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St. Thomas’s Day School Magazine for Alumni, Parents & Friends • Spring 2015
2015 SCIENCE FESTIVAL
Exploring, Investigating, and Discovering
contents
Spring 2015
1 Message from Head of School, Gina Panza
3 Meet the New Members of the Board of Managers
4 Alumni Events
8Accreditation
11 New Teachers
12 Spring Gala
14 In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community
18 Class of 2008: Where Are They Now?
19 Retirement Celebrations
20 Alumni Notes
28 Class of 2014
29 Legacy Society
Cover: Fifth grade students share their Science Festival projects with Kindergartners.
Additional Photography: Jenna McNamee and Andrew Koh
A Message from Gina Panza,
Head of St. Thomas’s Day School
The strength and success
of St. Thomas’s Day
School emanates from
our powerful mission
statement. It is the polestar
that has guided us through
seasons of change and
growth. Over the years a
great deal has changed, but
the core values that bind
us together as a diverse
community working
together to educate
children broadly by cultivating intelligence while
engaging heart and spirit endure.
As we celebrate the success of our CAIS Decennial
Reaccreditation, we look to the future with excited
anticipation. This past October, the CAIS Visiting
Committee commended the St. Thomas’s Day School
community for their commitment to its mission. The
Committee was struck by the power of our mission,
awed by our children and our program! They
recognized our students to be living examples of our
commitment to character education. They observed
kindness and empathy in the way our students
interacted with one another and their teachers, and
they identified our school as a diverse and welcoming
learning community, where children from a variety of
cultures and religions are celebrated.
The Visiting Committee recognized St. Thomas’s
Day School as a lively place where children are
actively engaged in learning, where the special
qualities of childhood — exuberance, a sense of
wonder, imagination, creativity and innovation —
are nurtured while promoting academic excellence
through a dynamic, supportive, and structured
program. They recognized and commended us for
our ability to come together as a community to work
collaboratively in support of our students.
Dynamic and meaningful experiences highlighted
the 2014-2015 school year. Every facet of our
community was engaged in a wide range of
fascinating activities and new initiatives.
Community outreach was front and center in the
minds of our children. How proud I am of our
sixth graders for kicking off their first annual Small
Change for Big Changes school-wide penny drive this
past fall! This project based learning experience
provided our children with a unique opportunity
to support a local charity of their own choosing.
Our sixth graders also led the School’s efforts to
raise funds as part of New Haven’s Ebola Drive in
support of Freetown, Sierra Leone, New Haven’s
sister city. These new initiatives are in addition to
our traditional community outreach that includes
the ongoing food and clothing drives to benefit the
Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry; toy, hat, and mitten
drives in support of Farnam Neighborhood House;
and our students donating their time and energy in
support of Sunday in the Park, which provides funds
to support, maintain, and restore Edgerton Park.
We were the first school nationwide to participate
in a special learning opportunity at Yale University.
Our sixth graders were invited to join the Yale
University Art Gallery in launching a Portal
connecting the citizens of New Haven and Tehran,
Iran this past February. Thanks to the power of
technology our students had an opportunity to
virtually communicate with students in Tehran.
Conversations centered on issues of daily life. Our
students were surprised to learn about Tehran’s
single sex school system and amazed to learn that
students on the other side of the world also ate
peanut butter!
The year included establishing a Diversity Task
Force, comprised of parents, teachers, and
administrators. This newly formed group spent
much of this past winter reflecting on the history of
diversity at St. Thomas’s Day School by examining
past diversity initiatives and brainstorming ways
we might take our school to the next level. Some
immediate actions included the creation of a school-
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Message from Gina Panza
wide diversity statement to guide future work. This
statement will be made available to everyone this
summer. Please be on the lookout for our newly
created diversity channel on the STTS website.
We also spent time reaffirming the amazing work
that is already happening at our School. Our goal
for next year is to invite Upper School students to
provide their input on our task force as we consider
opportunities for increased curriculum integration
and diverse school-wide celebrations. We also look
forward to sending faculty representatives to the
NAIS Annual People of Color Conference (POCC)
in February 2016.
Last year, our faculty determined a need to upgrade
our Technology Plan and identify organic ways to
integrate this plan with our current library program.
This process included affirming our beliefs about
student learning and the role of technology. We
view technology as a tool to support, enrich, and
deepen student learning, and not as a replacement
for the teacher. Other elements of the plan include
the acquisition of additional equipment as well as
the reallocation of devices throughout our building.
I look forward to sharing our progress as we work
together to create a roadmap for the upcoming
3-5 years.
This year we witnessed the first phase of the STTS
Greening Initiative, spearheaded by students,
teachers, parents, and administrators. Single
stream recycling has been initiated and Student
“Green” Representatives from each class encourage
participation, monitor, and collect recycling. The
School is researching other possible initiatives
to encourage sustainability, conservation, and
environmental education.
Our Board of Managers has initiated a long-term
Strategic Planning process to begin in September
2015. We are fortunate to have the expertise of
Michael Eanes to serve as our consultant to assist us
in this process. Mr. Eanes is a frequent presenter at
NAIS and CAIS workshops and past Headmaster at
the Gunnery School. He also has served as Interim
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Head of School for nine independent schools,
including four Episcopal schools. We look forward
to working closely with Mr. Eanes.
As I noted in an earlier Balloon, I firmly believe
traditions foster stability in the midst of transition
and center us during times of change. I am pleased
to report our new faculty members have experienced
much success as they complete their first year at our
school. They wholeheartedly embrace the traditions
we hold near and dear and have brought us a fresh
perspective with new traditions that already have
been woven into the fabric of our school.
Looking ahead to next year, our community will be
celebrating Father Michael Ray’s retirement. We
look forward to honoring Father Ray’s contributions
during his tenure at St. Thomas’s at Family Day on
September 20, 2015. Please save the date and plan
on attending this special day.
As I reflect on this past year, I would like to thank
the Board of Managers for successfully guiding
me through my second year as Head of School
at St. Thomas’s Day School. I am deeply grateful
to Jennifer McTiernan, Board Chair, for her sage
advice, support, encouragement, and thoughtful
insights. A very special thank you to all members of
our community for their support in assuring
St. Thomas’s Day School continues its legacy of
offering an exceptional educational experience,
grounded in the core values that have been integral
to our School for the past 58 years.
Warmly,
Gina Panza
Head of School
Meet the New Members of the
Board of Managers
Gina Criscuolo, Representing the PTO
Gina is the Chief Financial
Officer for All Panel Systems,
LLC. She is a CPA who has
spent fifteen years in public
accounting. Gina graduated
from Southern Connecticut
State University with a B.S.
in Accounting. Gina is active in the St. Thomas’s
Day School community where she has served as
Treasurer on the PTO Executive Committee for
the past five years. In addition, she chaired the PTO
Nominating Committee, co-chaired the Mom’s Night
Out Committee, and she was a member of the Gala
Committee. Gina and her husband, Lou, reside in
North Haven. They have two sons, Louis (grade 5) and
Nicholas (grade 3), who have attended St. Thomas’s
Day School since Junior Kindergarten. Gina and Lou
are active members in their parish, St. Barnabas Church,
and in the North Haven community. Gina and Lou
are committed to raising funds for the American Lung
Association’s annual Fight For Air Climb-New Haven.
Michael Fournier, Representing the Vestry
Michael has lived in West Haven
for ten years with his wife,
Jennifer, and two teen-aged
children, Emma and Christian.
He was born and raised on
the Connecticut shoreline and
currently works as a manager in
the automotive industry. He and his wife joined the
St. Thomas’s parish four years ago and quickly fell in
love with the parish and its members. Father Ray has
been very welcoming and performed the ceremony
to renew Jennifer’s and his wedding vows during
a special Sunday mass. Michael joined the Vestry
in 2012 to offer his help in continuing to grow the
parish and preserve the future of the Church and he
looks forward to assisting on the Board of Managers
for St. Thomas’s Day School.
Greg Mokotoff, Representing the PTO
Greg is a pediatric dentist
and the Managing Partner
of Kids First Pediatrics and
Orthodontics in Fairfield. He
is a graduate of the University
of Vermont and completed
his pediatric dental residency
at Temple University Hospital. Additionally, he
received an M.B.A. from Fairfield University. Greg
has been recognized as one of Connecticut’s “Top
Dentists” for the past five years by Connecticut
Magazine. He enjoys coaching youth soccer. Also, as
an Eagle Scout, he now serves as a Cub Scout leader.
Greg and his wife, Heather, have three children,
Jackson ’18 and Olivia ’20, at St. Thomas’s and a
younger daughter, Samantha.
Rebecca Streeter, President of the PTO, Ex-Officio
Rebecca joins the Board as
the current president of the
Parent Teacher Organization.
Her two daughters attend
St. Thomas’s Day School.
At St. Thomas’s Rebecca has
also served as the PTO Vice President, Room
Representative Co-Chair, Outreach Committee
Co-Chair, and Room Representative. Rebecca
received a B.A. in religion from Columbia College
and an M.D. from Columbia University College
of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her
residency training in internal medicine at New
York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University
Medical Center. Fellowship training in adult
cardiology at Yale New Haven Hospital brought her
to New Haven. Rebecca practices cardiology with
Cardiology Associates of Fairfield County where
she has clinical interests in non-invasive imaging,
preventive cardiology, and congestive heart failure.
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2014 Alumni Events
Young Alumni Night
St. Thomas’s Day School was excited to welcome back
alumni from the classes of 2008-2013 for our annual
Young Alumni Night on Wednesday, April 23, 2014.
In addition to reminiscing, socializing, and catching
up with friends, the event was an opportunity to meet
Head of School Gina Panza.
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5
Inaugural New Haven Receptions
On Friday, May 30, 2014, St. Thomas’s
Day School held its inaugural New
Haven alumni reunion. This gathering
was followed by our first-ever
Thanksgiving reunion, which was held
on Friday, November 28, 2014. Both
receptions were held at 116 Crown
in New Haven. Alumni in attendance
represented classes ranging from 19832007. Both gatherings were a huge
success as alumni, alumni parents,
and current and past faculty came out
to celebrate together and rekindle
memories from their days at St.
Thomas’s Day School. Thank you to
all who attended and we look forward
to seeing you at our next New Haven
alumni reunion.
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Alumni Parent Association Gathering
The 4th annual Alumni Parent Association gathering was
held on October 2, 2014 at Sage American Grill & Oyster
Bar in New Haven. Former parents, faculty, and staff of St.
Thomas’s Day School enjoyed reconnecting, reminiscing,
and renewing while dining and listening to the sound of
steel drums. Following a warm welcome by event co-chair,
Lauren Pinzka (P ’07, ’09), Head of School, Gina Panza
gave an update on the state of the School and introduced
new faculty. Maria Freda (P ’06), new Grade 1 assistant,
shared her perspective on the dedication and commitment
of the faculty and staff at St. Thomas’s.
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Ten Year Accreditation Granted!
By Gina Panza, Head of School, Roxanne Turekian, Assistant Head,
and Miriam Battista, Development & Communication Director
St. Thomas’s Day School received glowing reviews
on every component — from mission and curriculum
to faculty and student experience — in the Visiting
Committee report from the Connecticut Association
of Independent Schools (CAIS). The final report was
issued in January 2015 following the Committee’s
four day on-site visit in October 2014; the final phase
of our decennial accreditation process. The five
member Visiting Committee unanimously agreed
St. Thomas’s is an extraordinary school. They
described the School using words and phrases such
as, “an amazing school”…“great academic skills and
exciting leadership opportunities”…“children receive
the whole package every single day”…“a great visit”.
The School was given a ten year accreditation and a
vetted set of goals that will guide us in our upcoming
strategic planning process.
For the first time in thirty-two years, St. Thomas’s
Day School initiated a Self-Study Report under a
new Head of School. The Self-Study process in
preparation for the reaccreditation provided an
excellent opportunity for all constituencies of the
School to connect with one another during a time of
transition. It offered us an extensive review of our
past practices and an opportunity to reflect on ways
we can meet the challenging demands of providing
a 21st century education for our students. As we
went through this intensive examination, there was
consensus about what we do well and agreement
about areas of challenge that demand our attention in
order for us to go forward with passion, energy, and a
renewed spirit.
In preparation for the October 2014 visit, the entire
faculty and staff were engaged in writing and creating
the 110 page Self-Study Report. Throughout
the 2013-2014 school year, we gathered data and
necessary information and worked in committees to
create the final document. Writing this report proved
to be an extremely informative and reflective process.
It was an opportunity for us to give shape to the
future direction of our school and identify the steps
that are necessary for us to realize our vision.
Of the more than 35 commendations from the
Visiting Committee, they specifically recognized
our commitment to our mission and commended
“the entire St. Thomas’s Day School constituency
for creating a vibrant, rigorous and caring school
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community.” It was obvious to the Visiting
Committee that St. Thomas’s Day School is deeply
committed to, and proud of, its mission. The mission
captures the essence of the School and is what makes
St. Thomas’s such a remarkable place.
“The Visiting Committee commends the School’s
new Head of School, administration and faculty
for fully embracing and living the School’s
mission in a highly visible, committed manner.
The fulfillment of the School’s mission is reflected
daily in the excellent academic outcomes, the
wonderful, positive character and empathy
of the children and the sheer love of learning
exhibited by students, making St. Thomas’s a
school experience highly valued and supported
by both students and their parents.” – Visiting
Committee Report
The Self-Study Report is our story; who we have
been, who we are, and who we aspire to be. It
captures with honesty an emerging consensus about
our strengths and growth opportunities. As we look
to the future, the work of the Strategic Planning
Committee will help identify ways to further enhance
our exceptional program. We embrace the principle
of self-improvement and are eager to excel in our
responsibilities to our students. This exercise in
analysis and planning proved to be the perfect vehicle
for us to get to know one another through frank and
open conversations. This process brought us together
as a community and validated that we truly are “a
small school where big things happen.”
“I am grateful to the CAIS Visiting Committee for
their guidance and wisdom in identifying areas of
focus that we should consider,” says Head of School
Gina Panza. As we embrace these challenges with
“After reading the Self-Study Report we had very high
expectations; and our expectations were exceeded.”
- Mark Griffin, CAIS Visiting Committee Chair
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10 Year Accreditation Granted!
vigor and vitality, we remain hopeful that we will
continue to grow as a school community dedicated
to the intellectual, moral, emotional, spiritual,
and social development of our children. With
insights we gained from this self-examination and
recommendations from the Visiting Committee, we
look to the future with anticipation and optimism as
we reshape and reaffirm our commitment to provide a
model 21st century education for our children.
Other Commendations:
The Visiting Committee commends the School for its support of individual teachers
in their use of technology.
The Visiting Committee commends the teachers in their ability to demonstrate the
mission of the School through their teaching and interaction with the students.
The Visiting Committee commends St. Thomas’s commitment to carefully examine
and develop curriculum that focuses on culturally diverse learners using book
lunches, diverse text, holiday celebrations and months of theme study.
The Visiting Committee commends St. Thomas’s for addressing all needs
recommended by the CAIS Commission on Technology.
The Visiting Committee commends the School for recruiting and retaining a strong,
competent, vibrant faculty throughout the entire program. New and veteran teachers
alike have embraced the St. Thomas’s mission wholeheartedly and evidence of their
commitment is visible in each and every classroom of the School.
The Visiting Committee commends the Head of School for a successful transition
following a long standing Head and for undertaking the Self-Study process in her
first year of leadership at St. Thomas’s Day School.
The Visiting Committee commends the School for its commitment to using
numerous assessments as a tool for determining a developmentally appropriate
program of study for each of its students.
The Visiting Committee commends the School for having many effective internal
and external communications featuring recently implemented vehicles such as the relaunched website, the SchoolReach system and the Heads Up quarterly newsletter.
The Visiting Committee commends the School for its management of the School’s
accounting, auditing and budgeting processes and for its stewardship of debt, cash
flows and endowment funds.
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New Teachers
Craig Bottiger, Grade One Teacher
Craig Bottiger joins St. Thomas’s Day
School as first grade teacher. Prior to
teaching at St. Thomas’s, Craig taught
third grade in a public school and was
a pre-Kindergarten teacher in three
different schools (two in Missouri
and one in Connecticut). Craig was
a substitute teacher for one year at
St. Thomas’s and knew he wanted to
work here. He was attracted to the
environment and spirit of the school.
From left: Jennifer Highsmith Brooks ’93, Third Grade Teacher; Molly
Craig perceives a quality of gentleness
DeLeone, Physical Education Teacher; Sarah Walters, Grade Two Teacher;
among the student population that
and Craig Bottiger, Grade One Teacher
is very different from any other
Physical Education majors. As part of her graduate
school where he has worked. Craig loves the sense of
work, Molly worked at the Willie Ross School for the
community that is affirmed each day in Chapel when
Deaf. Molly is excited to work at a school that offers
we recite A Prayer for the World to “Make this a better
Physical Education classes several times per week.
world, and let it begin with me.” Craig graduated with
an Elementary Education degree from Northwest
Sarah Walters, Grade Two Teacher
Missouri State University.
We are delighted to welcome Sarah Walters as second
grade teacher. Sarah comes to us with fifteen years
Jennifer Highsmith Brooks ’93,
of teaching experience; primarily in first and second
Grade Three Teacher
grade. Prior to joining St. Thomas’s Day School,
We are thrilled to welcome back Jennifer Highsmith
Sarah worked as a Classroom Teacher and Educational
Brooks to St. Thomas’s Day School! Jenn, who graduated
Consultant at The Children’s School in Stamford,
in 1993, has joined St. Thomas’s as third grade teacher.
Connecticut. Sarah also has worked as an Adjunct
Following her graduation from St. Thomas’s, Jenn
Professor in the Education Department at Long Island
attended Hamden Hall and graduated with a degree in
University, a Staff Developer at Chaplin Elementary
European History from Northwestern University. Jenn
School, and as a Kindergarten Consultant and Literacy
earned her Master of Arts in Elementary Education from
Consultant at Bronx Charter School for Better
Quinnipiac University and her Master Degree in Special
Learning. As an educator, Sarah was drawn to St.
Education from University of Saint Joseph. Prior to
Thomas’s as she found it to be a school where children
joining St. Thomas’s, Jenn was a teacher in the Hamden
thrive, love to learn, and explore their world through
and New Haven public school systems. Although much
experiential learning, field trips, plays, etc. Sarah
has changed since Jenn was a student, the wonderful
shared the story of her first visit to St. Thomas’s. It was
balance of academics and celebrating childhood combined
a snowy, icy morning and Sarah fell and cut her knee
with creative projects and hands-on experiences remain
as she walked to the school – not an auspicious way to
critical parts of the St. Thomas’s experience.
begin her visit. However, as soon as she walked in the
Molly DeLeone, Physical Education Teacher
front door, she “immediately felt something special
Molly DeLeone recently graduated from Springfield
and calmed down.” She ended up having a great visit
College where she earned her BS and MS in Adapted
despite a difficult morning. Sarah knew St. Thomas’s
Physical Education. During graduate school, Molly
Day School was the right choice for her as well as for
was a teaching fellow working with undergraduate
her two children, Sierra and Jose.
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Spring Gala 2014: A Night in the Caribbean
Guests took a trip to the Caribbean
on May 10, 2014 as St. Thomas’s Day
School held its annual spring gala at
the School. Proceeds from the event
were used in support of technology.
More than 100 supporters came out
for a magical evening that included a delicious
meal prepared by Soul de Cuba Cafe, dancing, and
conversation with friends.
Gala Chair:
Melissa Callender
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We thank those who gave services, time, expertise,
and assistance to the Spring Gala:
David Gibson: Auctioneer – Live Auction
Lisa Lovejoy: Decorating/Flowers
Kirby Mahoney: Lighting
Elisa Billings: Class Baskets
Sandy Chang: Auction Items
Soul de Cuba Cafe: Food
Peter and Monica DiAdamo: Beverage Sponsor
Melissa (’82) and Duncan Goodall, Koffee:
Coffee Donation
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In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community
STUDENTS SCORE HIGH IN MATH ASSESSMENT:
St. Thomas’s Day School students participated
in a pilot assessment program conducted by the
Connecticut Association of Independent Schools
(CAIS) to measure math competencies at Connecticut
independent schools. The test, Connecticut
Independent School Test of Mathematics (CISTM), is
a professionally designed replica of the TIMSS, The
International Math Test. Doug Lyons, President of
the CAIS, shared the following with Head of School
Gina Panza: “The goal of the CISTM is to provide
Connecticut Independent Schools with a benchmark
comparison relative to students in the 26 countries in
the TIMSS sample. St. Thomas’s Day School’s average
student score falls in the highest band possible: The
average student score places the school at or above the
achievement level of the countries in the top decile
of performance (Singapore and Chinese Taipei). You
and the faculty at St. Thomas’s Day School should be
proud of this result.”
SIXTH GRADER CHOSEN AS NUTMEG READER:
Congratulations to sixth
grader Ruari Putnam for being
chosen to serve on the 2017
Intermediate NUTMEG
BOOK AWARD SELECTION
COMMITTEE as a Student
Reader. The committee is
comprised of thirteen adults
and two students. There were
more than 30 applications
from students around the state
for the two committee positions. As a committee
member, Ruari will be expected to read all 120130 books on the list over a ten month period. The
committee meets five times during the selection
process (January-October) to discuss the books and
vote on possible award nominees and alternate titles.
At the last meeting in November, the committee will
meet to choose the final ten nominees and alternate
titles. Congratulations, Ruari!
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SPECIAL PRESENTERS:
ANNIE MURPHY PAUL, author, consultant, and
speaker, was invited to speak at St. Thomas’s Day
School in December 2014. A large group of parents,
faculty and staff were enlightened by her presentation,
Brilliant: The Science of How We Get Smarter, which
addressed the question, what makes people smart?
Annie Murphy Paul believes it is “profoundly
influenced by factors like the amount of sleep and
exercise we get; by the way we take in new knowledge
and the techniques we use to commit material to
memory; by our reaction to mistakes and how we
handle distractions; by the information we glean from
classmates and coworkers and the roles we occupy in
our organizations.”
St. Thomas’s Day School hosted breakfast and
conversation with BILL BROWN (P ’82, GP ’15, ’19),
Director of the Eli Whitney Museum, on February 6
as part of our annual week-long Science Festival. Bill’s
presentation, Sense/ability in Science, discussed ten
rules that guide what we do in our work. Following
the presentation, parents were encouraged to visit the
Science Festival as upper school students shared their
projects with first graders.
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A PORTAL TO TEHRAN:
Sixth grade students were invited to join the Yale
University Art Gallery on Tuesday, February 24, 2015
in launching a PORTAL connecting the citizens of New
Haven and Tehran, Iran in conversations about daily
life. The PORTALS are gold shipping containers that
are equipped with immersive audio-video technology.
Yale Law School student Amar Bakshi is the founder
of Shared Studios, a design collective that launched
the Portals to get everyday people from very different
cultures standing face to face and talking – virtually
so. Our sixth graders entered the Portal and had an
opportunity to speak with students in Tehran. This
project was launched in New York City in December
2014 and received press from around the world. Connecticut’s communities.” In total, the students
collected approximately $175.00 in support of IRIS.
St. Thomas’s Day
School joined
other New Haven
schools by holding
a QUARTER
DRIVE in support
of Citizens to
Drive Out Ebola,
chaired by Althea
Norcott (P ’87,
’91), chairwoman
of the FreetownNew Haven
Sister City Committee. Funds raised were used to
purchase medical transport vans, medical supplies, and
protective equipment. Althea was the featured speaker
at our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Chapel service
on January 15, 2015.
ROBOTICS:
ST. THOMAS’S GOES GREEN:
St. Thomas’s Day School initiated single stream
recycling this year. Containers for collection of
recyclables have been placed in all classrooms and
office spaces. Student “Green” Representatives collect
and empty the containers into the recycling dumpster
at the end of every day. Sustainability and conservation
efforts throughout the School are ongoing and we look
forward to implementing additional initiatives.
More than 20 students in Grades 4-6 spent
several months learning basic programming to
make robots complete tasks: move backward, forward,
execute turns, and use sensors for following lines
to get out of a box. The St. Thomas’s Day School
Robotics Team will use these programming skills when
they participate in the ROBOnanza competition at
Greenwich Academy on Saturday, May 2, 2015. The
theme of this year’s ROBOnanza is BOTS OF THE
ROUND TABLE.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
The sixth grade launched their SMALL CHANGE
FOR BIG CHANGES project in December 2014.
Teams of sixth graders presented research on three
New Haven community organizations during Chapel
services. Following the presentations, the children in
the school voted on the organization they wanted to
support with a school-wide penny drive. Integrated
Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) was the
organization selected by the children. IRIS helps
“refugees and other displaced people establish new
lives, regain hope, and contribute to the vitality of
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In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community
TECHNOLOGY:
THE ARTS THRIVE AT ST. THOMAS’S:
St. Thomas’s Day School launched a newly
designed WEBSITE (www.stthomasday.org) last
summer! The new website uses drop down menus with
updated information. The new site uses a responsive
design to provide optimization for smart phones,
tablets and desktops. Updates and improvements to the
site will continue so that it best serves our community.
The New Haven Lawn Club hosted a ST. THOMAS’S
DAY SCHOOL ART SHOW of “Jazz Cats” inspired
by the collage art of Romare Bearden and the music
of Charlie Parker. These vibrant, energetic paintings
included in the show were painted by students in last
year’s first grade class under the direction of Art Teacher
Jan Nichols in collaboration with Grade One Teacher
Craig O’Connell. Included in the show were Watercolor
Landscapes painted by last year’s fifth grade class, also
under the direction Jan Nichols. These landscape
paintings were inspired by the Connecticut paintings
of the Hudson River School impressionists. An Art
Opening reception for the artists and their families was
held at The New Haven Lawn Club on May 8.
Last fall, with funds generously provided by the
St. Thomas’s PTO, the school purchased 21
CHROMEBOOK LAPTOP COMPUTERS for use
in the Grade 5 and Grade 6 classrooms. Fifth and
Sixth graders were each assigned a laptop to share
from a cart located in the landing at the top of the
stairs from the all-purpose room. This has meant
that the equipment has been readily available only a
few steps from the classrooms.
Chromebooks are designed to support Google apps
such as Gmail, Google Docs, and Presentations. It’s a
cloud-based system, where students create projects and
then have the ability to share them online with their
classmates and teachers. Judging from the log sheets
students fill out when retrieving or returning their
equipment, the Chromebooks have been used multiple
times each day by virtually every student. It’s been one
of the big tech success stories of the year! The positive
experience with these devices is leading us to expand
the program to include Grade 4. In addition, plans are
being made to use Chromebooks and headphones to
create a language lab in the Spanish classroom.
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A collection of third grade artwork was on display at
Christopher Martins Restaurant during the month of
June 2014. The children in last year’s third grade class
created snow leopard artwork under the direction of Jan
Nichols. An Art Opening for the entire St. Thomas’s
community was held at Christopher Martins on June
8. Christopher Martins will be hosting a show of
Kindergarten artwork during the month of June 2015.
Below left: Grade One “Jazz Cats” on display at the New Haven
Lawn Club. Below right: Grade Three “Snow Leopards” at
Christopher Martins Restaurant.
In and Around the St. Thomas’s Community
Students in grades four through six saw a special
performance by the ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN
DANCE COMPANY. The dance troupe
performed excerpts from Revelations, their signature
choreographic work comprised of a suite of dances
set to spirituals and blues music that tells the story of
African-American faith and tenacity from slavery to
freedom. Many of our students were truly impressed
by this powerful experience.
YOUR TIME TO SHINE! played a concert for the
St. Thomas’s community on January 30, 2015. Your
Time to Shine! is an exciting variety show featuring
talented youth and aspiring professional singers,
musicians, and dancers.
ELIZABETH ALEXANDER (P ’10, ’11), speaker at
the 2014 St. Thomas’s Day School graduation, wrote
a beautiful story that was published in the New Yorker.
Her memoir, The Light of the World, was published
in April 2015. A reading and book signing was held
on April 22, 2015 at the Yale University Art Gallery.
Elizabeth also wrote an article for the New York Times
about Maya Angelou, In a Commanding Literary
Voice, Maya Angelou Sang Out to the World, which was
published in May 2014.
More than 40 members of the St. Thomas’s
community attended this year’s trip to the JAZZ
STANDARD in New York City on March 8, 2015.
It was a fantastic afternoon of extraordinary jazz and
award-winning barbecue from Blue Smoke.
FACULTY AND STAFF continue to serve on
Connecticut Association of Independent School
(CAIS) Boards and Commissions. GINA PANZA
serves on the Board for CAIS and KIRBY
MAHONEY serves on the Commission on
Professional Development. GINA PANZA attended
the National Association of Independent School
(NAIS) 2014 Institute for New Heads in Atlanta,
Georgia. Several of our teachers attended Seedlings
Educators Collaborative summer workshops, which
were held June 26-July 2, 2014. KIRBY MAHONEY,
POLLY MAHONEY, POLINA MANN, NORINE
PAGE, and MAGGIE RAHE participated in the
workshops and returned to school with new strategies,
curriculum integration plans, practical materials,
connections to community resources, and much more.
The teachers shared their experiences with the faculty
and staff during our beginning of school faculty
workdays.
CHAPLAIN TRACY JOHNSON RUSSELL was
offered a new position as Rector of St. Monica’s
Episcopal Church in Hartford beginning in January
2015. On December 11, the children celebrated
Chaplain Tracy’s years of service at St. Thomas’s with
song and fond memories of her time with us.
KARYL EVANS (P ’06) was honored by the Arts
Council of Greater New Haven in December 2014.
The theme of the Arts Award Luncheon was Small
City, Big Art. According to the Arts Council, “With
her Connecticut Public Television documentaries,
including ‘Grove Street Cemetery: City of the Dead,
City of the Living’ and ‘Creating the Peabody’s
Torosaurus: Dinosaur Science, Dinosaur Art,’ Emmy
Award-winning filmmaker Evans has skillfully shared
stories of extraordinary treasures and institutions that
have contributed to the region’s rich cultural history.”
ALANNA SHRADER (P ’08, ’11) was elected to
the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2014.
Scientists are elected by their peers to membership
in the NAS in recognition of their distinguished
and continuing achievements in original research.
Membership in the NAS is considered one of the
highest honors that a scientist can receive.
17
Class of 2008: Where Are They Now?
The Class of 2008 at Graduation
Hannah Aylward
Margaret Baumgartner
Allison Carroll
Markese Clark
Kathleen Dadio
Joshua Greenberg
Lucas Hoffman
Michael Kravitz
Jane Logan
Lucas Marshak
Helen Park
Bennett Rollins
Eric St. George-Kreis
Serena Sakheim
Sara Seymour
Abigail Shrader
Monté Stewart
Anderson Tirro
Carleton College
Wesleyan University
Bowdoin College
Unknown
Eastern Conn. State University
Northeastern University
Mitchell College
Middlebury College
Unknown
Unknown
Princeton University
Bates College
Drew University
Smith College
Yale University
Reed College
Pittsburg State University
Carleton College
18
St. Thomas’s
Celebrates Our 2014
Retiring
Teachers
From left: Jocelyn Freeman, Ann O’Connell, Craig O’Connell, Susan Blanchard,
Hannah Grimes, Sheryl Skroski, John North
Tears were shed as St. Thomas’s Day School bid
farewell to several beloved teachers who retired at the
end of the school year. Celebrations were held to honor
second grade teacher Susan Blanchard, grade one
assistant and Extended Day teacher Jocelyn Freeman,
Kindergarten aide Hannah Grimes, Technology
Coordinator John North, third grade assistant Ann
O’Connell, first grade teacher Craig O’Connell, and
Physical Education teacher and fourth grade assistant
Sheryl Skroski for their many years of dedicated service
to St. Thomas’s Day School.
At the Spring Gala on May 10, 2014, current parents,
alumni parents, alumni, and faculty reflected on the
joy and learning these iconic individuals have given to
our children over the years. On June 6, the children
had an opportunity to say “good-bye” to their teachers
around the ice cream truck. The children presented
personalized prints to the retiring teachers as a parting
gift. Finally, a reception following Class Day Chapel
was held in honor of all the retiring teachers. We miss
seeing them on a daily basis, but they continue to stay
connected to St. Thomas’s through their attendance
and participation in events and field trips. We also have
been fortunate to have several of the retired teachers
return to our classrooms as substitutes this year.
Below, left: Barbara Schaffer (P ’07, ’12) reflects on
retiring faculty at the Spring Gala. Center: Students
enjoying ice cream and viewing some personalized prints
around the ice cream truck. Right: Sheryl Skroski and
Nikki Skroski Fournier ’94 at the Class Day Reception.
19
Alumni
Notes
PLEASE NOTE: Students who
transferred from St. Thomas’s Day
School before completing Sixth Grade
are listed according to the year in which
they would have graduated. We gather
news of our former students from various
sources. If our information is incorrect,
please accept our apologies. Please inform
us of any errors, and we will be happy to
publish correct information in the next
issue of The Balloon. Thank you.
1970
DAVID DELGIUDICE writes, “I
attended St. Thomas’s from fourth
through sixth grades under the direction
of Father William Robbins and assistant
clergy Father Spellman. The school
was run by Headmistress Ms. Ethel
Baer, formerly from Hamden Hall.
I attended St. Thomas’s Church as a
parishioner with my parents, Michael
and Phyllis DelGiudice of Hamden for
over 30 years. In the last 20 years I have
been a successful chemist, researcher
and science educator/administrator
and presently reside in Stamford,
Connecticut with my wife Nancy (also a
teacher). I hold a BS, MS in Chemistry
and 6th Year Certificate in Educational
Leadership. I presently am active in
NSTA, NEA, ACS, AAPT, and hold
an administrative 092 License as a
Connecticut Administrator for over 10
years. If it was not for the outstanding
education I received from St. Thomas’s
Day School, I would not have gone on to
become a great contributor to my family,
community and to science research so to
advance science education into the 21st
century.”
20
1973
MARTIN BEATTY is the head
coach of the track and field teams at
Middlebury College. Martin, who fondly
remembers his days at St. Thomas’s,
graduated from Middlebury in 1984,
where he was a sprinter on the track
team and a running back on the football
team.
1976
SALLY DAWIDOFF wrote a new play,
The Crazed, based on the acclaimed
novel by Ha Jin (winner of the National
Book Award and two PEN/Faulkner
awards) about a young scholar coming
of age in Communist China on the eve
of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The play premiered at Central Works in
Berkeley, California in May 2014.
1981
GERRY GIAIMO and his wife, Sarah,
had a baby girl, Abigail, in May 2014.
Gerry is an equity partner in the law
firm Halloran & Sage.
ELLIE APPLEWHITE TERRY
lives in Acton, Massachusetts with her
husband, Bronson, and their three
children. Ellie serves on the clergy staff
of the Old North Church in Boston.
1983
Class Correspondent:
Mercy Burwell Colberg
MercyColberg@gmail.com
SARAH MERRIAM is a newly
appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge. Most
recently, Sarah was an Assistant Federal
Public Defender. Sarah has clerked for a
Chief Judge and for a Circuit Judge; she
was an associate at a criminal defense
firm; she was the campaign manager
in a successful bid for a Congressional
seat; and she is active in the Connecticut
Bar Association’s Federal Practice
Section. It is an honor to have Sarah as
our speaker for the 2015 St. Thomas’s
graduation ceremony.
1987
PHOEBE FELLOWS lives in Miami,
Florida and is partner/head designer
at EDGE Collections, a design and
manufacturing house that specializes
in large-format production of custom
wallpapers, tiles, and textiles.
1988
JOHN FORREST and his wife, Emily,
have a son, William, in the St. Thomas’s
Kindergarten class.
1989
LURETHA McCLENDON
TOLSON and her husband, Wayne,
welcomed their baby girl, Trinity Aliyah,
in March 2014.
1991
ALEXIS HIGHSMITH SMITH is
Deputy Director at New Haven Legal
Assistance Association where she works
in the education and employment
units. Alexis was named to Connecticut
Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2015,
which recognizes the best and brightest
among Generation Next – all nominated
by friends, family, coworkers, admirers,
and Connecticut Magazine editors. “As
the deputy director of New Haven Legal
Assistance, Smith has been involved
with standing up for those who aren’t
always able to stand up for themselves. She is also past president of the George
Crawford Black Bar Association, and has
served as secretary for the Connecticut
Bar Association, the Connecticut
Center for Arts and Technology,
and Community Partners in Action.
She referees high school soccer and
basketball when she’s not taking care of
her two young children.”
1992
SARA NADEL is living in Lima,
Peru, where she is founder and CEO
of Farolito, a company that connects
talented, low-income job seekers with
businesses that are growing in Peru.
1995
SCOTT ASTRADA is a policy analyst
in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
In May 2014, Scott was appointed
Confidential Assistant at the White
House Office of Management and
Budget.
JP SCHNAPPER-CASTERAS
began a new job this past fall as Special
Counsel on Supreme Court Advocacy
and Litigation at the NAACP Legal
and Educational Defense Fund, Inc.
He and his wife, Tamara Klajn, live in
Washington, D.C.
1997
SHALONA STEWART is a Case
Manager at the Community Mental
Health Center of Crawford County in
Pittsburg, Kansas.
1998
Class Correspondent:
Steven McDonald
steven.andrew.mcdonald@gmail.com
MATTHEW ALLEN lives in
Philadelphia where he is a third year
medical student at Penn. He is deciding
between internal medicine and
anesthesiology.
ALEJO CABRANES graduated from
Columbia Law School in 2014. He is
living in Brooklyn and working for a law
firm in Manhattan.
MARY-BETH GRIMALDI lives in
Pittsburgh and works in the drug and
alcohol treatment field. In her personal
time, Mary-Beth does Pure Barre, which
is an exercise form similar to ballet and
pilates.
STEVEN McDONALD is in his first
year of emergency medicine residency
at NYU/Bellevue where he is seeing a
completely different side of New York.
Steven is fortunate to see Barrie Segal
and Alejo Cabranes occasionally.
TARYN RATHBONE-DAUB
currently lives just outside Seattle with
her husband. They moved to the Pacific
Northwest this past summer and Taryn
started her own veterinary practice,
Balanced Horse Veterinary Service,
PLLC. The practice specializes in
equine acupuncture and Chinese herbal
medicine.
MARTHA ROYSTON graduated
from Boston College Law School and
passed the Connecticut Bar Exam this
past summer. Martha is an associate at
Halloran & Sage and works for Gerry
Giaimo, also a St. Thomas’s graduate
(‘81). She is getting married on New
Year’s Eve.
DANIEL TURNER-EVANS has
settled into the Washington, D.C. area
and is enjoying both work and getting
into the city. His lab has recently
discovered an internal compass in the
fruit fly brain, and they are all hard at
work trying to figure out exactly how it
functions. Otherwise, Dan eagerly awaits
spring so that he can get out on the
Potomac for some white water kayaking,
but is distracting himself with pickup
basketball in the meantime.
McALLISTER WINDOM is finishing
up her pediatric residency with the
plan to work as a hospitalist in the bone
marrow transplant unit at Duke and then
pursue a Pediatric Cardiology fellowship
– possibly back in New Haven at Yale.
1999
Class Correspondent:
Scott Panza
panza.scott@gmail.com
JESSE BIA graduated from the
University of Oxford with his Masters
in Social Anthropology. He currently
is pursuing his PhD in Medical
Anthropology at University College
London, with a regional specialization in
Japan.
EAMON DUFFY graduated from
Middlebury College and currently
attends Yale School of Medicine.
SCOTT PANZA lives in Milford,
Connecticut and is a financial planner at
MetLife.
2000
Class Correspondent:
Charles Depman
cdepman@gmail.com
ALI ACETO is living in Boston and
works at Liberty Mutual in the Digital
Marketing department.
CHARLES DEPMAN made a major
career switch and now is working as a
software engineer in San Francisco. He
is enjoying exploring the many national
parks in California.
LINDSEY GLAZER works in
Stamford at indeed.com, the number one
job site in the world, where she recently
got a promotion. She recently purchased
her own place and adopted a puppy.
CHANNING HILLIARD is working
in capital markets in New York City.
ALEKS ROMANO completed her
degree in opera at Yale. She was a
Mid-Atlantic Regional Finalist and
Encouragement Award Winner in the
2014 Metropolitan Opera National
Council Auditions and was awarded the
Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Prize from
the Yale School of Music. She currently
is in her first season of Washington
National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz
Young Artist Program. In the summer
of 2015, Aleks will return to the
Glimmerglass Festival to sing Second
Lady in The Magic Flute and Marzia in
Vivaldi’s Cato in Utica.
CHRIS STEWART and Lindsey Chase
were married in September 2014.
21
2001
JAMES BEALL is working and
applying to graduate school for his MBA
and is engaged to Giuliana Galant.
MATT CARROLL lives in Brookline,
Massachusetts and works as a manager
and real estate agent for NextGen
Realty.
NATE GIBSON is a student at New
York University School of Law.
2002
DEVIN EATON graduated from the
New Haven Police Academy. He was
sworn in as a police officer in March
2015.
2003
CATHERINE BLOOMER graduated
from Barnard College and currently is
attending the New School in New York
City.
JOHN EMMET is working as a deck
hand on a tug with McAllister Towing
and Transportation Company, based
in Staten Island. He’s still living in
Hamden.
PETER GRECO currently attends law
school at George Mason University. Pete
will be working at the U.S. Attorney’s
office in Florida this summer.
automotive technology. Julian also is
working at the Elizabeth Ives School
and is training to become an EMT this
summer.
ALICE KAMENS graduated from
Barnard College and currently is a
Program Associate at Cities of Service in
New York City.
BONNIE CHATFIELD is thoroughly
enjoying her senior year at Fairfield
University.
JEREMY LOGAN graduated from
Gettysburg College with a B.A. degree
in Philosophy in December 2013. He is
currently working as a paraprofessional
at Elizabeth Ives School for Special
Needs in North Haven.
CHRIS WRIGHT graduated from
Trinity College with a degree in
American Studies. Chris is living in New
York City and working as an Account
Manager.
2004
MOLLY GIBSON graduated from
Princeton University where she was
awarded a Fulbright grant to teach
in Brazil. Molly currently is working
in New York City as a Development
Associate at Education Through Music.
2005
Class Correspondent:
Earl Lin
earl.yohance.lin@gmail.com
Head of School, Gina Panza, along with
Development Director, Miriam Battista,
traveled to the Yale Club in New York City
to meet with alumni during a reception on
May 16, 2014. From the Class of ’03 (left
to right): Chris Wright, Alice Kamens, and
Nick Andreassi
22
ELIZABETH BAUMGARTNER is
graduating from Wesleyan University in
May with a double major in neuroscience
and science in society. At Wesleyan,
Elizabeth is captain of the women’s
varsity swimming team and is a double
varsity record holder. She is the first
author on a published scientific poster/
abstract on characteristics of opioid
abuse/dependence by gender. Elizabeth
is applying to medical school this spring/
summer. Her sister, Meg ’08, is also at
Wesleyan as a freshman.
JULIAN BEACH earned his CAD
certification from Gateway Community
College, where he is currently studying
ZANE FENN is a senior psychology
major at Morehouse College in
Atlanta where he is a member of Psi
Chi (the international psychological
honors society), statistics tutor for
underclassmen, and working on research
regarding bipolar disorder. Zane is
enjoying the last bit of college life and
looking at graduate schools.
MARCO GASPARRO is graduating
from Indiana University in May with a
degree in Economics.
CONSTANTIN GEANAKOPLOS
is a senior at Yale University. He has
accepted a job with Robert A. M.
Stern architects in New York starting
September 1. Between graduation from
Yale and September, Constantin will be
traveling around the world.
SAM GRECO is graduating from
the Edmund A. Walsh School of
Foreign Service at Georgetown
University in May with a Bachelor of
Science in Foreign Service, majoring
in International Politics with a
concentration in International Security.
After graduation, Sam will be staying in
Washington, D.C. doing management
consulting with Ernst & Young for
federal clients. Sam plans to go to law
school in the near term as well. His
family is well and spends most of their
time now in south Florida, in Palm
Beach County, although they still have
a house in Connecticut and summer up
here.
NATE HUETHER spent a good
part of last summer in Buenos Aires,
researching his senior history thesis in
the National Archives and absorbing the
café culture. Nate is in his last year at
Brown, and very happy, living off campus
with good friends.
EARL LIN is graduating in May from
Wesleyan University with a double
major in History and American Studies.
Earl currently is writing an honors
thesis about urban renewal history in
Middletown/New Haven. He is captain
of the Wesleyan University Sailing
Team, was nominated to the InterCollegiate Sailing Association’s AllAcademic Team, and is editor-in-chief
of Historical Narratives undergraduate
history journal. Earl currently is
pursuing jobs in the public interest
sector in which he is planning to work
for a few years before applying to law
school. His family continues to live in
New Haven.
ZHACH PHAM is graduating from
Colorado College this spring. He is
working as an associate at a private
equity firm called Roman Road Capital
Partners. Zhach is planning to stay out
west following graduation.
2006
ROBBIE EMMET is finishing his
junior year at Carleton College in
Minnesota, double majoring in Statistics
and Classics. Robbie will be doing
statistics work for the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Northwest Fisheries Science
Center in Seattle this summer.
MAGGIE MIGDALSKI attends
University of Rhode Island, double
majoring in marine biology and animal
sciences.
CHRIS PETERS currently is a junior
at Yale University. Chris is one of 14
rising senior Yale men selected to be in
the Whiffenpoofs, one of the world’s
best-known a cappella groups.
2007
MICHAEL BERRY is a sophomore at
Yale University where he is a psychology
neuroscience major.
ANNA HUETHER started at Bard
College in early August, and what a
great fit! She is taking intensive Russian,
excited about her class on slavery and
economics, and has auditioned on to
the Opera Workshop. Anna is involved
in many activities, and loving the
rural environment and intellectual,
international milieu.
SPENCER LOWLICHT is a
sophomore at Lehigh University where
he joined Phi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
2008
WILLIAM BEALL is in his second year
of university in Canada.
ALLIE CARROLL graduated from
North Haven High School and
currently is a freshman at Bowdoin
College where she plans to major in
biochemistry. Allie was named a New
Haven Register All-Area Youth of the
Year. At North Haven High, Allie was
the senior representative on the Board
of Education, peer tutor, and captain
of the varsity tennis team. Outside of
school Allie was a volunteer tutor for
New Haven Reads and she was a senior
apprentice at the Eli Whitney Museum.
MICHAEL KRAVITZ graduated from
Hopkins and currently is a freshman at
Middlebury College.
HELEN PARK currently is a freshman
at Princeton University.
BENNETT ROLLINS recently
graduated from North Haven High
School. During his senior year he was
inducted into the National Honor
Society and Italian National Honor
Society. He won the Science Department
Award for excellence in Physics and an
Award for Community Service. He is
currently a freshman at Bates College
where he plans to major in Physics. Ben
is also a member of the golf team.
SARA SEYMOUR graduated from
Hopkins and currently is a freshman
at Yale University. Sara was named a
New Haven Register All-Area Youth of
the Year, awarded to a member of the
graduating class who best exemplifies
the qualities of leadership, academics,
and achievement.
ABIGAIL SHRADER graduated from
Hopkins and currently is a freshman at
Reed College.
MONTÉ STEWART graduated from
Cooperative Arts and Humanities High
School and currently is a freshman at
Pittsburg State University.
2009
SAMUEL BERRY currently is
a senior at Hopkins. He won the
Elizabeth Tate Prize for Excellence
in English in Grade 11, awarded for
excellence in English at the eleventh
grade level. Sam is a jazz pianist and
accompanies the Latin Jazz Ensemble
at the Neighborhood Music School
and is a volunteer teacher in the
Breakthrough New Haven program
at Hopkins. He is the prose co-editor
of Daystar, the Hopkins literary
magazine, and is a Senior Mentor and
Peer Tutor. Sam will be attending Yale
University in the fall.
MARAYA CLARK is a senior at
Hopkins where she is a member of the
varsity fencing team.
CECILIA CREWS is a senior at
Hopkins where she is a member of the
varsity field hockey team. She received
the field hockey award for dedication
and sportsmanship. Cecilia will be
attending Yale University in the fall.
ALEXANDER DeVAREZ is a senior
at Cooperative Arts and Humanities
High School. Alex will be attending
Quinnipiac University in the fall of
2015.
ALLIE KUBICK currently is a senior
at Hopkins. Allie spent her junior year
studying in China.
VICTORIA McCRAVEN is a senior
at Hopkins where she is a member
of the varsity volleyball and softball
teams. She continues to be interested
in photography and hopes to take a
photography trip this summer. Victoria
23
will be attending Dartmouth College in
the fall.
was named Athlete of the Week in
January 2015.
FRANCES NEMETH is a senior at
North Haven High School. Earlier
this year, Frances was recognized for
receiving SCC All-Academic Honors
and she received the sportsmanship
award for swimming and diving.
SOPHIE CAPPELLO is a junior at
Hopkins where she is a member of the
basketball team. This past December,
Sophie attended the Student Diversity
Leadership Conference (SDLC) in
Indianapolis, which was sponsored by
the National Association of Independent
Schools (NAIS). At the conference,
participants engaged in workshops and
seminars to promote understanding and
best practices in diversity and inclusion
work. Upon returning from Indianapolis,
Sophie shared her impressions of her
experience at SDLC with her fellow
students at Hopkins. Sophie’s address
was featured on the Hopkins website.
ALEXANDER TELLIDES is a senior
at Chase Collegiate where he plays
lacrosse and has been named an Honor
Student and AP Scholar. Alex will be
attending Union College in the fall.
ROSABELLA ZIOU is a senior at
Wilbur Cross High School where
she is involved with their theater and
drama programs, participated in the
True Colors Conference at UCONN,
and was involved with the production
of the Yearbook. This past summer
she had a Tech Internship with the
Elm Shakespeare Company. Rosabella
also is a Teaching Assistant at Creative
Arts Workshop, studies voice at
Neighborhood Music School, and
volunteers at Columbus House. She
received the Connecticut Association of
Schools (CAS) Art Award for Theater in
2015, a merit award at Neighborhood
Music School in 2014, and had a work of
short fiction published in Teen Ink, a teen
literary magazine and website.
2010
CATHERINE BABBIDGE is a junior
at North Haven High School where she
received the sportsmanship award for
field hockey.
EMMA BANKS is a junior at
Hopkins where she plays varsity
field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse.
Emma, the 2014 captain for field
hockey and captain-elect for the 2015
team, received Fairchester Athletic
Association (FAA) All-Star honors for
field hockey. Emma also is captain-elect
of the 2015-2016 basketball team.
TRAVERS BROOKS attends Avon
Old Farms where he is a member of
the varsity wrestling team. Travers
24
ANNIKA EBERLE is a junior at
Hopkins where she was a member of
the Tech Crew for the Hopkins Drama
Association spring musical, Gypsy.
Annika is a member of the varsity
fencing team.
PHILIP GEANAKOPLOS is a junior
at Hopkins where he is a member of
the varsity soccer and fencing teams. As
a member of the fencing team, Philip
competed in individual states where he
earned 8th place in the boys sabre. Philip
is captain-elect for the 2015 Hopkins
soccer team.
MILES LOURENCO is a junior at
Hopkins where he is a member of the
varsity soccer, fencing, and lacrosse
teams. Miles is captain-elect of the
2015-2016 fencing team. This past
December, Miles participated in the
Sticks for Soldiers Charity Lacrosse
Tournament, along with over 60 teams
from Connecticut and beyond.
SPENCER LOVEJOY is a junior at
Hopkins where he is the co-captain and
number one player on their squash team.
He received the Squash Cup Award for
commitment, class, and tenacity. At the
New England Prep School Squash Team
Championships, Spencer won the New
England #1 singles championship match.
He was chosen as a 2014-2015 Squash
High School All-American. Spencer, one
of the top-ranked junior squash players
in the United States, played in the Hong
Kong International Squash Open last
summer.
EMILY MALISON is a junior at
Hopkins where she is a member of the
squash team. Emily participates in the
Hopkins Science Olympiad team, which
took home the first place trophy in the
state competition at the University of
Connecticut.
KATIE MALISON is in eleventh
grade at Hopkins where she is a
member of the varsity volleyball and
basketball teams. Katie, captain-elect
for the 2015 Hopkins volleyball team,
played in the Volleyball All-Star
Game and was a Fairchester Athletic
Association (FAA) All-League recipient
for volleyball. Last summer, Katie,
along with other members of the
volleyball team, volunteered her time to
be a mentor coach during a two-week
workshop for students from St. Martin
de Porres Academy in New Haven.
Katie also is captain-elect of the 20152016 basketball team.
R.J. PANTALENA is a junior at
Hopkins where he is captain-elect for
the 2015 football team.
NATALIE PASSARELLI is a junior
at Hopkins where she is a member of
the field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse
teams.
2011
Class Correspondent:
Sanaea Bhagwagar
sanaeazb@gmail.com
SANAEA BHAGWAGAR is a
sophomore at Hopkins where she serves
on the Student Council, is an Assistant
Editor of Hopkins’ student newspaper,
The Razor, and enjoys participating in
the Science Olympiad team. Sanaea plays
field hockey and basketball and works at
the Eli Whitney Museum on weekends.
At the end of ninth grade, she won the
Mary Brewster Thompson Scholar
Award, which recognizes a student for
intellectual maturity, enthusiasm for
academic pursuits, and the ability to
share that enthusiasm with others.
ALLISON CHUN currently is a
sophomore at Hopkins where she is a
member of the Varsity A squash team.
Allison and her teammates finished as
runner up in the 2015 U.S. High School
Team Squash Championships.
JESSICA ELIASON currently is in
tenth grade at Hamden High School
where she plays volleyball and lacrosse.
Jessica made the honor roll this year.
SIMON GHEBREYESUS attends
The Ethical Culture Fieldston School
in New York. Last summer Simon
studied in Barcelona for a month.
JEFFREY GU is a sophomore at
Hopkins where he is a member of the
lacrosse team, serves on the Student
Council, and writes for the Hopkins’
school newspaper, The Razor. Outside of
school, Jeffrey continues to play hockey.
HENRY JACOB is a sophomore day
student at Choate Rosemary Hall. Henry starts for the varsity soccer team
and is really enjoying his physics class.
KATHARINE LARSEN is a
sophomore at Hopkins where she is a
member of the varsity swim team.
GWYNETH MALOY currently is in
tenth grade at Hopkins where she is a
member of the swim team. At the Bud
Erich Western New England Swim
Championships in February 2015,
Gwyneth tied the Hopkins school record
in the 50 Free and was a member of
the 200 and 400 Free Relays, which set
new school records as well as new pool
records. The 200 Free Relay earned
All-American consideration. Gwyneth
participated in the New England Swim
Championships in March 2015 where
she broke the school record in the 200
Free and was a member of the 200
and 400 Free Relays, which broke the
Hopkins school record and qualified for
All-American consideration. Gwyneth
also is a member of the field hockey team.
ALEXANDRA McCRAVEN is a
sophomore at Hopkins and continues to
play soccer and sing. She is a member of
the varsity basketball team and captainelect for the 2015 Hopkins soccer
team. Alexandra received Western New
England Prep School Soccer Association
(WNEPSSA) All-League honors and
was named to the All-Star Team. She
also plays soccer in the CT Elite Clubs
National League and travels as far as
Orlando, San Diego, and Seattle playing
soccer games and tournaments.
CLARA MERRILL-BLOCH is in her
fourth year at Hopkins and her second
year as a rower. This past summer,
Clara tried out for and was admitted to
Connecticut Boat Club. Rowing is her
passion and, along with Hopkins, the
most important aspect of her life; she
rows and/or trains every day of every
week, month, and year. Clara loves
working hard with this fantastic team.
This past fall, her novice boat brought
home several gold medals and they
won the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta
in Philadelphia; a triumph of which
they’re very proud. Clara is an Editorat-Large of The Razor, Hopkins’ student
newspaper.
ZANE MEYER is in tenth grade at
Hopkins where he is involved with
theater and tech crew. Zane participated
in the Hopkins Drama Association
spring musical, Gypsy. Outside of school,
Zane participates in tap dancing and
plays the guitar.
WILLIAM RACCIO graduated from
Foote School and currently is in tenth
grade at Choate Rosemary Hall. At the
Choate graduation ceremony, William
was co-winner of The Foote School
Prize, “an award given to the student or
students who best exemplify the spirit of
the school and who have demonstrated
leadership, school spirit, love of learning,
generosity of heart and service to
others.”
JACOB SHRADER is a sophomore at
Hopkins where he is a member of the
varsity football and baseball teams.
MARTIN TIPTON is a sophomore
at Hopkins where he is a member of
the squash team. Martin has fallen in
love with boat building and sailing. He
has built one small sailboat already,
and is planning on making a bit more
ambitious one this summer. Over the
summer Martin will be going to Costa
Rica on a Spanish language immersion
trip.
2012
ANNIE BANKS is in ninth grade at
Hopkins where she plays on the varsity
field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse
teams. In 2014, Annie won the Junior
School DPH Sportsmanship Award,
awarded to the student who shares her
knowledge and experience with her
teammates and encourages the team to
come together as a cohesive unit.
HENRY HAYDEN is enjoying his
freshman year at Deerfield Academy
where he is pursuing a Classics
Distinction program. He plays the oboe
in the wind ensemble and won first
chair for the western Massachusetts
regional competition. This spring he
traveled to South Korea and Hong
Kong, performing with the Deerfield
music ensemble. He sings in the festival
and honors choir, as well as the allmale a cappella group, the Mellow-Ds.
Henry competes on the varsity wrestling
team and is a coxswain on the crew team. He is looking forward to the summer
when he will attend a choral course at
Eton in the UK, followed by sailing in
the British Nationals I-420 competition.
JOSHUA IP is in ninth grade at
Hopkins where he is a member of the
varsity swimming and water polo teams.
ELLIE LATHAM is a freshman at
Choate Rosemary Hall where she was
part of the costume, hair, and make-up
crew for the fall play, Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland.
EMMA PHAM is a freshman at
Hopkins where she is a member of the
varsity soccer team.
25
ZACHARIAH PINE MAHER is in
ninth grade at Foote School where he is
the Head of the Environmental Action
Group.
MADISON SAKHEIM graduated
from Foote School and currently attends
Choate Rosemary Hall. While at Foote,
Madison won the Eighth Grade Athletic
Award and earned Maxima cum laude
with a silver medal on the 2014 National
Latin Exam.
ELLIOT SAWYER-KAPLAN
graduated from Foote School and
currently is in ninth grade at Choate
Rosemary Hall. Elliot won the Eighth
Grade Athletic Award at Foote.
OLIVIA SCHAFFER is enjoying her
freshman year at Hopkins where she is a
member of the soccer and squash teams.
ALEXANDRA SCHEVE is in ninth
grade at Palo Alto High School in
Stanford, California. She plays on the
Palo Alto Junior Varsity soccer team
where she was named All-League MVP.
Outside of school, Ally plays soccer on
the MVLA Monsoon Blue soccer team,
plays the flute, and is a board member of
the Giving Tree.
LILLY TIPTON currently is a ninth
grader at Hopkins where she is a
member of the cross country and track
teams. Lilly earned All-Fairchester
Athletic Association (FAA) honors for
cross country and was a member of the 4
x 400 relay that participated in the track
and field Penn Relays. Lilly was awarded
the John B. Smith Prize for Excellence
in English in Grade 8, which recognizes
an eighth grade student who displays
love of the play of language and an
ability to share that love with others.
2013
Class Correspondent:
Liana Tilton
smileytiger08@yahoo.com
CLARE CHEMERY attends Hopkins
where she is in eighth grade. At
Hopkins, Clare plays field hockey and
26
lacrosse and participates in Junior School
Scrapbook. Outside of school, Clare
sings with the Trinity Girls Choir.
PRISCILLA EHRGOOD is an
eighth grader at Hopkins where she is
a Junior School representative on the
Student Council. During spring break,
Priscilla was one of fourteen students
who traveled to Paris. Priscilla was a
silver medalist in Kyukpa (Breaking)
and placed 19th in Poomsae (Forms)
at the 2014 USA Taekwondo National
Championships. She spent last summer
at a French immersion camp.
ERIN ELLBOGEN is in eighth grade
at Hopkins where she is a member
of the Junior School swim team and
participated in the Junior School theater
production. Erin joined thirteen other
students at Hopkins on a trip to Paris
during this year’s spring break.
CONNOR HARTIGAN is in eighth
grade at Hopkins where he is a member
of the cross country and squash teams
and participated in the Junior School
play. Connor also writes for The
Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper.
During this year’s spring break, Connor
traveled to Paris with a group of students
from Hopkins.
BENJAMIN LEVINE is an eighth
grader at Hopkins where he plays
squash and lacrosse. He is a member of
the Junior School Science Quiz Bowl
team that participated in a statewide
competition at the University of
Connecticut. Ben’s team was undefeated
in the morning tournament, earned
the top seed in the championship
tournament, and placed second out of 36
teams and 200 middle school students.
Ben also participated in the Junior
School theater production. During
spring break, Ben traveled to Portugal.
CONNOR PIGNATELLO is in eighth
grade at Foote School where he plays
soccer and basketball and participates in
drama productions. Connor continues
to sing with the Trinity Boys Choir and
he received the Choirmasters Award for
best leadership.
THEODORE TELLIDES is in
eighth grade at Hopkins where he
writes for The Hilltopper, the Junior
School newspaper, is a member of the
soccer, wrestling, and lacrosse teams,
and is a Junior School Representative
on the Student Council. Theo also is a
member of the school band, the Science
Bowl (science club) and the Hopkins
MathCounts team that participated in
the first locally sponsored middle school
math competition. Theo was Hopkins’
highest scorer in the AMC 10, a national
math test given to students in grade 10
and below.
2014
Class Correspondent:
McKinley Palmieri
mckinleypalmieri@hotmail.com
CHRISTEENA AARON is in seventh
grade at Chase Collegiate where she is
a member of the middle school soccer
and basketball teams. She was able to
see some St. Thomas’s Alumni at the
Foote, Hamden Hall, and Hopkins
games. Christeena participates on the
school panel and is a Green Key member
for prospective parents and students.
Christeena made honors for her first
semester and has been elected as the
student council advisory representative.
She is a member of the Middle School
Chorus and participated in the school
play, High School Musical 2. Outside of
school, Christeena is a member of the
United Girls Choir Chamber Singers
and is an Altar Server at her Church.
NATHAN AHN is in seventh grade
at Hopkins where he is a member of
the Junior School Science Quiz Bowl
team that participated in a statewide
competition at the University of
Connecticut. Nathan was a member of
the car racing team that built a lithiumion battery car that carried a cylindrical
salt container on a 20 meter track. Their
car racing team took first place.
COURTNEY BANKS is in seventh
grade at Hopkins where she is a member
of the field hockey, squash, and tennis
teams. Courtney also writes for The
Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper.
ALEXIS CHANG is in seventh grade
at Hopkins where she was in the Junior
School play. Outside of school, Alexis
participates in Taekwondo and plays the
piano and guitar. Alexis had the winning
brochure for her science project.
CORINNE EVANS is in seventh
grade at Hopkins where she writes
for the Junior School newspaper, The
Hilltopper, and is a member of the
Hopkins MathCounts team. In March,
the MathCounts team participated
in the first locally sponsored middle
school math competition. Hopkins’
team won First Place Team for total
combined scores and also won the Team
Countdown Round. Corinne also is a
member of the Junior School squash
team. Outside of school, Corinne
participates in Capoeira, an AfroBrazilian martial art/dance form.
JAMES HAYDEN is enjoying seventh
grade at Hamden Hall. He was voted
class Vice President and is active in
planning events and activities for his
class. He loves to sail on the high school
sailing team and this past summer sailed
to victory with his brother, Henry,
winning the Commodores Cup in the
420 at Sachem’s Head Yacht Club. He
continues to play basketball at school
and for the recreational team and is
enjoying tennis this spring. James was
one of three students invited to attend
a Diversity Conference at KingswoodOxford School this spring. James is in
his first year of playing the bassoon. He
is looking forward to his first visit to
Europe this summer!
SAM LOVEJOY is really enjoying
seventh grade at Foote School! He
continues to excel in sports and his
involvement in two sports, squash and
swimming, doesn’t leave much time
for other activities. Sam swims on the
Foote swim team, as well as the Omni
Swim Club team out of Yale. During
the Fall Short Course season, Sam
earned Age Group times in 5 events. He
also participates in various squash
tournaments, where he is looking to
improve his current ranking. McKINLEY PALMIERI is enjoying
Hopkins where she has discovered that
she likes field hockey, basketball, and
writing for The Hilltopper, the Junior
School newspaper. She continues to
perform with the Elm City Girls Choir
including recent performances with the
Wallingford Symphony and at a Yale
Men’s Basketball game. Last summer
she enjoyed attending a leadership
conference in Washington, D.C.
and traveling to Vermont and New
Hampshire with her family.
ANNA SIMON is in seventh grade
at Hopkins where she writes for The
Hilltopper, the Junior School newspaper,
and plays on the soccer, basketball and
softball teams. Outside of school, Anna
plays the guitar as well as soccer in the
fall and spring.
JULIA TELLIDES is a seventh grader
at Hopkins where she is a member of
the Junior School/JV soccer, Junior
School basketball, and varsity track
teams. In addition to being a member
of the science club and band, Julia
writes for The Hilltopper, the Junior
School newspaper, as well as the literary
magazine.
ANNA ZIMOLO is in seventh grade
at Hopkins. Anna plays on the Junior
School basketball team and writes
for The Hilltopper, the Junior School
newspaper.
Class Correspondents are committed and loyal alumni who represent their
individual class years. They are some of our most valuable volunteers.
The job requirements are simple — a minimal time commitment and
an interest in keeping in touch with your classmates and friends.
What does a Class Correspondent do? Communicate on a regular basis with
classmates; either via letter, email, or social networking sites (this is facilitated
by the School’s Development Office) to gather accurate contact information
as well as news for publication in The Balloon.
Interested in being a Class Correspondent? Contact Miriam Battista,
Development and Communication Director, at mbattista@stthomasday.org
or 203-776-2123, Ext. 122.
Information also can be posted on St. Thomas’s Day School’s website,
www.stthomasday.org, by clicking on the Alumni link.
St. Thomas’s Day School Alumni
27
Graduates 2014
Christeena Alexandria Aaron – Chase Collegiate
Nathan Seong-Jin Chun Ahn – Hopkins
Courtney Margaret Banks – Hopkins
Alexis Grace Chang – Hopkins
Fatima Cisneros – Our Lady of Victory
Philip Paul DeLise, Jr. – Hopkins
Molly Virginia Drew – Hamden Hall
Corinne Hui-Mei Evans – Hopkins
Jack Nathan Gill – Hamden Hall
James Gillies Hayden – Hamden Hall
Samuel Menegon Lovejoy – Foote
McKinley Kathryn Palmieri – Hopkins
Christian Richard Panagrossi – Hamden Hall
Charles Nathaniel Seymour – Hopkins
Anna Juliette Simon – Hopkins
Julia Maria Tellides – Hopkins
Anna Marta Zimolo – Hopkins
28
Help Plan for the Future of St. Thomas’s
We invite all loyal friends of St. Thomas’s Day School
to consider including St. Thomas’s in your estate
planning. The School seeks to garner bequests and
other deferred gifts in support of endowment in order
to secure the financial well-being of the School in
perpetuity. As St. Thomas’s Day School approaches
its 60th anniversary, we are pleased to initiate this
important philanthropic vehicle which will have long
lasting positive effects on the future of this institution.
As parents, alumni, grandparents, alumni parents,
faculty, staff, and friends, you already have made lasting
contributions to St. Thomas’s Day School and for that
we are very thankful. We hope that you will consider
making another lasting investment by becoming a
member of the St. Thomas’s Day School Legacy
Society.
If you have already included us in your charitable
estate plans, please let us know so we can thank
you appropriately for your visionary generosity and
welcome you to the Legacy Society.
To become a member of the St. Thomas’s Day School
Legacy Society simply notify the Development Office
at 203.776.2123, Ext. 122 or mbattista@stthomasday.
org of your intentions to name the School in your
estate plan. A list of Society members will be
published in the next Annual Report unless anonymity
is requested.
29
St. Thomas’s
Day School
830 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
Non Profit
US Postage
PAID
New Haven CT
Permit #350
Grade 6 Musical
Thursday, May 21, 2015
The Grade 6 musical, The Sound of Music, will be presented on
Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Art Show and Opening Reception
June 1 – 28, 2015
A collection of Kindergarten artwork, Interpreting the
Abstract, will be on display at Christopher Martins Restaurant
in New Haven from June 1 through June 28, 2015. An Art
Opening for the entire St. Thomas’s community will be held at
Christopher Martins on Sunday, June 7 from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Graduation
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Kindergarten abstract artwork
Graduation is a very special day for the sixth graders at St.
Thomas’s. The service takes place in the Chapel at 10:00 am.
A Celebration of Rev. Michael Ray
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Mark your calendars for a special celebration of Father
Michael Ray, which will take place at Family Day on Sunday,
September 20, 2015.
Please contact Miriam Battista
at St. Thomas’s Day School
with any questions about these events at
mbattista@stthomasday.org or 203-776-2123