Bamford School Volume 5 Issue 2 Spring 2011

÷e Blue Doors
The
NightingaleBamford School
Volume 5
Issue 2
Spring 2011
Contents
4
Prep for Prep
6
10
Moving Right Along
14
Spaces at Nightingale
Since 1978, Prep for Prep has placed almost 2,000 promising
students in independent schools around New York. 30 years
later, we hear from Prep alumnae who attended Nightingale.
famous peaks.
As an infant, Nightingale third-grader Catherine Hughes ’20
lost her right leg, but she hasn’t let this slow her down.
spearhead the new Children’s Radio Foundation, which just
broadcast its first show on South African public radio.
Take a tour through some of the spaces in our schoolhouse
and get to know the people these areas are named after.
6
16
Photographs from our 90th-anniversary benefit at
the American Museum of Natural History
6
20
Alumnae Around the World
22
Hallways
35
Class Notes
40
Voices
From Singapore to the Upper East Side, see where
Nightingale-Bamford alumnae are currently living.
Stories and photographs from around the schoolhouse
Stefanie Sundel ‘98 honors the women who came before her.
Foreword
Writing to the entire Nightingale community in this magazine twice annually for the
past 19 years, I cannot remember a time that has felt so volatile. Since December,
revolutions have begun against oppressive regimes across the Middle East and North
Africa. An assassination attempt on Representative Giffords in Arizona reintroduced
a debate on gun control and political discourse in our country, and, for a time,
overshadowed the contentious debates on immigration. In Japan the heart-breaking
devastation caused by the natural forces of earthquakes and tsunamis, and the unfolding
nuclear disaster, have galvanized our students into action (learn more about their
activities at www.nightingale.org). And closer to home, Karen Dressner, beloved lower
school science teacher since 1989, died suddenly at the end of January—a devastation
of a different kind for all of us who knew this remarkable teacher.
With each of these events, I’ve heard from alumnae, parents, and former faculty, who
have reminded me how truly global and interconnected our community is. Prince Zeid
Ra’ad, the permanent ambassador to the United Nations from Jordan and parent of
Lula in Class II, spoke to the Upper School in February about the many changes sweeping
across the Middle East—among his many lessons, he reminded us that these revolutions
began with the galvanizing sacrifice of a single person and how important it is to think
critically and question the status quo. Sarah Goher ’04 wrote in with stirring accounts
from Egypt, where she lives with her husband: “It’s interesting how I’ve now started to
appreciate all that I learned at school about revolutions. I never predicted I would live
through one and while I have the option of leaving, I am staying to make a difference.”
And two of our alumnae are living and working in Japan right now, Natacha Lam ’06 and
Nella Williams ’06; both are safe and staying in Japan for the rest of the academic year.
While we constantly celebrate the differences in backgrounds and perspectives within
the Nightingale community, when events happen like those in Japan or Egypt, we come
together. We feel for the loss of life, we understand the desire for freedom: we find
those universalities that draw us together, no matter our backgrounds or geography.
Just over a year from now, in June of 2012, I will be retiring after 20 years as Head of
School. I’m not positive about what will come next for me—there’s much to accomplish
here at Nightingale between now and then—but I do know that this is the kind of
community that you never really leave.
Sincerely,
Dorothy A. Hutcheson
Head of School
Becky Tickaram, member
of the Class of 2011 and
Ms. Hutcheson’s advisee,
performs at C.A.F.E. Cultural
Night on February 25, 2011.
T H E BL UE D OOR S 3
Preparing for
the Future
Since 1978, Prep for Prep has placed almost 2,000
promising students in independent schools around New York.
More than 30 years later, we hear from Prep alumnae
who attended Nightingale. By Joanne Fowler P’20
4 THE B L UE DO O RS
Thirty-three years ago, Gary Simons, an elementary school
teacher in the South Bronx, had a dream: Find gifted children
in public schools throughout New York City and give them
access to the best independent schools. In partnership
with Columbia University, he launched Prep for Prep, which
has become one of the nation’s premier leadership and
educational programs for children of color.
From the start, Nightingale has played a major role in
supporting Prep’s mission. As one of 11 independent schools
in Manhattan to open its doors to Prep students in 1979,
Nightingale has granted nearly full scholarships to 66
students since that time, and
currently has 17 Prep students
in attendance.
The experiences of six
alumnae, featured in the
following pages, illustrate not
only the incredible opportunities
the Prep students received,
but the challenges they
faced along the way, such as
commutes of up to two hours
each way, language barriers,
and other cultural differences.
“First and foremost these
students are chosen for their
academic excellence,” says
Dorothy Hutcheson, head of
Nightingale-Bamford. “But it’s
also really important to hear different perspectives in life.
There are more boroughs in New York City than Manhattan, so
we shouldn’t just have one dominant perspective at the school.”
daylong sessions on Saturdays. Then, students complete
another full-time, seven-week summer session before
seventh grade.
Learning time management skills is one of the biggest
goals of the program. Advisors meet with the students daily
to review their grades and scores from daily quizzes. If the
students are unprepared for class on three occasions, Prep
staff contacts the students and their parents. “We quickly
escalate because if you fall behind it is hard to catch up,” says
Hefferren. “We are there to help these students reach their
potential.” In addition to the academic preparation, students
devote time to exploring the
social changes they’re about to
experience, reading literature that
deals with the issue of identity.
“There is a big contrast between
the resources their families have
and what other girls have,” says
Hefferren. “Having a strong sense
of who you are allows the girls to
navigate that a little bit better.”
Once at Nightingale, Prep’s
team of counselors, many of
whom are recent college
graduates, touch base with the
students every month to see how
they’re adjusting to their new
school. “The counselors have
had similar life experiences,” says
Hefferren, “so they can be a sounding board.” Students draw
moral support from Prep peers who attend other private
schools in New York City by getting together two Saturdays
a month for organized outings such as apple picking or
ice skating.
Similarly, senior faculty members at Nightingale and school
counselors monitor the Prep students’ adjustment to their
new environment. “We try to do everything we can to help
these families make great transitions,” says Margaret Metz,
director of admissions at Nightingale. Several class-wide
activities for the seventh-graders also help break the ice, such
as the Gilbert and Sullivan musical the class produces in the
spring, or the team-building exercises students participate in
on their trip to Cooperstown, NY.
For the most part, says Hefferren, the Prep students adjust
well to their new school. “Prep girls just love Nightingale,”
she says. “Nightingale has a holistic approach to diversity
and a disposition that is warm, welcoming, and open. They
embrace the Prep for Prep girls in the same way they embrace
all of the girls.”
To help parents cope with their daughter’s new world,
school counselors also field questions from parents about
delicate social situations their children are facing. “Their
daughter may be invited to a bat mitzvah and they’re
wondering, ‘What do I bring as a present?’,” says Hefferren.
“Sometimes the girls come back with a more expensive
present than the one they brought. We try to help the
parents understand that their child wasn’t invited for the
size of the present she’d bring. So if she wants to go she
should absolutely go.”
Nightingale has granted
nearly full scholarships
to 66 students since
1979, and currently
has 17 Prep students
in attendance.
THE JOURNEY TO NIGHTINGALE
While Nightingale benefits as much as the Prep students
do, getting in isn’t easy. Students in the Prep for Prep
program, named so because it prepares students for college
preparatory schools, must commit to rigorous testing and
thousands of hours of academic preparation.
It all starts in the fifth grade, when administrators at
500 public schools throughout the five boroughs nominate
outstanding African-American, Latino, or Asian students
to apply to the program. Of 5,000 applicants tested, only
150 students are accepted for day school placement after
undergoing interviews, IQ tests, and submitting writing
samples. “Our ultimate mission is to create a generation
of diverse leaders,” says Aileen Hefferren, chief executive
at Prep for Prep, “so we are looking for students who have
firepower and drive.”
Once accepted, students undergo an intense 14-month
boot camp to academically prepare them for independent
schools like Nightingale. “What we are trying to do is close
the skill gap,” says Hefferren. “These are very bright kids
but they don’t have the skills they need.” During the summer
prior to sixth grade, students participate in a seven-week
summer school session, with seven classes a day and four
hours of homework every night. During the school year, the
sixth-graders continue their preparation, attending 90-minute
classes after school every Wednesday at Trinity School and
T H E BL UE D OOR S 5
EASING THE FINANCIAL BURDEN
While Nightingale and Prep work together to ease the
academic and cultural transition, the school also partners
with other groups to lessen the financial burden many families
face. In addition to the scholarships Nightingale grants Prep
students, the F&P DeRosa Memorial Fund also supports
a few Prep students by assuming the majority of tuition
fees and providing financial assistance for extra-curricular
activities. Currently, one DeRosa-sponsored student is enrolled
at Nightingale; last year two DeRosa-backed students
graduated and now attend colleges in the Northeast. In total,
Nightingale provides financial aid to more than a fifth of the
student body. “We provide the funding to encourage schools
to take more Prep students,” says Anne Fitzgerald, program
director at the DeRosa fund. “So far it’s worked out splendidly.
The two students who’ve graduated are just as loyal to
Nightingale as they are to Prep for Prep.”
Because many Prep students have faced hardship in their
lives, Hutcheson says, they deeply value their education at
Nightingale and enthusiastically step into leadership roles .
“They don’t take things for granted,” says Hutcheson. “Their
families are doing everything they can to send their kids here.
It always goes back to the parents who have moved body
and soul to get them here.”
Nightingale is changed
by every student who
walks through the
blue doors—especially
the cadre of strong
Prep for Prep students.
Among independent schools in New York City, Nightingale
ranks as one of the most diverse, with nearly a third of the
entire student body made up of students of color. The
retention rate of Prep students at Nightingale is 95%, says
Hutcheson, and the vast majority go on to attend highly
competitive colleges. “These kids are the crème de la crème,”
says Margaret Metz. “And they have raised the bar of social
awareness.”
“You come to this school to grow,” continues Hutcheson.
“If kids are in a class with other kids who challenge them,
that’s great. You don’t come to Nightingale to be massaged.
Nightingale is changed by every student who walks through
the blue doors—especially the cadre of strong Prep for Prep
students.”
6 TH E B L UE DOORS
From their
perspective...
We asked six Prep alumnae who
attended Nightingale to share
with us a little bit about their
experiences. Their stories follow
on the next three pages.
Priscilla Aquino Garza ’97
Priscilla with beloved Nightingale history teacher
Werner Feig.
I came to Nightingale as a seventh grader.
Before that I was at a public school in
Washington Heights, where the classes
were too big and there were too many
discipline issues. At Prep I came to value
a smaller classroom environment because
of the attention to students and the collegegoing culture. I wanted to open up new
opportunities for myself and didn’t have
a lot of women in my life at that time who
could help shape my view of myself as a
first generation Latina in the US.
My mom is from Costa Rica and in her
family there was little encouragement for
women to go to college. It was hard for her
to let go of me and not have me home at
4:00 p.m. every day instead of participating
in sports, clubs, and other activities. Seeing
all the young women at Nightingale and
how they were empowered helped her
understand this new experience.
The respect the girls have for each other
at Nightingale is unique. There was no
innate disconnect like what I felt at public
schools. I felt attracted to this new family
and was impressed by the kinship and
welcoming attitude the girls had.
One of my favorite teachers was Werner
Feig. He was my seventh grade history
teacher and I still carry pieces of him
wherever I go. I felt fragile coming into a
school that didn’t understand my culture and
he always took time to help me process my
role in the unfamiliar world of prep school.
There were class adjustments, cultural
adjustments. Prep for Prep matched me up
with a big sister who would answer a lot of
my questions, such as “what do you do on a
camping trip?,” since I had never been. But
there is no handbook on transitioning from a
large urban school to a small private school
with such different student bodies. People
like Mr. Feig helped me pull all the pieces
together to remind me that what I had to
offer was critical to Nightingale as well. He
helped me increase the level of comfort I
had in myself and allowed me to see myself
as a part of the community. As co-president
of C.A.F.E. for two years, I further tried to
build the awareness of the Nightingale
community to the same social, cultural
and class issues that were emulated in my
own experience.
It could be challenging at times, both
academically and socially. My parents
were always very supportive but also had
to adjust to the different school culture at
Nightingale. My mom works as a lunchroom
aide and speaks broken English, but she
came to all of my school events. I can’t
tell you how many parents-only events I
accompanied her to so I could translate for
her. Other parents were wondering what
was I doing sitting there. But I wanted my
parents to participate just as other parents
did even if it meant I had to sit with her. It
took me going to college to realize what it
took for her to give me everything she did.
Nightingale and Prep allowed me to
think big for myself, and helped me believe
I could become a leader. I felt prepared by
the time I got to Harvard. I am now working
in education policy in Austin, Texas, and
gave birth to my first child in March.
I have always been proud to be a part of
both worlds—my Nightingale world and my
family’s world. If I had not taken advantage
of everything offered to me, it would have
been the biggest mistake of my life.
Melissa Providence ’02
Melissa with Head of School Dorothy Hutcheson.
I grew up in Ozone Park, Queens, and
was raised by mom, who’s from Guyana.
I was always a good student at my
public school, but then I enrolled in the
Prep for Prep program. It was one of the
hardest things I had ever done. I had never
encountered such an enormous amount of
work. For the first time in my life I wasn’t
at the top of my class.
I entered Nightingale in seventh grade
and absolutely loved it. The students were
so welcoming. Most of my friends were
survivors, students who had been at the
school since Kindergarten. I had a class that
was willing to discuss everything with no
animosity whatsoever—things like where you
come from and what the norms are in your
family. Having teachers and mentors who
really cared for you was one of my favorite
parts of Nightingale. They really delved into
your lives.
Everything at the school is intimate: the
classes, the discussions. My mom loved it.
When I went through the boarding school
phase, wondering if I should switch schools,
she said, “no way.” She saw how supportive
the school was. There was always someone
you could go to, someone you could trust.
Going home in my school uniform was a
huge thing. I always felt like an outsider in
my neighborhood. Some of my friends used
to say, “You are going to an uppity school.”
It affected me a lot.
Experiencing the divergence of resources
I felt at home and in the classroom was a
big deal. So many of my classmates had
everything they ever wanted—beautiful
homes in the city and a country home. Then
I’d go home and see my friends who had
nothing. It was an epiphany for me. A lot of
people don’t realize the disparity in wealth
until later in life. I think Prep for Prep tried
to prepare us for the culture shock, but it
could be jarring. My mom always said it’s
all about school and preparing for college.
I ran track every year at Nightingale,
played basketball and was co-head of
C.A.F.E. By the time I arrived at Penn, I felt
very well prepared academically and socially.
I studied English and now am in my first
year of law school at New York University.
I have a lot of fond memories of
Nightingale. I spent a lot of time growing
behind those blue doors.
T H E BL UE D OOR S 7
Karla Lozano ’93
Karla’s photo from her senior class yearbook in
1993.
I grew up in the South Bronx with my mom,
who’s a seamstress from Honduras. We lived
on a pretty safe block, but you’d hear about
shootings just a block or two away every
now and then.
My principal at SPS 39 told me to apply
to Prep for Prep. I was always a good
student and loved books and academics.
By the time I arrived at Nightingale in 1987,
I was so well prepared academically from
Prep for Prep I was ahead of the curve.
My first two years were a culture shock.
Melissa Diaz Bonilla ’89
At my old school in the Bronx, all the kids
were African-American and Hispanic, but at
Nightingale it was all female and Caucasian.
At the time, C.A.F.E. was just getting started
and there were very few students of color.
In my graduating class of 33, there were
three African-American girls and two Latinas,
of which I was one.
It was hard. A lot of questions were
asked of me, such as “are you on welfare?”
There were so many assumptions made of
you that were not necessarily true. I was
an only child and my mom let me travel
on the subway into the city alone to go to
school. It was a lot for me to do at such a
young age.
Before Nightingale, I didn’t know what
lacrosse and badminton were, or what a
summer house was. I used to joke about
it with some of the other Prep girls. Some
of the girls would invite us to their homes,
but my mom would tell me, “Don’t bring
anyone to our house. I don’t want them to
see how we live.” Kids can be materialistic.
I remember one time I wanted an L.L. Bean
bag, but I knew I couldn’t have it.
One year I formed a group called Sugar
and Spice with three black students and
one other Latina. It didn’t last long because
one of the teachers said we were sectioning
ourselves off. We didn’t feel that was fair
and thought the teachers could be more
sensitive. We told the teachers that the
other girls could come talk to us as well.
The opportunities that were given to
me were so different than what my friends
had back at my public school. Once I left
sixth grade, I never kept in touch with my
old friends. I was so busy with homework
and afterschool activities I never had much
free time. My mom was very protective and
wouldn’t let me date or go out. I heard that
some of the kids from my old school had
died or gone to jail. If I had stayed at the
public school there was always the pressure
of violence. Not having those pressures
really helped me focus on my schoolwork.
My academic experience was fantastic.
I went to the University of Pennsylvania
for college and now work as a marketing
manager for HBO.
I have so many good memories of
Nightingale. I never had a traumatic
experience at school—just a few ups and
downs during the first year or two. Then
I matured and didn’t let things get to me
as much.
Jennifer Martinez ’00
Jennifer as council vice president with council
president Liz Niemiec ‘00.
I didn’t have a stable upbringing. I grew
up in Brooklyn and my family moved around
a lot. The last place we lived in Brooklyn
was Carroll Gardens. I went to PS 58
through fifth grade; then in sixth grade I
went to Mark Twain, another public school
for talented students, and studied art.
My mom used to always say that
education would set you up for success later
in life, so she was adamant about finding the
E B L UE DOORS
8 TH
THE
best school possible—even if it was far away
in Manhattan. Because it was so far away
and such a small school, Nightingale felt like
a different world I was traveling into every
day. Some days were better than others.
I would be lying if I didn’t say it was a
complete culture shock when I first started.
At the time my mom was a secretary and
my dad was a truck driver. I come from a
blue-collar family and I am still the only one
in my family to have graduated from college.
At Nightingale I found myself sitting in a
class with someone who has halls named
after them at Harvard. It made you realize
in a very tangible way the economic and
social differences and the opportunities that
exist in different worlds in New York, just
a subway ride away. Seventh and eighth
grade were tough. I felt like I fit in—but not.
I did student government and was
president of C.A.F.E. During the summer
of my tenth-grade year, I was given a
scholarship to go to Costa Rica to do
volunteer work with the Experiment in
International Living. It was my first trip out
of the country. I also went to Italy with my
Latin class in eleventh grade. Nightingale
Melissa receiving an award at Honors Assembly.
Prior to Nightingale, I went to PS 108 in
Brooklyn. I attended school there until
fifth grade and it did not really offer many
opportunities. There were no physical
education or music classes offered, so
when I went to Nightingale in seventh
grade, it was a whole new world, not just
academically but in so many ways.
One of the biggest challenges was
commuting. Previously I walked two blocks
to school, but at Nightingale I commuted
with my parents who worked in Manhattan.
My father was a manager at Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and my
mother was also a pharmacy technician
there. I had to get up at 5:00 a.m. and get
out of the house at 6:00 a.m. or 6:30 a.m.
at the latest. Then I would take a bus from
the hospital at 68th and York to the school.
Culturally it was also an adjustment.
I went to a predominantly black and Latino
school previously, but when I came to
Nightingale it was me, two other black
students, plus one Asian student. But I felt
accepted right away so that wasn’t too big
of an issue. A lot of other Prep students
felt accepted, too. It says something about
the school when someone comes in during
seventh grade with a different background
and can feel right at home. Educating the
hearts and minds is not just a school motto.
It does play out in the way the students
behave.
My parents didn’t have a problem with
the school being predominantly white.
They actually thought that was a good thing.
They wanted me to be in an environment
that was representative of the real world
so I could feel comfortable interacting
with people from different backgrounds—
socioeconomic and cultural. That way I
could be prepared at the college level
and at the work level as well.
My 14 months of preparation at Prep
for Prep was an intense experience. I know
for a fact that if I had not undergone those
14 months, I would have been lost when I
got to Nightingale. But I felt up to speed
once I started. I also participated in the
Glee Club, student government, and was
part of the social services board. After I
graduated from Nightingale, I went to Yale
feeling well prepared and received my
bachelor’s degree in 1993. Then I went to
medical school in 1997 at the University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Now
I am a pediatrician in private practice with
eight other physicians in New Jersey. It was
always my dream to be a pediatrician. When
I was four I told my mom I wanted to be a
baby nurse and she said, “Why not a baby
doctor?” So from then on, that was my goal.
I have a three-year-old daughter right
now and, unfortunately, sending her to
Nightingale is not an option since we live
in New Jersey. But if we were to move back
to the New York City area, Nightingale
would be the only choice for me.
extraordinary the Prep for Prep program was
until much later, probably towards the end
of my first summer.
Before Nightingale I went to PS 276 from
Kindergarten through grade five and then
Hudde Junior High for a year in sixth grade.
I was ready to go to a new school—my
junior high school wasn’t challenging and
I constantly felt as though I was wasting a
year there. Hudde was at least twice the size
of Nightingale and I barely knew my own
teachers, let alone other faculty members.
It was such a nice change to get to know
Ms. Hutcheson, who makes it her goal to
know every student in the school by name.
I cannot stress enough how welcoming and
reassuring it was to have her greet me every
morning at the blue doors my first year.
Socially, everything went well, but I do
know with ready-made friends from Prep it
took me a little longer to make close bonds
with the Nightingale girls in my class. That
is not to say that my classmates weren’t
extremely welcoming. It did happen and
many of them are my closest friends now.
But many Prep kids will try to stick together
in the face of such a radically different
environment, especially one in which the
other girls have known each other for so
long. I think it’s something Nightingale
should be aware of.
Through my experiences at Prep and
Nightingale, I have learned that I should
never settle for less than the best in my life.
I’ve been given the opportunity from both
Prep and Nightingale to achieve so much
and I will continue to take advantage of that.
I’ve been able to take internships and travel
to countries that have opened my eyes to
new and exciting possibilities for the future.
More specifically, if I had gone to any other
private school, I would have missed out on
so many fantastic teachers. I originally did
not want to go to an all-girls school but I
am very, very grateful that Prep pushed me
towards one. Being surrounded by such
strong women has taught me so much.
I’m 18 now and currently a freshman at
Dartmouth College. While I’m still officially
undecided, I may double major in Spanish
and English and minor in Filmmaking or
Government.
Recently I had lunch with two women
from the DeRosa Foundation, the foundation
that sponsored me during my time at
Nightingale. One of them said that while
there are other schools in Manhattan,
there is really no place that comes close to
Nightingale.
I agree completely.
Segacy Roberts ’10
paid for it because my parents never could
have afforded it. I remember getting really
sick on the plane because I had never
traveled that long on a plane before.
Nightingale wasn’t just saying they
were about diversity. They went above and
beyond to make sure that I wasn’t missing
out on anything. They gave me so many
wonderful experiences. When I was in tenth
grade, my family moved to Long Island and
I made the decision to finish my education
at Nightingale. I had to leave my house
at 6:00 a.m. every day and ride the train
one-and-a-half to two hours each way.
By the time I got to Columbia I wasn’t
that surprised by the differences in people’s
backgrounds. I was acutely aware of who
I was and could tell you with confidence
what my interests were, while many
undergrads were first discovering the
differences in the world. I also felt so well
prepared academically. My freshman year
was a breeze.
I have always felt grateful to Nightingale
because of the opportunities they gave me.
The school really took me in.
Segacy with Nightingale classmate and fellow
Prep graduate Karla Gomez at their Nightingale
Commencement.
My parents first heard about Prep for Prep
from friends and wanted the same thing
every parent wants: a good education for
me, their only child. They are both West
Indian. My dad, who is a criminal defense
lawyer, is from Trinidad, and my mom, who’s
currently in school to be a nurse anesthetist,
is from Jamaica. We live in the Flatlands area
of Brooklyn.
I was invited to apply for Prep for Prep
after scoring high on the standardized test—
once a student reached a certain grade they
were invited. I don’t think I understood how
T H E BL UE D OOR S 9
Moving Right
Along
As an infant, Nightingale third-grader
Catherine Hughes ’20 lost her right leg,
but she hasn’t let this slow her down.
by Greg Groggel
Running is often a pursuit left for the mature. We tend to
avoid its inherent challenges in our younger days only to
gravitate to it as the years pass, hoping to maintain a balance
of body and mind.
Just don’t tell that to Catherine Hughes.
To know what Catherine has accomplished as a runner and
triathlete at only eight years old should serve as guilt-ridden
propulsion to lace up those long-forgotten trainers and hit the
nearest park. But to know that the Nightingale third-grader
has done it as an amputee might just inspire you to face far
greater challenges.
When Hemsley Hughes was pregnant with Catherine,
she and her husband James learned that Catherine had
a clubfoot, due to an amniotic band wrapped around the
limb. When Catherine was born in January 2002, the doctors
suggested they amputate the foot below the ankle. Friends
advised otherwise, fearful of what that might mean for young
Catherine.
“After we had gotten over the initial shock it really was the
best way for her to have a normal childhood,” says Hemsley,
who works as a reading specialist at Spence.
From there, things continued as normal, if in that frantic
manner of active families.
Catherine received her first prosthesis shortly after that first
Christmas and was walking at 15 months. There was a little
physical therapy in the beginning, but only because it was
included with their insurance at the time.
10 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Then came figure skating at age three and soccer,
equestrian, and skiing at age four. For many of these activities,
Hemsley and James (who teaches and coaches at St. David’s
School) could only do so much to guide their daughter; the
rest was up to Catherine. Learning how to ride a bicycle, for
instance, took a little longer than it might otherwise.
“With the way the ankle is supposed to bend, we couldn’t
really help her because we didn’t know,” Hemsley says. “She
had to figure it out herself. And she did.”
The activities steamrolled as Catherine got older. At
age five, she competed at the Empire State Games for the
Physically Challenged for the first time. Since then, she’s
taken part in a number of races, often winning her category
of below-the-knee-amputee and placing just as high among
able-bodied runners. The races range from one mile to five,
with an annual mini-triathlon thrown in for good measure
(75-yard swim, two-mile bike and one-mile run).
Catherine has the hardware to speak to her success, but
keeps a select five trophies on her desk at home. Her favorite
is the smallest and most conspicuous of the bunch—a single
foot in a running shoe.
Despite the success, Catherine’s joy of running is found in
the competition itself. “I usually start it and think that the race
will be fun,” says Catherine, typically shy at age eight. “Then
in the middle I feel tired and want to stop. But at the end I
feel excited when I see the finish.” She says there’s a similar
moment of “Phew, I finished!” each time she crosses the line,
though to everyone who knows her it’s never a question of “if”
but “when.”
T H E BL UE D OOR S 1 1
Catherine has drawn inspiration from her mentor and family
friend Amy Palmiero-Winters, a fellow amputee whom she
first met at the Empire State Games in 2006. Palmiero-Winters
is a distinguished athlete herself, regardless of classification.
The ultra-marathoner had her left leg amputated below the
knee after a 1994 motorcycle accident, but has since won the
AAU Sullivan Award, the nation’s top amateur prize, and was
recently named the first amputee to the U.S. track and field
team.
As sports director of A Step Ahead, a leading prosthetics
company that Catherine has become involved with, PalmieroWinters coaches and organizes activities for a group of young
amputees and favors a doctrine of tough love. “I like to
watch them reach their limit, or what they think is their limit,”
Palmiero-Winters explains. “Then have them dig past where
they thought they could go and take five more steps.”
12 TH E B L UE DO O RS
This fall, Amy and Catherine were nominated to The
Huffington Post’s Game Changers, a series celebrating
innovators, visionaries, and leaders in 12 categories. After
more than three million votes were cast online, the Hughes
family received the call that the two amputees had won the
award in the sports category, trumping the likes of tennis
legend Serena Williams, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow
and soccer superstar Landon Donovan.
Upon hearing the news, Catherine could scarcely believe
it to be true, asking anyone in range if they were in fact lying
to her. And even Hemsley admits she never thought her
daughter would win.
Along with the other winners, the family was invited to the
Game Changers gala in SoHo. Catherine didn’t particularly
enjoy all the photographers there for the attending celebrities,
nor did she appreciate getting picked up by media aristocrat
Arianna Huffington. But she did take great pleasure in
shopping for a new purple dress, making her way down
the red carpet, and staying out late—she’s eight after all.
It has been a busy year all around for Catherine. A
documentary titled “Hope and Possibility,” will soon be
released featuring her and the pediatric amputee athletes of
the “A Step Ahead” program. Fellow students might have
spotted a film crew following Catherine through the halls
of Nightingale one day this fall. And because of numerous
interview requests (this one included), she’s being coaxed to
put words to ideas most won’t even begin to consider until
they can legally drive.
When asked what she would tell someone who has recently
lost a limb, her advice was simple. “Do what you think you can
do,” Catherine advises. “If you think you can do it, you will be
able to do it, even if other people say you can’t.” A true thirdgrade sage.
It’s all bittersweet, of course. When a school friend told her
how jealous she was of her celebrity, Catherine pointed at her
foot and asked, “Do you really want to be famous for this?”
Further challenges lie ahead. Catherine recently had a
growth bone removed from her leg to facilitate the use of her
prosthesis in the years to come. Right now it’s the first thing
she puts on in the morning and usually the last to come off
before bed.
She’ll admit that the whole process is annoying and the
prosthesis itself can be a source of frustration. But during
those moments of discontent, she can look to her family at
home and her community at school for support. And if she
feels like going it alone, a personal piece of wisdom she tells
herself should be enough: “If you keep going you’ll get to the
finish eventually.”
Simple sure, but advice worth heeding in any respect,
whether venturing out for a quick jog or preparing to face one
of life’s other challenges.
Michelle Nam ‘16, Bryn Wolgemuth ‘16,
and Carlexa Fevry ‘16 (left to right)
perform at the first-ever Middle School
Instrumental Concert on January 25, 2011.
The concerts (performed during Middle
School and Upper School assemblies)
resulted from the incredible growth of our
instrumental program over the last several
years and featured performances by strings,
Orff, guitar, and drumming classes.
T H E BL UE D OOR S 1 3
Spaces at
Nightingale
As the school expands into the townhouse next door,
we thought it’d be nice to take a quick tour through some
of the named spaces in our current schoolhouse and get
to know the people to whom these areas are dedicated.
From top left, counter clockwise:
H. Dale Hemmerdinger Auditorium
Devoted board member and past parent Dale Hemmerdinger
was the key trustee behind the construction of our modern
schoolhouse; our 385-seat auditorium is named in his honor.
Twice-weekly meetings are held here for each division, as
are special lectures, numerous PE classes, Convocation and
year-end assemblies, and a plethora of musical and dramatic
presentations.
Audrey Goode ‘39 Alumnae Room
Long-serving staff member Audrey Goode covered so many
jobs during her tenure at Nightingale, it’s hard to list them all.
But throughout her time at the school, and even up to the
present day, she has been most passionate about our alumnae.
It’s particularly appropriate, then, that the alumnae room—
which features portraits of every class and formerly housed
the Nightingale archives—is named in her honor.
Sarah E. Hamilton Student Center
This area is, by far, the most used space in the building:
lunch room, meeting space, study hall, reception area, faculty
lounge, lecture hall, and kitchen for our afterschool baking
class. It is named after Betty Hamilton, whose career at
Nightingale covered so many roles and who connected
with so many girls during her years here.
Joan Stitt McMenamin Library
Named for Nightingale’s fifth headmistress, our library holds
tens of thousands of volumes and provides access to millions
more online. It is a central gathering place for our community
and a quiet place for our students to study, and it features the
only remaining architectural element from the original 1929
schoolhouse: the majestic arched windows. As one of the
central spaces in the modern schoolhouse that Mrs. McMenamin
built, it is a meaningful tribute to her years of leadership.
14 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Aline Vicary Room
A beloved teacher from 1935­–1973 and head of Middle
School from 1960–1973, Miss Vicary was fundamental in
shaping the lives of generations of girls. Upon her retirement,
the yearbook staff wrote, “Words cannot express how
important Miss Vicary is to the school or how far reaching
her influence has been.”
William B. Heller Terrace
Hugely popular among faculty and students as the weather
warms, the William B. Heller Terrace provides a quiet area for
reading, sunny place for lunching, and occasionally a festive
space for cocktail parties. Named for a former board member
and Nightingale father, the terrace is now also used by the
Environmental Board to grow organic herbs and fruits.
Ann M. Wilson ’39 Reading Room
There is, perhaps, no more fitting space to be named for
Miss Wilson than this Lower School reading room. As a Lower
School teacher for almost 40 years, she taught almost 1,000
girls not just how to read, but how to love reading. This room
is used now for show-and-tell, story time, and student-devised
plays and shows throughout the year.
Susan Hecht Tofel ’48 Gymnasium
One of the largest spaces in the schoolhouse, the gymnasium
hosts classes, games, pep rallies, and extra-curricular
programs like Sunny Days and our weekend open gym
sessions. It is named after Sue Tofel, an alumna, past parent,
grandparent, and one of our longest-serving trustees
(including eight years as president of the board).
Blanche G. Mansfield Playground
If you were at Nightingale at all in the last 30 years, you know
Mrs. Mansfield, our long-standing and extremely dedicated
Head of Lower School. It is only fitting that the incredible
playground where our youngest girls spend their free time is
named in her honor.
T H E BL UE D OOR S 1 5
A Dinner and Auction Benefit to
Celebrate Nightingale’s History
On March 15, we hosted a special 90th-anniversary celebration at the American Museum of Natural History.
Eight hundred parents, alumnae, past parents, faculty, and staff packed into the Hall of the Universe at the
Rose Planetarium for cocktails and the start of the silent auction. Everyone then moved into the magical Hall
of Ocean Life, where they were treated to a special performance by Upper School a capella group Bassless
Accusations. A sumptuous dinner was served while several faculty members presented their hysterical take on
how Miss Nightingale and Miss Bamford came up with the school motto. After a live auction, guests poured
onto the floor to wrap up the evening with dancing under the 94-foot blue whale.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of everyone who purchased tickets, donated and bid on auction items,
and helped underwrite the event, we raised more than $350,000 for the Nightingale-Bamford School Scholarship
Fund! Special thanks to our fabulous benefit tri-chairs—Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss ‘93 P’23, Catherine Skobe
P’18, and Alison Sellin Weiskopf ‘81 P’18—and all of the volunteers who made the event such a success.
Opposite, top, clockwise: the Hall of Ocean Life was transformed for dinner and dancing with 800 guests; faculty member Sam Howell
heads up the faculty skit; Head of Middle School Noni Thomas and Rodney Lopez take a turn on the dance floor at the end of the evening;
Nancy Jones PP’94, PP’98, PP’04 with Garrett and Clay Kirk PP’89 and PP’94 and their daughter (and faculty member) Laura Kirk ‘94.
16 TH E B L UE DO O RS
T H E BL UE D OOR S 1 7
Opposite page, top, clockwise: Cathy and Salvatore Trentalancia PP’10; faculty member Robin Daley with her husband Jack and faculty member
Naomi Hayashi; Sharon Reid and Franklin Reed P’23; three generations of Nightingale alumna: Cathy Cramer ‘77, her mother and longtime
board member Sue Hecht Tofel ‘48, and Cathy’s daughter Leah Cramer Gibbs ‘10; Ethelee Hahn with her daughter Marina Hahn, alumna and
parent of a third-grader; this page, top, clockwise: Kate Auletta ‘00, Louisa Conrad ‘00, faculty member Fernanda Winthrop ‘00, Zoe Settle ‘00,
and Claire Cosman ‘00; Helen Song and Lap Wai Chan P’14, P’16; Josh Gruss and benefit tri-chair Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss ‘93 P’23.
For more photos and information on our 90th-anniversary benefit, please visit www.nightingale.org/90.
18 TH E B L UE DO O RS
T H E BL UE D OOR S 1 9
Nightingale-Bamford Alumnae
Around the World
= TWO NIGHTINGALE ALUMNAE
TRI-STATE REGION
MANHATTAN
Upper East Side
WASHINGTON
Upper West Side
MASSACHUSETTS
MONTANA
MAINE
north dakota
MINNESOTA
VERMONT
OREGON
IDAHO
NEW HAMPSHIRE
WISCONSIN
south dakota
Below 14th Street
WYOMING
TRI-STATE REGION
(see side bar)
Northern
California
RHODE ISLAND
MICHIGAN
IOWA
NEVADA
DELAWARE
INDIANA
OHIO
BROOKLYN
ILLINOIS
MARYLAND
COLORADO
MISSOURI
WEST
VIRGINIA
KANSAS
Southern
California
Above 110th Street
PENNSYLVANIA
nebraska
UTAH
Midtown
BRONX
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON, DC
KENTUCKY
QUEENS
ARIZONA
NORTH CAROLINA
NEW MEXICO
OKLAHOMA
TENNESSEE
STATEN ISLAND
ARKANSAS
SOUTH CAROLINA
ALABAMA
GEORGIA
WESTCHESTER
TEXAS
BERMUDA
LOUISIANA
UPSTATE ny
FLORIDA
LONG ISLAND
CONNECTICUT
Australia
ITALY
Austria
Japan
CANADA
Mexico
China
Morocco
Colombia, SA
Norway
EGYPT
SINGAPORE
France
Slovenia
Germany
Spain
Greece
Sweden
HONG KONG
Switzerland
Israel
United Kingdom
16 TH
THEE BBLLUE
UE DO
DOORS
20
O RS
NEW JERSEY
PUERTO RICO
HAWAII
ALASKA
T H E BL UE D OOR S 2 1
Hallways
family service day
The generosity and spirit of the Nightingale community was on full display on Saturday, January 22, 2011,
as over 200 volunteers filled the schoolhouse to
participate in a wide variety of service projects.
From decorating greeting cards and creating tissue
paper flower bouquets to assembling toiletry kits
and making sandwiches, Nightingale girls and their
families spent the day in support of seniors, U.S.
soldiers, children, and others in need around the
city. Up in the gym, participants played games and
participated in activities to raise over $500 for two
worthy causes—Nightingale’s A School for A School
(in Cambodia; see page 32) and Partners in Health
(in Haiti). In addition, 20 of our volunteers spent the
morning delivering Meals on Heels or bonding with
residents at the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care
Center over a variety of arts and crafts projects. With
characteristic heart and enthusiasm, the Nightingale
community came out in force to serve others and
connect with the world around them. Thank to the
leadership of Kristen Mulvoy, director of community
service; our parent volunteers in charge of community
service, Suzi Parrasch and Julie White; and our Upper
School Community Service Board.
Anne Hay ’14 and Mary Wood
’23 team up to decorate a
card at Family Service Day.
mcmenamin lecture
Annette Gordon-Reed, legal scholar and Pulitzer
Prize-winning author of The Hemingses of Monticello:
An American Family, captivated her audience at
the sixth-annual Joan Stitt McMenamin Lecture on
December 10, 2010, as she discussed her lifelong love
of history and her approach to the story of Thomas
Jefferson’s relationship with his slave, Sally Hemings.
Ms. Gordon-Reed is pictured at far left, with Heidi
Kasevich, head of the History Department, and Jim
Basker, president of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of
American History, which co-presented the lecture.
Anna Jurew ‘15 helped lead her
four-by-four relay team to a firstplace finish at the Millrose Games at
Madison Square Garden on January
28, 2011. As denoted by their black
armbands, she and her teammates
ran their race in honor of teacher
Karen Dressner, who died on
January 25, 2011. (See page 34.)
22 TH E B L UE DO O RS
T H E BL UE D OOR S 2 3
Past parent and founder of
the Werner Feig Memorial
Lecture Series Patti Kenner
with Head of School
Dorothy A. Hutcheson,
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and
Rebecca Feig, daughter
of Werner Feig.
gimp project
The Nightingale community was treated to moving
dance performances by the GIMP Project on January
6, 2011. Featuring four trained dancers and four
performers who have physical disabilities, GIMP
aims to challenge accepted notions about dance,
performance, and body image. Sponsored by Parents
of C.A.F.E., the dancers performed for students
dr. ruth charms nightingale
On Friday, March 4, 2011, famed author and
psychosexual therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer arrived at
Nightingale to deliver the 12th-annual Feig Lecture.
Students from Classes VII through XII, parents,
alumnae, faculty, and staff packed the auditorium
to hear Dr. Ruth speak about her experiences as a
child who survived the Holocaust and its emotional
aftermath, a journey she chronicles in her memoir,
Musically Speaking. From the very beginning of
the morning, however, it was clear that her personal
story was just a part of what she had to offer. This
82-year-old was four feet and seven inches of moxie
and humor.
That this would be no ordinary lecture was
apparent from the start. As Head of School Dorothy
Hutcheson introduced Dr. Ruth and mentioned her
authorship of a number of books about sex, Dr. Ruth
immediately interrupted from her seat and told her
that when one says the word sex, one must “say it
with more enthusiasm!” The unexpected comment
brought the house down, and the audience was
hooked before she even began. Despite her
advancing age and small stature, Dr. Ruth filled
the room with energy, and proved herself to be
the ultimate role model for everyone there.
Dr. Ruth’s personal story is compelling. Her life
changed forever when her name was one of 300
randomly drawn for an evacuation of Jewish children
from Germany to Switzerland in 1939. On January 5
of that year, she boarded a train in Frankfurt and
never saw her family again. She spent six years in an
orphanage in Switzerland, and then made her way to
Palestine, where she fought for Israeli independence
as part of the Haganah. Later she moved to Paris,
and in 1956, Dr. Ruth immigrated to the United States
and studied at the New School of Social Research
and Columbia University.
What is most compelling about Dr. Ruth, however,
is not her distinguished biography but the power of
her personality. On the train to Switzerland, she put
aside her own grief at having been separated from
her family and tried to engage the other children in
song to keep them from crying. She understood that
mere chance saved her life, and she felt deeply the
obligation to do something with her life because
she had been spared. While world-renowned
psychosexual therapist was perhaps not what she
envisioned when she started out, she has helped
countless people with her willingness to talk openly
about sexuality with grace and good humor.
Throughout her visit to Nightingale, Dr. Ruth
showed a genuine interest in everyone she met.
Touring the school before her lecture, she stopped
every student she passed to ask them about
themselves, and then she stayed at the reception
following her talk for as long as there were people to
engage. The schoolhouse was abuzz with students
and faculty alike marveling at her energy and the
power of her spirit. And with that, a new generation
of Dr. Ruth fans was born.
latin club victory
On November 6, 2010, seven Upper School members
of the Latin Club competed in a Certamen Latinum, a
Jeopardy-style Latin competition. The event was held
at the Spence School and, for the third consecutive
24 TH E B L UE DO O RS
during the day and at a community-wide event in
the evening. The riveting, raw beauty of the dancers’
movements pushed us to expand our thinking and
to embrace diversity in all its forms. In the talk-back
session following the evening performance, audience
members had the opportunity to ask questions of
the performers as well as the GIMP Project’s founder,
director, and choreographer, Heidi Latsky.
year, Team Nightingale triumphed by a large margin
over teams from Brearley, Browning, Chapin, and
Spence. Victorious students were, from left to right,
Jenny Lu ’12, Olivia Herrington ’14, Sammy Bernstein
’11, Victoria Hall-Palerm ’11, Suzanne Rosen ’11,
Solveig Gold ’13, and Grace McLeod ’13.
T H E BL UE D OOR S 2 5
Current members of the
physical education department join to celebrate Jenny
Smith. From left to right:
Lisa Campbell, Pam Charles,
Chimé Wangdu, Rosanne
Quinn, Alison Trotta, Jenny
Smith, Leslie Spalding, Jeanne
Finnigan-John, Eileen Saguirer,
and GloriAnne DiToro.
children’s radio foundation
In the fall 2009 issue of The Blue Doors, we reported
on the Children's Radio Foundation, which was
spearheaded by parent Pam Michaelcheck and past
parent Beth Sachs. Ms. Sachs recently wrote in with
this update on the foundation's progress.
Since our previous article, CRF has been extremely
busy rolling out programs across Africa and beyond.
We work with local community organizations to set
up and sustain youth radio projects that give a voice
to young people. Community journalism initiatives,
radio debates on youth violence, and environmental
advocacy radio—these are just a few of our projects
that are designed to build confidence, develop
communication skills, and encourage critical thinking
and global awareness among youth.
Over the past year, the CRF has worked closely with
international partners UNICEF and MIT and has taken
on an array of exciting projects. Here are some of the
highlights:
• The Radio Workshop, our nationwide youth radio
broadcast in South Africa, reaches over 300,000
regular listeners, as well as a worldwide audience
online.
• As part of UNICEF’s climate change initiatives, CRF
trained over 200 young people from 44 countries
as radio journalists at the Children’s Climate Forum
in Copenhagen and at UNICEF’s Zambia Children’s
Climate Conference.
jenny smith farewell party
Over 300 members of the Nightingale community
came out on February 4, 2011 to celebrate the
remarkable 30-year career of Athletic Director Jenny
Smith, who announced earlier this year that she would
retire at the end of the 2011 Sunny Days camp
season. As Athletic Director, Ms. Smith developed
Nightingale’s athletic program from the ground up
and built Sunny Days, the perennially popular June
camp celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, into
the must-attend program of the early summer. She is
also the consummate Nighthawk fan who personally
appears at more games than one would think is
physically possible.
26 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Alumnae, students, faculty, and current and past
parents packed the auditorium to eat, drink, and
pay tribute to Ms. Smith and her many contributions
to Nightingale. At the event, Head of School Dorothy
Hutcheson announced the creation of the Jenny
Smith Nighthawks Fund, which will support our
fitness programs and ensure that Ms. Smith’s legacy
will be felt at Nightingale for many years to come.
In addition, Ms. Smith became the first inductee into
the newly-created Nightingale Athletic Hall of Fame,
which will honor Nightingale alumnae for their
outstanding contributions in athletics.
Throughout the joyful evening, it was clear
that Ms. Smith has had a profound impact on the
Nightingale community, and that she will be greatly
missed.
• In World Cup in My Village, the CRF partnered with
UNICEF to provide youth media training and access
to coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2010 for young
people in Zambia and Rwanda.
• In Haiti, CRF trained young people in September to
produce radio programs about community issues in
the run-up to the national election.
speech and debate
thrives at nightingale
Nightingale’s speech and debate team, Nightingale
Forensics, has been busy over the past few months.
With the expert guidance and unwavering support of
faculty advisor LE Hartmann-Ting, the team is growing
and having great success at tournaments both near
and far.
Over President’s Day Weekend in February, 13
Upper School team members traveled to Cambridge,
Massachusetts, where they joined 3,500 students
from around the country for the 37th Annual Harvard
National High School Invitational Forensics
Tournament. The girls competed in three categories:
Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, and
Public Forum. The entire weekend provided an
incredible experience for the participants to hone
• In January 2011, CRF will establish a network
of youth radio reporters in Tanzania, to spark
a dialogue about the issues concerning young
Tanzanians.
The CRF touches the lives of so many young people
across the globe, and we are certain that 2011 will
be the most exciting year yet for the CRF. We benefit
greatly from the help of our student interns and from
assistance from the Nightingale community, and we
thank you for your constant support. If you would like
to receive updates about new projects or find out
how you can help, please visit our Web site at www.
childrensradiofoundation.org.
their speech and debate skills and to learn from their
peers from around the country. With well-deserved
pride, Dr. Hartmann-Ting praised the team and their
efforts, saying: “The girls were AMAZING on this trip.
They took risks, worked hard, supported one another,
and left with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for
the program.”
Nightingale Forensics returned to competition a
few weeks later on March 9, when three teams of two
attended a public forum qualifying tournament at
Regis High School and enjoyed tremendous success.
Debating the resolution “Plea Bargaining undermines
the criminal justice system,” Francesca Haass ‘12 and
Millicent Hennessey ‘12 were undefeated and earned
a qualification to compete at the state competition in
April! Also competing were Stephanie Wisowaty ‘12
and Katie Harris ‘12, who had a strong 2-1 record and
are alternates for the state competition.
T H E BL UE D OOR S 2 7
Male’s home. In the emotional melee that ensued,
Mr. Karim was arrested. To assist in his defense,
Ms. Dressner was asked by Marie Winn, author of a
book about Pale Male and Lola called Red Tails in
Love, if the thank-you notes from the Nightingale
girls could be used as character references for Mr.
Karim. With surnames omitted, the notes were
submitted to the court and the charges against Mr.
Karim were eventually dropped. Soon, the birds
returned to their roost and remain there today.
Recently, Ms. Dressner took another group of
Nightingale field study students to meet Mr. Karim,
go bird watching, and see Pale Male and Lola from
the Hubble. Again, the students were riveted.
green schools alliance
Charlotte Cebula ’20 peers
through the telescope as
Catherine Hughes ’20 and
Caroline Coudert-Morris ’20
listen to Ms. Dressner.
nightingale and pale male
When Lower School Science teacher Karen Dressner
passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, January 25,
the Nightingale community lost a treasured teacher
and friend. Ms. Dressner believed in a hands-on
approach to learning and scientific discovery, and her
unbounded enthusiasm for her subject inspired a
generation of Nightingale girls. Nightingale parent
Jayne Sosland wrote the following article about Ms.
Dressner’s third-grade field studies class, completing
it less than two weeks before Ms. Dressner’s death.
With its great museums and diverse range of people
and cultures, New York is, in my opinion, one of the
most exciting places to raise a family. When I am
asked by non-New York parents about the lack of
direct access to nature in the city, I need only to point
to Central Park as my reply. Although we may not
have our own backyards, we have 843 acres filled
with open green spaces, woods, lakes, and streams,
all of which attract wildlife despite the park’s location
in the middle of an urban landscape. The wonders of
the park were not lost on Lower School science
teacher Karen Dressner, who in 1995 created the
Class III field study program to bring Nightingale girls
outdoors for hands-on experiences. “I became
convinced that it was essential for my young students
to spend a few hours focused on nature and among
trees, squirrels, herons, and the hundreds of natural
surprises that the park offers throughout the year,”
said Ms. Dressner. For over 15 years, Central Park and
other local outdoor spaces have functioned as open
classrooms in which Class III students have discovered
the natural world at their doorstep. This story is about
their observations of the famous red-tailed hawk Pale
28 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Male and their unique meetings with documentarian
Lincoln Karim.
Ten years ago, Lincoln Karim was walking in
Central Park and saw people looking at some birds
nesting atop an apartment building. They were
red-tailed hawks, which were first spotted in the
park in 1991 after a 100-year absence. He used his
telescope to get a closer look, and was captivated:
“I saw the mother with her chicks and could not
believe that one could get such an amazing view
with such a small scope. I was instantly hooked from
a photography standpoint.”
Since 2002, Mr. Karim has tirelessly documented
the hawks and their trials and tribulations with his
remarkable photography and videography talents.
He has also set up an observation station dubbed
the Hubble and generously offers passersby the
opportunity to get a closer look at the birds. In the
fall of 2004, a third-grade Nightingale student and
her father happened upon Mr. Karim in the park and
were so taken by his work that they passed on his
information to Ms. Dressner, who then took her field
study class to meet him. Mr. Karim took the girls bird
watching and introduced them to Pale Male and Lola,
the famed red-tailed hawks who resided in the façade
of a Fifth Avenue building. The children were dazzled.
The following week Mr. Karim sent photographs of
the hawks to the students and the students sent a
packet of thank-you notes to Mr. Karim.
Just three months later, on December 7, 2004,
Pale Male’s nest was removed from its building at
the direction of the building’s board. This was very
upsetting to many naturalists and fans of the birds
and attracted a great deal of media attention.
Mr. Karim was heartsick, and he and several others
protested in front of the building that had been Pale
Nightingale’s Environmental Board coordinated and
hosted the Green Schools Alliance Fall Summit on
November 15, 2010. The Green Schools Alliance
is a nationwide coalition of schools that works to
build a sustainable future through education and
action projects, and Nightingale is an active member.
Approximately 275 students, teachers, parents,
and facilities managers attended the summit, which
featured 25 vendors and organizations providing
information and ideas for green living and showcasing
environmentally-responsible products and practices.
“I want students to be out in the world, following their
natural curiosity and having first-hand experiences,”
said Ms. Dressner. For our daughters, the experience
of observing these regal birds in the middle of
Manhattan adds to the magic of a New York City
childhood.
by Jayne Sosland P’20
For more information on Pale Male, visit Mr. Karim’s
Web site at www.palemale.com or Ms. Winn’s at
mariewinnnaturenews.blogspot.com. There are also
a variety of children’s books and documentaries
available through the Nightingale library.
In addition, award-winning documentary filmmaker
and environmental advocate Ian Cheney presented
clips from his newest documentary, Truck Farm,
which follows the progress of a portable herb and
vegetable garden created in the back of a pickup
truck. During the evening, attendees were also
treated to a delicious dinner featuring local, organic
foods prepared by Chef Vazquez and his team. As
part of the lead-up to the summit, Environmental
Board co-heads Sara Allan ’11 and Hailey Huddleston
’11 also spearheaded a highly-successful e-waste
recycling drive, which collected over 10,000 pounds
of e-waste!
Hailey Huddleston ‘11,
one of the co-heads of the
Environmental Board, sits
atop a small mountain of
e-waste that Upper School
students collected.
T H E BL UE D OOR S 2 9
Women’s Rights Club advisor
Susan Cohen-Nicole with
student leaders Hannah Cope
‘11 and Annabel Buckfire ‘11
Nightingale accompanist
Jennifer Creek and chorus
member Holly Hutcheson ’11
in front of the concert poster
at Alice Tully Hall.
But the best part came the following day,
December 18, the day of the concert. Rehearsals
started at Lincoln Center at 10 that morning, when
we were finally joined by the singers from Harvard.
When Ms. Birch told us in November that we would
After a break in the middle of the day when the
be singing with the Yale Whiffenpoofs, the Upper
college groups rehearsed their sets, the Nightingale
School Chorus practically erupted. The white-gloved
and Spence girls came back at 5:00 that afternoon
a cappella group is justifiably famous, not least for its
ready to perform. During downtime before the
recent stint on NBC’s “The Sing Off” (where, as the
concert, we also managed to meet a bunch of the
Whiffenpoofs and the Nightingale singers agreed
performers and make some new friends! I even got
during our conversations, they were robbed). When
some beat-boxing lessons from a member of the
we learned that the concert would also include
Whiffenpoofs that I intend to try to put to good use
prestigious a cappella groups from Princeton and
with Bassless Accusations [Nightingale’s a capella
Harvard, and that it was going to be held in none
group] this spring. It was refreshing to learn that
other than Alice Tully Hall, it seemed like nothing
these guys, whom we had formerly seen as minor
could get better. In the weeks leading up to the
celebrities, were just average college kids who got
concert, we nervously learned our music and watched as much stage fright as we did.
our future soulmates perform on TV.
Finally, the performance began. Spence and
But despite the seemingly insurmountable
Nightingale opened the concert together, singing a
expectations that built up among the Upper School
medley of three Christmas songs: “Happy Holidays,”
singers in the weeks leading up to the concert, all of
“White Christmas,” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time
our hopes were more than met when we heard the
of the Year.” Then, once our set was over, we got to
first chords sung by the Whiffenpoofs themselves as
sit in the balcony and watch the entire concert. The
they marched into our holiday party on the last day
performers were all amazingly good, and it was even
of school. They kindly treated us to an impromptu
better to be able to sit there while they were singing
concert, and we treated them to raucous applause.
and go, “Hey, I know them!” Finally, when it was time
From there, the following 36 hours were a nonstop
for the final number, we all gathered on stage and
blur of excitement.
really let loose with the power of the words. As soon
Rehearsals with Spence and the college groups
as we looked out at the room, full to bursting with
started that Friday afternoon, December 17, when
friends and family, we lost any inhibition or nervouswe were joined by not only the Whiffenpoofs but
ness we might have been feeling. I, for one, was
the Princeton Nassoons as well. We ran through the
dancing like there was no tomorrow. The exhilaration
powerful song “It Gets Better,” written by Jay Kuo
of being on such an amazing stage, singing a song
and Blair Shepard, which offers solace to gay teens
that really means something with so many amazing
struggling with their identity. It was to be the closing
performers, was unlike anything I had ever experinumber of the entire performance, involving all three
enced before. I was truly sad when the song was over.
college groups and the two high school groups. As a
After the concert was over, we all left for winter
special treat in the middle of that afternoon rehearsal, vacation (not before snapping a few pictures with
the writers of the song even came to talk to us and
some Whiffenpoofs and buying a CD or two), but
advise us on how to make the song even more
it was a privilege to have had such an enjoyable
meaningful to the audience.
experience.
by Victoria Hall-Palerm ‘11
chorus performs at
alice tully hall
30 TH E B L UE DO O RS
a school for a school
Over winter vacation in 2009, students in
Nightingale’s Women’s Rights Club read Nicholas
Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn’s book Half the Sky, an
examination of oppression against women around
the world. The book outlines, among other issues,
the sex-trafficking of young girls throughout the
world, which spoke to the club’s leaders—Lucia Perez
‘10, Hannah Cope ‘11, Annabel Buckfire ‘11, and
advisor Susan Cohen-Nicole. They decided to do
something about it, something that would galvanize
the entire Nightingale community.
“While researching how we could help,” says
Hannah, “we learned that education is instrumental
in preventing human rights abuses, namely sextrafficking.” The students examined many different
education projects around the globe—including the
work of Greg Mortenson, who spoke at Nightingale
in 2010—but were inspired by the story of American
Assistance for Cambodia, an organization that builds
schools in rural Cambodia. They decided that this was
a perfect way to get involved and, thus, “A School for
a School” was born.
The goal was clear, if large in scale: raise $13,000
to build a school in Cambodia. These funds would
be matched by the World Bank and the Asian
Development Bank, allowing for the construction of
a brand-new schoolhouse. Despite the size of the
goal, it took the Nightingale community—through
dances, bake sales, and a host of other fundraising
activities spear-headed by the Women’s Rights
Club—only six months or so to raise the full amount.
And, true to the desires of Annabel, Hannah, and
Lucia, it was a schoolwide endeavor: “Every grade
got involved in this project,” said Head of School
Dorothy A. Hutcheson. “It was inspiring to see how
quickly and passionately our community jumped on
board.”
Raising the money is just the beginning, of course,
and students look forward to hearing about the
construction of the new Nightingale-Bamford School
in Cambodia. Working with Director of Community
Service Kristen Mulvoy, the Women’s Rights Club will
continue to educate the Nightingale community
about the needs of girls in Cambodia, and they will
be exploring ways to continue our partnership with
the new Nightingale school and our support of its
students.
For more information on American Assistance for
Cambodia, please visit www.cambodiaschools.com.
More information on the Half the Sky movement can
be found at www.halftheskymovement.org.
T H E BL UE D OOR S 3 1
Members of the Daniel family
pose with Head of School
Dorothy A. Hutcheson and
Head Librarian Diane Neary
and two of the donated
volumes. Back row, left to
right: Stephen Daniel, Mary
Beth Daniel, Ronald Daniel,
Ms. Neary; front row, left
to right: Ms. Hutcheson and
India Daniel ‘18.
the gift of language
Mary Beth and Stephen Daniel, parents of India in
Class V, recently donated an incredible 81 volumes
from the Library of America (LOA) collection to the
Joan Stitt McMenamin Library at Nightingale. The
donation was made in honor of Mr. Daniel’s father,
Ronald—who is board chairman of the LOA—on the
occasion of his 81st birthday.
“This is such a meaningful gift,” said Head of
School Dorothy A. Hutcheson. “There is no better
resource as we teach our girls about the power of
their voice than this collection of preeminent authors,
politicians, activitists, and storytellers.”
The Library of America was founded in 1979 with
the goal of promoting and preserving American
writing; they currently publish more than 200 volumes
in their signature black cover, featuring authors from
John Adams and Raymond Carver to Edith Wharton
and Thornton Wilder. More information about the
Library of America can be found at www.loa.org.
trunk show
On December 7, 2010, the Sarah E. Hamilton Student
Center was transformed into a shopping mecca at
Nightingale’s second-ever Holiday Trunk Show, which
raised more than $19,000 for the Scholarship Fund.
Advertised throughout the neighborhood and open
to the community, the Trunk Show was paradise for
holiday shoppers and featured a wide variety of gift
items from 34 vendors, including jewelry, apparel,
stationery, gourmet foods, decorative pieces for the
home, and much more. The talent of the Nightingale
community was on full display as well, as more than
a third of our vendors were alumnae, faculty, parents,
and other friends of the school. The schoolhouse
buzzed with excitement throughout the day, and
shoppers felt great about the fact that they could add
much-needed dollars to the Scholarship Fund and
find terrific holiday gifts at the same time!
Animal drawings by
Lexi Whitehouse ‘19
32 TH E B L UE DO O RS
T H E BL UE D OOR S 3 3
Voices
Here we feature an
essay by a member
of the Nightingale
community. If you
would like to
share some of
your thoughts or
experiences with
others in the
community, please
contact us at
bluedoors@
nightingale.org.
40 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Separating Personal and Professional
Stefanie J. Sundel ‘98 is an associate at Labaton
Sucharow, where she concentrates on prosecuting
complex securities fraud cases on behalf of
institutional investors.
I am a proud “alpha girl”1 of Generation Y and
a litigation associate in a Manhattan-based law
firm. I grew up with the fruits of feminism and am
privileged to reap the plums of my grandmother’s
and mother’s years in the proverbial trenches.
When it comes to mentors, I am well-nourished
by the know-how of more experienced, talented
women in the law and beyond. I highlight here
several particularly inspiring ones.
Balancing Femininity and Power
Two visionary women entrepreneurs founded a
school for girls in 1920, the year women won the
right to vote. As we heard at school assemblies,
Frances Nicolau Nightingale’s warmth and
enthusiasm, joined with Maya Stevens Bamford’s
rigor and intellectual ambition, created a school
to educate the mind and heart together. They
had a vision, defined it, refined it, and launched it
into action with dedication to flawless execution.
For generations, their leadership has helped
girls, including me, become strong, independent,
confident women in the workplace.
Although I never had the chance to personally
meet Miss Nightingale or Miss Bamford, their
legacy was brought to life for me (and other
students for the past 19 years) by Dorothy
A. Hutcheson, Head of School. The way Ms.
Hutcheson carries out her ambitious mission
is exemplary. Ms. Hutcheson rules with a
firm fist while being irrefutably feminine and
compassionate. She taught me that a woman can
lead at an executive level effectively, like a warrior
with an arsenal of attacks, without compromising
her femininity and natural joyfulness. The fierce
and kind women in the Nightingale-Bamford
School community have made fantastic role
models. Because of them, I was raised with
amazing feminist energy. I am consequently
outspoken and relish going head-to-head with
male colleagues and adversaries every day. I
am comfortable being the lone lady lawyer in a
room, which is wonderfully rare. Every day I put
to use the lessons learned from the extraordinary
examples of Miss Nightingale, Miss Bamford,
and Ms. Hutcheson.
In my third year of law school, I had the privilege
of going to the U.S. Supreme Court to meet with
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. I prepared one
question based on her adoration of animals.
When given the opportunity, I humbly queried:
“Given your love of animals, do you think they
should be afforded greater treatment under the
law?” To my surprise, she explained without
hesitation: “I love animals, but I don’t believe we
should go changing our whole legal system for
them; remember, always separate your personal
from your professional.”
I try to use Justice O’Connor’s advice every
day. Her mandate has allowed me to develop a
professional perspective. Valued colleagues need
not be friends, and ideological opposites can be
close companions, such as Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg and Justice Antonin Scalia. Attorneys
need not agree with conduct to zealously defend
it; the Sixth Amendment applies to the most
reprehensible. My fondness for dogs need not
prevent me from endorsing U.S. property laws,
and my adversaries can be mentors discretely, too.
A woman can wear many hats, within and beyond
her law firm.
Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
In 1969, my grandmother decided to enter the
workforce over my grandfather’s objection. At
age 40, she became a drive-in bank teller at the
Newark & Essex Commercial Bank. The only other
“lady teller” at the branch perfectly reconciled
her balances daily. But my grandmother’s daily
balances always showed slight discrepancies.
My grandmother was envious of her female
colleague’s perfect reconciliations—that is, until
police came to arrest the other lady teller. A
manager subsequently told my grandmother that
nobody can reconcile perfectly every day, and that
it was the red flag that led the bank to discover
that she was “cooking the books.” Whenever my
grandmother tells that story she advises: “Don’t
be afraid to make your own mistakes. Sometimes
mistakes are good.”
Thanks to my grandmother’s fearlessness, I feel
free to make my own mistakes at work. Each one
is a deposit into an experience account. Errors are
portals to discovery. Because of my grandmother,
I take risks readily, and subscribe to thought
leadership. I speak up when others don’t, and
when what I have to say is unpopular. If ever I start
to chastise myself for my mistake of the minute,
I call my grandmother to remind me that we can
always learn from our mistakes.
The women of Generation Y have been lucky to
be able to indulge in the lessons of a remarkable
array of pioneering professional women, and we
have benefited from their trailblazing.
1. See Dan Kindlon, Alpha Girls: Understanding the New
American Girl and How She Is Changing the World (Rodale
Books, 2006).
Reprinted with permission from the November 8, 2010
edition of the New York Law Journal © 2010 ALM Media
Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.