Construction Begins! - Park Day School

ParkCentral
The Park Day School Newsletter | Winter 2009
Construction Begins!
By Tom Little
The purchase of the Matilda Brown property
provided an extraordinary opportunity for Park
Day School as well as a beautiful long-term
solution for our need for additional space. Now,
I am thrilled to announce that construction has
begun on the Matilda Brown building! We are
grateful to all who’ve helped the school get to
this momentous threshold. Our plan is to have
7th and 8th grade move into the first floor of the renovated
building in time for the start of school next September. This will
give us a unified campus with Bridge-K through 8th grade on the
enlarged property. Some specific benefits include:
I am thrilled to announce that
construction has begun on
the Matilda Brown building!
We are grateful to all who’ve
helped the school get to this
momentous threshold.
partnership with public schools is seen as one
of the strongest models in the nation. More
recently, Park has become a leader in bringing
mindfulness to the classroom setting and is
being recognized nationally for this work.
We delight in the stories of what Park
Day alums are doing—making the world a
richer, safer, more just and more beautiful
place—and it is this gratification which fuels
our commitment to education. We could not
serve kids this way without the many years
of dedicated support from parents, grandparents, and alumni
families. The Open the Gate campaign provides an opportunity
for us all to express our belief in Park Day School’s
future graduates.
• Seismic upgrade of entire building to meet current
California earthquake safety building codes
We all share in this success –
thank you! b
• 7th and 8th grade core curriculum classrooms,
computer lab, art room
• K - 8 music room
• Conference/dance/performing arts rooms
• All-school commercial kitchen
• Exterior courtyard and deck for 7 - 8 grade social
and recreational activities
• Spacious outdoor environmental education, gardening,
and recreation areas for the whole school
Thank you to the many donors whose contributions to our Open
the Gate campaign have allowed us to take this first step. We
will continue to seek the additional funding needed to achieve
our long-term vision for the campus. Special acknowledgement
goes to the project team members who have shepherded this
project from the beginning.
The campus and its buildings provide a home for a unique
learning community. Park has always tried to live its deep
dedication to social justice on a daily basis, and the expansion
of our school buildings will help us continue this commitment.
No other independent school puts as much effort into supporting
low-income public schools as Park Day School. In fact, our
Park Day School students (including Susan Erb’s 1st grade class, pictured here) painted
on the walls of the former Matilda Brown Home as a last farewell before the building
closed for renovation. The next time students enter the building they will be on their way
to their new classrooms.
Inside this issue:
Construction Begins! .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
A Good and Fair Decision for Children... 2
Alumni Day........................ 3
Mindful Schools Expands Its Reach .. . . . 3
Inquiring Minds..................... 4
Where Are They Now?............... 5
Alumni Spotlight.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2008-2009 Donor List. .............. 6-7
Alumni Notes .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

A Good and Fair Decision for Children By Tom Little
For years I have been on a mission.
The California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) is the
major accrediting body for independent schools in the state, and
many of the independent schools in the Bay Area are members
of this organization. Park Day School has not been eligible for
membership by virtue of the fact that we do not administer
standardized tests, specifically the ERB CTP 4 (the Educational
Records Bureau Comprehensive Testing Program, fourth
edition). This test is required by CAIS for membership.
In 2004, my colleague Scott Duyan, Head of Presidio Hill
School in San Francisco, and I formally appealed to CAIS to reconsider
allowing membership for schools that do not administer
standardized tests. Our policy on standardized testing springs
from deeply held core beliefs and values. As a progressive school,
we believe in an authentic assessment model that provides a
comprehensive body of evaluative material for each student.
We have been affectionately referred to as “conscientious
objectors,” an apt description I believe given the philosophy and
“conscience” of our school.
Unfortunately, the CAIS Board rejected our 2004 request without
comment. This effectively rendered our school ineligible to become
part of the broader community of independent schools, both
locally and nationally (the National Association of Independent
Schools requires for membership that schools be accredited by
their regional association – in our case, CAIS). Many schools in
California face this dilemma, and concern about this policy has
been growing. That any school, because of a deeply held philosophy
about testing, is not allowed to be a part of an important
community of schools has always seemed unfair to me.
We didn’t give up.
In January of 2008, we renewed our appeal to the CAIS
Board in a letter detailing a significant amount of research
and material to augment our argument. The timing was right;
the response was altogether different. Since our first appeal,
a membership survey in 2005 and a major strategic planning
process in 2007 revealed that several member heads of school
questioned the advisability of the test being mandated by CAIS.
Several schools were making a case for a more flexible policy
regarding the testing requirement. By 2008, the CAIS Board
Contact Information
Main campus: 370 43rd Street, Oakland, CA 94609, (510) 653-0317
Development office: ext. 104, 117, or 119
Community campus: 215 Ridgeway, Oakland, CA 94609, (510) 923-0505
www.parkdayschool.org
This issue’s contributors
Laurie Grossman is the Community Outreach Coordinator and mother of
Perrin ’03 and Ariel Grossman-Wright ’00.
Tom Little is the Director of Park Day School and father of Matt ’00
and Courtney Little ’93.
Carolyn Winter is Development Associate at Park Day School, editor
of Park Central, and mother of Rey Ocampo ’16.
Photographers: Ralph Granich, Martha Henderson, Carolyn Winter
Design: Lisa Winter Design
had decided to devote a significant amount of time to exploring
the issue in depth, and in May 2009 my colleague and I were
invited to present our appeal to a board sub-committee.
In our presentation we outlined the rationale for the
appeal, presented our philosophy on assessment, provided
several assessment alternatives to standardized testing, and
demonstrated the accountability and measurement practices
inherent in our methodology. We made the case that schools
choosing not to administer standardized testing assume a special
responsibility to understand deeply the nature of assessment, and
to align assessment to instruction and student growth. In short,
we attempted to demonstrate that schools with well-developed
assessment systems take responsibility to align curriculum,
benchmarks and assessments to established standards. These
schools regularly analyze assessment results to monitor student
progress and use assessment results to evaluate the efficacy of
curriculum and instructional practices. They allocate time for
teachers to collaborate, reflect, and make decisions—individually
or in teams—based upon authentic student assessment data and
their instructional implications.
While we may never know the specific impact of our work on
CAIS, we do know that this past August CAIS revised its policy.
Jim McManus, Executive Director of CAIS, announced that
CAIS “will no longer require schools to administer the ERB
CTP4.” According to his letter to school heads announcing the
decision, McManus stated that CAIS considered several factors
in arriving at the decision to change the policy with respect to
standardized testing. He outlined these factors as follows:
• CAIS honored the “independence” of independent schools,
recognizing that no single test meets the needs of all schools.
• CAIS recognized that there exist multiple respected methods
of assessment and measurement of student progress.
• CAIS acknowledged that they were the only association
of independent schools in the country that had required
administration of the ERB for admission.
• And, CAIS recognized a growing sentiment that “mandating
the use of the ERB had the unintended consequence of having
schools focus more upon administering the test, rather than
upon developing assessment philosophies, tools, and practices.”
This opens a door for teachers, students and administrators
at schools throughout California. CAIS provides a wealth of
resource and connection for educators guiding schools through
the accreditation process, a course of action that involves a
comprehensive self-study. Park Day School will take up the
question of accreditation and membership over the course of
this year. Meanwhile, we consider this a victory for progressive
schools. And, if even one school previously unable to join because
of the testing policy now derives benefit from the opportunities
offered by CAIS, it is a positive outcome.
Mission accomplished! b
2
winter 2009

Alumni Day 2009
On June 9, 2009, Park Day School hosted Alumni Day for all past
students. Of course alumni are welcome to visit us at any time during
the year, and we’ve always made a point of honoring graduating high
school seniors before they go on to college. This year, however, we
expanded our invitation list and encouraged any alums and their families
to join us for a day of reminiscing and reuniting with old friends. The
afternoon included a short welcome from Tom Little, a special reprise of
“Metamorphosis” from current Bridge-K (former kindergarten) teacher
Harriet Cohen, and a rousing game of boffo ball organized by sports
teacher Will Hughes.
Everyone got into the boffo ball game at Alumni Day in June. We’re pleased that so many
friends came back to visit.
Calling All Alumni!
We can’t say it enough; we love hearing from alums and we
especially love it when they come back to visit. Even if you didn’t
graduate from Park, we still consider you part of our community.
We’re proud of all that our past students have achieved, and
you can read about some of their accomplishments in Alumni
Notes in this newsletter. What’s YOUR story? We want to know!
We also want to make sure we have your current address so we
can send you information about reunions or a future Alumni Day.
Contact alumni@parkdayschool.org to send any updates.
Also, be sure to check out Park Day School’s Facebook page and
become a fan. We periodically post events and photos on that
page, but it’s your page to use too. If you become a fan, you can
post your own photos. We also have a YouTube channel,
www.youtube.com/user/parkdayschool. You can upload any videos
you’d like to share with our community there or on Facebook.
We look forward to hearing from you.
MINDFUL SCHOOLS
EXPANDS ITS REACH
by Laurie Grossman
Two and a half years ago, the idea of offering mindfulness education
to children in schools was just that—an idea. In fact, it was only
because we had such strong relationships with Oakland public
schools that we were able to waltz in with this previously untested
but inspiring concept and believe in its success.
Now, Mindful Schools is very much a reality and interest in our
work continues to grow. I’m pleased to report that, since those
early discussions with principals in Oakland schools, we have offered
mindfulness education to 7,000 children in 26 schools in the Bay
Area. Our staff has also expanded. We now have three volunteer
staff members (Richard Shankman, Randy Fernando and Kate
Janke), and consultant Megan Cowan, in addition to myself. Our
website, launched only seven months ago, has had hits from people
in 47 states and 49 countries. We receive inquiries every week from
all over the country! We believe that mindfulness in education is
here to stay.
When we started the program I had no idea why getting children to
listen to sound and follow their breath could be so profound. As I’ve
learned, mindfulness actually changes brain chemistry. Integrating
the brain stem, limbic system and prefrontal cortex creates new
neural pathways and can break habits that cause us to respond to
stressful situations in unskillful ways. Every day we hear stories
from children that describe how their mindfulness practice has
helped them change their thinking and coping strategies.
The last time I wrote about this program I mentioned conferences
that we had attended. Now we are the ones who are being invited
to present at conferences. In the last school year we presented to:
all the psychologists and language therapists in the Oakland Unified
School District; the California Association of Independent Schools;
the University of California Berkeley Psychology Ph.D. conference
with Dan Siegel; the Center for Mindfulness in Massachusetts; the
Omega Institute in New York; and most recently at Georgetown
Medical Center where we were brought in to talk to doctors who
are considering using mindfulness with pediatric oncology patients.
At our third annual summer workshop in August, 140 people
attended from 12 states and Canada.
So why is mindfulness so popular? I believe it is because all people
can benefit from mindfulness. In fact, I am of the opinion that
mindfulness is the first skill that should be taught in schools. Its
primary benefits are qualities that all schools need. Mindfulness:
• Teaches children to pay attention
• Enhances children’s impulse control and self-regulation
• Reduces stress for children, teachers and administrators
• Builds a caring community
While there is extensive research on the benefits of mindfulness
for adults, there is very little research that explores the effects of
mindfulness with children. We are currently conducting research
in Oakland schools that documents how mindfulness can affect
children’s attention, behaviors, and self-perception. Our researcher,
Gina Biegel, MFT at Kaiser San Jose, found that 80% of the 102
teens in her MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program)
actually improved their mental health diagnosis! We are also
examining the impact of mindfulness on teacher efficacy and are
looking at how to scale and replicate our program.
This is an exciting time for Mindful Schools; please visit our website
(www.mindfulschools.org) to learn more about our work. Now, my
only question about mindfulness is why it took so long to introduce
it to schools!
winter 2009 3

Inquiring Minds
Where would you
like to go for a field
trip and why?
Izzy, Tess, Mikai, Mickey
6th Grade
A water park. It’s
really refreshing, and it’s
a way for the whole class
to be together and not just
with your friends.
Siena 6th grade
Disneyland. Because
it’s super fun, and I
love all the rides.
Niko 5th grade
Japan. We studied it
in 4th grade and I really
got interested in it.
Sông-An 5th grade
Soccer game.
Because I like to
watch them play.
Isaiah 1st grade
Hawaii. We go
there every summer
and I really like it.
Abe 1st grade
The desert. Because
it has all sorts of cool
creatures. We studied it
last year in first grade.
Ian and Max 2nd grade
Antarctica.
Because people don’t
usually go there.
Finn 2nd grade
Santa Cruz. It’s
really fun to ride on
all the rides.
Margo 4th grade
To the
Park Day School
field to play privately.
Dolci, Charlotte
Bridge-K
Waterworld. When it’s
really hot it’s a fun place
to go with your friends.
Yoel 6th grade
4
winter 2009

Where Are They Now?
Congratulations to the Park Day School Class of 2009,
who have moved on to their high school adventures!
We’ve included information here about 8th grade students
graduating from our own Park Day School community
campus as well as students who attended Park in earlier
grades but moved on to other schools.
If you don’t see your name here, please let us know. If you
have information about one of your classmates, we’d like
to know that too. Send an email to alumni@parkdayschool.
org and we’ll include an update in the next newsletter.
We love to hear from you, so please keep in touch!
Not surprisingly, a significant number of Park Day alums
are freshmen at Berkeley High School. Daniel Bennett,
Marie Bose, Leo Goldin, Ben Knobel, Sasha Lopez, Conner
McKinnon, Ruby Moore-Bloom, and Juliet Wayne are all
starting their high school careers at BHS. Another sizable
cohort includes Lila Bell, Cassady Bogatin, Annalisa
Fredricks, Alex Rez, and Sky Wolfram, who are attending St.
Mary’s High School. Kenya Granich, Scott Brenner, Emma
Davis, and Ian Hardy are classmates at College Preparatory
School, while Catherine Collison, Maddy Mazzola, Kate
Ranahan, Taylor Page, and Kimiko Russell-Halterman can
be found at Bishop O’Dowd High School. The San Francisco
contingency includes Evan Gallagher at Urban High School,
Queen Nefertiti Shabazz and Owen Smith-Clark at Lick-
Wilmerding High School, Thayer Phox at Drew College
Preparatory High School and Keyara Milliner at St. Ignatius
College Preparatory. The tunnel crowd includes Johnny
Seal and Will Smyer at Orinda Academy, Michael Alvarez
at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, and Tai Vugia at
Miramonte High School. Austin Bisharat, Milo Davis, and Will
Talcott can be seen at Piedmont High School. Wilson Morris
is enjoying life at Boulder High School in Boulder, Colorado,
and Agheeba Ahmed has returned to Yemen with her family.
Staying local are Troy Jenkins at Oakland Technical High
School, Kyle Choate at Maybeck High School, Molly Galvin
at Albany High School, while Camille Trujillo is in the
Oakland hills at Holy Names High School.
Alumni Spotlight
Max Perel-Slater
Currently a junior at Wesleyan University, Max (Class of ’01)
travelled to Shirati, Tanzania in June 2009 to work on two rainwater
catchment systems, one at the Nyamagongo primary school and the
other at the AICSC vocational school for women. The project helped
foster clean water collection and sanitation in the community, using
sustainable methods to directly impact the health of the community.
He also helped develop community-wide lessons on water sanitation
and hygiene. He received funding
from the Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation to complete this work.
It’s not Max’s first trip to Africa. In the
summer of 2006 he traveled to Shirati
as part of a school trip from Berkeley
High School, and stayed with Christina
ChaCha of African Immigrants Social
and Cultural Services (www.aiscs.
org). For this visit, he sought to
help with the water and sanitation
problems that he was made aware
of during his previous trip. With two
rainy seasons annually, the tanks
will collect and store approximately
62,000 liters of safe drinking water.
A sand filtration system will be
used to sanitize the water, and after
completion of the project a council
from the women’s group will oversee
regulation of the drinking water.
Top: Max Perel-Slater with friends
in Tanzania. Bottom: Max in
overnight stay with hosts.
During the second half of the summer he worked in Kibera, Kenya,
(the largest slum in all of Africa) with Shining Hope for Community
(www.shofco.org), building a primary school for girls. He also spent
time studying Swahili and ecology in Arusha with The School for
International Training (www.SIT.edu).
Max’s mother attributes his value system, motivation and empathy to
his seven years at Park.
What’s your story? Send us news of your adventures and challenges to
alumni@parkdayshcool.org, and we’ll include it in a future issue of Park Central.
Congratulations also to the
following members of the
class of 2009, who we were
unable to reach but hope to
hear from in the future. Best
of luck in high school!
Tealanie Baldwin
Melody Dehghan
Jordan Hill
Madison Hirsch
Emmett Mountjoy
Eli Nash
Aili Osteraas-Constable
Isa Prieto
Jordan Wright
The class of 2009 enjoyed their moment in the spotlight during their graduation ceremony.
winter 2009 5

Thank You to Our 2008-2009 Donors
Many thanks to all who contributed to Park Day School. We deeply appreciate that you have made our school a priority for your
charitable giving. Your generosity speaks volumes about your appreciation for our work, our kids, and our community. We thank
each and every person here for helping to ensure the ongoing success of Park Day School.
Gifts listed here were made between July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. This list includes donors to the Park Day School
Annual Fund as well as to the Open the Gate capital campaign.
(Gifts made during the current school year will be reported after June 30, 2010.)
Alumni
Rachel Kreps-Falk
Seph Petta
Justin Pritchard
Aisha Sims
in honor of Harriet Cohen
Zac Unger and Shona Armstrong
Friends
Anonymous
Diane Adam
Richard C. Barker
Gina Biegel
Leila Cowan
Joyce and Stanhope Cunningham
Andrea and Julius Elzie
Jane Erwin and Fenton Erwin, Jr.
Randy Fernando
Bonnie Glass
Joan and Daniel Gorfain
Jane Grossman
Nancy Grossman-Samuel
Catherine Haley
Kristine Halverson and
Edward Haggerty
Susan Hart
Betty and Arthur Herring
Carol and Joseph Lacey
Katharine Lindow
Shari Lowen
Birju Pandya
Albert Sachs
Selena and William Scheffer
Robert Stahl
Kathleen Strader
Scott Strader
Roger Strauch
in honor of LeAnn Bischoff
Ellen and Harold Strunin
Molly Stuart
Betty and James Trimble
Son Tu and Doan-Trang Tu
Robert Wishart
Patricia and Robert Wright
Dawn Zimmerman
Joe Zimmerman
Grandparents
Michael Asimow
Valerie and Ian Bailey
Anita Barrows
Rose and Bert Bell
in honor of Lila Bell’s 14th birthday
Noreen and Leo Benedetti
Nancy Bogatin
Sharon and Gordon Bower
Cynthia Brown and Jack Robbins
Patricia and Leonard Burger
Bonnie Burnette
in honor of Park Day School
Mary and Preston Cooper
in honor of Master Henry Dolan
Marsha Dean
Patty Dominick
Janet and David Dynak
Lori* and Peter Ellis
in honor of Sadie May Ellis-Caleo
Lois and Charles Epstein
Anina Fuller
Lee Fuller
Marty Gordon
Kazue and Michael Granich
Sharon and David Green
Sylvia and Leonard Griego
Ronne and Robert Hartfield
Fran and Leon Hurwitz
Sondra Ilgenfritz
Mary Alice Jennings
in honor of Ali, Michael, Drew,
Charlie, and Kate Ranahan and
Tom Little
Judy and Richard Keene
Dave Kent and Margaret Love
Phyllis and Cliff Kirst
Maria and Dan Kivel
Carol and Ralph Kuiper
Peggy Love
Chiyeko and Marleen Masuoka
in honor of Nicole and Genevieve
Henry McKean
Sylvia McKean
Betty Medsger and John Racanelli
Monika and Jim Miller
Helen Moress
in honor of Bella Kocabiyik
Elaine and Steve Mulligan
Judith and John Mullin
Gail and Kevin Murphy
Silvia Nemzer
Gertrude Porter
Carol Potratz
Susan and Peter Ralston
Abe and Roz Rapp
in honor of Sammy Rosen
James Rez
Deborah and Mervyn Silverman
Janet and John Sherman
Bernece Simon
in honor of Grandparents and
Special Friends Day
Don and Alison Steel
Anne Stewart
Dirk and Susan ten Grotenhuis
Gale van Druten
Linda and Carl Wang
Elaine and Irv Weinstein
in honor of Nava Sophia Weinstein
Mary Helen Williams and Rick Winter
Wanda Rees Williams
Barbara Winter
in honor of Rey Ocampo
Nancy and Charles Wolfram
Jan and Bruce Wunder
Linda Ziegahn and Wolfgang Bauer
Parents
Anonymous (2)
Megan Atchley and Ian Swinson
Adina Bailey and John Fielding
Gizelle Barany and Dave Scharff
Nora Barrows-Friedman and
Greg McKay
Julie Benson and Kent Thudium
Maureen Bessette and John Orbon
LeAnn Bischoff and Dan Asimow
Stacie Blair
Michelle Blakeley and Patrick Hoge
Joelle Boismenu and Julian Proctor
Cari Borja and Lloyd Bernberg
Christina Boufis Peterson and
Scott Peterson
Nuria Bowart and
Giancarlo Muscardini
Lori Bower and Charles Neifeld
Nancy Brahm and Josh Feldman
Jude McAnesby and Surinder Brar
Karen Breslau
Lisa Brughera
Susan Burns and Mathis Wackernagel
David Cain
Tamar Carson and Rogelio Giron
Melissa Casado and Brett Gottlieb
Marianne Cleary
Gordon Clegg
Adrienne Cool and Anne Simon
Jennifer Cooper and Tom Dolan
Betsy Cotton and Chris Pattison
Rosemary Cowen-Knight and
Lewis Knight
Stephanie Cutler
Peter Davé
Robyn Dean and Ernesto Rodriguez
Kelly and Jon Dees
Crossley and Donald Dellis
Valenta DeRegil and Marc Weinstein
Frances Dinkelspiel and Gary Wayne
Jessica and Mike Dodson
Bo and Melinda Drayton
Hadley Dynak and Kent Strader
Tanya Eggers
Holly Ellis and Paul Caleo
Fernanda and David Fisher
Toni Fitzpatrick
Kelly and Larry Forsberg
Andrea Franchett and Michael Schrag
Dana Francis
Ellen Frankel and John Crossman
Ellen and John Fung
Robin and Tomas Galguera
Pam Gelman and Rick Rosenbaum
Yvette Gentry and Jon Harlan
Susan Goldstein and Andy Kivel
Tinka Gordon and Arnie Fischman
Lexy Green and John Seal
Jennifer and Gabriel Griego
Amy and Roy Grigsby
Khira and John Griscavage
Dawn Hannafin and Audrey Grubman
Lisa Hartfield
Robin Helbling and Leisha Fry
Jill and Paul Hollenbach
Rachel and Leigh Hollowgrass
Sherry Hsieh and Paul Wang
Elise Hurwitz and George Spies
John Huster
Karen Kiyo Huster
Jill Jacobs
Deborah Joy-Harger and
Bradley Harger
Naoko Katakami-Koch and
Hilmar Koch
Nina Katz and Craig Upson
Moira Kenney and Mark Spencer
Lauren Kerr
Yvonne Kettels
Victoria and Bahram Khadjenouri
Sara and Michael Khoury
Nichelle Kitt
Carolyn and Kevin Knudtson
Liz and Yusuf Kocabiyik
Mya Kramer and Jef Loyola
Lita Krowech and Herb Van Deventer
Heather Kuiper and Loren Rauch
Karen Ladd and John Gillis
Genevieve Leslie and Bill Greene
Hannah Love
Liz Lummis O’Neil and Tom O’Neil
Jean Lutwak and George Pavlov
Beth Maher and Tom Darci
Miri Malmquist and Chiffon Pruit
Karen Manuel and Bart MacLeod
Lorianne Masuoka
Mari Mayeda and A.J. Kutchins
Jude McAnesby and Surinder Brar
Elizabeth McKoy and Tim Choate
Heather McMillan and
Robert Inchausti
Sabrina Merlo
Christine Metawati and
Michael Eggers
Jeannine Miles and Tim Urdan
Colleen Miller
Jill Miller
Lauri Miller and Clay Lewis
Tina Milliken and Bill Castellon
Theresa and Jason Moehring
Ann Mohler and Bill Moseley
Kathrina Moore-Richardson and
Paul Richardson
Naomi and Bill Morris
Alexis and Mike Mulvihill
Gordon Murray
Virginia and Keith Nelson
Laurie Nemzer
Rachel Neumann and Jason DeAntonis
Deborah Oropallo and Michael Goldin
Tina Owenmark and Paul Bostwick
Jennifer Pahlka and Chris Hecker
Preston Parsons
6
winter 2009

Gaia Pine
Valeria Ponte and Bruce Fritz
Jill Potratz
Karen Racanelli and MJ Bogatin
Keneuoe Ramabele and Derek Newell
Ali and Michael Ranahan
Carolyn Rashby and Michael Smith
Tracey Rattray and Joseph Perl
Gigi Reinheimer and Susan Southwick
JoAnne and Geoff Robb
Andy Ross and Leslie Berkler
Merry Ross and Patrick Zimski
Mary and Chris Rossi
Joel Rubenzahl
Lucy Rudolph and Steve Lomprey
Steve Schecter
Rebecca Schwartz and Jonathan Berk
Susan Scott and Ashesh Patel
Julie Silas and Isidro Gonzalez
Dashka Slater and Cliff Baker
Mary and Hal Smyer
Sarah and Shawn Steel
in honor of Simrita
Pamela Student and Charles Mazzola
Diane Swirsky and Sukie Magraw
Kristen and Ted Talley
Lisa Tana and I Made Moja
Joni Tanis and Alan O’Neill
Heidi Tarver and Raleigh Duncan
Tracey Taylor and Lance Knobel
Jane Thrush and Warren Hukill
Lynn Tracy and Doug Patterson
Jennifer Traub and Paul Epstein
Linda Udall and Christina Aguilar
Lesli and Kirk van Moon
Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon
Lee Walker and Jorge Sarvide
Linda Williams
Leela Willow
Catherine Wolfram and
Matthew Barmack
Catha Worthman and Scott McCoy
Todd Wright
Hamu Yaropa
Shirley Yee
Carol Zabin
Laurie Zimet
Past Parents and
Past Grandparents
Anonymous
Denise Abrams and David Harrington
Louise Anderson and Jafar Zaidi
Peggy Anstrand and Ted Claire
Eunice and Philip Ashizawa
Cynthia Ashley and Michael McGee
Jim Barstow and Susan Ensign
Judith Belzer and Michael Pollan
Barry Benioff
Paul Bernstein
Lyn Berry and Les Millett
Mary Bisharat
Anne-Marie and Al Bloch
Beth Bonora and Mike Laine
Aggie Brenneman and Roger Edwards
Dianne and Jerry Brenner
Steve and Pamela Brett
Jim Bullock and Ralph Elder
Michaelyn Burnette and Terry Tierney
Jeanine Chatman
Jeff Clark
Mary Ann Cobb and Peter Wilson
Bob Colaric
Carol Cohen and Sandra Blair
Joyce Cole
in honor of Harriet Cohen
Catherine Coleman
David Coleman and Sylvia Ehrenthal
Ilana DeBare and Sam Schuchat
Lyda Dicus and Bob Hanson
Donna and Ralph Diksis
Anne Diskin and Soane Veamatahau
Kathy Doi and Bruce Phillips
Loretta Early Netoff
Karen Eng
Gini Erck and David Petta
in honor of Harriet Cohen
Jeremy and Rachel Evnine
Janet Falk
Simona and Kimberley Farrise
Beth Fein and Mike DiFilippo
Josh Feldman
Alice and Fred Feller
Linda Fogel
Pat Fraser and Rose Frigo
Josie and Joshua Gallup
Margie Gelb and Mark Aaronson
Anna Griffin
Sherry Grossman
Steve Harvey and Pam Seifert
CJ Hirschfield
Carol Hoffman
Shelley Horwitz
in honor of Eliot Davidoff
Susan Jacobs and Michael Grodzins
Glen Jarvis
Al Jessel and Inderpal Grewal
Susan Johnson
Judy Kahn
Leah Kaizer and David Salk
Carol Kizziah and Ray Craun
Gina and David Larue
Leslie Laurien and Gary Yabrove
Ronald Lee and Melissa Nelken
Judy Levin and Barry Epstein
Leah Levy
Ann Leyhe and Andy Pauley
Teresa E. Little
Lewis Lubin and Laura Baker
Peggy Ludwig and Michael Butterfield
Anita Martinez and Jeff Sloan
Jami Matanky and Vandi Linstrot
Sharon and Charles Matthews
Kate McKean and Eric Schwartz
Suzie McLean and Fred Schwartz
Barbara McSwain and
Daniel Greenson
Andrea and Jeff Meghrouni-Brown
Linda Miller
Judy Muschel and Tom Horton
Marge Nicholson
Mary Norton and Charlie Bryant
Laurie Olsen and Mike Margulis
Jo O’Malley and Michael Brucker
Cherlyn and Steven Oto
Joyce and Doug Parks
Mary Patton and Roger Phelps
Arlene Pearl
Freda Perel
Leslie and Bill Piels
Nancy Pietrafesa and John Danne
Pat Pinkston
Roger Pritchard
in honor of Tom Little
Jim Reed and Bobbi Schear
Terry and Bertha Reilly
Gigi Reinheimer and Susan Southwick
Nancy Ricci and Dean Gloster
Robyn and John Roberts
Val Rodgers
Arnie and Donna Russell-Snyder
Emma and Harry Saito
in honor of Anne and Robert Calef
John Schindel
Elly and Fred Schowalter
Lynn Simon and Dan Lachman
Steve Sugarman and Karen Carlson
John and Denny Tibbetts
Ralph and Johanna Tondre
Renee Torres and Bruce Wade
Marjorie and Barry Traub
Joyce and Richard Unger
Linda and Greg Urban
Andrea Walt and Charles Dithrich
in honor of Hannah and
Lily Dithrich
Jill Weed
Martha Wellbaum and Terry Odean
Connie and Stephen Wirtz
Staff and
Former Staff
Jane Angeles and Shane MacKay
Sabina Aurilio
Lesley Bell
Amida Cary
Siobhan Cassidy
Harriet and Mort Cohen
Karen Colaric
Simrita Dhanjal and Kanwaldip Anant
Jenny Ernst and David Cunningham
Gretchen and Thomas Griswold
Suzann Grody
Laurie Grossman and David Wright
in honor of Tom Little; in honor of
Shery and Ivan Grossman
Martha Henderson and Steve Ladd
Flo Hodes and Michael Hickey
Jared Karol
Alla Krel and Roman Sheykhet
Susan Lee
Tom and Elizabeth Little
Maria Montes Clemens and
Steven Clemens
Kelly Orphan-Martinez
Gena Rabinowitz
Bob and Merritt Rollins
Cathy Shields and Carl Stromsness
Wendy and Chris Wilkinson
Carolyn Winter and Tom Ocampo
Susan Worthing and Stephany Allen
Joan Wright-Albertini and
Lou Albertini
Nikkia Young
Nancy and Eugene Zastrow
Corporate and
Matching Gifts
Ace Garden Center
Ackerman’s Servicing Volvos, Inc
The Clorox Company
The Gap Foundation Gift
Match Program
Insight Meditation Center of the
Mid-Peninsula
Lam Research Corporation
Novartis
Target
Foundations and
Donor-Advised Funds
Julia Burke Foundation
California Community Foundation
California HealthCare Foundation
Community Health Charities
of California
Cisco Systems Foundation
East Bay Community Foundation (2)
Amy Ensign-Barstow Memorial
Scholarship Fund
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Walter and Elise Haas Fund
Kazan, McClain,
Abrams, et. al. Foundation
Marin Community Foundation
Oregon Jewish Community Foundation
Ross Family Fund
The San Francisco Foundation (3)
Schwab Charitable Fund (6)
Y & H Soda Foundation
Steel Family Charitable Foundation
United Way of New York City
Bernard E. and Alba Witkin
Charitable Foundation
In-Kind Gifts
Marin Academy
Bakesale Betty
Julie Benson and Kent Thudium
Jon Carroll
Tamar Carson and Rogelio Giron
Michael Chabon
Kim Coleman-Phox and Jim Phox
Sarah Dandridge and Brian Lemco
Hannah and Mark Davis
Leah Kaizer and David Salk
Karen Ladd and John Gillis
Jean Lutwak and George Pavlov
Karen Manuel and Bart MacLeod
Ann Mohler and Bill Moseley
Rita Moreno
Mrs. Dalloway’s
Diana Obrinsky
Cherlyn Oto
Chris Rossi and Citron Restaurant
Royal Coffee
Robert Sasaki
Pamela Student and Charles Mazzola
Yvonne van Leeuwen and
Russell Leefer
Lesli and Kirk van Moon
Joshua Winn
Lisa Winter
Suzanne Zuerbig and Jane Tierney
Students
A’nia Ferguson
Rey Ocampo
We have made every effort to produce
an accurate list of our donors. We
regret any omissions and appreciate
being notified of any changes.
*Deceased
winter 2009 7

Alumni Notes Anya Poppink-Emerson - 1989 - married Jonah Staw in May 2009, after she proposed on a hike in the Catskills. She
is currently a lawyer at the nonprofit New York Legal Assistance Group | Gabe Yarra - 1989 - is a software engineer working at Wireless Generation, an educational
software company in Brooklyn. He writes, “New York is great but I miss my friends back in the Bay Area. I recently got engaged to Rina Dorfman, an attorney and artist.
Through the magic of Facebook, Sierra Rein and I reconnected several months ago. Looking forward to meeting up with some other Park Schoolers in NYC.” | Molly
Aaronson-Gelb - 1991 - was married in October | Adrian Chang - 1994 - has taken a break from the fashion world to work as head of a preschool in Tokyo, Japan.
In the Park tradition, he is working on a play with original music and words based on The Hungry Caterpillar | Quise Rodriguez - 1996 - is a third grade teacher at
Thousand Oaks in Berkeley | Eliot Danner - 1996 - is working in Washington DC as a principal in a small consulting firm. His abiding interest is in technical diving,
which he teaches and participates in during most of his free time. Technical divers use complex breathing equipment and participate in wreck and cave diving. In order to
entertain himself further and up the price of his life insurance, Eliot has just acquired his pilot’s license. | Alison Chang - 1997 - is living in Brooklyn (and loves it) with
two of her friends from high school. She works for Warner Chappell licensing music for video games. | Gregory Manley - 1997 - continues to attract interest in the
game he invented, Circle Football. In the last six months, the game has been featured in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and on “Good Morning America”. |
Sasha Werblin - 1997 - was accepted into a 24-week internship with Kituo Cha Sheria for Legal Empowerment in Mombasa, Kenya. “This position affords an invaluable
opportunity to build on my passion for public service/advocacy on an international stage, and develop new skills. My local and national efforts have taught me great lessons
about the struggle for social justice. I am now eager to globalize my vision by advocating in a developing nation, functioning in a similar capacity with Kituo as I have thus
far. Kituo empowers poor and marginalized Kenyans by increasing their access to social justice and improved standards of living through legal aid, education, and lobbying
efforts.” | Annie Butterfield - 1999 - graduated from Santa Clara University in June with a double major in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. Anne will be
completing an internship in New York City before going to graduate school. | Chris Danner - 1999 - recently won the Student Travel Association, Internship Around the
World by submitting a series of interviews, videos and blogs. He’ll be in Fiji, Australia, India, Tanzania, Dubai, South Africa, Greek Islands, Ireland and Scotland and many
small places in between. Chris would love to have his Park Day School friends follow his videos, blogs, and twitter, etc. at: worldtravelerintern.com | Adam Butterfield -
2002 - spent his summer in New York City, after completing his freshman year at NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. He also travelled to Thailand in summer 2009 for adventures
further afield. | Will Danner - 2002 - is the happiest student at UCLA. He loves it! He’s traded an art and architecture major for history, writes a music blog and trained
at O Chamé as a sous chef for the summer. | Albert Black-Goldin - 2003 - was featured in an exhibit in November at the Alameda Library, showcasing his pinhole
and travel photography. | Micah McAlpine-Bellis - 2003 - is attending Sterling College in Vermont. Sterling’s educational philosophy
emphasizes many of the precepts of Outward Bound, including combining academics, physical challenge, craftsmanship, and service to others. |
Nick Pauley - 2003 - is taking a year off before enrolling in Vassar College in fall 2010. In fall 2009 he travelled with an organization called
Carpe Diem, which specializes in experimental learning through travel. He will return to Berkeley in December. | Kaela Farrise - 2004
- was selected to be a debutante in the Oakland Bay Area Links’ 54th Annual Cotillion in December 2009. She is a senior and scholar-athlete
at Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, California. Her many honors include membership in the National Society of
High School Scholars, the California Scholarship Federation, the National Honor Society, and National Society of Black Engineers, Jr. chapter.
She has also received numerous academic awards, and was invited to participate as a Presidential Classroom Scholar in Washington, D.C. |
Tomás Moreno-Johnson - 2004 - was in the Youth Musical Theater Company (YMTC) production of “Les Miserables” at the Julia Morgan
Theater. Cast members are college, high school and middle school students who auditioned for the parts. Tomás played Jean Valjean | George
McQuillister - 2007 (6th grade class of 2005) - was awarded a trip to Greece for himself, a friend, and his family through the Make-A-Wish
Foundation, which also helps those with chronic illnesses. | Gabriel Ladd - 2007 (6th grade class of 2005) - eschewed his final years of high
school to enroll in the Integral Program at St. Mary’s College, where he is loving every minute | Lansana Lapia - 2008 - was named the most
inspirational player on the Berkeley High freshman basketball team. He was also awarded a certificate for being a student athlete with a GPA of
3.5. His coach announced that he is the youngest assistant coach for players in the Amateur Athletic Union league. | Rori Fararo-Brooks -
2010 - visited Park Day School in March 2009 with her parents. Rori is doing well in New York City, but was happy to see old friends.
Kaela Farrise
Attention Class of 2003 alumni and families! In our next issue we will include a list of colleges.
If you haven’t been in touch with us about your college plans, send an email to alumni@parkdayschool.org.
Rori Fararo-Brooks with her
parents, Kim and Bennett
November 25 Grandparents and Special Friends Day
December 7
February 1
Jon Carroll interviews Michael
Chabon and Ayelet Waldman,
7:00 pm, Berkeley Repertory
Theater Thrust Stage. Visit
www.parkdayschool.org to
purchase tickets.
Jon Carroll interviews Dave Eggers, 7:00 pm,
Berkeley Repertory Theater Thrust Stage. Visit
www.parkdayschool.org to purchase tickets.
February 5
March 8
April 24-25
Readathon
Jon Carroll interviews Scott Rosenberg, 7:00 pm,
Berkeley Repertory Theater Thrust Stage. Visit
www.parkdayschool.org to purchase tickets.
Secret Gardens of the East Bay tour. Contact Cathy
Shields at (510) 653-0317, x103 for information.
Stay connected!
Get event information
by email – write to
alumni@parkdayschool.org
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