Calendar of Events Calendar of Events

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Calendar
of
Events
June 1 – August 10
2007 Professional Development Institutes
Wheelock College
To register:(617) 879-2206 or graduate@wheelock.edu
June 14 • 5:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Alumni Reception & Tour of King Tut Exhibit
The Franklin Institute
July 26
Cape Cod Club Summer Picnic • West Falmouth, MA
Invitations coming!
September 8
Alumni Policy Seminar • Pinehills , Plymouth, MA
September 15
Cape Cod Alumni Fall Reception, Chatham, MA
September 29
Fall Alumni Symposium & Event
Wheelock College
To register:(617) 879-2261 or alumnirelations@wheelock.edu
November 5
A View from All Sides Parenting Education Conference
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel, Marlborough, MA
See Wheelock Web site in September for info.
November 14 • 6 p.m.
Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner
John F.Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, Boston
For more information and up-to-the-minute
event updates, watch your e-mail for
monthly “Wheelock News,” check the College
Website at www.wheelock.edu, or
e-mail alumnirelations@wheelock.edu.
To improve the lives of children and families
200 The Riverway
Boston, MA
02215-4176
(617) 879-2123
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
N. ATTLEBORO, MA
PERMIT NO. 216
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Our Learning Community
■ Alumni Journey to Reggio Emilia
■ Clasping Hands by Andrea Vigneaux’09
■ Faculty & Alumni Lifelong Learners
■ Resources Roundup
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PAGE
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*Wheelock Spring
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Page 1
Spring
2007
What is it?
Become a
volunteer and
find out!
(pg. 7)
2
A Message From the President
3
News Nuggets
5
Alumni
5 In the Picture
6 Fall Save the Dates for Learning
8
On Campus
8 2007 Winter Policy Talks—
The Achievement Gap
10
A Tale of Two Fathers by Eric Silverman
12 Homines, dum docent, discunt by Swen Voekel
13 The Millennials
14 Clasping Hands by Andrea Vigneaux ’09
16 Athletics
17 Resources Roundup
17 Helping Children Deal with Stress and Violence
In the News
17 In the Library—Lifelong Learning Resources
18 Off the Shelf—Summer Reads
19 Faculty Recommended Web sites
21 Features
21 In the Wilds of Wheelock—
Learning to Teach Environmental Ed.
23 Kate Jordan Wallace ’79MS—
Award-winning Conservationist
24 Alumni Journey to Reggio Emilia, Italy
Editor
Christine Dall
Production Editor
Lori Ann Saslav
Design
Leslie Hartwell
Photography
Christine Dall
Brianne Kimbal
Brian Price
Len Rubenstein
Wheelock Magazine
Spring 2007
Volume XXVIII,Issue 5
Wheelock Magazine invites
manuscripts and photographs
from our readers, although
we do not guarantee their
publication, and we reserve
the right to edit them as needed.
For Class Notes information,
contact Lori Ann Saslav at
(617) 879-2123 or
lsaslav@wheelock.edu.
Send letters to the editor
to: Wheelock Magazine,
Office for Institutional
Advancement,Wheelock
College, 200 The Riverway,
Boston, MA 02215-4176.
You may also fax letters
to (617) 879-2326.
You may also e-mail them
to cdall@wheelock.edu.
28 Cyber Rules—A Book to Keep Kids Safe Online
by Joanie Farley Gillispie ’72
29 Class Notes
Cover Photo: Len
Rubenstein
E Printed on recycled paper
Wheelock Magazine
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MESSAGE
Dear Alumni and Friends,
O
Sincerely,
JACKIE JENKINS-SCOTT
President
“T
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President Jenkins-Scott
Co-Chairs New Boston Task Force
B
oston’s Mayor Menino has appointed President
Jackie Jenkins-Scott co-chair of a new task force
to develop a strategic action plan for the City of
Boston to “promote school readiness and ensure the
healthy development of Boston’s youngest children.”
The task force has been in the planning stage for nearly five years and was a highlight of the mayor’s State of
the City Address in January. Its work is being supported with a $600,000 grant from the Barr Foundation.
The task force is composed of 60 members representing 12 different sectors that have an impact
on the lives of young children in the City of
Boston, and that is why, in part, I have agreed to
take on this extra assignment,” said President Jenkins-Scott. “Our ‘Winter Policy Talk’ series and our
‘Educating the Black Male’ series are great backdrops for this work.”
Wheelock to Welcome Archbishop
Desmond MpiloTutu in the Fall
W
heelock prides itself on the values of community, peace, and respect. We believe in recognizing individuals who embody these standards; the
same standards that we encourage our students to
uphold. For his work as an educator, peace-keeper,
and humanitarian, we will honor Bishop Desmond
Tutu on Oct. 29 at a special Honorary Degree Ceremony and Reception.
A performance and presentation of art work by the
Dimock Community Center Peer Leaders followed
the panel, along with a spoken-word performance by
the Cloud Foundation Youth Fusion Spoken Word
Curators. After the performance there was a screening
of the film Street Soldiers in the Student Center.
Our Social Work Program—
Something to Celebrate!
W
heelock had an additional reason to celebrate
social work last March. The College’s social
work program received full reaffirmation of its B.S.W.
and M.S.W. accreditation through January 2015.
“For prospective students and their families, accreditation means they can have confidence that our program meets the standards of the profession,” noted
President Jenkins-Scott in her announcement.
“Some of our students, such as Cheryli Quinones,
had the desire to graduate with a degree in social
work at an early age,” said Jenkins-Scott. “She told
me she knows what it’s like to be a foster child and
what it means to kids to have a social worker who
understands them. Cheryli is determined to give
back to a system that gave her so much and will
graduate in 2008 with a plan to serve at-risk adolescents. We are proud to offer a strong program that
helps students like Cheryli achieve their life goals.
“I myself graduated with a degree in social work.
My education taught me to have a tremendous belief
in human dignity, and I can personally attest that an
NEWS NUGGETS
*Wheelock Spring
First Annual Juvenile Justice
Awareness Day
S
everal M.S.W. student leaders collaborated with
the Juvenile Justice and Youth Advocacy Program
and the Asian-American, Latino, African-American
and Native American (ALANA) Coalition to hold
Wheelock’s first annual Juvenile Justice Awareness
Day on April 9. It was a troubling and thought-provoking look at “The Other Death Sentence: Children
Serving Life in Prison Without Parole.” President
Jackie Jenkins-Scott gave a special introduction to
the panel, which was made up of Will Dunn, an outreach worker and receptionist at the Ella J. Baker
House who was once a child tried as an adult; Ann E.
Tobey, associate professor and director of the Juvenile Justice and Youth Advocacy Program at Wheelock; Wendy Wolf, an attorney and Juvenile Defense
Network coordinator; and moderator Chris Womack
’04BSW/’06MSW, field coordinator for the Boston
Ten Point Coalition.
Wheelock Magazine
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N U G G E T S
education in social work is a platform for many
professions. Our graduates are prepared as social
workers, juvenile justice and youth advocates,
child development and early intervention specialists, parent educators, and family support
specialists, and they work every day in schools,
human services agencies, and community-based
organizations to improve the lives of children
and families.
“On behalf of the Wheelock community, I
want to thank all social workers—of the past,
present, and future—for their extraordinary
commitment and dedication.”
A Passion for Action—
Bob Lincoln Running for a Cause
W
heelock will inaugurate a fabulous Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner
event in the fall, and Chair of the Board of
Trustees Robert A. “Bob” Lincoln was out
there this spring demonstrating the action with a
purpose concept when he ran the Boston
Marathon to benefit Families First. Hurrah for
Bob—for running his first marathon in a very
commendable time of 4:55, for making Families
First his cause, and for advertising our Wildcats
logo en route!
Families First provides parenting programs
for both parents and professionals that are
designed to build positive relationships
between parents and their children. Founded
by former Wheelock faculty member Fran Litman and directed for many years by former
faculty member Linda Braun, Families First
still has active connections to Wheelock— Dr.
Eleonora Villegas-Reimers, the College’s dean
of education and child life. is a board member;
President Jenkins-Scott is on its Advisory
Council; and Families First and Wheelock collaborated in April on the first of what is
expected to become an annual Parenting Summit held at the College.
Math/Science Conference at
Wheelock June 7-8
T
he Wheelock College Math/Science Initiative will host a two-day conference for teachers, administrators, and others interested in math
and science education on June 7 and 8. “Effective
Practices in Math and Science Teaching in Today’s
K-6 Classrooms” will present an opportunity to
share ideas, discuss and debate issues, and network with people and organizations.
Workshop themes include meeting the
interests of students and the challenges of
MCAS; science and math across the curriculum; using technology in math and science
classes, meeting the needs of special populations; math and science in the pre-K classroom; and administrative support for math
and science. Look for a conference wrap-up in
the fall issue of Wheelock Magazine.
Wheelock Selects
William Rawn Associates
for Expansion Project
W
heelock has selected the multiple awardwinning firm of William Rawn Associates Architects, Inc. to design a new six-story,
mixed-use Campus Center and Student Residence building whose construction is slated for a
construction start this fall.
William Rawn Associates has completed
many significant and elegantly designed projects,
ranging from complex urban buildings to focal
point structures on college campuses, including
Tufts University, Babson College, Wellesley College, Amherst College, and Dartmouth College.
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Spring 2007
The firm is perhaps best known for their beautiful and precise work on Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA.
“The firm received outstanding references
that spoke about the collaborative way in which
it works with institutions,” noted Roy Schifilliti, Wheelock’s vice president for administration and student life, who is heading up the
project. “We are fortunate and pleased they are
on our team.”
The reason for the expansion—part of
Wheelock’s master plan for the next six years
leading up to the College’s 125th anniversary—
is just as exciting. Wheelock is increasing its
enrollment and, by 2013, anticipates an undergraduate student body of 1,100.
Look for much more news on the building
plans and our expansion in the fall issue of
Wheelock Magazine.
Wheelock’s Blog A Winner!
A
ssociate Vice President for Academic
Resources Albie Johnson happily
announced on May 7 that the Wheelock College Library’s blog won third place in the
Newsletter category of the Massachusetts Library
Association’s 18th biennial Public Relations
Awards. More than 100 entries were submitted
by academic, public, school, and special libraries
from across the state in 17 categories. A panel of
independent judges from the public relations,
press and library fields evaluated entries on
graphic design, originality and presentation.
Launched in August 2006, the blog
(http://wheelockcollegelibrary.blogspot.com) serves
as an online newsletter for the College community, providing updated information in an
accessible, less formal manner than a traditional “News” section of a library website. It was
designed by Patricia Feeney, the former Systems Librarian; and she and Allyson HarperNixon, administrative assistant, coordinated
the writing of the posts. Post topics have
included new databases and services, staff hirings and promotions, events at area museums,
acquisitions of interest, special collections, and
an answer to one of our most-asked questions,
“Is there anything to read here?”
Albie encourages us all to read the Wheelock
blog and post our comments.
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Alumni Reflections
he Class Notes section of every issue of
Wheelock Magazine contains many alumni
words of appreciation for the special qualities
of the Wheelock College education they received.
No matter which class or decade our alumni graduated
in, their feelings of gratitude for the College and
Wheelock friendships are openly and generously
expressed. We thought we’d highlight for you some
comments pulled from the Class Notes section in
this issue—enjoy!
T
Cordelia Abendroth Flanagan ’46 wrote, “Martha
Allen Farwell and I were talking on the phone
and both saying how much we liked our Wheelock
education. Martha said, “We learned how to listen,”
and I said that I was grateful for the breadth of the
subjects of our classes and practice teaching experiences.
Just being in Boston was broadening.
Carole Frisch Sherman ’59 is retired from teaching
and wrote of a wonderful day she had in February
with Pat Wise Strauss at Pat’s lovely home in
Boca Raton. “It feels strange that time has not changed
the friendship we had at Wheelock‚—just a few
years ago!”
Lynn Beebe ’73 is still teaching grades 1, 2, and 3 in a
K-12 alternative school in Seattle. She wrote that she
feels fortunate to have been able to teach the ways that she
believes are best for children and that were reinforced in
her studies at Wheelock.
Laura Keyes Jaynes ’74 of Merrimack, NH, wrote,
“Many things have changed, but my Wheelock training
continues to serve me well. After being a stay-at-home
mom for 15 years, I am back teaching fourth-graders who
are the kids of the kids I had in fourth grade back in the
1970s, but it indeed helps me work with the families.”
ALUMNI
*Wheelock Spring
Carla Belcher Sweitzer ’84 wrote: “One year ago, I
stepped down from my position as a preschool director
. . . and I am back to full-time work now that my
youngest is in first grade. What a rollercoaster it has
been! I am very thankful for my education from Wheelock
to fall back on. Teaching has changed a lot in the last 10
years, but everything I learned at Wheelock is applicable!”
As director of affiliate development at the National
Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts, Stephany
Melton ’03 manages the organization’s annual walk to
raise both funds and public awareness. “It is important
work, and I am very happy to be involved” she wrote.
“Wheelock prepares its students to be leaders and change
agents in the community!”
Do We Remember Muggie?
YES, We Do!
Wow! Are we ever grateful for the legion of alert alumnae who wrote to
tell us not only that they most definitely DO remember Muggie, but also
that the names written on the back of our photo of her surrounded by
adoring students were incorrect! Here is what you told us—and you can
rest assured we will correct the back of the photograph!
“ Remember Muggie? I certainly do. I lived at Carlton House during the
l950-5l and l95l-52 school years. . . . On the far left is Pru Smith. In
back on the left is Jean Turner. Sydney Snell is sitting in the chair next to
our beloved Muggie. . . . I remember Muggie sent me a gift for my son,
born in 1959. She was very thoughtful.”
—Patricia “Pattie” Andrews Richmond ’54
“In reference to the picture on page 11 of Muggie and her girls, I imagine
you have heard from a lot of Carlton residents already. None of the
names on the back of the picture fit the people. I have been able to
identify four of the seven as Pru Smith, Jean Turner, Sydney Snell, and
Mary Ann Gallo, all in the Class of 1951. I’m sure there were a lot of
good memories that danced around in the heads of all the Carlton
residents when they saw that picture. That was good fun!”
—Sue Post Day ‘51
“It was really fun seeing this. We certainly loved Muggie as a housemother.
She was very caring and friendly, and took a concerned interest in ‘her
girls’—especially when they stayed out too late at night!! The younger
girls were benefited by her motherly approach. It felt like we were all part
of a family at Carlton House.
Left to right, front: Pru Smith, Dot Hutchens (pretty sure), Jane
Cohen, Muggie, and [not sure]. Back row: Jean Turner, Wilma [“Billie”]
Singer (Class of ’48), Sydney Snell. It was probably taken in ‘48.
—Barbara Moog Finlay ’50
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A L U M N I
Hanley Denning ’96MS, 1970-2007
T
“ Full of unbridled compassion,
Hanley charged forward, with
heart, intelligence, and remarkable
stamina, to the cause of making
the world a better place, one child,
one family, one person at a time.”
— Paul H. Sutherland
Chairman of the Board, Safe Passage
he entire Wheelock community was deeply saddened by Hanley Denning’s
(’96MS) death in a car accident in Guatemala on Jan. 18. When Hanley
visited Wheelock last October as an international visiting scholar and
described for us the toxic conditions children and families work in and live at the
edges of at Guatemala City’s dump—and the work of Safe Passage/Camino Seguro,
the program she established to improve their lives — it was easy to understand why
Guatemalans called Hanley an angel, the “angel of the dump.”
Hanley and her dedication to bringing education, health, and hope to
Guatemala’s poorest children were featured in the Spring 2005 issue of Wheelock
Magazine. In seven short years after first seeing the unspeakable living conditions at
Guatemala City’s dump, Hanley established a remarkable program to provide close
to 500 children of the dump with a safe and caring environment, a school to teach
them reading and writing, a hotel that serves as a hospitality job training site for
teenagers, and programs for family outreach, toddler intervention and care, and
parenting and health education.
Hanley thoroughly embodied Wheelock’s mission to take action to improve the
lives of children and families around the world. We are proud to have had her as
part of our community and very grateful for the tremendous changes and opportunities
she created where none seemed possible. Hanley’s compassion deeply touched the
women and children she served and never wavered. We are thankful, too, for Hanley’s
leadership abilities and her tireless spirit that drew so many committed staff and
administrators to her cause. Thanks to them, Hanley’s mission is in good hands
and the work of Safe Passage/Camino Seguro will continue.
2007 Fall
Alumni Symposium
Connecting Children
with Nature
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007—SAVE THE DATE!
A Wheelock College/Mass Audubon Conference,
Nov. 3, 2007
W
heelock College will host its annual Fall Alumni Symposium on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007, and we hope you will
join us! This will be a day for learning, networking, and
celebrating Wheelock graduate alumni accomplishments. Alumni
and Wheelock faculty will present and lead discussions on topics
such as leadership, advocacy, community, and best practices.
Mark Sept. 29 in your calendar and plan to attend the Fall Alumni Symposium. Invitations will be going out in late summer to graduate alumni in the Greater Boston area. Contact the Alumni
Relations Office at alumnirelations@wheelock.edu if you have questions, would like further information, or want to join Heather E.
Peach ’96MS, Lisa Van Thiel ’86/’97MS, Kay Conrad ’73MS,
and Amy Cubbage ’99MS on the planning committee.
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Spring 2007
I
t’s not too early to mark calendars for a Wheelock College/Mass
Audubon conference designed to explore new avenues in nature
education on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007, in Boston. Richard Louv,
author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from NatureDeficit Disorder, will be the keynote speaker. For more information
about the conference and its nationally recognized presenters and
workshops, call (781) 259-2118 or go to www.massaudubon.org/conference. See a summary of Louv’s book under Summer Reads in this
issue of Wheelock Magazine.
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A L U M N I
Volunteer Extraordinaire—
Joan Anderson Watts ’65/’83MS
Joan has been an active volunteer with the Alumni
Association in so many ways they are hard to count.
A past Alumni Association president,vice president,
and treasurer,she has also been an admissions representative,reunion coordinator,and member of the
Alumni Awards Committee and Endowment Fund
Committee,just to name a few.Joan is happy to lend
a hand whenever and wherever it is needed.In May,
she happened by the Office for Alumni Relations and
stayed to help ribbon gifts for Wheelock’s Passion
with Purpose pre-Commencement dinner celebration.
Thank you,Joan!
Great Things Happen
When We Get Together —
Alumni Volunteers
O
ur alumni are great, and the more of you there are actively
involved in College activities, the merrier a time we all have.
Join a committee, accomplish something for Wheelock, and
share more good times together!
Alumni Board Members act as liaisons between the College and its
alumni, fostering leadership and shaping the Alumni Association’s vision.
A commitment of four to six meetings per year for two years is required.
We accomplish a lot and we have a great time too!
Committee Members develop programming for the Alumni
Association. Choose a committee that interests you: Alumni Awards,
Annual Fund, Continuing Education, Endowment Fund, Graduate
Alumni Programming, Mentoring, Social Advocacy and Community
Service, or Young Alumni and Student Programming.
Admissions & Recruitment volunteers assist at college fairs in selected
regions, call potential students, or attend open houses. Let your Wheelock
experience shine!
Reunion Coordinators are the direct link to members of your class.
Generate class spirit for Reunion, stay in touch with old friends, and help
your classmates stay in touch with Wheelock.
Contact Wheelock’s Alumni Relations Office at (617) 879-2261 or
e-mail Brianne Kimble at bkimble@wheelock.edu to get more information.
Or simply fill out this form and return it to: Brianne Kimble, Associate
Director of Alumni Relations, Wheelock College, 200 The Riverway,
Boston, MA 02215.
Wheelock College Alumni Association Volunteer Form
Name: _________________________________ Class Year: _____
Address: ______________________________________________
City: __________________________ State: _____ Zip: ________
Day Phone Number: ____________________________________
E-mail Address: (Required) __________________________________
■ Alumni Board Member
■ Admissions and Recruitment
■ Reunion Class Coordinator
■ Alumni Awards
■ Annual Fund
■ Advocacy & Social Policy
■ Endowment Fund
■ Graduate Alumni Committee
■ Mentoring Committee
■ Continuing Education
■ Young Alumni/Student Programming
WHEELOCK COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
• NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING and PROXY BALLOT FOR FY 2007-2008 BOARD NOMINATIONS •
T
he Annual Meeting of the Wheelock College Alumni Association will be held Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the
Alumni Room, Boston Campus, 180 The Riverway. All members of the Alumni Association are invited to attend. The election of new
Board members and general business items will come before the membership at this time. If you would like to attend this meeting, R.S.V.P.
by Sept. 5 to Brianne Kimble, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, at (617) 879-2261 or bkimble@wheelock.edu.
FY 2007-2008 Nominees for the Wheelock College Alumni Board of Directors
The nominees for FY 2007-2008, who reflect the diversity of ages, ethnicities, and professional areas found in Wheelock’s Alumni Body, are listed
below. Alumni may vote for the nominees at the Annual Meeting on Sept. 12, 2007, or by proxy ballot.
• Treasurer: Kelly McLoud ’04
• Students and Recent Graduates: Carrie Lagasse ’00
• Admissions: Rosa Del Rosario ’05
• Regional Representative: Leah Champ Burdick ’00
• Alumni Trustee: Mila Moschella ’75
• Member at Large: Matthew Eidukinas ’98
• Advocacy and Community Service: Thu-Hang Tran ’92MS
Ballot for Election of Alumni Board Members
If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting and would like to vote for the Board nominees, please submit your vote via mail, phone, or
e-mail to Brianne Kimble, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, at (617) 879-2261 or bkimble@wheelock.edu prior to Sept. 5, 2007.
■ I approve
■ I do not approve
of the election of the nominated candidates.
Wheelock Magazine
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ON CAMPUS
2007 Winter Policy Talks @ Wheelock College
Imagine a World Where All Children Succeed: Preparing Children to Thrive
W
heelock’s Winter Policy Talks, launched a year ago by Director of the Office for Government Affairs
Marta T. Rosa with the goal of convening policy-makers, educators, and community leaders to examine critical policy issues affecting children and families, are proving to be an excellent venue for shared
learning and a great success. Each of the sessions in the three-part 2007 series, titled Imagine a World Where All
Children Succeed: Preparing Children to Thrive, drew over 200 participants to the Edward H. Ladd Room at
Hawes Street to discuss the achievement gap and promising research, practices, and action aimed at ending it.
Those who attended all three policy talks in March – Framing the Issues, Promising Practices, and A Call to
Action—earned six Professional Development Points (PDPs) or one Continuing Education Unit (CEU). If you
did not attend, remember in the fall to look for information about the 2008 Winter Policy Talks and sign up for a
spot. In the meantime, here is an overview of some of the lessons learned from this year’s sessions.
Framing the Issues: How did we get so far behind?
In the first session, Wheelock’s Dr. Patricia Hogan, professor of social work, moderated a panel in
which Dr. Felicity Crawford, assistant professor of special education; Dr. Richard Weissbourd from
Harvard Graduate School of Education; and Dr. Melvin Delgado from Boston University School
of Social Work, discussed the history of the achievement gap, its root causes, and what we can do
to prevent its continuing and, ultimately, to eliminate it.
Issues of race, inequity, poverty, disability, social inequity, and politics topped the list of evident
contributors to the problem, but other causes that go undetected by teachers and administrators
also surfaced—the cultural mismatch of students and teachers, depression in the family, hunger,
sleep deprivation, and overcrowded housing conditions, particularly among immigrant children.
The discussion raised several positive actions that can bring about change. On the home
front, engaging parents in meaningful interactions within their children’s classrooms and working toward a culture that values a man’s role in the family as well as family and community
contributions to children’s learning and education were stressed. Building an understanding of
changing demographics and the history and cultures of immigrants as well as increasing funding for early learning programs were also singled out as immediate needs, as was improved
teacher preparation and diversity education.
Promising Practices: What works and why?
Dr. Comer and President Jenkins-Scott
Marta T. Rosa moderated the second session, which featured a talk by Dr. James Comer, the Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine’s Child Study Center, and a panel of Boston-area experts: Dr. Linda Banks-Santilli, assistant professor of education; Dr. Shirley
Malone-Fenner, dean of Wheelock’s School of Arts and Sciences; and Dr. Jason Sachs, director of Early Childhood Programs for the Boston Public Schools.
Dr. Comer’s talk focused on society’s loss of extensive community supports that years ago reinforced what
went on at home and at school and supported parents as well as on the out-of-date methods used for preparing
teachers, managing today’s schools, and providing environments that promote children’s development.
Given the problems, Dr. Comer outlined several counteractive practices, beginning with promoting high
aspirations among children and protecting them from the naysayers who have low expectations of them, particularly those in low-income communities. The Comer model of change focuses on child development needs and
on recreating community and supports within the school environment; getting politics out of education and
creating a framework that recognizes we need to change how teachers are prepared; conducting research that
informs practice; and developing a more powerful presence in the White House and at top policy levels that
believes in children’s potential and knows what today’s children need to succeed.
A Call to Action: How do we work together?
A Call to Action was the theme of the third and final policy talk in the series, led by another panel of
experts representing diverse sectors: Dr. Berta Rosa Berriz, a Boston Public Schools fifth-grade sheltered
English immersion teacher; Sharon Scott-Chandler, vice president of Head Start and Children’s Services
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O N
for Action for Boston Community Development; State Rep. Stephen P. LeDuc; Vicki
Caplan Milstein ’72, principal of Early Education Programs in the Brookline Public
Schools; Alan Safran, executive director of the Media and Technology Charter High
School in Boston; and Dr. Eleonora Villegas-Reimers, dean of the School of Education
and Child Life.
This panel looked at the role different stakeholders can play in moving toward an educational system where families are engaged and respected for their contributions, schools are
ready to support children in their learning and growing, and all children thrive. Panelists
challenged the audience to think outside the box in their professional work, to be innovative,
and to take action individually as well as within organized groups.
Berta Rosa Berriz urged participants to pay attention to the importance of children’s
self-identity; the significant connection of their name to that identity, and, in many cultures, their deep family bonds. She reminded us that racism and segregation by language
group, special education needs, and MCAS scores, among other factors, exist in today’s
public schools, impact learning, and contribute to the learning gap. She recommended
becoming more aware of the segregation taking place in public schools and taking on the
challenge of eliminating segregation of immigrant children in order to ultimately end
the achievement gap.
Participants heard from Vicki Milstein about the Brookline schools, where there are a
number of programs, such as Steps to Success and the Equity Project, to support children
who need a safety net. She reminded us that school administrators need to be honest and open about the school
system, identify barriers, and go to community members one-on-one, not just in groups, to ask for feedback.
In order for us to move education to a better place, Sharon Scott-Chandler warned that we cannot delay in
taking family engagement seriously, respecting families for their contributions, and engaging family members in
children’s learning. She also cautioned that it is not an either/or situation; we have to do it all, working collectively with children, families, and communities.
Alan Safran stressed that we are in a “civil rights crisis” when it comes to our education system and that we
cannot continue to triage children. He spoke of the need to provide real parent choice, smaller school environments, higher expectations for all students, and proper supports for them. “Large schools do not work for
urban youth,” he said. “It is an impersonal atmosphere where no one in the school even knows the students’
names, and they call the kids, ‘Hey you.’”
A reminder from Eleonora Villegas-Reimers that the achievement gap is not new led to her pointing out the
lack of resources in many communities, homes, schools, and even in higher education. She also emphasized
that if we do not start at the earliest possible point during childhood years to respectfully engage families, we
lose valuable time.
Rep. P. LeDuc shared his own experience with the achievement gap and noted the importance that class plays
in it. Perhaps he spoke for everyone at the session when he encouraged us to sound the alarm and build a sense of
urgency about inequities, to work collectively, and to remove obstacles that bar children from success.
Faculty Updates
Janine Bempechat, associate \professor of
human development, presented at the Society
for Research in Child Development biennial
meeting with two Wheelock undergraduate students, Kenzie Wenk and Stephanie Piergross.
They presented “It Feels Like a Family: Perceptions of Teacher Care and Support Among
Urban Catholic High School Students.”
Marcia Folsom, professor of literature and
chair of Humanities and Writing, was part of a
discussion of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
that was broadcast on March 28 on Newark
radio WBGO and simulcast on their website.
The half-hour radio program was one in the
Modern Language Association’s series “What’s
the Word?” which features informal and
informed discussions by scholars about language
and literature.
Elsa “Hillje” Whitmore Morse ’77 noticed
the event on Wheelock’s website and e-mailed
in, “Thank you, thank you. I’m going to try to
listen to this webcast. . . . To think, I read Pride
C A M P U S
“Children are already smart.
It is we who need to
change our approach to
how we develop instruction, train staff, and
infuse racial and ethnic
diversity, recognizing the
need to reflect our students and ensuring that we
truly welcome change.”
—Vicki Caplan Milstein ’72,
principal of Early Education Programs in the
Brookline Public Schools
and Prejudice (or was it Emma) with Marcia Folsom 30 years ago—loved studying with her
then as I’m sure I will now. It’s really something
to revisit that kind of experience with her in this
way. . . . What a treat.”
Farideh Oboodiat, instructor in elementary education, presented her model of
Positive Peace Education, “Peace Education
in the Cyberspace Age: Unity in Appreciation
of Diversity,” at the Beyond Valuing Diversity
Symposium held in Los Angeles, CA, at
Whittier College.
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A Tale of Two Fathers
by Eric Silverman, instructor in American Studies
and Human Development
W
hen my wife was pregnant with our first
child, I approached fatherhood much like
any anthropologist who prepares for an
unfamiliar culture. Only the proverbial “native” in this
case did not walk the remote tropics. Instead, he was
soon to crawl in my own home.
It was in the late 1980s, and after two years of
fieldwork in New Guinea, I felt secure in my knowledge of the village kinship system. But I lacked formal
training for a more immediate kinship! Despite years
of anthropological training and teaching, I had somehow neglected the culture of child-raising. So I
grabbed every fatherhood book I could find. My wife
gestated; I read.
Ten years and two children later, I still read the
popular literature on fatherhood. Only now my focus
has shifted from the personal to the professional. Currently, I am preparing a comparative research project
on the culture of fatherhood in the United States and
among the Iatmul people of Papua New Guinea.
Interestingly, each society evokes the other.
Eric Silverman and his children
In the early 1960s, the time of my birth, fathers
could browse few if any resources for parenting
advice. Offhand comments by Dr. Spock were
about it. Today, there are books for black, Jewish,
Christian, and gay dads; divorced, imprisoned,
once-absent but now reuniting dads, step-dads; single, middle-aged, and teenage fathers; working dads
and stay-at-home dads; fathers of sons; fathers of
daughters; and so forth.
Many titles poignantly comment on, even mock,
American manhood: The Sixty Minute Father.
Crouching Father, Hidden Toddler: A Zen Guide for
New Dads. Daddy Needs a Drink: An Irreverent Look
at Parenting from a Dad Who Truly Loves His Kids—
Even When They’re Driving Him Nuts. Covering
Home: Lessons on the Art of Fathering from the Game
of Baseball. 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage
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Iatmul father introducing his son to mai spirits
Daughter. Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets
Home. What the Heck Were You Expecting?
This smorgasbord of self-help, together with
myriad real and virtual fathering organizations, represents a fundamental debate over the state of American fatherhood. We dads are widely seen to be
beleaguered and besieged, anxious and tragic, sometimes triumphant, always in need of assistance and
rehabilitation. But from what? There is little consensus. Typical culprits include feminists, public schools,
divorce courts, pop culture, societal permissiveness,
gay marriage, workplace demands, patriarchy, secularists, religion, and men themselves who refuse to
embrace a kinder, gentler masculinity. For some, the
discord confirms the deplorable erosion of family
values. For others, it evidences the emergence of an
exciting, inclusive pluralism.
Of anthropological interest is the common
attempt to justify particular positions on American
fatherhood with reference to human universals and
fathering in so-called primitive cultures—references
usually fanciful. American dads, so it seems, have lost
touch with the basics of fathering. By looking to our
simpler brothers, we can recapture what we sorely
need today, whether father-son bonding rites, paternal
authority, a place of honor, masculine nurture, or a
well-defined role as protector, provider, and procreator.
Ironically, while Americans celebrate tribal dads,
the tribal fathers I know in Papua New Guinea look
to us for lessons on modernization.
Traditionally, Iatmul culture lacked “fathers” as we
understand the term. There were no nuclear families,
either, only extended kin groups. A man’s primary
identity was not as a dad but as a man, a clansman,
and a mother’s brother (maternal uncle). Men often
slept in the men’s house, secluded from women and
children. There they engaged in the central activities
of manhood: preparing for ritual, decorating spirit
masks, playing secret flutes, debating the ownership of
magical names, planning warfare and head-hunting
vendettas, and telling myths. (The size of your ancestral magic, not your brood, conferred authority!) Men
anchored their self-worth to the privileges of manhood, not to the experiences and expectations of
fathering. As an institution, I think it’s fair to say that
fatherhood simply did not exist.
Indeed, almost everything Americans assign to the
traditional role of the father was in traditional New
Guinea the responsibility of other kin. Multiple caretaking was the rule. Women and mothers looked after
infants and toddlers. Kids roamed the village in
groups, playing by themselves, supervised by older siblings and adolescents. Parents provided no toys,
games, stories, and even little overt discipline. When a
child, usually a boy, wanted adult male contact, he
turned not to his father but to other kinsmen. In fact,
the maternal uncle was the most important male figure of socialization in a child’s life. He, not the
father, provided comfort, assistance, and moral guidance. He, not the father, received public authority and
respect. Conversely, adult men often seemed more
interested in their sisters’ children—their nieces and
nephews—than their own kids.
The mother’s brother was a maternal figure, not
a father-substitute. When traditional Iatmul men
idealized their parenting behaviors, they did so
largely as “male mothers’ who cared for their nieces
and nephews. Iatmul men practiced little in the
way of what Americans call “engaged” fathering.
Indeed, traditional fatherhood was largely defined
by its absence—by norms and taboos that prohibited emotional intimacy with sons and daughters.
After middle childhood, Iatmul fathers rarely spoke
to their children, especially firstborns and sons. When
I once told my adoptive village father that I would
accompany him to the men’s house, he barked, “You
don’t walk with your father! Go walk with your mother!” Father-son bonding? Gentle instruction in tribal
lore? Loving initiation into manhood? Guidance on
the hunt? Never! These fantasies may animate American conversations about tribal fathering, but they have
no place in the New Guinea tribe I know best.
I am not suggesting that Iatmul men were bad
or incompetent fathers. Rather, and as anthropologists have long argued, Western ideas about parenting, childhood, and the family are often unsuitable
to other societies. They appear deficient only when
compared with Western standards. And that is precisely what happened.
Westerners first encountered the Iatmul in the
1880s. A flood of missionaries and colonial administrators followed, then labor recruiters, traders, various officials, museum expeditions, and, yes,
anthropologists. Life in the village rapidly changed.
Iatmul were slowly, often tragically, incorporated
into the global system. The overwhelming forces of
church, state, and commerce pushed the Iatmul to
adopt new institutions and norms, including the
idea of Western fathering.
Today, with the erosion of traditional gender roles
in Papua New Guinea, the rise of the nuclear family,
and increasing modernization, men are more active
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Praise for In Search of the
Black Panther Party
than ever in the emotional, educational, and moral
lives of their children. In our terms, Iatmul men are
now thinking about themselves as fathers. They see
Western-style fathering as a civic duty, a moral if not
god-given mandate, a path to economic success, and a
special institution that now requires, as in America, its
own set of guidelines, authorities, and sources of
advice. Indeed, while many Americans in the 1990s
famously endorsed the “tribal” wisdom that “it takes a
village to raise a child,” my tribal Iatmul friends are
prompted to follow the Western idea that “it takes the
father (and mother) to raise a child.”
Modern institutions encourage Iatmul to repudiate
their traditions and to enact Western ideologies of
fathering. A man’s self-worth is now tied to his nuclear
family, which he directs, not his kin group; he is a
father, not a mother’s brother. But modernity offers far
more than paternal advice. In Papua New Guinea, the
modern world promises consumer goods on a scale
unimaginable a generation ago (try criticizing materialism to someone who lacks plumbing and electricity!). The cash economy, wage labor, urban excitement,
formal schooling, romantic love, and rock-and-roll
music are no less modern than the institution of
fatherhood. So, too, are vast economic inequality,
urban squalor, the exploitative aspects of globalization,
and dashed expectations of material success that often
leads Melanesian men to crime.
The same individualism that makes a father, not a
village, responsible for his children also encourages that
father to engage in other pursuits. And his children are
no less captivated by the same modern desires. In
short, Iatmul men find themselves, and their children,
beholden to Western ideologies of paternal authority
but also to Western ideas of self-reliance, individualism, consumption, and rebellion that thwart this sense
of emergent modern fathering. I suspect it is a dilemma many American parents know well.
America and Papua New Guinea could not be
more different. They reside at opposite ends of the
global spectrum. But in both countries, fatherhood is
undergoing enormous change and discussion. In both,
a variety of voices—men, women, religious authorities, elected officials, schools, and the media—pin the
source and resolution of crucial social problems on
addressing what it means to be a father.
My comparative project seeks to identify similarities and differences, highlighting (I hope) what other
scholars have missed. The project, too, will analyze
how each society uses ideas about the other when
debating how to re5shape fatherhood into a viable,
moral, and relevant institution. I may not always agree
with these visions. But, speaking as a father and an
anthropologist, I agree with the effort..
“Jama Lazerow and Yohuru Williams have assembled
a superb, timely, and significant anthology that
historicizes one of the most controversial groups of
the 1960s. Wide-ranging in scope, provocative, and
deeply insightful, In Search of the Black Panther
Party is a major contribution to the burgeoning
literature on the Black Panthers and the wider Black
Power era.”
—Peniel E. Joseph, author of Waiting ’Til the Midnight Hour:
A Narrative History of Black Power in America
A New Book by Professor Jama Lazerow
H
ave you ever heard of Frank “Parky” Grace? Grace led the Black Panthers in New Bedford,
MA, a place where most do not even know the Panthers were active. Wrongfully convicted
of murder, imprisoned, and finally exonerated, Grace’s story is one of many that have gone
untold because historians have too often followed the media-driven narrative of the Black Panthers.
Now Jama Lazerow, professor of history, and Yohuru
Williams, associate professor of history and director of black studies at Fairfield University, have co-edited and contributed to In
Search of the Black Panther Party, a well-reviewed scholarly examination of the history behind the black power hype. Their book
is an interdisciplinary collection of writings by historians and
other scholars in political science, English, sociology, and criminal justice and does the hard work of real scholarship—scrupulously examining the Panthers’ actual past and their legacy today.
Although Lazerow and Williams have been researching the
history of the Panthers for many years, their book has come out
at a time when scholarly interest in the Black Panther Party, and
in the larger question of black power’s role in the struggle for civil rights, is surging. This growing
body of research on the movement and its legacy was featured in the March 2, 2007, issue of
The Chronicle of Higher Education, which highlighted Lazerow and his work.
Lazerow, also the author of Religion and the Working Class in Antebellum America, and Williams,
author of Black Politics/White Power: Civil Rights, Black Power and the Black Panthers in New Haven,
have collaborated on several related projects, including the first history conference ever held on the
subject of the Panthers—at Wheelock in 2003.
Boston Herald Names WFT’s
Susan Kosoff ’65/’75MS to Top 10 List
T
Susan (right) with WFT co-founder Jane Staab
he Women’s Business section of the Boston Herald
regularly asks readers for nominations to create a
Top 10 list of women in a particular category.
When readers were asked to elect New England region
individuals to the Leading Women in the Arts list—
“the ones who are ensuring venues for creativity, inspiration, culture, learning, and enjoyment”— they named
Wheelock’s own Susan Kosoff.
President Jenkins-Scott acknowledged the Top 10 honor
for WFT’s co-founder and producer with high praise. “For 26
years, Susan has produced outstanding children’s theater for
thousands of families in the Greater Boston area, introduced
countless children to quality theater, and played an important
role in creating their passion for theater.”
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Homines, dum docent, discunt.
(While they teach, people learn.) —Seneca
by Swen Voekel, Assistant Professor of Literature
A
s Seneca long ago recognized, being a teacher
means being a life long
learner. In our humanities department at Wheelock, we often range
far beyond the specialized fields in
which we were trained. Chronologically and geographically, my pedagogical wanderings have been the
equivalent of those of one of my
favorite characters from world literature, Odysseus, who not only covered
much of the Mediterranean, but also
voyaged off the map to the island of
the enchantress Circe and even to the
world of the dead, far beyond the Pillars of Hercules that separated the
known from the unknown world for
the ancient Greeks.
My intellectual Ithaca, where I
am most at home, is England in the
16th and 17th centuries, an island
populated by some of the greatest
writers in any language. I can be
found many afternoons—Tuesdays
and Fridays this semester—puzzling
with my students over a speech by
Macbeth or Hamlet, but just as
often following Odysseus off the
edge of the world. Like most teachers, I am often far from home.
This semester, I am even voyaging
beyond the Pillars of Hercules on the
Pequod with Captain Ahab. When
Marcia Folsom announced that she
was taking a sabbatical to work on her
book on Jane Austen and Shakespeare,
I was called on to fill in for her
(daunting task!) in the team-taught
seminar that was the capstone of the
humanities major. Here truly was terra
incognita.
I had received my undergraduate
degree in Spanish and, while I had
taken many courses in Renaissance
literature, in my 10 years as an
undergraduate and graduate student,
I had been in all of two courses on
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Spring 2007
American literature of the 19th century. This seminar was to focus on
19th-century American culture. I was
voyaging further off the map than
even I thought possible.
I had to pack a lifetime of learning
into one summer, which is probably
not unusual for any teacher. And happily, this year’s batch of senior literature concentrators has been superb,
and I have discovered – guided by
their hard work and elegant prose – a
new intellectual cosmos in the wisdom of Henry David Thoreau, the
moral sensitivity of Harriet Beecher
Stowe, and the idiosyncratic musings
on life and death of Emily Dickinson.
I don’t know if I will ever really find
or understand the White Whale of
American Renaissance literature, but
often the pursuit is what matters, for
teacher and student.
Professors, of course, are not just
teachers but also scholars, and teach-
ing three courses each semester on
topics ranging from The Odyssey to
Moby-Dick makes work on one’s own
research more challenging. In my
fourth year at Wheelock I decided to
embark on a project that combined
my training in Renaissance literature
with the kinds of courses I was being
asked to teach, to make my scholarship overlap, in part, with what I was
doing in the classroom. The College
had just begun a paid leave for junior
faculty, and with that generous time
off from teaching, I embarked for the
Old World and spent eight months in
libraries in Paris, Rome, and Berlin.
My research is on the epic tradition, on the theme of hospitality more
precisely, which may seem like an odd
topic—what does Martha Stewart
have to do with Odysseus and archaic
Greek culture?—until one opens one
of these very large stories of ancient
Greek heroes and Renaissance knights
errant and realizes that their wandering always brings them to the land of
some stranger, an island or castle at
once foreboding and inviting. As
Odysseus asks at key moments in
his journey, “What are they here—
violent, savage, lawless? / or friendly
to strangers, god-fearing men?”
In my teaching of these works at
Wheelock, I had come to see that
this was a central question that
other scholars who worked in my
field had not addressed. My lifelong
learning process now centers around
a question posed by a legendary
hero from the second millennia
BCE, and those eight months were
spent doggedly pursuing the answer
to it day after day.
The long hours staring at my
computer screen and poring over
obscure tomes in far-flung libraries is
only one side of the story, however. I
also spent many weeks reading Ariosto’s amazingly funny 16th-century
Italian epic romance, Orlando Furios,
in the well-manicured garden of the
American Academy in Rome during
a particularly perfect May and walking each evening through Berlin’s
lovely Central Park on my way home
from the Staatsbibliothek, the central
state library.
This Odyssean journey is not
peculiar to me; it is the journey of all
teachers, who wander, often far from
home, reaping the rewards of intellectual encounters with strange texts and
introducing them to students in the
hope that the strange will become the
familiar. My work on hospitality
focuses on this process of making the
stranger, the outsider, into someone
familiar and knowable. This transformation is at the center of what it
means for me to be a lifelong learner
and teacher.
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Getting Up to Speed
with Millennials
What Are Millennials?
Millennials are students who were born after 1982—the generation currently attending Wheelock and, perhaps, living in your very own house.
Like Boomers and Gen-Xers, they have their own set of experiences,
expectations, and behaviors that make them different from previous generations and that require a shift in teaching and communicating with them.
To help Wheelock faculty and staff understand more about where
Wheelock students are coming from and how to work with them to best
advantage, Mary McCormack ’89 and Paul Hastings from the Office of
Academic Advising and Assistance presented an overview of recent research
on Millennials. The highlights from the presentation will show you that the
next generation of graduates is definitely an involved and active bunch!
How Do You Know One When You See One?
Millennials—
• like to be in and work in groups
• feel close to their parents and identify with adult values
• are used to having life structured for them
• are multiculturally tolerant
• have technology skills that are second-nature
• have highly developed people skills
• tend to be community-oriented but politically disillusioned and confused
Making the Most of Millennials
• Tap into Millennial talents for teamwork, technology, and actively
“doing.”
• Millennials may need additional direction in making a plan or creating
structure because they are not used to “owning” their time and schedules.
• Set high expectations—Millennials are used to aiming for success.
• On the other hand, Millennials may have achieved success by conforming to expectations—they need encouragement to think independently and critically.
Technology 24/7
Perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of Millennials is their information-age mind-set. Using the Internet and other technologies to stay
connected 24/7 with each other, family, faculty, and the world is a given.
As a result, Millennials expect immediacy and have little tolerance for
delays. They are multitaskers, engaging in multiple activities simultaneously, such as instant messaging while listening to music and doing homework.
Today’s students recognize that the half-life of information is now very
short, so they do not perceive knowledge to be the ultimate goal. Doing
tends to be more important than knowing.
Intellectual property is a fuzzy notion. In a file-sharing, cut-and-paste
world, distinctions among creator, owner, and consumer of information
are fading. Often, the operative assumption is that if something is digital,
it is everyone’s property.
Got a Techno Wizard in the House?
The rewards of getting down on the floor with your toddler for some
shared Lego building may be over, but now it’s time to:
• Surf the Web for fun (Google whack).
• Read Wired or Shift magazine.
• Become more familiar with technology (invest in an iPod).
• Listen to something besides NPR (try a pop or alternative station).
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Off the Shelf — Annie John
M
ary Grover, coordinator of Wheelock’s reading and writing
programs, collected and edited essays and stories written by
first-year students in their English 110 and 111 courses during
the last two years. The collection was published on campus in a book titled
Sparks and distributed to all first-year students and their writing teachers to
inspire continued excellence and commitment to writing.
Andrea Vigneaux (now a sophomore) wrote about imagery in Jamaica
Kincaid’s Annie John and made several of us in the Alumni Relations Office
want to read the novel with a closer eye.
Clasping Love: An Analysis of Hand Imagery in
Jamaica Kincaid’s Annie John
By Andrea Vigneaux ’09
I
n the coming-of-age novel Annie John, author Jamaica Kincaid uses
images of hands to develop the theme of mother/daughter relationships. In the beginning of the novel, the title character, Annie John, is
10 years old. When a child is 10 years old, she relies on her mother for
food, comfort, and a hand to hold. Hand holding is not only a way for a
mother and a daughter to show their love, but also a way for a mother to
be a secure base for her daughter.
Early in the novel, Kincaid focuses on the sensual aspects of their relationship, but as the novel progresses it is clear that there is limited physical
contact between mother and daughter. Kincaid pointedly describes the
sensual attention Annie receives from her mother when she is young. She
describes her mother bathing her, touching her, and kissing her. When this
affection dwindles, it is clear to the reader that when the mother withholds
her tender affection for Annie, their relationship deteriorates.
Kincaid uses Annie’s mother’s hands as a way to dramatize how conflict
emerges in the mother/daughter relationship. Annie shows disdain for the
mother’s hands after a baby dies in them: “I could not bear to have my
mother caress me or touch my food or help me with my bath. I especially
couldn’t bear the sight of her hands lying still in her lap” (6). Because Annie
knows that her mother’s hands have held a death, Annie shows increasing
worry that her mother’s hands can no longer hold her life. While death is a
prominent theme in the novel, it also serves as a metaphor for the end of the
dependence of a child on her mother.
When Annie is 12, she receives a best student certificate. She runs
home to tell her mother, hoping that their damaged relationship can be
improved, and that her mother will be proud of her, but instead she has a
disturbing encounter with one of her mother’s hands:
Then I heard the sounds coming from the direction of my
parents’ room. My mother must be in there, I thought.
When I got to the door, I could see that my mother and
father were lying in their bed. It didn’t interest me what they
were doing—only that my mother’s hand was on the small
of my father’s back and it was making a circular motion. But
her hand! It was white and bony as if it had long been dead
and had been left out in the elements. It seemed not to be
her hand, and yet it could only be her hand, so well did I
14
Spring 2007
Andrea. (Sparks)
know it. It went around and around in the same circular
motion, and I looked at it as if I would never see anything
else in my life again. If I were to forget everything else in the
world, I could not forget her hand as it looked then. (30)
Annie has walked in on her mother and her father in the act of making
love. For many children, this is a shattering moment. It appears that Annie
and her mother’s relationship becomes increasingly strained when sexuality
comes into the picture. Annie is now at the age in which she will be entering puberty and she can begin to understand not only herself, but others,
as sexual beings. When Annie sees her parents in a sexual act, she cannot
take her eyes away from her mother’s hands. She sees that the hands that
care for her and do motherly things for her are the same hands that satisfy
her father’s sexual needs. Annie now views her mother’s hands as something “dirty,” not hands that will be able to soothe her.
After this incident, there is an altercation between Annie and her mother
in which Annie shows disdain for her mother:
From the back, she looked small and funny. She carried her
hands limp at her sides. I was sure I could never let those
hands touch me again; I was sure I could never let her kiss
me again. All that was finished. (32)
Annie’s mother’s hands, limp at her side, communicate a defeatist attitude. It is as if Annie’s mother is aware that the circling hand incident had
changed the relationship between herself and her daughter. The circling
hand incident begins Annie’s sexual education from her mother.
Annie’s mother does not discuss Annie’s changing body with her.
Instead, her mother helps Annie form an opinion of intercourse as indecent through her jabs at Annie’s behavior. One afternoon Annie has a
brief conversation with four boys on the street, and her mother’s
response to her behavior is surprisingly hostile. Annie’s mother insults
her daughter by repeating the French-patois word for “slut” in response
to her daughter’s interaction with the young men. As her mother goes
on with even more degrading remarks, Annie quips, “Well, like father
like son, like mother like daughter” (102). Annie’s view of sexuality has
been marred by her mother’s skewed view and her mother’s inability to
discuss sexuality in a healthy way.
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Through Annie’s puberty, the quality of her relationship with her mother
continues to deteriorate. The affection they showered each other with in the
earlier years is gone. Annie and her mother’s relationship never returns to the
way it once was, but I believe the ending of the novel shows an improvement. Although many readers view Annie and her mother’s goodbye as
something dark, I cannot see it in that way. Their relationship becomes what
most mature mother/daughter relationships become, a more detached love.
When Annie is 17, she is getting ready to board a boat, and once more
the symbolism of her mother’s hands comes into her description:
I was seated in the launch between my parents, and when I
realized I was gripping their hands tightly I glanced quickly to
see if they were looking at me with scorn, for I felt sure that
they must have known of my never-see-this-again feelings. But
instead my father kissed me on the forehead and my mother
kissed me on the mouth, and they both gave over their hands
to me, so that I could grip them as much as I wanted. (146)
Some argue that the goodbye is full of negativity. Some readers will
point to sentences such as, “We looked at each other for a long time with
smiles on our faces, but I know the opposite of that was in my heart”
(147), to prove that Annie still holds animosity toward her mother. For
me, reading in between the lines, I find Annie’s true feelings. In this scene,
Annie once again secures her mother’s hands, or her mother’s love. The
hands no longer symbolize what is dead between the two women, but
what had always been there. Their relationship, though it seemed marred,
needed to grow, needed to mature just as 10-year-old Annie had to mature
C A M P U S
into a woman. Annie’s memory of her mother’s hands as they ride in the
boat leads me to believe that their goodbye is a loving one.
It’s true that in the novel’s conclusion, Kincaid’s word choice leaves much
that is ambiguous in the goodbye scene. As her mother holds her daughter
tight, Annie says that she must “drag herself away.” But a person does not
need to drag herself away from something she hates. The word “drag”
implies that it was hard to leave her mother. Her mother’s words of love
“raked across her skin” not because Annie feels they are harmful or untrue,
but perhaps because she wants to hear them more than she is able to admit.
After Annie is left alone on the ship, instead of retreating to her cabin, she
goes to the deck to wave goodbye to the people she is leaving behind.
Describing this final scene between mother and daughter, Kincaid writes:
From the deck, I could not see my father, but I could see my
mother facing the ship, her eyes searching to pick me out. I
removed from my bag a red cotton handkerchief that she had
earlier given me for this purpose, and I waved it wildly in the
air. Recognizing me immediately, she waved back just as wildly,
and we continued to do this until she became just a dot in the
matchbox-size launch swallowed up in the big blue sea. (148)
Just as before, mother and daughter speak to one another using hands. Their
goodbye is not the words they had exchanged on the ship, nor was it the feelings
they held about the words. Both mother and daughter are now women, and
because of this, both sets of hands are used equally in the passage. Annie and her
mother both are waving wildly, which shows an equality in their relationship
that had not been there in the middle of the novel.
Jumpstart Collaboration Receives 2007
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award
J
umpstart Boston at Wheelock, which
recruits and trains students to be
mentors to local preschoolers from
low-income communities, has been hugely
successful under the leadership of Kendra
Dome ’05 MS, the program’s on-campus
site manager—and people are noticing!
The Wheelock College/Northeastern University/Suffolk University collaborative, in
partnership with Jumpstart’s Roxbury
School Readiness for All Initiative, has
been awarded the Commonwealth’s 2007
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership
Award for Campus-Community Collaboration. Congratulations are in order for the
good work well done!
Jumpstart reception in
President Jenkin-Scott’s home
Wheelock Magazine
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C A M P U S
Student Child Life
Organization Recognized
I
n March, the Public Relations Committee of the national
Child Life Council awarded prizes in their “Child Life Month:
Imagine the Possibilities” contest to our on-campus Wheelock
Child Life Organization (WCLO). Micaela Francis, president of
the student club, shared the exciting news that the WCLO’s growing strength and the “numerous terrific ideas” it generated to celebrate Child Life Month are being recognized at the professional
level. Excellent!
More Great News
from Athletics
O
ur Wildcats field hockey team qualified
for the 2006-2007 National Field
Hockey Coaches Association (MFHCA)
Division III National Academic Team award!
Additionally, nine team members were
named to the NFHCA Division III National
Academic Squad: Amanda Beaupre, Jill Chaffee,
Jacqui Daly, Kim Ganley, Kayla Gillespie,
Michelle Herbert, Becky Pultman, Lauren
Tavares, and Lauren Widing!
Great job, Wildcats! Great job, coach Shannon
Roberts! Great job, Diana Cutaia, director of
Athletics, Recreation and Wellness!
Congrats to Cats!
From spring training to sweeping a thrilling final
doubleheader in April against Castleton State
and Johnson State, the Wildcats softball team
had an excellent season.
Thumbs up to them and to all the Wheelock
players and coaches who made it a successful
Wheelock athletics school year in which every
Wildcat varsity team met or exceeded last year’s
win totals!
And extra thanks go out from Cutaia to the
many new faces seen on the playing field sidelines, record numbers of fans at big games, and
the tremendous outpouring of support for the
Wildcats fundraiser. “It was a great year,” she
said. “And next year will be even better!
16
Spring 2007
*Wheelock Spring
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RESOURCES
Helping Our Children Deal
with Violent World Events
Reported in the News
V
iolent events are constantly streaming into children’s lives, overflowing
from television and radio news broadcasts and special reports directed
at adults. What can we do to help children deal with what they hear
and reduce the negative effects?
After the April events at Virginia Tech, Diane Levin’69MS, professor
of early childhood and a national expert on violence in the media, e-mailed
our on-campus community with suggestions adapted from the second
edition of her book Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a
Peaceable Classroom (Cambridge, MA: Educators for Social Responsibility
and Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young
Children, 2003).
1. Protect children, especially young children, as much as possible from exposure to news violence on the TV and radio
or from hearing adults talk about it. While it’s rarely possible
to protect children fully from news violence, having safety and security predominate is still vital for healthy development.
2. Stay connected—trusted adults have a vital role to play
helping children sort out what they hear and assuring
them that they are safe. When children are exposed to violence in
the media, they need trusted adults to help them safely work out their ideas,
often over an extended period of time. The way you react plays a big role in
determining how children think and feel. Let them know you are there to
help them work out what they hear.
3. Base what you say on the age, understandings, and
concerns of the children.
• Young children won’t understand violence as adults do.
When young children hear about something scary, they often relate it to
themselves and worry about their own safety. They tend to focus on one
thing at a time and the most salient aspects of what they see. Because they
don’t have logical causal thinking, it’s hard for them to figure out the logic
of what happened and why, or sort out what’s pretend or real. Young children relate what they hear to what they already know, which leads to misunderstandings. “Mommy works in a skyscraper; it can blow up too!” or
“My cousin goes to college, maybe there’s a shooter there!”
• Older children begin to think about what underlies an event
and the possible real-world implications of what they hear.
Older children use more accurate language and make logical causal connections, but they still don’t understand all the meanings and can develop misunderstandings and fears. Find out about the meanings behind older
children’s language, and base your responses on what they seem to know
and be asking.
Helping Children of Parents in the Military Reserve
M
any of our alumni are in daily contact with children who
have had a parent in the Military Reserve called up for
active duty in a war zone. Diane Levin, professor of early childhood, is also co-author of a guide, endorsed by the American
Academy of Pediatrics, that can be of help: the ‘So Far’ Guide for
Helping Children and Youth Cope with the Deployment of a Parent
in the Military Reserves. Download it at http://www.pcfine.org/
sofarandguard/#children_youth_pamphlet.
4. Start by finding out what children know. If a child raises the
issue, ask, “What have you heard about that?” If you initiate a conversation,
start with, “Have you heard anything about a plane crash (or bombs)?
What did you hear?”
5. Answer questions and clear up misconceptions that worry
or confuse. You don’t need to provide the full story. Just tell children
what they seem to want to know. Don’t worry about giving “right
answers” or if children have ideas that don’t agree with yours. Acknowledging that real people got hurt can help children learn to distinguish
real from pretend violence. So can calmly voicing your own sadness
and concern.
6. Support children’s efforts to use play, art, and writing to work
out an understanding of scary things they see and hear in the
media. It’s normal for children to do this in an ongoing way; it helps
them work out ideas and feelings; and it shows you what they know
and worry about. Open-ended (versus highly structured) play materials—blocks, airplanes, emergency vehicles, markers, and paper—help
children with this.
7. Be on the lookout for signs of stress. Changes in behavior such
as increased aggression or withdrawal, difficulty separating or sleeping,
or troubles at transition times are all signs that additional supports are
needed. Protecting children from violent media images, maintaining
routines, and providing reassurance and extra hugs can help children
regain equilibrium.
8. Help children learn alternatives to the harmful lessons
they may be learning about violence and prejudice.
Talk about nonviolent ways to solve conflicts in their own lives. Help them
to look at different points of view in conflicts. Point to positive experiences
with people different from themselves. Try to complicate their thinking
rather than tell them how to think.
9. Discuss what adults are doing to make the situation better
and what children can do to help. Children can feel secure when
they see adults working to keep the world safe. And taking meaningful
action steps themselves also helps children to feel more in control.
10. Talk with other adults. Work together to support each other’s efforts
to create a safe environment for children. This includes agreeing to protect
children from unnecessary exposure to violence in the news. Talking
together can also help adults meet their own personal needs.
Wheelock Magazine
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RESOURCES
OFF THE SHELF
Summer Reads
Astrid and Veronika (2007) by Linda Olsson
Instructor in National and Regional Programs Nancy Webster recommends this novel by a rising New Zealand talent that shows two women, a
young novelist and her elderly neighbor, recovering from tragic pasts in the
stark landscape of a quiet Swedish hamlet.
Mountains Beyond Mountains: Healing the World:
The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer (2003) by Tracy Kidder
IN THE LIBRARY
Lifelong Learning Resources
Associate Vice President for Academic Resources and Library Director Albie Johnson suggests this selected bibliography of books (which
can be borrowed from the College Library if you live in the Boston area)
and websites to enrich your lifelong learning process.
Books
Dychtwald, Ken and Daniel J. Kadlec. The Power Years: A User’s Guide to
the Rest of Your Life. Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press, 2006.
Gross, Ronald. Peak Learning: How to Create Your Own Lifelong Education Program for Personal Enlightenment and Professional Success. New
York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1991.
Hatton, Sara Day. Teaching by Heart: The Foxfire Interviews. New York:
Teachers College Press, 2005.
Hayes, Charles D. Beyond the American Dream: Lifelong Learning and the
Search for Meaning in a Postmodern World. Wasilla, AK: Autodidactic
Press, 1998.
Hayes, Charles D. The Rapture of Maturity: A Legacy of Lifelong Learning.
Wasilla, AK: Autodidactic Press, 2004.
Sutherland, Peter and Jim Crowther, eds. Lifelong Learning: Concepts and
Contexts. New York: Routledge, 2006.
Websites
http://www.elderhostel.org/Ein/map_usca.asp
Lifelong Learning Institutes span North America with programs
examining the events that define our history, the landscapes that
shape our lives, and the arts and sciences that capture our imaginations. Elderhostel’s website is a place to find institutes in locations of
interest to you.
http://www.alirow.org/
ALIROW, the Association for Learning in Retirement Organizations
of the West, is an umbrella organization of senior adult learning communities in the western United States and Canada. Members share
information and experiences about learning systems for “third age
learners” and continually improve their communities through connections among LIRs (learning in retirement organizations).
http://www.usm.maine.edu/olli/national/links.jsp
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s National Resource Center has
collected links to numerous organizations and websites that offer
information and resources to those interested in lifelong learning.
18
Spring 2007
Associate Director of Field Experience Carolyn Tidwell suggests this
novel selected by Wheelock’s Book Club as its spring read and by faculty as
the summer reading book for students entering Wheelock in the fall.
The Women Who Raised Me (2007) by Victoria Rowell
By now, you may already have read Victoria Rowell’s memoir, The Women
Who Raised Me, which came out in time for Mother’s Day and immediately hit the New York Times Best Seller list—but we’ll recommend it too,
just in case it got by you! Rowell is a theater, television, and feature film
actor who has been twice nominated for an Emmy and is the recipient of
11 NAACP Image Awards, not to mention a visiting scholar at Wheelock
and recipient of an honorary degree from the College in 2006.
Rowell was born a
ward of the state in Portland, ME, and raised to
age 18 by a series of
adoptive and foster care
mothers, grandmothers,
aunts, sisters, teachers,
mentors, social workers,
and personal champions.
Her story is a wonderful
tribute to the women
who helped to shape
Rowell into the successful mother, professional,
Rowell returns to Wheelock for a reading and book signing, as prom- and philanthropist she
ised last year before The Women Who Raised Me was published.
is today.
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from
Nature-Deficit Disorder (2005) by Richard Louv
Richard Louv will be the keynote speaker at the Nov. 3 Wheelock College/
Mass Audubon conference, Connecting Children and Nature, so summer is
a good time to read his book describing children’s diminishing contact
with the natural world and what we can do about it. Louv, a columnist for
the San Diego Union-Tribune and founder of the Web site Connect for
Kids, writes that kids are being kept indoors by a perceived lack of time;
fears of strangers, bugs, and even dirt; and a preoccupation with computers
and television. His summary of the costs of staying inside is striking: too
many children are dependent on Ritalin, stressed, overweight, and
deprived of firsthand enjoyment and use of all of the senses to take in the
real world, instead of just vision and sound to take in a recreated world
(via video and headphones). Louv cites ideas that counter the trend, such
as the Helsinki method of sending elementary school kids outside every 45
minutes to "let off steam."
*Wheelock Spring
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RESOURCES
WWW RESOURCES
Faculty Recommended Web Sites
Wheelock faculty members recommend these
professional development websites and electronic
resources that can be quickly and easily downloaded for free.
Assistant Professor of Biology Ellen Faszewski
and Dean Martin ’03MS suggest three sites offering free resources for teachers.
• www.nap.edu
(The National Academies Press)
This is a good site for science teachers to go to
for definitive information on everything from
space science to animal nutrition. NAP publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide
range of topics in science, engineering, and
health. It offers online book ordering and many
titles in electronic Adobe PDF format. Hundreds of these books can be downloaded for
free by the chapter or the entire book, while
others are available for purchase.
• www.learner.org
(Annenberg Media Teacher Professional
Development)
Learner.org Annenberg Media provides professional development programming for K-12
teachers free through their satellite channel and
Video on Demand programs. Annenberg
Media uses the Internet as well as hard copy
media to broadly distribute multimedia
resources to as many teachers as possible to
assist them in understanding their subjects and
improving their teaching practice. Annenberg
Media is a unit of the Annenberg Foundation,
whose mission is to advance excellent teaching
in all disciplines throughout American K-12
schools.
• www.ed.gov/free
(Federal Resources for Educational Excellence)
Thirteen new learning resources in science and
technology have been added to the Federal
Resources for Educational Excellence Web site,
making it easier to find free teaching resources
provided by the government.
Professor of Education Susan Harris-Sharples
I suggest connecting to www.reading.org, which is
the International Reading Association Web site
and to www.massreading.org, which is the Massachusetts Reading Association Web site. Both are
good resources for students and alumni.
Associate Professor of Education in the Department of Language and Literacy Lowry Hemphill
The National Council of Teachers of English,
the International Reading Association, and the
Verizon Foundation jointly sponsor a Web site at
www.readwritethink.org. It has great language
arts lesson plans linked to research, children’s literature, and nonfiction.
Associate Professor of Human Development
Petra Hesse
All of these organizations have great resources you
can download. You can also sign up for their e-mail
lists and newsletters.
• Web sites about the media and media literacy
education:
www.amlainfo.org
(Alliance for a Media Literate America)
www.kff.org
(Kaiser Family Foundation)
http://medialit.med.sc.edu
(Media Literacy Clearinghouse)
• Web sites about child development in contemporary U.S. and world society:
www.fcd-us.org
(Foundation for Child Development)
www.nccp.org
(National Center for Children in Poverty)
www.unesco.org (UNESCO)
www.unicef.org (UNICEF)
• A Web site with resources about children’s socialemotional development and education:
www.casel.org (The Collaborative for Academic,
Social, and Emotional Learning)
Professor of Education Diane Levin ’69MS
I thought alumni would like to know about three
PBS Web sites for which I have been senior adviser.
Two are new, and the third has been up since the
war against Iraq but was revised in 2005 to be
more generic.
• For Parents:
How to Raise a Kid Who Cares
www.pbs.org/opb/thenewheroes/parents
PBS Parents Guide to Going to School
www.pbs.org/parents/goingtoschool
Talking with Kids about War and Violence
www.pbs.org/parents/talkingwithkids/war
I have also been working on a new publication
called The ‘So Far’ Guide for Helping Children and
Globe
artwork
Youth Cope with the Deployment of a Parent in the
Military Reserves. I co-wrote it with Carol Daynard,
the former assistant superintendent of schools in
Newton. It is currently available at www.pcfine.org.
Or, to have the PDF file e-mailed, contact Alice
Rapkin, our administrator, at pine@analysis.com.
Associate Professor of Social Work Yvonne Ruiz
I suggest the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee
Advocacy Coalition (MIRA Coalition) Web site at
www.miracoalition.org. This Web site has lots of
information, recent news, and policy information,
all of which are relevant to the spotlight on immigration reform.
Assistant Professor of Social Work Hope
Haslam Straughan
The National Center for Children in Poverty at
www.nccp.org is an excellent resource for current
information about the effects of poverty on children.
For families touched by adoption, there are creative
and support services at the Web site of the Center
For Family Connections in Cambridge, MA:
www.kinnect.org.
FAMILY (Fathers And Mothers, Infants, eLders, and
Youth), a nonprofit organization and partner of the
Division of Social Work which is committed to
transforming the lives of children and families by
creating supportive and justice-based systems, can be
reached at www.familysystem.net.
BOSTON
Website Resources
for Educators
A number of organizations in the Boston area
have websites with resources for teachers.
Check out:
• PBS/WGBH (http://www.pbs.org/teachers/),
• the Museum of Science
(http://www.mos.org/educators), and
• the Wright Center for Science Education at
Tufts University
(http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/).
In addition, the Boston Public Library is now
hosting a “SchoolRooms” website with resources
for K-12 teachers (go to http://www.bpl.org/ and
hit BPL SchoolRooms.
Wheelock Magazine
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RESOURCES
Person with
disabilities
talking with a
student
Be yourself and relax!
It’s important to remember that you are not working with disabilities; you
are working with people who happen to do things differently from you.
Use common sense.
People with disabilities want to be treated the same way everyone else is
treated. A person is a person first. The disability comes second.
Don’t be patronizing.
Show the person the same respect that you expect to receive from others.
Treat adults as adults.
Be considerate and patient.
Anticipate what the person’s needs might be and offer assistance when possible. Be patient if the person requires more time to communicate, to walk,
or to accomplish various tasks.
Be patient with yourself.
DISABILITY 101:
What Do You Do After
You Say Hello?
I
n the winter issue of Wheelock Magazine, we noted an upcoming
workshop about using appropriate conduct when interacting with
people who have obvious disabilities. At this excellent spring semester presentation by Paul Hastings, director of Academic Assistance
and Disability Services, and Jody Steiner, coordinator of the Access
Program at Wheelock Family Theatre, we learned some “best practices” (adapted from the Iowa Protection and Advocacy Services, Inc.,
2006) that increase everyone’s comfort level. We pass them on to you as
an opportunity to stop wondering and learn!
FAST FACTS
Child Life
The American Academy of Pediatricians noted in September 2006:
“Child life services may help to contain costs by reducing hospital length
of stay and decreasing the need for analgesics. . . . It remains essential for
child life specialists to adapt and grow with the changing health care system in support of the emotional well-being of children and families.”
Media
• The Media Education Foundation reports that the average American
child sees 200,000 violent acts on TV by age 18 and advises that the
media’s “tough guy” male image normalizes violence.
• About-Face (www.about-face.org), an organization that promotes positive self-esteem in girls and women of all ages, notes that the number
one “magic wish” of girls 11 to 17 is to be thinner.
• Kaiser Family Foundation research has found that three out of
four teens say that the portrayal of sex on TV influences the sexual
behavior of kids their age. One in four admits it influences his or
her own behavior.
Environment
Every day, 50 to 100 species of plants and animals become extinct as
their habitat and human influences destroy them.
20
Spring 2007
Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself to know everything and to
do everything “right.” Do not be embarrassed if you find yourself doing
or saying the wrong thing. Remember, the person with a disability is
usually aware of and sensitive to your discomfort and your good intentions in the situation.
Don’t be afraid to offer assistance.
If the person looks as if they need assistance, ask if there is something you
can do. Do not automatically give help unless the person clearly needs it or
has asked for it.
Communicate directly.
Remember that some people with disabilities may have an assistant, interpreter, or companion with them. It’s important to always look and speak
to the person with a disability directly rather than to his/her companion.
Respect privacy.
Refrain from asking questions that would otherwise be inappropriate to ask
of any person, such as those related to medical conditions or private life.
Stonewall Lifelong
Learning Institute
L
ifelong Learning Institutes (LLIs) are not new on college campuses,
especially the shorter summer sessions for working or retired adults
over 50 who share a passion for learning. What is new is the first
Stonewall Communities Lifelong Learning Institute that was held at
Wheelock during the spring, an eight-week session of courses designed by
and for the GLBT community—the first such institute in the nation.
There are more than 28,000 older GLBT residents in the Boston
area, and Wheelock will soon have Stonewall Audubon Circle, a condominium community for GLBTs, as a new neighbor on the Fenway.
Through a partnership with Wheelock, Stonewall Community LLI
will continue to present educational programs that are open to the
public and include topics in music and arts, literature and film, history and current events, science and technology, and religion and psychology.
“Wheelock College is very much focused on creating innovative
learning communities for diverse groups of people of all ages, and the
Stonewall LLI is a wonderful example of that,” said Suzanne Pasch,
provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, when announcing
the program.
*Wheelock Spring
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In the Wilds of
Wheelock—
Learning to Teach
Urban Environmental Ed.
by Sara Levine,Instructor in Science
T
he day I was offered an adjunct faculty position at Wheelock College, I was elated, but this emotion
shortly gave way to trepidation. The class was titled Introduction to Plants and Animals, and as a
veterinarian and self-taught naturalist, I was a good fit. I’d been teaching hands-on environmental
education classes to children for 15 years and had hoped someday to have the opportunity to work with
adults. And here it was. But with a catch—I had to teach it in the center of Boston.
It’s not as though I hadn’t taught biology in urban settings before. Even the most concrete-covered playground has a crack in which a colony of ants might reside. Every school yard has, if not a rock, then at least
a stray brick one might lift to discover earthworms, sow bugs, millipedes, and an occasional mollusk. Plus,
there is much to be learned from rock doves (the respectable name for pigeons) and squirrels. I just worried
about my ability to interest a group of 18-year-olds taking the class to fulfill a requirement. Those
who are 7 and still have their curiosity about the natural world untainted for the most part by outside forces
are an easier crowd to capture and please. I could not imagine a first-year college student lifting a rotting
piece of plywood and exclaiming, “Look! It’s a slug!”
I came to the first class armed with a jar full of wildflowers and some well-meaning ideas.
“What’s your favorite plant and animal?” I asked as an icebreaker. They looked at me. I made them go
around. Over a half of them said, “A puppy,” and all named a beautiful flower, one that might appear in a
conventional bouquet. I told them one of my favorite flowers is called jewelweed and pointed to the now
limp, pale green weeds with their sagging yellow flowers in my jar. “Look,” I said. “When you touch the
seed pods, they explode to disperse the seeds.” Mild interest. But when I pressed my fingers on either side
of a tiny pod, the seeds simply fell out into my hand. Jewelweed, it turns out, does not take well to being
cut and placed in a jar of water.
The class went downhill from there, the lowest point being when I tried to remind them to wear suitable
footwear to the next class as we would be going outside. “Don’t wear thongs,” I said, pointing to one
woman’s flip-flops, forgetting for the moment that this particular type of shoe hasn’t been called by this name
since the 1980s. No one laughed.
During the next class, I pointed out the usual wildlife highlights on campus: the spherical, leaf-laden
squirrel nests in the trees by the parking lot; differences between the male and female house sparrows; how to
tell an oak tree from a maple. They were polite, but slightly bored. One woman was wearing high heels. I
complimented her on her agility (and meant it). I’m teaching younger versions of my sister, I thought to myself.
My sister is a child therapist who would rather shop for clothing than hike in the woods behind her home.
When we arrived at the edge of the river, I drew their attention to the patch of jewelweed growing there.
“Anyone recognize this plant?” I asked. No one wanted to step closer into the mud. But when I touched one
of the pods and it exploded as ripe jewelweed does and should, someone said, “Cool.” Suddenly they were all
“Anyone recognize this plant?”
I asked. No one wanted to step
closer into the mud. But when
I touched one of the pods and
it exploded as ripe jewelweed
does and should, someone said,
“Cool.” Suddenly they were all
there, popping the seed pods
and screaming out. “This is the
coolest thing I’ve seen all day,”
I overheard. Finally I had
their attention.
Wheelock Magazine
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Who’s On Campus?
VERTEBRATES
Birds
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynos)
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
American Robin (Turdus migratoris)
Black-Capped Chickadee (Parus atricapullus)
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Mallard (Anas platyrhychos)
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Red-Bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)
Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
Tufted Titmouse (Parus bicolor)
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
Mammals
Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)
Reptiles
Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
Fish
Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Amphibians
None sighted
there, popping the seed pods and screaming out. “This is the coolest
thing I’ve seen all day,” I overheard. Finally I had their attention.
The class picked up from there, and my confidence and comfort teaching
college students grew alongside their interest in the topic. This was a great relief but did not surprise me.
What did surprise me was the diversity of wildlife we actually ended up seeing on campus. Swimming
alongside the mallards, black ducks, and Canada geese on the Muddy River, there were other, rarer species
of waterfowl, such as wood ducks and hooded mergansers. I began to keep a list that was formally taken
over by the Animal Behavior class I’m teaching this [spring] semester. We observed a great blue heron
feeding on the edge of the river on many days in late January, a painted turtle sunning itself in April.
Perhaps our most intriguing finding was a discovery the class made after a snowstorm. We were
identifying the common animal tracks on campus—those made by dogs, squirrels, birds, and the
occasional rat. We were stumped when we came to a rather large hole by a tree near the river. The
tracks around the opening appeared unlike others I know well. Some of the footprints had five digits
and others, perhaps, only four.
The students returned to measure the diameter of the hole that week and turned to their field
guides for information to form a hypothesis on what kind of animal might inhabit the burrow.
Based on the diameter of the hole (5 inches) and the track marks, the majority of students concluded
that signs pointed most to the muskrat. While I agreed that the evidence did lead most strongly to
this hypothesis, I had reservations. Muskrats eat mostly cattails and bulrushes, and I saw no evidence
of either plant in the vicinity.
But then, a few weeks later, while crossing the river to observe the pair of turkeys who reside on the
Brookline campus, we sighted a small football-sized brown mammal swimming under the bridge, its ratlike tail trailing behind: a muskrat. We have since located a group of what appear to be interconnecting
muskrat tunnels with outlet holes by the edge of the river.
Our wildlife studies are ongoing. I feel lucky now both to work with such a kind and engaging
group of students and to be on a campus where, in terms of wildlife population, there remains much
to be discovered.
Wild Turkey—Doin’ the Hawes Street Strut
S
taff at 43 Hawes St. on the Brookline campus were at their windows closely
monitoring “The Turkeys” during March, high mating season for the
Meleagris gallopavo. Mornings and late afternoons, our turkey guy could be
seen in full strut, doing a rhythmic courtship dance of posturing designed to delight
his object of desire (shown here with back turned to his fanned tail presentation).
Inside Hawes, hearts were set on a spring clutch of 10 to 12 poults, aka
“turklettes.” Staff concluded turkey gal was not disinterested but, instead, was
getting down to the business of searching for a nest site (an appropriately shallow
dirt depression, surrounded by moderately woody vegetation that conceals the
nest, and not at all like the concrete steps she is climbing in the photo). At press
time, the pair was nowhere to be seen. Shhhhhh . . .
*Wheelock Spring
6/5/07
12:09 AM
Page 23
Kate’s camp shelters
keep birders out of the
rain and mud.
Kate Jordan Wallace ’79MS—
Award-winning Conservationist
K
ate Jordan Wallace ’79MS left her
work as a teacher and naturalist
with the Massachusetts Audubon
Society in 1994 to serve as a Peace
Corps educational volunteer in the
Dominican Republic. The island country’s range
of topography—it has the highest mountain in
the Caribbean and a lake that are below sea
level—fascinated her. Immersed in a natural environment teeming with interesting new flora and
fauna, Kate joined a group of birders exploring
the wild areas of the country and was soon deep
into learning about the 31 varieties of endemic
birds, many of them in danger of extinction.
Three years later, Kate had become an expert
on the subject and began the first guided tours
out of Santo Domingo for birders and ornithologists. She is an active and popular guide now
with Tody Tours (todytours.com), taking birders
on regular treks into the Sierra de Bahoruco.
“Almost all of the people I guide are serious
bird-watchers with lists of species they want to
see,” said Kate. “They’ve been all over the world
and they come here to see what’s native to the
Dominican Republic.”
Kate is also a national leader in wetlands conservation and coordinates the Yaguaza Project.
“The Yaguaza, also known as the West Indian
Whistling Duck, is a regionally endemic bird
threatened by extinction because of loss of its
wetlands habitat, overhunting, and predation by
rats and mongoose,” Kate explained. “We are
one of the few islands where breeding populations still exist. The Yaguaza is the emblematic
bird for the Society for the Conservation and
Study of Caribbean Birds Wetlands Education
Project, which is trying to reverse the decline of
the bird and the continuing loss of its habitat
throughout the Caribbean.
Kate initially came to the Dominican Republic to teach, and she is
continuing to do that through
her wetlands conservation
work. “The Society provides
teachers and educators with
materials to raise public
awareness of and appreciation
for the value of local wetlands.
The Dominican Republic spends
very, very little money on education,” she noted. “Less than 2 percent
of the population has had exposure to any natural science education, and what there is in the
textbooks is quite feeble. Many people don’t
know what the word ‘habitat’ means.”
In addition to guiding, conservation, and
education, Kate is involved in economic development, creating a project that will draw tourists
to a local community adjacent to a national park
and within the boundaries of a UNESCO Biosphere. “Some funding for the projects comes
from the U.N. Development Fund, which gives
small funds to communities to start projects that
will contribute to a local economy,” Kate
explained. “Right now, we’re building a campsite
for birding tours that, when finished, will be
managed by the local people. There’s incentive
for birders to use the sites because staying at the
resorts means they have to get up at 2 in the
morning to get to the mountains in time for
early [5:30 a.m.] bird-watching.”
To say that Kate is engaged in purposeful
activity understates her energy and commitment
to her home environment. In 2006, she received
a U.S. Embassy award for her service to communities and conservation in the Dominican Republic. She’s a member of Society for the
Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds and
vice president of Sociedad Ornitológica de la Hispaniola, an organization partnering with the
National Aviary in Pittsburgh
to develop a research and education center adjacent to her
campground. “Much of our
research now is focused on the
Ridgeway Hawk, of which there
are only 180 left in the world,”
said Kate. “We need researchers to
come to this country. The birds are
understudied, and it’s hard to say we need to protect their environment unless we have the necessary data on their population and habitats.”
Is global warming endangering the birds? That
is the theme of the SCSCB Endemic Bird Festival
this year, “Our climate is always warm, so changes
are not so obvious—we don’t have the radical
storms or changes in temperature. But ultimately
it will affect the whole world.”
Kate remembers a “wonderful lab at Wheelock” with the
well-known environmental educator Neal Jorgensen.
Wheelock Magazine
23
*Wheelock Spring
6/5/07
12:09 AM
Page 24
Together in Italy—We know we’ll be back!
Alumni Journey to Reggio Emilia, Italy—
Birthplace of a Renowned Approach to
Early Childhood Education
by Kyla McSweeney ’94/’97MS, Associate Director of Alumni Relations
A
s I walked into the Arcobaleno
Infant-Toddler Center in Reggio
Emilia, Italy, all I could think of
was, “I cannot believe I am actually in a Reggio Emilia early
childhood program.” I began studying the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education
as a student at Wheelock in the early 1990s. We
studied the key elements of municipal early education systems, including: children as the protagonists of their own learning; giving priority to
process rather than product; emphasizing projectbased learning which crosses subjects instead of
compartmentalizing them; promoting discussion
among children, teachers, and parents; and professional development of teachers.
The municipality of Reggio Emilia began a
system of early education programs in 1963
with the creation of the first preschool for children aged 3 to 6 years. The system developed in
response to a powerful women’s movement in
the city that began at the end of the Second
World War and sought to municipalize the programs for young children. These women, along
with the citizens of the city, teachers, parents,
school administrators, and a local resident, Loris
Malaguzzi, began an approach to early education that has become world renowned.
24
Spring 2007
In April, some 13 years after I began studying the Reggio Emilia approach, I traveled to
Reggio Emilia with a group of Wheelock students, faculty members, alumni, staff, and
friends. Our group of 63 participated in a program with Reggio Children, a public-private
organization that was developed in 1994 to
respond to the growing demand by early education professionals worldwide to study the
Reggio Emilia approach to early education. We
joined 350 individuals from various countries,
including Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand,
the United Kingdom, and Singapore, for a fourday conference. We heard lectures by some of
the founders and scholars of Reggio Emilia,
such as Carla Rinaldi and Amelia Gambetti.
We visited infant/toddler centers and preschool
programs to observe pedagogy in action. And
we explored exhibits of the children’s work at
the newly created Loris Malaguzzi International
Center, which was opened in 2004 to house the
programs of Reggio Children.
The international group was officially welcomed by the city council and mayor of Reggio
Emilia in a ceremony at Tricolore Hall, the
chambers of the city government and where the
Italian flag was created. President Jackie
Jenkins-Scott gave remarks for our Wheelock
contingent and was warmly greeted by municipal officials. President Jenkins-Scott also hosted
a reception for city officials and administrators
from Reggio Children at which there was much
political dialogue and cultural exchange over
tasty Italian fare.
Of course, our time in Italy would not have
been complete without experiencing the culture
of Reggio Emilia and its surrounding communities. We participated in a walking tour of the
city, took a daylong excursion to Florence,
visited a balsamic vinegar factory, explored the
neighboring communities of Novarella and
Correggio, and simply spent time among the
citizens of Reggio Emilia. The system of early
childhood education is uniquely tied to the
community and culture of the city, and to
understand one you must experience the other.
One Wheelock alumna echoed the thoughts
of many when she exclaimed that this trip was
“a lifelong dream come true.” The teachings,
thoughts, cultural learning, friendships, and
connections that have resulted from this trip are
invaluable and will stay with the participants
over a lifetime, I am sure—the group is already
conceiving of ways to stay connected and to
further the work begun in Reggio Emilia.
*Wheelock Spring
6/5/07
12:10 AM
Page 25
Min-Jen Wu ’00/’03MS
and graduate student
Alison Rodgers
Reggio Children did
a well-documented
project on the lions
in the main piazza.
The Reggio International Center
where we took our classes
On the train to Parma —
Sharon Febo ’99MS, Min-Jen Wu ’00/’03MS,
and Carol Sullivan-Hanley ’78
Wheelock Magazine
25
*Wheelock Spring
6/5/07
12:10 AM
Page 26
M
is for Making Music at Wheelock
T
he Wednesdays at Wheelock
Jazz Series on the Brookline
Campus concluded in April
and was quickly followed by a Wednesday afternoon music treat for kindergartners from the James J. Chittick
Elementary School in Mattapan.
Wheelock’s Alumni Association
Vice President Sandy Christison
’92MS, a teacher at Chittick, teamed
with the director of performance at
the New England Conservatory of
Music, Tanya Maggi, to organize the
event. A trio of honor students from
the Conservatory who participate in
its outreach program came to the
Brookline Campus to demonstrate
the connections between music and
story. The children were all ears and
eyes and made great observations
and some wonderful wild guesses!
For Wheelock’s April visiting scholar
Dr. Angela Luk, it was the perfect
event to add to her schedule of oncampus seminars and talks. The ini-
26
Spring 2007
tiator of Creative Kindergartens and
Day Nurseries in Hong Kong, Luk
has a special interest in the role of
music in early childhood education.
These very special musical events
are made possible by Beverly “Bev”
Simon Green’s (’50) magnificent
August Forester grand piano, given to
the College last year. Thank you
again, Bev!
Tanya Maggi and
Sandy Christison’92MS—
a great duo!
*Wheelock Spring
6/5/07
12:10 AM
Page 27
In the
Gallery
Fall 2007
Sept. 18 – Oct. 13
Reception and Tribute: DATE & TIME
Tribute of Makoto Yabe
W
heelock students were privileged to be taught by
Makoto Yabe, a world-renowned ceramics artist
who died in 2005 at the age of 58. Wheelock
Magazine published a tribute to Yabe written by
Associate Professor of Visual Arts Gregory Gomez in its Winter
2007 issue. This fall, the Towne Art Gallery will pay tribute to Yabe’s
mastery of his ceramics medium and express the College’s gratitude
for the generous spirit he shared with so many of our students and
faculty. Please join in celebrating Makoto Yabe, a wonderful teacher
and lifelong learner.
“Even though I’m in my 50s, I still feel like a student.
As people age, their perceptions change, and there are
still new things to learn, new things to explore.”
Hummingbird with Red Berries, 2006.
oil on panel. 14h x 11w inches
Fowlmere Mockingbird, 2006.
oil on panel. 14h x 11w inches
—Makoto Yabe, 2004 interview in Ceramics Monthly
Oct. 23 – Nov. 16
Artist’s Reception: Oct. 27, 2-4 p.m.
Lavish Birds
Resa Blatman
n her artist’s statement, Resa Blatman says, “My work is pursuing
the question: What is it like to be childless, yet feel and be
plentiful? . . . These forms and objects represent a kind of
human life cycle, with all of its changes and complexities.”
Blatman is a teacher at the Massachusetts College of Art, a visiting
lecturer, and a lending artist to the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln,
MA. Her work is regularly exhibited and reviewed in Massachusetts,
and is in private collections worldwide.
I
The Lavish Heronry, 2007.
oil on panel. 24h x 36w inches
Violence Transformed Exhibition
at the Statehouse
T
he Winter 2007 issue of Wheelock Magazine featured
the Life Worth Remembering exhibit of photographs
and digital art mounted in the Towne Art Gallery
to commemorate and raise awareness about victims of Boston violence. The College was honored to have this
remarkable exhibit—created by Associate Professor Ann
Tobey, Associate Professor Patricia Cedeño-Zamor, Associate
Vice President for Academic Affairs Brian Price, and Larrice
Welcome ’08—selected for a special exhibition in April at the
Massachusetts Statehouse.
The exhibition, Violence Transformed, celebrated the transformative power of art and included a special program of performances, panel discussions, interactive art making, large-scale
digital projection, video screenings, an installation, and guided
tours by its curators, who included Tobey and Price.
Good Night Heron, 2006.
oil on panel. 20h x 16w inches
Ready to Nest, 2006.
oil on panel. 20h x 16w inches
The Towne Art Gallery
Wheelock College • 180 The Riverway
Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 12-5 p.m.
Gallery Closed: Nov. xx
Contact: Erica Licea-Kane (617) 879-2219
elicea-kane@wheelock.edu
Wheelock Magazine
27
*Wheelock Spring
6/5/07
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“It’s10 o’clock. Do you know where
your children are?” It used to be that this
oft-heard intro to public service messages implied
your children weren’t at home, you didn’t know
where they were, and wherever they were and
whatever they were doing, it couldn’t be good.
Nowadays, chances are, they are in their rooms,
online, and presumably safe. But what exactly
are they up to online?
What’s Up
Online?
Read Cyber Rules
by Joanie Farley Gillispie ’72
28
Spring 2007
Grappling with the host of new social and safety issues raised by
the Internet and helping cyber-age children grow up healthy can be
overwhelming, but Joanie Farley Gillispie ’72 has some answers
and advice to offer in her just published Cyber Rules: What You Really
Need to Know About the Internet: The Essential Guide for Clinicians,
Educators, and Parents.
Joanie, a clinical psychologist in private practice in the San Francisco
Bay area, who is also a teacher, international speaker, and, now, author,
was on her way to Sydney, Australia, to present a talk at the 18th World
Congress on Sexual Health when WM caught up with her to find out
more about her book.
“Cyber Rules arose from 30 years of frustration and struggle, as a
parent of four, a teacher, clinician, and as a person knowing too many
people who are living without love or who are disenfranchised from
self and society,” Joanie said. “The Internet supports both connection
and disconnection, increased attention and impulsivity. There are chat
lines, discussion boards, and sites such as myspace.com that present
opportunities for role-playing games and trying on different identities.
These provide new ways of thinking about how we see ourselves and
portray ourselves to others, but they are not always healthy.”
Joanie’s book is intended to be a practical and comprehensive look at
how the Internet is changing us and, in particular, how it is influencing
identity formation and development in children. Keeping up with and
making sense of the social and psychological impact of the Internet and
its associated media on children are things adults need to do if they are to
help young people avoid harm online and offline, Joanie emphasized.
Cyber Rules explains how children and youth are actually using the
media. There are discussions about online gaming and violent, racist, and
sexist game content as well as about relationships that develop online—
from the fake to falling in love—and how to talk with young people
about cybersex. It tackles tricky questions, such as whether cyberspace
offers a new means of self-expression or a risky opportunity to cast off
protective inhibitions, and how to know if a child’s online activities are
problematic and negatively affecting offline behavior.
“My hope for readers of Cyber Rules,” Joanie said, “is that we can learn
to use the Internet to increase health and authentic connections with
children and adolescents rather than the other way around!”
6/5/07
12:10 AM
Page 29
This Wheelock Magazine includes Class Notes news
that was received before Feb. 28.
1928
Mary Phillips Horton’s daughter, Judy Koch, wrote
to let the Alumni Office know that Mary celebrated her
100th birthday in Dorset, VT, last summer with 18 family members. One of her gifts was the Wheelock cap she’s
wearing in the nearby photo. “As you can see,” Judy
wrote, “she’s a bright and happy lady who continues to
be a blessing to her friends and family. Mom lives in a
retirement community [in Slingerlands, NY] where she
maintains her own apartment. She follows news of
Wheelock and is disappointed there’s no news in Class
’28 (smile).”
1933
In early December, Olive Russell Frost wrote (typed!):
“I am still a resident of Dana Home [Lexington, MA],
where, between wonderful musical concerts and weekly
bridge games, I enjoy the antics of my four lively greatgrandchildren and one new great-grandbaby, Sophia, born
in October. At the moment, I am recovering from a compound fracture of my left arm and the surgery that was
needed to repair it.” Rozilla Morton Roberts enjoys
playing cards and reading at her retirement home in
Bangor, ME. She spends part of the summer at a camp at
Sebec Lake. She has four great-grandchildren.
1934
Jeanette Woodruff Fischer wrote to share that her
husband of 68 years, George, passed away last October
after a short illness. “We were blessed with his life, all the
wonderful things he did for us, and all the love and fun
we shared with him,” she and her family wrote. She
added, “I am well cared for here [Beaumont, a retirement
home in Bryn Mawr, PA] and have many friends. It was
for just such a time that we came here, and I am grateful
that we did.” Amy Murray Fismer enjoys being on
the women’s program committee at the Montclair, NJ,
YMCA and taking a walk for exercise every day. She has
five great-grandchildren.
“All is well with me, and I’m happy to be near my
family and 23 great-grandchildren,” Elizabeth Drowne
Nash wrote from Melrose, MA. “I am very proud to be a
part of Wheelock Alumnae—and to have been a teacher
of children.” Helen Canning Sims still thinks of her
time at Wheelock a lot. Hurricane Katrina forced her to
move to her son’s summer home, also in Louisiana. “I look
at the lovely trees and his Polled Hereford cows,” she
wrote. “I am able to watch movies on Turner Classics that
I had never seen before. Life has been good.”
1935
Thrilled with the Wheelock Magazine s she has received
recently, Mary Hammer Heron of Oakville, Ontario,
Canada, has enjoyed reading about Sudoku, on-campus
forums about global citizenship, the Wheelock Family
Theatre’s 25th anniversary, and dogs that help children
with their reading. “All of these laudable innovations were
unthought of 70 years ago, so they give me great pleasure
and pride in the development of Wheelock College,” she
wrote. “Miss Lucy herself would be the happiest of all of
us to see and know how far ahead her earliest ambitions
have come to be! How lucky/privileged we are to have
witnessed those growing-up times. May her spirit continue to pervade the undertakings of her well-established
school of today.” Mary is grateful for what Wheelock
taught her and for “the years of experience behind and in
front of [her] still.” She considers herself very lucky and
happy, and she cherishes her wonderful family of two
sons, one daughter, their spouses, and her eight grandchildren. She enjoys doing crossword puzzles, playing
Scrabble, and writing appeals to “V. I. Politicians.”
Elsa Van Riper Steele’s daughter Susan sent a
report for Elsa. She lives at the Inn at Robbins Brook in
Acton, MA. Husband Jacob died in October 2004 after
67 years of marriage. Elsa and Jacob had three children—
Jacob, Joan Steele Light ’64, and Susan—and there
are now six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
“Elsa has fond memories of her years at Wheelock,”
Susan wrote. “She especially remembers Lucy Wheelock
visiting her in the dormitory when she was a student in
the early ’30s.”
CLASS NOTES
*Wheelock Spring
Reunion 2007
1937
June 1,2,3
1940
C. Janet Alper Berry spends a lot of time with her
family. She is happy she moved from Nevada to Putney,
VT, five years ago because she is now very close to her
youngest daughter, and all of her five other children and
their families are somewhere in New England. She wrote
in early winter of plans to take a cruise with her family
around Christmas and then spend the rest of the winter
in California (“can’t take the cold”). Lois Burns simply
wrote that she is “still enjoying life at Brooksby Village”
in Peabody, MA. Louise Martin Klemmer and husband Werner have made their “last move” and love retirement living at Newbury Court in Concord, MA. One
daughter is in nearby Lexington, and the other hopes to
return to the area from Pittsburgh. “Health is waning but
spirits HIGH,” Louise wrote. Katherine Mara
Madigan enjoys fairly good health and recently retired
after 30 years as a trustee of the Groton, MA, Public
Library. She lives alone, but her five children are always
checking on her. Katherine enjoys seeing Louise now that
she’s in Concord.
Mary Elizabeth Piper Nielsen wrote in late
November from Hawaii, where she was helping her
daughter while she was being treated for breast cancer.
She was planning to return home to Holderness, NH,
in February. Mary Elizabeth is active as a docent at the
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center and has found
volunteering there rewarding since 1966! “It’s a wonderful place, and I’ve learned so much from my experiences there,” she wrote. She has a garden in the
summer and a small business in nursery plants each
July and August. Mary Elizabeth has lived alone since
her husband’s death in 1998, and all of her six children
are married. Faith Butterfield Wyer of Port
Charlotte, FL, continues to cope with macular degeneration but feels fortunate to have reasonably good
peripheral vision. “I enjoy my ‘talking books’ and
‘video eye equipment,’” she wrote.
Mary Phillips Horton ’28 makes 100 look terrific and celebrated last
summer in style!
Wheelock Magazine
29
*Wheelock Spring
C L A S S
6/5/07
12:10 AM
Page 30
N O T E S
Elizabeth “Betty” Crooks Morris ’42 of
1941
Lucy Parton Miller
Winifred Little Williams saw to it that the Alumni
Office got a copy of part of the eulogy that Betty
McManus Spilsbury’s son Don gave at Betty’s
memorial service. Don spoke of her “huge heart”; her
appreciation for people of all cultures and faiths; and
her love of traveling (which she passed on to her grateful children), big band music, and dancing. He vividly
remembered how she used to come up with great puzzles and games for the children during family camping
adventures. “She did her best to give her children an
appreciation for the beauty in the world and to not take
anything for granted,” he said. “She gave us very important values which served us well through life—the
importance of a good education; the value of hard work,
honesty, and sacrifice; and how important it is to treat
people with respect.”
Reunion 2007
1942-’43
June 1,2,3
Stevie Roberts Thomas
We are sorry to have to inform the class of Ellen
Hanson Josselyn’s death in late March. Her daughter,
Betsey Josselyn ’71, called the Alumni Office. Ellen
had written to the College in August of 2006 that
she was enjoying having family near her and was
keeping busy with church, her senior citizens group,
and town (Hanover, MA) affairs.
1943-’44
Alma Mathewson Hinman
Jean Sullivan Riley
Yes, we are earlier this year. We have been moved to
the Spring 2007 Wheelock Magazine. Maybe that is
why we did not hear from as many of you. Let us see
if we can have more “Hellos” next time. Here are the
latest tidbits.
Miriam Gibbs Dubuque of Cataumet, MA,
wrote: “Most of my days are spent reading a variety of
novels, reading the newspaper, or watching a selected few
TV shows. I especially like the public stations as there is an
excellent [choice] of programs. I do have some clubs to
attend like the local garden club, Bourne Women’s Club,
and a book club, and of course, I socialize with friends. I’m
quite limited as to getting around on foot as I am dependent on a cane due to lousy balance, but things could be
worse, and I’m just thankful that I can do as much as I do.
I count my blessings every day. I hope you all keep prayers
for the world continually in your thoughts.”
Lois Smith Haley is working at a thrift shop. She
likes to hear what her Wheelock friends are doing. All
her children come to the “Homestead.” They are a scattered bunch—California, Florida, and Massachusetts.
Lois says Marblehead, MA, is a lovely place to live. “The
water is right there with thousands of boats in the harbor,” she wrote.
From Chula Vista, CA, Phoebe Hayes
McGuane tells us that she keeps in touch with Ann
Dolan by mail and also saw her when she was visiting
relatives in Connecticut last year. During that visit, a
friend of her hostess’s dropped by. Guess what? She was
30
Spring 2007
North Fort Myers, FL, sent in news about a children’s
book that her niece, Billie Hancock, recently published. Billie has another connection to Wheelock
too—her husband Herb’s aunt, Esther Hancock,
was also a graduate of the College.
Special thanks to Billie for donating a copy of
her book, Lobstering with my Papa, to the Wheelock
Library. It’s a heartwarming story focusing on kindness, patience, and honest hard work that takes
place on Martha’s Vineyard and is told in the voice
of an 8-year-old boy.
Billie notes that she
wrote the book for
4- to 9-year-olds,
but that parents
and seniors will
enjoy reading it
aloud to their
youngsters and
providing opportunities to talk
with children
about times and
places past.
a Wheelock grad. Phoebe wishes she could remember
her name. She tells us that one son, retired from the
Coast Guard, lives in Hudsonville, MI; another in
Seaside, OR; and Peter and Paul live near Philadelphia.
Phoebe ended by saying, “That’s all I can remember
worth repeating! Thank goodness I remain in pretty
good health. Balboa Naval Hospital has a big listing of
my stays at various times. Best of everything to you
girls.” Jane Cooper Wyman reported an uneventful
year in Auburndale, MA. Family members are all OK.
She continues her volunteer work with the elderly and
church projects, and she plays the piano for sing-along
groups. Jane sent a special hello to all.
My co-scribe, Alma Mathewson Hinman, tells
us a little about her grandchildren. Having graduated
from RPI in May, their oldest is a bond trader in
Chicago. One granddaughter, at Tufts, is spending her
junior semester abroad in Madrid, a Spanish major. A
grandson, now a senior at Connecticut College, spent
his junior semester abroad in Cape Town, South
Africa. I agree with Alma when she comments about
the great experiences that young people are having
today. I have a great-niece who just finished her semester in Morocco. We are both glad that Wheelock takes
part in these fabulous programs. She and husband Lew
have slowed down a-plenty (haven’t we all?) but are still
active in many organizations in their little town.
As for me (Sully/Jean), I continue on the same path as
last year, with my nearby grandchildren keeping me active
and happy. I am still quilting. I have a request from my
oldest granddaughter (23-year-old Lizzie Wallo) for a
double wedding ring done in black and white. She is not
even engaged yet, but we expect it soon. All is well here,
and I wish us all a good year to come.
1945
Jean Reilly Cushing
Patty Slater Carey wrote in early January that she
had been sick for weeks but was able to entertain her
family of 24 for Thanksgiving and 14 for Christmas, and
she would go on to host the Wheelock Cape Cod Club
on Feb. 8. Natalie Alger Gorczyca is enjoying living
right on the water at West Island (Fairhaven, MA)
overlooking the Elizabeth Islands—gorgeous sunsets!
She is busy in two Red Hat groups and the Delta Kappa
Gamma Society. She has three granddaughters and a
new great-granddaughter—a delightful beautiful baby
girl named Ava. Sophy Church Hansen of Hanover,
MA, wrote that she and her twin sister have had a few
health problems. She has three grandchildren in college.
Her oldest graduated from Providence College three
years ago and is representing the (Boston) company
she worked for in Ireland for a year. Jane Rindge
MacLean has been a widow for eight years and is grateful for her 52 years of marriage to Don. She enjoys living
in Titusville, FL, with her puppy, Ginger, and getting
visits from her family. She suffers from macular degeneration, which is being cared for, and otherwise is in great
shape. Jean Patten Vallieres lives with her son Rene
Jr. and his wife in Adams, NY. She is unable to walk on
her own, but her family and caregivers give her good
care. Her grandchildren range in age from 9 to 34, and
she has five great-grandchildren. “I will always remember
the good times we had in spite of World War II,” she
wrote. Helen Small Weishaar of Upper Nyack, NY,
sent a photo of Patty Slater Carey, Maryanne Weber
Lockyer, and herself at dinner in Brewster, MA. Mary
“Polly” Davies Wolff continues to be active volunteering at the Woman’s Club of White Plains, NY, the
hospital there, and church. Her two children live in New
York and Florida. She has two grandchildren in both
places. Her husband passed away a year ago.
Husband Bill and I (Jean) live between Madison,
CT, and Vermont. Our children all live within one hour,
and we get together often. We have four grandchildren
now, the newest a girl Gretta gave birth to March 12.
Life is good!
1946
Cordelia Abendroth Flanagan
I (Cordelia) am settled in Coburg (a retirement community in Rexford, NY)—it is friendly and safe. Martha
Allen Farwell and I were talking on the phone and
both saying how much we liked our Wheelock education.
Martha said, “We learned how to listen,” and I said that
I was grateful for the breadth of the subjects of our classes
and practice teaching experiences. Just being in Boston
was broadening.
Reunion 2007
1947
June 1,2,3
The class sends condolences to Priscilla Chase
Heindel on the death of her husband, Dennis, last Nov.
29. Ann-Penn “Penny” Stearns Holton brought to
the attention of the Alumni Office a very nice obituary
written for our Muriel “Bunny” Warner Zenowich,
who passed away in late January. The obituary spoke of
Bunny’s work as a nursery school teacher and director in
New York state, where she also co-founded a parenttoddler center and taught a YMCA parent toddler group.
It also highlighted her great love of antiques and her later
work as owner of the businesses Interesting Old Things
and then, on Cape Cod, Crocker Farm Antiques. After
serving on the board of the Cape Cod Antique Dealers
Association in various positions, Bunny was inducted as
its first emeritus member shortly before her death.
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Helen Small Weishaar, Patty Slater Carey, and Maryanne Weber Lockyer (all ’45) dining out in Brewster, MA, shortly after their 60th
Reunion at Wheelock in June 2005
1948
Carol Moore
Faith Webster Peak is enjoying the “lovely, bright”
Natick, MA, apartment she moved to in June 2005,
a year after husband David passed away and their
Hyannis, MA, home became too big for her. “I volunteer, keep my mind active in Literacy Guild, and
generally enjoy being on the go,” she wrote. She feels
lucky to have one of her daughters and one grandchild
nearby in Wellesley; her other daughter is farther west
in Massachusetts. Faith is already talking about our
60th Reunion and hopes to attend.
1949
Anne Mulholland Heger
Janice McGuire Rothery is taking advantage of her
“excellent health” and travels every chance she gets. In the
spring of 2006, she and a friend had a fabulous 10 days in
Italy, whose Montecatini she vows to return to one day.
Toward the end of 2006, she was looking ahead to spending Christmas in Colorado with her daughter and her
family and then going on to California to meet a friend
and cruise to Hawaii. She lives in Rocky Hill, CT.
1950
Edith “Anne” Runk Wright
“Our life is good,” wrote Marjorie Johnson Cilley.
She and husband Charlie joined a team of 13 and went to
Rio de Janeiro in September 2006 on a mission trip connected to their Methodist church. They presented two
“Life in the Spirit” seminars for about 200 pastors. The
Cilleys planned to travel to Vienna and the Czech
Republic in June to attend their grandson’s graduation.
They spend much of the summer at a small cottage near
their home and the winter months in Florida.
We extend our sympathy and best wishes to Polly
Page Cobb in regard to the loss of her husband, Ken,
who died March 22, 2005. “Life is very different without
Ken,” wrote Polly, but she has a loving and supportive
family, including 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren nearby. Polly spends three months of the year in
Plant City, FL, where she has a trailer and a car.
Jean Rogers Duval is burning with enthusiasm for
our next Reunion. She travels, does volunteer work, and
keeps busy with her three children, nine grandchildren,
and three great-grandchildren, all of which helps her as
she does her best to keep young! Debbie Woodworth
Edgar is happy to be “retired at last” but misses her former job at Acton Medical Associates, where, for 15 years,
she handled medical records for the weekend staff. She
sees daughter Annie and handsome grandson David, who,
now that Debbie has moved to Wheeler House in
Concord, MA, live in her former home.
I (Anne) will have had my annual February visit to
Carolyn “Mickey” Livingston Epes and Morgan
when this news reaches everyone, which means I’ll be
spoiled and have had good conversation. Morgan fractured his femur badly in January 2006, and Mickey
and their sons reorganized the Epes home by removing
all loose rugs and installing grab bars. Despite this big
change in their lives, which ended their skiing, the
Epeses are very busy viewing the skills of six talented
grandchildren who snowboard, ski, row, surf, dance,
paint, and act and constantly fill their lives with classical music, books, walks, and daily swims in the indoor,
below-ground-level pool. Mickey continues to write.
Her column, “My Views,” has appeared in The
Buffalo News. She turns 80, “the new 50,” in July and
wishes for peace in this troubled world.
All is well with Harriet Schnider Felper and her
family. Daughter Danielle graduates this spring from
NYU, where she has been in the nursing program. Ev and
Harriet spend the winter in Florida and hope the golf will
get better. She hopes all classmates are having a healthy
2007. Barbara “Buzz” Moog Finlay wrote, “I want to
encourage any alumnae to come back to Boston. There
are so many new and fabulous changes going on, and the
driving has improved as well. The latest is the opening of
the Institute of Contemporary Art. It is located on the
waterfront. You can view it on www.boston.com/arts.
Beverly Simon Green has moved from Florida to her
house on Cape Cod (South Yarmouth, MA)—a difficult
move that forced her to miss both her 60th high school
reunion and her 55th Wheelock Reunion. In late 2006,
she wrote, “It was wonderful to meet Jackie [JenkinsScott] and her husband and [Vice President for
Institutional Advancement] Linda Welter when they were
visiting the Florida groups last February 2006. Linda and
I became very close friends that day, and that is how I
decided to donate my piano to the College. I’m hoping to
attend the Valentine’s Day [Wednesdays at Wheelock]
concert so I can see the piano in its new home!” (Bev
ended up being unable to attend because of an ice storm
in Boston that day.)
Emily Wright Holt and husband Shep keep
pretty much the same schedule every winter: skating a
lot, volunteering for town and church jobs, and staying
involved with two of their children who live nearby.
Activities at the Skating Club of Boston also keep
them very busy. They still spend time from late May to
early October on the island in the Thousands Islands,
NY, and “wouldn’t miss a day of it!” They saw all five
of their grown-up grandchildren last Christmas.
Nancy Embury Jones had spinal surgery this past
N O T E S
January. Husband David reported that it went well
and Nancy was home again after three weeks in rehab.
“David is amazing,” Nancy wrote. “He’s taken such
good care of me.” They are both involved with 11
grandchildren. Nancy Sayles-Evarts began 2007
with a wonderful visit and lots of good conversation
from her Wheelock roommate Carolyn Livingston
Epes. Nancy manages a busy life from her home in the
woods with activities at St. Philip’s Church, a book
club, her garden, and visits to and from five children
and 10 grandchildren.
Florence Milman Walker did some fascinating
things in 2006. She visited Alaska in June with Phyllis
Fishman Grossbaum ’48 and husband Bob. In July,
she took a pottery workshop in Santa Fe with a teacher
who is head of ceramics at the UMass in New Bedford,
her hometown. She rented a cottage in Wellfleet on the
Cape for two weeks in August and attended a wedding
in Israel in October. (How’s that for rich and varied creative experiences?) Edie Nowers White and husband
Russell may live in Florida now, but they can’t stay away
from New England. They visited daughter Susan and
her family in Kennebunkport, ME; spent several days
at Susan’s summer home in Cutler, ME; and went
back to Sharon, MA, for their 60th Sharon High School
reunion. Edie also visited FDR’s summer home in
Campobello, New Brunswick, Canada, and attended
granddaughter Nicole’s high school graduation in
Atlanta, GA.
I am still enjoying reviews of A Wild Perfection, the
book of my husband’s letters. A new project is the revision
of one of his chapbooks, The Shape of Light, for which
I wrote a new introduction. I also have other expectations
of James’ work in a forthcoming new edition of Collected
Poems and the addition to a series of books published by
The New York Review of Books of his translation of
Theodor Storm’s Rider on the White Horse, a book that
has been out of print far too long.
I see Sydney Weaver Schultheis in Rhode Island
for walks and good conversation; Mary Hathaway
Hayter in New York for plays, concerts, movies, the
opera, dinners out, and good conversation; and Nancy
Sayles-Evarts and husband Landon at their home in the
woods as often as I can for good conversation. Other than
that, I enjoy sloth!
1951
Louise Butts
Beverly Boardman Brekke-Bailey of Madison, WI,
wrote, “I am sad to inform you of the death of my only
son, Kristian Brekke, age 51, from brain cancer on Nov.
13, 2006. There are three surviving sisters and 11 grandchildren.” Helen “Shorty” Long Vallencourt’s sister, Mary, notified Wheelock early this year about Helen’s
death last Dec. 9. She wrote of a “wonderful and funfilled week” they’d had together in April 2006, when
Helen visited her in California, but she was diagnosed
with Lou Gehrig’s disease a few months later. “She always
spoke so proudly of Wheelock and tried to go to every
Reunion,” Mary wrote. Nancy Horton Evans also
sent some reminiscences about Helen, her college roommate. She has fond memories of her two years living with
Helen and Mary “Robbie” Rothwell Wattles in
Ridgewood, NJ, as young teachers after graduating from
Wheelock. “Fun and games were had by ALL!” she wrote.
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Nancy also remembers the great times she and Helen
had visiting back and forth with each other when their
children were little, and she wrote of how happy Helen
had been to be involved in community activities in
Williamstown, MA, in her later years. Helen lived with
daughter Sally at one point and then was in a skilled
nursing facility there, according to Mary. “‘Shorty’ and
I have been in touch with each other all these years, and I
will miss her dearly!” Nancy wrote.
Nancy Williams Mohn wrote from Cincinnati
to inform the class of the death of her husband,
Gottlieb, on Dec. 5, 2005, from melanoma. “We had
just celebrated 53 years of a very happy marriage,”
she wrote.
Reunion 2007
1952
June 1,2,3
Nancy Walker Driscoll
Betty Koenig Thomas
Ann Sibley Conway of Bainbridge Island, WA, wrote
of an early January gathering of several alums at the lovely
home of Jane Rogers Kowalski ’56. “She served great
snacks, tea, and wine (we will get more next time!),” Ann
wrote. “We all found it interesting that there were seven
Wheelock grads living on this tiny island. Bainbridge is a
half-hour ferry ride west of Seattle. Great place to live.
Gets wet but no snow. Everything grows, and by the middle of March, all the rhodys bloom with a riot of different
colors.” Tatsue Hozumi appreciated receiving the “very
colorful” Fall 2006 Wheelock Magazine and was pleased
to hear of our class’s 55th Reunion plans. “Thanks to the
devoted members—Pat, Bobbie, Janey, and Edith—who
have planned and started working with zealousness for the
55th Reunion,” she wrote in November. “I still remember
all the ’52 classmates and was delighted and proud of the
past Reunion awards.” Early in 2006, Tatsue was very ill
with anemia, but by year’s end she was feeling much better. She was sorry to report, however, that her eyesight
and hearing have gotten worse.
1953
Ruth Flink Ades
“It takes a little longer for [us] gray-haired to accomplish
things, but we keep at the job until completed,” Peggy
Ann Benisch Anderson wrote. “The retired crowd in
Weston [CT] keep very busy with family, a bit of travel,
church work, and town volunteering.” She and her husband also still enjoy theater and opera. Peggy Ann wants
to remind the Class of 1953 that our 55th Reunion is
coming up in 2008 and says she’ll see everyone then.
Cynthia Cranton Dygert still loves the Southwest
(Phoenix) and says it’s great to have all three of her children and all of her grandchildren nearby. She keeps busy
with church activities, part-time work, entertaining, and
some traveling. She also enjoys her monthly visits with
Janet Knightly Jones and husband Bob. “I have
added an activity to my life that makes it interesting,”
Cynthia wrote. “I travel around the state helping to tune
pipe organs—great fun!” She especially enjoys the “concert” that the technician, a fine musician, plays after tuning each organ.
In December, Stuie Righter Froelicher of
Denver wrote: “After a year of therapy, support,
32
Spring 2007
The Chronicles of the Thunder Bay Colony
Family and community histories that have come down from an earlier
generation are important because they help us understand where we
came from, and they convey a tangible sense of “being there” that only
those who actually lived the experience they are talking about can
provide. Geraldine “Jerry” Walsh Clauss ’51 recently completed a personal history project, privately publishing a book—The Chronicles of the Thunder Bay Colony—that chronicles her family’s experiences in
a summer community on Lake Erie during the 1920s.
For Jerry, documenting her family summers with text and photos and including chapters about other families
who shared this time together was immensely rewarding. The process of exploring and learning more than she
knew about a much-loved community enriched her own memories and resulted in a document that captures firsthand a sense of time, place, and family life that otherwise would be lost to the past. “It is a wonderful gift to share
with future generations,” Jerry said.
From Jerry’s note to Wheelock Magazine—
“Eighty years ago, my family bought a large summer house on the sandy Canadian shore of Lake Erie. It was only
10 miles from our winter home in Buffalo, NY. Here, in what was called Thunder Bay Colony, my parents and
their six children spent every summer.
“In time, I was lucky enough to purchase the house from my extremely supportive siblings. I then raised my
family there, and now my grandchildren are enjoying the same atmosphere.
“I decided I would create a chronicle of life in this community that began in the early 1920s. I wrote to about
100 people who had spent time in Thunder Bay and asked for
pictures and memories. The response was marvelous and resulted
in a book of 235 pages and over 100 pictures.
“This project took almost two years. It allowed me contacts with many old friends, and I heard stories I was never
aware of. But more important, I produced a picture of a
time, an era gone by, which will never be lost because now it
is in this book. Three hundred copies were printed and all
sold very quickly. We could have sold more but decided on
only one printing.
“It proved to be an exciting experience for me at a stage of
my life when I had the time and the drive to take on an ambitious project that I was passionate about. I recommend it to others who have their own, equally valuable family stories to share.”
Jerry and husband Charles
encouragement, and prayers of family and friends, I
have been declared ‘in remission’ with my auto
immune condition (dermatomyositis) and am back
doing normal things like eating, walking, riding my
stationary bike, playing bridge, etc.” She and husband
Chuck were planning to be in Vero Beach, FL, from
January to April and were hoping to see some fellow
alumnae down there. Her six children and 10 grandchildren are all doing well. Dorothy Steinberg
Shaker and husband Burt love being full-time
Floridians (Aberdeen Golf and Country Club, Boynton
Beach) but return to the Boston area (Andover) for five
or six weeks a year to visit with family and friends.
They still love traveling but have decided that cruises
are best for them. In December, Dorothy wrote, “In
May, we fly to Rome, board a ship, travel to many
Mediterranean ports, and end our trip in Athens,
where we will spend a few extra days.” She keeps in
touch with Ruth Flink Ades and Adrienne
Roaman Karlin, who “both sound great,” and
would love to hear from other Wheelock friends.
1954
Lois Barnett Mirsky
Elizabeth Bassett Wolf
Sylvia Tailby Earl and Jim lived with their son, David;
his wife, Bridget; and their grandson, Logan, now 16
months, while their house in Crownsville, MD, was being
renovated. It took 21 months, but Sylvia wrote that she
“loved seeing Logan develop day by day.” Marjorie
Chandler Hazard of Waterford, CT, wrote that son
Keith was married on Aug. 6, 2006. Her granddaughter is
in college majoring in education and lives in Tewksbury,
MA. Sally Dickason Lunt has five children, seven
grandchildren, and two-and-a-half great-grandchildren.
She spends part of the winter near Sarasota, FL, and the
rest in Rochester, NY, or traveling. “I am very busy quilting, doing needlepoint, knitting, playing bridge, and gardening, which becomes harder due to health conditions
(lung cancer and Guillain-Barre), she wrote.” Sally would
love to see classmates who may be in Sarasota or
Rochester (31 Brookside Drive, Rochester, NY 14518;
585-586-2930).
Nancy Pennypacker Temple is a volunteer with
Therapy Dogs Inc. She and her two dogs visit Cape
Coral Hospital in Florida once a week, touring the surgical, recuperative, and pediatric wards. She also organizes volunteers for the “Paws for Reading” program in
the local elementary school so that kids who have met
certain reading goals, as determined by the classroom
teacher and reading coach, are sent to the library for
the privilege of reading to and petting a dog of their
choice. “It’s surprising how this program motivates the
kids,” Nancy wrote. “We handlers feel we are volunteering in a meaningful way, and the dogs can’t wait to
get to school each week.” Kathy Clark Williams of
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Green Valley, AZ, wrote: “Last year was a special one as
our two Australian grandchildren spent a year here,
and what fun it was! They felt their schools ‘Down
Under’ were much better than here, so they were
moved ahead a grade and still got all A’s. Our son’s
cancer is in remission now, and my eye surgeries were
quite successful, so our hearts are most grateful.
Sure love all the e-mails from classmates!” Virginia
Thomas Williams wrote from Camp Hill, PA:
“Dick and I both had surgeries last May and June, so
it’s been a year of supporting each other and therapy
three days a week. We are coming out the other side
now and are looking forward to a trip to the Copper
Canyon in Northern Mexico in March and April. We’ll
spend a few days with Ginger Mercer Bates and
Brian and Fran Tedesco Lathrop. Ginger and Brian
spent a weekend with us last fall. We all miss Joan
Crane Freeman.”
Chippy Bassett Wolf’s son and his wife and their
two sons, ages 6 and 4, went to Guatemala City in late
January to pick up their 8-month-old adopted baby
girl. Since Andrew was in the Peace Corps there, he
speaks the language and knows the great need for
adoptive parents. “We are all thrilled,” wrote Chippy.
“Emmeline ‘Emme’ is darling, and we’ve all fallen in
love with her.”
Irwin and I (Lois) continue to enjoy our many retirement activities. My favorites are working with children
on reading and writing projects in a Plymouth, MA,
public school and tutoring a 65-year-old adult learner in
the Plymouth literacy program. My greatest joy is spending time with our four local grandchildren, ages 4 to 7.
Julia (7) and I are becoming regulars at the performances
of the Wheelock Family Theatre.
1955
Nancy Cerruti Humphreys
Penny Kickham Reilly
Nancy Merry Bergere and husband Orland celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last August in
Kennebunkport, ME. Family guests included 21 grandchildren. Nancy is busy with Questers, quilting, and
Katrina Projects in Bay St. Louis, MS, which she finds
very rewarding. Anne Vermillion Gleason and Ted
have moved to Washington, D.C. They are happy to be
near their daughters and grandchildren. She is impressed
with parenting today, working in a world that is changing
and moving so fast. Stella Barnes Johnson serves on
the boards of the local chapter of the American Red
Cross, the Hamden (CT) Historical Society, and the
North Haven Lions. She takes classes of interest at the
Institute for Learning in Retirement. She had a visit with
Bea Clayton Stockwell and shared pictures of our
50th Reunion.
Louise Baldridge Lytle traveled down the west
coast of Central America and through the Panama
Canal. She attended the Bergeres’ anniversary party in
Maine. In September, Louise and daughter Barbara visited Jackson Hole, WY, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton
national parks. She also saw Marilyn Dow Byrne in
California and visited the Nixon Library. Betsy De
Witt Matteson was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Her doctor is one of Traditional Chinese Medicine
and Acupuncture. Betsy has been reading her father’s
1912 diary, the first of 73 years of diaries. She is sharing
N O T E S
Hortense Burleigh
The Wheelock Community was saddened to hear of the death of
Hortense Burleigh in March. Hortense was best known for her many
years as head dietitian at Wheelock. Many alumni remember her well
as she was often seen driving around campus and in many of the
dormitories. Hortense was good friends with Betty Bobp (former dean),
Laura Townsend (Lucy Wheelock’s niece who worked in the admissions office), and Mary Powell (former head of the theater department)
and retired in 1974.
the information with her three cousins. Carolyn
Giroud Nygren and husband Dick have moved from
Sarasota, FL, to the Maggie Valley/Waynesville area of
North Carolina. They are involved with the Guardian ad
Litem program, sing with the Haywood Community
Chorus, work for Habitat for Humanity, and are active
in their local church. Add quilting and bird watching to
her busy routine!
Penny Kickham Reilly, the other half of
this scribe duo, and I (Nancy) hope for future news
from our classmates. She’s busy with golf, bridge,
church, and children and grandchildren. She saw
Shirley Thurmond Stanley at their 50th high
school reunion. Kathleen Rooney and Douglas
Lowe enjoy good health. They are involved in volunteer activities and travel. Kath had a wonderful trip
to Tuscany with her daughter in June 2006. Judy
Haskell Rosenberg traveled to a bridge tournament
in Gatlinburg, TN. She visited her daughter in
Detroit for the Jewish holidays last fall and spent
Thanksgiving in Richmond, VA, with her other daughter. She continues to have visitors from many countries
in her homes.
I have moved to a condo in Columbus, OH,
that is close to my daughter and family. I am busy
with daily exercise classes, book clubs, a cinema
group, and church activities. We had a great family
reunion on the Cape this year. It was so good to
be back there!
Reunion 2007
1957
June 1,2,3
Barbara Stagis Kelliher
Bernadette deGutierrez-Mahoney’s husband,
Wallace, forwarded a write-up he submitted to Columbia
University’s website: “I met my wife-to-be at a Newman
Club mixer in 1957, two weeks after I got out of the
Army . . . . She seemed quite friendly, but somehow she
escaped before I could get her phone number—and it
took all my powers of persuasion to get the number from
someone in the Newman Club office the next week. I was
getting my M.B.A. from the Business School, and she was
getting her M.A. in Early Childhood from [Teachers
College]. One thing led to another . . . , [and] we’ve had
four kids and been married (with quite a few ups and
downs) ever since.” H. Barbara Knowles Jacobsen
wrote in December, in between a trip to see Christmas
lights and decorations and a show in New York City and
a date to make gingerbread houses with her East Lyme,
CT, kindergartners and their buddies. She and husband
Raymond did “the usual” Maine vacation in the summer
of 2006 and hosted a great celebration with 20 relatives
and friends last Thanksgiving.
1959
Sally Schwabacher Hottle
Alice Thompson Brew lives in Lander, WY, and has
been taking care of her infant granddaughter while her
mom works. She is also teaching art classes to 2- and 3year-olds at a local art center. “I am saving up to make a
whopping big donation in my 50th year, which comes up
in 2009,” she wrote. “I hope all my classmates will do
that, too.”
“Grandparenting finally came to us!” Doris Geer
Petusky of Blue Bell, PA, wrote. “Three girls in three
years: Ava, Marissa, and Sabrine.” Carole Frisch
Sherman retired from teaching, husband Walter sold
their chocolate store, and they have moved permanently from Longmeadow, MA, to Vero Beach, FL. She
wrote of a wonderful day she had in February with
Pat Wise Strauss at Pat’s lovely home in Boca
Raton. “It feels strange that time has not changed the
friendship we had at Wheelock—just a few years ago!”
Carole wrote. Gail Grew Thomson and her husband have bought a house in Concord, MA, “to escape
the hurricanes and be near three of [their] eight grandchildren,” so they’ll be splitting the year between there
and Naples, FL. She would love to see anyone who
lives in the Concord area.
1960
Phyllis Pisano
Sandy Hopkins Dings ’60/’85MS, Kaye
Cummings Bannon, Jean Randlett, and Nancy
Thompson Rideout had lunch together in the
Naples, FL, area in February. Sara Thompson
Orton of Las Cruces, NM, wrote: “My choral group
from New Mexico State University Choirs, which
included my alto self, sang in June [2006] at the
Washington National Cathedral in honor of New
Mexico Day. We also sang at the Basilica of the Shrine
of the Immaculate Conception, also in D.C. My husband, Eliot, and I had an extended family reunion in
Falls Church—40 people. We are so saddened by
Ruthie’s [Baker Ursul] death. Ruth and I shared an
apartment in Georgetown (D.C.) the year after our
graduation and had many wonderful times there—fond
memories.” (Dear Sara Orton, our former class scribe,
thank you for sharing your news. Singing in the
National Cathedral had to have been so gratifying.)
Ellie Shapiro Newman says hello to everyone and
apologizes to anyone she missed seeing last summer.
“We had a crazy, busy few months up north,” she wrote.
“We had decided to sell our house in Haverhill [MA],
fixed it up a bit, and loved being there so much, we
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returned to [Boynton Beach] Florida deciding to keep it
for a while longer! At least until our 5-year-old grandson
can still come and knock at our door every day looking
to play with his grandfather! I kind of go along with the
package, I guess.” Ellie ended with, “Can you believe
how life is flying by?”
Early in the year, Delma Romano de Comellas
sent us all a “big hug” and best wishes for 2007 from
Argentina. She was also very sorry about Ruth’s death and
planned to e-mail her daughter to express her sympathy
to her and the rest of the family. Helene Brunelle
Hickey of Hanover, NH, wrote, “Phyllis, thanks for
sharing the news about Ruth and your gift of voice.”
Ellen Cluett Burnham is hosting a Wheelock alumni
brunch at her home in Chatham, MA, on Saturday, Sept.
15. If you live on the Cape or will be in the area, please
mark your calendars.
Classmates were saddened to hear about
the death of Betty Ann Erickson Ludington’s
husband.
Reunion 2007
1962
June 1,2,3
Roberta Weiss Goorno
1963
Jane Kuehn Kittredge
Judy Hughes Arreola remains in real estate. Her
website is www.judyarreola.com, should anyone want to
settle in beautiful Sarasota, FL. Husband John is now
retired and enjoys golf and “playing” with his investments
when they are not traveling. Two grandchildren, 6 and 9,
are close by, so Judy finds time to volunteer at their
school. It brings back fond memories of her teaching days
and those with friends at Wheelock.
It is back to 1963 when my roommate Susan
Memery Bruce of Longmeadow, MA, and I have our
annual chat and laugh-in. Susan is still employed but
giving retirement or at least part-time work serious consideration. She, Bill, and her family (daughter, son and
daughter-in-law, and sister and brother-in-law) spent
Christmas in Las Vegas followed by several days in a cabin
in Utah. Susan found it quite amazing to see buffalo wandering about outside of the door. All were thrilled with
both Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. The trip also
included some hiking. “Mem” considered the venture a
belated birthday present to celebrate that special Medicare
year. Think we must all know about that by now! Jessie
Hennion Gwisdala is still battling arthritis and some
anemia but is hoping another specialist might be of help
to her. Despite it all, she remains busy in Plymouth, CT,
with her music and church work, knitting, and making a
quilt by hand. Her husband is holding his own at the
nursing home, where Jessie faithfully goes at least once a
day to feed him and monitor his health and care. She
keeps in touch with family and finds her three cats a great
source of comfort and love.
After 25 years of job-sharing a third grade and teaching reading, Linda Sheinfeld Hootnick of Littleton,
CO, plans to retire at the end of the 2007 school year.
She and husband Ken will now be free to visit daughter
Sara, her husband, and 8-year-old Cecilia in Washington,
D.C., and son Mark, his wife, and 2-year-old Asher and
9-month-old Adin, who reside in Manhattan.
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Spring 2007
In her work as a docent for the Winnetka, IL, Historical Society, Betsy
Craft Meuer ’63 dons the apparel of 1850s Midwestern farm women
and leads visitors through the Schmidt-Burnham Log House north of
Chicago,“the oldest continuously occupied house in Illinois.”
From Illinois, the news came that Betsy Craft
Meuer retired four years ago after 27 years of teaching
in grades 1, 2, 3, and 5. She enjoys volunteer work at her
church and serves as a docent and board member for the
Winnetka Historical Society. The society owns the oldest
occupied log house in Illinois, and as a docent, Betsy
dresses in 1850s apparel, leading visitors, community
members, and students through the house. She wrote,
“My teaching experience has really helped me as I’ve
made presentations to groups touring the house ranging
in age from 10 to 80!” When the children tour, she says,
it’s fun to be “back in the saddle again”! Nan Ware
Morrow and Bob still reside in Wellesley, MA, and feel
fortunate to have daughter Suzy, Steve, and the “grands”
just north of Boston. Son Bobby recently married, and
he and Maryanne have also settled in the area, so the
whole family can visit often. Nan and Bob enjoyed a
three-week trip to China with a group of 16 people. The
weather was great as they toured eight cities and the
countryside, sampling the culture, which included the
food, shows, a school program, and a nursing home. The
Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, and
Shanghai were among the highlights. Nan feels that after
the 2008 Olympics, the country will become much more
Westernized and that if anyone desires to travel to China,
now is the time.
Elsie Kellogg Morse of Providence, RI, continues
to enjoy tutoring students with reading difficulties; however, she is carving out more time to meet with friends.
She and her husband spent a spectacular month in
Nambia and South Africa last September. It was fun for
her to compare notes with Lorna Waterhouse Chafe
and Bill, who were in South Africa just before Elsie was.
Fran Nichols is in her 25th year as a photographer for
the Duxbury (MA) Clipper. Part of the year Fran and
her husband, Bill Greger, are in Washington state. The climate allows for year-round gardening, which is a real
treat. Fran and Bill took a grand ferry trip to Victoria,
British Columbia, Canada. Exploring the great Northwest
with her husband, a knowledgeable guide, has been very
exciting for Fran.
Sally Weatherbee O’Neill ’63 with her family at a Thai restaurant on the occasion of her recent birthday
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Jejunal Atresia Support Network
Jane Kuehn Kittredge ’63 received a long letter
from Martha Bucknam Brogan ’63, who is in
Freeport, ME, and officially retired while her husband continues to travel doing workshops for
teachers. On April 9, 2006, a beautiful baby girl
was born to son Gib and Abby Brogan. Ellie suffers
from jejunal atresia, which means a large portion of
her intestine is missing. Surgery was necessary the
day she was born, and from Yale she was transferred to Children’s Hospital in Boston, where
more surgeries followed. Her parents sold their
home in Connecticut and literally took up residence at Children’s.
“As of late 2006,” Jane wrote, “Ellie is a happy
little girl who walks around her crib with her everpresent tubes. Her parents and grandparents have
set out to learn much more about Ellie’s condition,
Short Bowel Syndrome, and are most unselfishly
starting a foundation/support network for families
dealing with this problem. The baby’s dad has a
blog, http://eleanorbrogan.blogspot.com.
“They fortunately learned of a groundbreaking
supplement, Omagaven, which has kept Ellie’s
liver healthy. (Often the liver becomes diseased
and a transplant is required.) Through the efforts
of the Brogans, at least three other babies have had
access to this drug. Martha hopes that anyone
knowing a child with Short Bowel or Short Gut
Syndrome will contact her at (207) 865-6512 or
at martbrogan@aol.com. The whole family is eager
to impart any information they have and would
welcome what others have to share. The Wheelock
Magazine seems like a good way to heighten awareness of this unusual syndrome.” Right you are, Jane!
It is a thrill for Sally Weatherbee O’Neill and
Frank to have all three daughters, two sons-in-law, and
five “grands” in South Carolina. All are boys with the
exception of one red-headed girl, like her grandmother,
Sally. The O’Neills travel a lot. Lynn Sanchez
Paquin has also been traveling once again. In the fall
she and Gordon took a wonderful cruise to the Baltics,
British Isles, Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland.
They met some interesting people they hope to visit in
Florida. Lynn owns a condo in the same complex as her
mom in Fort Lauderdale. She is able to spend much
time with her with the help of a caretaker. Just prior to
Thanksgiving, Lynn celebrated an early Christmas with
daughter Erica, Peter, and her two granddaughters in
Pennsylvania. It was a hectic, but fun, time! Summers
are always busy for Lynn with her Block Island rental
property. A trip to Canada to visit with Gordon’s family
and friends followed. She does enjoy knitting, her creative outlet, and is also taking bridge lessons.
For almost 30 years, Ellen Sandler has been in the
San Francisco Bay area but is in West Chatham on Cape
Cod each summer. She and her sister jointly own a home
built by her parents in 1967. It is great for Ellen to have
children and grandchildren sharing vacations with her. As
always, Ellie Starkweather Snelgrove of Brimfield,
MA, is busy, busy, busy! Although she retired in 2006, she
does substitute, as she missed the camaraderie of the teaching life. Daughter Rebecca Snelgrove ’96 and Ellie
journeyed to China and were in Beijing the night China
was nominated to host the 2008 Olympics. In 2001, she
traveled there with daughter Laura Snelgrove ’96, who
is now married. Both girls are working in their chosen
fields and doing well. The family celebrated Christmas
early as Laura and her husband were traveling. Ellie minded five cats including her own during that time. John is
feeling quite well, and the rest of her extended family are
also well and spread out in various states.
It was great to hear from Laurie Nettleton Watson
and learn that she just bought a new home in Madison,
CT. It will give her more room for overnight guests, particularly her six grandchildren, ages 2 to 12. Laurie now
works three days a week in the same medical field that she
has been in for 30 years. She was to be off to Mexico with
her co-workers and traveled to the Dominican Republic
and visited her sister in Denver last year. She talked with
her Wheelock roommate Alice “Pixie” Parke Watson
and hopes to visit her in Atlanta.
I (Jane) and husband Dave have also done some
traveling. In addition to our annual Christmas trip to
visit daughter Lauren, Jason, Emily (8), and Alex (5),
we celebrated Dave’s mom’s 100th birthday in Venice,
FL, at Thanksgiving time. We hosted an open house at
Bella Vita and, in addition to the many residents,
about 40 friends and relatives traveled from nine states
to share in the occasion. It was wonderful to reconnect
with all of them. We are fortunate to have Mum well
and very sharp mentally. A fun-packed trip to Las
Vegas, where we saw some marvelous shows, followed
by time at the awesome Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and
Sedona, was the highlight of last summer. Our son
Doug just took a new job in Minnesota, which will be
on our agenda for next summer’s travel location. Dave
still ski races and plans to have an addition put on our
cabin in northern New Hampshire. Along with my
church and sorority, I am now a member of the Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute at Granite State College
here in Manchester. One must be 50 years old to join
and can enroll in various classes or workshops, or
attend the theater, concerts, and field trips. It was not
long before I became part of the social committee,
which plans the orientation programs, the registrations,
and an occasional get-together for the members.
This reminds me that many classmates mentioned our
45th Reunion in 2008 and hope to attend. Everyone
seems to have more flexible schedules and have a genuine desire to reconnect with one another. Let’s make
it happen!
1964
Phyllis Forbes Kerr
Roberta Gilbert Marianella
It was great to hear from so many in our class, and
Roberta and I (Phyllis) are continually amazed by how
active you all are. Here’s the news!
After years of silence, it was great to hear from Mary
Ricker McAllister in Bristol, CT. She and Don quietly
celebrated their 45th anniversary last September. Mary
retired from teaching once in the ’90s and just couldn’t
stop, so she has spent the last five years as a regional director for the Hartford YWCA. Prior to that, she managed
seven before- and after-school programs in three towns and
had 30 teachers working for her. Now fully retired, she has
time to spend with her three grandchildren and lots of
time for golf, gardening, and reading. She does some board
N O T E S
work and church work, mentors a young girl, and manages to get in some bridge every week. Mary wonders how
she ever had time to work. The McAllisters were planning
to spend some time this past winter in Fort Myers,
FL. Kathleen O’Keeffe Capo wrote from Rhode
Island that, after 36 years of teaching and 18 years being
the head of an all-girls middle school, she has retired. She
misses her colleagues and the energy of the kids but
remains busy and active on her own. She is pleased that
her decision was the right one for her. Her new e-mail
address is west46@comcast.net.
News from Sandy Gewinner Perry is that, last
June, she and Liz Orzel Kasper had a great time driving
up to Niagara on the Lake in Ontario, Canada, to visit
the very quaint British town and to join 14 ladies from
her Florida bridge group. They explored the area, played
bridge, dined out in the wine country, and went to the
George Bernard Shaw play festival. In July, Liz and Bill
joined her in Brewster, MA, to be a part of a surprise
birthday party for John. John and Sandy spent the winter
in Stuart, FL.
After 36 years of teaching, Rachel Ripley Roach
has retired and loves her new life. She still enjoys substituting in the early grades three days a week. Rachel is
amazed at all the things they are doing with the littler
ones. Play development in kindergarten has turned to
“academic” development, and some children are just blossoming in it. Rachel also plays tennis a lot and tutors in
the adult literacy program. Her two boys are in college
close enough to visit all the time—San Diego and San
Francisco. Rachel is trying to live life to its fullest by traveling, going to movies, visiting friends, and cheering for
the USC football team. She is even thinking about teaching in a foreign country. Liz Orzel Kasper wrote from
Niskayuna, NY, that she is lucky to see Carolyn
Humphrey Miller and Sandy Gewinner Perry at least
three or four times a year. Carolyn and Don have a second home in Jewett, NY, and they get together quite
often. “Time passes quickly when you are retired,” Liz
stated. Liz is still deputy supervisor of her town and very
active locally. She learned to play bridge, so she is enjoying the bridge circuit. She and Bill entertained three couples this past fall for their 50th high school reunion.
All is very well now with Tina Morris Helm after
a rough time. About a year ago, Bill had knee replacement
surgery, and at the same time, Tina broke her foot.
Daughter Sarah produced a sixth grandchild last August
after having weathered a terrible pregnancy. Tina and Bill
now have five granddaughters and one grandson! Tina
continues as a trustee of Wheelock, coming to meetings
from New London, NH. Tina calls her position an honor
and a privilege. She relaxes by puttering in her garden,
which was part of a tour last summer. She volunteers in
the local elementary schools and local pediatric practice
for the Reach Out and Read Program. There is still time
to play tennis and paddle tennis, and her life is good.
Priscilla Harper Porter rejoined the ranks of the
working world last August when she was recruited to be
the interim dean of the Palm Desert Campus of
California State University San Bernardino. Responsible
for the Office of Teacher Education, Priscilla oversees all
post-baccalaureate programs for teacher credentials, special education, educational administration, and the Osher
Learning Institute for Older Adults. As a volunteer, she
directs the Priscilla and Charles Porter History-Social
Science Resource Center, which currently sponsors four
institutes for 75 local-area teachers. The Harcourt social
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35
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studies textbook series, of which she is the senior author,
is one of the top two sellers in California. It was a great
satisfaction to have it selected for use by the local-area
school districts. Congratulations, Priscilla!
Lasell College must miss Noni Noble Linton,
who retired last year in July. After selling her home in
Littleton, MA, she and John moved to the Overlook
Retirement Community in Charlton, MA. They enjoy
their new home and all the amenities within easy
access—like a fitness center, pool with a spa, art classes, library, and many wonderful new friends. Noni no
longer needs to cook unless she wants to. She feels like
she is on a vacation in a beautiful resort and would
love to show her new situation to anyone who wishes
to visit.
Painting with passion continues to be Jessi Ruth
MacLeod’s number one priority in Woolrich, ME. Then
she loves walking on the beach at Reid State Park and
playing with her 2-year-old grandson. He is the youngest
of her nine grandchildren. Alas, none are nearby. Jessi continues to take a day at a time and remembers to breathe,
smile, and be grateful. Judy Holmes Marco’s daughter
is a sixth-grade math teacher and lives with her husband in
Charlotte, NC, with their new grand born in 2005. Len
and Judy visit often and love every minute of it! Suzanne
Mullens Morgan and husband Harvey celebrated a
joint 65th birthday, and Suzanne looks forward to receiving Medicare and social security soon. Together, she and
Harvey have traveled to Vermont, Jamaica, Italy and their
home in Myrtle Beach, SC. 2007 will also be a year of
cruises and trips. All four children are happily married, and
their six grandchildren are pure delight.
Charlotte’s Web is a great Paramount Pictures movie,
and Patricia Burke, vice president of Literary Affairs
for them, is proud of it. She wants her classmates to
know that, at Paramount, family entertainment and
young adult fiction rule. They are now shooting a movie
based on the Spiderwick Chronicles. Patricia and
Fergus continue to travel the globe with trips to
Cambodia, Vietnam, Germany, Poland, and Barcelona.
This past Christmas they went to Tahiti. Ginny Pratt
Agar came down from Mt. Desert, ME, to celebrate
Thanksgiving and her 64th birthday party here in
Cambridge, MA. Her son who works for Disney in
China returned to surprise her with family and friends.
Then Ginny was off to Germany with her friend Helmut
to see his family and places of his childhood. Next she
flew to California to visit her granddaughter and son and
daughter. Susie Nivison Gwin reported that both
sons got married and one grandchild arrived in 2006.
She lives and teaches in Orlando, FL, and is waiting for
another grandchild to make an entrance soon.
Ann Brown Omohundro, whom I see almost
once a week for lunch, sent along this news. Dick is not
retired but preparing for his next step, which he calls
“giving back.” He is raising a fund which is being used to
dig water wells in Africa. The Omohundros are equally
enthusiastic and love the continent, especially Tanzania
and Zanzibar. Son Paul has opened two delis (called H.P.
Schmaltz and Co.) in the Chicago area with a friend, and
they are thriving. Ann goes to Naperville frequently to
visit Paul, Laura, and 3-year-old Kayley. Check out the
deli on the Web. They are getting great press.
As a board member of the Forbes House Museum
in Milton, MA, I have been visiting house museums
in Massachusetts hoping to find interest in our new
36
Spring 2007
project—The China Trade Trail. I draw from life
models and at the Museum of Fine Arts two times a
week. I enjoy my book club, play Scrabble as much as
possible, and study Spanish.
Roberta and I want to thank all of you for keeping us
in touch.
1965
Mary Barnard O’Connell
Marsha M-Geough Vaughan
What fun it has been to hear from so many of you! All of
us benefit through your sharing of interests and activities.
You never know what thought or experience will trigger
an idea or interest for another classmate.
Liz Marchant Armstrong is staying young by
being a grandmother to 2-year-old Alexander. “Nanna
Bif” says she enjoys the fact that her son and family live
nearby in Madison, WI. Daughter Marjorie is an actress in
Chicago. Judy White Beaver has been retired for two
years and is having great fun getting used to the freedom.
She and her husband still have their “land” home in
Virginia Beach, VA, but sailed their boat down the
Intracoastal Waterway from Chesapeake Bay to Florida
and on to the Bahamas. The return home was to be in
April. Sue Bright Belanger recently got certified as an
open water scuba diver and was able to use her skills in
Mexico. Retirement from the Wellesley (MA) Public
Schools certainly agrees with her after 24 years in the classroom. She has reconnected with Pat Holt Bennett,
who is in New Hampshire. Sue is enjoying Pat’s gift of
friendship. Nancy Watkins Ghirardini is enjoying a
very busy retirement after 31 years of teaching, the last 20
in Andover, MA. She and her husband have moved to
their summer home in Wolfeboro, NH. She has six grandchildren and says that “life is good.”
Beautiful samplers are stitched by Kate Young
Hewitt. She has ventured out to small projects such as
a “huswif” (needle and thread kit) that would be used
by a sailor when at sea. She may have 10 projects going
at one time. She is a master bridge player and always
finds time to play several times a week. Carol Twiner
Cameron is getting used to retirement after 18 years of
teaching special education and 11 years on the Child
Study Team. At first the unstructured time was difficult,
but taking some “Learning in Retirement” classes at a
local college and volunteering at the Red Cross have
helped with the adjustment.
Arizona welcomed Sarah Spaulding Jonick after
35 years of teaching. She wrote that she “naively” got
involved with her condo’s homeowners’ association and
finds herself president . . . in the midst of renovations.
What a learning curve that will be! She cares for her
2-year-old grandson two days a week and finds days are
very full. May Koh Lam is busier than ever with her
newest project, a cultural camp in San Antonio for junior high-age students. To help increase their understanding and appreciation of other heritages, the students
spend one week learning about the history, geography,
and culture of five countries. May has enlisted more
than 30 volunteers to share their experiences with these
young people. Thalia Pappas Loosigian enjoyed
running a real estate company with her husband and is
finding retirement a dramatic change. She hopes she will
be able to sit still in Florida for several months. “I think
I’ll go back to work when we return to Massachusetts—
really,” she wrote. “Everyone I know loves retirement,
but if you like what you do, it is not work.” Thalia and
Liz Smith Gavriel recently returned from a trip with
their husbands and 18 friends to Italy’s Amalfi coast.
Thalia spoke to Sherry Martin Schneider, who is
still working as a dental assistant near the Cape and says
she is not ready to retire. Karen Ellsworth lives in
Connecticut and definitely likes being retired. Thalia
also received a letter from Zella Reid Powell. She is
moving out to the Midwest to be near her daughter.
Ann MacVicar asked for ideas for retirement while at
Reunion. Two weeks later, she retired to Santa Fe, NM,
after living most of her life in the East. You will be surprised to hear that she is back working ! She does training for early childhood providers and centers. She finds
the people nice, shares benefits of the community college, and has some flexibility. Gwen Lloyd Wirtalla visited Ann over New Year’s. Three feet of snow had
fallen—“Snow is typical here but not in such quantity
all at once,” Ann wrote—so they were slipping, sliding,
and laughing everywhere.
Countries continue to be added to Trina Wilson
Mallet’s travel experiences. She recently returned from a
safari in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and
Zambia. There were lots of animals of all sorts right outside her tent! She said it was the trip of a lifetime, and if
anyone else is considering doing this, we are sure she
would be happy to share information. Trisha
Henderson Margeson proudly wrote when she had
three weeks of retirement under her belt. After years of
being involved with children’s theater, running the AFS
program in her children’s school, and being on the board
of the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, Trisha looks
forward to the flexibility of time that will allow for the
follow-through of plans. Visits to her children and their
families, both in D.C., and her parents in Alabama will
also be easier to schedule. Enne (Nobuko) Shimizu
Matsushita is enjoying a calm life in Japan. I (Mary)
met Enne’s lovely daughter just as she entered the
University of Pennsylvania and was so happy to hear that
she is now an independent architect. Tina Moustakis
is still teaching one semester a year of English at Friends
Seminary, her way of easing into retirement. She is continuing to raise her voice in song at Carnegie Hall with
the Oratorio Society of New York. Maddy Cohen
O’Shea fills her days with tennis in the summer and
paddle tennis in the winter. She loves to make travel
plans to Europe and around the U.S. Her priceless stories
about her seven grandchildren are such fun to hear.
Page Poinier Sanders and Nancy Clarke
Steinberger had a marvelous September visit together in
Door County, WI, the Cape Cod of the Midwest. Page
has spent a lot of time traveling across the country—
9,000 miles—and has developed a love of books on tape.
She did manage to be at home in Palo Alto, CA, to celebrate granddaughter Charlotte’s first birthday. Nancy wrote
from Hawaii: “Waiting to meet Carol Lin for lunch,
with no one else around, a woman walks through the door
from the beach—comes to where my husband and I were
standing, looks at me, and says, ‘I know YOU! . . . Did
you go to Wheelock?’ It was Edwina Burke Marcus.
She had been walking up the beach, reliving old memories, because she had lived in Hawaii several times.” She
joined Nancy and Carol for lunch. Carol had just returned
from a four-week trip to South America. Phyllis Cokin
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Sonnenschein ’65/’75MS came up with the brilliant
idea of having a mini Wheelock gathering in Boston.
Wouldn’t that be fun? It would be nice to cherish the lovely feelings that we had at our 2005 Reunion.
Easing into retirement is Penny Traver’s goal. She
is working in New Jersey as a consultant, which affords
flexible time. Her expertise has been as a training director
for various companies. As an instructional designer, she
takes specific subject matter and develops training programs. Gwen Lloyd Wirtalla and Ann MacVicar let
us know that Janice Taylor Bennett died in 2005
after a long battle with cancer. Janice had taught for 11
years at the Christ and Holy Trinity pre-kindergarten and
most recently was a teacher assistant in the Westport
(CT) Public Schools. She is survived by her two sons,
Tim and Matt. Gwen and Ann miss their roommate and
lifelong good friend, and our sympathy goes out to them
and to Janice’s sons.
Marsha M-Geough Vaughan is enjoying working
ONLY four days a week as vice president of marketing for
the Negotiation Skills Co. Friday is now a day for her to
get done everything that she used to do on lunch hours
(forget eating) and after work. Daughter Sarah is getting
married this summer, and they are having great fun planning the wedding, which will be on St. John USVI.
I continue to love performing in a steel drum band
in Maine. Hours of practice are required, but it is such
fun to play upbeat music. Retirement was sought to gain
more free time. Even though I am just as busy as I was
in teaching, I am able to choose how time will be spent.
Isn’t it marvelous to have contributions from all
over the world? E-mail unites us. Please send us your
e-mail addresses and any others that you have. It
would be so nice if each of us could contact two “outof-touch” classmates. We have ’05 Reunion photos to
share with everyone. Wheelock mails out magazine
entry requests once a year, but we can keep in touch
and contribute through e-mail at any time. Marsha
is at marsha@negotiationskills.com, and I’m at
mboc@verizon.net.
1966
Margery Conley Mars
Marka Truesdale Larrabee and husband Steve of
Kennebunk, ME, are enjoying retirement and their
three grandchildren. Marka volunteers at a local free
medical clinic as their first nurse practitioner. They
have had several wonderful trips: Fiji, New Zealand,
and Australia; China (for the third time) and Tibet;
and Antarctica.
Reunion 2007
1967
June 1,2,3
1968
Marilyn Rupinski Rotondo
Cynthia Carpenter Sheehan
Gail Larcom Lamy wrote: “I have retired from my
nonprofit job in Santa Rosa, CA. I was the program
director for a family literacy program called Raising A
Reader and for Reach Out and Read, whose headquarters
are based in Boston.” She and husband John have moved
to southern Oregon, and she is enjoying her new home
and trying to find funding to launch more Raising A
Reader programs there. They visit their two young grandsons often. Sally Clark Sloop continues with her
advocacy efforts and works full time for Family Support
Network of North Carolina and its Parent-to-Parent
programs. She and husband David live in Raleigh and
celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary last year. Sally
wrote of “joyful reunions” she had in 2006 with Gayle
Ziegler Vonasek ’72/’78MS and Kathy de Sano
Mahoney. “Kathy created a custom-made video for my
60th birthday—a re-enactment of our Wheelock years,”
Sally wrote. “Too funny.” Sally added: “Our son, Peter,
23, is an accomplished self-advocate and holds a full-time
job at AIG in downtown Boston. He recently received
Employee of the Month and is a true example of what
early intervention can help accomplish for children with
special needs.” Daughter Liz teaches math in Raleigh, and
Sally and David’s other children and three grandchildren
are a great joy to them.
Susan Webb Tregay has a new book and DVD
out, Master Disaster, 5 Ways to Rescue Desperate
Watercolors (North Light). “Based on my course on
finishing paintings, it is the culmination of a year and
a half ’s work—and a trip to England to film the
DVD,” she wrote. Both are available through North
Light’s book club, at major bookstores, or through Sue
at susan@tregay.com.
1969
“Nantucket is the perfect place to live,” Jill Phelan
Lentowski wrote. She still does design work and is head
of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Jill recently
found herself “on the college tour again,” with daughter
Molly leaning toward attending a school in Maine. Jane
McDonough wrote: “Saw Martha-Reed’s [Ennis
Murphy] picture in the alumni magazine and think she
must have time-traveled. Looks exactly the same!” Jane is
now principal of a small elementary school in Mill Valley,
CA, and loves the collegial relationships and great teaching she finds there. “Wheelock and Bank Street are
known!” she added. Margrete Miner is subbing for a
couple of local (Upton, MA) schools and keeps busy with
her 9- and 14-year-old girls’ activities. “I’m dismayed by
all the pressure on young students which seems to stem
directly from MCAS,” she wrote. “We need leadership in
our state that seeks multisensory hands-on curriculum
and time for recess and lunch.”
1970
At the beginning of the year, Deborah Devaney
Barton and husband Ned were feeling it was “time to
downsize” and had their Barrington, RI, house on the
market. They were also looking forward to “more forays
to Florida and multiple boating adventures” in 2007. Son
Bradford had relocated from California to Florida in
2006, and Debby and Ned, unable to get enough of their
granddaughter, made four trips there later that year.
Debby says her golf game is still improving in spite of her
aging shoulders. Linda Weiss Glasman has lived in
Virginia for more than 35 years and has been teaching at
the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia for
more than 15. She now teaches preschool, but she taught
Hebrew school at the kindergarten level for many years.
She has one daughter, two sons, and four grandchildren.
“What a wonderful time of life!” Nancy Noyes
Monro wrote. She and husband Bill celebrated 37 years
of marriage last November and are enjoying their “grown
children and growing grandchildren.” Nancy considers
her eight years (so far) of work as a gifted intervention
specialist for sixth and seventh grades “an awesome opportunity.” Sharon Cohen Nathman recently celebrated
15 years working at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in
Bridgeport, CT, where she is nurse manager of a stroke
unit. She shared that the hospital has received Primary
Stroke Center certification. Sharon and husband Howard
became new grandparents to a baby girl, Jorah, in May
2006. Denise Desrosiers Trinceri is working as an
administrative assistant in the business her husband, an
insurance adjuster, runs in East Longmeadow, MA, after
30 years of teaching children under age 8. Prior to retiring
in 2003, she had both taught in public schools and run
her own nursery school. Son Mike is getting married this
October. Denise sees Suzy Salter Krautmann frequently and wrote of one particular time in the fall of
2005 that she, Suzy, their husbands, and Paula Tiberi
Anthony got together for a weekend at Denise’s lake
house in New Hampshire.
Reunion 2007
1972
June 1,2,3
Mary Barbour Hatvany
Joanie Farley Gillispie of Mill Valley, CA, wrote:
“Just published my first book: Cyber Rules: What
You Really Need to Know About the Internet:
A Guide for Clinicians, Educators, and Parents
(W. W. Norton). While I am now a psychologist, I
still teach, mostly the same way I did when Wheelock
taught me how to keep 35 third-graders from bouncing
off the walls! [I hope] my book will provide a balanced
voice against the hype and hysteria surrounding the
Internet and kids. The book covers identity, relationships,
gaming, and sexuality online and offers exercises and
vignettes that help readers evaluate the offline effects of
online behaviors.” Joanie made a presentation at our
35th Reunion this year.
1973
Jaci Fowle Holmes
Regina Frisch Lobree
Lynn Beebe is still teaching grades 1, 2, and 3 in
a K-12 alternative school in Seattle. She is fortunate
to have been able to teach the ways that she believes
are best for children and that were reinforced in her
studies at Wheelock. She continues to help with district and school math education. Lynn is working on
a second book of math games for Scholastic books.
She spent four months last spring traveling through
Central America, visiting schools along the way, and was
particularly impressed with Safe Passage (Guatemala). In
November 2006, she married Bill Halstenrud with their
sons as witnesses. Cindy Wall Huseth wrote, “I am
living in Palm City, FL, since September 2002 with my
‘retired’ husband of 30 years and traveling by cruise ship
Wheelock Magazine
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to many countries in Europe and South America. Our
daughter lives in Los Angeles and is a producer of reality
TV shows, and our son is an assistant director of a public
research nonprofit organization in Sacramento.” Cindy
has two rescued greyhounds and promotes greyhound
adoption. Lori Bravman Kaplan sees Betty
Feldman Gootson, Susan Wasserman Gale
’73/’76MS, June Harris Reed, and Lynne Siegal
Fox. She is busy teaching at the Ward School in
Newton, MA, as well as continuing her gift business
(www.canned-goods.com). She commented on being
grateful for “how much Wheelock has actually contributed to so many aspects of [her] life.”
Elizabeth Browning Kuch wrote, “After 27
years in the same house in Florida, we [have moved] to
North Carolina. We [are] outside Hickory, which is
between Charlotte, Asheville, and Winston-Salem.”
North Carolina is a new beginning where she might be
teaching in a college program for women who lacked
opportunity or who want a new chance for a new
beginning, and to try their adult hand at academics
that evaded them for whatever reasons a decade or so
ago. Diane Ellicott Kwiatek has been home for
several years with five children. The last 10 years she
has been a permanent substitute in Beverly, MA,
schools. This year she is working with fifth-graders,
which she really enjoys. Her kids are grown, ands she is
“Nana” to Luke, Scott, and Ray. Regina Frisch
Lobree was remarried last November to a wonderful
man from California. They have been traveling quite a
bit this past year, sold two houses, and purchased a
new home in Statesville, NC, halfway between their
respective jobs—while maintaining jobs and five dogs.
She is still at the same school, having looped to third
grade. All her students attended the wedding. Her son
and daughter both live in North Carolina as well.
Deborah Maher is finishing up her ninth and
final year as curriculum coordinator at Buckingham
Browne & Nichols Lower School in Cambridge, MA.
She is looking forward to enjoying more time and
activities with her growing extended family, including
six kids and three grandkids, thus far. Future retirement dreams for her and her husband alternate
between traveling aboard a small cruising boat and
relocating to central North Carolina. In the meantime,
she will continue to enjoy as much time as she can on
the Vineyard. Amanda Griggs Miles wrote, “Lives
are full of changes, but wouldn’t one expect that after
34 years?” Her dad died in March 2006, and her husband, in July 2004. Her twin boys, named for her dad
and her husband, will begin high school in the fall. She
reflects that girls are buzzing around along with all
their friends. Her dining room sports a Ping-Pong
table, and a big old couch is in the garage, so they are a
“hang.” She has gone back to work as an assistant principal in an environment and technology magnet middle school. Ellen Luckenbach Moomaw
continues to substitute teach at all levels in her local
school district. She is in several vocal groups, is active
in the East Aurora (NY) Garden Club, is a docent at
one of the historical society museums in town, and
enjoys perfecting and eating vegan and vegetarian dishes. Her husband invented a snow globe (lawn ornament) for Gemmy Co. last year which expanded to
include Halloween globes. Their daughter is teaching
in Ithaca, NY, and son Trevor is at American
University in D.C.
38
Spring 2007
Abby Squires Perelman has had a very exciting
year with the birth of her first grandchild, Jackson Lyon
Perelman, from son Jonathan and his wife, and the marriage of their oldest son in New York. She and her husband are looking forward to retirement in June 2008,
which will coincide with the completion of the rebuilding
of their house on Nantucket, where they plan to spend
five to six months. She is still on the Wheelock board and
loves seeing the incredible changes. Carol Bigelow
Riggs is still teaching in a K-12 charter school. Her
daughter started at Simmons last fall. She sat on the steps
of her daughter’s move-in day, thought about her time at
Wheelock, and was amazed at how fast life has moved!
Rosemary Sheehan Rotelli wrote that she is the
mother of five children 21 to 27. She retired from teaching fourth grade at the Hamilton School at Wheeler in
Providence three years ago. She is busy with art classes,
volunteering with a special needs support agency, and caring for her own son with special needs. Sylvia Ferry
Smith and her husband had their second book published
in January 2006, “Incredible Vegetables from SelfWatering Containers,” which aims at showing those who
have neither the physical abilities nor the land how to
grow their own vegetables organically. They hope this will
be a helpful resource for seniors, young children in
schools and day care centers, apartment dwellers, and
houseboat owners. They did all the growing and experimenting that led to the writing of the book, and Sylvia
did over half of the photography. She is still assistant
librarian at the local library and has dusted off a children’s
book that she wrote while at Wheelock. She would love
to hear from Ellen Luckenbach, Fran Cantelli, and
June Harris. Joan Rymaszewski Spears wrote,
“While sitting through HGD way back when, who knew
that I would be TEACHING it to international baccalaureate/advanced placement psychology students?” She is
doing so in the Edmonds, WA, School District.
I (Jaci) am approaching my 19th year working for
the Maine Department of Education. I have spent the
last five years working for the commissioner of education
as the federal liaison tracking the federal bills, including
the budget, that impact our department. I actively participated in the reauthorization of the federal Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and have been
serving on a task force of the Council of Chief State
School Officers (CCSSO), developing the position statement and specific items for the reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which is
beginning congressional action now. I just finished a year
term as chair of the Federal Liaison Network of CCSSO,
facilitating the advocacy work on the national level. The
summer of 2004 our daughter graduated from Wheelock
with a degree in Child Life (third-generation Wheelock
graduate!), and our son was married. Ashley began work
immediately as one of three child life specialists at Maine
Medical Center on the Barbara Bush floor. Porter and
Meghan are now living in Georgia. It is hard to believe
that we will have our 35th Reunion in 2008. Let’s try to
have as many classmates as possible at the Reunion!
1974
Laura Keyes Jaynes
Vicki Greenspan Broman has been working in the
telecommunications field for almost 30 years now. Yet
much of her current work, as both a project manager and
voice user interface designer, is done with “everyday people” using the psychology and sociology background she
received at Wheelock. Vicki is living in Scottsdale, AZ,
with fiancé Jack and a group of assorted rescue animals.
Paula Davison wrote from Yarmouth Port, MA, that
she is in her second year of representing custom homebuilders at The Pinehills in Plymouth, MA. She enjoys
staying connected with Wheelock as several alums live
there, and last year she co-hosted (with Lois Barnett
Mirsky ’54) a public policy event there for alums on
Cape Cod and the South Shore. She recently completed
her term on the Alumni Board of Directors. Paula recently had the opportunity to travel to China and planned to
go to Vietnam/Cambodia this spring.
All is great on Block Island, RI, for Rita Abrams
Draper. She and her husband are innkeepers of the
1661 Inn/Hotel Manisses year-round, and their middle
son works with them. They spent more time than usual
in Costa Rica this past winter. Rita would love to see
Wheelock alums come by if you are in her area! Susan
Blaine Gilbert sent greetings from Los Angeles, where
she moved in 2005 after accepting a position with
National University as lead faculty for the B.A. in Early
Childhood Education at the Los Angeles Academic
Center. “I have settled in San Pedro and am surprised by
how much I like L.A.,” she wrote.
Martha Mitchell Gulácsy von Gulács continues to enjoy teaching English to grades 5 and 6 at The
Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, FL, after moving to
Sarasota from Caracas, Venezuela. She is also head of the
English Department at the academy’s Lower School.
Debra Crossman Kwiatek continues to be a K-5 reading
specialist in Reading, MA. For Christmas 2005, instead
of spending money on gifts, she and her family went to
Mexico and helped build a home for a family through
Amor Ministries. Linda Mayo-Perez wrote that, as the
president/CEO of Maple Grove Cemetery in Queens,
NY, she is involved in many exciting projects concerning
the cemetery as it is also on the National Register of
Historic Places and is located in one of the most diverse
counties in the country. Linda is working toward an M.S.
in Spirituality at the Hartford Seminary. The one thing
that remains “consistent and sacred” is her annual threeweek vacation to Martha’s Vineyard every August.
Wanda Arrington Meekins wrote that this may be
her last year of teaching a primary Montessori class in
Washington, D.C. She and husband Willie are having a
house built in Gastonia, NC, where she looks forward to
spending time with her three wonderful grandchildren.
Betsy Robertson Pottey lives in East Sandwich,
MA, and works as kindergarten teacher in the Abington
Public Schools. With two older sons, a high-school senior
and a freshman in college, they love to travel and try to
have several family vacations a year. Sally Malloy
Sanford wrote, “And it all began on the Riverway 32
years ago!” That’s when Sally met her college roommate
and best friend, Dayl Walker. As luck would have it,
they now live within an hour of each other (Sally is in
Rhode Island; Dayl, in Connecticut), and Sally has also
recently visited Rita Abrams Draper on Block Island. Sally
enjoyed a 25-year teaching career and recently married
Ted Sanford, who shares a passion for sailing. She joined
the General Federation of Women’s Clubs and was
pleased to see Sally Young Miller. Bernadette
“Bunny” Monagan Ucko now has a master’s in
Special Education and Learning Disabilities and for 10
years has run a home-based clinic for tutoring children to
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improve their processing skills. She has six tutors who
work for her, one being her daughter. She has been married to Lloyd since graduating from Wheelock and has
three grown children.
All is well for me (Laura) here in Merrimack, NH,
after 31 years. Many things have changed, but my
Wheelock training continues to serve me well. After being
a stay-at-home mom for 15 years, I am back teaching
fourth-graders who are the kids of the kids I had in fourth
grade back in the 1970s, but it indeed helps me work
with the families. My husband of 34 years, Steve, and my
two older children are doing great. Thanks for your input.
1975
Leslie Hayter Maxfield
In the summer of 2006, Judith Black, a full-time storyteller, went with the Nu Wa contingent to China for
three weeks to both learn and tell tales. Later last year,
she was hard at work on her latest adult program, one
about women and aging. “My son Solomon was discharged after four years of service to the U.S. Marine
Corps, during which he attained the rank of sergeant
and won the Navy/Marine Achievement Medal for
Courage Under Fire. He now studies issues of peace,”
Judith wrote. “My new story, ‘Esau My Son,’ for parents and educators, is about raising and nurturing the
child you never thought would be yours and can be
found on my website at www.storiesalive.com.”
Jo Ann Rowse DiPilato and husband Mat live in
Amherst, NH, and Jo Ann is a special education case
manager working with first- and second-graders in the
Amherst Public Schools.
Congratulations to Rachel Henowitz Levine of
Waterford, CT, who was appointed president of her
community hospital auxiliary in November 2006.
“Since my son, Jared, was born there 16 years ago, I
have served in many positions in their 600-member
organization,” Rachel wrote. “I am looking forward to a
very busy two-year term ahead.” She also works as a
substitute teacher in the New London Public Schools.
Susanne Grant Tupper MacDonald wrote: “My
business, SGMBIZCOMM [in Beverly Farms, MA],
handles public relations, media relations, and marketing
for Boston-area professionals and companies. My focus
is on public relations for women in business and on
identifying media opportunities for published authors
of books.” Susanne has two daughters and two grandchildren. Penny Boggia O’Connell, serving families with children birth to 3 as vice president of Parent
Education Programs in Lake Mary, FL, has taught parenting classes for nine years. “I recently got certified to
teach the best parenting course I’ve ever experienced,
Redirecting Children’s Behavior,” she wrote in
December. “Along with these classes, I have contracted
with several county and state programs to teach various
topics on raising children. I feel so blessed to have
helped so many families find their way in raising loving
and successful children.” Cindy Morris Plonskier
is teaching English as a Second Language to adults and
has private students as well. She and her husband will
have been married for 30 years this July and live in
Mahwah, NJ, but spend a lot of time at their vacation
home in Delray Beach, FL. They have three children.
“[I’m] finally home in the States for good,” Susan
Williams Rowley wrote. She works with immigrants as
an ESL and citizenship prep teacher at Centro Latino de
Chelsea (Chelsea, MA). Kathy Witt Sturges works as
an educational consultant for the Hamilton County
Educational Services Center in Cincinnati. “Currently I
am on loan to the Ohio Department of Education serving
as a regional school improvement facilitator,” she wrote in
late November. “Working with districts designated in
school improvement status, I support district leaders to
build their capacity to close the achievement gap for all
students while raising achievement scores in an effort to
meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements.” Kathy
and husband Rick have been married for 32 years and
enjoy visiting Boston frequently to visit son Jamie, who
attends Emerson College. Harriet Romeiser Thomas
says living in Oklahoma (Tulsa) has really grown on her,
now that she’s been there six years, and she finds it a lovely
place to live. She began substitute teaching three years ago
and loves the flexibility and the kids—she tries to stay
with grades 1 through 4. She became a first-time grandmother last Oct. 28, with the birth in Cincinnati of
Harriet Elizabeth Culpepper, who will be called “Hattie”
after her great-grandmother Harriet Beals ’43. “I was
there for every minute of it,” Harriet wrote. Mary
Ainslie Tracy has been involved in starting the Friends
School of Portland (ME), an independent Quaker day
school for children in preschool through eighth grade. The
school opened last September with 29 students, pre-K
through sixth grade, in three multiage classes. Located on
Mackworth Island in Falmouth, the school leases space
from the Gov. Baxter School for the Deaf. “We are learning American Sign Language and working our way fairly
smoothly through the natural growing pains of a new
organization,” Mary wrote. “I am the teaching head of
school, teaching the upper elementary children and trying
to keep my head above water in terms of the educational
direction and planning of the school. We expect to expand
and would love to hear from Wheelock alumni who are
interested.” Please visit www.friendsschoolofportland.org.
Pat Ward wrote the chapter “Using Your Self in
the Service of Others” in The Birkman Reader (ed.
Alan Bernstein), which was published last October.
“This volume reflects 12 established consultants’ use of
the Birkman Personality Profile to raise emotional
intelligence in the workplace,” she wrote. “Combining
anecdotal and statistical formats, the reader can gain a
sense of how a sensitive instrument empowers both the
client and the consultant. It can be purchased from
shipping@birkman.com.”
A Chef’s Tale, and Thanatos Rx: The Death Penalty
Debate in America were shown, and Maryanne and
some of the films’ subjects were there to answer questions.
A practicing forensic psychologist in Boston, Maryanne
has also written, directed, and produced three educational
training videos for mental health and law enforcement
professionals. Please visit www.mgproductions.biz for
more information. Becky Neblett Hedin is in her first
year as principal of the George I. Clapp Elementary
School in Woburn, MA. She lives in Framingham and
previously taught second grade and served as a reading
specialist in the Sudbury Public Schools. “I love curriculum design, so I was especially happy to find a small
school where I could keep my hands in the classroom and
support new teachers,” she wrote last September. “It is a
small neighborhood school, so I am getting to know families at the crosswalk each morning.”
“It’s a wonderful program, and I love what I’m doing,”
Laurie Horowitz Ptalis wrote. A basic skills teacher in
the Summit, NJ, Public Schools, she teaches math for firstgraders and language arts and math for kindergartners. She
loves working with small groups of children, creating an
encouraging learning environment for them. “It is amazing
how the curriculum has changed since I was at
Wheelock,” she wrote. “There is very little opportunity for
kindergartners to play. Children are really doing what we
knew as first-grade work. It seems like there is such a push
for children to learn at a very fast pace. I hope to make a
difference and help children feel good about themselves!”
Kathy Richter-Sand continues to work as a staff developer for the Albuquerque, NM, Public Schools. Her and
husband Bob’s 2006 holiday letter read, “Kath’s passion—
beyond our dogs, gardening/yard design, and travel—is
digital photography. She has submitted entries to the New
Mexico State Fair and to the local camera club. We have
traveled on many trips around the country to capture great
frames of people and nature.” They have also become
involved in lure coursing with their dog Zoe, and Kathy
still trains her for dog shows.
Reunion 2007
June 1,2,3
1977
Louise Close
Jill Schoenfeld Ikens
Peter Rawitsch was in touch with Wheelock’s Alumni
Office in February to say that he would be unable to
attend the 30th Reunion because he was getting remarried on June 2 to Stacy Kitt. Congratulations, Peter!
1976
Angela Barresi Yakovleff
Carolee Fucigna is still teaching pre-K at the Nueva
School in Hillsborough, CA, a pre-K to grade 8 school
for gifted and talented students. “Some are featured in
[award-winning filmmaker] Maryanne Galvin’s latest
documentary film, What’s Going On Up There? [about
space flight and exploration],” Carolee wrote. Narrated by
Leonard Nimoy, the film “examines the sacrifices that
must be made on the road to revitalizing the space industry,” according to a press release about it. Maryanne herself added that, to mark the completion of this project,
the Boston Public Library held a retrospective of her
works in February and March (Women’s History Month).
Her films High, Fast and Wonderful, The Pursuit
of Pleasure, As Is: A Downsized Life, Amuse Bouche:
1978
Pat Mucci Tayco
Karen Nuzzo taught classes in fiber arts and sock
knitting at the Bedford Academy for the Arts in the
Bower Center in Bedford, VA, last fall. A Bedford
Bulletin story about her from last August says that she
has been teaching and exploring the arts—including
origami, weaving, spinning, knitting, embroidery,
beading, design, and art quilting—for more than 35
years. It added that she has and uses four spinning
wheels, three looms, and three sewing machines. Jerry
Parr ’78/’78MS works out of his New Hampshire
home as special assistant to the executive project officer
Wheelock Magazine
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Carol Sullivan-Hanley ’78 (far right), Sue Norris Welch ’78/’98MS (far left), and their kindergarten class at the Joseph Osgood Elementary School in Cohasset, MA
at Danya International. Carol Sullivan-Hanley sent
Wheelock this terrific photo of her and Sue Norris
Welch ’78/’98MS with their kindergarten class at the
Joseph Osgood Elementary School in Cohasset, MA.
“We had not seen each other since we graduated,” she
wrote. “Now we are like ‘Lucy and Ethel’ as regular
education and special education teachers working
together. We also work with Carolyn Queenan
’05MS and Lauren McCarthy Winter ’91.”
I (Pat) have accepted a new position as the director of
the Booz Allen Hamilton Family Center.
1980
Elizabeth Corning DeMille
Kathy Formica Harris
In sending my oldest daughter off to college this year, I
(Kathy) have reflected on my wonderful experience at
Wheelock. As a third-grade teacher in Wethersfield, CT, I
continue to use the foundation and love of teaching and
children, which Wheelock embedded in me, with my
own children, students, parents, and colleagues, and in
professional development each day. Many of my classmates have expressed the same. My senior-year roommate,
Kathleen Shaw, and I would love to hear from the rest of
the pack: Kappy Davidson, Holly Broomhead
Dwyer, and MaryEllen Burgess-Vericker. Kathy
Shaw is a busy mom in her eighth year at Pentucket
Early Intervention Program as a family therapist. She is
active in her Newburyport, MA, community, serving on
two city commissions and the special education parent
advisory council. Libby Corning DeMille continues
to work as a learning design consultant at L.L. Bean,
where she develops learning programs for employees on
topics such as new computer systems, project management, and job-specific tasks. Libby was brushing up on
her French in preparation for a learning vacation
trip to France this spring.
Lori Yeitz Caron is enjoying her new position as
principal of Mohegan Elementary School in Connecticut,
and her husband is superintendent of schools in Region
4. Bobbie Van Suetendael Helbig wrote that her
children are out of college and have entered the real
world! She is in her eighth year teaching reading at the
40
Spring 2007
junior-high level to struggling readers in the Sturbridge,
MA, area. Nancy Wiper Klein lives in Centennial,
CO; is still teaching kindergarten at a private school; and
has become a grandmother to “awesome Elsa.” Joan
Roth Kleinman is enjoying life with husband Keith
and their four children. She has been doing part-time
work with autistic children and has found it very enjoyable and rewarding. Betty Heger Wright celebrated
her 25th wedding anniversary recently. She has been substitute teaching in Needham, MA. Sigrid Carvelli
Bott retired from teaching ESL in Concord, MA, in
June 2003 after 19 years. You can now find her at
Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott, in
Concord, where she is an educational interpreter. She
summers at her home in Georgetown, ME, and volunteers at the Maine Maritime Museum.
Two classmates living on the Pacific coast share their
busy lives as well! Cindy Richardson Wallace is fortunate to have a job at the San Diego Wild Animal Park
that combines wildlife and children’s curiosity. She wrote
that her home is also filled with a menagerie of animals.
Robin Tavares-Russell continues to be a busy mom
managing her three daughters’ careers in the entertainment industry. Daughter Chelsea Tavares, 15, is currently
Sigrid Carvelli Bott ’80 working as an educational interpreter at
Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott, in Concord, MA
a series regular on Nickelodeon’s series Unfabulous. Kylee
Russell, 10, starred in the Disney movie Jump In! while
Halle Russell, 7, has done voice-over for Disney and work
on a music video.
Reunion 2007
1982
June 1,2,3
1983
Carol Rubin Fishman
Greetings, ’83ers! It seems that many of us are reaching
that next stage of returning to work, returning to school,
or just finding a change of pace! Here’s the news.
“Hi, all!” Molly Howe Singer’s letter begins. “I have
been living on the South Shore of Boston for almost 10
years now. I was teaching preschool until three years ago,
when my 16-year-old son died of a rare interaction with a
malaria pill. I never went back to teaching but am working
in our village general store. I am also very involved in my
church and, of course, with my other two boys, Ryan, 17,
and Taylor, 13. It hasn’t been an easy road, but we have
stayed busy with a program we started in memory of our
son Brooks. Brooks’ World Travels sends 20 high-school
students overseas every year to learn that “we are all more
the same than different.” (Our thoughts are with you,
Molly!) Randi Panken Goodman e-mailed Wheelock
with this news: “I have been in California for three years,
and it is finally feeling like home. I have been studying to
get my license as a marriage and family therapist and have
one more year of graduate school. I have an internship in
Malibu. Both my girls are in adolescence, and that is quite
a challenge. We are enjoying traveling, including a trip to
France last summer. I would love to hear from anyone living in the Los Angeles area!” Laurel Massey Leibowitz
wrote, “Hello, all! With my oldest a freshman at Bentley
College (my husband’s alma mater) and two more to graduate, I have headed back into the workforce. Currently I
am a long-term substitute for a teacher of an intensive education program for six preschool and kindergarten children.
They are adorable. I am working hard but loving it! I continue to sell MaryKay as well!” Valessia Samaras married
Jeff McQuate in 2004 and now lives in Old Town
Alexandria, VA!
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Chrissy Colandreo Shawver sent her news:
“I am now attending graduate school at Hood College in
Frederick, MD, majoring in ECE/Curriculum and
Instruction. After 23 years out of college, it has been quite
an adjustment! Things sure have changed since my days at
Wheelock! I am currently working at my family business
while in school, taking a break from teaching so I can
focus on my studies. However, I continue to work with
adults with disabilities and love it! I also teach, at our local
community college, an education course on inclusion for
children with chronic illnesses and disabilities. I love teaching college! All the upcoming teachers are in my classes,
and they have such energy!” Arlene Fratalia Woods
continues working as a preschool teacher with a group of
six in her mother’s licensed home in Milton, MA. “My
own children are growing fast! Joseph is now 11 and
Monica is 9!” In June 2006, Andrea Ades Woolner
gave birth to James T. (JT) Woolner! Betsey Mann is
now in New Hampshire working at Staff Development
for Educators as a conference program planner.
I (Carol) continue to substitute teach at local private
and public schools so that I can be available to my children as needed and active in their schools (including creating memory quilts for Rachel’s and Josh’s classes’ auction
contributions). I’m taking the course Art for Children at
our community college as required to keep my certification up-to-date.
1984
Kathy Welsh Wilcox
Joan Cycenas has enjoyed a great third-grade class this
year. Her son is a sophomore in high school and keeps her
busy with his cross-country, track, and soccer schedules.
“His joy at school reminds me of how much I loved being
at Wheelock,” she wrote. “What a gift that is!” Jody
Mount Vorenberg is teaching kindergarten at The
Orchard School in Indianapolis and belongs to a great
book group, in which “[they] really read the books.” She
takes lots of walks with her golden retrievers and loves to
cook when she’s not driving her 10-, 14-, and 16-year-old
girls around. Carla Belcher Sweitzer wrote: “One year
ago, I stepped down from my position as a preschool director. I taught water aerobics and began to substitute teach in
the Hudson Public School System in Ohio. In January, I
applied for my regular and special education teaching certificates and received them both within two months. In the
spring, I began applying to the local districts for a teaching
job. In late June, I was hired as an intervention specialist
for the seventh-grade resource/inclusion at our middle
school. I am back to full-time work now that my youngest
is in first grade. What a rollercoaster it has been! I am very
thankful for my education from Wheelock to fall back on.
Teaching has changed a lot in the last 10 years, but everything I learned at Wheelock is applicable!”
There have been huge changes in my (Kathy’s) life
over the past year. I am now a single parent and teaching
full time at a new school here in Murrieta, CA. My children are the joys of my life right now. They are both
teenagers, and you know that leads to exciting times.
Not only am I involved in my own school where I
teach, but I am on a student study team committee and
the United Way coordinator. I am also involved in my
children’s high school education and sports. I would love
to talk to some classmates from Wheelock! Please e-mail
me at kgwilcox1@verizon.net.
Robin Tavares-Russell ’80 (second grown-up from right) with Liz Rose A’Vant ’80 (far right) and her (Robin’s) family: husband Norman and
daughters (L to R) Chelsea (15), Halle (7), and Kylee (10). Robin and Chelsea, a regular on the Nickelodeon show Unfabulous, took
this limo provided by Nickelodeon to the 2005 Kids’ Choice Awards.
1985
Linda Edwards Beal
Susan Portnoy Falvey is living in Orange, CT, and
working as a reading tutor for the New Haven Public
Schools. Cathy Dinan Jackson wrote, “I am a seventh-grade special education teacher in Haverhill,
MA. My husband and I enjoy golfing and traveling. My
sister’s niece, Kelly Meehan, is a freshman at Wheelock
this year. She loves it!” Tricia Norton wrote, “Just wondering . . . am I the only grandmother in the Class of
’85?” (Anyone?) Tricia has been the operations manager at
the Montessori School of Quincy (MA) for three years.
She also audio describes live theater performances in
Boston from time to time. Tricia’s oldest daughter is
studying early childhood education at Blue Hills Regional
Technical School in Canton. Tricia added, “Some of you
may have seen my sister Mary in the news recently. She
and her partner, Wendy, challenged the Massachusetts ruling prohibiting Rhode Island same-sex couples from marrying in the state and won. They were married this past
fall with their two adorable children by their sides. I am
bursting with pride!”
Alison Abbott Quackenbush has been living
in Framingham, MA, for about 11 years and continues
to love it. She has a daughter in 10th grade, one in
sixth, and a son in kindergarten. She has been home
with her kids for many years and continues to be
involved in the elementary school’s PTO. Alison and
her kids visit Wheelock often to see WFT shows. She
wrote, “I recently had an excuse to go to Coolidge
Corner. Wow, has it changed!” Beth Ruttenberg is a
certified Montessori teacher and runs her own school
in New Mexico. “I love living out here, and I love what
I do. The children are awesome, and my business is
now succeeding from word of mouth. I started Earth’s
Child in the summer of 2000.” Elizabeth Thomas
works as a general manager for the Westin Hotel in
Houston, TX. She has two cats, Bear and Natasha, and
a fish named Flow.
1986
Julie Simon
Susan Dunn-Cheramie ’86/’91MS has become
director of the Bethlehem Preschool at St. Paul’s
Episcopal Church in Lynnfield, MA. The church’s
priest cited her “enthusiasm and can-do spirit” as two
things that made her a perfect fit for the position,
according to a September 2006 Lynnfield Villager
story about her appointment. She was previously the
executive director of the Children’s Center at Textron
Systems in Wilmington.
Reunion 2007
June 1,2,3
1987
Kathleen Hurley DeVarennes
1988
Carol-Ann McCusker Petruccelli
Kirsten Pihlaja is finishing up a “two-year deal” as a
kindergarten teacher at an international school in
Guatemala City. “I sold my house and my car, had two
huge garage sales, and put the rest in storage to come
here!” she wrote. “I have a lot of freedom teaching here,
which is nice, but I also miss the collaboration of teammates, which I had in the U.S.” Kirsten’s other two experiences working internationally were both with the Peace
Corps: She was a trainer and supervisor of preschool
teachers in Belize right after graduation, and then, in the
late 1990s, after receiving her master’s degree, she taught
English as a Foreign Language to grades 3 to 11 in
Moldova. She plans to head back to the Denver Public
Schools for 2007-2008.
1989
Susan Kelly Myers
Diane Larochelle wrote: “I never thought my
Wheelock education could be used in so many diverse
ways. After teaching and working in college administration, I have found a passionate calling in working with
women and children coping with domestic and sexual violence. As a criminal justice advocate [at the YWCA of
Manchester, NH], I encounter women and their families
during times of crisis, but by helping them to access law
enforcement, court, and social services, I have found a way
to celebrate their strengths, survival skills, and lives. My
education skills and awareness of the need for social
change that I learned at Wheelock continue to serve me so
well even after 18 years.” Diane says her life has had a
slower pace since she moved to New Hampshire in 2001,
but she enjoys being near her family.
Wheelock Magazine
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1990
Melissa Croteau Fitzgerald
Happy spring, everyone! Just think that in only three
more years we will be having our 20th Reunion. Start
planning now and get in touch with old friends. I was
pleased to get mail from some people who haven’t written
in for a while. Jen Dirga is working at Open Circle, a
social competency program for elementary schools, based
out of Wellesley College. She lives in Newton, MA, with
partner Janice and two children. Steva Feir-Scarpelli is
living in Maine and is working with special needs kindergartners in a program she started. She is also a water aerobics instructor at the YMCA. She and husband John are
raising two boys. She keeps in contact with Hope Mills
Keleher, who recently had a baby girl, and Susan
Blake Arsenault ’91 and her two sons.
From far across the ocean we heard from Katie
Kitchen McNeil. She lives in Dubai, which is in the
United Arab Emirates. Katie is a kindergarten teacher in
an American International School with 75 different
nationalities. Husband Blaine is an air traffic controller.
They have three children ages 6, 9 and 11. They have
traveled to Thailand, Indonesia, India, and South Africa
since they moved to Dubai two years ago. She will be visiting Boston this summer and hopes to catch up with
some old friends. Lori Ann Langlais Hickey wrote
in commenting on how much time has gone by. She is
kept busy with her 8-year-old son and 5-year-old twins.
She loves the stress of motherhood and sends hugs to all.
Congratulations to Mary Mahoney
Salamone! She married Phil last September and is looking forward to starting a family. Genevieve Lowry
Coxworth attended the wedding, and Kim Oliver
was planning to go but had to stay in California because
she was expecting baby number two. (Kim had daughter
Ryley Campbell Prock on Nov. 9, and Genevieve is now
busy with her own “baby number two” since the birth of
Beckett Robert Coxworth on March 1.) Mary is still
working as a special educator in Medfield, MA. Pam
McInnis Schappler is still in Bedford, NH, with husband Phil and their five children. The youngest will start
kindergarten next fall, and Pam hopes to be back in the
classroom. They will be down in Virginia this spring for a
visit with my (Melissa’s) family. Alyson Shifres Miller
is kept quite busy with her triplets, Ella, Abigail and
Cameron. I had an opportunity to see them at Christmas,
and they are adorable! She recently moved back into a
newly remodeled home in Westwood, MA, with husband
Scott and their trio. The house came out fabulous.
As for me, my children and I spent Christmas in New
England with family and friends. We were very disappointed not to have any snow! Hanna is now 10 and in
fourth grade and still loves school and says she wants to
go to Wheelock someday. She is in Girl Scouts and is
excellent in Cookie Sales. Nick is now 6 and in kindergarten. He is the ultimate boy and keeps me busy from
dawn till dusk. The kids and I made our first trip to
Disney last summer and had a great time. The drive was
the longest ride of my life, but it was worth every
moment. We can’t wait to go back again someday. As for
me, I am still a stay-at-home mom but will eventually get
back into the workforce. I am still interested in being a
children’s author and have done a lot of independent
research and talked to many authors. Even if I never get
published, I enjoy what I’ve written. If you are reading
42
Spring 2007
this magazine, please write in next time you have an
opportunity so we can read up on what you have been
doing. It was wonderful to hear so many names this time,
and I hope the next issue will be double.
1991
Gina Wayshak Hames has been working at the
Child-At-Risk Hotline (connected to the Massachusetts
Department of Social Services) at Judge Baker Children’s
Center in Boston for 16 years. She is married with
two children.
Reunion 2007
1992
June 1,2,3
Joanne Lloyd
Kelly Walsh
1993
Nina Mortensen LaPlante
Jessica Borg Alderman married Derrick in August
2005, and he “continues to make [her] smile and laugh
every day.” They celebrated with their family and close
friends in Groton, MA. Jessica is wrapping up her 13th
year of teaching in the Northborough, MA, Public
Schools, where she is really enjoying her class of firstgrade students. Kimberley Sherman Boit wrote
when she was halfway through a year of her husband’s
deployment to Afghanistan. He will return just in time
for them to move again two months later. She and her
children just stay busy and keep in touch with him via
e-mail. “Thank God for modern technology,” she
wrote. Debbie Cooper Crane is enjoying being at
home and involved in her first- and fourth-graders’
schools. “Time sure does fly by,” she wrote. Debbie
teaches Music Together three days a week, which
allows her to be home in the afternoons. Debbie and
husband Steve are celebrating 13 years of a great marriage this year. They added a new puppy to their family
last October, so that is keeping them busy as well.
Debbie would love to hear from all her friends to catch
up a bit at debbiecrane@comcast.net. Rebecca
DeAquair has joined the staff of the Igo Elementary
School in Foxboro, MA, as a preschool teacher. She has
worked with the Pilgrim Area Collaborative in
Pembroke, and more recently she was an early childhood special needs teacher in Brockton. Hilary
Hoffman is currently living in California and working as a teacher. She will be getting married this June
to Mark Sowers in Connecticut.
Sara Hosmer wrote that she can’t believe many of
us turned 35 this past year! “Seems impossible,” she
wrote. She is finishing up her M.Ed. at Boston College
this spring and then hopes to find an administrative job
in an urban middle school. She still identifies as a social
worker with her area of most interest being equity in education. She hopes all her Wheelock friends are well. Amy
Gailunas Johnson has been teaching second grade in
Boston for the past 12 years. She and husband Mark have
two children, a 4-month-old girl and 19-month-old boy
(when she wrote to us in the fall). Vanessa Wardly
Nachmann wanted to touch base with her Wheelock
classmates and professors. She is happy to say that she is
married and has a wonderful 7-year-old daughter. They
Heidi Butterworth Fanion ’94 with husband Jason and their children
around the holidays last year
are living in Argentina and have been for the past 10
years. Vanessa is in contact with Alicia Fenner Knight
’93/’99MS and Pam Singer Robins. Alicia has visited
Vanessa many times in Argentina, and Vanessa has been
to see Alicia on the Vineyard. Vanessa has gotten back to
teaching after many years of business, and “it feels great!”
She sends special thanks to Marcia Folsom and Petra
Hesse, who have been mentors and had a profound
impact on her life. Be sure to look Vanessa up if you are
ever in Buenos Aires.
Wanda Yeomans Patterson sends greetings to her
fellow ’93 classmates. She and her family are still living in
Piedmont, CA, and enjoying it. Son Nicholas attends preschool joyfully five days a week. Wanda is busy volunteering with a local organization that raises money for
children’s charities. Last year the organization raised and
gave away over $200,000. Her family spent Thanksgiving
in Maui with her extended family. Rochelle PerryCraft ’93/’94MS received her doctorate of education
from UMass Boston in June 2004 and is currently working as an adaptive physical education teacher in Boston.
She has 2- and 5-year-old children and a new daughter,
Jayden Aryelle, who was born Jan. 12.
Elizabeth Lacroix Sekercan continues to enjoy
being a stay-at-home mom. Along with her 7-year-old
daughter Emma, she joyfully welcomed her twin daughters, Julie and Sophia, in August 2005. “Life through the
eyes of three little girls is wonderful,” she wrote. They
keep her busy. Elizabeth would love to hear from friends
at esekercan@adelphia.net. Kristen Quinn Shorey
resigned from teaching special education in the public
schools last July after taking a year off to stay home
with her children, Jillian and Ryan. She is now working
as a consultant for families and children with the
Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing. She is happy to be back in the field of early
intervention. Kristen recently saw Rob Hatch at a
state-level meeting. She looks forward to our 15th
Reunion. Kristen would love to hear from friends she
has lost touch with at kristenasl@hotmail.com.
Karin Blumberg Taylor recently cut back on her
work schedule so that she could be available to her
6- and 10-year-olds. She is the co-director (with one of
the center’s owners) of the Dartmouth Children’s
Center. Karin has also recently completed an addition
to her home. Her life is definitely busy.
*Wheelock Spring
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I (Nina) am still teaching third grade in Natick, MA.
My husband, TJ, and I moved into a brand-new home in
Sturbridge with our 3-year-old son, Jarrod. He is such a
happy boy, and we are very blessed. I would just like to
add that, even though we may not always be in touch
with each other, our Wheelock friends and connections
are never far from our thoughts and hearts. All the best
to everyone.
1994
Heidi Butterworth Fanion
Alex Campbell ’94/’97MS is in her 10th year as a
teacher at the Corner Co-op Nursery School, a parent
cooperative that has been in existence since 1972. They
have many Wheelock student teachers during the year.
Alex keeps busy teaching English conversation to the
Japanese, and art to homeschooled children. She is also
working on becoming a cat lady, although right now she
has only one cat. The piercings are all gone, and her hair
is long and its natural color. Alex satisfies her need for
attention by covering her arms and legs with tattoos.
Check out her blog: www.snobbyblog.blogspot.com.
“I am so glad to have had such a fantastic college
experience,” Sarah Westmoreland Dehey wrote. She
gets to visit Wheelock and Boston about twice a year.
Sarah formally adopted husband Peter’s son, Brett (12), in
July 2005 and is enjoying a very exciting time for her
family. Last December, they bought a home in
Barkhamsted, CT, and “moved from [their] tiny condo
into 1,500 sq. ft.” Sarah started a new job in an alternative school for behaviorally challenged teens in Western
Massachusetts in January. David Gaita has been teaching first grade in Newton, MA, for 12 years and loves it.
He is at a small public school with great colleagues and
families and is having a lot of fun. He and his “precious”
6-year-old daughter live in Somerville and recently got a
black Golden doodle. Arlene Duncan is a charge nurse
on a sub-acute unit at Calvin Coolidge Nursing and
Rehab in Northampton, MA. Shannon Garvey
announced her engagement to Kevin P. Roach, both of
Brookline, MA. A July 28, 2007, wedding is planned.
Colleen Carr Georgescu lives in Wolcott, CT,
with her family. After a very difficult pregnancy and
(L to R) Lynne Harmon Aloisi ’94/’97MS, Beth Topham O’Keefe ’94/’97MS, Kristen Neary ’94, Rosemary Topham ’95/’97MS, Ellen
Buus ’96, Joanna Tabbutt Krauss ’96, Katelyn Guiney Wojnarowicz ’95, Robin Melesko Toomey ’95, and Kathy “Snappy” Tokarz ’95
helped Megan Baldwin Conklin ’96 celebrate her wedding in 2005.
bedrest, Colleen gave birth to a son, Braden Thomas, on
May 22, 2006. He joins a sister, Meghan (2). Colleen
teaches fourth grade in Cheshire. “I love my job as a
teacher and love going to work, especially knowing my
two precious pumpkins are well cared for by a wonderful
woman in an in-home day care,” she wrote. “Life is very
busy and crazy. I miss seeing and talking to many people,
but lately it seems like life is about daily survival. Hello to
all my Wheelock friends!” Jamie Koch Gottlob has
been married 13 years this past New Year’s Eve. Chase is
now 10, and Emily, 8. They have been living in Tulsa for
the past five years. After staying home for nine years,
Jamie went back to work last fall and is teaching third
grade for Jenks Public Schools. “I’m loving my class, and
I’m hoping to loop to fourth with them,” she wrote. “My
school district is great! Jenks Public Schools was the 2005
Malcolm Baldrige [National Quality Award] winner.”
Kristin Wagner Matzonkai and Ron celebrated
the birth of their first child, Caitlyn Michelle, last Aug. 9.
Kristin is enjoying motherhood while still teaching
kindergarten. She can’t wait to show her off at the next
Reunion. Sharon McGonnell wrote: “Nothing like
taking 12 years to update my info!” She has spent the last
decade moving up and down the East Coast but is back
living in Virginia, a state she loves. She’d love e-mails from
friends at awrtsharon@yahoo.com.
“All is well in Maine” for Rachael LeBlanc Tyler.
Still at KidsPeace National Centers for Children in Crisis,
she works with children and families and supervises clinicians and case managers in the residential and diagnostic
program. “More than anything I’m doing professionally,”
she wrote, “I love being a mother and being a part of
everything Benjamin (6), Abigail (5), and Jacob (3), are
doing. Every day I’m grateful for my Wheelock experience, both for everything it has prepared me for in my
work and for the relationships I built that are so precious
to me. Even though I don’t get to see the true friends I
made there every day, every day they are a part of me.”
Melinda Parcinski Velarde is mom to Will, 10, and
Bethany, 8. She teaches at the Immanuel Lutheran
School, physical education, part time. She enjoys traveling
both within Connecticut and outside and overseas.
Jason and I (Heidi) are enjoying parenthood. We
have two beautiful children, ages 3 and 1. They are
such a wonderful blessing. Our daughter has started
preschool two half-mornings a week and loves it. I am
back working full time as a clinical social worker for the
public schools and doing various workshops for my
daughter’s preschool. Jason recently was accepted as a
senior medical training officer for FEMA. He is very
excited! I still continue to sell jewelry and have taken
rank in kickboxing and martial arts. Check out my
webpage at www.mysilpada.com/heidi.fanion. See
you at the next Reunion.
1995
Katelyn Guiney Wojnarowicz
Congratulations to Jacque Silcock Butler on the
(L to R) Kristin Wagner Matzonkai ’94 with daughter Caitlyn, Kyla McSweeney ’94/’97MS, Catherine DeRose Clapp ’94, and Patti Lloyd
’96 at the NAEYC Conference in Atlanta last November
birth of her and Brian’s second daughter, Allegra Rill
Butler, on July 17, 2006. “Allegra and BIG sister Ava are
wonderful,” she wrote. Jacque still loves her work as an
owner/instructor of StrollerFit-Exercise With Your Baby.
“It’s a blessing to be able to have a business that benefits
moms, babies, and toddlers without having to take time
away from my own children.” Erin Kowalczyk Claus
’95/’96MS and husband Brian have been married for six
years and have two beautiful children, Bailey (4) and
Molly (1). Erin is a stay-at-home mom and loves being at
home with her children. The Claus family took a trip to
Boston, where they were able to meet up with Melissa
Rossi Williams ’95/’96MS. Mary “Molly” Casey
Duffy wrote to share the birth of Michaela “Larkin”
Wheelock Magazine
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Duffy on Feb. 21, 2006. Still living in Alexandria, VA,
Molly is using all of her early childhood “expertise” while
staying home full time with Larkin. Larkin had her first
trip to Boston in July to meet her friend Cassidy Rae
Gallagher (daughter of Stephanie Goddard Gallagher).
Rebecca Francis wrote that she and Julie Fera are
celebrating their 10-year anniversary! Likewise, she can’t
believe that she has been living on the West Coast that
long! This year they vacationed in Italy, and who knows
where next year will take them? Rebecca would love to
hear from Lori Garino. Does anyone have any leads?
Kerri Sheridan Gallagher and husband Mark have
made their home in Needham, MA, with their two boys
and new little girl, Katie, born last Aug. 11. Kerri wrote
that she does miss teaching but treasures every day that
she is home with her “little ones.” Stephanie Goddard
Gallagher has been married for five years and has a
wonderful 1-year-old daughter, Cassidy Rae! Lisa Feucht
Kavanagh ’93AS/’95BS, an at-home “mum” of three
beautiful daughters, is grateful for her Wheelock education: “It is so helpful in the raising of our family.”
The Kavanagh family has been back in the Seattle area
for three years now!
June 2005 was a busy month for Erin Dempsey
Lindtveit and her family. Erin gave birth to their third
child, Emily Catherine, on June 3, and on June 28, she
and husband Herbert bought their first house in Methuen,
MA. Their son is just finishing third grade, and their older
daughter, kindergarten. And as for Erin, she is finding running a home day care to be at home with Emily “an exciting adventure!” Congratulations to Lori Marois, who
graduated from UCLA’s Counseling in Student Affairs
program with honors, earning a Master of Education in
June 2006. Lori is currently working as an admissions and
housing adviser at Universal Studios in California. Karen
Parker Meyers received a Master of Science in Speech
and Language Pathology from Northeastern University
and has worked in rehabilitation and long-term care for
seven years. She and husband Steven had their first child,
Parker, in April 2006. Karen has been a stay-at-home
mom since Parker’s arrival and is enjoying every minute.
Kathryn Tyrrell Milliken, an instructional
strategist/teacher leader at Yarmouth (ME) Elementary
Mary “Molly” Casey Duffy ’95 (far left) with daughter Michaela
“Larkin” and Stephanie Goddard Gallagher ’95 (far right) with
daughter Cassidy met up in Boston last July with two other friends
who had attended Wheelock, (L to R) Heather McGrory and Brenda
Tilden Lawson (and baby Katera).
School, was named assistant director of special services
for the Yarmouth School District last September. Becky
Stavro Myerov and husband Jonathan have made
their home in Westford, MA, with their two daughters.
Becky is a stay-at-home mom who enjoys gardening and
has become a consultant for the Pampered Chef.
Bethany Hildreth Nightingale and husband Aaron
are living in Saratoga Springs, NY. Bethany is a special
education teacher for the Saratoga Springs City School
District. Nicole Tangney Radulski ’95/’98MS is
currently teaching full-day kindergarten at the Ayers
Ryal Side Elementary School in Beverly, MA. She has
3- and 5-year-old boys. Congratulations to Joanne
Sewell, who recently graduated from Boston College
with a Master of Social Work. She is living in West
Roxbury, MA.
Seven years ago, Rosemary Topham ’95/’97MS
moved back to Nantucket, MA, where she taught special
education for six years, working with children in grades
K to 5 in all areas of the curriculum at the local elementary
school. Last September, she happily accepted a teaching
position in first grade. Likewise, two years ago, the home
that she built on Nantucket was complete!
And as for me, I (Katelyn) am happily at home
with my two children, Brendan (4), who absolutely
loves preschool, and Delaney (11 months), who is as
busy as ever these days. I do continue to work part time
as an adjunct faculty member with Becker College in
Worcester, MA, within the Early Childhood Education
department. This spring I have been supervising student
teachers and working as an administrator of the Safe
Place programs, a before- and after-school program
currently licensed through the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care.
In August 2006, Brendan and Delaney celebrated a
birthday for Benjamin Krauss (3), son of Joanna
Tabbutt Krauss ’96, along with his sister, Chloe (1),
at the home of Robin Melesko Toomey and her
children, Aiden and Lauren. Also joining in the birthday
festivities was Megan Baldwin Conklin ’96.
It was wonderful to hear from those of you who
wrote for this issue, and I would LOVE to hear from
more of you (you know who you are). I wish you all
good health and much happiness!
1996
Kerrie Ryan Gerety
Megan Baldwin Conklin wanted to send in a
wedding picture even long after her first anniversary.
“I was blessed to celebrate my wedding with so many
Wheelock friends,” she wrote. “Bridesmaids were
Robin Melesko Toomey ’95, Rosemary Topham
’95/’97MS, Joanna Tabbutt Krauss, Ellen Buus,
and Kristen Neary ’94. Also attending were Beth
Topham O’Keefe ’94/’97MS, Lynne Harmon
Aloisi ’94/’97MS, Katelyn Guiney Wojnarowicz
’95, and Kathy “Snappy” Tokarz ’95. Kristen
Neary’s daughter Josie Marks was the flower girl. We had
a great time, and we all get together often!” Megan
continues to teach first grade in Salisbury, CT, and she
and husband John have bought a house in Sharon.
Congratulations to Robin Fradkin, who wrote
in January: “I’m getting married to Dr. Marcia Matthews
in Massachusetts on May 5, 2007.” Robin Richard
Springfield has been happily married for eight years and
stays home with her three children but is also co-owner
of R & S Desserts. “We create made-to-order gourmet
desserts as well as supply desserts to some local restaurants,” she wrote. “Being home with my children is amazing, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Rather than go
back to teaching when my children get older, I plan to put
more energy into my dessert business.” Jennifer King
Wickard enjoys being able to be home (in Seneca Falls,
NY) with her own son and two daughters while providing
day care for other children.
Reunion 2007
1997
June 1,2,3
Heather Gelmini
Amanda Moulton Parker and husband Craig welCheri Piscetello Burke ’95 with Gavin and William, Amy Armstrong McCay ’95 with Griffin and Dylan, and Nicole Tangney Radulski ’95
with Peter and Ryan
44
Spring 2007
comed a new baby, Samuel Ayden, last Nov. 9. Samuel
has two big brothers. Timothy Tegarden is now a
family child educator at a Head Start in Indianapolis.
*Wheelock Spring
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1998
Christine Barry Beaulieu
Jillian Kaufman
Jennifer Duchesneau Beaulac and husband Derek
welcomed their second son, Ryan, to their family last Oct.
2. Jennifer, Ryan, and big brother Connor like to get
together to play with their friend Brianna D’Alleva, the
daughter of Kerri Lamprey.
“It’s an interesting year!” Johanna Lynch wrote.
“The exciting thing about being in my fifth year teaching
grade 4 at St. Peter School [Dorchester, MA] is that my
first class is graduating, and the kindergartners from the
first year are now my class.”
1999
Aimee Farrell Dos Santos
Delia Dyer married Adam Sloat last Oct. 28.
Annemarie Riley Guertin and husband Michael celebrated the birth of their first child, Autumn Rosemarie,
last July 28. “She is perfect in every way,” Annemarie
wrote back in September, but later in the year, Autumn
needed surgery on her airway, and they needed to go back
and forth to Mass. Eye and Ear a lot. By late January, she
was doing much better. Annemarie loved being home
with Autumn for as long as possible but returned to her
first-grade teaching position in the Lawrence, MA, Public
Schools midwinter. “The transition into working was easier than I thought,” she wrote. “It is hard to juggle it all,
but I have the best of both worlds. I have a beautiful family and a job that I love. I can’t ask for more than that.”
Sarah Houghtaling Schroeder had a baby girl, Eva
Nelle, on July 11, 2006, and wrote early this year of being
amazed at how much she was doing at 6 months. At that
point, Sarah hadn’t returned to teaching yet but was still
working on her master’s in education (focusing on reading) at Cal State East Bay. Emily Studebaker
Valentine wrote: “Chris and I had the perfect Boston
wedding [last Sept. 9]! We were married at the Old North
Church in the North End and then had our reception at
the State Room. The highlight for us was taking a twoweek honeymoon to Hawaii, where we visited Maui and
Kauai. We took surfing lessons and even managed to stay
up on our boards!”
My husband, Peter, and I (Aimee) welcomed Rylan
Michael Dos Santos, our first child, last June 28. As of
this writing in late January, I am trying to stay home with
him for as long as I can and then eventually will go back
to teaching.
ond year of teaching special education at the high school
level at Woodland High School in Beacon Falls, CT.
Amie Warren Guarraia and husband Matthew
brought their new baby girl, Madeleine Grace, into the
world last Aug. 8. The baby is happy and healthy, and they
do not know what they would ever do without her. They
live in Niantic, CT. Lizzie O’Brien Halstead and husband Eric had their son, Simon Alexander, last Nov. 28.
Kristie Hotaling has recently left education to work for
the Department of Social Services as an ongoing social
worker. In between working on her master’s in education
and her new job, she has managed to stay in contact with
’01 grads Melissa Muise Serra ’01/’02MS, Kallie
Casey Gawel, Meghan Cummings Fleck, and
Jillian Warner. (Melissa married Anthony Serra of
Dorchester, MA, in July 2005, Kristie added.)
Marjorie Zubow and Dave Justice got married
last Aug. 5 on Cape Cod. They are happily married
and living in St. Louis, MO. She is an early childhood
teacher. Carrie Lagasse currently owns a home in
Randolph, MA, with her boyfriend and works for
Horizons for Homeless Children as a family advocate
coordinator. She completed her master’s of social work
from Bridgewater State College and recently earned her
LCSW. She continues to take courses at Wheelock for
an additional degree in Child and Family Studies.
Carrie is an active member of the Wheelock Alumni
Board. Tiffanie MacDonald has been working at
Inter-Lakes Day Care Center in Meredith, NH, for six
years. She is engaged to Adam Woodward, and they are
planning a July 2007 wedding.
2001
Carrie Watson
Katie Mailhot pursued her M.S.W. at Boston
University with fellow alum Teri Scott and graduated
in 2005. She has received her LCSW and is currently
working toward LICSW. She is clinical supervisor at
MENTOR Network in Dedham, MA, an intensive
foster care agency. Kristy Volk Marriott and husband Ken were married in July 2005 (on their seventh
anniversary) and had a daughter, Avery, in March
2006. “Being a mother is the most incredible experience in the world!” she wrote. She is taking a few years
off from work to be with Avery but for five years had
been a head teacher working with every age group
from infant through kindergarten.
I (Carrie) find that life has been very busy since graduation five years ago. It has gone by so quickly. I attended the 5th Reunion and had fun visiting the place we all
loved so much. I wish I could have seen some more
familiar faces, but maybe for the 10th! I encourage more
people to add to the Class Notes and make contact with
old friends.
Reunion 2007
2002
June 1,2,3
2003
Kelly Carrelas Aguiar wrote: “Four alumnae all got
married within 18 months of each other. At each wedding, four other Wheelock alums besides the bride
were in attendance. I thought it was pretty special that
we all got married so close together and our friendship
is due to Wheelock. The first to get married was
Stephanie Cina, to Brian Clark, on July 30, 2005.
The couple wed in Plymouth, MA, and honeymooned
in Aruba. They are living in Whitman, MA. The next
to tie the knot was Kristin Marsh, to Patrick Bly.
The Bly/Marsh wedding was a weekend getaway in
New Hampshire on Sept. 17, 2005. Lauren Devine
[at the time] was a bridesmaid, and the couple honeymooned in Aruba also. They live in Merrimac, MA.
June 26, 2006, was the setting for the next Wheelock
wedding. Lauren married Matthew Heitkamp in
Foster, RI. Her wedding had both [me] and Kristin
[above] as bridesmaids. The couple honeymooned in
the Dominican Republic and resides in Miamisburg,
2000
Sara McGarry
Diana Takores Avigne has been happily married to her
high school sweetheart, Bryan, for almost five years. At the
end of 2006, they finished building their first house and
got to spend Christmas in it. She has been teaching fifth
grade for seven years in Torrington, CT. Christine
L’Ecuyer Avila has been married to husband Jose for
more than two years. In September 2006, she started
teaching in a K-1 classroom in the Boston Public Schools.
Ilyce Konowitz Cronk and her husband are enjoying
being parents to their daughter, Hailey. Ilyce is in her sec-
(L to R) Corine Anderson ’02, Liz Costigan Cook ’03/’04MS, Rena Gambale ’03, Holly Arcand Banichevitz ’03/’04MS, Jennifer Mallett
Campbell ’03, Jen Finn ’03, Meaghan Chaput ’03/’04MS, and Stefanie Buccheri ’03 at Jennifer’s wedding in Plymouth, MA, in August 2006
Wheelock Magazine
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OH. The last wedding was held on Oct. 8, 2006, in
Rehoboth, MA. I married Jason Aguiar. Lauren was a
bridesmaid, and we honeymooned in Hawaii. We live
in Fall River, MA. The other two alums in attendance
at all four weddings were Dena Kostka ’04/’06MS
and Caryn Leib ’04/’05MS.”
“Lots of changes but all good ones!” Jennifer
Mallett Campbell wrote. She and husband Adam were
married last Aug. 12 and live in Halifax, MA. She has a
new job as a special education teacher at the League
School of Greater Boston in Walpole. Ryan Kadel has
been a lead teacher with Lancaster (PA) Head Start since
graduation. For the past three years, she has been participating in a partnership with the School District of
Lancaster as part of its Early Reading First program. “I am
really enjoying the work that I do,” she wrote. “Head
Start has been the perfect place for me.” Ryan’s “big news”
is that, after nine years of dating, she and Billy “finally”
got engaged. They are getting married Aug. 11 in Virginia
(where they both grew up).
After working in the policy and advocacy area and
then as director of affiliate development at the National
Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts, Stephany
Melton is still there but now manages the annual walk
the organization holds to raise both funds and public
awareness. “It is the same skills sets, but with more
emphasis on fundraising, community organizing and
development, and planning,” she wrote. “It is important work, and I am very happy to be involved.
Wheelock prepares its students to be leaders and change
agents in the community!” Meghan Minehan lived
and worked in Chicago while working on an M.S.W. at
Loyola University, where she was in the Advanced
Standing program. Late last year, she moved home to
Boston, and now she continues her work in the domestic violence field. Tricia Patenaude got engaged in
April of 2006 and is getting married this June. She
teaches eighth grade at her old middle school in
Windham, ME. Kristin Wedding ’03/’04MS moved
to Charleston, SC, after getting her master’s at
Wheelock and began her career as a child life specialist
in the Children’s Emergency Department at the
Medical University of South Carolina Children’s
Hospital. She has been working there full time since
then and recently bought her first home.
2004
Kate Elwood has taught sixth-grade English in
Watertown, CT, for two years. Last fall was her first season coaching field hockey for Thomaston High School,
and her team made it to the state tournament! Melissa
Emery got engaged in June 2006 and wrote early last
winter that she was planning a May wedding. She is in
graduate school at the College of Saint Rose in Albany,
NY, pursuing a degree in early childhood education.
In December, Sarah Little wrote that she and
Shawn Strunk were planning a wedding in Derry,
NH, for May 6, 2007. “I am also working toward
my teaching license and anticipate a classroom for
the fall 2007 school year,” she wrote. Rebecca
Pecor teaches at Head Start in Roxbury, MA, and is
attending a graduate program in urban education at
Simmons College. Lisa Rosselli had a baby girl, Skylar,
in June 2005 and is getting married this June 30. She runs
a child care center in an athletic club in Watertown, MA.
46
Spring 2007
Chelsea Amato ’06 (second
from left) is joined by (L to R)
Zach Cone ’06, Staci
Zarimba, B.S.W. Assistant
Professor Debby Beck,
Vickie Raymundi ’06, and
Anastasia Galanopoulos
(former Wheelock assistant
professor) at the Massachusetts
Statehouse in January to celebrate her appointment.
Congratulations to Recent Grad, Commissioner Chelsea Amato ’06BSW
A big shout-out to Chelsea Amato ’06BSW, just out of Wheelock and appointed on Jan. 8 to the Massachusetts
Commission for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth (MCGLBTY).
The Commission’s mandate is to ensure that the Commonwealth provides safe communities and schools for
GLBT youth through violence and suicide prevention, and promotes a zero tolerance policy regarding harassment
and discrimination toward GLBT youth. It works in partnership with state agencies, particularly the Department
of Education and the Department of Public Health, to create school-based and community-based programs that
serve GLBT youth. The Commonwealth also charges the Commission with making policy recommendations.
“The Commission brings a new professionalism, experience, and diversity that will enable us to advise the
Commonwealth as to needs of GLBT youth in our state and the means to meet those needs,” said Co-Chair
Kathleen Henry at the ceremony.
Chelsea was nominated for the two-year commitment by Fenway Community Health, where she works as the
curriculum assistant and community educator for the Fenway-sponsored statewide Crystal Meth Provider training,
“Getting Prepared for Crystal Methamphetamine in Massachusetts.” The training prepares professionals who
come in contact with methamphetamine users to use best practices in working with them.
Chelsea reported that her work focuses on two areas involving research and curriculum. “I update the curriculum, including research and literature reviews, and I coordinate outreach and trainers for mental health and substance abuse counselors, law enforcement professionals, and medical providers,” she said. “The second project I
am working on is the GLBT Alcohol Use study through which we are investigating a higher incidence of alcohol
abuse in the GLBT community. Again, I am a curriculum assistant, and I am researching and reviewing literature
for the study.”
2005
In December, Kelly Curran wrote, “Since graduating in 2005, I began working on my M.S.W. degree
at Salem State College and will be graduating in May
2007! Finally!” Angela Lopez has spent 2006-2007
teaching third grade at Woodland School in Weston,
MA, where she was previously a long-term substitute
in grade 1. Lindsey Palmer is a bilingual social
worker for Elder Services of Worcester, MA. With a
caseload of 95 clients, seven to 10 of whom are deaf,
she tries to help elders and their families obtain
services so the elders can remain at home independently for as long as possible. This September she will
return to Wheelock to start work on an M.S.W.
Angela Slowinski is teaching a class of seven
ED/EBD middle school boys and trying to transition
them back to the mainstream. In December, she wrote
that she was also finishing work on a master’s in
Special Education at UMass Amherst. In the summertime, Angela is an assistant camp director at an
overnight camp in the Berkshires for more than 100
children. Latanya Steele is working at the Needham
(MA) Council on Aging. In addition, she is a member
of the TRIAD Committee of Needham, the Domestic
Violence Committee, and the Eat Well/Be Fit
Committee. She also conducts a monthly support
group for caregivers.
2006
In January, Danielle Hanson left for one year of
service in Costa Rica as a WorldTeach volunteer.
She completed one month of training near the capital
city of San Jose and then began living with a host
family in Zeta Trece, a small community of 600 people. Danielle’s school is part of Costa Rica’s bilingual
program, and she is teaching English, physical education, and science to first-, second-, and third-graders.
Founded by a group of Harvard students in 1986
and based at the university’s Center for International
Development, WorldTeach is a “nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that provides opportunities for
individuals to make a meaningful contribution to
international education by living and working as volunteer teachers in developing countries,” according
to its website.
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C L A S S N O T E S
Associate Degrees
Lisa Feucht Kavanagh ’93AS/’95BS (See Class of
’95BS.)
M a s t e r ’s D e g r e e s
Retirement sounds every bit as “fabulous” for Reme
Gold ’70MS as she says it is. She continues to work as a
potter at Mudflat Studio in Somerville, MA, and sells her
work at the Clever Hand Gallery in Wellesley and at the
Mudflat Gallery and the Sign of the Dove, both in
Cambridge. She also still does improvisational dance, has
joined a health club, and might be doing some traveling.
Reme retired in June 2005 from teaching kindergarten in
the Newton Public Schools. Ruth Harlow ’70MS still
loves to teach and has a fifth-grade class at Holderness
Central School in Holderness, NH.
“Finally!” Winnie “Oyoko” Loving ’72MS
wrote in January. “The book I’ve worked on forever is
published and ready for sale at www.trafford.com. I
can’t tell you the plot . . . that would spoil all the fun,
but it may speak to you and any lucky youngster you
have in your life! The title is My Name Is Freedom,
and it is illustrated vividly by Ivan Butcher. The setting
is the lovely island of St. Croix. Please let me know
what you think . . . especially if you just love it (smile).”
Pamela Paul ’75MS has spent the last two years managing the youth program for Glide Foundation, which
serves 100 disenfranchised youth from kindergarten
through teen years in San Francisco’s Tenderloin
District. Rebecca Frost Cuevas ’78MS and her
work as education coordinator for the City of Riverside
(CA) Public Utilities, a municipal water and electric
utility, were featured in a story on RPU’s website last
fall. Given the daunting task of creating RPU’s education program from the ground up, she “aligned [it] with
the overall mission of the utility and developed a mission statement that encourages wise water and energy
use practices,” according to the article. Rebecca has
been praised for her inspiring interactive presentations
and her “gift of taking simple, everyday objects . . . and
transforming them into teaching aids,” and she has
been credited with the program’s great success. In the
past five or six years, the program has reached more
than 20,000 students, and it is now seen as a model for
other utilities and cities. “I credit the outstanding education I received at Wheelock College Graduate School
for the program’s success,” Rebecca says. “The principles of child development and curriculum development
that Wheelock provides are the foundation which have
made this program possible.” She can be reached at
rcuevas@riversideca.gov.
Jerry Parr ’78/’78MS (See Class of ’78.)
Congratulations to Mary Kloppenberg ’83MS,
who was chosen by The Wellesley (MA) Townsman
newspaper as a 2006 “Townsman 10,” an individual who
has “had an impact on their own town or the world
beyond Wellesley’s borders.” She is executive director of
the Wellesley Community Children’s Center, where she
has worked since 1989. Described by a WCCC parent as
“deeply caring and generous” and “a voice for children,”
Mary has made sure the center’s curriculum emphasizes
safety and good health and includes a balance of structured activities and downtime. Darlene Howland
’83MS, director of the center’s early childhood program,
said of Mary: “Her caring, compassionate nature and
ability to think outside the box enable her to make a
difference in the lives of WCCC families, students, and
staff.” Mary is a current member of the Wellesley
Community Partnership Council and used to teach
courses and supervise student teachers at Wheelock. She
has a daughter and a son. (Thank you to Roz Holt
Haley ’46 for bringing this “college gem,” as she called
Mary, to Wheelock’s attention.) Susan DunnCheramie ’86/’91MS (See Class of ’86.) Pat Mucci
Tayco ’78/’93MS (See Class of ’78.) Rochelle PerryCraft ’93/’94MS (See Class of ’93.)
Pat Thatcher-Hill ’94MS, a realtor for RE/MAX
Classic in Falmouth, MA, achieved the premier seller
agency designation, SRS (Seller Representative Specialist),
last year after taking several course modules on various
aspects of seller representation. In recent years, she has
also earned the Accredited Buyer’s Representative designation, qualifying her to represent both buyers and sellers,
and the Graduate, Realtor Institute designation. Last
summer, Nina Araujo ’95MS wrote: “I have recently
released a book published by Redleaf Press and am really
proud of it. The title (determined by the publishers) is
Easy Songs for Smooth Transitions in the Classroom.
The book emphasizes and addresses the importance of
planning for transition times during long days for children who are in full-time group care.” Nina is married to
Michael Kerry and has two “healthy and lovely sons.”
Holly Hanlon Correia ’95MS and husband Paulo
still live in Winthrop, MA, and Holly has taught fourth
grade in Revere for three years. They and son Max welcomed son Leo Alexander in April 2006. Erin
Kowalczyk Claus ’95/’96MS (See Class of ’95.) Alex
Campbell ’94/’97MS (See Class of ’94.)
Sister Judith Cervizzi ’97MS is living and ministering at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN, where she is director of Woods Day Care/Pre-School. “This is where the
eighth American saint, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin,
started our Congregation of the Sisters of Providence at
St. Mary-of-the-Woods, IN, on Oct. 22, 1840,” she
wrote. “Saint Mother Theodore Guerin was canonized
by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 15, 2006, at the Vatican
in Rome.” The Tribune-Star (Terre Haute, IN) featured Sister Cervizzi in a story late last summer on the
occasion of her “silver jubilee”: She’d entered the congregation in August 1981. Rosemary Topham
’95/’97MS (See Class of ’95.) Nicole Tangney
Radulski ’95/’98MS (See Class of ’95.) Sue Norris
Welch ’78/’98MS (See Class of ’78.)
“My creative side took a back burner for so long, I
couldn’t stand it anymore!” wrote Kathy Kulis Dailey
’99MS, who loves her current job teaching graphic design
and digital photography at Reading (MA) Memorial High
School. “Now, not only have I been teaching, but I’ve
rediscovered my love for photography, and one of my pinhole photographs was selected for a show at the Soho
Gallery in New York. I’m seriously considering going back
to school for my M.F.A., but I don’t know how I’ll fit it
in.” Kathy’s a little busy because, in 2005, she and husband Timothy adopted a baby boy from Korea, Lenox,
and they are now in the process of trying to bring home a
baby girl as well.
Melissa Baker Gentile ’00MS has recently celebrated the birth of her second daughter, Madeline
Rose (last Nov. 9), and the one-year anniversary of her
business, Lemon Balm Essentials (www.lemonbalmessentials.com), selling used and new wrap-style
baby carriers. “My passion for my business was
inspired by my exposure to Kangaroo care during my
studies at Wheelock and my first daughter’s infancy,”
she wrote.
Gilda McClure Lewis ’00MS would like to
announce the arrival of her and Jerry’s son, Harley
Tyler, last June 21. Kristen Coletti Haynes ’02MS
wrote that she and Ken Haynes ’02MS met at
Wheelock during their last class of their graduate programs, a history class, got married in July 2005, and
had their son, Declan Gates Haynes, last Oct. 31.
Kristen and Ken live in Waltham, MA, and both teach
in Brookline: Kristen, kindergarten at the Runkle
School, and Ken, sixth grade at the Pierce School.
Jessica Reuther Krom ’02MS recently traveled out
west from her home in Decatur, GA, so her mom and
her 1-year-old son, who share a birthday, could celebrate together. Jessica’s two older sons love being big
brothers. Melissa Gow ’03MS has been teaching
kindergarten at the Loker School in Wayland, MA, this
year. She was previously a kindergarten co-leader for
the town’s before- and after-school program and a
group leader for its summer program. Jennifer
Pustorino ’04MS has been teaching grade 1 at the
Batchelder School in North Reading, MA, this year.
Teresa Marie Stewart ’04MS wrote of an exciting 2006: In May, she graduated from B.U. School of
Public Health with an M.P.H. in maternal and child
health; in June, she started working with Community
Services for Children, Head Start of the Lehigh Valley
(Allentown, PA) as the health services coordinator for
more than 1,000 Head Start and Early Head Start children; and in September, she gave birth to her first child,
a daughter named Ava. Congratulations, Teresa!
Kristin Wedding ’03/’04MS (See Class of ’03.)
Roger Williams ’04MS has published a children’s
book titled Me-Me N Me (Authorhouse Publishing
Co.). The book targets preschool-age children, elementary-age students, and first-time parents, and Roger
wrote it to “promote reading among young children to
help them become better readers, lifelong learners, and
critical thinkers.” The book can be previewed and
ordered online at www.authorhouse.com/bookstore,
www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.amazon.com.
Last October, Andra Daunhauer ’06MS started a job
with Catholic Charities as a home visitor supervisor in
the Healthy Families program. “We provide home
visiting, support, and education services for first-time
parents under 21 in Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, South
Boston/South End, and Roxbury,” Andra wrote. “I
have been exercising my knowledge of strengths-based,
family-centered approaches in helping to support the
home visitors. I continue to learn more every day!”
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Arrivals
83
90
Andrea Ades Woolner, a son, James T. “JT”
Genevieve Lowry Coxworth, a son,
Beckett Robert
Kim Oliver, a daughter, Ryley Campbell Prock
Rochelle Perry-Craft, a daughter,
Jayden Aryelle
Kristin Wagner Matzonkai, a daughter,
94
Caitlyn Michelle
Jacque Silcock Butler, a daughter,
95
Allegra Rill Butler
Mary “Molly” Casey Duffy, a daughter,
95
Michaela “Larkin” Duffy
Kerri Sheridan Gallagher, a daughter, Katie
95
Karen Parker Meyers, a son, Parker
95
95MS Holly Hanlon Correia, a son, Leo Alexander
Amanda Moulton Parker, a son,
97
Samuel Ayden
Jennifer Duchesneau Beaulac, a son, Ryan
98
Aimee Farrell Dos Santos, a son, Rylan
99
99
Annemarie Riley Guertin, a daughter,
Autumn Rosemarie
Amie Warren Guarraia, a daughter,
00
Madeleine Grace
90
93/94
00
Lizzie O’Brien Halstead, a son,
Deaths
Simon Alexander
00MS Melissa Baker Gentile, a daughter,
Madeline Rose
00MS Gilda McClure Lewis, a son, Harley Tyler
Kristy Volk Marriott, a daughter, Avery
01
04MS Teresa Marie Stewart, a daughter, Ava
Unions
90
96
99
99
00
01/02
03
03
03
03
Mary Mahoney to Phil Salamone
Robin Fradkin to Dr. Marcia Matthews
Delia Dyer to Adam Sloat
Emily Studebaker to Chris Valentine
Marjorie Zubow to Dave Justice
Melissa Muise to Anthony Serra
Kelly Carrelas to Jason Aguiar
Stephanie Cina to Brian Clark
Lauren Devine to Matthew Heitkamp
Kristin Marsh to Patrick Bly
35
37
37
39
40
42
42
42
45
47/60
47
50
51
52
53
53
54
56
91
96MS
Phyllis Greenaway Waldron
Maud Green Ingham
Anna Rothemich
Alice Keith
Virginia Carman Tucker
Ellen Hanson Josselyn
Mary Ten Eyck Ryan
Anne Simpson White
Constance Gould Demorest
Eloise Knowlton Handy
Muriel “Bunny” Warner Zenowich
Priscilla Tripp Awe
Helen “Shorty” Long Vallencourt
Jeanne Brainerd Gilbert
Bailey Smith
F. Perry Wardell Tisdall
Marcia Sullivan Ziehler
Josephine Marino Gregory
Florence Haliday Miller
Hanley Denning
Save the Date
Passion for Action
Leadership Award Dinner
to benefit the urban scholarship program of
Wheelock College
Improving the lives of children and families
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Cocktails, Dinner & Program • 6:00 p.m.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Honoring
Chris Gabrieli
Founder of Massachusetts 2020
& five exceptional high school students
who are shaping our future
100 percent of net proceeds from the event will
be matched by Charles & Irene Hamm.
Invitation to follow.
Tickets begin at $250, tables at $3,000. For more information, including
sponsorship opportunities, please call Tracey Mullane at (617) 879-2329,
tmullane@wheelock.edu or Liz Page Associates at (617) 296-8806.
200 The Riverway • Boston, MA 02215 • www.wheelock.edu
48
Spring 2007
*Wheelock Spring
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“I Am Wheelock Educated—
My Passion Has Purpose”
C
ongratulations to Meghan Wilson, Elizabeth Guinnane, Emily Coffey, and
Laura Shea, four 2007 Wheelock graduates among a select group of 25 seniors
from across the U.S. to receive Pearson Teaching Fellowships this year. Fellows
are “high caliber graduates who commit to teaching preschoolers in Head Start and
other early learning centers serving low income communities.”
What the World Needs Now
Is More Wheelock Graduates
T
oday more than ever, children and families need teachers, social
workers, and child life and family professionals whose quality of
service says, “I am Wheelock-educated—I am child-centered,
family-focused, community-oriented. My head, hands, and heart
understand what is needed to make a real difference in our world.”
Help Us Give To the World
Invest your power of one in the Wheelock College Annual Fund so that
we can give the world what it needs—more outstanding graduates.
Passion with Purpose
WHEELOCK COLLEGE
200 The Riverway, Boston, MA 02215