Fostering Lifelong Learning - Episcopal Academy

Merion 4th Graders
Explore WWII From Two
Unique Perspectives
National Merit &
National Achievement
Winners
The graduating class of 2008 includes six National Merit/National
Achievement Scholarship contenders. The
National Merit semi-finalists were among the highest
scoring students on the Preliminary SAT/National
Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMQT®) in Pennsylvania
while the National Achievement Scholarship Program,
also conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation,
recognizes outstanding Black American high school
students. Pictured above are: (l to r) National Merit semi-finalists
Francis Nassau, Alexander Lee, and Mark Nakahara and
National Achievement semi-finalist Martin Wimbush. Missing
from photo are National Merit semi-finalists Hannah Sayen
and Anna Stein.
National Hispanic
Recognition Goes to
Episcopal Academy
Senior
Senior AleJandro Rettig y Martinez
has been recognized by the
College Board‘s National Hispanic
Recognition Program. The
National Hispanic Recognition Program,
established in 1983, is a College Board program that provides
national recognition of the exceptional academic achievements
of Hispanic high school seniors and identifies them for postsecondary
institutions.
Students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/
National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)
as high school juniors and by identifying themselves as Hispanic.
This year, more than 196,000 PSAT/NMSQT takers
nationwide identified themselves as Hispanic, and more than
4,000 of those students have been recognized as National Hispanic
Scholars or Honorable Mention Finalists based upon
their PSAT/NMSQT scores and their academic achievements.
This winter, the Merion 4th grade classes of Nancy
Haas and Caroline Doubman had the pleasure of
meeting with two fantastic class visitors, each of
whom shared his own unique experiences during
World War II
August Kaufhold,
the grandfather of
class member Cassie
Kaufhold, spoke
to the children about his own
experience as child in Germany
during the war. August’s
father became a prisoner of
war. His grandparents helped
feed and safeguard a Jewish
family in the next town (in
an amazing twist, August’s
son Peter and the grandson
of the Jewish family that
was in hiding, unknowingly
became college roommates).
He watched dogfights in the
sky over his farm and he told
the students how difficult life
became during the late stages of
the war.
Likewise, Harold Wallace,
the grandfather of class member
Dylan Higgins, spoke to
the class about his experiences
as an African American member
of the U.S. Army during the
war. Harold shared with the
class how he was born poor,
lived in tenements in New York
City and at age 15 dropped out
of school. At age 17 he joined the Army
and became part of a black regiment. He
spoke openly with the children about
how he and his fellow African American
soldiers were not treated as well as
their white counterparts. For instance
they were unable to attend social functions
and were given earlier curfews. He
was in the European theater during the
war and found transition back to life
in the U.S. difficult. However, he was
very proud to note that his four children
graduated from college and that he too
returned to school to receive his degree.
August Kaufhold, who
grew up in Germany
during World War II, and
Harold Wallace, who
fought with an African
American regiment in
World War II, shared their
unique experiences with
fourth grade students at
Merion.
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