “so long as there arechildren to teach and families that struggle.” He said his fellowgraduates’ capacity for doing good is limitless, especiallywhen they work together. “We rely on each other as weblaze a path to do more plentiful good,” he said.24 Spring/Summer 2012

e n tWintley PhippsWintleyPhippsKathryn Lasky ’78MSAn Honorary Degree for WriterKathryn Lasky ’78MSOn her interactive blog, Kathryn Lasky ’78MS writes about themagical moment when, at the age of 10, she first realized shecould be a writer. “I was with my family, driving at night in ourcar with the top down. The sky looked so interesting—you couldn’t see thestars because of these woolly clouds. And I said it looked like a sheepbacksky. My mom turned around and said, ‘Kathryn, you should be a writer.’When my mom said that, I thought, Wow, maybe I will be.”And she is. In addition to being a former teacher and a strong publicadvocate for children’s literacy, Lasky is a widely recognized, award-winningwriter of books for children and young adults. Her more than 100books range from critically acclaimed nonfiction titles such as SugaringTime and historical fiction in the Dear America series to the wildly popularGuardians of Ga’Hoole fantasy series about owls, which was adaptedfor the award-winning animated feature film Legend of the Guardians:The Owls of Ga’Hoole.Lasky and her writing have received countless awards, which includethe Newbery Honor award, the National Jewish Book Award, the ALAbest book for young adults, and the Washington Post Children’s BookGuild award. Her books include picture books for preschoolers andmiddle-grade fiction as well as researched and thought-provoking novelsfor young adults on such serious subjects as slavery, censorship, and anti-Semitism.See her fabulous website, Kathryn Lasky’s Study (www.kathrynlasky.com/), for what she’s up to now.Wheelock Magazine 25

FacultyTerry MeierAfrican-American & Afro-CaribbeanChildren’s LiteratureOn her sabbatical during the spring 2012semester, Associate Professor of Languageand Literacy Terry Meier got a substantialjump start on writing a book about usingAfrican-American and Afro-Caribbeanchildren’s literature in early childhood and“I think that it is good for students whentheir professors are excited about and activelyproducing meaningful scholarship. It providesa model for them of what the academy isall about and, for education students inparticular, suggests the importance of teachers’continuing intellectual development andengagement with ideas.” — Terry MeierFour Faculty ShareTheir ResearchIn addition to their daily teaching and mentoring workwith students, Wheelock faculty passionately invest timeand energy in their individual scholarly pursuits. Whiletheir research represents a wide diversity of interests andmethodologies, there is one quality it all shares—invariably itapplies directly to improving pre-service and in-service learningand practice and to informing faculty practice as well.Here are just four examples of faculty membersdoing current research that circles back to the classroom forbetter teaching and learning.elementary classrooms. Meier has alreadydone preparatory work for the project. “Iknow the African-American children’sliterature canon very well, including thepublished scholarship about it, and I havea good background in African-Americanhistory,” she notes. “This will be helpful toincorporating into the book curricular ideasfor children that incorporate history, as wellas other subject matters.”Meier’s knowledge of Afro-Caribbeanchildren’s literature published in the U.S. isalso extensive, but she is spending sabbaticaltime strengthening that knowledge, inaddition to completing a chapter-by-chaptercontent outline of the book, writing severalchapters, and obtaining a publishing contract.Because her book is focused on subjectmatter that she teaches at Wheelock, Meierintends that the knowledge and insight shegains during the process of research andwriting will have direct value to her students.“And, since the content and the intendedaudience for the book are clearly consonantwith Wheelock’s mission, I expect the bookwill enhance the visibility and reputation ofthe College in this area,” she says.“It is my firm belief that if teachersbecame more aware of the critical importanceof multicultural children’s literatureto children’s achievement and more26 Spring/Summer 2012

Facultyconcentrate, and work with others to solve problems. The other kind ofcreative drama is when it is viewed as a vehicle for teaching other contentareas. Generally this is referred to as drama in education. Needlessto say, I think both are valuable.The third component is Theater, where “The Play is the thing,” toquote the Bard, not the Player or Playing. What makes theater differentfrom creative drama is that the emphasis is not on the process but on theproduct, the fully realized production of a written script. This is wherechildren are primarily audience members. So, again, the difference betweentheater and creative drama is that the emphasis in theater is on impressionrather than expression, and observation rather than participation.WM: What role can theater arts play in countering the current emphasison academic performance at earlier ages?SK: One of the great benefits of creative drama is that it does developthe whole child physically, cognitively, and emotionally. WFTparticipated in a yearlong research study that presented evidence thatcreative drama absolutely contributes to empathy [written aboutin the Spring 2010 issue of Wheelock Magazine, Page 4]. There is alot of lip service given to the idea of multiple intelligences and thatchildren learn differently, but the fact is that high-stakes testing hasmade preparation all the more rigid and paperbound. Drama allowschildren to learn kinesthetically and appeals to a wide range of intelligencesand allows children to learn in a variety of ways that doingwork sheets does not.WM: WFT is known as an inclusion leader. Why has this been so central toyour vision?SK: Probably my biggest goal for theater is that it plays a vital partin people’s lives, and by that I mean all people. So when we werethinking about founding the Theatre, we wanted to break downbarriers that kept people separated from one another and from seeingthat theater could be vital in their lives. We kept ticket prices lowand affordable. We had a casting policy that was nontraditional inthat people of different races and ethnicities, as well as women, werecast in roles that traditionally had not been open to them. And thehope was that the audiences would see people on stage with whomthey could identify. So, reaching out to the disability community byinterpreting performances in ASL for the deaf, offering open captioningfor the hard of hearing and audio description for the blind,as well as wheelchair access, meant that we were able to serve a widerrange of people.One of the things I say all the time is that our audiences look differentfrom those of any other theater in Boston because we have reached outto those who often have not been able to afford to have theater in theirlives. But it is good also for all audience members and children to see andunderstand that diversity and inclusiveness in our casting.WM: What do you think are WFT’s greatest achievements?SK: That we have been around and continually striving to keep growingcreatively and in other ways for 31 years.Our ability to act on the College’s mission in the world is an accomplishmentthat I am proud of because we really have connected tolots of different communities who otherwise would never have knownabout Wheelock.I am proud of the quality of our education program and that it hascontinued to grow and serve so many young people, some of whom havegone on in theater and some of whom have found ways to use the skillsthey’ve gained through theater in other areas of their lives.A lot of the original goals we had about young people and adultsworking together, our colorful casting, our access values—all of these areaccomplishments I feel good about.WM: Why do you think WFT has been so successful and popular?SK: I think it’s the professional-level quality of the shows. Part of thereason our performances for deaf audiences are successful is that weare consistent—people know they can count on us in this and otherareas. We walk our talk.WM: What do you hope for WFT’s future?SK: That we do not have to worry so much about money, and wecan figure out how to deal with our limited space and continueto upgrade our technical capacities and the theater itself. That thesearch committee finds a super-duper producer to take my place whowill take the theater to new heights. And that the theater itself willstay true to the original mission.WM: What’s next for you?SK: I’ll be in Singapore this summer teaching two different programsfor Wheelock. I may do some directing on the Cape, where I startedout in theater, and I will return to WFT next winter to direct Oliver.Susan Kosoff Honors and AwardsEarly Childhood Education Lifetime Achievement Award,Urban College of Boston (2012)“Making a Difference” Service Award, Wheelock College AlumniAssociation (2010)Recipient, Gordon L. Marshall Fellowship, Wheelock College(2004, 1998)Recipient, Our Place Theatre Project’s African American TheatreFestival Award for “unwavering commitment to diversity inBoston Theatre.” (2001)Recipient, Edward H. Ladd Award for Academic Excellence andService, Wheelock College (1998)Recipient, Distinguished Achievement Award, Educational PressAssociation of America (1997)WFT AwardsBoston Theater Critics Elliot Norton Award for 30 years of innovative,multicultural productions (2011)Independent Reviewers of New England Recognition for 30 years ofprofessional theater (2011)Independent Reviewers of New England Best Performance by aChild (Sirena Abalian as Jojo), Best Supporting Actress in aMusical (Jennifer Beth Glick as Gertrude), Best Choreography(Laurel Conrad) SEUSSICAL (2009)Boston Parents Paper Hall of Fame (2002-2009)Independent Reviewers of New England Best Scenic Design forTo Kill a Mockingbird (2007)Kennedy Center LEAD Award for Leadership in Accessibility (2005)Massachusetts Cultural Council Commonwealth Award (2005)Elliot Norton Best Actress for Andrea Ross (2004) The Sound ofMusic, Ramona QuimbyStage Source Hero Award (2002)Bay State Council Arts and Business Excellence in the Arts Award(2002)Actors’ Equity Association Rosetta LeNoire Award (2000)President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities & the NationalEndowment for the Arts Coming Up Taller Award for PAH!Deaf Youth Theatre (1998)Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing ServiceAward for PAH! Deaf Youth Theatre (1996)New England Theatre Conference Moss Hart Memorial Award(1988)30 Spring/Summer 2012

FacultyEducating Toddlers to TeachersIn his new book, Dr. David Fernie shows how to see andinfluence the school and peer cultures of classrooms.In a time of increasing statestandards, district mandates,and parent expectations,measured accountabilityseems to rule theclassroom. Wheelock graduatesknow the value of teaching and learningoutside the standards box, but pressuresto squeeze into it are a daily challenge.Professor David Fernie’s book EducatingToddlers to Teachers: Learning to See and Influencethe School and Peer Cultures of Classroomsaddresses that challenge with encouragingresearch-based examples of how the art ofteaching from observation and using children’sown group interests as springboardsto learning can work outside the box. He andcolleagues Samara Madrid and RebeccaKantor have edited a collection of eight studies(most conducted by their graduate students)of children’s school culture and peer culturein the classroom that can help teachers tunein to children’s interests and ideas which arenaturally surfacing all the time and use themto stimulate learning about curriculum andclassroom life.Using Ethnography to Understandand Help Build Classroom CommunityFernie hopes that teachers reading the bookwill consider an ethnographic way of lookingat group life in their classrooms and discoverhow they can influence, not manage, whatis happening there. “With so much goingon in the classroom, taking an ethnographicapproach by stepping back, observing whatis going on, and making sense of it can helpteachers build a classroom community andwork with academic subjects in ways that willappeal to the children,” he explains.The studies in the book look at classroomcultures by analyzing what children andteachers say and do as they navigate throughtheir daily time together and how the trajectoryof classroom learningis democratic, in thatchildren’s own interestsare included. “Sustainedengagement in learninghappens when children’sideas are noticed, respected,extended, and worked withby teachers,” Fernie notes.Examples in the bookabound. A group of toddlersimpulsively poking markersinto Play-Doh becomes—over time, with teachers usinga variety of poking materials and assessingchanging interests of the group—a learningexperience that moves from random pokingto intentional pattern-making and to moreelaborate designs before evolving into an interestin weaving.In another example, teachers drawinspiration from the renowned preschools ofReggio Emilia in Italy (which has a historyof promoting children’s inquiry and seekingto incorporate children’s interests into classroomlife) to engage preschoolers’ “hands,heads, and hearts” with the natural sciences.Observing children’s reactions to a surprisesprouting that occurs in what was thoughtto be barren soil leads to a long-term projecton growing seeds.And in a third, a teacher becomes astudent of her own teaching in her 11th yearon the job to document the culture of herclassroom as it evolves over a year’s time andto learn how classroom meeting time can providea forum for learning. Her findings demonstratehow the peer culture uses sharingtime at meeting to seek further understanding(learning), show empathy toward one another,and make personal connections—“allaims for participants in a progressive educationclassroom,” she points out.Because classroom cultures differ fromyear to year, these studies are not meant tobe templates transferable as best practices orformula. “What teachers can gain from thestudies in this collection, Fernie says, is a betterawareness of the nature of classroom lifeand how to apply that knowledge creatively intheir teaching.Empowering Children throughTheir Own InterestsFernie is well aware of the pressures today’steachers face, including managing classroomsand performance evaluations. “Rather thansuggesting one more management tactic, thisapproach offers a creative way to guide theinterests and energy that a given group ofchildren is expressing toward learning relatedto the curriculum,” he says.Wheelock graduates will relate to Fernie’sethnographic approach of using carefulobservation to discover patterns in the socialWheelock graduates will relate to Fernie’s ethnographic approach of usingcareful observation to discover patterns in the social life of the classroom andwhat meaning children—as well as the adults in their lives—are making of it.life of the classroom and what meaning children—aswell as the adults in their lives—aremaking of it. “This is a supplement to theessential developmental perspective,” he says.“It is another way of looking at and understandingthe meaning of what is going on inthe classroom.”And they will certainly recognize the emphasison engagement with the curriculumcompared with simply learning it. “Creatinga classroom community where kids areempowered as contributors to the learningprocess, where their ideas and interests arebecoming more a part of the daily classroomlife, and where they benefit from teacherswho know them as cultural beings hastremendous power,” Fernie says. “Teacherscan harness the strong investment childrenhave in their own interests to develop deeplyengaging curricular topics.”Wheelock Magazine 31

Alumni NETWORKEncouraging youngreaders in Sarasota, FLWheelock World Service Weekend—Together we made a difference!The 2012 Wheelock World ServiceWeekend held in April unitedstudents, alumni, faculty, staff, andfriends of the College in fun and productiveservice to their communities. The AlumniRelations Office facilitated volunteer activitiesthat not only provided help to those inneed but also made a powerful public statementabout the College’s commitment toimproving the lives of children and families.The Wheelock College Alumni AssociationBoard thanks everyone in the extendedWheelock community, in the U.S. and internationally,for their enthusiastic participation!As a result of their commitment to inspiringgood, we were able to:H Collect 47 usable pints of blood for theAmerican Red Cross, which could potentiallysave 141 lives! (Almost 80 Wheelockcommunity members participated.)H Collect 196 signatures on a petition aboutdiscriminatory blood donation policies thatwill be sent to both the FDA and the Departmentof Health and Human ServicesH Donate more than 170 canned food itemsto Rosie’s PlaceTeam Wildcats and youngrecruits at the Giving Hope5K in Columbus, OH32 Spring/Summer 2012

Alumni NetworkH Walk a total of 36 miles in support of the BostonArea Rape Crisis Center (Fourteen participated inthe Walk for Change.)H Raise more than $3,600 for the Make-A-WishFoundation of Massachusetts and Rhode Island atthe 16th annual Make-A-Wish Talent ShowH Construct garden beds at the Watertown CommunityGardens to grow produce that will bedonated to the Watertown Food PantryH Run a 5K marathon in support of Jassmine Cobband the Children’s Organ Transplant Associationin OhioH Collect supplies for classrooms in Jacmel, HaitiH Collect six bags of trash on the Fellsway inStoneham, MAH Collect 20 bags of trash and eight bags ofrecycling at the Annual Muddy River Cleanup(More than 65 Wheelock and COF communitymembers participated!)H Read to young children at the Riverview HighSchool Cyesis Teen Parent Program in Sarasota, FL.For details about leaders, participants, and eachproject, go to the Alumni tab on Wheelock’s website(www.wheelock.edu).Walking for the Boston Area RapeCrisis Center—and showing off thisyear’s student-designed WheelockWorld Service Weekend T-shirtGauging the Impact of Funding Cuts in MaineThe daylong Wheelock Maine Spring Symposiumheld on March 31 was well attended by alumniand other professionals interested in state programfunding cuts that are directly affecting underservedresidents of the state. Marta Rosa, Wheelock’s specialassistant to the president for government and externalaffairs, was the keynote speaker. Sara Gagné-Holmes,executive director of Maine Equal Justice Partners, andRick McCarthy, public affairs/management consultantfor Eaton Peabody Consulting Group, made presentationsto the group focusing on the particular impact ofcuts on children and families. Alumni presenters LouiseMarsden ’11MS from The Opportunity Alliance andJudy Reidt-Parker ’85/’97MS from Maine Children’sAlliance spoke about debunking myths concerning whichMaine citizens are eligible for assistance. Cuts in fundingand broad-based programming are a hardship for manymore Mainers from all walks of life who now need stateand federal social services.Joining Louise and Judy, Maine alumni MargaretLeitch Copeland ’67 and Kelly Howard ’11MSworked to organize the event, held at The OpportunityAlliance headquarters in Portland, and expect it to bea model for planning future symposia about policiesaffecting children and families.(L to R) Judy Reidt-Parker ’85/’97MS from Maine Children’s Alliance, Sara Gagné-Holmes from MaineEqual Justice Partners, Marta Rosa from Wheelock, and Louise Marsden ’11MS from The OpportunityAlliance were among the presenters at the Wheelock Maine Spring Symposium.Wheelock Magazine 33

Alumni NetworkALUMNI & STAFF BOOKS JUST OUTThe Wisdom of John Muirby Anne Wheeler Rowthorn ’62 with aforeword by Bill McKibbenBuilding on her lifelong passion for thework and philosophy of John Muir, AnneWheeler Rowthorn has created an entirelynew treatment for showcasing the great naturalist’sphilosophy and writings. By pairing morethan 100 selections from Muir’s diaries, journals,and essays written at different stages of his life,Anne’s book provides a look at the experiences,places, and people that inspired and informed hiswords and beliefs. Anne has written and compiled10 other books on diverse topics, but ecologicalspirituality has become her specialty. Her bookYour Daily Life Is Your Temple was designated a bestspirituality book of the year in 2006 by Spirituality& Practice. A passionate environmentalist, Annehas taken her pen and notebook all over the U.S.and to Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and Europe.Following John Muir’s example, she seeks out thewildest hiking trails, mountains, and coastlines toexplore. For more information on her travels, visitwww.AnneRowthorn.com.Happy Again! Your New andMeaningful Life After Lossby Harriet Weil Hodgson ’57“After a loved one dies, many mourners get stuckin grief, and can’t seem to find their way out,”says Harriet Hodgson about her series of bookson the subject of grief. Like the others, her newbook was written to help mourners find their waythrough the darkness of grief and create new and,hopefully, happy lives. This isn’t a gloom anddoom book; it’s an “I can do it” book. Harrietwrote the books in the series as a way of findingher own way through grief after the loss of lovedones. Within the pages of Happy Again! Wheelockgraduates will find wisdom and advice aboutthe difficult process of grief as well as ways tohelp grieving children. Visit www.harriethodgson.comfor more information about Harriet andher many other publications.I Said No!by Kimberly King ’93MS and Zack KingHelping kids set healthy boundaries fortouching can be an awkward task forparents, counselors, and educators.The motivation for Kim King’s new book aboutthe subject came from wanting to help her son,Zack, cope with a real-life experience he hadwith a “friend.” Together, they wrote I Said No!This clear, supportive, and nicely illustrated (bySue Ramá) book offers kid-to-kid guidelines thatchildren can understand, practice, and use in arange of problematic situations—and the reassurancethat there is always a trustworthy adult to goto for help.Jake’s Best Birthday EVER!by Rita Sladen Sosa ’69Rita, a social sciences educator, has writtena delightful bilingual picture book, withSpanish and English appearing on thesame page. It’s a fun and informative story aboutGrandma Terry, who plans a special birthday visitto New York City for her grandson, Jake. Thecolorful illustrations of the famous sites and theactivities that accompany Grandma Terry’s reminiscencesof her own childhood in the city arefun to look at. It’s a great take-along for anyonepreparing for a trip to the Big Apple or, if youlive there, a visit from a favorite child. Jake’sBest Birthday EVER! gets five-star reviews onwww.amazon.com.Macaroni for Breakfastby Erin HeffernanErin Heffernan, a new member of theAlumni Relations staff and a writer forWheelock Magazine, has just publishedthis charming book about a child named Macwho has Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioningsyndrome on the autism spectrum. While manyyoung children become attached to a blanketor stuffed animal for security, Mac is like otherchildren with Asperger’s syndrome who oftenare fond of unexpected or strange objects. He isattached to a box of macaroni, which he carrieseverywhere. Written for the preschool age group,the story shows that while Mac’s attachment maymake him different, there are so many other waysin which he is like all children that he is reallynot so different after all. “Macaroni for Breakfastadvocates for us to celebrate children’s differencesrather than scrutinize them, and for us to teachour young children to do the same with theirpeers,” says Erin. She wrote and illustrated thebook based on her experience with her son Colin,who, she says, “is a testament to the fact thatAsperger’s syndrome is, at times, a gift.” Visitwww.macaroniforbreakfast.com.Wheelock Magazine 37

This Wheelock Magazine includes Class Notesnews that was received before April 13, 2012.Class Notes1942-’43“Having lost a bit of spring in my step,”Helen “Stevie” Roberts Thomas writes, “I’mnow asking Lori Ann in the Wheelock AlumniOffice to take over as scribe for our class.”1943-’44Jean Sullivan RileyReunion 2013May 31–June 21946Cordelia Abendroth FlanaganTwo classmates sent news: Jane “Jacey” ClappDonaldson and Sarah Thomas Allnutt. Jaceyis doing OK. She and her husband divide theirtime between West Columbia, SC, and Florida.She and I (“Crow”) keep in touch. Sarah is ina retirement home which is near her old home,and the family is nearby. She still swims threetimes a week and goes to meets.I am in a retirement community nearAlbany, NY, and near my younger daughter.I am still grateful for my Wheelock education.Please send any news to me or Lori AnnSaslav, Wheelock College Alumni Office,200 The Riverway, Boston, MA 02215-4176.My address is Cordelia A. Flanagan, 626Coburg Village Way, Rexford, NY 12148.1947Mary Hemphill HaringWe were so sorry to hear that Mary SegoineDavis’ husband, Skip, died in December. Youare in our thoughts, Mary.1948Reunion 2013May 31–June 2Carol MooreWe were sorry to hear the news of the passingof Agnes Fitzgerald Davis’ husband, Walt,in February. She is still in the active retirementcommunity in Seattle that she and Waltmoved to a year or two ago. People there havebeen very supportive since Walt’s passing, andmost of her family lives in the area. Agnes isstill active in the arts community—opera,ballet, and theater.Mary “Polly” Horr Foster has beenthinking about her dear Kent House roommate,“Topsie”: “We had wonderful timestogether at Wheelock and kept in touch formany years. We visited each other before wemarried and after we married.” Polly alsowrote of the days she used to split the yearbetween East Greenbush, NY, and Naples,Dear Lauren,Thanks so very much for taking the time to explaineverything on the upcoming Reunion to me yesterday.The attached photos of my mother, Claire MeadHyde ‘47 (with glasses), and Nancy Powell White ‘44were taken at the First Congregational United Churchof Christ in Gloversville, NY. Both women enjoyedteaching Sunday School there for many years, andNancy now sings with the choir. The current pastor,Rev. Ralph English, values their present and past contributionsto our congregation.Nancy was among Wheelock’s first baccalaureatedegree recipients, and Mom arrived on board as atransfer student just after Nancy graduated, havingspent her first year at Syracuse. Our home area, FultonCounty, NY, is the capital of a once-thriving domesticleather industry. While Mom wasn’t raised there, shealso knew some other Wheelock alumnae who were:Evelyn Burr Caldwell ‘24 (1904-2004, my brother’skindergarten teacher), who taught alongside her atBoulevard Elementary for some time; Phyllis OrmistonLuey ‘49 (1926-1982), whose family operated TheLeader-Herald daily newspaper; and my mom’s classmateBetty Ann Liddle ‘47 (1925-2006), who led a very longand distinguished career on the Wheelock professionalstaff until her retirement in 1990. In their collegedays, Mom would sometimes meet up with her onthe train from Albany to Boston. It was so fitting thatBetty Ann, whom I met at Mom’s 50th Reunion,hailed from Johnstown, NY, birthplace of the greatwomen’s rights pioneer Elizabeth Cady Stanton.Sincerely,Dana R. Hyde(L to R) Cornelia “Corny” ConynghamRomanowski, Lisa Channell-Stanton,and Donna Ann LaRoche—all from theClass of 1979—had a reunion in NewYork City and saw Mamma Mia! “Whata blast!” writes Corny. The picture wastaken in February in front of GoodMorning America.Dana R. Hyde, the son of Claire Mead Hyde’47 (right), wrote recently to update us on hismother and the doings of other Wheelock grads,including Nancy Powell White ’44 (with herin this photo).Wheelock Magazine 39

Class notesFL. In fact, she was writing that very note fromNaples, where she was spending two or threemonths and doing a little golfing. Barbara“Windy” Windels Mulqueen reminisced: “Whenmy four children were young, I taught nurseryschool at my church. Then I moved on to GreenFarms Academy and taught first grade for 20years. I loved it. Not much money, but I ran it.And (thanks to Wheelock) I was prepared. WhenI retired, I volunteered at a school in Bridgeport[CT] plus did several other things. It was a goodlife, and I am thankful to Wheelock.”Ruth Chickering Wheeler is still active withchurch, family, and ballroom dancing. She has threegrandchildren and four great-grandsons and stilldrives to New Hampshire every summer to visitdaughters, relatives, and friends. In April 2011,Edith “Deedie” Hall Huck and Anne “Amy”Mulholland Heger ’49 visited Ruth for three days,and they toured the D.C. and Virginia mountains.1949Anne Mulholland HegerThank you to the several gals who sent in news.Alice Roberts Gow’s husband passed awaylast December. David Gow was headmaster of theGow School, which was founded by his father.Under David’s direction, the school grew from afew converted country houses to a quadrangle ofhandsome brick buildings surrounded by fieldsand woodlands. David had many accomplishmentsin the education field. Alice is slowly adjustingto her loss. In March she spent a few weekswith her son and family in Florida. Our deepestsympathy to you, Alice.Enid Stockbridge Holly writes that she andLee are doing well. They will be traveling toPennsylvania and Michigan for the weddings oftwo grandchildren this summer. The rest of thetime they will be gardening in a patio-gardeningarea they created between the house and lake.She will also be golfing as the golf course is rightacross the street. Jane Bartlett Mason and husbandBob are great-grandparents to grandsonAdam’s two children, who live in Israel whileAdam is working on his Ph.D. there. “He and hisfamily were recently in Zambia, Africa, workingwith the peasant farmers,” Jane writes. She waslooking forward to seeing Adam in April, whenhe would be speaking at Yale.Marjorie Pritchard Stevens and Bob havebeen married for 62 years. Arthritis has slowedher down, but she is still active in church, travel,and family activities. They are truly blessed.Cindy MacGilvra Temby has moved to a smallapartment in Petersburg, VA. One son is a coupleof hours north, and the other son is a few hourssouth of her. She is settling in and finding lifemore leisurely than in the Boston area. “I willhopefully work part time with school lunches,which I am interested in,” she writes.I (Anne) received a note this Christmas fromBarbara Lightner Whitehouse’s son informing meof her death in the fall. Be and I corresponded allthese years each Christmas.I am still in the same house with a large dog(black Labrador) for company. My daughter andfamily are next door to me, and one son is a fewblocks away. The other two sons are within a halfhourdrive. I am so lucky having them nearby.We are all going to the Virgin Islands soon—a tripwe all look forward to each year.1950Edith “Anne” Runk WrightMary Hathaway Hayter and I (Anne) went toBoston in January to attend the premier performanceof John Harbison’s Sixth Symphony, commissionedby the Boston Symphony Orchestra.We had received a special invitation because apoem written by my husband, James, “Enteringthe Temple in Nîmes,” was set to music and performedby Paula Murrihy, a mezzo-soprano, atthe beginning of the first movement. The concertwas a delight, and we met the composer, JohnHarbison; his wife, Rosie; and the mezzo-soprano.While in the city, we went to Wheelock and gota walking tour of campus, visiting the library, thestudent center and the Brookline Campus. Wehad a wonderful, nostalgic visit!1953Reunion 2013May 31–June 2Libby Gerow PetersonJane “Stuie” Stuart Froelicher’s husband,Chuck, says that “Stuie’s Courts,” a tennis facilityat Colorado Academy, was completed anddedicated in 2011. Chuck was headmaster at theschool from 1955 to 1975, and Stuie was “thequintessential headmaster’s wife” from the timeof their marriage in 1966 to the end of his tenure.Her favorite pastime during those years wasplaying tennis, and, according to Chuck, “Thissplendid complex makes a statement to all thatthe contributions she made to the institution,and the standards she set for living, will not beforgotten for a very long time—if ever.”1954Ginger Mercer BatesElizabeth Bassett WolfThank you, classmates, for your prompt and unbelievableemail responses to our plea for Class Notesnews. We 80-year-olds are Something Else! Gingerand ChippyOur dear Ginger Mercer Bates says she isfeeling spoiled. She has learned so much from theexperience of having had a stroke this past year.Her family and friends have been very supportive,and it makes her feel better and stronger. Brianhas been a trouper. Barbara McCarthy Brennanis still selling real estate in the Framingham, MA,area. It’s keeping her up-to-date in the area ofsocial media. She recently enjoyed a wonderfulcruise in the Caribbean—nothing like warmsunshine in the winter! Volney Forsyth Dawsonsends greetings from Chicago. Twenty-four membersof her family spent her 80th birthday in awonderful and large house in Keystone, CO.There was good outdoor entertainment for all.The highlight of their time together was a surprisemusical play that the entire family performedabout her life. Volney was very touched by howwell they knew her. It was love, laughter, tears, andgreat music.Nancy Rosenwald Foilb emailed that, as we areall looking at our 80th year, it is time to reflect onour years at Wheelock College and to think abouthow our lives have changed since then. When shegot married in her senior year, she didn’t thinkmuch beyond those years, and now she realizeswhat wonderful times they were—so she’s hopingall her classmates can reflect on all those good timesand are grateful for our bountiful blessings now!Janet Culbertson Gill celebrated her 80th lastSeptember with a beautiful party given by her twodaughters. All family and close friends in attendancehad a good time. “I remain in very good healthwith a busy schedule,” Janet writes. Margaret“Peggy” Clifford Goode puts it succinctly:“Things are much the same in Scituate—salt air,blue waters, and good living. Best to all, Peggy.”Ruth McKinley Herridge and her husband, Bill,continue to enjoy their life in Toronto and themany great times with their five grandchildren.Ruth continues to minister to the communitythrough a prayer group of which she is a member.Nancy Shapiro Hurwitz and Michael spendtheir time in Naples, FL, from November to mid-May. They celebrated their 60th anniversary inDecember with their daughter Amy, her husband,and their two girls. She and Michael play golf,bridge, etc. They had a very pleasant Wheelocklunch in Naples with Jackie Jenkins-Scott, whospoke briefly about new and exciting happenings atthe College and also about the 125th Celebrationevents. Sally Dickason Lunt, a widow for 18years, keeps busy with her many children, grands,and great-grands; bridge; and quilting/needlepoint/knitting. She spends time in Osprey, FL. EileenO’Connell McCabe mentions that she is basicallywell and remains busy. She spent the Christmasholidays on the West Coast visiting two of herchildren. She has seen Neilie Heffernan Odelland occasionally talks on the phone to AgnesMcBride Barry. She enjoyed seeing Lois Mirsky’spicture in the Wheelock Magazine: “She remainsas active as ever and looks the same—lovely!Congratulations, Lois.”Caroline Howard McCarty’s volunteer activitiesare many: peer counseling, reading to a blindgentleman, pushing wheelchair-bound patients to40 Spring/Summer 2012

Class notestheir various activities, Garden Club, interviewingstaff and residents on her local in-house TV, andushering at Sunday chapel. Then she treats herselfto yoga twice a week! Way to go, Caroline! LoisBarnett Mirsky is excited about joining with somemembers of the administration in alerting alumnito “Wheelock College’s Policy Connection’s AlumniWire” on the Internet. It is created to tell graduatesabout significant bills in Congress and state legislaturesthat affect children and families. (See WheelockMagazine, Fall 2011, Page 24.) She sends love to all.Penny Power Odiorne is happy to report that shehas had a good year healthwise. The highlight ofher year was the mini reunion she had with ChippyWolf and Nancy Pennypacker Temple ’54/’80MSin Boston prior to attending the Wheelock graduationof her grandniece. Penny bursts her buttonswith pride to experience the growth and success ofour College and all that it is offering to young menand women.Frances “Fran” Levine Rogovin reports thatshe has had a busy year and sends her best wishesto her classmates. Suzanne Hamburger Thurstonsays she thinks she and the house are falling apartat the same time. Doctor appointments and serviceappointments fill her calendar. There was alot of activity and togetherness for the 10 whocame for Christmas. She is a health care volunteernow and occasionally does pen and ink drawing.She has also written five children’s books that shegives as gifts. Life is full! Elsa Weyer Williamsinforms us of the death of her husband, Don, lastAugust after several years of health issues. Betweenthem, they had eight children, 15 grandchildren,and one great-grandchild. The family is lookingforward to two family weddings this summer. Elsaalso wanted us to know of one of our classmates,Rosemary Murphy, who passed away in February.She lived in Pilgrim for one year and then marriedand transferred to Rochester, NY, continuedin early childhood education, and became anoutstanding kindergarten teacher. She and anotherclassmate, Mary Jeffords Mills, were good friends.Virginia “Ginny” Thomas Williams writesabout her phone chats with Ginger Bates andElsa Williams. Ginny and her husband, Dick, aregrateful for the ability to enlarge the font on theirKindles. She misses traveling except for an annualtrip to California, where she visits her daughter. Arotator cuff problem keeps her from doing thosethings we all used to do when we were young atheart. Margaret Austin Wyman mentions thatshe and her husband have moved to Marion, MA,where they are enjoying nearby ocean, family,and grandchildren. With her new hip and moremobility, she enjoys walking the beach and continuingwith her bell choir directing. It was a bigyear for her: She turned 80 and they celebrated50 years of marriage.I (Elizabeth “Chippy” Bassett Wolf) hada delightful trip last June to Venice and theDalmatian Coast with Tauck Tours. A widowfriend from Stanford and I went together, awonderful traveling “team.” I still enjoy babysittingwith three of my five grandchildren wholive nearby. The nonprofit world keeps me outof mischief. Remember, you don’t have to haveemail to add to these Class Notes. Wheelockhas my address and phone number. Just keep intouch. Be well, each of you. xoxox, “Chippy”1956Persis Goodnow HamiltonIn this winter of no winter, at least here inMassachusetts, many of you sent in news! I (Persis)thank you very much.Ann Melrose Blauvelt wrote that she enjoyedthe 55th Reunion, rooming with Dottie Weissand me. She missed her buddies Sue WatersShaeffer and Alarie Preston Midgley. She didnot mention the tour of Boston I gave to herwhile trying to get her to the airport. She endedup in a cab. She also told of her activities. InDecember she and Pete celebrated Christmas withtheir sons in Rochester and Marietta, GA. Earlierthis year, she spent a week with a dear friend inVirginia Beach; went back to Georgia to attendGrandparents Day at the Walker School, whichher two granddaughters attend; and went toIreland and London for a tour. They were excitedabout sailing back to New York on the QueenMary II. Evelyn Jenney Eaton writes that she isstill enjoying life in the San Francisco Bay Area.She is active in the Assistance League (a nationalorganization), and she still sings in the churchchoir and a local group called Viva la Musica. Sheenjoys knitting and reading. They are about donewith long trips to Europe but plan to travel nearerto home. They had their 50th wedding anniversaryin August 2009! Congratulations, Evelyn!Ruth Bailey Papazian was sorry not to be withus for Reunion. She hopes to be in Boston laterthis year and would love a tour of the College.She will be happily surprised, I think. Ruth andher husband took the whole family to Aruba lastsummer and had a grand time with water sportsand just being together. Their oldest granddaughtergraduated from law school and is working forthe city of Toronto. Alexandra, a business schoolgrad, is working for her dad in his software business.All the other children are involved in varioussports. Ruth’s days are filled with working out atthe gym, swimming, volunteering at church, andenjoying the grandchildren. Later in 2012 she andher husband expect to take a river cruise on theDanube. Mary Louise Stickles Perkins had littlesnow in Colorado but a cold winter just the same.Her granddaughter, Molly, and her husband are inGhana with the Peace Corps. Grandson Mark andhis wife have a son who is nearly 3. Grandson Robwill graduate from high school in May and willattend the University of North Dakota. GrandsonBrandon, a sports and band participant in highschool, teaches gymnastics to young children.Addie Bradlee Polese was also sorry to havemissed Reunion. She did catch up a bit with AnnBlauvelt. She and Jim had plans to drive south toManasota Key, FL (south of Venice and 20 minutesnorth of Boca Grande). They are thinking ofselling their large house and are planning a trip onthe Danube in September. (Maybe they will seeRuth Papazian!)Beverly Haley Richter and Ed enjoyed everyminute of Reunion. They spent a month in FortMyers, FL, to get away from the cold of Maine.She spent some time on the bunny slopes withher grandkids but feels she is slowing down. (I canrelate to that.) When she returned to Maine, shewas busy with outdoor cleanup work and paintingso she’d be ready for the warm weather whenit finally got to Maine. Joan Genesky Rubinreports that all is well but wonders where all theyears went. Daughter Elyse is a senior editor at theUniversity of Michigan Rackham Graduate Schoolof Journalism and has a 19-year-old daughter.Daughter Laurie teaches in Wellington, FL, andhas two children, ages 11 and 13. Joan spendswinters at her home in Boynton Beach, FL. She ismost involved with skin cancer education, especiallyin the school system. She serves on the boardof directors of the Richard David Kann MelanomaFoundation and in February chaired their annualfundraiser at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach.She also serves on the board of Palm Beach RoundTable and the board of trustees of Palm BeachInternational Society. Joan and Ben make theirhome in Chestnut Hill, MA, and summer onNantucket Island.Teckie Reese Shackelford returns tothe College for meetings of the WheelockCorporation. She is “much impressed with thedirection the College is taking while at the sametime keeping the same energy and commitmentto children and families that it has been notedfor over so many years,” she writes. She hopesto return for the 60th. Even though she was atWheelock for only a year, she remembers everyonewell and lovingly. Teckie and her husbandare traveling more, but he is still engaged inbanking and she still has her business counselingstudents who need help with the college admissionsprocess. She enjoys her work and hopes itkeeps her young. Barbara Silverstein writes that,“God willing,” she will be at our 60th. She is stillworking hard and hopes to slow down in 2012.She has been showing and selling her designs atCanyon Ranch resort and spa in Lenox, MA,once a month. You can check out Barbara’s jewelryin the gift shop at the Museum of Fine Artsin Boston.I am sorry to report the loss of Candy PalmerSmyth Vaughan. She died last Oct. 1 of cancer.She is greatly missed.All is well in Worcester. Yes, I really live inWorcester, not a suburb. I am well cared for atmy new home, Briarwood Continuing CareCommunity. You can check us out on Facebook.Wheelock Magazine 41

Class notesMy daughter and her family are nearby, so, happily,I am part of their lives. I think from time to timeabout a trip, but I have too much to do here!1957Joan Patterson BrownSue Terry Covell and husband Tom have movedinto a new home in Casa Grande, AZ, andbriefly lived next door to Sallie Farrel Brown.Unfortunately, Sallie was in the process of sellingher home and moved shortly afterward. “So sorrynot to reacquaint ourselves over time as neighbors!”Sue writes. “Good story, hmm? Who wouldEVER believe it?!”1958Reunion 2013May 31–June 2L-R Ann Manfuso Paras ’58 and Judy O’ConnellPerkins ’61 having lunch in Napa, CAMargaret “Maggie” Weinheimer SherwinDuring 2011, most of us reached that impressivesoundingthree-quarter-century mark, and a numberof people had real celebrations.Carol Stuart Wenmark invited 90 people fora potluck party, complete with tents, games, lotsof visiting, and even help with cleanup. Carol isnow busy perusing seed catalogs for the best stuffto grow and sell at her farmers market booth. GailWheeler celebrated her 75th with a dance party.Music was provided by her sons, and the 40 guestsincluded some of our classmates. In November,Gail had both knees replaced. She is staying true toher recovery exercise so that she can quickly returnto her more active pursuits.Mardy Moody O’Neil and Hugh enjoyed arail trip through Scandinavia and a river cruisefrom Moscow to St. Petersburg—both gloriousadventures. Back home, Mardy is involved in abook club, Savvy Seniors, and many other activitiesas well as marveling over their 21 grandchildren.She keeps in close touch with Pommy,Gail Wheeler, Julie Russell, and Jeanie TullochGriffith. Mannie Cook Houston was lookingforward to a trip to Arizona and a reunion withher son. Mannie enjoys her grandson Colin, 3,who appears to be miles ahead of her technologywise.Her granddaughter is in Alaska workingas an observer for a fishing company. LauraLehrman thoroughly enjoys living in New YorkCity, where she can attend concerts and visitmuseums and galleries. She often takes the bus tonew neighborhoods, where she checks out shops,eats local food, and feels like she has traveled.Cold and windy days find her indoors enjoyingWQXR (classical music radio) and knitting.Chickie Contas Magoulias is still busy writingmore than 500 acknowledgments for themany donations made and kindnesses shownwhen her husband, “Fr. Nick,” died in June2011. He’d been a clergyman in the same parishfor 46 years and was much loved. Carol YudisStein keeps busy knitting afghans in school colorsfor her college-age granddaughter as well asneedlepoint pillows with their college seal. Shevolunteers at a women’s health center, where sheescorts patients for various health tests. That takescare of her walking for the day. She and Jim wereplanning a fall trip along the California coast anda dinner with Ann Manfuso Paras, whom Carolhadn’t seen since graduation.Mollie Farnham Love checked in with lots ofnews. She has started teaching again—this timebridge to adults, but she finds all her Wheelockteaching skills come in handy. Mollie is a tournamentbridge player herself. Husband Richard worksas an investment counselor. Their son, Rick, lives inBoston, two daughters are near Seattle, and anotherdaughter is in Kentucky. Nice to hear from youagain, Mollie! Sybil Magid Woodhouse and husbandWoody remain active in the Reno, NV, areabut spend time in Oceanside, CA, with their family.Sybil’s mom passed away last fall at the age of 94.Sybil and Woody were spared any damage from thewild fires that hit their area in November ’11. Likeother of our classmates, Sybil celebrated birthday 75with a party.1959Sally Schwabacher HottleI (Sally) join “roomie” Barbara Sahagian Carlsonin saying, “Greetings to the Class of 1959!” “Boo”writes that she took some time off this year to havefoot surgery. She spent about a month reading,braiding strips for her braided rugs, and watchingTV. Other than that, the Carlson family is doingwell, enjoying “getting into the garden and plantingglads” this spring. The Alfred Shaker Museumreopened for the season in early May, and anyonein the area who would like a guided tour can giveBoo a call. Patty Haas has lived in Sarasota, FL,for more than 20 years. She is still volunteering atthe Selby Library repairing books, etc., and she alsovolunteers at Cyesis and at Riverview High Schoolwith the child care director. Patty saw MaddyGatchell Corson at Wheelock’s Sarasota Luncheon.Marion Turnbull Mangels and husband Peteare living in a retirement community, LindenPonds, in Hingham, MA, and spending their summersat their home on Cape Cod. Marion enjoysplaying mahjong, reading, knitting, and going toa caregiver’s support group; Pete enjoys swimmingoften. Along with daughter Cindy and family, theyenjoyed Christmas in Amherst, MA, at son Andy’shome. The oldest of their five grandchildren is afreshman in college. Last summer Marion, JudieScott Stolp ’59/’76MS, and Jeanne WilsonHatch enjoyed lunch together. Betty Lou WareRobertson and Donald will be married 50 yearsin September. They enjoy living in Tulsa with theirthree great-children and seven grandchildren. Shewrites that she would love to come back and seethe new Wheelock.As for me, Sally Schwabacher Hottle, I’m stilladvocating for our senior citizens in Fairfax County,VA, playing lots of bridge, and traveling wheneverI can. My 10-year-old granddaughter and I enjoyedan intergenerational Road Scholar trip to Utah lastAugust (caving, hiking, and ballooning, amongother things), followed by a trip for me to Provenceand Paris in October. I enjoyed having lunch withMary Runyon Obaidy and Wheelock’s TerriHouston last fall. I hope “y’all” are doing well andwill send news next time you find my request letterin your mailbox.Class of 1959 members were all so sorry tohear of the passing of Sue Van Aken Lippoth inMay 2011. Her obituary mentioned her wonderfuladventures with her beloved husband, Don,and called her the “consummate volunteer,” whohad a big heart and whose “many charitable giftsand multiple acts of kindness” defined her. Indeed,members of the Wheelock community who hadworked with her over the years felt very fortunateto have had her leadership in planning and holdingalumni events and were grateful for her time,energy, dedication, and support.1963Jane Kuehn KittredgeReunion 2013May 31–June 21964Phyllis Forbes KerrSharon Greenberg Burstein and husband Steveretired to Hilton Head Island, SC, in 2001. Theyare actively involved in their temple, CongregationBeth Yam, where they have been running a filmseries for years. Sharon used to volunteer as thestoryteller in the children’s theater in the HiltonHead Library and has spent seven years volunteeringin the library’s bookstore. Who’s their friend(see photo), you’re wondering? “We have a pettherapy dog, Daxie Lee, who does tricks and entertainsthroughout Hilton Head, visiting nursinghomes, assisted and independent living facilities,and Memory Matters, a program for those withAlzheimer’s,” Sharon writes.42 Spring/Summer 2012

Class notesLinda Gordon Kendall ’61 caught by Wheelockroommate Judy O’Connell Perkins ’61’s camerawhen Judy visited her in Napa, CA, last August“Each move has provided more friends andgreat opportunities to learn and grow,” BetsyMcIntyre Doepken writes about having lived inHaverford, Boston, New York, and Indianapolis.Now retired, she and husband Tony are still tryingto figure out where they want to “land,” shesays. They don’t seem to get around to downsizingand think of themselves as happily situatedhalfway between their son (Alaska) and daughter(Georgia). Betsy is very involved in the IndianaWomen in Need Foundation, which supplies helpto women going through treatment for breast cancer,and both she and Tony volunteer at church,lead mission trips to Alaska, feed the homeless, and“on and on.” She explains, “Our lives have beenblessed, and we are aware of how important it is toshare that.” They have a lot of spare rooms if anyoneis going to the Indianapolis area! Ellen FrenchFulton reminisced about teaching first grade inNew Jersey early in her career, marrying Tim inAugust 1965, having her daughter and son in theearly 1970s, and being able to stay home withthem until they graduated from high school. Shewent on to establish a developmental kindergartenin 1991 and then the first pre-K in her countyin 1993. “Thanks to Wheelock,” she writes, “Iwas able to write curriculums, with ease, and waspraised by the administration.” She retired happilyin 2007. More recently, she was thrilled to beable to cross “Being at Wheelock one more time”off her “bucket list”: She and Joan Tulis Trisko’65 returned to campus in June 2010 for the firsttime since they’d each graduated. “Everything atWheelock College is so grand!” Ellen writes. “Itwas delightful to see all the changes.”“Bill and I continue our lives at a fast pace inNew London, NH,” writes Tina Morris Helm’64/’98MS. Their family continues to be busy,healthy, and happy. Bill is still chair of the boardof New London Hospital. Tina has learned a lotworking “feverishly” as a member of their town’sboard of selectmen. She also continues her regularvolunteer work in their local elementary school,which she wouldn’t miss for anything; drives theelderly who are not able to drive themselves; hasbecome active in their local Rotary club; and iscompleting her final term on Wheelock’s Boardof Trustees. They still play tennis and have hadsome wonderful trips (including to Holland andBelgium this year). “Despite aches and pains,normal for 70-year-olds, life is good,” Tina writes.“Remaining active is imperative!”A lovely, colorful Valentine’s Day letter/collagecame from Jessi MacLeod ’64/’92MS. She isgrateful for family and friends, her grandchildrenand her mother, travel, and life. “I appreciate yourthoughts, prayers, and cards as I survive breast cancer,”she writes. She was looking forward to fishing,kayaking, and exploring in the spring and summer.Judy Holmes Marco and Len are retired andliving in Charlotte, NC, near their daughter andtwo grandchildren—Noah (6) and Sarah (4). Judyknits blankets for children at the Levine Children’sHospital in Charlotte, volunteers at Charlotte’s newRonald McDonald House, helps with the grandchildren,and plays bridge and mahjong.Mary Ellen Freeman Smith enjoyed nice summerweather in Maine last year—perfect for golfing,a family gathering, and being at the lake withher grandkids. In May 2011 she had a “trip of alifetime” to Alaska with five family members fromColorado: three days in Vancouver, a seven-dayInside Passage cruise, and three coach days endingin Fairbanks. She saw beautiful views of Mt.McKinley. Last August, Mary Ellen wrote: “I wasvery saddened to learn of Sandy Perry’s passing thispast winter. Such a wonderful, vibrant person andvery close friend. She contributed much to childrenin her teaching and Wheelock with her energy andideas in several capacities. She’ll be missed, butremembered with her smile.”Congratulations to Barbara Russell Williams,who retired from “all paid work” last December.She had worked in a variety of education institutionsand milieus and had received a master’s inScience and Environmental Education. Her lastjob, “the best job ever,” was that of manager/developerof the science-based K-4 Living Lab Schoolfield trip program at the Bellevue (WA) BotanicalGarden. She and her husband now volunteer withthe heritage museum in Bellevue and for BellevueParks, providing naturalist programs and historyprograms for each. And they hope to travel moreoften. We are sorry to hear of Barbara’s older sister’spassing in May 2011 and rejoice with her for havingrecently become a great-aunt to a boy and agirl. She and her husband visit their son and hiswife often—they are nearby—and recently went toArizona to see their daughter and her family.Greetings from (Phyllis in) Cambridge! It hasbeen a tough year, but finally Andy, now 75, isfeeling a lot better. The three grandkids (just fiveminutes away), plus my golden retriever, keep meactive and busy in all kinds of weather. I still findtime to do my artwork at the open studio: drawing“naked people,” sketching in coffeehouses, paintingwatercolors at an ongoing class at the MFA. I manageto see Ginny Agar, Ann Omohundro, and thisVery entertaining pet therapy dog Daxie Lee withher “staff” (Sharon Greenberg Burstein ’64 andhusband Steve)year Patricia Burke. I can’t believe the changes andinfluence that Wheelock now has as it grows in somany ways. I am very proud to be an alumna.1966Margery Conley MarsLynne Wyluda Beasley is happily settled intoher retirement home in Cape Elizabeth, ME.And, by the time you are reading this, LaurieKnowles Carter and Bob should be settled intotheir “small, comfortable home with its lovelyview” in Ashland, OR. Pam Miller Callardbecame a first-time grandmother on Sept. 2,2011, when she welcomed Owen into her heartand family. So it is ribbons and bows and babytoes! Congratulations on his birth!Sarah “Sally” Carter wrote earlier this yearof her visit to South Africa for the wedding of herniece: “It was wonderful to explore the incrediblebeauty of the people, geography, and animal lifeduring their summer season. Cape Town is a sophisticatedand cosmopolitan city surrounded by gorgeousmountains, beaches, wineries, farmland, anddesert. There is a fascinating mixture of geographyand culture as they continue to address, through ademocratic process, the economic issues that lingerfrom the days of colonization and apartheid.” Ourdear Maddi Tufts Cormier has had her share ofhealth issues (including knee replacement surgeries)and now writes: “I also have to have another backsurgery. I will hold off with facet injections untilthis body isn’t so wobbly.” (Having just recoveredfrom two surgeries myself, I [Margery] know howmuch I looked forward to mail call each day. Let’sgive Maddi that pleasure, too!)Last summer Marianne Hawkey Langenbachand husband Read moved from Medina, WA,their home of 40 years, across Lake Washingtonto a house in Seattle. It took a year to reworkit and the garden, but now they are settled,happy, and ready for visitors. After they moved,Wheelock Magazine 43

Class notesMarianne retired, but Read continues to work asan attorney in Seattle.It was with great sadness that we learned of thedeath of our classmate Joan Carey Noble. She wasthe roommate of Andrea Murphy Powning andJoyce Nothacker Robinson. Sadly, both Joan andJoyce died of pancreatic cancer less than two yearsapart. As Marcia Carlson Rintoul wrote, “Moreresearch, funding, and attention need to be directedto the cure for this dreaded disease.”Heather Robinson Reimann and husband Joecreated a fantastic blog, boldlygoingnowheretogether,so we could follow their adventures as theyexplored America, the Beautiful last summer andearly fall. They enjoyed a wonderful weekendin Southern California with Mike and SylviaThorndike Sheriff. Also on the road at the sametime but doing the cross-country trip east solo inher van was Connie Muther! She had quite a fewwonderful reunions along the way, lots of exquisitescenery to photograph, before reaching her destinationin Connecticut to attend a wedding. Last fall,Marcia Carlson Rintoul wrote: “I spent somewonderful time with Sue Gianis Crones on theCape this summer. While she was there, we hadlunch with Karen Kuhl Schwalm, who is living inChatham. None of us had been able to attend our45th Reunion, so it was fun to have a mini reunionin Chatham. Sue and I stopped at a wonderfulstore in Brewster that happens to be owned by aWheelock graduate and her husband. The shopalso has a line of Margery’s lovely notecards! I havealso had the opportunity to spend some time withRuth Ann Welsh Rooney. We have met in NewYork City for long chatty lunches and then havegone to the theater. What fun! Of course, I havekept in touch with my roommate, Joan AustinYocum, who lives in Arlington, VA. AndreaMurphy Powning was also in the area to spendsome time with Joyce Nothacker Robinson’sfamily. We remember Joyce with such a deep senseof love and loss. It always impresses me how veryrefreshing and interesting it is to be with old anddear friends from Wheelock.”“I said I would never be one of those grandmothers,”says Reid Algeo Schenck, but nowshe admits that that lasted about three secondsafter her new grandchild, Lila Louise, was bornin 2011. That year was truly an amazing onefor Reid for it also included trips to Galapagos,Cambodia, and Vietnam! Sylvia ThorndikeSheriff and husband Mike came east in May2011 to attend her 50th high school reunion.She contacted Patty Phillips Fraser, whograciously hosted a mini reunion luncheon inher lovely home, which also included Thordis“Toodie” Burdett Gulden, Anne HallowellNewton, and me as well as our dear spouses.Following the news of Sandy TupperWammack’s death, I heard from many of ourclassmates with warm remembrances of her—including words from her former Peabody roommatesHope, Reid, and Susan. Heather also44 Spring/Summer 2012wrote, as she recalled their first year of teaching inConnecticut when they were living together. TheCollege and I both wrote to her husband, Allen,and had a lovely reply from him. In part, he wrote:“It was so very kind of you to [write]. . . . Thatmeant a lot to me and I was very touched. Sandyand I met in Europe when I was in the Army.Never were two people so far apart in our backgroundand station in life. But nevertheless Sandymade it work and we enjoyed 44 years of a blessedlife together. . . . Thank you for touching me withone more pleasurable memory from Sandy’s past.”I believe it was the late actress Bette Davis whosaid that old age isn’t for sissies. I would quickly addthat neither is knee replacement surgery. Not onlyhave I found it to be quite painful, but the recoveryphase is a long and hard road back to normal. I dohope no more parts get rusty in these years ahead!Four more years until our 50th Reunion, andalready some of us are thinking and planning forthat weekend! Our goal is to bring back at least 50classmates to celebrate our golden anniversary. Thecountdown is on!1967Betsy Simmonds PollockLinda Hoe Palmer writes of her “fulfilling life.”She retired three years ago after 25 years of teachingin Burke, VT, and now does a lot of subbingin Burke and Lyndonville and helps out at herdaughter’s day care. She also makes quilts and isa trustee of the Burklyn Arts Council. Linda hadboth knees replaced about two years ago and stillskis very actively. She no longer has horses but doesswim and walk a lot during the summer. Her fourgrandchildren are the “light of [her] life.”1968Reunion 2013May 31–June 2Cynthia Carpenter SheehanMonica Freese Eppinger is still working parttime at Mystic Seaport. She has two grandchildrenwho live nearby. She had a knee replacement inNovember and says she’s walking fine now! She seesHeidi Paffard Simmons and keeps in touch withMargo Merrill Loutrel and Leslie Smith Gill.Sarah Jarvis ran a corporate day care centerin Dorchester and left Boston in 1973 for NYC,working with Head Start and Follow Through. In1987 she obtained a position with the Departmentof Education as a teacher with the Program forPregnant and Parenting Teens. That program wasphased out and she retired in February 2009. Herdaughter, Najah Camille Williams, recently turned31. Carol Hamel Long and her husband are livingin their eighth house and “hopefully [their]last”! They are currently living in her hometown,Southborough, MA. She has been working withJohn Wiley & Sons in New York for the past 15years, where her off-site work entails executiveacquisitions for trade technical books. “I have onlyCarol Hamel Long ’68 on the beach in Moroccolast November, when she was there visiting herdiplomat son and his familythe fondest memories of Wheelock and my wonderfulfriends there and thrill of going to college inBoston in the ’60s!” she writes.Sue Ordway Lyons has been retired for eightyears and now fills her time with reading, quilting,and volunteer work. Much of her time is devotedto family. She has enjoyed a lasting friendship withSusan Castleton Ryan ’68/’73MS and her husbandover the years. “We just pick up wherever weleft off,” she writes. Sue wishes the best to all ourclassmates. Faith Schultz Perkins and husbandDan have lived in Boston for more than 10 years.They are ardent volunteers and Faith is enjoyingbeing president of the Neighborhood Associationof the Back Bay, an organization whose purposeis to improve the quality of residential life in theBack Bay: “It’s very interesting to try and navigatebetween the needs of the people who actually livehere (and who want to be part of a real community)and the goals of the retail and commercial componentsof the neighborhood.” Her daughter andfamily live in the Boston area, and they cherish themoments they can spend with them. Her son livesand works in Abu Dhabi for the national airline ofthe UAE. “We’ve been very fortunate to visit thatfascinating city but also to travel to many places inthat part of the world,” she adds.There are several from Riverway House whotry to get together as often as possible for “minireunions”: Faith, Margie Moss Shekarchi, KeenaDunn Clifford, and Kathy Weinland Lordan.Susan Webb Tregay and her husband are veryhappily retired in the mountains of North Carolina.She writes, “I’ve spent the last couple of years pullingout my Wheelock philosophy and painting my‘Free-Range Children Series’—these are about ourchildhoods in contrast with today’s kids’ lives.” Inaddition to teaching painting now and then, shehas two solo museum shows coming up with herseries. Candy Erickson Weiler has recently retiredfrom her position as principal of the Carver (MA)Elementary School after more than 13 years. She

Class notesretired midway through the school year so that shecould help her older son and his wife with childcare for the three grandsons who live a few milesaway in Duxbury. She also found out that heryounger son and his wife are expecting in June:“We are looking forward to traveling to Californiato meet the newest Weiler!” Candy and Friend willcelebrate their 44th anniversary this August with atrip to Paris and the Provence area in September.“It’s great to be able to travel anytime we want, notduring school vacation,” she writes.Sue Ackerman Zwick writes: “Even though Ihaven’t taught for nearly 15 years, early childhood isnever far from my heart. . . . Observing young children,a skill we honed in our training at Wheelock,has helped me beyond the classroom as a photographer.You can view some of Sue’s images on herwebsite: www.suezwick.com. Living near New Yorkbrings Sue and husband Burt into the city often fortheater, museums, and good cuisine. They also havea passion for travel, which has taken them to manyremarkable places.Lani Kung Paone traveled up to Vermont tosee Jacki Pearsall Stack and me (Cindy) last July.Actually, she wanted to check to make sure herWheelock roomie was on the mend. A drunk driverdrove through a stop sign, causing a head-on collision.Jacki’s husband was killed, and Jacki spentabout a month in the local hospital, recovering fromher injuries and having physical therapy. Jacki didreturn to work as a teaching assistant in Septemberand has finally mentioned the word “retirement”for after the next school year! Lani and Chuck havebuilt a home in Mexico, where they plan to spendtime after she retires from American Airlines.I (Cindy) am so fortunate to have both of mychildren live nearby so I can enjoy the grandchildrenand their many activities! I’m also an on-callsubstitute at a local credit union as a teller—plusI’m still attending 20 or so craft shows a year.There’s never enough time in my retirement day todo all that I’d like!Thanks to everyone who responded and sharedtheir news!Jane McDonough ’69 and Kathleen Murphy Ladd’70 met up in New York City to see Jane’s son in atheater performance earlier this year.1969Linda Bullock OwensTasha Lowell AllanChris Sharkey Bell retired from teaching in theSandwich (MA) Public Schools three years ago.She enjoys living in the community in which shetaught and is happy that her two kids are close byas well. Jan “Bambi” Bevan lives in Bradenton,FL. Although semiretired, she continues to advisedoctoral students at Nova Southeastern College andkeeps busy with organizations like the United Way.“I love this partial retirement!” Cheri Breemanwrites. It allowed her to have another fabulous yearof travel, venturing around Turkey for three weeksand spending time in many incredible places,including Istanbul, Cappadocia, and the southwesterncoast on the Mediterranean. She is still workingas a Head Start reviewer and traveling aroundthe United States meeting others from around thecountry. In spite of it having been a “low snowyear” for Colorado, Cheri still skied about 60 days,and when she wrote, she was looking forward tobiking and hiking season. She wrote that the moosebedding down in her backyard back in March werea fantastic sight. Sally Holgate DeWolfe retiredafter 41 years of teaching third, fourth, and fifthgrades and then ending her career as a preschoolteacher in Aspen, CO. Now time allows for enjoyinggrandkids, skiing, and traveling. She thinksoften of her Wheelock days and hopes to make iteast for a Reunion someday!Rob Petitmaire Harnisch works as a specialeducation administrator in the Fargo (ND) PublicSchools, where she has been for 21 years. Hermother, Roberta Beaupain Petitmaire ’30, enjoysliving with Rob and husband Doug. They get eastevery once in a while to visit kids John and Brooke.Rob often talks with Susan Anderson Spreter, wholives outside Atlanta, GA. Rob reports that Susan isenjoying retirement, does some response to interventionwork, and enjoys her two grandchildren.Jane Luke Hill has settled into a new home in a55+ community in Georgetown, TX, where lifepasses at a slower pace. In the summer months sheand husband Tom travel to their second home inNorth Carolina, where her daughter and her familyare only three hours away. Jane writes that life is notonly good but couldn’t be any better. She hopes it isthe same for her Wheelock friends.Sally Fish Longenecker continues to managethe Morgan horse and breeding farm she ownsoutside of Lexington, KY. She keeps in touch withPat Cook, Betsy Paine McClendon ’69/’77MS,and Nance Kulin Liebgott. All agree that no onehas changed at all! Sadly, Sally’s husband, Geoffrey,passed away three years ago. She was grateful tothose classmates who contacted her at that difficulttime. She takes great joy in spending time withher three kids and five grandchildren. Sally spentthree weeks in the Middle East with her sister anda friend. Liz Henderson Lufkin is enjoying notworking full time (with special needs students) forthe first time in years. That’s enabled her to visitwarmer climates, spend time with family, and be ona flexible schedule!Jane McDonough met up with KathleenMurphy Ladd ’70 in New York City, and theywent to see Jane’s son performing at the AcornTheater. Kathleen is a frequent visitor to NewYork to help with her four grandkids. MargreteMiner is very busy running a seminar and supervisingeight grad students at Lesley Universityin Cambridge, MA. She enjoys the stimulationof observing in many schools. With diminishingbudgets, growing challenging student populations,and test-oriented instruction, she wondershow educators manage to accomplish their goals!It doesn’t diminish her resolve, however, to makeconnections and to continue to strive to make adifference. She sends her best to all! Candis JanPutterman Stout is still performing and currentlypromoting the Great American Songbook.She is retired from teaching at an arts-basedpreschool and from serving on the MassachusettsCultural Council. Wheelock Family Theatre wasawarded a Commonwealth Award while she waswith the Council. She enjoys spending time withher two grandchildren.I (Tasha) continue to teach first grade inHingham, MA. My home in Hull is a short10-minute commute with ocean views and sunsets“I was thinking that if there were other teachers from our era, and I cannot speak to subsequentyears, who are still in classrooms where the emphasis has turned to performance insteadof development—I think all of those teachers should get awards for sticking it out when theystruggle every day and clandestinely plot projects and programs which better support whatwe know to be right for these little wee ones. I am thinking it is time for the next editionof Teaching As a Subversive Activity [by Postman & Weingartner] . . . but anyway. This is just oneof many topics Sarah Otis and I discuss Friday afternoons at the beach as we await the sunset.I’m still in St Croix, still keeping chickens, still enjoying kindnesses and finding joy where I am.”—Cat Austin Franks ’72Wheelock Magazine 45

Class notesDestination Wheelock for This Teamof Three from 1972(L to R) Ronni,Diane, and BetsyIt was a fast friendship from the start with Ronni ZuckermanKirsch, Diane Tomaino Fisher, and Elizabeth “Betsy” Page Miller,who roomed together in Peabody all four years as undergraduatesuntil graduation in 1972. Now they live at distant points aroundthe country—Ronni in Tennessee, Betsy in Connecticut, and Dianein Texas—but that doesn’t stop them from meeting up once a yearfor a mini reunion (last trip was Las Vegas). Unable to be together oncampus during their 40th Reunion in June this year, the trio decidedto make Wheelock their mini reunion destination in April! AlumniRelations staff had a wonderful time showing them the old sites andfabulous new sites.“Lauren and Marla,“Thank you for a fabulous tour of Wheelock while in Boston. We had somuch fun with both of you and were very excited to see all of the wonderfulnew additions to the campus. We loved catching up and reminiscingabout our college days—so much has happened in the world sincewe graduated 40 years ago. (Ouch! That makes us sound so old!)“One thing that has not changed is the excellent education wereceived. I feel so very fortunate to have had the solid foundation inearly childhood education that Wheelock gave to me. We understoodbest practices in teaching and learning and developmentally appropriatepractices long before the terms came into common use. I havetaught nonstop since graduation—from kindergarten to college—andI have benefited from my undergraduate education every step alongthe way.“Thank you for taking time from your busy schedules to show offthe campus. We loved getting to know you and will definitely keep intouch. I will try to give back to Wheelock as much as I can, but I willnever be able to match what Wheelock has given to me.Diane“PS: The Miracle Worker was phenomenal—the little girl who playedHelen was absolutely incredible as was the rest of the cast. What a joyit was to be able to see that play and to witness the evolution of theWheelock Family Theatre.“over the Boston skyline, offering a calm ending toevery day. My longtime partner, Jim, has recoveredfrom a frightening battle with cancer, and life holdslots of promise for us! I am as busy as ever with thereligious education program at my church and volunteeringat a South Shore homeless shelter, FatherBill’s. I also continue to serve on the board of directorsof Wellspring, a nonprofit located in Hull thatserves coastal South Shore communities in multipleways, including diploma and GED programs forindividuals who have dropped out of school. Thebest days are those that I get to spend time with anyof my four grandkids! The Boston boat makes aHull stop, so if you’re visiting, please give a call!1973Reunion 2013May 31–June 2Jaci Fowle HolmesRegina Frisch LobreeIn April, Christine Appert, an educationalconsultant and technology coordinator at Universityof Virginia in Charlottesville, wrote: “My department(Hospital Education) at UVA launched ourchild life program about a month ago. . . . We havea recent Wheelock master’s grad, Amanda Simas[’11MS], as our first child life specialist. Everyonehas been very impressed with her preparation andprofessional presentation.”1974Laura Keyes Jaynes2011-2012 was Susan Horn Corey’s 20th year asa teacher—she’s taught kindergarten, first grade,and second grade. Last year she taught secondand loved it. She was also a cooperating teacherand mentor to a second-year teacher. “I am alsoa caregiver to an 84-year-old second cousin,” shewrites, “and mom to a Jack Russell terrier andsix cats!” Paula Davison is putting some extratime she has to very good use as a volunteer forHorizons for Homeless Children. “Quite simply,I just play with a great group of kids, 2 to 7, whoare living in a local homeless shelter,” she writes.“A great program!” Paula is still working full timeas a realtor at The Pinehills in Plymouth, MA,and continues as chair of the Alumni AssociationEndowment Committee.Rita Abrams Draper sent greetings fromCosta Rica! She and her husband continue tospend winters there and the rest of the year managingtheir inns on Block Island. They especiallylove their time with their two grandchildren. Ritais still in touch with Becky Kaminsky, BirdieSmith Denevan, and Mimi Wicker. “In fact,” shewrites, “we are planning a fun long weekend nextNovember to celebrate turning 60!” She sendsregards to everyone.Nancy Rose is a professional artist whohas been teaching art to adults for more than22 years and has had her artwork shown inplaces like the New Britain Museum of Art inConnecticut and Selby Gallery in Sarasota. Sheis happily married with three children and sixgrandchildren. “After many bumps in my life,”she writes, “I am at a time of peace, feelingsurrounded by love. I am an active Quakerand an old campus minister who works tobring equality to all people through the FriendsWorld Committee for Consultation, whichhas consultative status at the United NationsOffice. I feel blessed with family and wonderfulgirlfriends who remind me of you all!”1976Angela Barresi YakovleffIt seems impossible to me (Angela) that a yearhas passed since our Reunion last June. A few ofyou have news to share, though. Marianne DalyChellgren writes: “Wish it was last year—we hadsuch a great time at the Reunion! Is it too early toplan for our next one?” (It’s never too early to startthinking!) Gayle Griswold Goldberg agrees. Shewrites: “The Reunion last June couldn’t have beenbetter! It was so much fun catching up with goodfriends, being in Boston on a beautiful weekend,and seeing all the wonderful improvements to theWheelock campus. Also, staying in the newly renovatedRiverway dorm was just the right touch for agreat weekend!” Maryanne Galvin’s Urban Odyssey,in which “three inner-city teens and three retireesjoin forces in a yearlong escapade in the great outdoors,”was selected for the Boston InternationalFilm Festival this year and shown at the BostonCommon Loews theater in mid-April. Maryanneand several of the people featured in the film participatedin the post-screening Q&A.Rebecca Neblett Drake Hedin left her publicschool principalship in 2009 and is now earlychildhood director at Kingsley Montessori inBoston, where she supervised a Wheelock studentteacher this spring. “I love the respect for developmentallearning and the whole Montessori philosophy,”she writes. Becky’s third grandchild recentlyjoined the family. She continues to see MargitKernan Webb ’76/’80MS every December.Dale Zabriskie Pomerantz is working on twomore books: One is for parents of teens, andthe other is a travel guide. Her first two books,one for parents and the next for grandparents,46 Spring/Summer 2012

Class noteshave sold well. She is the executive director ofThe Parent School in Chapel Hill. She livesin Chapel Hill with husband Jay. Carla UribeRavassa is finishing her seventh year as preprimaryprincipal at the Colegio Bolivar, a NorthAmerican school in Cali, Colombia. Her threedaughters have graduated from college and areliving in the U.S. and enjoying their careers (“nograndchildren yet!”). Carla and her husband enjoytraveling, reading, and watching movies. “I lovegoing to work every day and do not see retirementin the near future yet!” she writes. She hopes to beat a Reunion again someday but in the meantimehas been enjoying catching up with old friendsthrough Facebook.We were so sorry to hear this from SharSitterly Wager: “After so many years together, Ilost my soulmate to cancer this past December.He fought hard but lost his battle.” Shar is stillteaching second grade at the same school in upstateNew York and has no plans to retire yet—shehas been there since 1976! Her oldest daughteris an ER nurse and has one child, Shar’s first andonly granddaughter, now 2—the love of Shar’slife! Daughter Kylie resides in Honolulu and isa second-year environmental law student at theUniversity of Hawaii. Shar’s son will graduate soonfrom an Army training program to be a combatmedic. He is presently stationed in Missouri.I, Angela Barresi Yakovleff, am teaching 4/5social studies and literacy in Vermont. My colleague,who teaches math and science, is a formerfirst-grade student! We make a great team. InMarch the town where I work and the town whereI live voted to consolidate and close the elementaryschool where I teach. I’ve been here since 1978,so the decision is bittersweet. In June I’ll be goingto Thailand with UVM Asian studies outreachprogram for three weeks. Asian studies has beenan interest of mine for several years now. This pastFebruary my husband, Matthew, and I spent timevisiting Dave and Karen Berg Ezzi in Arizona. Itgave us a reprieve from the cold in Vermont andallowed us to catch up with great friends. Karenand Dave are proud grandparents of a 1-year-oldboy. It’s wonderful to hear from each of you. Dokeep in touch.1978Reunion 2013May 31–June 2Pat Mucci TaycoRosemary Anderson is happy to share the newsthat her daughter, Darkia, is attending Wheelockand plans to major in Human Growth andDevelopment/Child Psychology.Rosemary Anderson ’78 is happy to share thenews that her daughter, Darkia (shown here at hergraduation from Norwood High School in 2011), isattending Wheelock and plans to major in HumanGrowth and Development/Child Psychology.Administrative District #75 (Topsham, Bowdoin,Bowdoinham, and Harpswell) with kids K-12. Sheand husband Peter have two children in college. “Ilove my job and the continual challenges of newdiagnosis and more multihandicapped children,along with our growing population of students onthe autism spectrum,” Barbara writes. “My backgroundas a classroom teacher has really helped mework closely with teachers and understand the challengesof their diverse student populations.”Ellen Quinlan is the director of humanresources for the League School of Greater Bostonin Walpole, MA. The League School is a yearroundday school and residential community forstudents on the autism spectrum, ages 4 to 22. “I’malways interested in any recent grads or ‘seasoned’grads looking for a great place to work,” she writes.“We have an ever-increasing need by our studentpopulation.” Corny Conyngham Romanowskiwas the one described as “having lots of fun fixingup our home, a log cabin,” in the appeal for ClassNotes news that went out recently. She wonderswhere the time has gone. She and her husband justcelebrated their 30th wedding anniversary and havetwo children—a daughter, 27, and a son, 21—andare in the empty nest period of their life. Corny isenjoying teaching nursery school/kindergarten parttime and doing volunteer work in her communityin Pennsylvania. “I am so looking forward to our35th Reunion in 2014!” she writes.1983Carol Rubin FishmanReunion 2013May 31–June 21984Kathy Welsh WilcoxCarla Belcher Sweitzer is in her sixth year asan intervention specialist teaching sixth grade atHudson Middle School in Ohio, but this has beenher first time teaching all boys in both resourcemath and language arts. This year she spent anunusually warm spring break week in D.C. takingin all of the sights, including the cherry blossoms.They are gearing up to send their oldest son to collegein the fall. Carla writes about a 10-day churchmissions trip they took to the Dominican Republiclast summer: “We worked with the local church inPuerto Plata constructing a basketball court retainingwall and leading two kids camps in the cityand country. I had the privilege of teaching in thecountry and really enjoyed co-teaching with theDominican women. Even though we didn’t sharethe language, we connected with our passion forteaching and children.” Jody Mount Vorenbergcontinues to teach kindergarten at The OrchardSchool in Indianapolis. Her three girls—Melissa,21; Abby, 19; and Claire, 16—are wonderful andinvolved in their schooling.I (Kathryn) am trying to enjoy life as anempty nester. I decided that, when the boys lefthome, I would go back to school for my master’sin School Administration. Between going backto school and teaching full time, yikes—what alife! I am hoping to be finished with this projectby December. My boys giggle that I am back tobeing a college student and I have to do homeworkon the weekends.1979Linda Britton Cabral lives in Boston and is theacademic superintendent of the Boston PublicSchools. Barbara Dalbeck Piccirillo is still anoccupational therapist working in Maine SchoolCarla Belcher Sweitzer ’84 (right of center, blue top), husband Jeff (in red cap), and their “whole family” inthe Dominican Republic, where they took a 10-day church missions trip last summerWheelock Magazine 47

Class notesHEY, WHAT’S NEW?Juggling a lot? Teaching yoga? Buildinga school? Sudden insights? Changeof course? Adventures? A new job?Bouncing baby? “Retirement” plans?SHARE WITH YOURFRIENDS!Class Notes are published in WheelockMagazine’s spring and fall issuesand three times a year on our alumniwebsite at www.wheelock.edu/alumni/class-notes.LET US KNOW.Contact Lori Ann Saslav at lsaslav@wheelock.edu or at Wheelock College,200 The Riverway, Boston, MA 02215.1985Linda Edwards BealMichele Yefsky Charm, JoAnn ChambersMeehan, and Stephanie Poly Zapatka had a greattime catching up on careers and families when theymet for lunch in the summer of 2011.1986“I really enjoyed my experiences at Wheelock,”writes Zina Collins Knight. “My roommates and Ihad a reunion at Wheelock just a few summers ago.We got to meet President Jenkins-Scott and havelunch with her. It was great! We felt so honored.We had not been back to Wheelock for 20+ years!”Zina has embarked on a new career after 24 years asan elementary school teacher—she “finally got backto [her] roots from Wheelock” and is now an earlychildhood resource teacher. Her son recently graduatedfrom college as a computer engineer, and sheis so proud of him. Her daughter is working on heroccupational therapy degree.“Has it really been that long?” Pamela Senesewrites. She is in her 10th year as a first-gradeteacher at Dedham (MA) Country Day School. In2007 she received her Orton Gillingham training atThe Carroll School - Garside Institute for TeacherTraining in Lincoln, MA. She and her husband,Kevin Coakley, enjoy their summers in the mountainsof western Maine.198848 Spring/Summer 2012Reunion 2013May 31–June 2Carol Ann McCusker PetruccelliChris Schuman Kenny finally had all four childrenin one school this past year. Next year, her oldestmoves up to middle school. She has been busyvolunteering at school and has enjoyed getting backin the classroom. She took the girls to Los Angeleslast June for a bar mitzvah, and they had a greattime touring around LA. She can’t believe 2013 willbe our 25th Reunion. “It seems like yesterday wewere graduating,” Chris says. Cindy Cotter Lahey’soldest son, Matt, graduated from boot camp lastOctober. He joined the Army National Guardafter high school. He is attending the University ofNebraska and living in the dorms. Her youngestson is a sophomore and is planning on going intoa career with computers (“the next Steve Jobs?”).Cindy is enjoying her job at Verizon Wireless in thecall center in Lincoln, NE; she was promoted tosenior representative. She volunteers as much as shecan for several different organizations around town.She is looking forward to seeing all her friends atthe Reunion next year.Jill Postma Martin continues to live in Virginiawith her husband and three sons. She is a sign languageinterpreter working mostly in schools. ArleneCromwell Mendock got remarried to her wonderfulsweetheart, Joseph. He was never married beforeand has no children. Her three sons are teenagersnow. She continues to say what a great placeWheelock is. Virginia Ernst Walsh is still workingat the Hartford as an account representative servicinglife and disability customers. She got married toJames Walsh, and he has two fantastic teenage children.She has been very lucky to be a part of theirlife for the last 11 years.As for me (Carol Ann), I am still teaching anintegrated class in the city of Boston, which I continueto love. My two boys are school-age and keepme busy. I have had the opportunity to see BeckyJohnson Alexander, Johna Doykos King, MarieCormack O’Donnell ’88/’95MS, and Julie Shea’88/’00MS. Please keep in mind that next year isour 25th Reunion.1989Susan Kelly MyersKolleen DeCarolis Callaghan is the mother oftwo teenagers and lives in East Lyme, CT. She hasbeen married for 18 years and recently renewedher vows in Hawaii with her children there. She isworking part time in her daughter’s middle schooland really is enjoying being back in education afteryears at home with her children. She does spendmost of her time in her car driving kids to practicesand games, though—as she knows many of youcan relate to. Theresa Gruetzke Koenig is workingas a math coach three days a week, supportingfourth- and fifth-grade teachers in Stafford, VA.She and her husband celebrated their 20th weddinganniverary on Dec. 28. She writes, “I rememberthe day well, as Traci Raeburn McNulty was mymaid of honor, and Lisa Hayden Hauser, KolleenDeCarolis Kallaghan, Beth Flaherty Dufton, andSherri Bresette Ahlers ’91 were all in attendance.”Daughter Emma is 16 and driving, and son Conlonis 11 and a huge basketball fanatic, just like his dad.“I always remember my years at Wheelock fondlyand still use the educational foundation I wastaught in my everyday life at work and at home,”Theresa adds.Diane Larochelle has started a new nonprofitorganization in Manchester, NH, called Nikki’sDream for Wellness and Education. “We work inconjunction with the Center for Expressive ArtsTherapy and Education providing wellness andmental health counseling to the community,” shewrites. “I love my new job as I get to use my trainingas a teacher to help others through art therapyand prevention programs.” Jennifer Lindert hasspent the last 16 years working in a small ruralVermont school as a special educator, and this yearher school transitioned to project-based learning andco-teaching. Jennifer works primarily in grades 7 to12, focusing in literature, language arts, and somesocial studies. She writes: “I am lucky to be able towork daily with my husband, Brian Boyes, who isthe music educator at the same school. We got marriedin 2001. We traveled to China to welcome ourfirst daughter, Ana Hui Lindert-Boyes, in 2005, andto Ethiopia for our second daughter, Birtukan TaloLindert-Boyes, in 2010. We have been very fortunatein creating our family through adoption. We’relooking forward to returning to both our daughters’birth countries in the very near future. In my sparetime, I am learning to speak Chinese and maybe inthe future Amharic.” Jennifer Buczynski Morettolives in Wilmington, MA, and is married with twokids—Jenna, 10, and Garett, 9. She works forHallmark Health VNA as a registered nurse.1991Gretchen Carney and Edward Geary Jr. were marriedon March 17 at the Daniel Webster Estateand Heritage Center in Marshfield, MA. LaurenMcCarthy Winter, Holly Hoak, Hilary StewartReed, and Erin Sweeney DeSantos were all there,and Joe Pagliuca was the best man.Last September, Kimberly Lawther Jacksonwas nominated as an honoree by ConnecticutSen. Terry Gerratana and received recognition atthe 14th Biennial YWCA Women in Leadershipluncheon. “Sen. Gerratana acknowledged the

Class notesBride Gretchen Carney ’91 was thrilled to have classmates (L-R) Hilary Stewart Reed,Holly Hoak, Lauren McCarthy Winter, and Erin Sweeney DeSantos on hand tocelebrate her wedding in Marshfield, MA, in March.Music video stars Sarah Zimman ’96/’97MS and her fiancé, Dennisimportance of my role in family education,encouraging families to continue to partner withthe schools and community to support theirchild’s education,” Kimberly writes. “She alsonoted that I have been ‘a persuasive and compellingvoice to the state legislature about the valueof the Family Resource Center model . . . witha wide breadth of knowledge about child andfamily services that has enriched each group withwhom she has worked with in New Britain.’ Itwas humbling to receive recognition for the workI love to do. As a Wheelock alum, I am proud toserve as a leader and to serve as a gateway to educationfor the diverse population in New Britain.”1993Reunion 2013May 31–June 2Jessica James Moynahan writes: “Hello to pastWheelock Ladies xo. I find myself laughing outloud at times with memories of Wheelock times.That’s life to Live, Laugh, and Love to the fullest.Luv to hear from some blast from the past, andwishing all whose paths were crossed endless bliss.I start with a stream of names like . . . Kay ‘kk’Barnard-Baez, Heather Reese, Anna Calcateria,Sarah Knightly, Amy and Kelly who lived with uson Simmons campus our first transfer year . . . justto name a few. Years have gone by, but memories arefond. The door is open. Please feel free to email.”1994In addition to working full time as a clinical schoolsocial worker, Heidi Butterworth Fanion hasbeen very busy working on the boutique businessshe launched in 2008, Heidi’s Bling. She makescustom-designed rings from Swarovski crystals andglass beads that bring awareness to a wide variety ofcauses, from cancer research to gay rights, and shedonates a portion of the proceeds from ring sales tolocal charities that support these causes. Her ringshave taken her to New York and California andalso Germany and India, according to her website(www.heidisbling.com), and she “takes great pridein having turned the hobby that honed her flair forfashion into a specialty service.”Things are going well for Jacquelyn JudgeFitzgerald and family, and they are feeling veryblessed. She, husband Sean, and their son live inMarshfield, MA, and enjoy living near the oceanall year long. Still working as a fourth-gradeteacher in the Boston Public Schools, which sheloves, Jacquelyn also teaches graduate coursesin the Literacy Department at NortheasternUniversity. “I am so fortunate for all thatWheelock has taught me,” she writes. SonjaSwanson Holbrook has a “busy and wonderful”life in Florida with her husband and 1-year-olddaughter. She is managing a federal HIV/AIDSprogram. Sharon Abrams Meinck still loves“being a part of helping young women fromaround the world share their lives and culturewith American families and vice versa” afternine years of working at Au Pair in America inStamford, CT. She will celebrate her 16th weddinganniversary this year, and her daughter willstart middle school in the fall. “It really is amazinghow fast time goes by,” she writes. “It seemslike only yesterday we were back at Wheelock.”It was with great sadness that Wheelockannounced on March 6 that our beloved SueMackey, the College’s manager of campus services,had died peacefully that morning at Beth IsraelDeaconess Medical Center after a brief illness. Suewas a member of the Campus Services and Facilitiesteam for 18 years. “She loved and was totally devotedto Wheelock College,” President Jenkins-Scott wroteto the Wheelock community. “We will all miss hercommitment to the College, her readiness to assisther colleagues, and her easy smile and laughter.”1996Robin Fradkin Matthews is still teaching writingat Drexel University and having a ball hangingout with her wife and 3-year-old son in suburbanPhilly. She writes, “I started T for U Handpainted,a small customized T-shirt business (http://www.t4uhandpainted.com) and have already paintedthings for several of my Wheelock buddies!” AlanaOliver Prange ’96/’01MS married Timothy WaynePrange, a project manager for IAP World Services atthe U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, at BluemontVineyard in Bluemont, VA, on June 25, 2011.They had a second ceremony, attended by Alana’sparents and officiated by Tim’s dad, a Lutheranpastor, at his church in Maryborough, Queensland,Australia, on Oct. 31. Alana gave birth to theirfirst child, “Ms. Annabelle Jeanne Prange,” on Feb.12. They live in Alexandria, VA, and Alana is aconsultant to the Source for Learning Inc. for theirPreschool First website.“It was a trip of a lifetime that has enhancedmy teaching by volumes,” writes Sheila Higgins“It was a trip of a lifetime that has enhanced my teachingby volumes. I co-wrote a grant with a fellow librarian,and together we were granted $10,000 from aFund for Teachers and Rural School and CommunityTrust. We traveled to Ireland, England, Scotland, andFrance to study the work of various authors and artisansfor 16 days [last] summer. My students have anew understanding of the world. I have been able todemonstrate through my own experience that they, too,can travel the world. I am currently working on completingmy master’s in Library Science at East CarolinaUniversity in Greensboro, NC.”—Sheila Higgins Scott ‘96Wheelock Magazine 49

Class notes(L-R) Johanna Lynch ’98/’99MS and Amy Clark Duffy ’98/’01MSdidn’t let a little rain bother them at a concert at Fenway Parklast summer!New Arizona residents Bryn Mastyk Yozzo ’98, husband Rob, and their girlsScott. “I co-wrote a grant with a fellow librarian,and together we were granted $10,000 from a Fundfor Teachers and Rural School and CommunityTrust. We traveled to Ireland, England, Scotland,and France to study the work of various authorsand artisans for 16 days [last] summer. My studentshave a new understanding of the world. I have beenable to demonstrate through my own experiencethat they, too, can travel the world.” Sheila is currentlyworking on a master’s in Library Science atEast Carolina University in Greensboro, NC.Sarah Zimman ’96/’97MS writes: “I gotengaged on Jan. 14 to the love of my life, DennisDulong Jr., musician/singer/nurse and all aroundamazing man! We were also in a music videotogether. A local North Shore filmmaker, GaryBarmin, liked one of my fiancé’s songs [and askedhim] to make a music video of it. I was also the‘co-star’ of it, along with our sweet and adorabledog, ‘Sky’: http://youtu.be/Pc2V_m9mnBc.” Sarahalso wrote about having had her hip replaced atage 36 and her recent recovery from her fifth hipsurgery. She has been “spreading hip awareness”for the past five years, blogging about her story athttp://meandmyhipster-sj.blogspot.com/. Her Flickr365 photo journey of her comeback from hipreplacement surgery has let her use her passion forphotography to share her story with others: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwNA6f3. Sarah also has been writing ablog for the Salem Patch about her love of the cityof Salem and her adventures around “[her] city”:http://salem.patch.com/.1998Reunion 2013May 31–June 2“It has been an amazing experience,” Amy CurryBassett writes of her and her family’s July 2011move to Portland, OR, and their time theresince then. She says the food is “outstanding(organic, local, farm-fresh),” and she, her husband,and their 2-year-old daughter spend a lotof time outside walking, hiking, and exploring.They also have memberships to the local children’sand science museums, as well as the zoo.Amy loves being at home with her daughter towatch her learn and grow. Amy Clark Duffy’98/’01MS and her husband now have a beautiful,16-month-old baby boy who is “very curiousand has a fabulous personality.” This school yearwas Amy’s 12th year teaching second grade at theBell School in Marblehead, MA.Maryelizabeth Falcone-Farrell graduatedin 2010 with a master’s degree in ClinicalPsychology and loves her job conducting assessmentson suicidal and homicidal children in NewBritain, CT. In June 2011, she and her husbandcelebrated their 10th wedding anniversary!“How time flies!” she writes. Johanna Lynch’98/’99MS is wrapping up her fourth year at theHennigan School in Jamaica Plain, MA, teachingthe second year of a 4th/5th grade loop. “It’sgreat to get to know my students and their familiesso well,” she writes. She also wanted to sharethis picture of herself with Amy Clark Duffyat a “super fun (yet very rainy) night at FenwayPark with NKOTBSB in June 2011!”Bryn Mastyk Yozzo, a former motivationalspeaker who encouraged people to lose weight andachieve their goals, writes: “Then an illness in ourfamily made us make some choices about what wasreally important in our lives. We chose to honorwhat was important to us, which is family. So, Imoved in July ’11 to Queen Creek, AZ, with myhusband, Rob, and our girls, Mykena and Adyson,to help in our family [restaurant] business. I managethe website (http://www.thedeliqc.com/) andFacebook page and also am a server. It was a hugedecision for us to move 3,000 miles, but we areexcited to be together with my brothers, sister-inlaw,parents, and nephew. If you are in the Phoenixarea, come check us out!”1999Last fall Aimee Farrell Dos Santos was featuredon the BIO channel’s I Survived . . . Beyond& Back, where she spoke about her near-deathexperience as a child. Check it out! Jackie Kleinis working full time for her dad at InternationalHeather Raymond Hooven ’99 with daughter Alexandraon her third birthday (New Year’s Eve!)Blind Contractors, Ltd. (window treatments) inNew York City. She is also an assistant teacher inthe kindergarten classroom at Central SynagogueHebrew School. “This is my fifth year and I loveit,” she writes. Erin Barrett McGaffigan receiveda Ph.D. in Public Policy in December. She has a“very supportive husband (who made the degreepossible)” and two beautiful 3-year-old sons.Laurel Simonini Schnitman and husbandMichael welcomed their second child, a girl, WeslieTabor Schnitman, on May 14, 2011. “Jen Dezotellecame to visit when Weslie was born,” Laurel writes.“She stayed for a week to help me recover fromthe birth. What an amazing friend!” Life is prettybusy but lots of fun, and Laurel and Michael especiallyget a kick out of seeing their two kids enjoyeach other. Sarah Houghtaling Schroeder sendsa “Hello” from Berkeley, CA. She had a baby boy,Martin Bernhardt, on Jan. 4, and his big sisters,Eva (5) and Elsa (3), love to help take care of himand “can’t get enough of him.” Sarah isn’t teachingbut stays active in education by supervising studentteachers in the Bay Area.50 Spring/Summer 2012

Class notes“I am so grateful for the time I spent atWheelock, and I think of old friends and facultyoften,” writes Katie Shaw. She receivedan M.S.W. from Hunter College in 2002 andmarried husband John in 2004. They and theiradorable dog, Nala, live in Long Beach, NY. Asthe children’s services coordinator at the NassauCounty Coalition Against Domestic Violence,Katie oversees direct services for children andadolescents affected by domestic violence. Shehas her LCSW and is working toward her RPT(Registered Play Therapist) credential. StephanieArnold Thomas and her family have been livingin Georgia for six years and love it! She recentlystarted homeschooling her 9-year-old daughterand 7-year-old son: “It’s definitely a roller-coasterride every day, but we are having lots of funand meeting a lot of new friends. Our favoritepart is the fun field trips we can take wheneverwe want!”Amy Darling Wood received an M.Ed. with afocus in Montessori education from St. CatherineUniversity in 2009, and for the last three years, shehas been working at the Riverbend School in SouthNatick, MA, as lead toddler teacher and administrativesupport staff. “Working with toddlers in theMontessori environment has been a very rewardingexperience,” she writes. “Along with my current job,I have recently become a sensorial teacher trainerfor the National Center for Montessori Education-New England. I get to bring my passion for teachingto adult learners in the process of becomingMontessori teachers.” Amy and husband Tim havebeen married for almost two years, and she is astepmom to his two handsome boys. Jane SandersWuestkamp and family have moved into their newhome in North Andover, MA, and she is enjoyingstaying at home with son Kyle.2002After an intense year in the Accelerated Bachelor’sin Nursing Program at the University at Buffalo(NY), Suzanne Lewis graduated with her secondbachelor’s in 2009. The following January, she landedher “dream job” in the Neonatal Intensive CareUnit at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester.Congratulations, Suzanne!2003Reunion 2013May 31–June 22006Michelle Messina and Daniel Arinello (Wentworth’06) were married in April 2011.2008Reunion 2013May 31–June 2Congratulations to Savannah Charest Kinneyand husband Matt, who welcomed their firstALUMNI ON FACEBOOKwww.facebook.com/wheelockalumniAND ON TWITTERJoin today and follow @Wheelock Collegebaby, Callie Rae Kinney, on Oct. 20. TheMarine Corps currently has them living inSan Antonio, TX, while Matt is stationed atLackland Air Force Base as a dog trainer, andSavannah works as a foster care case managerfor a child placing agency. Christine Romerohas been living in the San Francisco Bay Areaworking for a homeless youth shelter and takingclasses in early childhood education. Sheplans to apply to graduate school and pursue anM.A. in Education. She and Benjamin Blank gotengaged late last year and will be wed this June16 in Maryland.2009“I have so much fun, most days,” writes RebeccaGould, who has been doing activities with theelderly at an assisted-living facility since graduatingfrom Wheelock. She has an adorable newniece and nephew!2010Kate Needham has been in the Peace Corpsin Mali, working as an education and literacyvolunteer in a town of about 8,000 people,since the summer of 2010. Among the projectsshe has been involved in there, she has helpedlocal English teachers enhance their curriculum,trained the school board, held a girls empowermentconference, and started the first-ever girlssoccer team.2011As a family advocate at Associated Early Care andEducation, Chela Vastey works in all six of thecenter-based programs located in Boston, Roxbury,Jamaica Plain, and Cambridge.Master’s DegreesAlice Turner Elliott ’68MS of Denver, CO,is very grateful for the education she receivedwhile getting a master’s degree at Wheelock. For23 years she worked with children with learningdisabilities in a half-day and then a pull-outprogram in a public school. Also on the staff ofColorado Education Association Helpmobile,she traveled around the state with other masterteachers giving workshops, mentoring studentteachers, and field-testing products and test formatsfor various companies. After retiring fromteaching, she spent eight fulfilling years workingas a consultant for a private school. Now Alice isenjoying retirement and the opportunity to travelwith her husband. Winifred “Oyoko” Loving’72MS was recently elected president of the St.Croix Friends of Denmark, a travel exchangegroup in the United States Virgin Islands, whereshe has lived since graduating from Wheelock.“After teaching elementary school for 30 years,”she writes, “I retired to write books: ‘MyName is Freedom,’ a children’s storybook, and‘Spontaneous: Redefining Poetry,’ an autobiographicalcollection of poems that describe mycolorful/messy/raunchy/lovable heart to a tee.”They are available at www.amazon.com. Winifredis married; is a mother of two, Khema andJonathan (both of whom work in education); andis a busy grandmother of two. The three generationshave traveled the world together, she says!“If you asked me when I graduated Wheelock ifI would ever have been teaching elementary school,I would have said, ‘No,’” writes Lisa Diamant’79MS, “but the job fell in my lap, and I’m gladit did.” She is still teaching second grade at theBridge School in Lexington, MA. This is her 15th(!) classroom, and she finds it challenging somedays but really enjoys it. Lisa and her husband havebeen traveling a great deal, on summer and schoolWheelock Magazine 51

Class notesvacations, and look forward to the day when they’llretire and be able to travel whenever they please!Cindy Ballenger ’82MS made another trip toHaiti this past spring to work with teachers there.She continues to love her work as a reading specialistat the King Open School in Cambridge, MA.Constanza Leal Melo ’82MS, headmistress ofGimnasio Jose Joaquin Casas, a private school inBogotá, Colombia, is also a volunteer for the Heartfor Change Colombia volunteer program. Heartfor Change encourages intercultural exchanges bybringing volunteers from around the world to workin development programs in Colombia, therebyproviding support to social impact projects in thecountry. Constanza writes: “Please send my regardsto anyone who knows me who is still involvedwith the College. My very fond memories are forProfessor Ed Klugman, for whom I have deepestrespect and admiration.”“I guess I just like teaching and helping others,”writes Louise A. Tarver ’82MS, who says sheretired in 2002, while living in Texas, but “reallydid not retire from teaching for money until[2011].” Louise moved from Texas to Marylandin 2006 and has been splitting each year sincethen between Florida and Maryland. In Maryland,she did some substitute teaching for a couple ofyears and now volunteer teaches for BaltimoreCommunity College, teaching English as a SecondLanguage to people who are working on passingthe naturalization test. Laurel Bongiorno ’85MShas been appointed director of the M.Ed. Programat Champlain College in Burlington, VT. Shedeveloped the graduate program, which is focusedon early childhood education with specializationsin early childhood teaching and administration.“This degree makes graduates better educators,helping the youngest students at the most formativetime in their lives learn to love learning,”she says. Laurel had served as a full-time facultymember in the college’s Education program formore than 12 years prior to taking this new positionlast fall. In addition to working on a Ph.D. inEducation, she also currently co-coordinates theVermont AEYC’s bimonthly electronic newsletter,eConnections; consults with local early childhoodprograms presenting early childhood professionaldevelopment opportunities; and offers workshopsand keynotes on the topics of play, leadership andmentoring, and curriculum development.Congratulations to Rob Quinn ’86MS, amember of the board of trustees of the AIDSFoundation of Western Massachusetts, whoreceived the 2011 Community Activist RecognitionAward given at the foundation’s World AIDS Dayevent on Dec. 1. “Rob was the natural choice forthe [award],” according to the foundation’s executivedirector, Jessica Crevier. “In one short year,he has founded and co-facilitates the area’s onlypsycho-educational support group for men livingwith HIV/AIDS, reworked the application processfor the [foundation’s] grants of emergency financialassistance so that they would be more accessibleto people who are in need, and completed hisDepartment of Public Health certification as anHIV/AIDS, STI, and Hepatitis Peer Educator. Hehas become the face of AFWM and a sought-afterspeaker, sharing his story of strength and hope withhundreds of people, and served as chair of the firstCampaign for Compassion to raise money for lifesavingeducational programming. Rob is invaluableto both AFWM and our community, and is trulydedicated to preserving dignity and saving lives.”Angela DiMaria ’98MS also got some welldeservedrecognition, in January, when she wasfeatured in a Teacher Spotlight on MediaPatch.com. She is a fourth- and fifth-grade mixedlanguage arts, math, and social studies teacherat Media-Providence Friends School in Media,PA, where she has worked for 10 years. A socialresearcher prior to that, she lost a job in thatfield when her program lost its funding, the storyexplains, “but that life change propelled her intothe teaching field, and she realized it was hercalling. She’s been in the classroom ever since.”Angela now looks forward to going to work everyday, loves the “two-way street” of teaching andlearning from fellow faculty members, and findsit exciting to know she is supporting students asthey reach their goals. Congratulations, Angela!Kathleen A. Hunter ’05MS was invited to writea piece for the International Reading Association’sEngage/Teacher to Teacher blog, and it was postedon Nov. 1. A part of the article, on using storyboardsto assess comprehension, can be viewed bygoogling http://engage.reading.org/Blogsnbspnbsp/BlogViewer/?BlogKey=cb77770a-cc92-4b88-a3cea2a710b99ae0.Amy Howley ’10MS and JoshuaAnderson were married in a beautiful ceremony inScituate, MA, last Oct. 1.Arrivals89 Jennifer Lindert, a daughter,Birtukan Talo Lindert-Boyes96/01 Alana Oliver Prange, a daughter,Annabelle Jeanne99 Laurel Simonini Schnitman,a daughter, Weslie Tabor Schnitman99 Sarah Houghtaling Schroeder, a son,Martin Bernhardt08 Savannah Charest Kinney, a daughter,Callie RaeUnions88 Arlene Cromwell to Joseph Mendock88 Virginia Ernst to James Walsh91 Gretchen Carney to Edward Geary Jr.96/01 Alana Oliver to Timothy Wayne Prange99 Amy Darling to Tim Wood06 Michelle Messina to Daniel Arinello07 Michelle Herbert to Evan Brunetti10MS Amy Howley to Joshua AndersonIn Memoriam34 Barbara Grey Hopkins36 Rebecca Berry Cramer37 Margaret Curtis Barringer37 Carolyn Allen Swenson38 Beatrice Hodgkins Horner39 Elizabeth Weitz Faulb39 Helen Rowell Pinard40 Mary Brewer Allen40 Katherine Mara Madigan42 Margaret Hunton Burlin44 Jane Walker Catlow45 Jane Tomlinson Lamb45 Mary Sabine Schade46 Avis Pheeney Price46 Alma Nathanson Solar47 Anne Whitney Vinnicombe48 Barbara Wells Fenn48 Harriet Hoffman Frost49 Lois Anne Gilbert Galbraith49 Jevene Baker Littlewood49 Barbara Lightner Whitehouse50 Mary Cummings Chatterton50 Jane Munroe Rice50 Catherine Hargrave Sykes51 Nancy Horton Evans51 Charlotte Sears MacVane52 Patricia Davis Ferguson52 Ann O’Brien Fleitzer52 Patricia Christopher Germain53 Lois Hormel Walker54 Rosemary Murphy56 Candace Palmer Vaughan56 Dorothy Weiss58 Beverly Filley Burland58 Anne Britton Taggart59 Virginia Gordon Hagan59 Susan Van Aken Lippoth59MS Nancy L. Reider62 Roberta Hyde Hayward62 Linda Bruns Tripp62 Roberta Loveland Vest63 Joy Kelton MacIntyre64 Joan Levett Buchalter64 Roberta Gilbert Marianella65 Adele Abate Manfredi66MS Jane Burrell Lacy66 Carol Vogelsohn Ladd66 Joan Carey Noble66 Sandra Tupper Wammack67 Sharon Walker Pratt67 Judith Fossett Rodgers68 Nancy Collins68MS Louise Brown Johnson70MS Martin Lerman74 Regina Dubb Weiss94 Susan Mackey96/97MS Eilene S. Meyerhoff52 Spring/Summer 2012

Generations ofOutstanding FacultyEver since Lucy Wheelock and her first kindergarten teachers helped revolutionizechildren’s education in Boston and across America more than acentury ago, the College has remained at the forefront of innovation in earlychildhood education. We owe this to generations of outstanding faculty.Wheelock faculty have made the College’s reputation for innovation and continueto expand upon it—the teachers, mentors, and scholars who envision better,more creative, and more inclusive ways of improving the lives of children and familiesthrough education.Alumni remember the close relationships they developed with faculty who careddeeply about them and inspired them to pursue their personal goals, how professorsmodeled excellent teaching and leadership, how they opened doors to a world of newideas and ways of thinking.Graduates often say that a Wheelock education is transformative. If this is true,then it is Wheelock faculty who are the transformers, for they are the ones who providethe education that lasts a lifetime.Contributing to the Campaign for Wheelock is one way to say“thank you” to the teachers who changed your life.www.wheelock.edu/campaignWheelock Magazine cover3

200 The RiverwayBoston, MA02215-4176(617) 879-2123Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDProvidence, RIPermit No. 421C o m m e n c e m e n t 2 0 1 2page 20C a l e n d a rAlumniSummerGatheringsNantucketAlumni LuncheonJuly 11 • 12 p.m.Nantucket Yacht ClubCape Cod ClubAnnual PicnicJuly 12 • 12 p.m.East Sandwich, MAFall PreviewThe Belle Haven ClubReceptionOct. 4Greenwich, CTEvening at theGardnerOct. 10Isabella StewartGardner MuseumGraduate AlumniFall SymposiumOct. 20Wheelock CollegeWheelockFamily Theatre2012-2013 SeasonAnneof Green GablesOct. 19-Nov. 18, 2012A musical based on thebeloved book; a simplertime but not a simple girl!Oliver!Jan. 25-Feb. 24, 2013The Dickens classic;a delightful musical mixof social commentary anddark humorPippiLongstockingApril 12-May 12, 2013Astrid Lindgren’sindependent heroineis thestrongest girl in the worldwith braids akimbo!WheelockFamilyTheatre.orgHave a GreatSummer!Bittern Haunt, 40” x 68”, oil on canvas, 2011In an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Robert Baartat Towne Art Gallery in February 2012uContributing to theCampaign for Wheelockis one way to say “thank you”to the teachers whochanged your life.All signs point to the $80 million Campaignfor Wheelock, the largest capital campaignin the College’s history, being a greatsuccess—with your participation! Supportfor Wheelock’s fabulous faculty is only one ofthe Campaign goals that your gift will help tosupport. Keep up-to-date on our success-in-themakingvia the “Giving” tab on the Campaignweb page at www.wheelock.edu.