Lights the Night - Old Trail School

Contents946From the head of schoolLiving Our MissionWalking the WalkOld Trail School begins accreditation process13826Campus Highlights• Light the Night• New Board Members• New Faculty/Staff• Alumni Reunion• Admission Update• Construction Update• OAIS Teachers’ Conference• Blue Heron Day• Sports ShortsAlumni News & Annotations• Annotations• Alumni Tailgate• Polsky Award• In Memoriam263029Development News• First Grade Renovations• Happy Campers• Giving to Old Trail School• Annual FundCoverFront CoverFourth graders at the Light the Night hike. (L-R) Annemarie Bobinsky,Grace Shisler, Sarah Zimmerman and MacKenzie Deeterwww.oldtrail.org 3

Fro m t h e He a d o f Sc h o o lMissionOld Trail School is dedicated to educating boys andgirls by developing a strong academic foundation,a respect for themselves and others and a love oflearning. Nestled in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park,the School provides a comprehensive curriculum with acommitment to academic excellence, service learningand global sustainability. In partnership with families,Old Trail School engages and nurtures our diversecommunity of students as they navigate childhoodand early adolescence, to emerge as thoughtful,compassionate and constructive citizens withintegrity and confidence.Living Our MissionIndependent schools typically apply for accreditation every 7-10 years.This practice involves a year of self-study followed by a site visit by anaccrediting organization. The Independent School Association of theCentral States (ISACS) is the accrediting body for 230 independentschools in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan,Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Thisfall we began our year of self-study, an important process during whichemployees, parents, students and trustees come together to take acareful look at ourselves and our entire organization.A critical part of this self-study process is for the School to reevaluate its Mission Statement.A school’s mission statement provides a reason for its existence and explains its purpose.The writing and approval of the Mission Statement involves many people, for it is a compassthat determines direction and vision. I thought it might be helpful to review the sentences inour Mission Statement, explaining their genesis and how they guide us.Old Trail School is dedicated to educating boys and girls by developing a strong academicfoundation, a respect for themselves and others, and a love of learning.Current and former students constantly and emphatically reflect and express theirfeelings about our strong educational foundation. As educators, we strive to provide anoutstanding academic experience for our students in an atmosphere that promotes astrong love of learning, which permeates the campus on a daily basis.4THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

Since our inception, Old Trail School hasbelieved that learning starts with ouryoungest children. We are proud of ourearly literacy programs, which build astrong base each year to provide a solidacademic foundation.Nestled in the Cuyahoga Valley NationalPark, the School provides a comprehensivecurriculum with a commitment to academicexcellence, service learning, and globalsustainability.Academic excellence starts with anoutstanding faculty. We further providea multitude of lifelong memorableexperiences, such as world languageinstruction, fine and performing arts,science, physical education (includingswimming) and a variety of technologyexperiences. Old Trail School can alsobe proud of the fact that we are the onlyindependent school in the countrylocated in a national park.Old Trail School has always beencommitted to academic excellence.Our students participate in internal andexternal academic competitions, publiclycelebrate the success of our studentsand strive to place each graduate at acompetitive high school that will fit hisor her academic profile. All of us takegreat pride in the significant number ofacademic, artistic and athletic successesthat our graduates have experienced atOld Trail School, in high school andbeyond.Service learning connects communityservice to curriculum. Old Trail Schoolhas provided numerous communityservice opportunities during the years.Most recently, we have connectedservice learning to our curriculum, fromearly childhood through the eighth grade.Our students have become activeparticipants in service learning programsand are developing strong voices inidentifying needs of our local communityand planning strategies to meet theseneeds.We have also made commitments toglobal sustainability in our curriculum, aswell as organizing trips to Europe, Northand Central America. We spend a greatdeal of time connecting issues ofsustainability as it impacts areas aroundthe world, incorporating them into oursocial studies curriculum.In partnership with families, Old Trail Schoolengages and nurtures our diversecommunity of students as they navigatechildhood and early adolescence, toemerge as thoughtful, compassionate andconstructive citizens with integrity andconfidence.Old Trail School is truly a family school.We value and treasure our relationshipswith our parents and grandparents, fullyrecognizing the role they play in thedevelopment of each child. Families arewelcomed, and feel welcomed, in ourbuilding and throughout our programs.We also value and treasure our diversityin its many forms. We commit ourselvesto being a friend to everyone. It is ourhope that every graduate of Old TrailSchool will take the lessons learnedwithin the security of our walls and applythem as adults in the more challengingglobal community.My final comments have probably neverbeen more relevant than they are today.Children for the past three generations havefaced issues such as substance abuse, gunviolence, and others. Today, our childrenenter a world where a number of adultleaders have made critical errors incharacter and judgment. Take a look at theeconomic crisis that our country is presentlyfacing and you recognize that issues ofcompassion, confidence, integrity andcharacter have never been more importantthan they are today. Old Trail School trulytakes our role of developing character instudents seriously, and considers it equallyimportant to building a strong academicfoundation.I hope you enjoy this issue of our magazine,as it focuses on our self-study initiativesand upcoming accreditation process.Together, let us all celebrate and be proudto be aligned with a school that truly lives itsmission!Campus Wi-FiNow AvailableOld Trail School now provides wirelessInternet access on campus for our guests.Where:Library, Preston Hall, Noble Building,Wilson HallHow to Use:1. Attach to the OTSGUEST wirelessnetwork2. Open your browser3. USERNAME: guest (lowercase)4. PASSWORD: ots (lowercase)Please note: Website content is filtered toprevent inappropriate material from beingaccessed on campus by our studentsor guests. Therefore, some sites may beblocked. Questions? Please contact theTechnology Department.www.oldtrail.org5

Walking the WalkOld Trail School begins accreditation processjudy brookhart, Service Learning Coordinatorand ISACS Self-Study ChairpersonThis fall, Old TrailSchool’sadministration,faculty and staffembarked on anexciting, dauntingand educationalproject – itsIndependent SchoolsAssociation of theCentral States(ISACS) accreditation process.Old Trail School is a member of the ISACS.This organization includes 230 independentschools from 13 states in the Midwest, andis the largest such group within the NationalAssociation of Independent Schools (NAIS).It is through ISACS that our accreditationtakes place.In October 2009, a visiting team will come toOld Trail School. It will be a committee ofour peers, a group of teachers andadministrators recommended by their headsbecause of their skills, knowledge, interestand writing skills. It is an honor to be invitedto serve and to represent one’s school.Many Old Trail School teachers andadministrators have traveled to other partsof the Midwest, visiting schools, developingthe camaraderie that comes from workingclosely together, coming back withwonderful ideas, and always with a greatappreciation for our school.This visiting team will spend four days withus. They will talk with all constituencies, visitclassrooms, wander our beautiful groundsand ultimately they will write a report, whichwill be passed on to ISACS, who will make arecommendation of accreditation. Above all,the best resource they will use while theyare here will be a 100+ page documentwhich is being written during the currentschool year called the Old Trail SchoolSelf-Study. Now we have our final question:Who is doing the self-study and what dothey study? The answer is easy – everyoneand everything!There are 37 committees made up ofteachers, administrators, staff, current andpast Board members, parents, alums andstudents. Their topics range from areas ofthe curriculum and the divisions to foodservice and transportation, from secondaryschool admission to governance, facilitiesand finance, from school climate and moraleto guidance and counseling.You already have participated through theconstituent survey that was emailed toyou earlier this fall. Thank You! We aregrateful for the 700+ past andcurrent Old Trail School familymembers who responded. Thevery positive results will beshared throughout ourcommunity as the autumnprogresses.As the committees meet, reflectand write their narratives, theywill discuss several themes: anoverview of their area, thestrengths, challenges, andplans and priorities to meetthose challenges. Thesereports do not look at aspecific teacher,administrator, student orclass, but rather seek toinsure that there is anhonorable commitment to our mission at alllevels. We hope that in the end, the Self-Study will be a model of brevity,succinctness, clarity and truth. It is thisIt is this compelling document that will provide the visitingteam with the opportunity to look for the congruencebetween talking the talk and walking the walkcompelling document that will provide thevisiting team with the opportunity to look forthe congruence between talking the talk andwalking the walk. Even better, it will provideOld Trail School with our strategic plan forthe near future, as well as with a deeprespect for what we are now. It willbe a collaborative, comprehensive, livingdocument that we will humbly but proudlyoffer to our visiting team next fall.We hope that you will respond positively if askedto participate in this process as your input isso valuable to the future of Old Trail School.Old Trail School’s administration, faculty and staff were presented with theresults from the ISACS Constituent Survey in mid-November. Chris Everett, astatistical analyst with the Kensington Group in Indianapolis, shared theresults and analysis with them, noting that the response rate for this surveywas higher than Old Trail School’s last ISACS survey and higher than the normfor other independent schools. He also said that many indicators showresponses above ISACS benchmarks. Several strong themes were indicatedin the responses including: a strong academic foundation, perceived value ofeducational experience and strong affinity of alumni for the school. Followingthe faculty meeting, Chris also presented to the Board of Trustees. A moredetailed report on the survey will appear in the next issue of this magazine.6 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

The actual Light the Night celebration was held on October 9.Many activities led up to this day including the creation of aspecial “Light the Night” glow-in-the dark t-shirt that wasdesigned by Shannon Cutri, mother of Michael ‘17,Jonathan ‘15 and Peter ‘12. and then sold by members of theJunior Optimist Octagon International (JOOI) Club along withglow bracelets and necklaces.The themes of “light” and “night” were incorporated intoteachers’ lessons that week. Students also decorated theirclassrooms and hallways. Some of the lessons included:• Third, fourth and fifth grade science students made polarizedlight mosaics• Fifth graders memorized Night Creature as their poem forthe cycle• Sixth graders assembled constellations in the night sky withlights which were then hung in the sixth grade hallway.• Second graders in Barb DiTirro’s class went “back in time”that week, as they studied past and present in social studies.Their classroom featured a lighted disco ball and flowers, peacesigns, etc.• Kindergarten students decorated glass vases with pretty coloredtissue paper and watered down glue so they looked like stainedglass and then put strings of twinkle lights inside. They also readstories about night time including The Napping House and Franklinin the Dark.A special time during that week’s Head of School Assembly featuredTaylor Chlebina and her family as they talked about their experiencewith Taylor’s leukemia that she had as a toddler. Thankfully, Taylormade a full recovery and has dedicated much of her time to raisingawareness and funds for the LSS.The Chlebina family: Spencer ‘10; Mary Kay, John and Taylor ‘10.On Thursday, October 9, more than 300 Old Trail School students,family members and friends arrived at the Hale Farm & Villageparking lot. They set out on a twilight walk to Indigo Lake and backwearing their t-shirts and glow necklaces. They drove to School,which had been decorated outside with luminaries designed byseventh grade advisories and inside with many, many twinkle lights,lava lamps and neon signs. People toured through the darkenedhallways and viewed the creations before having cider and donutholes in the dining room.The following week, the Intermediate School Advisory Council(ISAC) held a bake sale for LSS. It was a great success, raising$230.40!Judy Brookhart and Amanda Kuhen (co-service learningcoordinators) organized the event as well as all of the activities bothbefore and after. They were pleased to report at an assembly that allof the fundraising efforts amounted to $3,000 to be donated to theLeukemia & Lymphoma Society.www.oldtrail.org9

Campus | Hi g h l i g h t sMeet our New TrusteeSCathy GodshallDennis JancsyCathy GodshallCathy is a shareholder withBuckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs,LLP, in Akron. She graduated fromKenyon College and Case WesternReserve University School of Law. Shewas born in Akron and moved frequentlyas a child and moved back to Akronafter law school. Cathy and herhusband, Doug (former Old Trail SchoolBoard Chair and Trustee) live in GrangerTownship. Their children, Hallie ‘95 andJack ‘99, both attended Old Trail Schoolfrom kindergarten through eighth grade.She enjoys reading and skiing.Dennis JancsyDennis is chief financial officer at AkronChildren’s Hospital. He is originally fromBoston and has lived in Brecksville formore than 30 years. He received hisbachelor’s degree as well as a masterof business administration degree fromthe University of Massachusetts,Amherst. He and his wife, Rose, havea son, Michael ‘02.Ally GoldsmithMichelle SchaefferAlly GoldsmithAlly is a 1999 Old Trail Schoolgraduate and currently serves aspresident of the Alumni Council.She is group sales & membershipcoordinator for the Akron Zoo.She was raised in Akron andattended Johnson and WalesUniversity in Providence, RhodeIsland. In her free time she lovesto travel.Michelle SchaefferMichelle is president of theParents’ Association and lives inStow with her husband, Eric ‘88,and children Alexis ‘11, andRiley ‘14. She received a BA inpsychology from Miami Universityand was last employed as anoperations manager at US Bank.When their children were younger,Michelle and Eric lived in WestVirginia and Indiana. Michelleenjoys attending her children’ssporting events and is a memberof Holy Family Church.New Organic GardenProduces Bountiful Herb HarvestThe new Old Trail School organic garden (located at the far end of themiddle school parking lot) was created at the end of the last schoolyear thanks to Jimmy Sobveski, a member of our maintenance staff,and funds from the GAR Foundation Educator Initiative Grant Program.During the late spring and throughout the summer, Jimmy and JudyBrookhart, service learning coordinator, tended the seeds and plantsthat the students cultivated during the spring. In September andOctober, a variety of herbs were harvested that were used by ChefAudra and her staff in recipes served to our students, faculty and staffin the dining room.10 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

Class of 1988 – Kevin Diaz and Eric SchaefferClass of 1953 – Nancy Schoonover Rhinehart, Judy Jeter Vernon andElesa McClelland JarboeOn the day before the 2008 Reunion, Head of School John Farber receiveda beautiful handwritten letter from Katy Donley Christopherson ‘37 alongwith two of her scrapbooks filled with photos – complete with captions,newspaper clippings, programs and more from her days at Old TrailSchool. She is donating her books to the Old Trail School archives.When Mary Robinson Whittemore ‘58 and Sarah Mabry O’Reilly ‘58arrived at the Reunion on October 18, they too, offered their scrapbooks tothe School’s archives. Mary also brought along her reports cards! Severalattendees (above) had fun reviewing the scrapbooks.Melissa “Missy” McCready McGinnes ‘86 and husband, Matt, on thetrain rideChristine Freitag and Sybby Martin, Class of 1952The alumni/student field hockey crew coached by Kathy Novak (far left) and officiated by past parent, Beth Amer (far right).www.oldtrail.org13

Campus | Hi g h l i g h t sAlumni Reunion 2008Following a round of fabulous introductions by Rory and Connor Smith (12-year-old sons of Lee Smith ‘77),Doug Haslinger ‘79 (son of Sandra Haslinger) and Luann Williams, Primary School Director, (introduced andaccepted on behalf of Jessica Rohlick) our award recipients reflected on their connections to Old Trail Schooland what keeps them tied to our traditions.The following awards were presented at the Reunion:Lincoln Gries Distinguished Alumni Award –Leland P. Smith ‘77, 2008 RecipientThe Lincoln Gries Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to a former Old Trail School student who has made an important contribution orgiven extraordinary service to others in some field, as a professional or as a volunteer.Lee joined Guitar Center, Inc. in 2003 andcurrently serves as the company’s ChiefAdministrative Officer and General Counsel.With more than 10,500 employees, 315 retaillocations in 45 states and various catalogsand e-commerce sites, Guitar Center is thelargest retailer of musical instruments in thecountry. In his present role, Lee oversees thecompany’s legal, real estate and humanresources functions.Prior to joining Guitar Center, Lee servedas the Senior Vice President and GeneralCounsel for EMAK Worldwide (1998-2002),as the Assistant General Counsel andSecretary for Mattel, Inc. (1994-1998), andas an associate in the corporate departmentof Riordan & McKinzie (1989-1994), all inLos Angeles.Lee graduated from Western ReserveAcademy in 1981 then attended andgraduated from Amherst College in 1985with a BA in history. He went to theUniversity of Southern California andreceived a JD and MBA in 1989. At Amherst,Lee was captain of the swimming and waterpolo teams and swam to Division III AllAmerican honors five times. At WRA, Leewas captain of the swimming and lacrosseteams and earned the school’s highestathletic honor, a gold medal, in swimming.Lee has lived in Los Angeles since 1985. Heand his wife, Talis, are the proud parents ofLee Smith ‘77 (L), with family members; son, Connor, mother, Jean Parish Smith ‘47, son, Rory, wife, Talisa andfather, Buel Smith.four boys, Austin, Connor, Rory and Taylor.Lee is an elder at Bel Air PresbyterianChurch (PCUSA) and serves on the Board ofGovernors for USC’s Institute for CorporateCounsel. He plays golf in any time that isleft over.Lee and his family have strong ties to OldTrail School, attending for nine years,beginning with kindergarten in the fall of1968 and ending in eighth grade in thespring of 1977. His mother, the former JeanParish, along with her twin sister, the formerJane Parish, graduated from Old TrailSchool in 1947. Lee’s sister, Debbie ‘78,attended the School for nine years. Lee’sfather, Dr. Buel Smith, retired as theChairman of Orthopedic Surgery at AkronGeneral Medical Center in 1993.14 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

The 2008 Lincoln GriesHonorary Alumni Award –Sandra HaslingerThe Lincoln Gries Honorary Alumni Award is presented, aswarranted, during the Alumni Reunion to a person who hasmade an important contribution or given extraordinary service to Old Trail School.Jeff Johnson, Jen ‘82, Missy ‘81, Sandra, Doug ‘79 and Myriam Haslinger.Nominees must have contributed significantly to the welfare of Old Trail School (parent, trustee, volunteer or benefactor); deserved the respect ofboth Old Trail School alumni and future Old Trail School students, and shown a continued loyalty to Old Trail School.Sandra is a long-time neighbor andgenerous donor of the School. Herrelationship with Old Trail School began in1975 when her five children becamestudents. While Doug ‘79, Kim ‘80, Missy‘81, Jennifer ‘82 and Ben ‘91 attended,Sandra was a volunteer and Vice Presidentof the Parents’ Association while her latehusband, Dennis, served as a trustee andvolunteer fundraiser.Sandra and her family have madecontributions to the School that have bothenhanced the School’s endowment, andmade possible capital projects including amajor renovation to Noble Hall and the newLiving Classroom.Sandra values the quality of educationoffered at OTS and how it has advancedthroughout the years. She is excited aboutthe environmental initiatives the School hasundertaken and looks forward to watchingthem come to life from just across Ira Road.Along with her commitment to the educationof children at Old Trail School, she extendsher generosity and dedication to children atrisk, health care, the environment and thearts throughout our area.The 2008 Peter G. Wilson Rising Star Award –Jessica Rohlick ‘93The Peter G. Wilson Rising Star Award was created in 2005 and named in honor of Peter G.Wilson, former Old Trail School Headmaster, and honors an Old Trail School alum from 1981 andlater. The recipient has shown professional and community leadership and exhibitedappreciation for Old Trail School.Jessica Rohlick ‘93 is a 2001 graduate ofMiami University where she received herB.A. in Speech Communications with aminor in marketing. While at Miami, sheserved as a member of the Miami UniversityStudent Foundation, Chi Omega sorority,Office of Admissions Campus Tour Guideand the Choraliers.After graduating from Miami University,Jessica began her career in Minor LeagueBaseball, with the Buffalo Bisons (AAAaffiliate of the Cleveland Indians) where sheworked as an intern with the promotions andcommunications staff. At the completion ofthe 2001 season in Buffalo, Jessica becamethe Director of Marketing for the JamestownJammers (single-A affiliate of the FloridaMarlins) in Jamestown, New York where shemanaged promotions, merchandise,marketing, and ticketing. Jessica enjoyedworking outside at a ballpark every day, butlonged to move south. Her wish came truewhen she took a position with the SavannahSand Gnats (single-A affiliate of theMontreal Expos) ball club located in historicSavannah, Georgia. She spent the 2003season in Savannah before being offered aposition in motorsports with DaytonaInternational Speedway.Jessica is the account manager for YatesRacing in Concord, North Carolina. Shemanages the Public Relations and Marketingefforts for NASCAR Sprint Cup Seriesdrivers Travis Kvapil (No. 28 Ford) and DavidGilliland (No. 38 Ford). Jessica travelsaround the U.S. with the team from racetrack to race track promoting her drivers,owners, team members, and sponsors.Prior to the 2008 season, Jessica manageddriver Ricky Rudd during his final 2007season in NASCAR with the Snickers Racingteam. She began her career in racing fiveyears ago after accepting a position withDaytona International Speedway. There sheserved as the Marketing Manager forDAYTONA USA and later became theSpecial Events Manager for the Speedway.www.oldtrail.orgPrimary School Director, Luann Williams, accepting Jessica’s award.Jessica admits that her current profession inNASCAR wasn’t exactly on the 5-year and10-year life plan since she had never been aNASCAR fan, but admits that even with all ofthe traveling and work, she can’t imaginehaving any better job than being able to watchher teams compete every weekend on therace track as she takes notes from the pits.While Jessica doesn’t have much free time,she enjoys music, movies, photography,spending time with friends and family, andcoming up with projects to do around herhouse. She currently resides in Charlotte,North Carolina and is the sister of JoshuaRohlik ‘96.Jessica was unable to attend the reunion.Luann Williams, Primary School Director,presented and accepted on her behalf.15

Campus | Hi g h l i g h t sADMISSION UPDATEThis fall we had three very successful in-school open houses and a Saturday Drop-In. Our well-informed andprofessional eighth grade students toured prospective parents and told them about their own Old Trail Schoolexperiences.New Viewbook AvailableSusan Holding, Director of AdmissionWe are delighted to announce that we have created an Old Trail School Viewbook toprovide prospective families with a comprehensive overview of our School. The Viewbookcontains information about our mission, history, core values and areas of focus such asservice learning, diversity and environmental sustainability. It also contains a very detailedoverview of grade level highlights and curriculum for grades preschool through eight.This publication is an excellent tool for a prospective family to use when researching ourschool for their child. If you would like to share the wonderful Old Trail School experience,please contact the Admission Office at 330.666.1116 x341 and we will send you a copy.We always appreciate when our current families introduce us to prospective families.Please continue to share our information with your friends, neighbors and family. Hereis a list of our upcoming winter Admission events:In-School Intermediate and Middle School Overview –During School DayFriday, January 23, 2009 • 9 - 11 a.m.Drop-Ins – Saturdays 10 a.m. – NoonJanuary 10, 2009February 7, 2009March 14, 2009Current Families – Mark Your Calendar2009-10 ContractsCurrent Old Trail School families will receive contracts for the2009-10 school year in early February with a return date of March 1,2009. Please be sure to complete and return your contracts by thisdeadline. After March 1, contracts are sent out to new applicants.Teen Author VisitsOld Trail SchoolThe Middle School hosted young adult author Jordan Sonnenblick inSeptember. Jordan is the author of Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, Notes fromthe Midnight Driver, Zen and the Art of Faking It and Dodger and Me. Jordanis a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a former middle schoolEnglish teacher. During his lectures he told the students that he actually gotthe ideas for his books from his former students. His fifth book will becoming out in January 2010.Librarian Lynn Saddleton, Jordan Sonnenblick and Language Arts teacherMarilyn Wilson.Students were allowed to sign up for his workshops and each workshop had35-38 middle school students. During his workshops he stressed the needto hook the reader on the very first page and gave the students tips on howto do that. He then had the students write their own first page and gavepointers to individual writers and had them read some of their work to thegroup. Special thanks to the Parents’ Association for bringing Jordan toOld Trail School.16 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

Construction UpdateThanks to a good deal of hard work this summerand the generosity of many donors, Old TrailSchool is proud to have new and refurbishedspace for the 2008-09 school year. The first gradeclassroom renovation (see page 30 for details),the new classroom space for the Young 5s classand our new Living Classroom Greenhouse aregreat additions to our campus.Young 5s ClassroomThe former Primary School music room on the upper level ofSisler- McFaun Hall was refurbished to become the home forour newest group of students, the Young 5s. (Vickie Nagel’s classesnow meet in the former Library Lecture Room.) This new programoffers a nurturing environment to enable children who turn fiveyears-oldduring the spring or summer months to growYoung 5s class with Senora Claudette Thompsonacademically, socially and emotionally before enteringkindergarten. This has been a very popular class and has a fullenrollment of 19 students.The Living ClassroomAn upcoming issue of the Old Trail School Magazine will contain a fulloverview of the Living Classroom – this is a brief summary of the projectA new greenhouse you may have seen behind Alderfer is home to a newLiving Classroom. This is the first phase of what will be the larger OldTrail School Center for Environmental Sustainability. Several years ago,Old Trail School learned it needed to replace its wastewater systembecause it did not meet federal environmental requirements. The Schoolconsidered many options before deciding that constructing a LivingClassroom was best for the School, our students and environment.A Living Classroom is an eco-friendly system that naturally treatswastewater. The cutting-edge process operates like an engineeredwetland and uses significantly less energy to operate than a traditionalwastewater system.The new wastewater treatment system:• is more stable• uses less energy• has a lower cost (based on operational costs for 30 years)• exceeds EPA standards• is aesthetically attractive• is scientifically interesting• is a wonderful educational toolThe Living Classroom is the second and largest project of its kind inOhio and one of approximately 20 in the United States.The Classroom consists of an eco-friendly wastewater treatmentsystem that is located partially underground, partially in thegreenhouse, partially in a wetland area next to the greenhouse andultimately ends at the tributary next to the School’s athletic fields.The Classroom will teach hands-on lessons in ecology, agriculture,architecture, aquaculture, engineering and environmentalsustainability. It will feature native plants and fish and will eventuallybe used to cultivate extinct species of plants and fish that will bereintroduced into the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.Phase 2 – Building & Meeting SpaceAn additional building will be constructed adjacent to theGreenhouse that will be “green” and include a large classroom,office and restrooms. Cutting-edge technologies will again beintegrated into this building to make it energy efficient andsustainable. Construction will begin when funding is secured.The new Living Classroomwww.oldtrail.org17

Campus | Hi g h l i g h t sOur First Day Together (preschool style)Everyday, thepreschoolteachers have“reflection time”with theirclassses. Thesereflection notesare then emailedto parents fortheir enjoyment.The following is a reprint from the Preschool Reflection from August 28courtesy of teachers Rachel Rich and Julie Schweier:Olivia:Seth:Timmy:EJ:Lilly:Mari:I saw a chicken.I got these pirate shoes yesterday.My friend saw a wolf at his grandma’shome, so he just ran inside.My daddy saw the ducks and I fed themsome pretzels and we went under onebridge.This isn’t really a question, but Kelly’s dogdied.I got these shoes.Caroline:Merit:Will:Catherine:Lia:Indiana:Well, my grandmother got to the doctorand she is still bleeding on her teeth.The doctor pulled it out and it startedbleeding.My mom got these sprinklers and wewent back inside.I saw a deer in my yard.My baby brother knows how to walk!I saw a horse and a pig.KarateJenna:I saw a horse this morning on the wayhere.Sophia:Once I saw a deer in our backyard, andhe was eating our garden.Sammy:I saw monsters for real. In my bed.Nathan:I saw a deer in my backyardJakob:I put a deer block in our backyard.Strings Teacher Featuredin Akron Symphony ProgramSteve Ostrow, Old Trail School strings teacher for gradesfour-eight, was featured in the Akron SymphonyOrchestra’s 2008-09 program. The article focused onSteve’s “unbridled exuberance for his entertainment” andnoted his being featured in an Emmy award-winning PBSTV 45/49 documentary “Shortcuts to Happiness” aboutthe life of a musician. The article went on to mentionSteve’s sharing his love of music with Old Trail Schoolstudents through his arrangements. This photo showsSteve and several of his students playing for our OhioAssociation of Independent Schools (OAIS) Conferenceguests as they arrived at Old Trail School in October.(see next story)Steve Ostrow and students performing at OAIS Conference.18 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

Ohio Association of IndependentSchools Conference400+ teachers visit Old Trail SchoolThe Ohio Association of IndependentSchools (OAIS) held its triennial statewideteachers’ conference on Friday, October 24,2008. Sessions for Primary School teacherswere held at Old Trail School, while sessionsfor Middle and Upper (High) School teacherswere held at Western Reserve Academy.More than 1,000 teachers from across thestate attended. The one-day conferencefeatured nationally recognized and localexperts who presented on the conferencetheme “Brain Research: How We Learn,How We Teach.”Featured speakers included: Pat Bassett,President of the National Association ofIndependent Schools, whose topic was TheRight Brained Future; Robert Greenleaf,President, Greenleaf Learning, Newfield,Maine, whose topics were MakingConnections for Long-Term Memory &Recall and the Nonlinguistic and VisualAttributes of Memory & Recall;Heidi Hayes Jacobs, President, CurriculumDesigners, Inc., Rye, New York, whose topicwas Interdisciplinary Curriculum and the21st Century; Eric Jensen, President,Jensen Learning Corporation, San Diego,California, whose topics were Teaching withthe Brain in Mind and Secrets of theAdolescent Mind and James Zull, EmeritusDirector of the Learning Center at CaseWestern Reserve University whose topicwas Improving Learning by Understandingthe Brain: A Model for Teachers.Old Trail School teachers played aprominent role in the day’s activities asMary Johnson, fifth grade teacher, was oneof the chairpersons on the OAIS ConferencePlanning Committee. Presentations werealso made by: Cheryl Baker: Cuddle Up witha Mathematical Quilt; Laura Dagilis andJohn Pintola: Bringing Technology into YourClassroom CPS; Jeff Eason: How to Makean Ugly Jug and Using the Starboard forLinear Perspective Drawing; Alice Goumas:Teaching Grammar in a First GradeDifferentiated Classroom; Kathi Howard:Managing Children’s Mental Health Issuesin Schools and Making Things Better, NotWorse and Managing Brain-based Illness inAdolescents in School; Clare McGowan andColleen Newman: Teaching Social Studiesthrough Curriculum Integration andAuthentic Experience and Ronald Teunissenvan Manen: International Games: Tag Rugbyand International Games: Tsjoekball.Old Trail School alumni who are WesternReserve Academy students volunteered atOld Trail School that day. They greetedattendees, helped with food preparationand helped conference attendees withdirections throughout the School.www.oldtrail.org19

Campus | Hi g h l i g h t sBuffalo ChronicleCreates New FormatThe Buffalo Chronicle, our student produced school newspaper,changed its format this fall. Beginning with the first issue of the2008-09 school year, the Chronicle will tackle one current eventstopic per issue with a range of hard-hitting stories all focused onthat topic. The Fall 2008 issue, Election Express 2008, containseight articles about the presidential election. Topics includecampaign finances, roles of the president and vice president, theElectoral College and more. Writers include students: Kylie Warnergrade eight, editor, and seventh graders Julianne Lavanty andBetsy Naymon. To read the Chronicle, visit the Old Trail Schoolwebsite: www.oldtrail.org/pdfs/buffalochronicles.Old Trail School • Cuyahoga Valley National Park • Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association2nd Annual Blue Heron Day CelebrationCome celebrate the Herons Return to ValleyPancake BreakfastSaturday, February 28, 20099 a.m. - 1 p.m. (breakfast served until noon)Old Trail SchoolTickets:Advance - Adults $6, children ages 6-12 $4At the Door - Adults $8, children 6+ $6Children ages 5 and under are free.Visit the Bath Road Rookery and see the herons in their natural environment (hike there or ride a bus)Learn about herons and their habitat. Stories, movies, photos and more...NameAddressCity/State/ZipPhone/Email# of tickets @ $6 and # of tickets @ $4= Total Enclosed: $Credit Card - VISA, MasterCard #Exp Date:SignatureMail to: Blue Heron Day, 3675 Oak Hill Road, Peninsula, OH 44264Questions to: 800.642.3297Checks payable to: Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association20 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

History Comes to Life withAfter the Bell ProgramHow do you make learning aboutthe Civil War fun for youngstudents? Begin by engaging agroup of students in an afterschoolprogram that has them paintingminiature Civil War soldiers. Thenmorph this program into the studyof Gettysburg, allowing students toexperience the life of a Civil Warsoldier. What a great idea!So far, this concept, created by middleschool teacher Jeff Evans, has been a hugesuccess as Old Trail School students jumpon board to bring history to life. Thanks totwo very popular After the Bell programs(Battles and Brushes – History in Miniaturelast spring and Gettysburg – A New Birth ofFreedom – offered this fall) learning aboutthe Civil War is cool!Jeff, a 10-year veteran with the National ParkService at Gettysburg and a seasoned writerabout the Battle at Gettysburg, brings afresh approach to what students do in theirafterschool hours. The highlight of theprogram this fall was a trip to Gettysburg inearly October. Eight students and theirfamilies joined Jeff and his family on the trip.The following students participated: GrantW., Victoria L., Adam P., Caleb B., MatthewW., Niko S., Nathan S. and Hannah M.Jeff is still very connected with formercolleagues in Gettysburg so he was able tocreate a trip featuring many fun activitiesincluding: spending time with Rob Gibson,an expert on Civil War photography (Robworks with the History Channel and hashad his photos used in movies such asCold Mountain and National Treasure II)and member of the White House PressCorps; visiting the National Cemetery todiscuss the real tragedies that occurredduring the Battle; walking on thebattlefields and more.Students also enjoyed visiting the home ofEvans’ wife, Lynn’s family, who have lived inthe Gettysburg area since 1750. In fact, thegreat, great, great, great, great, greatgrandfather of Jeff and Lynn’s daughterMari ‘18, stood guard over PresidentAbraham Lincoln while he delivered theGettysburg Address!Connecting history on a tangible level isJeff’s goal with the students. He strives tokeep the program very interactive andwants them to “do, see and feel” history sothat they learn about it effectively. Thegroup is currently planning its nextGettysburg trip in late November tocoincide with the Remembrance DayWeekend activities that includes 10,000+Civil War reenactors in honor of theanniversary of the Gettysburg Address.After the Bell is Old Trail School’s afterschool program that offers a variety ofclasses – academic, sports, music, etc.Plans for next semester’s After the Bellinclude a return of Battles and Brushes andpossibly a trip to Gettysburg or Antietam.Old Trail SchoolStudent Hits the AirwavesSeventh grader Kal Bowers is one of six new hosts of Time Warner Cable’s Northeast OhioNetwork (NEON) eighth season of SMarts, a lively, offbeat, 30-minute interview programabout the community arts. The show is hosted by a team of talented elementary and middleschool students and airs Monday – Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. In addition totheir on-air duties, the hosts participate in developing the program by creating their ownintroductions and questions, as well as brainstorming ideas for upcoming shows. Kalauditioned to be part of the SMarts team, with a final audition held before a live audience atthe Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art, where he answered questions about himself,and in-turn, interviewed notable members of Cleveland’s arts community.www.oldtrail.org21

Campus | Hi g h l i g h t sPreschoolersCelebr ate FallThe preschool classes were joined by members of the Toddler-Adult and Young3s classes on a chilly October 23 morning for their Early Childhood Fall Festival.This special event was held on the preschool playground and included a numberof fun activity stations (face painting, cupcake decorating, parachute game,limbo game and much more!) for the students and their family members.CLASS OF 2009 STUDENTS VOLUNTEER ATSapphire BallDuring Summa Health System’s annual Sapphire Ball in September, a new cancer center wasdedicated that houses a resource center named in memory of Susan Pavloff, mother of Tatiana ‘09,Andrew ‘05 and Alexander ‘03. A group of 45 eighth grade students attended the event, serving ashosts and tour guides for the new Jean B. and Milton N. Cooper Cancer Center. Susan Pavloff wasan Old Trail School Foundation Board member. She passed away in 2007. We are so proud of theoutstanding way our students represented our school to our community. Photo shows Tatiana (left)and fellow eighth grader, Audrey Brown.22 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

Fifth Graders Hit the ParkOur fifth grade students embarked on their annual fall adventure, traveling to the Cuyahoga Valley EnvironmentalEducation Center (CVEEC) for three days and two nights in September. This trip began with the students hikingto the Center and included a variety of hands-on activities including a pond study, lessons on sustainable designand green building. There was also plenty of time for songs, campfires, games and memories.Walking inWisdom AssemblyThe Old Trail School Parents’ Association presented aninteractive assembly for preschool through eighth gradestudents in October. Best-selling author Chief RobertTallTree and his wife, Terri Lynn, traveled from Coloradofor this special assembly and wore traditional NativeAmerican dress, shared music and stories with thestudents and delivered a powerful drug-free message thatemphasizes self-respect, resiliency and respect for alllife. They taught the students a native song and also toldthem about how the “three arrows of life” – the thoughtsyou think, the words you speak, the actions you take – allcontribute to the person you want to be.www.oldtrail.org23

Campus | Hi g h l i g h t sSports ShortsThe Old Trail School fall sports season was exciting (new records being set!)and filled with travel and activity. The following is a digest of our mightyBuffalo athletes:Field HockeyThe girls’ fall field hockey teams, coached by Kathy Novak, were veryproud of the final results of their season after competing with bothpublic and private schools in the area including: Hudson, HathawayBrown, Hawken, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights and LaurelSchool. Superb improvements were demonstrated both in stickskills and strategic play! Grade 8 record: 8 wins, 3 losses (highscorer – Ashley Yarbrough – 11 goals!); Grade 7 record: Undefeated!4 wins, 2 ties. Way to go GIRLS!!!Grade 7Abby Anacki, Helen Burgess, Taylor Chlebina, Alexandra Clarke,Chloe Cusimano, Grace Ederer, Bailey Fair, Skylar Gross, AainaGupta, Lauren Jones, Lauren Kolar, Elise Krueger, Betsy Naymon andAlix Prybyla,Grade 8Cori Anter, Claudia Behrens, Kathleen Graham, Miranda Hines,Mary Jane Horth, Leah Mustee, Tatiana Pavloff, Charlotte Scarponi,Victoria Turner, Rachel Tustin, Kylie Warner, Annie Wyman andAshley YarbroughSoccerGrade 7The seventh grade soccer team finished the season with a recordof 7-1. With a small number at each game they managed to do verywell. Highlights included Joe Blanda scoring seven goals in onegame! The team members this year were: Joe Blanda, TJBobinsky, Kal Bowers, Joey Durr, Andrew Harwood, JordonMarich, Daniel Martchek, Jack McKenzie, Chase Papajcik, NanakSaran, Jamie Studer, TJ Tate, Gabe Troppe and Grant Worley.The team was coached by Scott Trahey.Grade 8The eighth grade team finished with a record of 12-3. Highlightsof the season included the third place finish at the verycompetitive University Invitational (beating Hudson in the consolationfinal), the 3-2 home win against arch rival University School and winning the IndependentSchool league tournament with a 2-1 win in the finals against Lake Center. Team membersincluded: Mehar Bains, Audrey Brown, Stephen D’Abreau, Brittany Davey, Austin Farber, TimHorth, Sam Hyde, Robin James, Sander Kolodziej, Chase Krummel, Connor Mustee, RussellPlatt, Federico Silva, Jackson Stroup, Brandon Sutton, Jeff Tonge, Anthony Villalba and HunterWasser. The team was coached by Ronald Teunnisen van Manen.24 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

Cross CountryThe cross country team enjoyedbeautiful weather this season andhosted three home meets. Visitorsto our course were impressed withour location and couldn’t believethat this beautiful National Parkwas where we train every day.Another highlight of the seasonwas Old Trail School’sinvolvement in the TowpathMarathon 5K. Eighth graderswere encouraged to participate inthe 5K run, while seventh graders and a core ofsupportive parents volunteered to help run the event. James Axsonwas the top male finisher and Izzy Hanna was the top female finisher.Both winners received a first place medal and a gift certificate to alocal running store. Both teams were coached by Jeff Eason.Grade 7Alex Balli, Jonathan Boutsicaris, Andrew Domonkos, Nate Hanna, JakeHochschwender, Julianne Lavanty, and Michael PapanikolaouGrade 8James Axson, Izzy Hanna, Alix Harwood, Jack Holland, Philip Martin,Paul Meisner and Riley TobinGirls’ TennisThis was a building year for thegirls’ tennis team. Many of the girlshad never played competitivetennis before and theimprovement on this team wasimpressive. The last threematches were very close andduring the last match our girls dominatedagainst Memorial. Because our team was small we allowed sixthgrade girls to join the team. The teams were coached by Pat Mineur.Grade 6Hadiyah Ahmed, Dania El-Shaar, Sarah Forhan, Grace Hoffman,Virginia Swift and Olivia YoungGrade 7Erica Denallo, Victoria Leach, Rylee Nelson and Melanie ZmudaGrade 8Natalie Cecchini, Isabella DiSanto, Megan Gordon, Mary FrancesMcGowan, Shikha Paul, Madison Thomas and Zoe SapienzaSingles players for the team were Isabella DiSanto, Sarah Forhan, MaryFrances McGowan, Shikha Paul, Madison Thomas, and Olivia YoungThis year, James Axson set a new Old Trail School course record witha time of 11:57.Halloween HauntingsOlivia Marchetta (below right), grade 1, clowned around with Primary School Director LuannWilliams as she led the annual Old Trail School Halloween Parade through the halls and intothe gym. Students donned a variety of interesting, beautiful and scary costumes for the paradeand the walk across the stage showing off their Halloween finest. Olivia also announced thecategories of costumes for the show in the gym and led the students in singing “Happy Birthday”to her brother, Matthew (below left).The Intermediate School Advisory Council (ISAC) held its second annual Halloween CandyCollection the first week of November. Students throughout the school brought indonations of extra candy that were collected and weighed by ISACmembers. This year, 172 pounds of candy werecollected that was donated to St. Mary’sChurch in Hudson. The church then donatesthis candy to the Haven of Rest fordistribution during the winter holidays.www.oldtrail.org25

Marie Hunter ‘97 lives in Bradenton, Florida, and isattending the University of South Florida in pursuit ofa master’s degree in special education. She teachesreading at Manatee Palms Youth Services, aninpatient psychiatric facility for children.Sarah Halter ‘98 moved to Chicago in the summer of2007 where she was a research assistant in theradiology department at Evanston Hospital and willhave a published paper as a result of her research.She is now attending the Rosalind Franklin Universityof Medicine and Science/The Chicago MedicalSchool with plans to graduate in 2012. Sarah isundecided about her area of specialty.Spencer Case ‘99 was on the cover of theWashington College magazine’s summer issue – hisalma mater. An avid adventurer and outdoorsman,Spencer’s featured article in the magazine explainshis trip to Antarctica where he was part of anexpedition team and used his photography skillswhile exploring the South Pole. He witnessedtremendous landscapes and unfortunately thetragedy of ocean garbage dumping. He has createdthe nonprofit organization POLAR, (ProcessingOffshore Litter in the Antarctic Region), Recycling Inc.to support the appropriate disposal of oceandumping. Spencer has summited Mount McKinleyand cycled across the country.Andrew Haile ‘99 with friends inGuinea.Andrew Haile ‘99 isserving as a PeaceCorps volunteer inBouliwel, Guinea. Heoccasionally hasinternet access andsent Old Trail Schoola message: “It’s sogood to get newsfrom back home andit makes me nostalgic just thinking about the leavesturning and the weather cooling off. None of that herein Guinea! I’m sorry I didn’t get a message to you intime for the reunion. This is the first time I’ve hadinternet in over a month so I wasn’t able to getsomething off this time around. Maybe next yearthough! Please give my best wishes to all the folksback at OTS – Mr. Duff, Mme. Thompson, Mr. Eason,etc., etc. Thanks so much again, Andrew.”2000sAndrew Guyton ‘00 graduatedcum laude from New YorkUniversity in May with majors inhistory and Spanish. He is nowan officer in the Marine Corpsafter completing a ten-weektraining program at OfficerCandidate School in Quantico,Virginia.Andrew Guyton ‘00Kiera Williams ‘02 is studying at Charles Universityin Prague, The Czech Republic for one semester.On election night shewatched thepresidential returns withexpats and otherstudents. This photoappeared in one of thePrague onlinenewspapersKeira Williams ‘02November 5.Courtney Chlebina ‘04 is a freshman at theUniversity of Pennsylvania and is a member of theMock Trial Team. Later this year, she will becompeting against former OTS classmate, KathleenDavey ‘99, who is a member of the Cornell Mock TrialTeam. Both alums competed in the high school mocktrial state championship while students at ArchbishopHoban High School.Audrey Adgate ‘06 received the Colorado RockyMountain School’s 2008 Community Award, thehighest recognition the school community bestowson a student. The award recognizes individuals fortheir responsibility beyond themselves, theirwillingness to work for the benefit of all and for thelegacy, through example, that endures in thememories of everyone.Anita Salley ‘06 was in the Walsh Jesuit High Schoolproduction of The Matchmaker in November. HerOTS classmate, Rachel Scarponi ‘06 was also in theproduction.Katie Naymon ‘07participated in two journalismrelated programs this pastsummer. One was thePresidential Classroom inWashington, D.C where shestudied communications andjournalism. The second wasthe Summer Honors Institutefor Gifted Students at theUniversity of Akron where sheKatie Naymon ‘07 instudied broadcast journalism. Washington, D.C.Katie is a sophomore at LaurelSchool and is a member of the field hockey team.Sam Freiberg ‘07 is a sophomore at Lake RidgeAcademy. He is a member of the knitting club and theE-day football team.Claire Myerscough ‘07 is a sophomore at HathawayBrown where she is a member of the junior varsityfield hockey team and a member of Lorax, anenvironmentalist club. Claire has been playing pianofor 11 years.Maddie Rosene ‘07 is a sophomore at the GeorgeSchool. She was recently accepted into SAGE –Students Associated for Greater Empathy – a peercounseling club helping students with problems fromdrugs to homesickness.Erica Pacholewski ‘07 continues her competitivehorseback riding. She is the 2008 reserve championfor the gaited division in the Ohio Show CircuitCOSCA. In October, she competed in theInternational Grand Championships for MountainHorses in Lexington, Kentucky.Sonali Paul ‘07 is a sophomore atPadua. She is on the junior varsitytennis team and is in the Latin Cluband Key Club.Matt Krakora ‘08 competed in theCross Country State Championshipmeet this fall. He is a freshman atWalsh Jesuit High School.Lauren Young ‘08 is a freshman atOur Lady of the Elms High Schoolwhere she is a member of thevarsity tennis team.Matt Krakora ‘08Karen Patterson relaxing onthe beach in Carmel.School alumni to visit her page.FRIENDSKaren Patterson, formerOTS teacher, is retiredand living in Carmel,California with herhusband, Dave, whoworks at Esalen Instituteas marketing director.Karen has a Facebookpage and invites Old TrailCollege Matriculation –Class of 2004Congratulations to our ’04 grads who have gone offto college: Erin Armao, University of Cincinnati;Robert Assaly, Columbia University; AlexandriaAydin, Miami University; Anastasia Aydin, MiamiUniversity; Rachel Battershell, Calvin College;Alison Bertin, University of Akron; Samuel Biesiada,Georgetown University; Asuman Bilgin, LafayetteUniversity; Courtney Chlebina, University ofPennsylvania; Kyle Craven, Kent State University;Aminah Daniels, Ohio University; Samuel Dankoff,University of Akron; Kathleen Davey, CornellUniversity; Mitchell Dorfman, University of Akron;Lana El-Shaar, University of Akron; Leah Elsmore,Bates College ; Christopher Forhan, University ofRichmond; Elena Fox, Cornell University; AndrewFrancus, The Ohio State University; Hayden Gilbert,Oberlin College; Jordon Gilbert, University ofMontana; Alysa Granata, University ofPennsylvania; Nathaniel Gugliotta, Wright StateUniversity; Charlie Guyton, Emory University; ChrisHaslam, College of Wooster; Hannah Henschen,The Ohio State University; Sophie Hicks, Universityof Akron; Maria Innamorato, Case Western ReserveUniversity; Katie Jenks, Ohio Wesylan; BenjaminKiderman, The Ohio State University; Alison Koroly,Dancing with Miami City Ballet; Kimberly Knauer,Colorado State University; Christian Lengyel,Bowling Green State University; Julia Liston,University of Rochester; Patrick Malone, EmoryUniversity; Andrew McMannis, Wheeling JesuitUniversity; Donald Molten, Colgate University; AlexMoser, Kent State University; Jaclyn Mure,Duquesne University; Kelsey Njus, University ofColorado; Andrew Novak, Miami University; RajPatel, Oxford College of Emory University; EricRingel, University of Notre Dame; Ryan Spink, OhioUniversity; Graham Stec, University of Akron;Andrew Swank, Boston University; HannahThomas, Dartmouth; Ellis Thompson, University ofFinley; Nicholas Villalba, Loyola University Chicago,Douglas Wagner, Miami University and StewartWarther, Wake Forest University.Getting Trail Mail?Alumni, are you receiving Trail Mail? If not, be sureto send us your email address and we will add youto the mailing list. Trail Mail is a quarterlyenewsletter with updates about alums and Old TrailSchool. To receive Trail Mail, please send youremail address to alumni@oldtrail.org or go to www.oldtrail.org, click on the Alumni tab and follow themenu to Online Alumni Community – register on ourpass-protected alumni community. This is a greatway to locate classmates and friends and stay intouch with Old Trail School. Please send us yournews and photos – all welcome to either address! Ifyou prefer using USPS, please send to Old TrailSchool c/o Alumni Office, 2315 Ira Road, P.O. Box827, Bath, OH 44210. We love hearing from you!www.oldtrail.org27

ALUMNI | An n o t a t i o n sSusie and Bud Rogers ReceivePolsky AwardOld Trail School alum Suzanne “Susie” Thomas Rogers ‘49 and her husband,Bruce W. “Bud”, received the Akron Community Foundation’s 39th Bert A.Polsky Humanitarian Award. They are the fourth husband-and-wife teamto be honored. A committee of past Polsky Award recipients chose thecouple to receive the award, which is named for the founder of the Polskydepartment store chain. The couple was honored at the annual Bert A. PolskyHumanitarian Award Dinner on Oct. 21 at the Hilton Akron-Fairlawn.Bud and Susie at the award ceremonySusie is an active member of the community.She is an emeritus member of the Board ofGovernors for Akron Golf Charities, pastboard president of the Junior League ofAkron, Cuyahoga Valley Association andAkron Garden Club, and past president of theWestern Reserve Academy/Pioneer Women.She is an Old Trail School trustee emeritusand received Old Trail School’s Lincoln GriesDistinguished Alumni Award in 2007.Bud is the former president and chiefexecutive officer of the B.W. Rogers Co.His philanthropic involvement includes workwith the American Red Cross, Boys andGirls Clubs of Summit County, Sumner onRidgewood and the United Way of SummitCounty. He has served as board presidentof each organization and was generalchairman of the 1999 United Way campaign.In 2007, the Rogers received the H. PeterBurg Community Leadership Award fromthe Red Cross, Summit County Chapter.They are also past recipients of the UnitedWay’s Distinguished Service Award.The Polsky Humanitarian Award wasfounded in 1969 to honor the late Bert A.Polsky, president of the former Polsky’sDepartment Stores. He was a foundingtrustee of the Akron Community Foundationand civic leader. Akron CommunityFoundation presents the Bert A. PolskyHumanitarian Award each year to theindividual or couple who best exemplify BertPolsky’s selfless dedication to humanitariancauses in Akron.Other past Polsky Award recipients with OldTrail School connections include: Edwin J.Thomas (1976), M.G. O’Neil (1979), Karl S.Hay (1992), John D. Ong (1995), John F.Seiberling ‘36 (1999), Clifford and JudithBear Isroff ‘54 (2001) and Betty Dalton (2005).*Special thanks to the Akron CommunityFoundation for their assistance with this article.iN memoriamJohn F. Seiberling ‘36 an eight-term AkronCongressman who helped write laws protecting andexpanding national parks, died in August at his homein Copley. The Seiberling family sent more familymembers to Old Trail School than any other family inour history. This included Mr. Seiberling’s sisters, MarySeiberling Huhn ‘37 and Dotty Seiberling ’39, as wellas scores of cousins.In his 16 years in Congress, Seiberling helped draftmore than 60 parks-related bills, including one that established Ohio’s firstnational park, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In 2001, President Clintonawarded Seiberling the Presidential Citizens Medal. Clinton called him an“environmental hero” for crafting the Alaska Lands Act of 1980, which doubledthe size of the U.S. national parks and wildlife refuges nationwide. It also tripledthe area of federally designated wilderness.Seiberling was born Sept. 8, 1918, in Stan Hywet Hall. After Old Trail School,he attended Staunton Military Academy and graduated from Harvard Universityin 1941. He enlisted in the Army and helped plan motor transport for World WarII’s D-Day invasion. He won a Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. Mr. Seiberlingleft Congress in 1986 and then practiced law and taught at the University ofAkron. He enjoyed nature photography and was an avid outdoorsman. Heis survived by his wife Elizabeth and their three sons, John B., David P., andStephen M.Judith Bellows Allen ‘53 passed away in October in Hilton Head, SouthCarolina. Judith was a kindergarten assistant at Old Trail School from 1955-57.She was the wife of Cliff Allen ‘51.Gloria Steele Branker, died in September in Akron. She was the mother of OldTrail School Board member, Lynne Clarke and grandmother of Philip ‘94 andJessica ‘97.Paul Cressman, M.D, and his wife, Betty Cressman, both passed away inOctober in Naples, Florida. He was the father of Mark Cressman ‘77, CarolCressman Rohrbach ‘69 and Laura Cressman Smoose ‘65.Robert Fields Goodin passed away in October in Fairlawn. He was the fatherof Tyler ‘94.Hugh Hearty ‘76 passed away in October in Akron. He was the brother ofEdward Hearty ‘73 and Stacey Hearty ‘77.Florence Matlock, died in October in Mantua. She was the mother-in-lawof Martha Matlock, kindergarten teacher.Forrest Raynor died in July. He was the grandfather of Andy ‘94,Anne ‘97, Leigh ‘02 and Raynor and Patrick Howe ‘03.John Zorn died in September in Parma. He was the grandfather ofMaxwell Reynolds ‘16.28 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF OLD TRAIL SCHOOL

Development | Ne w sFirst GradeRS say “thank you”for new classroomsThanks to the generosity of the Parents’ Association the first gradeclassrooms were renovated this summer while students wereon vacation.In October a formal “thank you”was part of a Head of Schoolassembly during which the firstgraders thanked the parents,architects and constructionteam for all that they did to givethem their new classrooms.Each room was expanded by300 square feet, given a largebay window, received newcabinets and carpeting, newlighting fixtures and more.Thank you!The first grade classrooms, as a ruleWere some of the smallest in the school.A first grade room was tightly packedWith items to the ceiling stacked.With desks and chairs and tables too,There really wasn’t room for you!There was little room to run and play,The children sat in desks all day.BUTToday the rooms are large and boldA different story can be told…“Roomy!” “Spacious!” “Wow! How great!”The teachers sure appreciateTheir brand new rooms with brand new tiles,We see this in their great big smiles!Between the desks, they walk on airBecause there’s space! with room to spare!New carpet, lights and cupboard doorsNew ceiling tiles and pretty floors.In the middle of the ceiling, there is even a lightThat never turns off, it stays on all night!Big windows let the sunshine in,The children wear a great big grinThere’s room on the floor to sit and learn,There’s room to wait and take a turn.There are special places to meet and greetAnd space enough to stamp their feet!A puzzle here, a project there,Enough space for a comfy chair!The kids spread out to read and playBecause there’s room, because they may!“Thank you” does not begin to sayHow much we like our rooms this way!!!!– Luann Williams, Primary School Directorwww.oldtrail.org29

Annual Fund Starts Strong$440,000$269,000The Old Trail School Annual Fund is off to a great start this fall, andwe are on our way toward our goal of $440,000. As we go to presswith this magazine, the Annual Fund stands at $269,000 with cashand pledges! As with many independent schools, we are supportedprimarily by tuition, philanthropic contributions and endowmentincome. The Annual Fund is a critically important fundraising effortthat helps support the daily operations of the School.Please make Old Trail School a priority on your giving list this year!Use the envelope in this magazine to send in your pledge or taxdeductiblegift. You can also make your contribution with MasterCardor Visa by visiting our secure website: www.oldtrail.org, click onSupporting OTS and follow the instructions at Donate Now.Every gift matters and plays a vital role in offering children anextraordinary education!MAKING YOUR ANNUAL FUND GIFTThere are many ways to make a gift to Old Trail School.• Cash, checks and credit cards remain the simplestway to support Old Trail School and can be mailed to theSchool, made over the phone, given in person or enteredonline at www.oldtrail.org.• Matching Gifts: Many employers match charitablecontributions. Check to see if your employer will matchyour gift to Old Trail School.• Gifts of Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds: Appreciatedstocks, bonds or mutual funds held at least a year, canbe a great way to make a gift. By selling depreciatedsecurities and gifting the proceeds, donors may be able towrite off the loss and get a tax deduction on the gift.• IRA Charitable Distributions: Until December 31, 2009,individuals can directly transfer up to $100,000 percalendar year from their individual retirement accounts(IRAs) if they are at least age 70½ at the timeof distribution.• Tangible Property and Real Estate: Old Trail School acceptsworks of art, stamp/coin collections, furniture, supplies, etc.if they help educate students or operate the School. Weconsider gifts of real estate on a case-by-case basis.• Planned Gifts: You can designate Old Trail School as abeneficiary of a will or trust, retirement plan, life insurancepolicy, bank account or stock holding or charitable leadtrust. If maintaining income is important, a charitable giftannuity or charitable remainder trust may be considered.MEMORIAL AND TRIBUTE GIFTSJune 28 – October 27, 2008In honor of the marriage ofKathryn Fair and Nicholas LekasMr. and Mrs. Paul KruderIn memory of Marjorie Billow WheelerMiss Anne Sperry and Miss Virginia Sperrywww.oldtrail.org31

2315 Ira RoadP.O. Box 827Bath, OH 44210-0827Tel: 330.666.1118Fax: 330.666.2187www.oldtrail.orgThe Parents’ Associationsponsored the firstOld Trail School Hayrideand Bonfire in October.More than 200 studentsand family members cameto Botzum Farm in theCuyahoga Valley NationalPark for hayrides, hot dogs,dancing and more.A great time was had by all!December 11Production:Dress Rehearsalfor MurderDecember 12Seventh & EighthGrade DanceDecember 17Primary SchoolWinter ProgramDecember 18IntermediateSchool WinterProgramDecember 22-January 2Winter BreakSPECIAL THANKS TO PRINTING SPONSOR AVANTI CORPORATION