Duke School Under the Oak Magazine, Fall 2019

Under the Oak
FALL 2019
DESIGN THINKING &
SOCIAL JUSTICE MEET
ON THE GREEN
Students’ design selected for Bull
City Mini’s golf course
DRAGON
INNOVATORS GRANTS
An innovative approach to make
Duke School even better
2018-19 DRAGON
FUND HONOR REPORT
Celebration and recognition of
the Honor Roll of Donors
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Under the Oak
DUKE SCHOOL CORE VALUES
WHAT WE DO
Inspire learners to boldly and creatively shape their future.
IDEAS WE LIVE BY
LEARNER-CENTERED
Learners are the center of a dynamic and collaborative
learning, inquiry and discovery process.
ACTIVE INQUIRY
Intellectual curiosity through project-based learning
propels learners to explore multiple paths to creative solutions.
BOLD THINKERS
A deep love of learning and respect for our community
forms bold, critical thinkers for life.
WHY WE DO IT
To prepare the next generation of problem solvers
for our complex world.
EDITORS
WRITERS
MAGAZINE DIRECTOR
HEAD OF SCHOOL
DESIGNER
Sarah Dwyer
Candy Thompson
Lea Hart
Laura Thompson
Irecka Smith
Dave Michelman
Gina Lorsson
Duke School publishes Under the Oak annually for its
alumni, parents, grandparents and friends. If you would
like to add someone to our mailing list, please e-mail
communications@dukeschool.org. We also welcome
news about alumni for future publications; please e-mail
alumni@dukeschool.org with this information.
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INSIDE this issue
MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL ....... ........................ 4
Duke School prepares tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and innovators.
DESIGN THINKING & SOCIAL JUSTICE MEET ON THE GREEN. .. .......... 5-6
Alex Houde ‘21, Henry McLaughlin ’21, and Oliver Sun ’21
designed a golf hole—selected for Bull City Mini’s golf course.
CULTIVATING INNOVATION MINDSETS ........ ......... ............ 7
Jenny Murray shares how students are given opportunities to be innovative.
DRAGON INNOVATORS GRANTS ....... ......................... 8-11
An innovative approach to make Duke School even better.
THE UPSTANDERS IN ACTION SUMMIT ........ .......... ......... 12-13
Brooke Murgitroyd ’21 and Caroline Welty ’21 organized an
“Upstanders in Action Summit’ for middle schoolers.
EQUITY & JUSTICE: Q&A WITH EMILY CHÁVEZ ....... ............... 14-15
Duke School welcomes its first Director of Equity and Justice.
THINKING OUTSIDE THE POT ........ .......... ................ 16-17
Laurie Ann Harvey and Venetha Machock share their “Plant Project.”
INSIDE A CLASSROOM: DUKE SCHOOL’S ENGINEERING PROGRAM ....... 18-19
Kathy Bartelmay sheds light on Duke’s School’s engineering curriculum.
THE NATIONAL IDENTITY PROJECT ........ .......... ............ 20-21
Bob Robinson introduces “Our National Identity” project.
STUDENTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE ....... ............... .......... 22
Student agency in response to Hurricane Florence.
EDUCATING EDUCATORS ........ .......... .................... 23
Reflections from project work staff developers
Annie Gentithes, Heather Greene, and Claire Koerner.
PLAYING AROUND IN THE CLASSROOM ........ ......... ......... 24-25
Matthew Etherington describes how to get students thinking creatively.
FOES BECOME FRIENDS: EXPANDING ATHLETIC
COMPETITION THROUGH COOPERATION . . . ... ... ... ....... . . ..... 26
Duke School partners with peer schools for baseball and lacrosse.
YOU CAN VET ON IT ........ .......... ............. ......... 27-28
Emma Poole ’04 realizes dream of being a veterinarian.
DUKE SCHOOL THINGS: STRANGER THINGS NIGHT
AT THE DURHAM BULLS ATHLETIC PARK ....... ...................... 29
Duke School sponsors its first alumni event at the stadium.
STAYING CONNECTED . ...... .............. ................. 30-31
Our community strives to stay connected with all alumni families.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO DUKE SCHOOL GRADS ....... ............... 32-33
Erik H. Knelson, M.D., Ph.D. ’99 addresses Duke School’s Class of 2019.
ALUMNI CONNECTIONS: ALWAYS A DRAGON ....... ............... 34-25
Celebrating the destinations of 2015 and 2019 grads.
DUKE SCHOOL’S 2018-19 DRAGON FUND REPORT ........ ........ .... 36-46
Celebration and recognition of the Honor Roll of Donors.
SPECIAL THANKS TO DUKE SCHOOL’S 2018-19
FIRE & WIND DRAGON SPONSORS! ....... ......................... 47
Celebration and recognition of Duke School sponsors.
ON THE COVER:
Bull City Mini Golf & Bar’s Chapel Choice golf hole—designed by Duke School students.
INSIDE OF THE COVER:
Oak tree on Duke School’s campus. Students and faculty use the oak tree as a
regular meeting place and refer to it as U.T.O.T. (under the oak tree).
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Message from Dave Michelman, Head of School
When I was young, I remember a number of
predications about what the future would hold.
Specifically, electricity would be so cheap that it
would not need to be metered; cars would fly—
ending congestion; and robots would be doing
our housecleaning.
Well I do have a Roomba, so at least some
vacuuming happens without much personal
intervention. But, I pay my electricity bill every
month and my car fails to fly and
often hardly moves on Interstate
40 between Durham and Raleigh.
On the other hand, I do carry all
worlds’ knowledge in my pants
pocket, and I can listen to almost
any song ever produced by just
asking Alexa.
The future is notoriously difficult to
predict so it might seem difficult
to prepare students for it. However, no matter how
the future unfolds, the creative, innovative and
entrepreneurial will be best positioned for success.
This issue of Under the Oak talks about how Duke
School prepares tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and
innovators.
By reading in-depth, you will learn about the
creativity that our sixth graders applied in
designing miniature golf holes—one of which
element that celebrates one of Durham’s most
accomplished African Americans. You will learn
more about our inclusion initiatives while reading
the interview with Emily Chávez, our inaugural
Director of Equity and Justice.
You will be impressed when learning of our
students’ roles in applying for and awarding
innovation grants that help make Duke School even
better. We also feature the third grade’s inventive
and meaningful response as they
helped fellow North Carolinians
displaced by Hurricane Florence.
Our innovative work is valued
globally as evidenced by the
distance learning course three
of our teachers conducted
for Beijing Royal School. The
teachers in Beijing stayed past
6:00 p.m. for the professional
development, while our teachers
presented at 6:00 a.m.
Finally, we review Stranger Things Night at the
Durham Bulls stadium and the shout-out we
received from the Duffer Brothers, Duke School
Class of ’99, as they look back fondly on their
Duke School education.
If innovation is the future, Duke School has it
covered.
you could play downtown. That hole features an
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Design Thinking & Social Justice
Meet on the Green
When Alex Houde, Henry McLaughlin and Oliver
Sun embarked on a mini inquiry last year in sixth
grade to create a model of a mini-golf hole, they
didn’t know their idea would be on par with some
of the best in the Triangle.
The boys and their classmates submitted their
designs to Bull City Mini, a pop-up mini golf
course and bar that opened in May 2019 on the
American Tobacco Campus.
In all, three teams of
students from Duke
School had design
prototypes that were
chosen as finalists in
the contest. All of Bull
City Mini’s holes were
selected the three boys’ design, “Chapel Choice,”
to be constructed as one of the course’s eight
holes.
“Bull City Mini was a great way to reflect on
Durham’s values and what makes Durham,
Durham,” Alex said.
Each group of students began the project by
creating a model of a mini golf hole from scrap
products, according to Becca Wooldridge, sixth
grade social studies and
project teacher. In true
Duke School fashion,
the project incorporated
reading, writing, history,
math, physics, and social
justice.
to be designed by
community members—
from students to tech
professionals—and have
a Durham theme.
Bull City Mini founders
Duke School students Henry McLaughlin,
Alex Houde, and Oliver Sun visited their
Chapel Choice hole at the opening of the
Bull City Mini Golf & Bar.
Alex, Henry and Oliver,
for example, focused
on the contributions of
Julian F. Abele. Abele
was the African American
architect who designed
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Duke Chapel but received little recognition at the
time because he was African American, the boys
noted.
“We wanted to celebrate him and all African
Americans that really shaped Durham’s history,”
Alex said.
The boys saw their hole come to life in the
fabrication shop, and later played the course
when Bull City Mini opened.
“I really liked seeing how we could just imagine
what we love about Durham, and then turn it into
this really unique and loveable hole that represents
what it is we love about Durham,” Oliver said.
Students Oliver Sun, Henry McLaughlin, and Alex Houde joined teacher Becca Wooldridge and
Julie Bryce from Bull City Mini to view plans for their student-designed golf hole.
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Cultivating Innovation Mindsets
By Jenny Murray, Middle School Director
Innovation is essential if we are to educate our
students for the future—a big responsibility and
goal that takes so much more than materials and
equipment that we’re fortunate to have available.
At Duke School, students are given carefully
curated opportunities to develop the mindsets
necessary to innovate. But not all of these are
visible at a glance. How does Duke School foster
empathy, curiosity, and creativity? Why are our
students from preschool
through eighth grade
so ready to look at the
world, ask questions,
and propose ideas and
solutions? How do we
create problem solvers
for our complex world?
A lot of this development and work takes place
in projects. Duke School Project is different than
project-based learning at most schools in some
important ways. In Duke School Project, students
use design thinking and other creative problem
solving approaches to ask their own questions and
propose their own solutions. Students then make
decisions about how to present those solutions
to their audience. Project-based learning at other
schools and major professional development
entities puts these decisions solely in the hands of
the teacher. What a difference this makes! If adults
don’t give students the opportunity to make
decisions and choices in school, they will be less
able to make them in life. And they certainly won’t
develop this skill at a high level. At Duke School,
students practice asking questions and making
decisions, they reflect on their choices, and they
set goals for the future.
Project work is just one example of how Duke
School cultivates the
mindsets necessary to
innovate, and there are
so many more all around
campus. Students gain
necessary skills in reading,
writing, math, science,
and social studies in
workshops and classes. These workshops and
classes as well as morning meetings, advisory, PE,
music, and arts classes all foster independence,
decision-making, collaboration, and empathy.
Many schools talk about innovation and provide
some good surface-level opportunities. Duke
School is uniquely qualified and able to go
deeper. Our children deserve and benefit from
the richness of all that we do in project and
throughout every day!
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Dragons
Innovators Grant
The innovation grant that funded TerraCycling is still going strong this year.
Last spring, a painted dragon appeared outside
the Preschool building. Inspiring experts engaged
with students in an Upstanders Summit. Middle
schoolers spent Earth Day packing supplies to be
delivered to Durham’s Urban Ministry.
faculty/staff alter the school’s physical and
educational landscape. Since fall 2018, 11 grants
have been awarded to individuals and teams—
most of them students—with the goal of making
Duke School even better.
Across the Duke School campus,
Dragon
“We’re also really promoting innovation and
Innovators Grants are helping students and
creativity, and we want that to become part of our
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culture,” said Duke School Innovation Director
Katie Ree. “What this grant does is it not only
gives people an opportunity to do something,
but it also encourages students to have agency
so that they can try things.”
The Dragon Innovators Grants emerged from
a gift of $15,000 from an anonymous donor.
Students, faculty, and staff can apply for up to
$2,000 for projects, which are chosen based
on their creativity and innovation, community
reach, potential to catalyze additional ideas,
documentation plan, efficient use of resources,
and use of collaboration.
“It was a community effort to even create the
process,” said Katie.
thought of,” said Katie. “For me, it was really
about seeing what the students would think
would make our campus better.”
Students applying for grants must have a teacher
mentor and submit a detailed plan for the
materials and money needed, timeline, how they
expect the project to impact the school, and how
they will document their progress.
Students not submitting applications can
volunteer to review potential projects. During
the 2018-19 school year, several fourth through
eighth graders reviewed and scored applications
based on a rubric. Middle School students also
joined teachers and administrators on the panel
making the final selections.
Once school leaders settled on the idea of
offering innovation grants, the entire Duke
School community was invited to take part via
an all-school email. Katie visited second- through
Students helped design the review process,
including determining that applicants’ names
should be hidden so that their proposals were
scored anonymously.
eighth-grade classrooms to encourage students
to apply.
“What we were really hoping was for them to
come up with—in some ways—ideas we hadn’t
Students helped install the new water fountain
on the Lower School playground.
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The 11 projects funded so far range from restoring
campus facilities like the Lower School gazebo
and low ropes course to inspiring students to
be active and engaged citizens. Several projects
will add professional and student-designed
artwork to campus. Others, like those introducing
TerraCycling and CompostNow initiatives, “have
the impact on our school but also on the world,
which is nice,” said Katie.
An artist herself, Katie understands the value
of learning to market creative projects and
developing the grit to try again if the first
application isn’t successful. “That’s the part of it
that I’m most happy about, is the process,” she
said. “It encourages risk taking, it encourages
agency, and I think it sparks ideas in others.”
A third round of grant applications will open this
fall, with spring 2019 grantees presenting their
projects at a whole-school gathering. Additional
Grace Dunzo ’19 led middle schoolers in packing
supplies for the Urban Ministry in Durham.
Katie said she tries not to steer students or
faculty toward specific types of projects, instead
preferring to leave room for their ideas and
creativity. She said the grant projects are also
inspiring Duke School community members to
launch initiatives outside of the program that
don’t require money to complete.
“I think that it’s all been kind of surprising,” she
said. “I don’t know of any other schools doing
this kind of work with preschool through eighth
graders.”
grant rounds will be offered as long as funds are
available.
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• Creating new four-square courts on the Lower
School playground
• Installing a new water fountain on the Lower
School playground
• Introducing TerraCycling in the fifth- and
sixth-grade building with the potential to
expand to additional buildings
• Rehabilitating the low ropes course with help
from a consultant
• Creating designs on the sidewalks around
the second- and third-grade building to
encourage students to exercise
• Installing new floors in the Lower School
gazebo to solve mud and water issues
• Hiring an artist to work with students to create
a mural on the Preschool playground
• Hosting an Upstanders Summit at the Middle
School
• Purchasing and packing supplies for the
Urban Ministry in Durham
• Painting a mural in the Middle School gym
• Piloting a school-wide composting program
with CompostNow
“Today’s common problems are becoming increasingly
global and complex. Duke School enables children to glean
pertinent information from internal and external sources
and to then bring this information back to a collaborative
forum. Through discussion and testing, problems are
solved as a team. I feel this type of environment breeds
innovation and true collaboration—a path to a meaningful
and successful journey.”
~ Sean Wilmer, Duke School Parent & Head of Facilities
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IN ACTION
SUMMIT
When Duke School Innovation Director Katie
Ree introduced the Dragon Innovators Grant
and Caroline worked with Annie and Jenny
Murray, Middle School Director, to incorporate
a pplica tio n
process to the
the
they’d
feedback
received
sixth
grade,
and revised their
students
Brooke
proposal
for
Murgitroyd
and
r e s ubmission .
Caroline
Welty
Their
second
eyed one another
from across the
room, knowing
they wanted to
Teacher Annie Gentithes with students and
summit organizers, Brooke Murgitroyd and Caroline Welty.
s ubm i ssi o n
received approval
for a daylong
“Upstanders in
be involved. To
Action
Summit”
them, upstanding and kindness are inherently
interlocked, and are both things they want to see
more of in the world around them.
With the help of Annie Gentithes, their mentor and
Duke School social studies and project teacher,
Brooke and Caroline applied for the grant. After
the review committee, comprised of teachers and
students rejected their initial proposal, Brooke
to be paired with the schoolwide celebration of
Earth Day.
For the next few months leading up to the summit,
Brooke and Caroline spent many lunches and
recesses brainstorming lesson plans, emailing
Duke School faculty and community members
to ask for support, and collaborating with one
another to plan the summit. They wanted to make
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the whole event accessible to students like them,
to make it attractive for their peers to further
engage those around them in a meaningful way
focusing on the concept of upstander.
In April, the “Upstanders in Action Summit”
opened with a keynote address from Sara
Ahmed—literacy coach, international teacher,
and coauthor with Harvey “Smokey” Daniels
Following Duke School’s Earth Day activities,
middle schoolers attended a variety of sessions
ranging from discussions on upstanding in
the arts and voting rights, to the packaging of
bags for Durham community members who are
homeless (in collaboration with Grace Dunzo’s
Eighth Grade Project).
To Annie, this event served as a means to
of
Upstanders:
amplify a culture
How to Engage
already
present
Middle
School
at Duke School:
Hearts and Minds
with Inquiry. Sara
encouraged Duke
“It represents the
work that we do
every day—first of
School
students
all because of the
and teachers alike
to “get proximate
and get close to
Students opened the “Upstanders in Action Summit” with a
special keynote address from Sara Ahmed.
multiple iterations,
the involving
other people, the
people whose stories you don’t know, whose
stories aren’t like yours, who don’t look like
you…get proximate and close to their stories so
that your mind and your heart grow bigger.”
getting feedback, making it bigger in terms of
who they involved, and then also because we
honor kids voices every day, from the youngest
classrooms all the way up to eighth grade.”
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Equity
& Justice
An Interview by Nicole Thompson,
Lower School Director
This fall, we welcomed Emily Chávez
to Duke School as the first Director
of Equity & Justice!
Q. What conversations did you have at an early
age that helped shape who you are today?
A. First, I would say that my conversations with
my mom were important in shaping me into who I
am today. My mom encouraged me to talk about
my feelings. She always expressed that she loved
me unconditionally, even when I made mistakes.
She also listened to me. If I wanted to try a new
activity, she would try to give me the chance to
experience it if she could.
My conversations with my paternal grandmother,
my Mamá Geno, also influenced me to be
who I am. What was important about these
conversations is that they were beyond verbal
language. My Mamá Geno only spoke Spanish.
Growing up, I only spoke English (I learned
Spanish later). I met my Mamá Geno when I
was seven years old, and she lived with us for a
while. We communicated through hand gestures,
through laughter, and through the Peruvian food
she would cook for me that I ate and loved. She
would speak to me in Spanish, and even though I
didn’t understand her words, I felt them. So, while
I love words, I also learned that communication is
so much beyond words; it is tactile, it is sensory.
People communicate love in many ways beyond
what is spoken.
Q. Why is it important to engage young children
in conversations about equity and justice?
A. Young children are learning to name or
indicate what they feel, think and need. They are
learning to put language to the nuances of their
human experience. They experience and witness
equity and inequity, justice and injustice, and we
can help them to articulate what they observe and
know by engaging them in conversations about
privilege, unfairness, diversity, and their identities
and communities. Racism, heterosexism, classism
and other systems of oppression thrive on silence.
When we talk to kids about these topics—even
when it’s uncomfortable or awkward—we show
children that it is important to do so.
Children are also agents of change. By talking to
kids about issues related to equity and justice, we
can impart the importance of standing up and
doing what is right even if others do not stand up
with you.
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Q. What makes affinity groups powerful?
A. One of the most powerful things about
being a part of an affinity group is having others
understand parts of your experience or identity
without you having to explain them. It can
be a great gift to have someone understand
you beyond what you can express in words
because they have a similar experience or have
experienced the world in a similar way.
Secondly, affinity groups can also expand our ideas
of what it means to have a given identity. I believe
in expansive community. I believe in seeing affinity
communities for the full and rich groups that they
are. There is never one way to be a person with a
certain type of identity; yet through conversations
and media representations, certain identities
often become essentialized, or reduced to certain
features. Affinity groups can expand these ideas
of what it means to be someone or something.
For instance, queer kids can be immigrants,
Latina girls can be punk fans, and Black boys can
be ballet dancers. If we want to build authentic
community, we cannot limit ourselves and others
with whom we share an identity. We have to see
each other for the entirety of who we are. Affinity
groups can be a safe—or safer—space to do that.
Ultimately, by creating spaces for members of
historically marginalized groups to discuss their
experiences and voice their concerns, affinity
groups can strengthen the community at large.
Q. What would you say are three must-read
books for everyone?
A. The Color Purple by Alice Walker—This
book is a classic. It is about race, gender, power,
sisterhood, overcoming, family, queerness and
the beauty of being alive.
A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid—This book is so
rich. It is written in second person and describes
white tourists in Antigua through the eyes of
Black Antiguans whose labor makes the tourists’
comfort and ignorance possible.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin—He was
such a beautiful crafter of language. In this book,
Baldwin articulates the realities and (seeming)
nuances of racism in a way that no one else can.
And here’s one more, a children’s book…
Two White Rabbits by Jairo Buitrago, illustrated
by Rafael Yockteng—I fell in love with this book
when I read it for the Américas Award Review
Committee. It describes the journey through
Mexico common to many Central American
migrants through the eyes of a child.
Q. What is your favorite quote?
A. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
~ Nelson Mandela
It’s true—you cannot see beyond the moment
how things will change and life will evolve. I think
the bridge between where we are now and where
we believe we can be is a strong vision and the
commitment to carry it out.
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THINKING OUTSIDE
THE POT
By Laurie Ann Harvey and Venetha Machock,
Duke School Teachers
Combining what we have
learned about growing plants
in our “Plant Project” with
our concerns about all the
single use containers hurting
the Earth, we decided to put
our design thinking skills to
work and create decorative
plant pots from “useful junk.”
Looking at a variety of plant pots, we compared
and discussed what attributes made these plant
pots usable. This helped us create a “Recycled
Plant Pot Design Checklist.”
We then selected our plant pot materials from a
large variety of single use trash items (useful junk).
With the help of useful junk, our kindergartners
designed their pots. They also made labeled
drawings to show how their plant pots would look
First, our kindergarten class had a conversation
about how plants help us and the Earth. We
talked about how people are hurting the Earth
with trash, especially single use plastic items. Our
class then decided to use a variety of thrown-out
items to create decorative plant pots with and for
our friends. We realized that we could help the
Earth in two ways: by “reusing” thrown-out items
AND by growing plants.
once assembled.
Next, we paired off in groups and explained how
we wanted our pots assembled and decorated.
Art materials, colors, and construction ideas
were included in our descriptions. The students
carefully listened to one another in order to make
the pots. Working together helped us discuss any
problems that arose and/or share new ideas and
suggestions as they came up.
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Our students presented their creations to the
class, explaining their design ideas, and how they
followed through with their classmates’ wishes.
They also shared any construction or decoration
problems, and how they worked together to
resolve them.
This project was completed by planting basil in
our beautiful, recycled “useful junk” plant pots,
decorated by our students who were then able to
test the usability of their pots.
Our class kept track of the days, with tally marks,
to see how long it would take for the basil to
sprout and we compared our findings to the
information on the seed packet.
We are so proud that, not only did
we help the Earth, but we practiced
listening to our friends, and helped
create something they will love, and
enjoy using, for many years.
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I NSIDE A CLASSROOM...
DUKE SCHOOLS’ ENGINEERING PROGRAM
By Kathy Bartelmay, Duke School Curriculum Director
Perhaps one of the best-kept secrets at Duke
School is our preschool–eighth grade engineering
program. When a parent asked me recently why
we didn’t have a “STEM” program, I was shocked.
No, students don’t leave their classes once a week
for a computer lab. That’s because purposeful
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art
and Math) work happens right in their classrooms.
Here’s a peak into those rooms.
While visiting first graders during the “Bird
Project” last year, I spoke with students very
worried about a visiting chicken with an injured
foot. The poor bird was unable to stand and to
eat; so it would surely die! How could they help?
With coaching from teachers, students researched
solutions and decided to prototype a wheelchair
that would give the chicken the support necessary
to reach its food. After a few iterations, the
young engineers soon had the chicken eating
comfortably in its new chair. At the same time,
another group of first graders worked with Sergio,
a middle school student, to use our 3-D printer
for creating a prosthetic bird foot!
Meanwhile, fourth grade students used the
design process to create LEGO robots that
solved problems. Griffin wanted to help people
like his grandfather—a former pianist who could
no longer play due to an injury. Griffin and his
partner Ollie designed a robotic arm that played
the piano.
“It was kinda hard,” Griffin told me. “We wanted
to invent an arm with five fingers, but we didn’t
have enough motors. So, we designed an arm
with one big finger and programmed it to play
a song. Do you want to hear it?” Sure enough,
when the boys pressed a button on their robot,
the robotic arm moved along a keyboard and
played “Hot Cross Buns!”
The origins of Duke School’s engineering
curriculum date back to 2002 when we were
awarded a grant from Tufts Center for Engineering
Educational Outreach (CEEO) to launch an
elementary LEGO Robotics program. Tufts
provided ongoing professional development and
help purchasing materials; Duke School faculty
created engineering lessons for their website,
presented at their conference in Austin, and
published an article about our young engineers
in the National Science Teachers Association’s
(NSTA) journal Science and Children.
Over the years, the program expanded and we
now have a comprehensive preschool–eighth
grade engineering curriculum. Visitors might see
preschoolers constructing bridges or sixth graders
deciding which sensors to use so their robots can
traverse a plateau on a newly discovered planet to
locate a valuable green ore. Engineering happens
in project work, in science class, and throughout
the day.
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Tufts CEEO Professor Chris Rogers taught us that
teaching engineering in elementary and middle
school is important because the benefits go far
beyond engineering. Engineering is simply using
math, science, and creativity to design solutions
to problems. This work doesn’t happen in a STEM
lab. It happens in everyday life as kids learn to see
that problems are everywhere. They need to learn
to notice them and begin designing multiple
solutions at a young age to be prepared for the
future.
I was reminded of Dr. Rogers’ advice in a recent
chat with Duke School alumna Miranda Brown.
Miranda had just won the design competition at
Virginia Tech’s engineering camp. The challenge
was to use the Design Process to come up with
a solution that would help people in a natural
disaster. Miranda and her team developed an
inflatable, waterproof backpack with emergency
supplies for flood victims.
“It actually wasn’t hard,” Miranda told me.
“The challenge was to find a problem, generate
solutions and plans, build a prototype, test it, and
make it better. They emphasized that we would
be evaluated on our teamwork, as well as our
actual solution.”
When I congratulated her, Miranda just shrugged.
“Actually, Kathy, I kind of tuned out when they
explained the steps in design thinking and
teamwork. My teachers taught me that every
single year at Duke School. Duke School taught
me to power and challenge myself every year
instead of relying on grades.”
Perhaps, that is the most important outcome of
our engineering program. I feel confident that
Miranda and our other Class of 2015 alumni, who
are freshmen in college this fall, will have the
powers and the tools to solve whatever problems
they encounter.
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Duke School teacher Bob Robinson in action.
You may have seen some recent reporting about
how plantations and similar historic sites such
as Monticello and the McLeod Plantation in
Charleston, South Carolina have revised their
interpretations to include frank descriptions of
how responsible the enslaved African Americans
were for creating the wealth of the white owners.
Some sites draw the connection from enslavement
through Jim Crow and onward to today’s income/
wealth inequality and the mass incarceration of
African Americans. Now to a noticeable degree,
these sites are getting some pushback from
visitors, mostly white, who don’t want “political
correctness” to detract from their enjoyment of a
fine house and beautiful grounds.
This evolution in historic site narrative and the
subsequent backlash raise important questions
about our identity as a nation and who is in
charge of curating it: How do nations construct a
national identity? How have marginalized groups
made their voices/perspectives heard throughout
history? How have more diverse perspectives
been added to our national identity over time?
These questions drive Duke School’s Eighth
Grade Project, “Our National Identity.” Four
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years ago while reflecting on the annual
sojourn to Washington, DC and its connection
to the social studies curriculum, the eighth
grade team decided to design a project that
would incorporate the trip as field work, and
the “National Identity” project was born. We
were inspired by the work we did with Harvey
“Smokey” Daniels and Sara Ahmed during preplanning
days, and the project emerged from our
conversations.
The project affords field work in DC, but also here
in Durham, where the life, work, and identity of
Pauli Murray has been celebrated, and where
the community has wrestled with Confederate
commemoration both at the courthouse and
at the Duke University Chapel. This robust field
experience also creates an authentic environment
for students to discuss difficult topics with teacher
guidance.
Through the course of the project students come
to understand the many ways that our national
identity is developed—from the obvious, like
who’s on our money to whom substantial statues
depict, to the less visible, like who are the subjects
marginalized designer behind the white person
who got the credit. To culminate the project,
we coach students to cultivate connections to
stakeholders and propose their own additions to
the stories about who we are.
Over the course of a couple of years, students
have created a coloring book of the Loving
couple who successfully challenged Virginia’s
law banning interracial marriages, proposed
an art installation on New York City’s High Line
celebrating feminist leader Inez Milholland,
proposed additions to the Duke School calendar,
and designed a memorial to women for their roles
during the Civil War at Gettysburg to complement
the memorial for the men who died.
We especially celebrate when a student’s
proposal earns a reply, as happens with a small
number each year. Eden Richman was invited, for
example, to receive a personal tour of art on the
High Line!
Ultimately, you will see our eighth graders learning
to flex their upstander muscles and advocate for
a national identity that is as inclusive as possible.
of coloring books or who might have been the
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STUDENTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Student Agency in Response to Hurricane Florence
By Duke School Teachers Heather Greene, Mary Beth Hes, Grechen Sahratian, and Jane Shears
The morning of September 18, 2018, started with
third-grade students and teachers sharing our
crazy weather stories in the aftermath of Hurricane
Florence: “Where did you take shelter during the
tornado warnings? What flooding did you see
around town?” But our focus quickly turned to
the impacts we saw farther from home: “Did you
see the flooding at the beach? Are those families
safe? Where did they go when they couldn’t go
home?”
Our third graders kept landing on one critical
question, “What can we do to help?” Both
classrooms discussed what they as third graders
(without money, credit cards, or cars) could do
to help, and decided to embark on a weeklong
service project.
After researching the needs of those impacted,
the students came up with the idea of organizing
a supply drive at Duke School. The response from
the community was overwhelming—we collected
carloads of supplies including soap, canned
goods, books, toiletries, and coloring books. The
students also let other classes know that they
could help, too.
We took donations to the Friday Center in Chapel
Hill, which opened as a shelter to hurricane
evacuees. With the help of our Learning Center
Support Coordinator, T Land, we also teamed
up with Operation Air Drop, a group of pilots
at Raleigh Durham International Airport offering
their time and personal airplanes to fly donated
supplies to the survivors in need who were
otherwise unreachable due to coastal road
flooding.
In addition to sending supplies, the students
wanted to share words of encouragement and
care to those affected by the storm. After learning
from the pilots that even the added weight of
letters would affect plane fuel efficiency, we
decorated the supply boxes instead.
In the words of one of our third graders, “I have
learned that even if you think you can’t help, you
always can help.”
1 - Third graders talked to Josh Chapin, ABC11 WTVD
reporter, about why they felt compelled to help others.
2 - Students made cards of comfort to let victims of the
hurricane.
3 - One class decorated the outside of boxes that they filled
with supplies for Operation Airdrop with messages of love,
hope and courage.
4 - One of our student-made cards.
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Everyone knows that Duke School educators are passionate
about project work, but this summer teachers Annie
Gentithes, Heather Greene, and Claire Koerner surpassed
expectations. As project work staff developers, Annie,
Heather and Claire gathered at a studio in Chapel Hill to
conduct five sessions of distance learning with teachers at
Educating
Educators
the Beijing Royal School in China. In the course, An Introduction to Project Work and Inquiry, they actively
engaged participants in the inquiry project. Participants learned to help students ask “thick,” rather than
“thin” questions, collaborate in the research process, find field experiences and guest experts, and share
out their work with others. The distance course was so successful that the school has requested a more
advanced course as Beijing teachers continue on their journey toward an inquiry approach to teaching!
“Our work with Beijing Royal
School was stimulating because
Claire, Heather, and I were
able to collaborate with one
another in new and exciting
ways. We had a steep learning
curve as we navigated virtual
teaching, and our We Chat back
channel was a vital resource for
responding to questions and
supporting the real time work.
Perhaps most importantly, I
was reminded how important
building connections with
our participants was, and this
mirrors the work Duke School
teachers do to build classroom
community every day.”
~ Annie Gentithes
“As we collaborated this
summer, one of the most
important and eye-opening
aspects of the work was how
we had to break down project
work to its roots, its foundation.
Once we all had a strong
understanding of what it takes
to have a successful project,
we were better equipped to
teach teachers who had never
experienced or taught in a
progressive or collaborative
manner. We realized that at its
core, project work and inquiry
work provide students a safe
arena to question, research,
and explore together. As
educators, we can foster this
by allowing time to be spent
playing, observing, drawing,
and storytelling.”
“Building relationships with
others is so important in setting
the foundation for inquiry work,
and at first, I was uncertain
about how we were going to
do that when teaching a group
of educators on the other side
of the world via webcam. But
by building in opportunities for
collaboration, as well as time
for sharing questions, thoughts,
processes, and products, just
like we do every day with the
students we have right in front
of us, we developed a wonderful
rapport with teachers at Beijing
Royal School. And in true Duke
School fashion, I was learning
just as much as I was teaching
throughout the experience.”
~ Heather Greene
~ Claire Koerner
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Playing Around in the Classroom
By Matthew Etherington, Duke School Performing Arts Teacher
about playfulness, creativity and innovation
this year. As part of my two-year commitment
with the Triangle Heads Leadership Academy
(THLA), I am working with colleagues from
Amazingly, before creativity
determines everyone’s future
goals, here’s innovation! Just
keep learning math (Newtonian
or Pythagorean). “Question
righteously? Show truth?
Understanding?” valiantly
wonder xenial yawning zoologists.
If you’re at all confused by my opening
paragraph, then don’t worry—it was an example
of how to get students thinking creatively (also
known as the Alphabet Game). The idea is
that by engaging in a playful mindset, you can
generate more creative ideas.
I’ve been thinking and reading a great deal
several Triangle-area independent schools
to develop an action research project. With
experienced teachers bringing new ideas back
to their schools, it is an excellent opportunity for
institutional growth and change.
Through my literature review, I’ve learned that
play is an intrinsic expression and need for all
mammals (including humans) and that valuable
social-emotional, physical and intellectual
skills are developed through this practice in
childhood. Dr. Peter Gray of Boston College
points out that play has eroded in many schools
today and also at home, where children are
more likely to be enrolled in organized activities.
However, many of these activities are not play,
which by definition must be self-controlled and
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self-directed. Dr. Gray explains, “It’s the selfdirected
aspect of play that gives it its educative
power.”
problems with novel solutions. Creative thinking,
as it turns out, has a lot to do with the quantity
of ideas, not simply the quality of ideas. By
I’ve also learned that there are different types
of play. The National Institute for Play outlines
several forms including Body Play, Social Play,
Imaginative Play, and Creative Play. All of these
are important and necessary to successful
development into adulthood. I am glad that, at
Duke School, we value this need for play and
provide opportunities for self-controlled and
self-directed learning. I’m not just talking about
formal opportunities such as the school play and
musical, but also our middle school activities
program, the way we engage students with
project work, our innovators grants, Prime Time,
student leadership, and the way our creative
faculty works with students each day in the
engaging playfully, students are free to generate
numerous ideas without immediately labeling
them as “good” or “bad.”
Risk-taking in front of peers means putting
yourself out there, the potential for judgment,
and negative feedback. By working together
playfully, students and teachers can ease
the burden. Improvisational theater holds a
fundamental tenet called “Yes! And ...”—the
purpose being that we affirm and acknowledge
someone else’s idea, then we build upon it
further. So, next time someone delivers an idea
that sounds implausible, try approaching the
conversation with openness and a playful “Yes!
And…” You may be surprised at the outcome.
classroom.
For students to be excellent innovators, they
need to think creatively and address complex
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Foes Become Friends:
Expanding Athletic Competition Through Cooperation
As with Kevin Costner’s character in the classic
baseball film Field of Dreams, Duke School
Athletic Director Brian Greene has heard voices.
“Dating all the way back to probably the start of
my time here, there were echoes of interest in
both lacrosse and baseball,” Brian said.
Boys lacrosse became a reality in spring of 2017,
thanks in large part to a group of enthusiastic
and committed parents. Then last spring, the
opportunity for our boys to play baseball evolved
from an innovative partnership with a rival school.
“Carolina Friends School (CFS) reached out to
share the fact that they had interest from their
school but just not enough to create their own
full team,” Brian said. “And the reality became
that they had the facilities and the space that
was necessary and we had the players that they
lacked.”
After meeting with Duke School administrators
and working out the details, nine Duke School
students traveled to Carolina Friends School
for practices and participated as part the CFS
baseball team.
“My thought was, even if it wasn’t going to be
a Duke School team, we’re trying to provide as
many positive athletic experiences or options for
our students,” Brian said.
A similar collaboration occurred for our lacrosse
team. With a strong but smaller number of
returning players, the coaches felt a few more
players were needed in case of illnesses or
injuries. Trinity School, which did not have
enough interest to field a team of its own, came
through with six additional players to join the
Duke School team.
Brian sees the benefits of the partnerships
as being two-fold. First, they create new
opportunities for our students. Second, they
build strong relationships with the other schools.
“Ultimately it ended up being a very positive
experience for everyone,” Brian said.
As for those voices Brian has been hearing?
Here’s what some of the baseball players had to
say about the experience:
“It was great to finally have a chance to play
baseball for the school and with people I know
from school.”
~ Levent
“I felt connected with other people from CFS.”
~ Alex
“It was good to see the kids get better over the
season and the team get better as a whole.”
~ Nick
“It was very good that I got to see some old
friends playing baseball.”
~ CW
“It was good to get the opportunity to play
with people that are not in my age group—help
them grow.”
~ Brendan
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You Can Vet on It!
Emma Poole knew from an early age that
she wanted be a veterinarian.
“I could just never imagine doing anything else,
really,” the 2004 Duke School graduate said.
Photo Credit: Ted Fitzgerald/The Pilot
Today, Emma works with Foundation Equine
Clinic, a two-person veterinary practice in the
equestrian-heavy community of Southern Pines,
N.C. Her job keeps her busy providing what she
calls “the next level of care” to the region’s highperformance
equine athletes.
“I think horses are amazing and the things they
can do are amazing,” Emma said. “If I can help
them do that, then that’s usually a really good day
for me.”
Emma’s interest in working with horses began
in middle school when she started taking riding
lessons. She got her horse, Indy, at 14 and began
exploring careers in veterinary medicine through
seventh- and eighth-grade projects that included
visits to local clinics.
At Duke School, “I was always made to feel like
be able to do,” Emma said. “I just feel like it’s
such a positive place.”
After finishing her undergraduate degree at North
Carolina State University, Emma was admitted
to N.C. State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Admission to veterinary programs is highly
competitive and requires difficult undergraduate
coursework, some of which—like the chemistry
courses—Emma said did not come easily to her.
Even so, she said, “I couldn’t even really fathom
having a backup plan.”
In Southern Pines, Emma spends most of her
workdays seeing patients for routine vaccinations
and preventive care as well as for chiropractic
treatments, for which she became certified last
year. Although horse owners in Southern Pines
are generally very attentive to their animals’
[being a veterinarian] was something that I would
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care, Emma is on call evenings and weekends
every other week to respond to the inevitable
emergencies.
Emma said her work is challenging, particularly
when facing medical issues that she cannot
successfully treat. However,
graduate vet school, you just know everything,
and that’s really not true,” Emma said. “I can be
in practice 10 years from now and there’s always
going to be new information that’s coming out.”
Emma still rides and occasionally enters
eventing competitions with
she has noticed an emerging
emphasis on work-life balance
in the profession and a
recognition that veterinarians
need to safeguard their own
mental health to be effective.
“I think that’s just a nice
change in perspective
that I’ve gotten,” she said.
“Yes, you can kind of give
everything to the job, but
you need to make sure that
“At Duke School,
I was always
made to feel
like [being a
veterinarian] was
something that I
would be able to
do,” Emma said.
“I just feel like it’s
such a positive
place.”
a neighbor’s horse named
Ignition. Her first horse, Indy,
is now retired but lives with
her in Southern Pines. She
said being around horses
in her down time helps her
recharge and remember why
she became a veterinarian in
the first place.
“My favorite part is being able
to see the horses and riders
out having fun and doing
you’re OK and that your colleagues are OK
because if they’re not, you can’t do your job.”
Being a veterinarian also means constantly
well,” she said. “There’s nothing more fun from a
riding perspective than riding a horse that loves
their job.”
learning. “I think I sort of thought that once you
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Stranger Things Night
at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park
In July, Duke School alumni families and friends ventured into
the upside-down of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park’s “Stranger
Things Night.” Duke School sponsored its first alumni event at
the stadium. This event celebrated the success of Duke School
Candy Thompson, Allen Duffer, Reed Darsie ‘99,
Sandra Cook, Kathy Bartelmay, and Charles Darsie.
graduates and the release of Matt and Ross Duffer’s (The
Duffer Brothers) season three of the hit Netflix show, Stranger
Things. As you may know, not only are The Duffer Brothers
Durham natives, but also Duke School alums!
More than 80 people attended the event to catch up with
old friends and teachers alike. During the game, Dr. Kenneth
W. Chandler, Director of Development, spoke on behalf of
Duke School in a featured radio interview where he talked
about the school’s mission and the many accomplishments
of Duke School graduates. Stranger Things merchandise and
memorabilia, ranging from character figurines to collectable
books and games, were raffled off at the end of the night. This
gathering was Duke School’s largest alumni event to date.
“We’d like to give a special shout out to everyone
who came from Duke School. There’s so many Mr.
Clarke level teachers at that school, it’s insane!
Keep those curiosity doors open.”
~ The Duffer Brothers, Duke School Class of 1999
Photo Credit: Durham Bulls
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STAYING CONNECTED
Our community strives to stay connected with all alumni families.
Throughout the last year, Duke School alumni have caught up with
friends, former classmates, and teachers.
Emma Wallace ’00, Candy Thompson,
Jean Sartain, and Julia Fiore ’00.
Duke School alumni at the 2018 Alumni Party.
Duke School
Class of 2016
alumni—Liana
Bradley, Nina
Wayne, and
Lauren Taylor.
Lorenzo Shaikewitz ’15 and
Kenneth W. Chandler.
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30

Duke School
Class of 2015
alumni—
Albert Yuan,
Christopher
DaSilva, Kevin
Pignone, Justin
Guilak, Cal
Nightingale,
and Lorenzo
Shaikewitz.
#AlwaysADragon
Kaley Pignone
‘18, Lucy
Wooldridge ‘10,
Phoebe
Wooldridge ‘09,
Jean Sartain,
and John Eads.
Nathaniel Tuner ’17 and Lauren West.
Mollie Doyle ‘19, Sarah Tetterton
‘19, and Bridget Stevenson ’19.
Kenneth W.
Chandler, Matt
and Ross Duffer
’99, and Dave
Michelman.
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A Special Message to Duke School Grads
Speech by Erik H. Knelson, M.D., Ph.D. ‘99
Looking back at my graduating class from 20 years
ago, there are nurses, doctors, professors, lawyers,
a creative director at Google, the founder of a
clean energy company, and a pair of Hollywood
producers you may have heard of. And that’s just a
few of my classmates from 1999 (That’s right—last
millennium— I’m a fossil).
Dr. Erik Knelson attended Duke School from
first through eighth grade. He went to Durham
Academy for high school, followed by Davidson
College, where he graduated magna cum laude
with high honors in neuroscience. He attended
medical school and graduate school at Duke
University, earning his PhD for discoveries
leading to novel differentiation therapies in
neuroblastoma. Erik is currently a senior fellow
in thoracic oncology at the Dana Farber/Harvard
Cancer Center. He is happily married to his college
sweetheart, Lauren, and they have a joyful twoyear-old
named Arthur and a nine-year-old dog
named Ellie.
The following is an abbreviation of Erik’s
graduation message to the Duke School Class
of 2019:
Kenneth W. Chandler, Erik Knelson, and
Dave Michelman at Duke School’s
Class of 2019 Graduation.
When I visited in March I had the opportunity to
hear about your amazing Eighth Grade Projects. I
am beyond excited for the incredible things you
will do when you leave this bubble.
Returning to Duke School—seeing my childhood
heroes like Bob, Lucia, Candy, Marki, and Laurie,
hearing about your projects and witnessing your
creativity—reminds me what a special place this
is. I wanted to share a couple of anecdotes about
life after Duke School—stories that might ease
the transition or at least entertain you for a few
minutes.
When I graduated from Duke School, I went down
the road to Durham Academy. My first assignment
was in geometry. I had no idea about grades and
was very intimidated about being evaluated.
The assignment was to create a three-dimensional
shape using computer software. Now, you can
imagine how my Duke School creative fire was
rekindled after smoldering over the summer, but
I held back. I wanted to blend in. I crafted what
I thought was a very modest castle. Just four
turrets with conical caps, rectangular walls, and
a dodecahedron keep. No drawbridge and no
dragon (though I was tempted).
When I arrived in class the day the assignment
was due, carrying my castle on a tray, I instantly
recognized my mistake. On the tables around
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the room, my classmates had placed their cubes
and prisms, all much smaller than my castle. My
stomach sank. But there was no turning back.
I had revealed my Duke School creativity and
created expectations for the future. And despite
their jealousy, my classmates were impressed.
I followed my curiosity from three-dimensional
shapes to designing new cancer therapies in the
lab—a career that feels like a never-ending eighth
grade project. My advice to you for next year is
to unleash your Duke School creativity and try to
smile as the rest of the world adapts.
The message of my second anecdote is to listen to
people. You may take this for granted because of
the culture and amazing teachers here. But amidst
the pressures and constraints of the real world,
this skill will serve you well.
My first year as a doctor I was working long hours
in the cardiac intensive care unit at the veteran’s
hospital. A patient came in after a heart attack.
It was too late to reverse the damage. Every day
that first week there was a code blue because his
heart stopped; we shocked him back to life every
time.
He had a pump inserted in his heart called an
impella. This man was on a medicine that made
him confused and he started threatening to pull
out the tube. This would have killed him. I spent
hours with him trying to calm him down and
though I was the most junior person on the team,
he refused to listen to anyone else.
One day I was called to his room in a panic. He had
his hand around the tube and was about to pull.
I asked what I could give him not to pull the tube
and he said a cheeseburger. I ran to the cafeteria
and bought a cheeseburger. He spat the first bite
back at me saying, “This is disgusting.” I knew he
was right; the cafeteria was not highly rated. For
lunch we were ordering sandwiches from a deli
and I got him a proper bacon cheeseburger and
curly fries. “This is too much food!” he yelled. “Sit
down and eat half for me.” I did as I was told—too
exhausted and scared to argue.
For the first time in the history of cardiac intensive
care at the West Roxbury VA, a doctor and his
patient shared a bacon cheeseburger.
He told me stories about his service in Vietnam,
where his job was to fly fuel helicopters into
combat zones. The minutes passed, the fries
dwindled, and I got to know my patient as more
than his heart attack. Over the subsequent weeks
his heart improved, and he eventually walked out
of the hospital.
In our over-connected world, it can be difficult
to put down our phones and interact in analog
mode. I hope my stories
have made you excited
to apply what you have
learned at Duke School to
a world that desperately
needs you. Remember to
think creatively and listen.
Congratulations, Duke
School Class of 2019,
you’re amazing!
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Alumni Connections:
Barnard College
Boston College
Boston University
California Institute of Technology
Clemson University
Duke University (2)
Emory University
Furman University
Goucher College
Louisburg College
Middlebury College
North Carolina State University
Oberlin College
Rice University
Scripps College
Tufts University
University of Michigan
University of Rochester
University of South Carolina
University of Southern California
University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (7)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2)
Duke School’s Class of 2015 Reunion.
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Alumni Connections:
Cary Academy
Cedar Ridge High School (4)
Durham Academy (4)
Durham School of the Arts (5)
East Chapel Hill High School (6)
Eno River Academy
Jordan High School (6)
Leesville Road High School
Research Triangle High School (3)
Riverside High School (5)
Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill
Virginia Episcopal School
Woods Charter School
Join Duke School’s Alumni Facebook and
LinkedIn Group – forums for reconnecting
with former classmates while keeping in
touch with Duke School.
Duke School’s Class of 2019 sporting their class t-shirts.
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DUKE SCHOOL
ANNUAL REPORT
2018-19
INCOME
EXPENSES
Net Fund Raising
4.6%
Auxiliary Programs
9.7%
Net Tuition and Fees
85.7%
Classroom Resources
and Other Admin Costs
17.5%
Salaries and Benefits
70.1%
Debt Service
1.7%
Facilities
4.9%
Auxiliary Programs
5.8%
NET TUITION & FEES
This income is derived from student tuition, The Learning Center
and certain fee charges.
AUXILLARY PROGRAMS
This is income from all camps, after school programs and
educator workshops.
NET FUND RAISING
This category embraces our fundraisers and
SALARES & BENEFTS AND CLASSROOM &
ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
These categories include all expenses related to instructional and
programmatic expenses, student support services, classroom
materials and supplies, media centers, faculty development,
technology and laptops, and special programs. All included are
expenses related to Duke School Admissions, Marketing and
Communications, Human Resources, Business, and Development
FACILITIES
This category includes all costs related to operations and the
repair and maintenance of school-owned facilities and grounds. It
includes: utilities, waste removal, supplies, repair and maintenance
and equipment.
DEBT SERVICE
This category represents the payment of interest and principal
on outstanding tax-exempt revenue bonds. The bonds were used
furnishing, and equipping the existing school.
*Data is based on a June 2019 year-end forecast.
If you have questions about this budgetary information, please contact Russell Rabinowitz,
AUXILIARY SERVICES
These are the expenses of auxiliary service functions such as after
school, camps and similar operations.
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2018-19 DRAGON FUND HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
Board of Trustees
Ben Abram
Lisa Andrews-Lanier
Lawrence Baxter
Garry Cutright
Elise Dunzo
Christopher D, Gergen
Elizabeth Hays
Trina Jones
Corey McIntyre
Beth Murgitroyd
Florence Peacock
M.C. Ragsdale
Mark Scullion
Bimal Shah
Vicki Threlfall
Jeff Welty
Alison Windram
Yousuf Zafar
Advancement Committee
Omar Bell
Sarah Doran
Florence Peacock
Gary Pellom
Kelly Robinson
Mark Scullion
Craig Spitzer
Vicki Threlfall
Alex Tolstykh
Alison Windram
1947 Society (Consecutive Giving)
20 Years
Kathy Bartelmay and Roger Perilstein
Duke University Medical Center
Harris Teeter
Debbie Marshall
Marya McNeish and Bob Robinson
Jane Shears
Candy and John Thompson
Marki Watson
15 Years
Libby and Lee Buck
Elaine Cameron
Hui Li and Fan Yuan
John Pinto
Moira Smullen and Christopher Marshall
Melanie and Lars Trost
Becca and Julian Wooldridge
10 Years
Lisa and Elaine Andrews-Lanier
Tamara Branca and Wolfgang Wagner
Maria Cassinelli-Berstein and Fernando
Berstein
Tanya Chartrand and Gavan Fitzsimons
Molly Cronenwett
Keith DaSilva and Kay Kohring-DaSilva
Rebecca Dexter
Mr. and Mrs. Gene Doyle
Melissa Ellis and Jeff Doyle
Eman Elmahi and Husam Hasanin
Emily Feldman-Kravitz and Richard Kravitz
Jeanne Gatling
Victor Gatling
Jane and James Hales
Leslie Hamilton
Robin Hardie-Hood and Thomas Hood
Beth and Jeff Harris
Melanie Hatz-Levinson and Howie Levinson
Elizabeth and David Hays
Mary Beth Hes and Honza Hes
Amy and Jamie Lau
Carla Horta and James Leo
Tekla Jachimiak and Thomas Brothers
Sheronda Jeffries
Susan Sugarman and David Kirsch
Carolynn Klein
Lori Leggatt and Andrew Foster
Joy Martin and Ben Philpot
Dave and Claudia Michelman
Miriam Ornstein and David Luks
Russell Rabinowitz
Michelle and Brian Reich
Connie and Truman Semans
Naz Siddiqui and Casey Jenkins
Emily and Lee Taft
Cassandra and Wayne Taylor
Mary Townsend and Jon Stiber
Alison and Soren Windram
5 Years
Love and Ian Anderson
Stephanie and Vince Aurentz
Meytal Barak and Micky Cohen-Wolkowiez
Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Bausell
India and Ryan Bayley
Mr. and Mrs. William Bell
Alisha and Eric Benner
Geoff Berry
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Betuker
Tia and Martin Black
Kristin and Steve Bradley-Bull
38
UNDER THE OAK

Lucy and Tom Bradshaw
Dayna Brill
Susan Cates and Scott Warren
Dr. Kenneth W. Chandler
Robyn and Jamie Claar
Heather Clarkson and Sean Wilmer
Heidi and Jason Cope
Natalie and Emiliano Corral
Lisa Criscione-Schreiber and Eric Schreiber
Linda Cronenwett and Shirley Tuller
Donna Culton and Arun Manikumar
Rachel and Jonathon Cummings
Kiersten and Clint Dart
Mrs. Lynn Delicio
Tania and Justin Desrosiers
Mrs. Penny Dietz
Elise Dunzo
Maureen Dwyer
Foley Dyson
Alison and David Eagle
Sarah Ellestad and Ron Przybycien
Cleo Estrera and Matthew Etherington
Lori Etter and Jeff Welty
Katie Garman and Tom Becker
General Mills Box Tops for Education
Annie and George Gentithes
Victoria Goatley
Cathy Gracey and Steve Smith
Heather and Bret Greene
Tery and Michael Gunter
Dr. Vasudha Gupta and Dr. Bhupender Gupta
Jennifer Harris
Kylie and Clint Harris
Lea and Alan Hart
Laurie Ann and Scott Harvey
Wendy and Paul Henderson
Sunshine and Joel Hillygus
Kerry Holbrook
Julie and Scott Hollenbeck
Diane Hom and Chris Larson
Beatrice Hong and Ziad Gellad
Brian Horton
Andrea Hussong and Patrick Curran
Nancy and Timothy Joyce
Lisa Kahan and Duncan Higgins
Claire and Matt Koerner
Sarah and Ryan Lamb
T Land
Jodie LaPoint and Chris Weymouth
Ms. Ann Lawrence and Mr. Steve Leinwand
Charlotte Lee and David Siegel
Julie Marshall
Kristi and Chris Martin
Mollie and Chad Mather
Ms. Brenda Matthews
Tiffany Matthews
Kristin and Corum McNealy
Beth and Tim Miller
Catriona Moore and Kyle Lundby
Meghan Morris
Beth and Ed Murgitroyd
Jenny and Craig Murray
Willie Nicholson
Sari Palmroth and Ram Oren
Judy Panitch and Andrew Hart
Kirstin and Gary Pellom
Susie Post-Rust and Adam Rust
Kelly and Jeff Powrie
Ms. Kathleen Przybycien
Linda Raftery and Phil Spiro
M.C. Ragsdale and Karen Popp
Fatima Rangwala and Yousuf Zafar
Katie Ree
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Richards
Charique and Johnathan Richardson
Laura and Barak Richman
Kelly Robinson and Lawrence DeGraaf
Michelle Roy
Whitney and John Sandor
Erin and Todd Sarver
Richard Scher
Gita Schonfeld and Marvin Swartz
Claire and Mark Scullion
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Selder
Julie Shermak and Steve Goodman
Irecka Smith
Renee and Joseph Francis Smith
Kim Spancake and Drew Snider
Karen Springer and Alex Herskowitz
Jinda and Kevin Stoll
Jessica and Albert Sun
Nicole Thompson
Stacey and Eric Tisch
Stephanie and Nathan Vandergrift
Linda Vargas
Danielle and Samuel Wellman
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Welty
Megan Whitted
Kia Williams
UNDER THE OAK UNDER THE PBOAK
39

Jen Wu and Shane McSwain
Mel York and Lake Lloyd
3 Years
Natalie and Chris Aho
Amazon Smiles
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Anderson
Mr. and Ms. William Andrews
Sharon and Lawrence Baxter
Grace and Mattie Beason
Dr. and Mrs. Dan Blazer, II
Laurie Braun and John Taylor
Joel and Beverly Brown
Leslie Bryan
Cathy Bryson and Kelly Bruce
Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn Bryson
Mara Buchbinder and Jesse Summers
Natalie Cicero
Jen Crawford Cook and Steve Cook
Dr. and Mrs. Jack Cronenwett
Keisha and Garry Cutright
Kiersten and Clint Dart
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Deason
Tracie DeLoatch
Dan Divis
Linda and John Eads
Dan Epperson
Dr. Anabelle Estrera and Dr. Clemente Estrera
Ben Felton
Meghan Fitzpatrick
Abigail Flynn and Kevin Walker
Louise and Sean Flynn
Jennifer and Dave Gardner
Mr. and Mrs. John Gardner
Katie Garman and Tom Becker
Christopher Gergen and Heather Graham
Mr. and Mrs. Barna Gibson
Mrs. Gail A. Granek
Brian Greene
Mary and Stephen Harward
Karen Heller and Colleen McLaughlin
Daniel Heuser
Lauren Hiner
Jen and Peter Hoff
Tonya Hunt
Sandra and Peter Jacobi
Pam Jarvis-Miller and Mike Miller
Cara and Ravi Karra
Phadej and Sachivalai Keopunna
Jin Yi Kwon and Larry Moray
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Lau
Marin Levy and Joseph Blocher
Catherine Linford
Jian Liu and Jia Li
Andrew Lovett
Elizabeth and Michael Malinzak
Mr. and Mrs. David Malinzak
Lucia Marcus
Octavia Matthews
William K. Matthews
Meg and Richard McCann
Susanna Naggie and Chuck Gerardo
Anne and Phil Napoli
Dr. Pedi Neta and Mrs. Ruth Neta
Ilana Osten and Jason Liss
Shital and Nilay Patel
Florence and James Peacock
Tina and Mitch Prinstein
Dr. and Mrs. Barry Reiter
Heather and Patrick Ritchie
Mr. and Mrs. John Rushing
Grechen and Jonas Sahratian
Sanchez-Tolstykh Family
Leah Sansbury and Trip Boyer
Lisa Simmons
Stephanie Simon and Chuck Solomon
Darryl Spancake
Rona and Craig Spitzer
Betsy Strauss
Dr. and Mrs. Edward Sugarman
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Sun
Michael J. Szott
Alex Tolstykh and Rick Sanchez
Jill and Ben Weinberger
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Weinberger
Rachel Wertheimer
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Widmark
Nancy Worsham
Harriet Bogin Yogel
Giving Clubs
Anonymous (1)
Cannon Family Fund
Duke University Medical Center
Christopher Gergen and Heather Graham
Moray Family
Florence and James Peacock
M.C. Ragsdale and Karen Popp
Sanchez-Tolstykh Family
Students to Scholars, Org.
40
UNDER THE OAK

Anonymous (1)
Bryson Foundation
Cathy Bryson and Kelly Bruce
Elizabeth and David Hays
Julie Shermak and Steve Goodman
Anonymous (1)
Chuck and Judy Bausell
Lawrence and Sharon Baxter
Tanya Chartrand and Gavan Fitzsimons
Sarah Doran and Amanda Patten
Robin Hardie-Hood and Thomas Hood
Kylie and Clint Harris
Trina Jones
Dave and Claudia Michelman
Beth and Ed Murgitroyd
NC State Education Assistance Authority
Tina and Mitch Prinstein
Vanessa and Jacob Schroder
Mark and Claire Scullion
Connie and Truman Semans
Bimal and Rina Shah
Naz Siddiqui and Casey Jenkins
Rona and Craig Spitzer
Melanie and Lars Trost
Jeff Welty and Lori Etter
Yousuf Zafar and Fatima Rangwala
Anonymous (6)
Susan and BIll Andrews
Kathy Bartelmay and Roger Perilstein
Joel and Beverly Brown
Libby and Lee Buck
Susan Cates and Scott Warren
Dr. Kenneth W. Chandler
Donna Culton and Arun Manikumar
Garry and Keisha Cutright
Mrs. Gail Daves
Melissa Ellis and Jeff Doyle
Carol Evans
Katie Garman and Tom Becker
Jeanne Gatling
Mr. and Mrs. Barna Gibson
Mrs. Carter T. Gunn
Melanie Hatz-Levinson and Howie Levinson
Diane Hom and Chris Larson
Breitfeld Family
Abby Lublin and Tolu Fashoro
Mollie and Chad Mather
Beth and Tim Miller
Jenny and Craig Murray
Susanna Naggie and Chuck Gerardo
Shital and Nilay Patel
Kirstin and Gary Pellom
Russell Rabinowitz
Moira Rynn and Al Caltabiano
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Selder
Candy and John Thompson
Stephanie and Nathan Vandergrift
Widmark Family Fund of
Triangle Community Foundation
Alison and Soren Windram
Anonymous (6)
Stephanie and Vince Aurentz
Laurie Braun and John Taylor
Robyn and Jamie Claar
Tania and Justin Desrosiers
Gene and Betty Doyle
Mr. and Mrs. John Gardner
Brian Greene
Robyn Gunn and Will Dean
Vasudha and Bhupender Gupta
Laura Heyneman and Owen Astrachan
Jen and Peter Hoff
Ji-Yeon and Hun-Yong Jo
Cara and Ravi Karra
Susan Sugarman Sugarman Kirsch and
David Kirsch
Sarah and Ryan Lamb
Judith Landrigan
Jodie LaPoint and Chris Weymouth
Ann Lawrence and Steve Leinwand
Lori Leggatt and Andrew Foster
Corey and Kelly McIntyre
Kristin and Corum McNealy
Dr. and Mrs. James Wayne
Linda Raftery and Phil Spiro
Shelby and Stephen Reed
Rich Scher
Smith Gardner, Inc
Lipi and Sunil Suchindran
Lewanda and Pierre Taybron
Linda Vargas
UNDER THE OAK UNDER THE PBOAK
41

Anonymous (8)
Natalie and Chris Aho
Chandra and Taro Aikawa
Mr. and Mrs. William Bell
Benevity Community Impact Fund
Alisha and Eric Benner
Barsoba-Liton family
Suzan and Mark Bumby
Lisa and Eric Schreiber
Molly Cronenwett
Kay Kohring-DaSilva and Keith DaSilva
Rick and Sharon Deason
Penelope Dempsey Dietz
Christina and Jeremiah Dodson
Meghan Fitzpatrick
Abigail Flynn and Kevin Walker
Jing Fu and Wangming Ye
Aggie and Patrick Gallagher
Victor Gatling
Lea and Alan Hart
Susan and Larry Herst
Julie and Scott Hollenbeck
Beatrice Hong and Ziad Gellad
The Houde Family
Lisa Kahan and Duncan Higgins
Mai and Craig Lowe
Claudia and Steve Markey
Moira Smullen and Christopher Marshall
Debbie Marshall
Octavia Matthews
McKinney Matching Gift Program
Tom and Nancy Metzloff
The Moore-Lundby Family
Marty and Sayed Nour
Liss Family
John Pinto
Kelly and Jeff Powrie
Elisandra Rangel and Marcos Rangel
Helen and Barry Reiter
Rosen Family
Anna Rylova and Mike Kuznetsov
Courtney and Don Smith
Irecka Smith
Moira Smullen and Chris Marshall
Dr. and Mrs. Edward Sugarman
Emily and Lee Taft
Fabi and Ron Unger
Nikita and R.J. Wirth
Stacy Young and David Brown
Anonymous (24)
Timothy Adams
Hiroko Aikawa
Amazon Smiles
AMH Goods LLC
Kathleen and Robert Anderson
Anderson Family
Maribel Aristy
Patricia Ashley and Chris Newgard
Paola Baskin
Grace and Mattie Beason
Omar Bell
Geoff Berry
Tia and Martin Black
Dr. and Mrs. Dan Blazer, II
Kristin and Steve Bradley-Bull
Lucy and Tom Bradshaw
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Bratland
Rachel Brewster and James Mulholland
Bright Funds Foundation
Dayna Brill
Mrs. Patricia Brinkley and
Dr. Thomas Neilson
Eddie Broadie
Holly Brown and Jim Maynard
Jeannine Brown
Leslie Bryan
Mara Buchbinder and Jesse Summers
Christine Caffarello
Elaine Cameron
Meihua Chen and Denis Kalenja
Natalie Cicero
Lisa Connelly and Charles Vance
The Cope Family
Natalie and Emiliano Corral
Dr. and Mrs. Jack Cronenwett
Linda Cronenwett and Shirley Tuller
Mandy and Matt Cuskelly
Jennifer Dalman
Kiersten and Clint Dart
Eddy Davis
Mrs. Lynn Delicio
Tracie DeLoatch
Rebecca Dexter
Dan Divis
Dr. Marc and Patricia Dorio
John and Elaine Druesedow
Maureen Dwyer
Foley Dyson
Linda and John Eads
42
UNDER THE OAK

Mr. and Mrs. David Easterling
Eman Elmahi and Husam Hasanin
EmergeOrtho PA
Dan Epperson
Dr. Anabelle Estrera and Dr. Clemente Estrera
Matthew and Cleo Etherington
Emily Feldman-Kravitz and Richard Kravitz
Ben Felton
Louise and Sean Flynn
Jennifer and Dave Gardner
General Mills Box Tops for Education
Annie and George Gentithes
Felicia Gibson and Christopher Langdon
Natalie and Derek Gominger
Cathy Gracey and Steve Smith
Gail Aronoff Granek
Emily Greene
Heather and Bret Greene
Elizabeth and Taylor Greganti
Tery and Michael Gunter
Westlund Gustafson Family
Jane and James Hales
Beth and Jeff Harris
Jennifer Harris
Harris Teeter
Laurie Ann and Scott Harvey
Mary and Stephen Harward
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Hawley
Karen and Colleen Heller-McLaughlin
Wendy and Paul Henderson
Mary Beth Hes and Honza Hes
Amy and Jamie Lau
Daniel Heuser
Sunshine and Joel Hillygus
Lauren Hiner
Laura and Jason Hodgson
Kerry Holbrook
Carla Horta and James Leo
Brian Horton
Dana Howard
Elizabeth Howell
Ms. Diane Hundley
Tonya Hunt
IBM Corporation
Tekla Jachimiak and Thomas Brothers
Sandra and Peter Jacobi
Pam and Mike Jarvis-Miller
Sheronda Jeffries
Kenah Kennedy
Phadej and Sachivalai Keopunna
Ms. Jane Kirsch
Carolynn Klein
Janeia Knox
Koerner Family
T. Land
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Lau
Charlotte Lee and David Siegel
Marin Levy and Joseph Blocher
Hui Li and Fan Yuan
Danielle Lindgren and Jeremiah Libby
Catherine Linford
Locopops
Andrew Lovett
The Luedkes
Venetha Machock
Caroline Mage and Josh Schoedler
Elizabeth and Michael Malinzak
Mr. and Mrs. David Malinzak
Lucia Marcus
Julie Marshall
Kristi and Chris Martin
Maria Mar Martinez Pastor and
Jorge Marques Signes
Mrs. Linda Mather
Brenda G. Matthews
Tiffany Matthews
William K. Matthews
Dr. and Mrs. Max Maxcey
Jamaal and Michelle Mayo
Margaret and Richard McCann
Sandy McCay
Chiara Melloni and Pierluigi Tricoci
Lee Miller
Jennifer Moore
Ms. Peggy Moore
Meghan Morris
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Mulholland
Megan and Ben Neely
Pedi and Ruth Neta
Mrs. Mary Nguyen
Willie Nicholson
Burmi Oh
Miriam Ornstein and David Luks
Judy Panitch and Andy Hart
Sirisha Perumandla and Gopinath Kotla
Rust Family
UNDER THE OAK UNDER THE PBOAK
43

Kerrie and Rich Powell
Tracy Proctor
Ms. Kathleen Przybycien
Mr. and Mrs. WIlliam Rand, Jr.
Katie Ree
Michelle and Brian Reich
Eileen and Gerald Richards
Charique and Johnathan Richardson
Dr. Elizabeth Richman and
Mr. Hershel Richman
Laura and Barak Richman
Heather and Patrick Ritchie
Monica and Prince Rivers
Kelly Robinson and Lawrence DeGraaf
Marya McNeish and Bob Robinson
Dillion Ross
Michelle Roy
Mr. and Mrs. John Rushing
Grechen and Jonas Sahratian
Whitney and John Sandor
Boyer Family
Corey Savage
Paula Scatoloni and Andy Ovenden
Gita Schonfeld and Marvin Swartz
Schwab Charitable Fund
Mrs. Jane Scocca
Theresa and Dave Scocca
Karen and Kevin Shaw
Jane Shears
Lisa Simmons
Renee and Joseph Francis Smith
Darryl Spancake
Kim Spancake and Drew Snider
Mr. and Mrs. John Spangler
Karen Springer and Alex Herskowitz
Eleanor and Mark Stevenson
Jinda and Kevin Stoll
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Strader
Betsy Strauss
Michael J. Szott
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Tendler
Christina and Clay Thomas
Stacey and Eric Tisch
Mary Townsend and Jon Stiber
Dr. and Mrs. Prabhakar Vaidya
Marki Watson
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Weinberger
Mr. and Mrs. David Weiss
Bea and Bill Welty
Rachel Wertheimer
Lauren and Mike West
Megan Whitted
Kia Williams
Sean Wilmer and Heather Clarkson
Jane and John Winch
Becca and Julian Wooldridge
Laura and Duncan Work
Nancy Worsham
Jen Wu and Shane McSwain
Christina and Shane Wyatt
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Yoder
Harriet Bogin Yogel
Gifts in Kind
Dr. David and Claudia Attarian
Dr. Kenneth W. Chandler
The Durham Hotel
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Edwards
Tery and Michael Gunter
Indulge Catering
Megan and Ben Neely
Spiceworks
Event and School Sponsors
AHB Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness
Batchelor, Tillery & Roberts, LLP
Bull City Family Medicine and Pediatrics
Favor Desserts
Go Ape
Gordon Asset Management
Hilton Garden Inn
Indulge Catering
Lanier Law Group
New Hope Animal Hospital
SunTrust
Terra Nova
The Durham Hotel
The Happy Tooth Foundation
The Umstead Hotel and Spa
44
UNDER THE OAK

GIFTS WERE MADE IN HONOR OF DUKE SCHOOL FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS AND
OVERALL DUKE SCHOOL COMMUNITY BY THE FOLLOWING:
Natalie and Chris Aho
Kathleen and Robert Anderson
Susan and BIll Andrews
Kathy Bartelmay and Roger Perilstein
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Betuker
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Bratland
Keith DaSilva and Kay Kohring-DaSilva
Mrs. Gail Daves
Rick and Sharon Deason
Penelope Dempsey Dietz
Jeremiah and Christina Dodson
Gene and Betty Doyle
John and Elaine Druesedow
Mr. and Mrs. David Easterling
Fifth Grade Team
Percy and Ethan Anderon
Noah and Ariel Andrews
our Amazing PSO reps
Kara Joyce
Gemma Weinberger
Christopher DaSIlva and all of his Duke School teachers
Caroline Greganti
Cameron Deason and his teachers
Alex and Tori House
Wiliam Dodson
Mollie Doyleand all of her teachers
Muscial Megan
Talulah Easterling
Abigail Flynn and Kevin Walker
Annie and George Gentithes
Felicia Gibson and Christopher Langdon
Pam and Russell Goin
Gail Aronoff Granek
Mrs. Carter T. Gunn
Vasudha and Bhupender Gupta
Westlund Gustafson Family
Mary and Stephen Harward
Dr. Timothy Harward and Dr. Mary Harward
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Hawley
Elizabeth and David Hays
Susan and Larry Herst
Elizabeth Howell
Pam Jarvis-Miller and Mike Miller
Kenah Kennedy
Phadej and Sachivalai Keopunna
Judith Landrigan
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Lau
Maria Mar Martinez Pastor and Jorge Marques Signes
Brenda G. Matthews
Octavia Matthews
Tiffany Matthews
William K. Matthews
Mr. and Mrs. Pat McNease
Neeru and Prithu Mettu
Ms. Peggy Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Mulholland
Susanna Naggie and Chuck Gerardo
Rust Family
Tracy Proctor
Helen and Barry Reiter
Eileen and Gerald Richards
Wyatt and Sawyer Walker
6th grade teaching team
Carolynn Klein and Chrstine Caffarello
Ella Goin
Yair and Nadav Granek
Wyatt and Everett Dean
Neta Ariely
The Amazing Duke School Teachers
Julie Marshall and Lauren West
Mary Rand Harward
Aiden Bell
Natalie Cicero
Ben, Alex and Charles Herst
Cameron, Jenny, and Elizabeth W. Howell
Emmett Flynn
Amir Grimes
Kayla and Nora Stoll
Ilaria and Hero Bayley
Alexis and Natalie Lau
John Marques Martinez
Nia Stroud
Nia Stroud
Nia Stroud
Nia Stroud
Ada Catherine Hays
Ramanrao and Jyothi Mettu, Nirbhay Kuman and Geetha Bansal
Percy and Ethan Anderson
Evelyn Grace Brewster Mulholland
Kate Broderick
Rosie Rust
All of my Duke School Frields
Alex and Lucy Reiter
Walker Richards-Baker
UNDER THE OAK UNDER THE PBOAK
45

Dr. Elizabeth Richman and Mr. Hershel Richman Eden Richman
Mr. and Mrs. John Rushing Lorelai and Kaeli Nguyen
Paula Scatoloni and Andy Ovenden Grace Ovenden
Eliana Schonberg and Jeremy Kohler Sarah Schonberg
Gita Schonfeld and Marvin Swartz Jonas and Sam Swartz
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Selder Lily and Chloe Glichrist
Karen and Kevin Shaw MacKenzie Shaw
Renee and Joseph Francis Smith Class of 2014 and Trent Smith
Trent Smith Renee Smith
Mr. and Mrs. John Spangler Avery Spangler
Eleanor and Mark Stevenson Naomi Stevenson
Betsy Strauss Cam and Carrly Strauss
Shayela Suvarna and Shashi Rao Alisha Rao
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Tendler Kara Tendler
Candy and John Thompson Laura and Stephen Thompson
Stephen Thompson Candy Thompson
Dr. and Mrs. Prabhakar Vaidya Akshay Suchindran
Mr. and Mrs. David Weiss Susan Weiss
Alison and Soren Windram Class of 2021
Nancy Worsham Lillian and Jane Boyer
Christina and Shane Wyatt Kate Stansbury
Harriet Bogin Yogel Simon Summers
THE FOLLOWING DONATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE IN MEMORY OF LOVED ONES, SPECIAL FRIENDS AND FORMER DRAGONS:
Melanie Hatz-Levinson and Howie Levinson Eugene Levinson
Laura Heyneman and Owen Astrachan Oleg Moiseenko
Emily and Lee Taft Mary Scott Hoyt
100
2018-19 Class Parent Participation
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
PS
K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Dragon Fund Is Accepting International Currency
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of information contained in the
annual Honor Roll of Donors. If you have a question about a listing, please
46
UNDER THE OAK

UNDER THE OAK
47

Follow us on...
Duke School alumnus Noah Andrews created this mural for his Eighth Grade Project.
This wonderful addition to the school is displayed in the Middle School Gym.
“For my Eighth Grade Project, I researched the history and evolution of graffiti. For my culminating
piece, I [made] a graffiti mural to express what I’ve learned.
This mural will be a way for me to make a mark and lasting image on a school that has made such a
lasting impression on me.
I chose the word Dragons for my mural. I chose this word because I want the mural to be about
school spirit and a love for our school. The dragon is our school mascot and is a representation
of our school. I want my mural to also [show] that Duke School appreciates and supports artistic
expression and supports its students’ passions.”
~ Noah Andrews, Duke School Class of 2019