A publication of The Wyndcroft School

Wyndchimes
Spring 2015
A publication of The Wyndcroft School
A Message from the Board of Trustees
On Friday, February 20, parents, faculty and staff enjoyed an evening of socializing, great food, and information
from the Head of School and Board of Trustee members. Thank you to all who were in attendance. A brief review
of the night follows for those of you who were unable to attend.
The board is dedicated to furthering the mission of Wyndcroft and works to provide fiduciary and strategic
oversight for the school. Our current strategic plan, presented last year, is also posted on the Wyndcroft Board of
Trustee webpage and board committee reports reflect progress toward many of those strategic goals.
I then took the occasion to thank Mrs. Wolter, Mrs. Dunn and the rest of the faculty and staff for their continued
excellent work with our children. They are a dedicated group of adults that know our children well, are committed
to their profession as educators, and work diligently to encourage their students to reach their full potential. Mrs.
Wolter then took a few minutes to present some of the data compiled from our recent parent survey. Overwhelmingly, the primary reasons parents choose Wyndcroft is the strength of the academic program and small class sizes.
In addition, parents place importance on character development, our caring and nurturing environment, our faculty, high school preparation and recommendations of trusted family/friends. For more information on our parent
survey findings, click here.
Anna Norton, chair of the Finance Committee, reported that Wyndcroft continues to be financially sound.
Revenues and expenditures are tracking as expected, but as is the case with most independent schools, tuition and
fees cover only 92% of the cost to run the school. Wyndcroft depends upon giving to the Annual fund and the
annual auction to close the 8% gap. Additionally the current value of the Endowment and Dr. Kate Wunner
Professional Development funds are $866,306 and $78,273 respectively. Because these two funds have multigenerational impact we thanked all past and future contributors for growing these funds with their gifts.
Jeffrey Gorrin, chair of the Building and Grounds Committee, reported that his committee was wrapping up the
punch list for our new addition and renovations. To read more about that project, feel free to check out the Main
School Building webpage. The committee’s attention has now shifted to our newly acquired property immediately
across from the main building adjacent to The Early Learning Center.
The Marketing and Enrollment Committee report was presented next by chair, Deborah Kachmar. That committee
has been working to increase Wyndcroft’s visibility in the local and wider community. Mrs. Kachmar encouraged
everyone to write positive reviews for Wyndcroft on sites like Great Schools, Facebook, and Google.
Our final committee report was from the Development Committee. Chair Marianne Lieberman began by thanking
all that have already given this year or in years past, which provides the essential eight percent of the school’s
income. Current annual fund participation is at an all-time high for this time of year, but the goal is 100%
participation. For current participation rates by class and more information about how you can play a part in this,
check out the Annual Giving page. The volunteer Extravaganza and Auction committee announced this year’s Denim & Diamonds theme for the May 2 event and
encouraged all to buy their tickets, donate items, and become a sponsor. Many
thanks to that group of volunteers who work many, many hours to create a magical event. You don’t want to miss it!
I hope you noticed the two themes throughout: Wyndcroft’s continued
success and progress and the request for all in our Wyndcroft family to be a part
of that ongoing success. The Wyndcroft School will be its most successful and
most compelling when we all are fully engaged. I encourage you to
continue to find your place. Whether it is serving on a board committee,
volunteering on the Extravaganza & Auction committee, taking part in WPTO
events, or through your generous giving, it is important to be a part of our
dynamic educational community.
David B. Allain
President, The Wyndcroft School Board of Trustees
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Wyndcroft Celebrates Arts Week
Each year, The Wyndcroft School sets aside one week to celebrate the arts.
This year’s Arts Week occurred March 23-27 and featured both the fine and
performing arts. The theme of the week was “Proud to be Me and What I
Want to Be,” a theme inspired by Emily Jubb, Wyndcroft Class of 2004 (see
Alumni Spotlight below).
The week began with our Second Graders presenting a chapel on artists and
paintings they had been studying in their classroom. With the assistance of
their teachers and Mrs. Lenzi in art, they each chose a painting to research
and then to recreate in their own view. The paintings were displayed during
chapel as the students spoke about the artists as well as their personal
feelings on the painting they chose.
On Wednesday, Wyndcroft students got to explore what they want to be in
their future occupations. Each student was invited to dress up as what
they wanted to be when they grow up. A variety of occupations
including doctors, lawyers, sports professionals and even some pop
stars filled the halls all day. The Pre-K class is pictured at right.
The week concluded with The Wyndcroft Players production of “Willy
Wonka, Jr.” Students in grades 5-8 participated on stage as well as
back stage in this colorful and rousing musical. Pictures from the
production are included on the next page. For the Friday night
performance of “Willy Wonka, Jr.”, The Wyndcroft Players were joined
by the First Grade who provided musical entertainment prior to the
performance.
Alumni Spotlight:
Emily Jubb ‘04
Monday, March 23, Emily Jubb, Wyndcroft class of 2004, returned to the school to entertain the students with her
Nashville sound. Emily is currently working as a songwriter
in Nashville, working alongside some of the top names in
the country music business. When asked about what it
meant to come back and perform at Wyndcroft, Emily said,
“People genuinely care about you here and want to see you
do well. Wyndcroft gives students so many opportunities to
explore and find what you are good at while you are young.
I am so thankful to have this opportunity to come back
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home.”
American Gothic as painted by
Avery C., Second Grade.
24th Annual Extravaganza & Auction
All Wyndcroft friends are invited to attend
the 24th Annual Extravaganza & Auction
Denim & Diamonds on May 2, 2015.
Join us for a fun evening to bid on hundreds of
exciting items. The evening includes a silent
auction, dinner and a spirited live auction. All
proceeds support the educational experience of all
Wyndcroft students.
If you have not seen the new gymnasium and
auditorium spaces, they will be on display at the
Extravaganza as the event comes home to
Wyndcroft!
Even if you can’t attend the event in-person, there
are many ways to be a part of it. Donations for
auction items, business advertisements,
underwriting opportunities and more are available.
More information can be found on the Denim &
Diamonds website or by contacting Susan
Rutherford, Director of Development.
“Willy Wonka, Jr.” Photos
At left: The first grade plays kazoos to the
Willy Wonka theme song.
Bottom left: Members of the cast, including
Wonka, Charlie, oompa loompas and more
sing to open the production.
Bottom right: “The Candy Man Can!”
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From the Non Sibi Scroll: French Fete
Did you know that Wyndcroft has a blog? Each week, a different member of the Wyndcroft community
brings their unique perspective about the school to the blog. You can read more at www.wyndcroft.org/
blog. Included below are two excerpts from our French Teachers about this year’s French Fete.
Lower School French Fete - Submitted by Ida Fauth, French Teacher
The Lower school French program is geared toward a full language experience which includes speaking,
listening comprehension, culture, history, geography, vocabulary building, and grammar. This is achieved
through song, rhyme, stories, video, use of Smart Board games, CD, textbooks and many other
materials. Lessons begin in Early Childhood and continue through fourth grade in Lower school. Each year,
Wyndcroft’s French Fete presentation allows our students’ knowledge of French to shine by learning new
facts about France and francophone countries such as: Haiti, Canada, and Belgium. The entire French Fete
program is presented in French language, song, poetry, story, and culture. Our students have fun while
learning French.
The goals of our French language curriculum are many. However, the love of language and learning about
other cultures and peoples are of the utmost importance for our children become global citizens! We must be
able to communicate and compete globally in the future. As an international language, French affords us the
opportunity to do so.
Wyndcroft will continue to provide the means for our students to be lifelong learners and citizens of the
world.
Upper School French Fete - Submitted by Ann Risell, French Teacher
French Fete is proof positive each year of the benefits of the French program here at the Wyndcroft School.
What an opportunity our students have to study and practice such a worldwide, relevant, vibrant language.
You can see in their eyes that they have come to love language-learning and have risen to the challenge quite
capably. French is spoken on five continents, by over 250 million people. More than 15,000 English words are
derived from French, thanks to William the Conqueror. French is spoken all around the world in the fields of
fashion, cuisine, theater, arts, science, architecture, and personal care products.
Students who study French are opening up a world of travel and of career opportunities in such fields as
aerospace, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. Companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, Mattel,
Dow Chemical, SaraLee, Ford, Coca-Cola, AT&T, and Johnson and Johnson are established in France. The second language of the internet is French.
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2015 Alumni Reunion
Friday, January 2, The Wyndcroft School welcomed over
100 Alumni, Faculty and Staff back to the school for the
first-ever Alumni Reunion Classic. Alums were invited to
play a friendly game of basketball in the new
gymnasium. When the game was over, the alumni
spent the afternoon taking tours of the campus, paging
through old yearbooks and getting re-acquainted with
the school and each other. A great time was had by all!
This was the first alumni reuinon held at Wyndcroft. We
hope to make it a tradition each year. Make sure you
find out about the fun! Follow us on Facebook and fill
out the Alumni Update Form so we can contact you
when we schedule our next event.
To see a complete slideshow from the event,
visit: www.wyndcroft.org/reunions
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Professional Development
Faculty Enrichment Award
The Wyndcroft School is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2015 Faculty
Enrichment Award: Dan Edleman. Mr. Edleman is the 5th and 6th grade math
teacher in his second year of teaching at Wyndcroft. He will be using the grant to
assist him as he works toward a Masters of Education from Kutztown
University. The focus of Mr. Edleman’s study is Curriculum and Instruction. In his
application for the award, Mr. Edleman shared the following:
“Why did you want to become a teacher?” I am often asked that question by
inquiring individuals who want to understand my reasoning on becoming a
professional educator. My answer to that question has varied and changed throughout the years. It has evolved and become more finite by the experiences I have had in and out of the classroom. I want to be a teacher because I have come to appreciate the value of learning and the influence that
education can have on an individual as a part and a whole on our society. The one quality of being a teacher
that I appreciate is the act of learning is shared and always ongoing. I often find myself learning new things
while I am teaching. I learn new things about my students, who are trying to figure out their best way of
learning though my guidance and self-discovery. But I truly learn how to be better at my profession through
the actions and interactions of those students. Appreciating this phenomenon has led me to adapt the
mantra of being a teacher who is a life-long learner.
Google
Mr. Turock and Mrs. Fillman participated in an introductory
2 week on-line course called Google Sheets & Forms 101 run
through Powerful Learning Practices. With great
enthusiasm both teachers began integrating their new
skills into the 6th & 7th grade curriculum. Mrs. Fillman
began with Google sheets to run a collaborative Excel M &
M graphing project. Mr. Turock used an integrated on-line
quiz with the 6th grade, surveys for both 6th & 7th grades,
a self-correcting quiz with 7th grade. Next, they will be
working with the 7th grade to create a google drive for
each 7th grader. This will allow them to set-up an individual
survey for their Latin Day projects. The survey will be taken
by both students and parents at the end of the Latin Day
celebration in April.
PAIS Affinity Group
Mr. Ken Dorris, Athletic Director, and Mrs. Allison Carr, School Nurse, attended a Pennsylvania
Association of Independent Schools Affinity Group meeting with other health, wellness and athletic
professionals. The event consisted of roundtable discussions on how independent schools are
addressing the health, wellness, safety and physical education needs of their students. Both Mr. Dorris
and Mrs. Carr were pleased to find that Wyndcroft is doing an excellent job in these areas and in some
cases are leading the way in producing healthy and active students.
The mission of The Wyndcroft School supports life-long learning for its students and its
faculty. This mission is accomplished through donations to the
Dr. Kate Wunner Professional Development Fund.
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From the Annual Giving Parent Chairs:
John and Nicole Gvodas
We are pleased to provide an update of how the Annual Giving Campaign is progressing so far this year.
As we move closer to the end of the campaign, we currently have 55% of current parents either having
donated or made a pledge to this year’s Annual Giving Fund. The Board of Trustees and faculty and staff
have 100% participation.
We want to thank each donor for believing in Wyndcroft and its mission to provide a rigorous academic
program, along with fostering creativity, a love of learning, personal integrity, determination and respect
for others. We also want to thank each of the class captains who took the time to communicate to parents the importance of participating in the annual giving program during the phone-a-thon in January.
Your gifts, either large or small, make an impact and help Wyndcroft be the best it can be for all students.
If you have not yet had a chance to participate, now is the time to send your gift as the campaign ends
June 30.
From the Parent Chair’s Appeal Letter mailed in October 2014 “…From our perspective, a more dedicated
team of faculty and staff can’t be found anywhere. It’s with great joy that we have watched the faculty
at Wyndcroft educate, challenge, nurture and guide our children with the highest levels of professionalism and compassion every day. We can see the product of their hard work and dedication on the faces of
our children when we take them to school in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. It’s clear to
us that our daughters love the school and are excited to be there every day. It’s our hope that you and
your children are having the same experience...”
-John and Nicole Gvodas
John and Nicole have been members of the
Wyndcroft community for many years with all
their children either having graduated or currently attending, Grace ’12, Anna ’16, Kathryn
’17, Ella ’24, and Sophia ’26.
Have you connected with Wyndcroft online yet?
Besides our website www.Wyndcroft.org, we are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Wyndcroft.
We have launched a new blog, The Non Sibi Scroll. You can read that at www.wyndcroft.org/blog.
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Giving to The Wyndcroft School
Annual Giving Fund
The future walks in these halls…
Gifts to this fund support current operational
and educational needs of the school. Thank
you to both the Board of Trustees and our
Faculty and Staff for their 100% participation in
this fund.
Endowment Fund
Endowment helps to protect the long-term
goals of the school. It provides income that
ensures we can support our faculty and
maintain our facilities for generations to come.
Anonymous
Jeffrey and Lissa Longacre
Christopher and Anna Norton^
John Norton^
Restricted Fund
Restricted gifts are directed for specific uses
within the school.
Nicholas Bentley and Amy Lipton
Deborah and Craig Kachmar
Alice M. Sharp ‘58
Dr. Kate Wunner
Professional Development
This fund allows our teachers to learn and grow
along with the students, keeping them up-todate on the latest teaching techniques and
theories.
Anonymous
James and Jo Ann Bathurst^
Joseph and Cheryl Donley
Ray and Sally Hubbard
2nd Grade presents “Melton: The Warm-Hearted Snowman.”
The following giving list includes combined giving to this year’s
Annual Giving Fund, Endowment Fund, Restricted Fund and the
Dr. Kate Wunner Professional Development Fund through
March 15, 2015.
Snively Society
($15,000 and above)
Anonymous
Norman and Katherine DeLan*
John and Nicole Gvodas
Carolyn Grant and Marianne
Lieberman
Alice Sharp ‘58
Trustee
($10,000-$14,999)
Eliza Marshall Baird ‘60
Jeffrey and Lissa Longacre
Christopher and Anna Norton^
Millennium
($5,000-$9,999)
Anonymous
Oscar and Teri Guerrero
Jonathan and Danielle Lange
Michael and Erica Logar
Erik and Kristin Paulson*
Carmine and Lisa Schiavone*
Visionary
($2,500-$4,999)
Benjamin and Marianne Durnall
Bridget and Keith Hallman
Deborah and Craig Kachmar
Mr. Robert Scott Smith ‘70
Dr. Joseph G. Brewer^
David and Diane Charlton
Michael and Susan Cicchetti*
The Dau Family Foundation
Clif and Kristen Haugen*
Michael and Halina Laporta*
The Legault Family*
Mahmood and Nuzhet Majid
Stephen and Stephanie Mitchell ‘62
Peter and Carolyn Mlynarczyk*
Dipen and Hemali Patel
David and Ann Risell
Robert and Emma Singh
Bruce and Linda Snyder
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffery Sparling*
Joseph Stoebenau and Maria
Shields*
Paul and Betsy Valoret*
Bryan and Kim Walt
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Wendell ‘71
Scott and Laurie White*
Michael Wilcheck and Laurie
Orloski-Wilcheck
David and Gail Wolter
William and Kathleen Wunner
Architects
($500-$999)
Salahaldin Ali and Warqaa Majeed
Deon Allen
Baswa Ampani and Vasundhara
Pogaku
Artisans
Burma and Rick Bochner ‘61
($1,000-$2,499)
Paul and Mindy Buckley and Family
Edward Conway
David and Beth Allain
Joseph and Cheryl Donley
Anonymous
Jim and Amanda Dougherty
Nicholas Bentley and Amy Lipton
Jerry and Linda Gosnell*
Howard and Roberta Body
Catherine and Terri Booth-Genthe* James and Julie Kim
Regis Martin and Rachel Labille
John T. Bourger and Selena
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Miller
Vanderwerf
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Gerald and Dana Mullaney
Matthew and Brooke Musser*
John Norton^
Orr Family Foundation, Stacey Orr
Gallant ‘74 and Scott Orr ‘72
Nancy and Dennis Perna
Michael and Lisa Prinz
L. Holmes Raker ‘60
Mark and Glenna Rohlfing*
Julie and Michael Romain
Amy and Matthew Rovi
Walter W. Schell
Bill and Jodi Sheppard
Cory and Lisa Wasson
Designers
($300-$499)
Jill and Shane Abell*
Tom and Lori Cavanaugh
Harry and Jillian Citrino
John and Elizabeth Dollhopf
Joseph Duffany
Doug and Lisa Dunn
Tom and Heidi Eccleston
Sid and Cathy Forrest
George and Melissa Griffaton
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kelly
Mr. and Mrs. Steven LaGuardia
Louie and Maria Medina*
Amanda Mitchell and Neal Fischer
Cynthia Munoz
Philip and Beth Paulus
Reed and Susan Rafetto
Brigit Wiswe and Victor Turcios
Founders
(Up to $299)
Daniel and Amanda Arkans
William Baas ‘83
Phillip Ballantine
Andrew ‘83 and Jennifer Basile
James and Jo Ann Bathurst^
David and Mary Anne Beasten
Angela and David Bell
Michael Bensch ‘96
Elisabeth and F. Steven Bissell ‘66
Greg and Lellus Blazic
Diane B. Bodolus
William and Nancy Boerner
William and Barbara Boys
Dan and Heather Brown
Mr. and Mrs. John Carles*
Jason and Allison Carr
Kenny Chen and Yi Lu
Mark Ciarelli and Susan Gill*
Anna P. Close ‘94
Brian A. Close ‘92
Tricia Blumenstock-Daub
Mr. and Mrs. John DiLullo
Ken and Amy Dorris
Craig Duncan ‘00
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Eccleston III
Daniel Edleman
Donna and Seth Eilberg
James and Susan Eilberg
Lauren Exley
Paul and Tina Farnsworth
Martin and Ida Fauth
David and Ginny Fillman
Fillman Machining, LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Robert George
Jeffrey Gorrin and Susan Fetterolf
Wallace Gundy ‘00
Grace Gvodas ‘12
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Margaret Hallman
Mr. and Mrs. J. Raymond Hanling III
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Harrison
Mr. and Mrs. J. Bennett Hill, Jr.
Victor and Erin Holladay
Lauren Hoyt
Ray and Sally Hubbard^
Douglas and Jennifer Jones
Dr. and Mrs. Hugh E. Jones
Mike and Christina Kealey
Jim and Joan Kelly
John and Jennifer Knighton
Dale and Patricia Kolarz
Douglas and Kimberly Kollar
The Kotoulek Family
Stephen and Jane Kraemer
The Lagor Family
Nora Landon
Jason and Tracy Launders
Fred and Denise Lay
Irene LeGrande Taylor ‘61
Barbara S. Lenzi
Doug and Kelley Lopata
Scott and Brandi Marderness
Torin McFarland ‘09
Todd and Donna McFarland
Elizabeth Mitchell
Rev. Daniel and Margaret Moser
Robert H. Moses
Geoffrey and Susan Murray
Geoffrey and Courtney Neese
Jeff and Peggy Neese
Jude Neiman
Gerald and Anna Nowotarski
Tom and Lois O’Brien
Hennie Oriold
Phyllis M. Orr
Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Parker II^
John and Suzanne Paulson
Jack and Maureen Pemrick
Nicole Pupillo ‘10
Sal and Paula Pupillo
Aaron and Stacey Raudabaugh
Robert K. Rauscher^
George F. Reitnour ‘71
Priscilla M. Revell
Mrs. Marion Rice
John and Susan Rutherford
Susan and Peter Sagona
Whitney A. Sandres II ‘61
Joshua and Naomi Schmidt
Mehul and Rakhee Shah
Cassidy Sheppard ‘14
John and Andrea Shultz
Sandy and Howard Smoyer
Scott and Nicole Spatz
Cathy Spirko and Stephen Brown
Blair D. Stambaugh
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Steltz
Jason Coady and Stephanie Trauner
Carol and Jeff Tucker^
Mr. Turock
George F. Van Horn III
Sisa Vanelli
Frederick and Amanda Vogt
Annemarie Weissing
Dave and Jessica Westrom
Charles and Anita Wilson
William and Stephanie Woodruff ‘86
Sherry Zawada
Bo Zigner
Henry C. Zigner
In Honor^
Gifts have been given to the school in
honor of the following:
Elizabeth C. Parker ‘92
Suzanna Rauscher
Ellen Stanford
Matching Gifts*
Bank of America
Cedarcrest Foundation
Customized Energy Solutions
GlaxoSmithKline
IMS Health
Merck
Morgan Stanley
Pfizer
Reliable Equipment & Service Co., Inc.
Sanofi
SAP America
Tyco International
Vanguard
John J. Dau
Michael Hubbard ‘03
Alan Norton
The Wyndcroft School
Mission Statement
The Wyndcroft School is a co-educational
elementary day school for children in grades
Early Education through Eight. The mission
of the school is to offer a rigorous academic
program enabling the child to establish a
firm foundation for a happy and successful
future with confidence to succeed in an ever
evolving world.
The curriculum is traditional and designed to
develop the whole child. It emphasizes
fundamental skill instruction, character
development, and the pursuit of excellence
in English, history, mathematics, science,
foreign languages and the arts. In a small
class setting, the school endeavors to provide a safe, nurturing environment fostering
creativity, a love of learning, personal integrity, determination and respect for others.
Faculty Recognized
for Years of Service
It is the tradition that in the first Chapel of the year, those faculty
and staff who are celebrating an anniversary of service to
Wyndcroft are recognized. This year was no exception. On
Monday, January 5, Wyndcroft recognized four members of the
community. They are as follows and pictured above:
Suzie Yusko, Maintenance Staff – 25 years
Kristen Haugen, Upper School Science – 15 years
Ken Dorris, Athletic Director – 10 years
Sandy Smoyer, Lower School Teacher – 25 years
Thank you to each of you for your dedication to Wyndcroft. We
look forward to many more years together!
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2014-2015
Board of Trustees
David B. Allain, President
Jonathan Lange, Vice President
Anna Norton, Treasurer
Erik Paulson, Secretary
Roberta P. Body
Marianne Durnall
Jeffrey E. Gorrin
Keith P. Hallman
Deborah Kachmar
Marianne Lieberman
Lissa Longacre
Carolyn Mlynarczyk
Edward J. Murray
Carmine Schiavone
Alice Sharp '58
Bruce Snyder
2014-2015
Administration
Save the Dates
The Wyndcroft School invites you to
attend the following events:
Extravaganza & Auction
Saturday, May 2, 2015
The Extravaganza & Auction comes home to Wyndcroft!
Experience Wyndcroft’s newest addition as you have never
seen it before! A fun night out for persons 21 years of age and
older to support Wyndcroft. For tickets, to donate a prize or
sponsor the event, contact Susan Rutherford, Director of
Development at (610) 326-0544 x114.
Graduation Ceremony
Friday, June 5, 2015 at 10:00AM
Come celebrate the conclusion of another school year and the
matriculation of the Class of 2015. As is tradition, each member
of the class will say a few words during the ceremony.
This is always a touching day and a great reminder of how
confident and prepared Wyndcroft students are when they
leave our halls.
Gail L. Wolter
Head of School
Lisa Dunn
Asst. Head of School
Julie Romain
Director of Admission
Tina Farnsworth
Director of Finance
Susan M. Rutherford
Director of Development
Amanda Arkans
Communications Coordinator
Attention Wyndcroft
Classes of 2011 and 2007:
Are you getting ready for a graduation from high
school or college? If so, we want to hear from you!
What are your plans for the future?
We’d love to highlight your accomplishments in the next issue
of Wyndchimes. Please contact Amanda Arkans,
Communications Coordinator at (610) 326-0544 x117 or
aarkans@wyndcroft.org.
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