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A Monthly Newsletter for Parents
DEBBIE’S NOTE
APR IL 2015
In This Issue
Debbie’s Note
1
30th Anniversary Gala
2
Alumni Spotlight
3
College Acceptances
4
From the Development Director
5
Middle School Musical
5
PA News
6
PA Grant Report
7
College Guidance Corner
7
Gala Auction Items
8
MS Basketball Season
9
Get to Know Our Faculty
11
Dear Myrtle Column
12
News From the Divisions
13
MMFS Carnival
16
See page 4 for our
impressive college
acceptance list!!
MMFS News is published the
first Friday of each month
by Mary McDowell Friends
School, a K-12 college prep
Quaker school for students
with learning disabilities.
Mary McDowell Friends School
20 Bergen Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-625-3939
www.marymcdowell.org
As you read this two MMFS students
are in Princeton, NJ competing in the
national “Learn the Address” competition. In this annual contest, middle
and upper school students with
learning disabilities memorize the
Gettysburg Address and recite it in
front of a large audience of students,
families, and judges. It is intended to
highlight the incredible work of LD
schools and their students and
encourage a national conversation
about learning differences. The contest began in early spring
with competitions at participating
schools around the country. Our
in-house competition took place on
February 27th. Thirteen middle and
upper school students competed.
Every student who participated in the
contest did an unbelievable job. They
were fearless, articulate, and
passionate, and the judges faced a
very difficult decision. In the end,
Scott and Olivia B. were selected as
the first and second place winners in
the middle school and Henry and
Tess in the upper school. In truth,
though, every one of these students is
a winner. Memorizing a speech and
reciting it in front of judges takes
tremendous courage. They each
worked very, very hard to prepare for
the competition and took a bold risk
in participating in the contest. I am so
proud of them all.
You can watch students prepare for
the competition and see some of the
different approaches our teachers use
to help students memorize the
address in this wonderful video shot
by videographer Steven E. Mallorca.
Student reciting Gettysburg Address
In other news, the MMFS 30th Anniversary Gala is less than a month
away! Please join us on May 7th when
we’ll celebrate thirty years of revealing brilliance in every student. This
very special event will be held at City
Winery in Soho and hosted by MMFS
parents Al Roker and Deborah Roberts. Our honorees this year are Anne
Ford, author and advocate for people
with learning disabilities, and Fran
Yellen, MMFS Middle School Administrator and Afterschool Coordinator.
Proceeds from the Gala, which will
feature both a live and silent auction,
will benefit MMFS students. To purchase tickets or for more information,
please contact the Development
Office at 718-855-0141. I look forward
to celebrating with you in May.
In Friendship,
More than 125 members of the MMFS
community have already secured their
spots at City Winery to celebrate our
30th anniversary at this year’s Gala. We hope that you will be joining us,
too.
Date and time: May 7th from 6:30 – 9:30 pm Location: City Winery, at 155 Varick Street
Attire: Festive
The goal: An evening of fun and $200,000 to benefit
Mary McDowell Friends School students
Honorees: Anne Ford, author and advocate for people
with learning disabilities
Fran Yellen, MMFS Middle School
Administrator and Afterschool Coordinator
Emcees: Al Roker and Deborah Roberts
(MMFS parents)
To purchase tickets or a sponsorship ad (personal or
business), go to the Gala website: marymcdowell.org/gala2015
2
SHADPARI BOKHAR AIE
Shadpari Bokharaie moved on from MMFS in
2007 as a member of the first official middle school
graduating class. She attended Winston Preparatory
High School, graduating in 2011 as a Dean’s List
student. During her time in high school, she started
working at MMFS’s afterschool program. Shadpari
took a year off after high school and continued to
work at MMFS before entering college at St. Francis
College in downtown Brooklyn.
After two years at St. Francis, Shadpari realized
that college was not for her and started exploring
other options. For the past two years, Shadpari has
been working at the Great Jones Spa Café /Juice Bar.
She mostly serves customers at the counter but also
assists the manager and orders supplies and helps
out with whatever else needs to be done. Working
at the spa made Shadpari realize that she enjoys
working in the hospitality industry, which led her
to a one-year program in hospitality management
at the Institute of Culinary Education on 23rd Street
near Madison Square Park.
Shadpari graduates in May and will then do an
internship, preferably at Great Jones Spa. She will
also continue studying for her Food and Mental
Hygiene license from the State of New York, which
will be important as she takes on more managerial
roles. Shadpari is also getting training on the spa’s
computer booking program, Millennium, and she will
learn another booking system for hotels and resorts,
OPERA, in her last courses at ICE.
Shadpari credits MMFS for helping her become the
young woman that she is today. When she came to the
school in 2001, she was a very shy, introverted child
still learning to cope with an auditory processing
learning disability first recognized when she was
a toddler attending nursery school at the East
Manhattan School for Bright and Gifted Children. At
age three-and-a-half, she wasn’t speaking in complete
sentences and was evaluated. This evaluation
eventually led to the integrated program at PS 126
in Chinatown and eventually to MMFS – where
everything changed.
During her six years at MMFS, Shadpari gained an
understanding of her learning differences, as well as
the coping tools that she uses to this day to build her
strengths and deal with the typical range of situations
that are a little more challenging when factoring in
a learning disability. Shadpari recalls that at MMFS
she finally felt the comfort of being understood.
And, as her confidence grew, learning became more
meaningful.
Looking back, Shadpari observes that MMFS
encouraged her to embrace everything that made
her unique, to be proud of who she is, and to not be
ashamed of her learning disability. All of that helped
her become the outgoing, friendly person that she
is. Shadpari says that there isn’t a day that goes by
that she doesn’t think about the positive impact that
MMFS has had on her life. “Mary McDowell changed
my life and taught me that I can do anything if I put
my mind to it.”
Shadpari’s mother, Gordi Yalda, who has also stayed
in touch with the school over the years (including
several years of volunteering on the benefit
committee), says, “It’s an amazing connection and we
keep it going.” Gordi speaks for many current and
past MMFS parents when she comments, “I wish that
all the kids and families could end up with a school
like Mary McDowell.”
Kris Hallam
Mother of Andrew Corby, Alumnus 1999
3
Acceptances for MMFS Class of 2015
All the results are in and MMFS seniors have received acceptances from the colleges listed
below. Based on what students have reported to our Director of College Guidance, Amy
Salomon-Kohn, they have been awarded cumulatively over $2 million in merit scholarships!
This is truly impressive. We are very proud of our seniors.
Adelphi University (3)
American University (2)
Bates College
Clark University (8)
Clarkson University
Connecticut College
Curry College (3)
Drew University
Drexel University
Earlham College
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Goucher College
Green Mountain College
Guilford College (3)
Hampton University
Haverford College
Hobart and William Smith
Hofstra University (4)
Ithaca College (2)
Johnson and Wales
Johnson State College
Kenyon College
Kingsborough Community College
Landmark College
Lincoln Memorial University
Loyola Maryland (2)
Lynn University (5)
Manhattan Community College
Marist College (3)
Marymount Manhattan College (3)
McDaniel College (5)
Medgar Evers College of the CUNY
Michigan State University
Mitchell College (2)
Monmouth University
Muhlenberg College
The New School
NYIT VIP Program
Pace University
Point Park University
Rider University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Mary’s College of California
Saint Michael’s College
San Francisco Art Institute
Sarah Lawrence College (2)
Savannah College of Art and Design (2)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Sterling College
SUNY Albany
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Cobleskill
SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Polytechnic
SUNY Purchase
SUNY Stonybrook
Swarthmore College
Union College
University of Arizona (2)
University of Missouri
University of Northern Colorado
University of Tampa
Vassar College
Virginia Commonwealth University
Washington College
Wheaton College (5)
Williams College
We love to hear about what our students are up to outside of school
hours. If you have student news that you would like to share with the
school community in this column, please contact Orla Dunstan,
orlad@mmfsnyc.org or 718-855-0141, ext. 4104.
4
From the Development Director
Musings on making a difference, the annual fund,
and our 30th anniversary Gala.
At last month’s AFP (Association of Fundraising
Professionals) national conference in Baltimore,
television host and philanthropist Whoopi Goldberg shared some of her thoughts about charitable
giving and making a difference in the world. What
caught my attention were her suggestions about
making gala events more impactful. She said,
“First, let’s talk about your menus. I know chicken
is cheaper. But people coming in have already shutdown your menu. Less chicken. Shake things up,
give ‘em some Chinese food, something. They’ve
had everything.
They’ve eaten it.”
Interestingly, we
are planning the
menu for our 30th
anniversary Gala
right now. I will
encourage the
committee to strive to “shake things up” with our
food choices and make it memorable.
Ms. Goldberg also said that the biggest fundraising challenge remains convincing people that what
they give is going to make a difference. “What’s my
$100 or $5 going to do,” Goldberg asked, when others are giving millions. “It makes the road a little
shorter, but not everyone can do it …”
I hear this often from parents and friends when we
ask for their financial support for Mary McDowell Friends School. “I can’t afford to give $500 or
a thousand dollars right now,” they say. But each
gift really does make a difference. If all our families gave a financial gift to MMFS at whatever level
they could afford, our participation percentage
would carry us far down the road toward reaching
our goals. Funders look favorably on high rates of
participation by parents and friends at independent
schools.
On behalf of all of our students, I ask that you make
your annual fund gift soon (if you haven’t already
done so!) and that you join us at the Gala on May
7th. It will most assuredly make a difference.
5
PA News
Hello Mary McDowell Friends School Families!
We made it to spring and we have many Parents
Association events coming up.
M A RC H N E WS
U P COM I NG M AY E V E N T S
The PA sponsored Faculty Appreciation Luncheon,
held during spring parent conferences, was a big
success and the food was excellent. Thank you,
MMFS families for sending in precious pictures of
the students and their heartfelt writings, which were
displayed on easels in each division! The teachers really appreciated them and they remained on display
in each building.
May 9th: Carnival for the whole
MMFS community from 12-3:30
pm at the middle school, 133-135
Summit Street. Rain or Shine!!! For
more information, see page 16.
The Book Fair held at the middle and upper schools
was a great success despite the terrific snow storm.
Many, many thanks to Nanette Vaughn who has
organized the Book fair for 11 years! Nanette’s son
is a senior so this will be her last year at MMFS. She
has paved the way for the future so the Book Fair will
continue to be a highly anticipated event every year.
Thank you Nanette!
Go Lightning! The PA-sponsored PEP BUS, Pom
Poms, and overall support of the MMFS teams are
greatly appreciated by the students and faculty. What
a sea of green at our middle school boys and girls
tournaments and championships.
The first MMFS and Spence Chapin collaboration
was held at the Spence Chapin offices in Manhattan
in March. The topic, The Intersection of Adoption and
Learning Disabilities, was of great interest to MMFS
parents. We look forward to future workshops with
Spence Chapin.
We are diving into spring with several important
events sponsored by the Parents Association.
May 12th: Dr. Elizabeth Vedder,
from the NYU Child Mind Institute, is speaking on “Medication
101: Neurology and Neurodevelopment Myths of Medication and Various Types of
Medication.” Sidney Place at 7pm.
May 27th: ADHD and Medication with Ethan
Greenberg (son of our head of school Debbie Zlotowitz) is back by demand. Ethan is a recent college graduate now working at Harlem RBI, an award winning
youth development program, shares his experiences
taking medication as a student.
The next PA Council Meeting will be held on Friday
April 10th at 8:30 am at Bergen Street. We welcome
all MMFS parents!
Warm regards,
Danielle Caminiti
PA Council Co-Secretary
dannieesq@gmail.com
Holly Kilpatrick
PA Council Co-Secretary
hollyjanekilpatrick@gmail.com
M A R K YOU R A P R I L C A LE N DA R S
April 15th: Highly respected psychologist and author of Mindset, Carol Dweck, will speak at Packer
Collegiate. This event is jointly sponsored by MMFS,
Brooklyn Friends, Brooklyn Montessori and Packer.
April 25th: Quaker Cemetery Clean Up. This annual event is an opportunity to visit and clean up the
Quaker Cemetery in Prospect Park. Please join us and
the Quaker community
6
PA Grant Report
Patricia Blumenfeld
Upper School Language Therapist
Language Resources to Enhance
Upper School Student Learning
The graciousness and generosity of the Parents
Association helped me attend the 2014 ASHA
(American Speech and Hearing Association)
Schools Convention in Pittsburgh, PA last summer.
During this conference, the lecturers presented
many useful tools that can be implemented for our
upper school students, in particular, different types
of digital literacy tools that will increase our students’ efficiency and enhance their overall learning.
The highlight of the conference was a presentation
given by Claudia Dunaway, author of Think and
Speak Successfully; Six Strategies to Improve Critical Thinking and Academic Language, written for
high school students. She proposed a program that
she created to encourage students to use critical
thinking and academic language in order to conduct
intellectual discussions amongst themselves. She
proposed different ways in which one may instruct
teachers to enable students to independently run
COLLEGE GUIDANCE CORNER
with Amy Salomon-Kohn
Director of College Guidance
SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design)
SCAD is an institution offering more degree
programs and specializations than any other art
and design university. SCAD’s student body is
comprised of more than 11,000 students from
nearly 50 states and more than 100 countries.
SCAD offers a wonderful array of majors,
including: Accessory Design, Branded
Entertainment, Fashion, Film and Entertainment,
Furniture Design, and Visual Effects.
https://www.scad.edu/
Colorado College
Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in
Colorado Springs, CO in the foothills of the Rocky
Mountains. What is most unique about the
their own group discussions on issues of personal
interest, world news, analyzing literature, etc. The
results of her work show students taking responsibility for their own learning, expanding their communication and pragmatic skills, as well as expanding their overall sentence structure. This has been
useful for our upper school students here at Mary
McDowell Friends School throughout this school
year. Applying her methods to English classes during analytical discussion of The Catcher in the Rye
helped the students to develop their own voice and
be more confident in their own theories on Holden’s
character. It has also helped to foster intellectual
discussions about friendship and social behaviors
within the Health and Fresh(man) courses.
Thank you very much to the Parents Association for
making my attendance and learning at this conference possible!
MMFS students have a wide range of interests
and passions. This column highlights some postsecondary options that may be of interest to our
multi-faceted student body.
school is its block plan, which allows students to
take one class at a time for 3 1/2 weeks. This
program allows students to focus strictly and
deeply on one subject at a time.
https://www.coloradocollege.edu/
Wheaton College (MA)
Wheaton College, in Norton, MA, provides a
liberal arts education for intellectually curious
students in a collaborative, academically vibrant
residential community that values a diverse
world. Midway between Boston and Providence,
Wheaton offers 47 majors and 50 minors in a
small, close-knit community. (Be sure not to
confuse Wheaton in MA with Wheaton in IL!)
http://wheatoncollege.edu/
7
Imagine you and your family spending a fun-filled week in your suite at the
Fiesta Americana resort in Cabo San Lucas. Or using your new Go-Pro to capture
your family’s latest action adventure. Replenish your wine cellar with vintage port
. . . spend a week at summer camp with Everyday Athlete . . . own the latest collection of Chanel make-up and nail colors. Private basketball clinic with Justin and
Earl? How about the quintessential NY experience – your seat in the grandstand
at the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade?
All these and many more fabulous items and packages can be yours if you are a winning
bidder at our 30th Anniversary Gala’s silent and live auctions. May 7th at City Winery.
You won’t want to miss it!
Click here to donate auction items for the Gala.
Other questions? Visit marymcdowell.org/gala2015.
8
GO LIGHTNING
Middle School Basketball Season
Click here next week for basketball photos on Flickr.
Middle School Girls Basketball
When we reflect upon the 2014-2015 basketball season, so
many powerful moments come to mind that it is difficult
to pinpoint one word or simple emotion to describe this
particular squad of female athletes and all that they accomplished. However, from the first day of tryouts to the
final whistle of the championship game, it was clear that all
these girls had one thing in common: true grit.
While each and every season is special in its own way,
this particular group of girls never fell short of their own
expectations or the expectations of their coaches, but far
exceeded them.
They brought their
dedication and
willingness to learn
to every practice
and successfully
implemented new
offensive and
defensive strategies that made
them a force to
be reckoned with
throughout the
season. Each player
was devoted to the
success of the team
and supported
each other through
the highs and lows
of the season. The
positive and supportive dynamic that existed amongst
the girls was palpable and was often commented upon by
their fans.
This year’s 8th graders were extremely talented and each
and every one of them was a true leader. Time and time
again, they were called upon to lead their team through
times of struggle and exhaustion and did so with incredible
poise and grace. Our new 7th grade players were eager to
learn from the returning 8th graders, and found themselves
warmly welcomed into a close knit group of confident female athletes. Through their hard work and dedication to
each other and their team, the middle school girls basketball team had a successful season and made it to the MSAL
Tournament finals for the second year in a row. While they
did not come home with the win, they placed second in the
MSAL League and in the tournament.
This was not the only arena in which the girls fought for
success. Over the past few seasons, the middle school girls
basketball team has struggled to obtain the same level of
support from the community as their fellow middle school
boys basketball team. However, this year, the girls saw a
marked increase in attendance by community members,
family, and friends at their games. While their coaches
have always been some of their biggest fans, it was so
important to the girls to receive equal recognition for
their successes on the court by their peers and the MMFS
community. This year’s semifinal home game vs. Brooklyn
Heights Montessori was one of the best turn outs we have
had to-date. The crowd was a sea of green, screaming
fans, all chanting in
support of the girls as
they fought their way
to the finals. While this
moment can only be
described as magical,
there is still much work
to be done in this arena and we hope to see
an increased growth
in game attendance
and school spirit in the
future.
Being a part of this
team was an unforgettable experience, and
we are struggling to
come to grips with the
idea of our 8th graders
moving on to their high school athletic careers. Thankfully,
we will welcome back six of our talented returning players
and look forward to meeting the new rising 7th graders for
another exciting season next year.
Special thanks goes to our Team Manager, Rosalie Osborn,
for helping us during all of our home games and building
community spirit around our girls. Thank you Trevor and
Samantha, who helped coordinate players and families and
stayed late to ensure the safety of our students. Thank
you to Justin Schuhmacher our Athletic Director, for organizing, scheduling, and running a successful basketball
program behind the scenes. And, of course, thank you
to the fans for their incredible enthusiasm and support!
We hope to see many more of you next year! And always
remember… “Keep calm, ‘cause you’ve just been struck by
Lightning!”
Earl Hall and Grace Daniels
Middle School Girls Basketball Coaches
Continued on page 10
9
Continued from page 9 (Middle School Basketball)
Middle School Boys Basketball
The 2014-2015 MMFS middle school boys
basketball team had a lot to live up to
after our undefeated championship 20132014 season. This group of athletes was
up to the challenge.
For the second consecutive year, the
middle school boys basketball team went
undefeated during the regular season
and continued their good play right
through the playoffs, once again winning
the championship!
We are very lucky to work with such a
great group of boys. We could not be
more proud of the effort these guys put
in every practice and every game. They
started the season with a goal to become
the best players they could be, and they
never wavered from that goal. They
played the game of basketball the way
it is meant to be played – they hustled,
they worked together as a team, and
they took every piece of coaching advice
and went with it. You can’t ask for more
as a coach! They also were so much fun
to be around! We are very proud of how they supported
each other and kept on encouraging each other even under
stressful situations.
We are incredibly lucky to play for the best fans in the
league! Our gym is always filled with supportive fans who
root with passion and pride and really make the gym feel
electric. It is amazing to feel the support and even more, it
provides the players with lasting memories! We’d like to
thank all the parents and families, teachers, and students
who came to watch us play. It truly makes a difference!
We had a terrific group of 8th graders this year who rose
to the occasion each time they were asked. We wish them
all the best as they move on to high school. Their future
coaches are very lucky to have them! We’d like to acknowledge a special group of these 8th graders, James K, Colm,
Mike B., and Bear, whom we have had the opportunity
to coach for two seasons. They will move on from middle
school having never lost a middle school basketball game,
winning 28 straight games!
We are incredibly proud of the 2014-2015 middle school
boys basketball team, and we are happy to be hanging up
more championship banners up the middle school gym for
people to see for years to come. Each time we look up and
see those banners, we will remember this season fondly.
Go Lightning!!!!
Justin Schuhmacher and John Sheifert
Middle School Boys Basketball Coaches
Mary McDowell Friends School Parents Association Speaker Series
Wednesday, April 15th at 6:30-8:30 pm
at Packer Collegiate School
Carol Dweck, PhD.,
Speaking on her book, Mindset
This program is free and is co-sponsored by
Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn Friends School,
Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, and
Mary McDowell Friends School.
10
GET TO KNOW OUR FACULTY
As MMFS celebrates it 30th anniversary, we
thought you would like to get to know more
about our extraordinary faculty members. Over
20 staff members have been at the school for
10 or more years! This month’s interview is with
Lynnette Dagrosa, senior occupational therapist.
She works with elementary division students
LYNNETTE DAGROSA
How many years have you been at MMFS? Twenty-one.
What is your most memorable experience from your first
year? My predecessor left abruptly and I inherited her
schedule and equipment, so I had to hit the ground
running. It was tough. The second year I ran my own
program.
What is the funniest thing that happened to you while
teaching? That first year, while transporting some
equipment down the stairs in the Meeting House, a big red
ball crashed into a bench and startled Deborah Edel
(former Admissions Director) and a prospective parent
who were sitting there.
How has working at MMFS informed your life? My son has
attention deficit and auditory processing issues and my
daughter has dyslexia. Working at MMFS helped me while
raising my children, and my children gave me ideas for
working with my students. A talk given by Edward
Hallowell as part of the MMFS Speakers Series was very
important for me. I immediately purchased his book,
Driven to Distraction, and took a lot of information from it.
What are some of the changes that have happened in your
time here? I started at 2 ½ days a week; there were only 45
students in the school. All occupational therapy (OT) took
place outside of the classroom. There was no dedicated
space for OT. The occupational therapy program has grown
and been enriched; today OT is embedded throughout the
whole school day. We have four OTs. We consult with
teachers and work with classes. We are able to personalize
OT to help students identify what they need and take
responsibility for using the tools they need. I take great
satisfaction in seeing a student making use of tools so that
s/he can work, rather than saying that s/he can’t work; for
instance, a student who is distractible putting on head
phones to silence the noise in the classroom.
What is your proudest accomplishment? I am most proud
of introducing and establishing the typing program, which
is especially important for students with executive
function difficulties. Typing has many benefits:
strengthening core muscles by sitting up straight, building
fine motor skills through keyboarding, and focusing
attention; all while developing a functional skill that will
help students in middle and upper school.
What is your least favorite memory of your own school experience? Being called on to get up and do a math problem
in front of the class.
What was your favorite subject in school? History.
Which living person do you most admire? My father who is
96 years old. With one year of high school, he raised three
children and put them all through college, working two
8-hour jobs. He would say that he accomplished that “by
putting one foot in front of the other.”
Who was your greatest influence growing up? My
grandmother (father’s mother). While others were arguing
about how something couldn’t be done, she would get up
and go do it. She believed in finding what is working, and
building on that. Despite only having a grade school
education, she also encouraged education.
What do you do to treat yourself? Go to a Broadway show
and get a massage.
Do you have a hidden talent? Remaining calm, which I think
comes from my father and grandmother.
What is the best part of the school day? Talking to students, hearing their stories.
11
For more than two decades, Myrtle the Turtle has been a part
of the MMFS community. By the way, Myrtle is actually a male.
He is now a 24-hour resident in the elementary school, where
his lobby aquarium allows him to observe the excitement of
education in action. Myrtle is also quite pleased to have the new
lobby video screen over his tank, and has requested that we
livestream “Animal Planet” whenever possible.
A Column for Our Students
Dear Myrtle,
I really like the story of The Tortoise and The Hare. Its
one of my favorite stories! I especially like the fact that it
is about a turtle. What is your favorite story about a
turtle? Can you recommend any?
Signed,
Storyteller at Summit
Dear Storyteller,
I like lots of stories about turtles! I can recommend Franklin
the Turtle by Brenda Clark, the Ninja Turtle comic books.
But my absolute favorite of all time has to be Yertle the
Turtle by Dr. Seuss. It is about turtles and it has a very
important lesson to be learned, much like the fable about
the tortoise and the hare. You should check that book or
any other books out from the library at MMFS or the library
in your neighborhood. There are a lot of great stories that
you might find about turtles or anything else that you’re
interested in.
Your Friend,
Myrtle the Turtle
Dear Myrtle,
My favorite subject in school is Science. I especially like
astronomy and learning about our solar system because
someday I would like to be an astronaut. Someday I hope
to blast off in a rocket ship and look at the earth from
space! Do you ever wish that you were an astronaut?
Signed,
Scientific at Sidney
Dear Scientific,
I love learning about space! From time to time I like to bask
on my rock and read a good book about space travel or
anything like that! I’m not sure though that I would want to
be an astronaut, I’m pretty content to stay here in my tank.
But did you know that there have been tortoises in space? I
was reading in the Turtle Times the other day a great article
about a group of tortoise cosmonauts from Russia that
traveled on the Zond 5 spacecraft in 1968. These brave
tortoises were launched in a rocket and became the first
living creatures to orbit the moon and safely return to
earth. Now that’s one giant leap for turtle-kind!
Your Friend,
Myrtle the Turtle
Dear Myrtle,
As a proud parent of a Mary McDowell student, I have a
question. I have been hearing rumors of a big event
coming up. Have you heard anything?
Signed,
Mary McDowell Mother
Dear Triple M,
These rumors that you are hearing are true! The annual Gala
is coming up at the beginning of next month. It will be held
on May 7th at the City Winery, which is located at 155 Varick
Street in the city! There will be many special guests and
honorees and silent and live auction items to buy; it looks
like it will be an amazing time. I’ve looked at pictures of
galas from the past, and they look like so much fun – they
really are worth attending. So definitely buy your ticket for
May 7th! All the money raised helps our school and might
even buy some shrimp treats for a certain resident of the
Bergen Street lobby.
Your Friend,
Myrtle the Turtle
Myrtle is ready to answer YOUR question next month. Please send or give questions
to either Andy (andrewy@mmfsnyc.org) or Leslyn (leslynr@mmfsnyc.org).
Either one will be happy to deliver your inquiry to Myrtle.
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News From the Divisions
Compiled from posts on the Mary McDowell Friends School website
Elementary School
Banana Splits and MMAP Groups
The elementary division offers two “affinity” groups
for students with common experiences. Banana Splits
brings together students whose parents have divorced
or separated. And MMAP (Mary McDowell Adoption
Pals) is designed for students who have been adopted.
The groups each meet for a half-hour every other week,
and are led by school psychologist Karen Beja and social
worker Kathleen Stack. Parents give their permission for
their children to attend and attendance is always voluntary. The groups are not designed as “therapy” groups. In
fact, many students are adjusting well and do not necessarily need therapy, but benefit from support and sharing
common experiences with peers. Confidentiality outside
the group is stressed, though students are encouraged
to communicate with their families about the issues they
raise.
Banana Splits serves students who have experienced
divorce or separation and is modeled on a nationally recognized program that has been supporting children and
families in schools for over 30 years with great success. At
MMFS, Kathleen and Karen speak with students individually before the group starts to describe Banana Splits
and answer any questions they may have. It is a fun,
club-like group where students share experiences and
problem-solve together. They can choose to participate in
a variety of activities, talk, just listen, or look at books.
Mary McDowell Adoption Pals (MMAP) is a group for
students who are adopted. It can be a powerful experience for a child to talk with others who are adopted.
There is no agenda – group leaders follow the students’
lead in choosing what to talk about – and often talk is not
related to adoption at all, but still builds community. As
with Banana Splits, students can choose to participate in
a variety of activities, talk, just listen, or look at books. In
the first session, children place their name and a pin on
a large map of the world to show where they were born.
Students are also welcome to bring in photos or other
items from their country of origin if they have them, but
do not feel any pressure to do so. A common message of
the group is that every member has its own very unique
adoption story.
A rule in both groups is that students can only “share
their own story,” which means they are free to talk to others about what they discuss in group, but not what others
have contributed. Students are also encouraged to share
at home what was discussed.
MMFS affinity groups provide meaningful opportunities
for students to connect with others and create a “community within the community” here at school. Students are
often amazed and reassured to discover that their peers
have similar experiences and feelings to them.
Kathleen Stack, School Social Worker
Karen Beja, School Psychologist
Middle School
Spirit Week February 23-27, 2015
Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you
hear it? The signs were all there, but middle
school students were in suspense wondering
what the big secret was. Finally, all was
revealed. SPIRIT WEEK 2015 was descending
upon the middle school. Spirit Week is a
weeklong series of contests, costumes, and
crazy antics pitting homeroom against homeroom, designed to perk everyone up in the
middle of a crazy, long, cold winter.
During the week of February 23rd, teachers
and staff welcomed the students each morning with music appropriate for the theme, a
decorated entry way, and crazy costumes.
Monday was Zombie Day!! We saw plenty of
gore, blood, and under eye circles, and that
was just the teachers. The students were
haunting! We had a zombie video game of
Continued on page 14
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Continued from page 13 (News From the Divisions)
Plants vs. Zombies, a crypt awakening, and a zombie paradise with the Cranberries song “Zombie” playing in the
background. Tuesday was MMFS School Spirit Day. It’s
not easy being green, but we all were. It was a fun day
and a wonderful way to support our Lightning Girls
Basketball Team. On Wednesday, we kicked it Old Skool
style. We had many interpretations of this fun theme
from “RUN DMC” to a 60th MMFS middle school reunion
to a bucket drumming circle. We had very elderly students, the “Beastie Boys,” and a shuffle down the Soul
Train line. On Thursday, we traveled to far away galaxies
for our Space Oddity Day. “David Bowie” made an
appearance, astronauts, Darth Vader, Yoda, all sorts of
aliens. You can’t imagine the skits and presentations that
each homeroom presented. Our final day of Spirit Week
was a really good day; the Cartoon Network come to life!
We all were cartoon, comic book, and animated characters. We had minions, Looney tunes, video game characters, Peanuts, and the Simpsons! The whole middle
school met in the gym for homeroom spirit prizes, a final
dance party, and ice pops for everyone!!
At the end of the day, we awarded trophies to the best
from each grade. Seok-Heon House won for 6th grade,
Lister House won for 7th grade and Rustin House won
for 8th grade. The truth is, not a single homeroom will
remember who “won” this year. They will only remember
the energy that flowed on a frigidly cold February week,
and the laughter of all the students and staff each morning as we spied each other dressed up for the first time
and the good will and support each student and each
teacher gave one another. There were Spirit Week miracles! We watched shy students do hip hop, quiet students
shout and participate, and everyone was enthusiastic and
wanted to be part of this phenomenon. We have already
begun a list of ideas for next year and the students have
been adding to it … Bring it on!! Click here to see more
photos of Spirit Week on Flickr.
Fran Yellen
Middle School Administrator and
Afterschool Coordinator
Upper School
Second Languages
The upper school Second Language Department recently
hosted the First Annual Language Festival. Students in the
Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) classes accessed these rich cultures through reading, writing, listening, observing, performing, and whole-class discussions.
In preparation for the language festival, students submitted a creative assignment that demonstrated their proficiency in their second language and their understanding
of the corresponding culture. Some students performed
songs, skits, or monologues in either Spanish or ASL.
Other students submitted artwork, videos, audio clips, or
comics. The Commons was decorated by one Spanish class
that converted it into a
haunted house scavenger hunt. One section of
the first floor was converted into a café, where
guests could purchase
homemade gazpacho
and flan or sip café con
leche. The money raised
at the cafe was donated
to a local immigrant
empowerment organization called, Atlas: DIY.
The gymnasium was
packed with students,
faculty, administration,
and family members
immersing themselves
in student-centered
work that highlighted
the beauty and intricacies of these languages. We applaud
the students for all of their hard work and dedication. The
night was a complete success and we look forward to more
language festivals in years to come.
Second Language Department
Amanda Toomey, Gaby Gómez Cárcoma,
Mary De Louise, and Vicki Muñoz-Lepore
Service Learning
Over the course of the school year, advisories in the upper school worked together to create service experiences
that matched the skills and interests of the students. Each
advisory identified a population or an issue in our world
Continued on page 15
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Continued from page 14 News From the Divisions)
that was in need. Students tackled such issue as hunger,
domestic violence, treatment of the elderly, animal welfare, poverty and voting registration. After a thorough
examination of these issues, advisories worked to plan
a service experience that would address the problems
they had uncovered, and provide support to populations
affected by these issues. On March 2nd, each of our 21
advisories embarked on their service opportunity. Some
advisories visited the Food Bank of New York and packaged food for distribution to shelters in New York City.
Others volunteered at Baby Buggy, a local organization
that sorts through donations of baby clothes in order to
provide bundles of clothing to the families and victims
of domestic violence. Some groups traveled to Coney
Island and spent time interacting and sharing a meal
with the elderly. In addition, upper school students also
volunteered in local NYC schools and organizations such
as Mary McDowell Friends Elementary School, The Graham School, Cassidy’s Place, Sean Casey Animal Shelter, CHIPS, West Side Campaign Against Hunger, The
Memory Project and Only Make Believe. The students
will end the year reflecting on these experiences and
sharing what that they did and what they learned. We
look forward to extending our hands and expanding our
service opportunities next year.
Mary DeLouise
Service Learning Coordinator
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MMFS
CARNIVAL
G E T Y OU R T I C K E T S H E R E !
Saturday, May 9, 12-3:30pm
RAIN or SHINE
Summit Street Campus
135 Summit Street
(between Henry and Hicks)
For families and friends of the MMFS community
Fun for all ages!
Inflatable obstacle course ♦ bounce house ♦ skee ball
Sit & Spin ♦ caricature artists ♦ face painting ♦ spin art
sand art ♦ photo booth ♦ Mother’s Day crafts
cotton candy ♦ popcorn ♦ hotdogs ♦ lemonade
pizza from Sal’s Pizzeria courtesy of The Esposito Family
FUN PRIZES! Cool MMFS merch! (sweatshirts! beach towels!!)
$20 pre-pay admission* per person
$50 for families of 3 or more
$25 at the door per person
$60 for families of 3 or more
* Financial support available. We want everyone to be
able to come. Contact carnival chair.
Please return your RSVP as soon as possible to the receptionist desk.
CARNIVAL RSVP
Family Name:
Yes, our family would like to come. Number of people:
I have included our admission fee of $
Checks are payable to MMFS Parents Association.
Parent Council Carnival Committee ♦ Carnival Chair, Gigi Sharp: gigisharp@mac.com
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