Fall 2006-07 - the Randolph School
Transcription
Fall 2006-07 - the Randolph School
The Randolph Sun 2467 Route 9D, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 (845) 297-5600 Pre-K through High School www.randolphschool.org Vol. 4 No. 1 Fall 2006 Randolph Graduates! On June 9, 2006, Trever Lowe and Sean Cortright were the first graduating seniors of the new Randolph School High School Program. Both students are in college, and we are very proud of their accomplishments. Board member and parent Ken Lerner delivered Randolph’s first Commencement Address. Here it is in its entirety: Welcome to this great celebration. I’m privileged to say a few words on a day that is easily the most important, not to say sacred, in the Randolph School calendar. It’s really the only day when we formally pause, honor, and celebrate a new cycle of growth and emergence among our students. I’m speaking with two hats; first as a member of the Board of Trustees, as an advocate of the school and its mission. And second as a parent and as a member of the community, because my children have spent twenty school years here, and it goes by so quickly. You feel like you ought to say something before the grandchildren suddenly appear out of nowhere. I like the image of teaching as gardening, and the notions of nurturing, cultivation, growth, and, most of all, deep roots. In Sean and Trevor, we see the fulfillment of a long series of growth cycles; these have now reached the limit of what Randolph can offer. We don’t have a college program yet, but who knows; Eric’s probably working on it. Thank you Sean and Trevor, for trusting this school with your education. We are deeply thankful for your leadership, hard work, and contributions, from Sean’s musical prowess covering Elvis, Dylan, and John Lennon, to Trevor’s rocket-powered, near-lethal, land and air vehicles. At Randolph, we never just hop from year to year, or from one particular goal to an- other. Sorry, we’re not standards-based; we’re education-based. So while we have two fine Parent and Board Member Ken Lerner graduates, we also celebrate the steps of all our students. Because here the goal of education is not about reaching a particular square in the game: “College” or “High School” or “Upstairs” or “Carriage House.” It’s about paying attention to and acknowledging the learning process. Each stepping stone is in fact about a child’s measured emergence into the world as a whole, no matter what that step is labeled. I think there are two things to emphasize Continued on Page 2 WHAT’S INSIDE? 2006 Commencement Speech continued ASL at Randolph; Circle I Believe; Hodge Podge The Upper School Travels Wheels on the Bus Alumni News 2-3 4-5 6-7 8 8 9-11 Continued from Page 1 when we talk about Randolph and the development of our students. They are: What we teach, and the environment where we teach it. What Randolph teaches: Independent thinking and research skills. Love of learning; s e l f motivation. Willingness to take on a large share of responsibility for one’s own education. Cooperation, fair play, and the desire to both 2006 Graduate Trever Lowe teach & learn. Partnership. To avoid artificial boundaries among ages, genders, and groups. To work with parents, teachers, administrators, and the community at large. Ethical, responsible, and respectful behavior. Pretty radical, huh? You hear it sometimes about Randolph. “Oh, that Randolph School. Nice place, but so impractical. So out of the mainstream; so starry-eyed, out of touch. Too much flower-sniffing, not enough practicality. It doesn’t have any bearing on the real world.” I’m an engineer, and I’ve worked for IBM for the last 22 years. If there is a model of conservative, practical, capitalist, mainstream values it’s embodied in my company. Walk into a manager’s office at IBM and ask them what qualities that want from their people, and do you think they’re going to say: “Well I want really good test takers. And straight As in their junior year of high school would be good. And good spellers, that’s important. Being able to memorize things, that’s helpful. And I don’t want too much imagination, I want them to toe the line, and when I ask them a question I just want them 2 to tell me what they think I want to hear.” That might be a good model for success in high school these days, but not in the business world. Remember that list I went through of what Randolph teaches? That’s what managers want. They want skills, of course. But people with engineering degrees are easy to find; schools are churning them out hundreds at a time. Every Spring; like dandelions. And I can assure you that I work with a number of engineers with very advanced training and skills who are impossible to work with, and who are in fact counter-productive to the organization. Ask any manager and they’ll tell you what really makes a difference is that precise list I read to you; these qualities can practically be taken off an IBM bulletin board at corporate headquarters; we almost consider them clichés: Independent thinking; Self-motivation; Task ownership; Cooperative team play; Willingness to cross boundaries of job title or position; Ethics, responsibility, and respect. The next time someone smacks around Randolph and it’s so-called liberal or nonmainstream values, ask them what their school is doing to fulfill these basic, extremely vital business needs. We already know what Randolph is doing. And what about the educational environment here? The most remarkable thing about Randolph is the kid’s lack of calluses. Not on their hands; there are plenty of those. I mean the callused personalities you see on a lot of kids, particularly when they are in educational environments that encourage adversarial relationships. I think we hear all to often that this is “normal,” that it’s just a regular part of learning how to adapt to the world. It’s a whole layer of existence we see on kids all the time; it’s so pervasive we call it normal. It ain’t normal. It’s pervasive, and we’re probably stuck with it, but that doesn’t make it normal. The fortunate kids get past it, but you see a lot of adults carrying this baggage as well. Randolph kids don’t have it. A high school kid isn’t worried about being uncool if he helps a 5th grader with a math question. No one excludes you if you look or talk or dress differently. If you’re having a rough day an older or a younger student might put their hand on your shoulder and find out if you’re all right. Downstairs kids sit on upper school kids laps. You can learn to knit if you’re a boy; just ask my son. You can beat the boys at Ultimate if you’re a girl; just ask my daughter. It’s not uncool for a 6th grader to always invite a certain board member (yours truly) who’s a terrible skier on the first run of the day, on each and every ski trip; thanks, Yuni. I love you. You can say “I love you” here. If you slack off, you get called on it, whether you’re a student or teacher or administrator or board member; and it may surprise you who is doing the calling. We don’t do tryouts; if you want to play, you get to play. Randolph kids aren’t afraid of their teachers or the school administrators. There’s a whole layer of fabrication that no one has to w o r r y about on this campus. This is an absolutely s a f e place. And when something does go wrong, when you most need to trust e a c h other, it’s already 2006 Graduate Sean Cortright there; you don’t have to start a special Trust Committee or pull out the Giant Book of Rules. You can just get to work fixing the problem. Randolph isn’t perfect, and wonderful kids come out of public educational systems and other private schools every day. But I can’t help but feel that they often emerge in spite of the atmosphere, not because of it. And it breaks my heart to see these kids leave here and immediately start showing those damn calluses the next time I see them. They’re suddenly secretive, or 3 sullen, or cynical in that staged sort of way that they think their peers expect. They greet me with a mumble, not a smile (if they greet me at all.) They don’t trust their teachers, they doubt adults, their school is an emotional battlefield. Everything becomes a con game, a shell game. Whispering increases. Instant messages, text messages, and cell calls take the place of real conversation; buddy lists replace friends. Everyone and everything is suddenly grouped or classified. Kids lose the courage and the support to just show up and be themselves, and have to start pretending. I don’t mean to exaggerate, or paint a melodramatic picture, but at very least there’s an undercurrent of unhappiness and ill ease that just isn’t necessary, is just an emotional waste of time. And people are used to thinking it’s just the way of the world; callused, in fact. We understand that every family must make enormously complex decisions involving curriculum, resources, social issues, or finances. We have our weaknesses; many more than we’d like. And like any place, there comes a time for every family to move on. But our core commitment to provide a fair, non-judgmental environment where every child from a nursery school toddler through a high school senior can feel 100% safe to express their true nature resides at our absolute base and will never, ever change. To all of our students: You have roots here. Whether you’ve been here 12 years or 6 months, whether you are moving on to college or just learning to tie your shoes. This place has real magic and will reach out to you and provide you with a safe base for the rest of your lives, whenever you want it. You will at times forget that connection, those roots, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. The bridge doesn’t disappear because of the fog. Just be patient and look for it. Randolph is about teaching the most basic of life skills, and doing so in a safe, honest environment with a minimum of stress and a maximum of love. And if you’ve ever touched this place, it has touched you, and you can reach out to those roots and it will bring you home whenever you need it. And it seems to me that a place can’t do much better than that. Thanks for your time. Peace ASL at Randolph School By Diane Boujikian to learn and explore. ASL is the third most used language in the U.S. and Deaf Culture is based on ASL. Through participation in this program we are making community connections again— this time within the Deaf community and with the students in DCC and Vassar College. For many years, Randolph School has taught sign language in the downstairs and upstairs programs, as language arts tools for teaching communication skills. Alumni speak frequently about the finger spelling and basic ASL Circle (American Sign Language) that they learned as By Ronnie Citron-Fink young students at Randolph. This year, however, When I was an education student, I did we are taking the program to a new level. my student teaching at Duzine Elementary Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie School in New Paltz. It was a typical public elehas recently started a pilot program teaching mentary school in every way except for one ASL to the community and Randolph is thrilled every day the principal greeted each and every to have been chosen to participate in this. Deaf student. He knew each child’s name and birthinstructors and interpreters from the American day and often stopped Sign Language program them as they scurried off will be providing classes the bus to ask them two times a week for about their weekend or participating students, how they were feeling aged kindergarten about a homework asthrough the twelfth signment. I watched grade. Additionally, the how the children’s facial students in the Upper e xpres sions would School will be able to change from a frantic receive college credit for “wanting to get into the this full-year program. building so as not to be One day a week marked late” look, to a we will also have a Sirelaxed smile. It was lent Lunch. Our Deaf truly touching. Such a ASL Class in the Upper School instructor, Barbara, will small act made such a join our children for a big impact. As a young teacher, I knew this lunchtime that will include fun games, practicwas something I wanted to incorporate into my ing vocabulary, and talking with your mouth teaching. When I came to Randolph, I watched full! Eric run Circle. I watched how he noticed kids A generous grant from the Levine Founin the same way. Circle Time has been a morndation has made this program possible. Our ing greeting and meeting time at Randolph since contact to the Levine Foundation was through a its beginning. Deaf instructor at Dutchess Community College, Circle still happens every day in all prowho became interested in the Randolph commugrams at Randolph. The Downstairs greet each nity. Some of the grant monies will also help other with a song, they share toys and books, fund two Silent Weekend Intensives that will be and they listen to the news of the day. Waiting held at Vassar College, one in November and your turn, learning how to share, and asking again in the spring. Deaf educators and perquestions are skills worked on as part of a social formers will provide all-day workshops for our curriculum. The Upstairs begins each Circle children as well as students and adults from the with a morning greeting. The teacher starts the area. greeting with a question to the child next to him/ American Sign Language is a rich, multiher. The tone is set for respectful communicasensory, spatial-visual, and fascinating language 4 tion as the teacher addresses the child by name Downstairs Group Participates in Circle and encourages them to say hello back, using the teacher’s name. After the child answers, he/she turns to the person next to them and repeats the greeting. We evaluated this process and found there were times we would get off track, giggle and go deep into side conversations before everyone had a turn, so this year we refined the process to keep it moving. A pillow is passed to each child when it is his or her turn to speak. Everyone else in the group knows that whoever has the pillow is the speaker and they may not interrupt. The whole process is fun, with lots of smiling as the children hone their listening and speaking skills. The Upper School also has Circle in the form of a mid-morning meeting. During this time, all the groups in the Upper School get together to hear news, announcements, reflections and discuss social situations. Meeting the emotional needs of pre-teen and teenagers is paramount to understanding and building the trust of our older students. Recently, we had our first Grandfriend’s Day at Randolph. The three programs of the school (Downstairs, Upstairs and Upper School) invited the visitors to join the children in a Randolph activity. The Upstairs chose Circle Time. As we gathered, the grandfriends (folks not really that much older than me!), more than doubled the bodies in the room. We were close and cozy, and the atmosphere was conducive to connecting on a deep and meaningful level. The question we posed was, “What was school like when you were a child?” After hearing about a grandfather’s life as a child in a small one-room schoolhouse in Germany and a grandmother’s 5 strict Catholic school near NYC, we moved on to a grandparent who actually brought her two best friends from their elementary days with her to Randolph for the event. The three giggled like kids and told the group about their strong friendship while growing up in rural Pennsylvania. Another grandmother talked about her experience in California, living in a community where the children weren’t allowed to come to school without shoes and that was a problem for many. Her community got together and collected shoes for the children. Brad shared his experiences growing up in NYC attending a parochial school and having to wear a uniform (Oh no, not Brad someone said!). I talked about walking to school every day and having a very strict dress codeno pants ever for girls in the 1960’s suburban neighborhood I lived in, even when we trudged through the snow. Watching the fascinated faces of the Upstairs kids while these stories were told was truly priceless. They got it. The children connected fully in the evidence of all this sharing of self. Even the faculty has a Circle of sorts. Each week the faculty meets on Tuesday afternoon for two hours. We sit in a circle. Often we begin our meeting by greeting each other with birthday wishes in the form of a song and a cake. I have been the recipient of such a greeting many times, and it leaves me with a feeling of belonging to a responsive, caring community. The principal so long ago was really on to something. Beginning each day feeling loved and respected is alive and well at Randolph School. A fine beginning is what it’s all about. Drawing by Ava Fisherman that. If you dislike someone, you shouldn’t try to be an extremist. If you dislike someone, live with it...In the end, I believe that religion is a fairytale gone wrong.” I Believe The Upper School Literature Classroom served as a writing community, as we wrote about and shared very personal explorations of our own motivations and beliefs. The resulting writing demonstrated strong personal voices. Here are some excerpts: Daniel Zuckerman: I believe that you shouldn’t make fun of someone else’s religion because it’s cruel and it might upset many people that believe in that particular religion. Some say religion is controlling but others don’t. There are many dangers to making racist or anti-Semitic comments... I am Jewish and I don’t get offended when someone slams the Jews, because I know that person will be frowned upon in the press. Another reason why I don’t get upset is because there are more important things to worry about like school and paying bills. And I wouldn’t waste my time trying to protest because I think it’s a little outrageous and sometimes it gets people more angry than they should be. But I also think going to church and synagogue is a great way not just to worship God, but to meet people… It’s also a great way to get closer to family because sometimes people don’t spend enough time with their children and spouse. When I had my Bar Mitzvah in November of last year, my father was so proud of me. He was sick with Leukemia at that time, and that was something he wanted to see before he had to go to the hospital in NYC. He had been in and out of the hospital for treatments, but I’m glad he got to see me become a man in the synagogue on that day before he died in February 2006 of leukemia.” Jake Bernz: “I believe in music, and that it’s another way to express yourself. Like when you write a song, you’re writing what’s on your mind. If you’re unhappy with something in your life, you can write about that. Or if you’re happy, you can write a song with chords and a tempo that sounds major, and the same thing with sad songs. So that is a wonderful way to say something that’s in your mind. I think if you’re afraid to say something to a friend, or a parent, then you can say that with your song. I feel when I play guitar it’s sometimes about what mood I’m in, or what recently happened to me in my life. I encourage other musicians to do the same. I think the whole purpose of a guitar is to communicate with sound.” Joshua Isaacke: “I oppose religion. It is a lie. It is believing in something that isn’t real. All their rules restrict life. You have to go to church or temple or whatever you go to. You have to go on certain days. You have to be respectful to the priest or rabbi or whatnot. You can’t live. You can’t think or do anything “bad” or you will get tortured for the rest of time...Ironically, religions are probably the most racist, sexist, homophobic groups in the world. They say not to be violent but they open the most extremist groups in the world. They’ve caused too much death with their lies. A good way t o live would be with the basic guidelines. You shouldn’t kill or steal, stuff like 6 GIVING TO RANDOLPH Your gifts to Randolph play an important part in our work with children. Without your support, much of what we do would not be possible. Thank you for your generosity. HODGE PODGE Alumni Ski Day Alumni Day 2006 Last year’s Alumni Ski Day was a smashing success. Great skiing and a fun raffle and lots of friendship and camaraderie made this a special event. This year, we will be holding the second annual Alumni Ski Day at Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort in the Catskills on Saturday, February 3rd. (Sunday, February 4th is the snow date.) We invite you all to join us. The proceeds of the event go to support the Randolph School Ski Scholarship Program, to assist eligible students to participate in our skiing program. Next year, Columbus Day will be the new date for Alumni Day, a day when all alumni are invited back to the school to get together, have fun, share stories and old memories. We chose this day because most local schools are on a holiday, and students are free to return to their old stomping grounds. This year, as in years past, we had a large and boisterous crowd, with lots of fun, games and conversations about life in the big world. Set this day aside next year, so you can join us. Randolph School Board Sees Changes The Library Makes A Move This year, the School Board has seen a number of changes. Past members Susan Fountain and Jenny Hughes-DeWitt have stepped down. We thank them for their service and hard work. With the largest group of Kindergarteners ever attending the school, we needed to find more classroom space in the Main Building. And so it came to pass that the Library migrated into the Carriage House, in so many boxes, crates and vehicles. It is now beautifully situated in the downstairs of the Carriage House amidst the pianos and guitars and rather reminds us of a traditional old Victorian Library. The vacated Library Room in the Main Building now houses Susan’s Kindergarten group, and it is a bright and cheery place. New Board Members, Kitama SeegerJackson and Tom Peck joined us for their first Board Meeting in October. Alumnus Kitama is currently working as a film maker in New York City. Tom, Randolph parent of Kirstin and Adrienne Peck during the 1970’s, currently lives with his wife, Mary, in Fort Collins, Colorado. Tom built the art room and the old library in the Main Building. We are excited about their participation in the school community. ...Whispered in the Wind • Development Alisa Algava acted as our first Development Director, and did a great job getting the program off the ground. She has moved on to teaching in • a charter school in Brooklyn, but has re-joined the School Board. We are pleased to announce that Suzanne Timmer is our new Development • Director. Suzanne comes to us as an experienced fundraiser at Columbia and Brown Universities, and brings with her excellent grant writing and researching skills. We welcome her and are expecting great things. 7 Word has arrived that Creek Iversen, Math & Music Teacher, and Jen Clapp, parent/ singer/songwriter are teaming together to produce a children's album. Keep your ear to the ground! Brad King, Upstairs teacher & Administrator is celebrating his 20th year at Randolph this year. Still no window in his shirt! Congrats! Alumna Elizabeth Hanka is helping around about school this fall before she leaves for Europe. She has been working in all the different groups and it is delightful to have her back again, if only for a short time. The Upper School Travels! A Trip to Costa Rica By Goldie Safirstein In February of 2007 a group of Upper School students and teachers will spend a week at Rancho Mastatal in Costa Rica, Central America. Alisa Algava, an alumna and board member, stayed at Rancho Mastatal earlier this year and quickly recognized the opportunity for an ongoing connection between Rancho Mastatal and the Randolph School. Rancho Mastatal is an environmental learning and sustainable living center on the border of La Cangreja Rainforest Preserve. It emphasizes experiential learning, individualized study, direct encounters with the rainforest, and service to the environment and local community. The farm itself houses dozens of beautiful eco-buildings built by the ranch founders and guests and the entire place is an environmental work of art. People come there from all over the world to vacation, rest, learn Spanish, and study ecology or the rainforest. Rancho Mastatal's location within a rural Costa Rican community provides opportunities for students to vastly improve their Spanish language skills while learning about another culture. Before leaving for Costa Rica, each student will work with a teacher developing a plan for their time at Rancho Mastatal. Opportunities for study range from rainforest ecology, organic agriculture and sustainable building practices to Latin American economic growth, Costa Rican artisans and in- 8 digenous culture preservation. After we return, students and teachers will use their experience to enrich the rest of the Randolph community through presentations of research and demonstrations. Randolph has a tradition of making education available to students regardless of their financial means. No student should be left out because his or her family cannot afford this trip. Students, parents and teachers are working hard at raising funds. As part of our fundraising effort, we are selling organic, fair trade coffee from Costa Rica. We are also considering other fundraisers including a Costa Rican dinner and a Costa Rican crafts sale. Please speak to Goldy if you would like more information on the trip or the fundraisers. The Wheels on the Bus go Round & Round Our 15-passenger mini-bus appears to be not as road-worthy as we hoped, but it makes a grand play structure! Once we wheeled it into place in our lower playground, the Randolph Magic School Bus was ready to wheel down the path of any child’s imagination. This is definitely a full service vehicle. First, stop at our ticket booth nestled between four trees, supported by one of our beautifully milled sugar maple boards. After you buy your ticket, you may relax at the bus stop, sitting atop one of our tree stump stools. When the driver opens the door (that is the most fun), you board the bus, drop your ticket in the box, choose a seat, put on your safety belt, briefly review the bus rules posted above and off you go! Feel free to put in an order for some munchies. Yes, there are pictures of a variety of goodies available for your snacking pleasure, served by our friendly car (bus)-hop! This is one of those perfect activities immersing the children in math, literacy, and geography! We designed the tickets, made our money, decided upon rules, lettered posters, created menus, and along with all the math and writing skills, we have been learning about maps and exploring travel guides to help us design a variety of vacation packages. The possibilities are endless and it’s an amazingly smooth ride! ALUMNI NEWS Where are you now? What are you doing? What have you made? What are you thinking? Do you have a favorite memory of Randolph? What’s your email address? Send us a note: learn@randolphschool.org Giulianna Lamanna I just wanted to update you on my daughter, Giulianna Lamanna, who attended Randolph School for sixth grade and again in tenth grade. Giuli married Jason Godesky on July 22, 2006 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Poughkeepsie. They're currently living in Pittsburgh, Pa. where Jason is a graphics designer and Giuli is writing. She also wants to tell you to check out their web site, www.anthropik.com, which builds on the ideas of Daniel Quinn, an author whose books Giuli read with some of her classmates at Randolph School. With warmest regards, Pat Lamanna ing, climbing, and getting into lots of trouble. He is such a funny child who laughs and plays all day long. He can also get pretty loud and obnoxious too. We love living on our farm in the beautiful Saratoga area, but miss our family's company and friends at the Randolph School. Desirea Roz (Downstairs Teacher) I'm mainly at home raising the boys, but I do substitute teaching in our South Glens Falls School district. Tom has been busy with music and carpentry work in Saratoga County. Jake is doing well and is very happy in 3rd grade at Ballard School. He keeps us all busy by joining many clubs/programs. He is fine tuning his baseball skills in a fall-ball program and starts tennis in November. He has already signed up for the ski club and can't wait for the chess club sign ups. This is why I must be an at home mom. Isaac turned one in August and is walk- Ivan Cash I only went to Randolph for pre-school. I remember building lots of things with wooden blocks. I remember the first day I learned to whistle, when, during morning meeting, I went around the circle to every person and whistled to them. I remember playing on the playground and having lots of fun. I'm currently a junior at SUNY Geneseo. I'll be studying abroad next semester in South Africa. I'm studying graphic design and advertising. Good luck with your newsletter! Eliza Fish is in the 10th grade at Concord Academy in Concord, Mass. She is wrestling with sophomore chemistry and geometry, her English class is dissecting Oedipus and striving vainly to repair bad grammar habits. She is immersed in conversational French, plays starting defense on her soccer team, is thriving in general and apparently still loves her father. Gunnar Babcock I just got your card in the mail, and thought I would let you know what I'm up to and see how all of you are doing. Well, after working as a substitute teacher in Alaska for a couple years (and guiding in the summer), I've come back to NY to go to college. So, I'm presently a junior at Sarah Lawrence College, studying philosophy and literature. In a nutshell, that is about where I'm at now. I hope all is well at Randolph, and all is well with everyone there. While I'm at it, I'd also like to say thank you for the experience you all provided me with while I was there - it helped me get where I am. My best to you all. Desirea’s two sons, Jake and Isaac 9 Sean Cortright Hello All. I'm currently writing you from my apartment in Bloomington, Indiana. My roommate is great, and the rest of the students at CIP (College Internship Program) are all nice. I've made quite a few friends out here already, one of them reminds me of Greg because he is always Paulie Sequeiera We recently had dinner with Paulie and his parents Paul and Maria. Paulie was back from Seattle where he lives on an island Native American Reservation, and has recently left his programming job at Microsoft. As always, he was full of new ideas and possibilities of what he was going to do next, and he regaled us with tales of parachuting and other adventures. Eric Tomlins Adam and Kara Lerner Adam is currently in his second year at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He is enjoying his classes, and additionally is in the choral group. They performed this summer at Fenway Park at a Yankees-Red Sox baseball game! He has his own radio show on Amherst College radio, and likes the DJ role. Kara is attending tenth grade at the Putney School in Putney, Vermont, where she is doing a lot of art, dance and enjoying all her classes. She is playing Ultimate Frisbee as well. Sean Cortright (right) and his friend Anna On Sean’s 20th Birthday raving about Linux. This semester I'm working on building up my portfolio in order to get into the Recording Arts program at IU (Indiana University). I'm looking at several possible internships, and I might be sitting in on Arlo Guthrie's sound check tomorrow. I've been taking guitar lessons from a guy named Duncan who is a classically trained guitarist from the IU School Of Music. I've been working on scales, and improv skills with him, as well as many other things. I'm starting voice lessons with one of the residential staff members, and have been taking music reading lessons with one of my advisor's neighbor's. I'm working toward playing an open mic night at a local restaurant with two other guitarists. I'd have to say my favorite memories of Randolph are the many wonderful songwriting sessions I had with Jen Clapp one on one, of the many other musical opportunities I had, and the Teacher Retreat music nights. Hope all is going well for you all. Peace. Sean Kara Lerner and her huge drawing of a Putney cow Former Randolph teacher Alan Ticotsky sent a note that he has a series of educational books about to be published. Many of the lessons, he says, were developed while working at Randolph in the early 1970’s. He will send Randolph a copy when they are released! 10 Liza Vallese Hello Randolph. What a year of surprises. Since I left New York in 1990 I have lived in the dry deserts of Arizona and on the South rim of the Grand Canyon, on the calm mellow beaches of South Carolina as well as the jagged, angry coast of Maine, up at 9000ft in the Rockies in Summit County, the self-proclaimed "Colorado playground" and in the beautiful, green tropical hills of St. John, U.S.V.I. I have studied art and massage therapy and medicine. I have had adventures both good and bad, I have made many beautiful friends that I have in my heart wherever I go and will keep with me for lifetimes. I have found love and lost it and found it again with a new understanding and appreciation of what love can be. I have changed courses and direction and my mind in accordance to which way the universe was pointing me. When I got to New Orleans, I knew I would be staying for a little while. So here I was when our friend Katrina was on her way and here I am again now that she has gone. I have returned to this gutted and splintered city to help it try to pull itself back up again. I fear it will never be what it once was, for the soul of this city, the people who smiled at you on the streets and always said hello, are all scattered now. They will spend the money to clean up and make it look pretty again and they will create a place for the tourists to want to visit but the insides of the town are gone, I am afraid. So many people, friends, have lost everything they own, homes, photos, family heirlooms, those small personal treasures kept in little boxes on high shelves. We were blessed and lucky in comparison to so many. I will remain here to finish my BSN at LSU Medical and then see where the universe points me when I am done. Whenever my mother comes down for a visit she brings your newsletter and it is so good to see how everyone is doing and where they have ended up in this life. I am never surprised that so many Randolph lessons show up in the grown up world because at the base of all that I learned there was the concrete fact that the differences in people are what makes this planet such an amazing adventure and that those differences are wonderful blessings to learn from. I wanted to touch base and say hi. I wanted to say thank you for those that helped Sara and me after the stormthat was an unexpected surprise that we were both very touched by. I wanted to send a Happy New Year wish to all my Randolph family. Once again thank you for thinking of us for we are always thinking of you. Liza Vallese I am Elizabeth Kardas. I went to Randolph School ('95-'96 school year) for kindergarten with Ronnie as my teacher. I am now a senior at Poughkeepsie High School and I love being there. I am the President of the National Honor Society, captain of the varsity soccer team and the track teams and on the math team and science Olympiad, and I am a certified lifeguard. I want to be a doctor when I grow up, specifically a dermatologist because I had a severe case of acne, and I want to help other people with skin disorders. At The Randolph School, I remember going down to the stream to catch salamanders, sledding down the hill in the back, and playing on the playgrounds all the time. I enjoyed my time there a lot. I remember being in class with Luke, Madeline (who I have recently got back in touch with), and Jay. Dear Everyone at Randolph, Charlotte (Ginder) is in the 4th grade at Sheafe Road Elementary and doing very well. She is also taking tap and jazz dancing lessons and is very involved with Girl Scouts. Even though she hasn’t been to school at Randolph for 4 years, it still feels like family. Lots of love to everyone. Cara (Charlotte’s mom). Jerry Pomeroy (Teacher and Co-founder) My favorite memory is the dawning of an ideaa dream forming in the minds of three teachers as they sat together here and there and discussed a new school, a new idea, a new chancea childrens’ school built on a love of learning and a need to grow. Love, Jerry, a founder. The Randolph School 2467 Route 9D Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID NEWBURGH NY PERMIT #152 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Parents of Alumni: If this newsletter is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at home, please notify us of his or her new mailing address. Thank you. Randolph School is truly grateful to all those who support our mission and programs. The Randolph School is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible. The following is a list of those who made contributions in 2005-2006. While we have taken great care to ensure accuracy, please notify us of any errors or omissions so that we may correct our records and acknowledge your generosity. Thank you. Annual Fund Donors: William Brearley Geraldine Brodsky Victoria & Neil Ackerman Nerio Calle Alisa Algava Sydney & Julie Cash Andy Algava Mary Forsell & Tony Cenicola Carin Algava Charles G. & B.S. Chase Anne & James Altucher Robbie Puglisi & John Clarke Roseanne & William Ashby Joshua Cohen Elizabeth & William Avello Wendy Cohen Paul Banner Michael Cortright Elaine & Leonard Bard Sean Cortright Denise Bassen Sandy & Lee Corwin Maureen Beck Laura & Evans Cullen Karin Miller & Benjamin Bedell A. Zijlma & M. Daecher Corinne Benson David Dawson Arthur Berenbaum P. Townsend & R. Deam Susan Berliner James DeRose Luke Berliner Lisa & Chris Devens Mai Jacobs & David Bernz Eike Dorff Bev Kaufman & David Bloom John & Cassie Dreier Lora & Doug Bonser Heidi & John Duch Diane & Mark Boujikian Ronnie Citron-Fink & Ted Fink Laura & Peter Bracken Ava Fisherman Susan Brearley Jen Clapp & Dan Fisherman Bruce & Maxine Foley Alice Forman Susan Fountain Cheri Fuller Cara & Robert Ginder Caroline & Michael Gomez Andrea & Don Grumbine Jackie & Josh Hadden S. Appollo & L. Hamilton Lucia & Robert Heinold Creek Iversen T. Seeger & S. Jackson Heather & Steve Justry Katherine & David Karten Lisa & Marc Kerchman Roeland Kim Saskia Kim Yungil & Sonja Kim Susan & Richard Kimmel Brad & Tracy King Madeline King Richard King Ann Klepner Sarah Klepner G. Safirstein & K. Kohler B. Chase & C. Kunaschk Shannon & Chris LaFrance Adam Lerner Katlyn & Ken Lerner Martha Levine Peggy & Gary Lewis Jody Chasen Lipton Leah Lococo Ellen & Mark MacKinnon Alice Maloney M. & Z. Margulis-Ohnuma Kate Dayton & Michael Mell Albert & Marion Mell Freddy Miller Patricia Miller Anne Murphy Mary Murphy Abbie Nelson Roland Neumann Toby Shimin & Frank Ortega Lisa & Chris Parrinello Sadie Parrinello Megan Pascarella Sue & Mike Pascarella Tom & Mary Peck Alanna & Anthony Pezzullo Karen & Stephen Pogge Gerald Pomeroy Richard Priest C. & G. Priest-Dorman Noel Prosser Judi Quinti Rachelle & Derek Reis-Larson Tim & Jacquie Reith Cathy & Steve Riley Diane & Rich Robbins Ron & Gloria Robbins Lorraine Roberts Desirea & Tom Roz William Rubin Helen Sanchez Lynn & Reese Sarda Pete & Toshi Seeger Maria & Paul Sequeira Pinkal & Hiren Shah Gai Sher Liat & Oren Sher Yuni Sher Loretta Spence John & Laura Stellingwerf Jen & Mike Stengle L.Mandigo-Stoba & I. Stoba Daniela Stokes Gerrit Stover Kate Stover Lanse Stover John Struzzieri Gunter & Vera Szczuka Karen & Larry Teich Carolyn & Tim Tenney Bobbi Berenbaum Teva Ken & Donna Thomas Alan Ticotsky Eric & Cath Tomlins Jason Tomlins Owen Tomlins Mark & Vicki Treco Joan & Henry Turner Shelley & Brendan Tween Lois & Frank Van Zanten Helen Vera Howard Verb Adrienne Volpe Karen & Carl Whitehead Donna Zuckerman Corporations: ADM B.F. Goodrich IBM Kallman Insurance Nomura American Foundation Foundations & Organizations: The Community Foundation of Dutchess County Dutchess County Arts Council Lawrence W. Levine Foundation Mid-Hudson Teacher Center Partners for Arts Education: School Arts Partnership The Randolph School was founded on the belief that children have a natural desire to learn. This desire is supported and nurtured in an environment where each child’s developmental needs and interests are respected. Mutual trust between children and adults fosters an atmosphere in which children are encouraged to discover and explore their world. Work and play are focused on experiential, hands-on learning experiences. We strive to balance the creative potential in the intellectual, social, emotional, artistic, and physical lives of children in the belief that children who love to learn become LIFELONG LEARNERS.