n e w s - Mary McDowell Friends School

A Monthly Newsletter for Parents
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Debbie’s Note
MMFS News is published the
first Friday of each month by
Mary McDowell Friends School,
a K-12 Quaker college prep
school for students with learning
disabilities.
June 2014
In This Issue
Debbie’s Note
1
Upper School USNY Registered
2
From the Development Director
3
MMFS Fund Donor List
3
Benefit Gala
4
Alumni Spotlight
5
Student News
7
PA News
8
Upper School Track & Field
9
Middle School Softball
10
Upper School Sports Banquet
11
2014-15 Tentative Calendar
14
Congratulations to
the Class of 2014
on their graduation,
June 10th
Mary McDowell Friends School
20 Bergen Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-625-3939
www.marymcdowell.org
As I write this our entire community is
gearing up for the end of school and, of
course, our graduation ceremony. With
so much going on I want to review our
schedule over the next few days.
Friday, June 6th
8th Grade Celebration
Monday, June 9th
Regular Day of School for
Elementary and Middle School
Upper School Final Exams
Tuesday, June 10th
Upper School Graduation
12:30 dismissal for all students
Wednesday, June 11th
End of the Year Ceremony
Noon dismissal directly from
Plymouh Church
No bussing in the afternoon
Thursday, June 12th Last Day of School for Elementary
and Middle School
3:00 Dismissal for Elementary and
Middle School
No School for Upper School
The upper school graduation next
Tuesday, June 10th, marks a historic
milestone for us as we are the first K-12
school in Brooklyn exclusively
dedicated to educating students with
learning disabilities and the only
Quaker K-12 school for students with
learning disabilities in the United
States. Of the 25 students who are
graduating, two are heading into
transitional programs next year, one is
taking a gap year, and twenty-three are
going off to college. Among the many
great colleges our seniors will be
attending are Clark University,
American University, Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, SUNY New Paltz,
and Wheaton College. Words can’t
express how proud we are of them!
Today, June 6th, we held our Eighth
Grade Celebration. This event
recognizes what an important
milestone it is in the life of a student to
complete middle school and enter into
high school. We’re thrilled that thirty
out of thirty-five students are staying
with us for high school. The celebration
began with a Meeting for Worship for
eighth grade students, teachers and
families, and included musical
performances, readings, speeches and a
special slide show featuring the eighth
graders’ baby pictures. The students
then received “certificates of
completion” of middle school and the
ceremony concluded with a celebratory
brunch.
The End of the Year Ceremony on
Wednesday, June 11th, will celebrate the
achievements of all our students. We’ll
hear the elementary school chorus sing,
see a selection from the middle school
production of Fiddler on the Roof and
watch the upper school contemporary
dance class perform. We’ll also hear
students in “transition years” – those in
the upper elementary classes, the
Eighth Grade and the Eleventh Grade
– talk about their experiences at MMFS.
And, as always, we’ll conclude with
MMFS’s ever-popular, end-of-year slide
show, in which every student appears.
We hope you can join us as we celebrate
the terrific work of our students and
bring yet another school year to a close.
Before I sign off, I’d like to take a few
moments to thank everyone who made
last week’s benefit such a huge success.
This is the first time we held the benefit
Continued on page 2
Continued from page 1 (Debbie’s Note)
at 23 Sidney Place and boy,
did we have fun! I can’t
remember a happier, more
festive benefit. Everyone I
spoke with said they had a
wonderful time and were
amazed at how elegant the
building looked. It was an
extra special evening for our
community as we honored
two fabulous alumni students,
Ericca Gandolfo and Isaac
Inkeles, with Adam’s Prize for
their victory over learning
difficulties and our beloved
elementary school receptionist
Leslyn Rigoni with the Violet
Longobardi Award for her
extraordinary dedication to
the school. I’d like to thank
our terrific Development
Department – Pat
Wallendjack, Orla Dunstan
and Ana Cordera – for doing
such an incredible job organizing the event. I’d also like
to thank Beth Schneider, Bernie McCormick, Julie
Ackerman-Hovis, the Benefit Committee – Cynthia
Alfieri, Andrea Compton, Beth Davis, Nanne Dekking,
Martin Eiden, Barbara Friedlander, Felice Friedman,
Anna Gartenstein, Sheila Harley, Cheryl Hussain,
Sharon Inkeles, Frank Ligtvoet, Pamela Rabinovici,
Faith Rose and Shawn Wilson – and all those who so
generously donated their time, services and/or financial
support. Special thanks are also in order for MMFS
parents John Schaefer for being an amazing host and
Cathal Moore for helping us create such brilliant sound,
visuals and staging. Without the help of these and
many others, the benefit would never have happened.
You can read the honorees remarks on pages x and x.
Wishing you all a wonderful summer!
MMFS’s Upper School Becomes a
Registered High School of New York State
The upper school has passed its final important milestone in the process of being fully recognized as a high
school program. Earlier this year, the upper school
passed another significant marker when it received its
accreditation from the New York State Association of
Independent Schools (NYSAIS), the association that supports and oversees independent schools in New York.
On May 19th, the Regents of the University of the State
of New York voted unanimously to approve the registration of our secondary program as a high school. The
process of preparing for USNY registration commenced
more than four years ago, when the new division was
still in the planning phase. Registration is not a require-
ment in New York State, but the process of applying for
and receiving this status means that a school has set and
reached a higher bar. Registration also means that a diploma from MMFS will be fully recognized by the SUNY
college and university system when students apply for
admission.
The process of registration was led by Beth Schneider,
Associate Head of School, and it recognizes the excellent
work that our faculty does with our students.
Kirk Smothers
Upper School Director
2
From the Development Director
In this year of MMFS firsts, which is also my first
year here, it seems impossible that June is here. The
days, weeks and months of the 2013-14 school year
raced on at a speed that amazes me now. But the
one constant that has not sped on, lagged behind or
stood still are the hundreds of generous friends and
supporters who have made gifts to the MMFS Fund,
made gifts for specific needs and/or donated in-kind
gifts. A list of this year’s MMFS Fund donors can
be found below; there is still time to become a donor
to the annual fund by making your gift before June
30th. Go to our website at http://marymcdowell.org/
live/development-giving/online-giving/ to make
your gift online.
The May 29th Benefit Gala was an outstanding success. The upper school was absolutely transformed
for the evening! You can check out some photos of
the festivities here. Special thanks go to Sheila
Harley, Faith Rose, Ginny Perrin and the MMFS
maintenance staff, but especially to Ana Cordero
and Orla Dunstan in the development office for
their dedication to excellence and hard work.
Alan Sinsheimer, trustee and parent, and me at the Benefit Gala
Have a wonderful summer vacation! Make some
great memories with those you love, too.
Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is
a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.
- Bil Keane
Donors to the MMFS Fund, July 1, 2013 – May 31, 2014
Trustees and Former
Trustees
(and spouses)
Alan Alpert and Linda Trotta
Cornelia Buckley Marakovits and
Bob Marakovits
Heather and Peter Campbell
Nell Clark
Nicola and Nuno Fernandes
Felice and Darrell Friedman
Lynn Gernert and Susan Weiler
Rebecca K. Givan
Joseph Gosler and Sheila Wolper
Avis Hinkson
Sharon and Barton Inkeles
Arline Krisberg
Michael C. Lasky and Peggi Einhorn
Talmadge and Edith Neece
Andrea Davis Pinkney and
Brian Pinkney
Alan and Lisa Sinsheimer
Milt Sleeter & Joel Herman
Benjamin Warnke
Sherri Weiser-Horwitz and
Michael Horwitz
Susan L. Weiner
Sue and Joel Wolfe
Pamela Wood
Current Parents
Rebecca Abrams and Nathan Benn
Lisa Aguilera del Puerto and
Fernando del Puerto
Catalina Agui-Acker and
Richard Acker
Michael Arvystas and
Mary Ruth Buchness
Eileen Ayling
Freddi and Edward Baranoff
Christina Barbieri
Adam Berish and Alissa Kail-Berish
Nanci and John Berman
Heidi Beutler
Stephen and Kimberly Biehle
Vicki and Larry Botel
Tanja Bruestle-Kumra and
Vijay Kumra
Mary Cahill-Hojraj
Karen and Andre Carter
Alan Carver
Deborah Carver
Cecile Casablancas and
Ara Arslanian
Anthony Catalano and
Peter De Lizzo
Karen Coe and Richard Heaps
Marya Cohn and Tjebbo Penning
Andrea and Paul Compton
Beth Ann Day and Ben Rinzler
Loretta and Curt Dill
Paul DiLorenzo and Sandra Goldberg
Bonnie Eissner and Joseph O’Connor
Bridget Elias and Townsend Davis
Monica Elias and Roy Walter
Continued on page 12
3
Benefit Gala, May 29th, 2014
Honoree Remarks
Leslyn Rigoni, beloved receptionist at the elementary school, received the 2014
Violet Longobardi Award. Her remarks are reprinted below. The 2014 Adam’s
Prize was awarded to two MMFS alumni, Ericca Gandolfo and Isaac Inkeles. Their
remarks appear on the following page. Isaac was introduced by his mother, Sharon
Inkeles, who is also a MMFS trustee. Her remarks follow Leslyn’s on this page.
LESLYN RIGONI
Recipient of the Violet Longobardi Award
Thank you SO much. I am incredible honored to be
up here receiving this award, and I accept it with
great humility … because there are many, many
others at Mary McDowell who are equally or more
deserving of this recognition. My life is so much
better because of Mary McDowell. When I was
hired, I had my precious family and a handful of
good friends, but now, I have had the privilege
of meeting hundreds of delightful children, their
wonderful families, and an extraordinarily smart,
dedicated and fun faculty, staff, administration
and Board. I also love the dogs here, as everyone
SHARON INKELES
Introductory Remarks for Her Son, Isaac
Congratulations Leslyn, Ericca and Isaac and the 546
other Mary McDowell alumni represented here this
evening.
Isaac – your hard work, grit and intelligence – that is
what has gotten you here today. Congratulations. To my
husband Bart, to David and Sophia, I congratulate you
as well. It was not easy; we all carried a brick which
helped build this foundation. And to my friends who
supported me and propped me up when things seemed
impossible, thank you.
If you are here tonight you already know about the
amazing work of MMFS and its dedication to every student. What I wanted to talk about, briefly, is my journey,
my family’s journey and how we got here.
And let me tell you, it was a long journey. It feels like it
was a lifetime ago. This journey of 1000 miles begins
with 1 step on day 1 of that journey. With that first step,
I had no idea where this was going, and neither did anyone else.
It was 2001, Isaac was in second grade, and things were
basically falling apart. I don’t think I need to explain
what “falling apart” means; it needs no further explana-
at Bergen Street knows.
I never met Violet
Longobardi, but I have
heard a great deal about
her, and I hope that I can
live up to her standards
and be worthy of this
award presented in her
name. Let me finish by
saying that I feel like the
luckiest person in the
world right now … and
I thank you very, very
much, from the bottom of
my heart.
tion. I collected the names of every special education
school within a 40 mile radius of the upper west side,
New York, Westchester and last but not least-Brooklyn.
I arranged a tour with every school, thinking “let’s see, I
will get a feeling from these tours and then I will know
where Isaac belongs.”
After visiting MMFS I said to Bart “I love this school,
but it’s in Brooklyn so forget about it. Let’s just make our
lives easy and pick something close to home.” Well,
every single school we applied to (except one) rejected
Isaac without even meeting him. They judged him solely
by the content of the paperwork he was wrapped up in,
which was inaccurate. I called every school and told
them so, and I also said “Just meet him, you can still say
no. Just judge for yourself.” There was only one school
that was willing to meet Isaac, interview him and judge
for themselves. That school offered him a spot. You see
where I am going with this. Only Mary McDowell was
willing to decide for themselves. They saw a child in
need – they thought they could help and offered Isaac a
spot. If not for them I don’t know what we would have
done. The significance of this for me is that on day one
of this journey MMFS did not know Isaac’s ability and it
didn’t matter. It’s what they longed to attain for Isaac as
well as every student here. They inspired a vision in
Continued on page 13
4
Benefit Gala, May 29, 2014
The 2014 Adam’s Prize was awarded to MMFS alumni, Ericca Gandolfo and Isaac Inkeles.
Their remarks are reprinted below.
Ericca and Deborah Edel, former MMFS Admissions Director
Isaac and his mother, Sharon Inkeles, MMFS trustee
ERICCA GANDOLFO
ISAAC INKELES
Good evening everyone, I hope you are all enjoying yourselves. I’d like to start by thanking the Mary McDowell
community: Head of School Debbie Zlotowitz, Associate
Head of School Beth Schneider, Director of Development
Patricia Wallendjack, fellow alum, parents, teachers, and
friends for honoring Isaac Inkeles and me this evening
with the Adam’s Prize.
I am humbled by your recognition and very much appreciative.
Before coming to Mary McDowell, I attended Brooklyn
Friends, a school that I really loved, and a place where I
met some of my closest friends to this day. Frankly I loved
school … until I was one of two children in my grade
diagnosed with a learning disability.
Mine was dyslexia with auditory processing issues. Many
of our peers made fun of us for being “slow or stupid”.
But hey – none of them could write letters or numbers
backwards, or say the alphabet backwards nearly as fast
as I could. Despite the best efforts of the school, I still felt
ashamed of my learning disability.
I did receive special attention to address my disability;
however, it pulled me out of classes causing me to miss
Continued on page 6
Please note: remarks were transcribed post hoc.
When I sat down to think about what I wanted to say, I
realized that first I would need to decide how I wanted
to say it. For a host of reasons, I’ve decided that it would
be best to speak without written notes. So, I chose to
have nothing written and instead speak from the heart.
However, after I made this decision I realized
something: it was because of MMFS that I was able to
have that choice. The inherent nervousness of public
speaking, coupled with my dyslexia, would have made
it impossible for me to read a speech had it not been for
the MMFS community.
Being able to write down what one has to say before an
event, and being able to read it later, those are things
that many people take for granted. However, for people
with learning disabilities like myself, you can’t take that
for granted. In fact, there are a lot of things that a lot of
people take for granted that, as someone with learning
disabilities, I can’t. MMFS is a school where no one takes
anything for granted, and where all the teachers and the
administrative apparatus appreciate the difficulties that
students face. I owe a large part of my moderate success
to this community that has meant and has done so much
for me.
5
Continued from page 5 (Ericca Gandolfo)
parts of other classes, like math, history or science. It
was hard not to fall behind. I still needed more attention than what was being offered.
It was decided that the best place for me was Mary
McDowell. Of course, I did not agree. I thought, ‘why
would I want to be with all of the others kids with
learning disabilities?’ In fact on my very first day, when
I was introduced to Jim Signorelli, my Room 1 teacher, I
told him quote, “I’m outta here in a week.”
Looking back – I couldn’t have known what wonderful
opportunities I would have and what devotion I would
receive from this one of a kind Quaker community.
Once I started at Mary McDowell (obviously, I stayed
longer than just a week) I never felt ashamed for having
a learning disability, in fact it was embraced, and it
never again prevented me from learning.
Everyday I felt cared for and respected. Each teacher
within the community came from a common understanding that every student learns differently. Every
teacher I had was committed to understanding my individual strengths and weaknesses, and taught me how to
learn with them.
In 2001, after the devastation of 9/11 Mary McDowell
arranged for each class to walk to Atlantic Avenue,
where several Islamic-owned businesses had been getting harassed. Our teachers encouraged us to make
kind and uplifting signs, all the while communicating
to us how unfair and wrong it was to associate them
with 9/11. When we were talking with the business
owners, we could easily see how hurt they were and
how appreciative they were of our visit. In that moment
I understood the power of equality, and how important
it is for neighbors to be respectful and accepting of differences no matter what they may be.
In order to prepare for this evening, I went to the Mary
McDowell website to re-familiarize myself with the
community. I watched the upper school’s video, where I
heard a student say, “The school makes me feel I don’t
have a problem, and accepted.” That’s how all children
should feel. Our learning disabilities aren’t anything to
be ashamed of and they certainly do not define us, or
limit what success we will have in the future. It’s only a
learning difference, which just means we need to try a
different approach.
The education at Mary McDowell was unique in that
they also taught me how to understand my learning
disability and what I would need to do to advocate for
myself.
Having moved on to a mainstream university I can honestly say that learning disabilities are much more common than I could have imagined. At my school, Clark
University, I have never once been made fun of for my
disability or felt I needed to hide it. I am proud to be
dyslexic. I have learned to look at life through a different lens. I know how to be patient not only with myself,
but with others. I understand that if one way doesn’t
work, it doesn’t mean they all won’t, and most importantly, I’ve learned to be accepting and respectful of
people’s differences.
The teachers showed me types of environments that
would push my boundaries and which ones I would
truly succeed in. For instance, while I can get lost and
confused in class lectures, I excel in a hands on environment, where I can participate in an open dialogue.
I wish all the families at Mary McDowell the best of
luck in the future. I won’t lie – it’s going to be hectic for
the next few years, but trust me, by having a supportive
school like Mary McDowell and an encouraging support system at home everyone will be fine.
My experience at Mary McDowell also shaped me into
the person I am today. As you may all know, Mary
McDowell is a tight knit community that promotes
Quaker values. I could be completely biased here, but I
believe these values ground children and turn them
into leaders that are equal and courageous.
Before I go, I would just like a moment to thank my
family and my mother for being so supportive over the
years. Mom, you brought me to this wonderful place
and taught me to never give up, no matter how difficult
or unfair situations may be. I’m so grateful for your
love, support, and generosity.
One foundation of this Quaker community is the weekly Meeting for Worship. At the beginning of each session a question or theme is put forth, leading students
and teachers into an opportunity of personal reflection.
The topics were generally related to a leader, either from
history or a current event, who exhibited courage and
morals. Often I found that my reflection would last long
past the worship sessions. The topics would linger with
me and I would contemplate what type of leader I wanted to be, the influence I wanted to make and how I
wanted to treat others.
Thank you again Mary McDowell, it is truly an honor.
To this day I still use tools I learned in elementary
school such as, writing down a little summary at the
end of each chapter as I am reading, instead of just
highlighting throughout a book, or reading out loud to
myself so I not only see the words, but hear them too.
6
MMFS’s Class of 2014
MMFS seniors have received acceptances from 49 colleges and four transition programs. See
list below. Based on what students have reported, they have been awarded cumulatively over
$1.5 million in merit scholarships! This is truly impressive. We are very proud of all the students
in our first graduating class. Here is a list of the colleges, universities and transition programs
they have chosen to attend.
American University
Clark University
College Internship Program
Curry College
Kingsborough Community College
LaGuardia Community College
Long Island University (Brooklyn campus)
Lynn University
Marist College
McDaniel College
Medgar Evers College
Pace University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
St. Francis College
SUNY Alfred State
SUNY Buffalo State
SUNY New Paltz
University of Southern Mississippi
Webster University
Wheaton College
Winston Transitions
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2014 College and Transition Program Acceptances for MMFS Seniors
Colleges and Universities
Adelphi University
Allegheny College
American University (2)
California College of the Arts
Clark University (5)
Curry College
Dean College
Dickinson College
Drew University (3)
Elmira College
Goucher College (2)
Guilford College
Hartwick College
Hobart and William Smith
Hofstra University
Juniata College
Kingsborough Community College (2)
LaGuardia Community College
Lynn University (3)
Marist College
Marymount Manhattan
Manhattanville College (3)
McDaniel College (2)
Medgar Evers College
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Mississippi State University
Mitchell College (2)
Muhlenberg College (2)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Pace University
Salem State University
Stetson University
St.Francis College
SUNY Alfred State (2)
SUNY Buffalo State (2)
SUNY Canton
SUNY Cobleskill (2)
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Potsdam (2)
SUNY Purchase
Penn State University (Altoona)
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Mississippi
Webster University
Wheaton College (MA) (3)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2)
Union College
University of Vermont
Transition Programs
Beacon College
College Internship Program, MA
Thames Academy
Winston Transitions
7
PA News
Hello Mary McDowell Friends School Families!
The end of the year brings us to big Thank You’s
to all the MMFS families. The Spring Carnival at the middle school on Saturday,
May 10th kicked off the warm weather this year. It was
a great success thanks to all the parent and staff
volunteers – a fun time for all!
A big thanks to all the
MMFS Benefit Gala
volunteers who
participated in creating
the festive
event. Appreciation
also goes out to all
those who donated
wonderful auction
items for the gala.
The new venue at the
upper school and
programming was
enjoyed by all. Coordinator, at mmaghoag@hotmail.com. We welcome
your ideas and input at any level of involvement! The PA Grant Committee met on May 30th to review
applications for summer professional development for
MMFS faculty in all three divisions. Grants are given
annually by the PA to encourage curricular and
professional exploration over the summer. Grantees
will be announced in June. Look for news in the fall of
what our wonderful teachers have learned! The next, and last, PA Council meeting will be held
on Friday, June 6th at 20 Bergen Street at 8:30 am. We
welcome new and returning members to the PA
Council.
The biggest thank you is reserved for all our MMFS
students for always striving to do their best both in and
out of school this whole year!
All the best for an enjoyable and relaxing summer,
See you in September!
Warm regards,
Thank you to all who
served as Class Parents
and those who
Faith Rose &Sheila Harley at Benefit Gala
attended PA Council
meetings this year. If you would like to serve as Class
Parent or be added to the PA Council e-mail list next
year, please contact: Molly Hoagland, PA Class Parent
Danielle Caminiti
PA Council Co-Secretary
dannieesq@gmail.com
Holly Kilpatrick
PA Council Co-Secretary
hollyjanekilpatrick@gmail.com
Carnival
8
Lightning Spring Season
Upper School Track and Field
The MMFS varsity track team enjoyed a very successful
second season. Mother Nature threw a wrench in coaches
Raul’s and Tommy’s plans for getting outside during the
first few weeks of practice, but the team worked hard
inside the confines of the newly renovated upper school.
For the first month of the season, the track team worked
on coordination, strength building, stamina and team
building. The stairwells became the team’s nemesis as both
coaches enjoyed sending students up and down to build
strength and stamina. The team also spent a great deal of
time in the gym doing relay races to help build quickness
and team chemistry.
In April the weather started to warm up, and the track
team made its way outside to Cadman Plaza and Brooklyn
Bridge Park. Once outside, the team worked on longer
sprint distances and baton passing.
The first meet of the season was up in the hinterlands of
the east Bronx and after the arduous trek in a school bus
without shocks, the team raced hard. Specific highlights
included Alex George Brown winning the Long Jump with a
leap of 16’ 6.5;” Jill Smida-Wood running her first ever 1,500
meter race, and smiling the entire time; Ben Lefkowitz,
Sam Weber, Loren Kruth and Ian Heaps all breaking 7:00
minutes in the 1600M; and Lily running the 800M in
3:08:97.
The second race of the season took place in Red Hook.
There was a strong wind swirling around the track and
temperatures barely reached above 50 degrees, but that
did not slow our runners one bit. Highlights include Connor
Kleckner running a fast second leg of the 4x100 (even
though he made Loren run an extra 75 meters).
We had to miss the fourth race of the season as the
freshmen, a large portion of the team, were destroying all
of their hard preseason work by eating gelato and pizza for
a week while on their class trip to Italy.
The final race of the season was back at Red Hook under
perfect race conditions. Highlights include Sam Weber
placing 3rd in the 400M; Lily Dooha-Fasano placing second
in the 400M; Lauren Liew winning the long jump with a
distance of 6’9”; and Ian Heaps and Galen Odell placing
first and second in the long jump with distances of 13’7”
and 13’5” respectively.
Both coaches look forward to next year’s track season,
when we will build upon the great successes of this year.
Go Lighting,
Raul Gordillo and Tommy Mulvoy
Upper School Track Coaches
9
Middle School Softball
The 2014 middle school softball team has given us another
incredible season for a Lightning sports team. This year’s
team finished the regular season undefeated with a 9-0
record, and to top it all off, they just won the championship
game in most thrilling fashion, 10-9 vs. City and Country. The players not only won each game but did so in a convincing fashion with 135 runs scored and only 45 runs allowed.
We won our first game against City and Country by a score
of 10 -7. We made many mistakes throughout the game but
overcame an early 4-run deficit to finish with a victory. We
started that game as 15 individuals playing on a team and
ended the game as one cohesive unit. The lessons learned
that day carried the players through the rest of the season
and they never looked back. The talent on this softball team
is undeniable but what makes them such a joy to coach is
that they are truly great teammates who have supported
each other throughout the season. Each individual strives
to improve but always puts the team first. This team first
attitude has enabled them to have such a successful and
memorable season.
In the championship game, the team overcame great play
by City and Country as well as some of their own mistakes. It really was the clichéd team effort. Everyone played and
everyone contributed. They cheered each other when they
did well and comforted each other up when they needed a
lift. All season long we won our games with an impressive
display of offensive power, outscoring our opponents by a
total of 140 - 48. In this final game, however, it was our
defense that was on display. Katie F. and Chris had two
amazing catches in the outfield that saved many runs from
scoring. Bear and James ran down two balls that were
clear home runs and made amazing throws that led to two
runners being thrown out at the plate. Scott and Christian
were our catchers extraordinaire, making a combined four
outs at the plate. And Sally pitched a dominant game, as
usual. We did have our share of big hits: Colm and Will G. drove in runs with timely hits, Bree and Henry Puma had
key hits and James K. hit one ball so hard that it started on
West 52nd Street and stopped rolling only when it reached
West 54th Street! Although winning is great, the camaraderie and sportsmanship displayed by this team was truly inspiring. We
coaches are so very proud of this team. They represent
everything that is good about our students at MMFS. They
were a wonderful cross section of girls and boys, seventh
and eighth graders who came together as a team to totally
dominate their league in astounding fashion. Hats off to
our departing 8th graders - Sally, Will G., Chris F., Henry,
Renée, Gabby F. and Tommy. Kudos to the returning 7th
graders – Bear, Colm, James K., Katie F., Andy, Mike B., Brianna, Christian R. and Scott. Special thanks to the students,
faculty, friends and family members who supported us at
each and every game.
Earl Hall, Bobby Cook, and Jim Signorelli
Middle School Softball Coaches
10
Upper School Sports Banquet
On the evening of Tuesday, May 27th, student-athletes, family members, coaches, faculty and staff
gathered in the gymnasium at 23 Sidney Place to celebrate the completion of the 2013-2014 upper school
sports seasons. Following opening remarks from
Athletic Director Justin Schuhmacher and a buffetstyle dinner, coaches from each team spoke about the
successes and struggles of their seasons and distributed varsity letters and participation certificates to
each team member in recognition of their efforts.
To thank them for helping to build the athletics program at the upper school, the first-ever senior class
student-athletes were acknowledged as a group, and
each received a MMFS water bottle as a token of appreciation. Other awards presented throughout the
evening included Scholar Athlete, awarded to any student who maintained a 3.7 GPA while participating in
a sport; Three Sport Athlete, awarded to Lauren Liew
who participated in three different sports over the
course of the school year; and the first ever Fitness
Fanatic Award, awarded to James Ayling who made
consistent use of the fitness room during open hours
after school.
Congratulations to all who contributed to our sports
teams this year as we continue to build a strong, dynamic athletics program at the upper school.
Thabit Al Murani and Stephanie Bishop
Varsity Soccer Coaches
Soccer Varsity Letters
Alex George Brown, Androcles Petridis,
Bella Schaefer, Ben Purvin, Caitlin Gallagher, Clara
Goldiner, Connor Kleckner, Dan Brown, Drew Curran,
Duncan McGillivray-Smith, Eli Dorf,
Ellis Gunter-Thompson, Frankie Bruno,
Gabby Fox-Denize, Galen Odell, Isaac Epstein,
Jake Price, James Ayling, Louise Castronovo,
Malcolm Dos Reis, Marco Abed,
Matthew Wheelock, Yemane Charles
Gabe Morden Snipper and Tommy Mulvoy
Varsity Cross Country Coaches
Cross Country Varsity Letters
Ben Lefkowitz, Ian Heaps, Lauren Liew,
Lily Dooha Fasano, Linus Jakobson,
Loren Kruth, Matteo Pascale, Sam Weber,
Theo Bolton
Amin Linder and Stephanie Bishop
Junior Varsity Basketball Coaches
Boys J.V. Participation Awards
Dobbin Pinkney, Eli Dorf, Frankie Bruno,
Isaac Epstein, Jake Price, Jonathan Murphy,
Marco Abed, Yemane Charles
Abe Maneri and Vinny Kabanov
Girls Varsity Basketball Coaches
Girls Varsity Basketball Letters
April Simmons, Caitlin Gallagher, Christiana Bynoe,
Dana Butera, Gabby Fox-Denize, Jill Smida-Wood,
Lauren Liew, Lola Lemarquis, Louise Castronova,
Sam Rachmuth, Shira Silver, Tytionna Peterkin
Steven Hicks and Barbara von Salis
Boys Varsity Basketball Coaches
Boys Varsity Basketball Letters
Dan Brown, Damanio Mazzone, Eli Zaretsky,
Ellis Gunter-Thompson, Lee Solomon, Luke Lifson,
Malcolm Dos Reis, Malik Fleary, Niles Cooper,
Tyler D’Aquino
Tommy Mulvoy and Raul Gordillo
Varsity Track and Field Coaches
Track and Field Varsity Letters
Alex George Brown, Ben Lefkowitz,
Connor Kleckner, Galen Odell, Ian Heaps,
Jill Smida-Wood, Lauren Liew, Lily Fasano,
Loren Kruth, Sam Weber
Senior Recognition
Bella Schaefer, Ben Purvin, Dan Brown,
Damiano Mazzone, Drew Curran, Gabby Fox-Denize,
Lee Solomon, Luke Lifson, Malcolm Dos Reis, Malik
Fleary, Tyler D’Aquino
Scholar Athlete Award
James Ayling, Andrew Curran, Malcolm Dos Reis, Caitlin Gallagher, Clara Goldiner, Ben Lefkowitz, Lauren
Liew, Galen Odell, Sam Rachmuth, Bella Schaefer,
April Simmons, Jill Smida-Wood, Lee Solomon, Eli
Zaretsky
Three Sport Athlete Award
Lauren Liew
Fitness Fanatic Award
James Ayling
11
Continued from page 3 (MMFS Fund Donors)
Maria Florez and
Algirdas Lukosevicius
Yves Denizé and Susan Fox
Irene and Eugene Fayn
Nancy Fedder and Sandy Goldshein
Barbara Friedlander and Jill Rabin
James and Lee Gallagher
Anna and David Gartenstein
Lisette and David Getzler
Joshua Ginsberg and Catherine Kerr
Peter and Margarita Halloran
Molly Hoagland and Rufus Collins
Michael and Betty Huber
Cheryl and Imran Hussain
John Illig and Merry Alpern-Illig
Amy and Thomas Jakobson
Anne Jennings and John Weber
Sandra and Jeffrey Justin
Wendy and Sean Kelleher
Holly Kilpatrick and
John Cimperman
Stephan and Stacie Kiratsous
Anthony and Tania Kleckner
Lyn Koppe and Stewart Otley
David and Shelley Kruth
James and Katharine L’Heureux
Stephen Lichtman and
Amy Hausknecht
David and Mary Jane Lifson
Frank Ligtvoet and Nanne Dekking
Ronald and Allison Mann
Christine and Andrew Merola
George Michael and
Miriam Mayerson
Melissa Miller
Catherine and Cathal Moore
Claire and Sam Nitze
Doreen and Kevin Odell
Gail O’Rourke
Rebecca Perrin and Michael Gulas
Tracy Plauski
Nathan Potter and Karen Levenberg
Donna Powell
Maria Pyrros Vergos and
Dorian A. Vergos
Caroline and Laurent Rimmen
Andrea and Bernardo Rivera
Claudia Roberts-Weaver and
Thomas Weaver
Faith Rose and Devin O’Neill
Joshua and Alexandra Rosenstein
Carolyn and Ernie Roth
Nathaniel Rubin and Margaret Lee
Leo Rubinfien and Cynthia Mayer
Claire Schultz Yaffe and Rick Yaffe
Gigi Sharp and George Gilpin
Delicia Shaw-Hitchcock and
William Hitchcock
Robert and Vera Silver
Gayle Smith
Carol and Steve Sokol
Erica and Scott Stauffer
Cynthia Stuart and Jason Ekaireb
Caitlin Thomas and David Clark
Rachel Urquhart and John Herrera
Eileen T. Walls-Kelly and Tom Kelly
Ann Weathersby Cooney and
Michael Cooney
Robert and Jennifer Wheelock
Hannah and John Wiltshire
Molly and Stewart Winter
Connie and Koray Yilmaz
Grandparents
George Abrams
Hale and Mildred Alpern
Lore and Murray Azaria
Ronnie Berish
Travis Broesche
Marilyn Buckley
Joe and Jean Butera
Ms. Rosalie Byard
Dorothy and Herb Carver
James and Eileen Cassidy
Marie and James Connolly
Mary Jane Denzer
Jerry and Harriet Dorf
Daniel Fisch and Babette Coffey Fisch
Marilyn and Lawrence Friedland
Joseph and Joan Juliano
Jane Melnick and Eileen Willenborg
Rollene Saal
Warren and Flo Sinsheimer
James and Jean Smida
Sidney and Brian Urquhart
Rosa Witsell
Bob and Mary Jane Woodward
Alumni Parents
Richard Bearak and
Adrianne Wallace
Irmgard and Kai Borner
Greg Brooks and Rachel Adams
Peter and Cathy Brown
Maureen and Richard Carruthers
David and Camille Gillespie
Marilyn Gold-Mandell and
Andrew Mandell
Amy Goldin and Nancy Lu
Michael Green and Andrea Hirshman
Tracy Gross
Zeph Grunschlag
Jose Gutierrez and Emily Berger
John and Gina Gutzeit
James Haddad and Shereen Beydoun
Don and Helen Henglein
Paula Katz and Rick Mandler
Andreas Killen and Marie Sacco
Laurin and Norman Kleiman
Frank and Irene Lee
Thomas Lee and Joan Giambusso
Fay Leoussis
David and Elizabeth Lipman
Robert and Eileen Magnavito
Raymond McDaniel and
Lori Buchbinder
Edward and Mary Miller
Julie and Jesse Miller
Fred Myers and Faye Ginsburg
Debbie and Ron Natoli
Tom Ott and Peter Bingham
Rayna Rapp
Linda and Anthony Rigono
Don and Lori Sellitti
Ellynne Skove and Roger Gilchrist
Michael Slater and Leslye Noyes
Klay and Jane Stack
Dan Walworth and Hilary Kliros
Basil Williams and Heather Shamsai
Bill and Louly Williams
Friends
Andrew and Debra Balbus
Andrew Bartle
Louis Bastone
Lauren Baum
John Bava
Judith Bickart
Charlotte Blankfield
Marilyn Brodie
Marvin and Ellen Ciporen
James Dejesus
Carol J. Feinberg
Micki and Robert Friedman
Muriel L. Frischer
Ben Givan
Dr. Curtis Givan and Dr. Alice
Longobardi Givan
Eric and Carolyn Gould
Dolores Greenberg
Caroline Janover
JRM Construction
Christine LaSala and Ellen Lipschitz
Erin Lynch
Robert and Linda Moser
Kathleen Neiber
John Nuzum
Calvin L. Palmer
Dr. & Mrs. Barry Price
Joshua Rai
Continued on page 13
12
Continued from page 12 (MMFS Fund Donors)
Jim Rein and Kristine Baxter
Annie Rosen
Neal H. Rosenberg
Lois Schiffer
Sheila Schmidt
Denise and Bob Schwed
Frederick and Jane Sillman
Lorraine Small
Lisa Smith and Jerry Gips
Superior School Bus
Dr. Paul and Phebe Tanners
Jonathan Weiner
Warren and Grace Wilner
Bernard and Shirley Zlotowitz
Staff and Former Staff
Thabit Al-Murani
Rebecca Barnett
Karen Beja and Hal Weiner
Patricia Blumenfeld
Elizabeth Bucher
Heather Burchyns and David Canton
Michelle Carfagna
Julia Castagna
Ana Cordero
Pamela Cotto
Pedro Cruz
Lynnette Dagrosa
Bevin Daly
Aaron Davitt
Mary-Kate Delouise
Mark Doty & Heidi Zarou
Orla Dunstan and Robert Salmieri
Deborah Edel and Teddy Minucci
Alyssa Fagan
Keith Gauger
Samantha Glasser
Jennifer Goldfrank
Latisha Hailey
Jaime Hoefer
Natalie Huerta
Seth Kahn
Horace Knight
Charles Koegel
Candice Lam
Franziska Laskaris
Stephanie Lazzara
Kathleen Leone
Amy Levine
Amin Linder
Elizabeth LoPorto
Diane Lupow
Bernie McCormick
John Michel
Ned Milligan and Jamie Auriemma
L.J. Mitchell
Cecily Moyer
Thomas Mulvoy
Courtney Nuzum Jimenez
Linda Omansky
Kristen Pedersen
Ginny Perrin
Leslyn and Don Rigoni
Caitlin Rosen
Jodi Scheurenbrand
Beth Schneider and Steve McFarland
Justin Schuhmacher
Kirk Smothers and Sarah Clarke
Katherine Sorel
Linda Stone
Hope Tarullo
AnnaLisa Villanueva
Barbara von Salis
Patricia A. Wallendjack and
Reverend Jeffrey B. Gamblee
Liz Yamin and Ron Singer
Fran & Dwight Yellen
Debbie Zlotowitz and
Rick Greenberg
***
We have raised a total of
$355, 274 towards our goal of
$415,000 by June 30th, 2014.
***
Every effort has been made to ensure the
accuracy of this report. If there are any
errors, please accept our apologies and
notify the Development Office at 718855-0141, ext. 4106.
Benefit Gala, Remarks
Continued from page 4 (Sharon Inkeles Remarks)
him of what he might become.
Within Isaac’s first week of school he came home and
said “mom, now I know what’s wrong with me – I have
a learning disability.” And he shrugged his shoulders,
like – so what.
From that point on Isaac has been advocating for himself at every turn, always knowing himself better than
anyone else, always knowing what his next move
should be and what is right for him. Thank you Mary
McDowell for having the courage of your convictions
and for instilling that virtue in Isaac. I think courage
may be the most important virtue because without it all
else is impossible.
In closing I would like to say that during Isaac’s time at
MMFS I saw the school through the eyes of a parent,
always making decisions and suggestions based on
what was best for Isaac. For the last few years I have
had the opportunity to see the school with different
eyes – the eyes of a trustee – working from the inside
out. Everything that I thought was true, is, and then
some! I see how they think, how they make decisions
and the level of integrity and respect given every student. Basically I know how the sausage is made, and
let me tell you, there are no fillers and no artificial
ingredients.
Everything that I hoped was going on behind closed
doors is. Every decision, big or small, is scrutinized and
agonized over with the interest of the student foremost
in everyone’s minds. These educators are the most honorable and dedicated group of individuals I have had
the privilege of working with and knowing. Thank you
for giving me your time. Have a good time.
13
Mary McDowell Friends School
2014-2015 Preliminary School Calendar
2014
September 5
Friday
Open House
September 8
Monday
First Day of School for Elementary and Middle School –
Noon Dismissal for Elementary and Middle School Students
Student/Parent/Advisor Conferences – Mandatory for All US Students
September 9
Tuesday
First Full Day of School
Sept. 22 – 24
Mon – Wed
Upper School Student/Faculty Retreat
Sept. 25 – 26
Thurs – Fri
Rosh Hashana – School Closed
October 3
Friday
Noon Dismissal
Oct. 11 – 12
Sat – Sun
SATs
October 13
Monday
Columbus Day – School Closed
October 14
Tuesday
Professional Development Day – No School
October 15
Wednesday
PSATs – 10th and 11th Grade Only/No School for 9th and 12th Grades
November 4
Tuesday
Elementary School Family & Friends Day – Noon Dismissal for Elementary
School Students
November 10
Monday
Parent/Teacher Conferences for Middle and Upper School –
No School for Middle and Upper School Students
November 11
Tuesday
Parent/Teacher Conferences – No School
Nov. 26 – 28
Wed – Fri
Thanksgiving Holiday – School Closed
December 19
Friday
Last Day of School Before Winter Break
Dec. 22 – Jan. 2
2015
January 5
Mon – Fri
Winter Break
Monday
School Resumes
January 16
Friday
Writing Day – No School
January 19
Monday
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day – School Closed
February 16
Monday
Presidents Day – School Closed
February 17
Tuesday
Professional Development Day – No School
March 5 – 6
Thurs – Fri
Parent/Teacher Conferences – No School
March 13
Friday
Last Day of School Before Spring Break
March 16 – 27
Mon – Fri
Spring Break – No School
March 30
Monday
School Resumes
April 3
Friday
Good Friday – No School
May 2 – 3
Sat. – Sun.
SAT Exam – 11th Grade Only
May 22
Friday
Elementary and Middle School Writing Day –
No School for Elementary and Middle School Students
May 25
Monday
Memorial Day – School Closed
June 8
Monday
Last Day of Upper School Classes/Final Exams
June 9
Tuesday
Upper School Graduation: Class of 2015 (tentative)
June 12
Friday
Last Day of School for Elementary and Middle School Students
Upper School Writing Day – No School for Upper School Students