TheKey - Key School

The Key 

School 

2006-2007 Annual Report

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

PRESIDENT 

Georgie Berkinshaw 2005-2006 

Nick Maistrellis (Interim president) 

Niels Holch 2007 to present 

VICE PRESIDENT 

Nick Maistrellis 

TREASURER 

Jim Praley 

SECRETARY 

Harry Ivrey ’71 

BOARD MEMBERS 

Chuck Anthony 

Missy Attridge 

Peter Biché 

Marie Brockhurst 

Mike Damas 

Jim Ellerson 

Sherine El-Warraki 

Chris Ellis 

Jerry Feldman 

L. J. Foley 

Carol Hall 

Larry Harding 

Jessica Hodge 

Wes Jones 

Lori Mathis 

Chris Peterson 

Steve Rabbitt 

Shelley Sarmiento 

Jerry Sparer 

John Tower ’77 

Marcella Yedid, ex-officio 

Faculty Representatives 

Paulette Levantine* 

Eileen Cimbolic* 

Peter Branscombe* 

Alice Larner* 

Parents’ Association 

Representatives 

Alyson Hall, President* 

Pam Williams, President Elect* 

*non-trustees 

ADMINISTRATION 

HEAD OF SCHOOL 

Marcella Yedid 

UPPER SCHOOL DIVISION HEAD 

Todd Casey 

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION HEAD 

Dave Magnus 

LOWER SCHOOL DIVISION HEAD 

Mary Jane Milner 

PRE-SCHOOL DIVISION HEAD 

Susan Rosendahl 

DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION, 

COMMUNICATION AND 

FINANCIAL AID 

Jessie Dunleavy 

DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT 

Debbie Richardson 

Presidents of the 

Board of Trustees 

1961-1962 Clarence J. Kramer d 

1962-1965 Archibald C. Rogers d 

1965-1966 Thomas K. Simpson 

1967-1969 Richard L. Borden d 

1969-1970 Peter V. Hamill 

1970 Thomas K. Simpson 

1970-1972 Elizabeth Iliff d 

1972-1974 Richard D. Weigle d 

1974-1976 Nathanial James 

1976-1977 Anetta H. Kushner 

1977-1978 Marshall A. Binder d 

1978-1979 Arthur W. Edwards Sr. 

1979-1981 Joan O. Kehler 

1981-1982 Vincent R. Iatesta 

1982-1984 Elana R. Byrd 

1984-1986 Howard K. Cohen 

1986-1988 Vanderlip Conway 

1988-1991 Sally Iliff 

1991-1992 Donald E. Hunter 

1992-1994 John J. Gallagher 

1994-1997 David S. McHold 

1997-1999 Jane K. Weizmann 

1999-2002 Douglas W. Comfort 

2002-2005 Jerry Sparer 

2005-2006 Georgie Berkinshaw 

2007- present Niels C. Holch 

d 

deceased 

EMERITI 

Georgie Berkinshaw 

Frank Chaney ’75 

Howard Cohen 

Jim Humphrey 

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND 

OPERATIONS 

Ken Piel

From The Key School 

Mission Statement 

The Key School is founded upon the conviction that children are innately 

curious about themselves and the world; they want to learn, they want to 

discover, and they want to create. The School’s role is to nourish and guide 

this natural exuberance, energy, and delight in the search for meaning, 

so that each student may develop into an informed, thoughtful, and 

constructive member of society, with a lifelong commitment to learning.

Head of School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Board of Trustees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Admission and Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Pre-School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Lower School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Middle School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

Contents 

Upper School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Fine and Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Outdoor Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 

Advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

Annapolis Book Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Parents’ Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

Finance and Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Grandparents’ and Family Friends’ Day . . . . . 36 

Advancement Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Donors by Category 

Annual Fund Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 

Sustaining Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

Grandparents with Key Grandchildren . . . 46 

Parents of Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

Faculty and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

Family of Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 

Endowment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

Tribute Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

The Legacy Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

Named Endowed Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

Foundations, Corporations and 

Matching Gift Companies . . . . . . . . . . . 52 

In-Kind Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 

Senior Parents’ and Grandparents’ Gift . . . 52 

Other Gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

Gifts in Honor or Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

5th Decade Capital Campaign . . . . . . . . . . 53 

Ways of Giving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

How shall we remember the year that just ended 

Head 

Early fall of 2006-2007 brought good news from our 

accrediting body: the Association of Independent 

Maryland Schools gave us a strong re-accreditation 

endorsement, citing Key’s self study and action plan as 

of 

characteristically thorough and appropriately slanted 

toward 21st century priorities. Therefore, we were delighted 

to begin the year with forward thinking about 

Key’s next decade and the strategic focuses we would 

bring to it: a continuing factoring of changing regional 


Marcella Yedid 

Head of School 

and local demographics whose impact will be important 

to Key in the years ahead; contemporary positioning 

of a mature Key School within the educational 

community it serves; and programmatic initiatives that 

speak to a globally inter-dependent universe, in which 

students must navigate with well-honed communication 

skills, finely tuned cultural and historical perspectives, 

and a social consciousness that propels them to 

pro-active engagement with vexing issues. With pride 

in our distinguished history and vision for an ongoing 

dynamism, we journey toward our 50th Anniversary in 

2008-2009 and beyond. 

A retrospective look at any school year always elicits 

indelibly etched memories of routine and extraordinary 

moments. The array of these vignettes far 

exceeds the space accorded in this publication. Nevertheless, 

here are personal highlights of moments 

spent in the company of students exhibiting their 

knowledge, curiosity, skill, and creativity, fostered by 

dedicated and inspiring faculty in classrooms, playing 

fields, and on the stage. In early spring, the Upper 

School Math/Science evening showed stunning 

student intellectual prowess, such that it prompted 

one parent to declare his desire to enroll himself in 

the Upper School. Middle School Biography Night 

exhibited our 8th graders’ journalistic forays as they 

presented fascinating stories of their chosen subjects. 

Moving was the moment when we learned that the 

Key School grandfather who long ago argued for 

THE KEY SCHOOL 2006-2007 ANNUAL REPORT

desegregation in Maryland was not only the 

object of praise but also of contempt as he 

exited the courthouse in which he had pled 

so successfully. Obezag fever was rampant 

in the fall as the girls’ soccer team overcame 

the opponents and brought forth victory to 

exhilarated fans in the sun-drenched, recently 

upgraded Beach Field. Equally admirable was 

our students’ zeal for environmental stewardship, 

as noted during Earth Day activities and 

subsequent community projects. Inconvenience 

is not impeding truth gathering on the 

part of our students as they mobilize themselves 

to make a difference to an endangered 

globe. And, finally, no less grand than Verdi’s 

debut of his opera AIDA, commemorating the 

opening of the Suez Canal, was Key’s contemporary 

version, mounted as the winter Upper 

School production, and delighting us visually 

and musically. 

Moreover, Key’s fervor to foster among its 

students 21st century global perspectives was 

well exemplified by the Pre-School initiated 

CHUMS program, partnering Key students 

with counterparts in England and Tanzania, 

as well as an Upper School contingent with 

Italian adolescents. The students’ energetic 

electronic correspondence is testament to 

their cross-cultural commitment and to their 

capacity to transcend distance and national 

differences. No less noteworthy are the 

Lower School Islamic Studies activities, now 

a cornerstone of the 4th grade program. How 

apropos for our students to recreate an exotic 

Istanbul in the Fourth Grade wing of the 

Manse, during the same week that the Pope’s 

visit to that ancient metropolis, once known 

as Constantinople, was taking place, as he 

attempted to further strengthen inter-faith 

rapprochement. 

Aided by ample provocative reading and an 

outside facilitator’s insights, faculty and trustee 

reflection on Key’s Mission, as we prepare for 

the next fifty years of existence, was manifest 

during a February Board retreat and faculty 

sessions preceding and succeeding it. Appropriately, 

passionate exchanges punctuated 

these sessions, focusing on what it means to 

be educated now and in the future, and on 

not-to-be relinquished Key values as well as on 

programmatic dynamism for changing times. 

Marcel Proust, the celebrated 20th century 

French novelist, noted: “the real voyage of discovery 

consists not in seeking new landscapes 

but in having new eyes.” For us at Key our 

landscape is remaining unchanged: it has always 

been that of an educational environment 

that wishes to encourage lifelong learning for 

those within its midst—adults and students. 

We have proven our aptitude for this endeavor 

for close to half a century, always mindful that 

our “fresh eyes” are critical to the reflection 

and renewal on which a vibrant Key has heretofore 

been dependent. Our journey of discovery 

continues, of that I am sure. 

I express heartfelt thanks to all those friends of 

the Key School community who have strengthened 

this venerable institution, by giving of 

their time, expertise, and financial support. 

We are grateful for all they have enabled us to 

accomplish. 


Board 

of 

The 2006-2007 school year was another successful 

one for Key’s Board of Trustees and the community we 

serve each day. Thanks to a talented faculty and staff, 

and supported by a cadre of committed volunteers, the 

School continues to implement its mission and educational 

programs in a manner that promotes creativity, 

curiosity, and lifelong learning by our students. 

Trustees 

Niels Holch 

President, Board of Trustees 

During the year, strong fiscal stewardship helped us 

once again meet all of the expectations of our $12.2 

million budget. Herculean efforts by the Advancement 

staff and our dedicated volunteers also enabled us 

to increase our Annual Fund receipts to $482,871, a 

School record. 

The Key Endowment took a large leap forward this 

year, adding $1,211,150 in pledges and cash donations. 

Our Endowment now stands at $4,242,500 

million, with a “pipeline” of another $1.8 million in 

pledges over the next several years. We were very 

blessed this year to receive the School’s second million-dollar 

gift. Such generosity has inspired others to 

“step up,” helping ensure that the School is improving 

its long-term financial foundation. 

Thanks to the generosity of all our 

donor families—and successful saving 

and investing strategies by the 

School—we are on track to have $5 

million in our Endowment when we 

celebrate the School’s 50th Anniversary! 

Let me take this opportunity to 

express the Board’s appreciation to all 

of our volunteers and donors who helped us meet our 

philanthropic goals this year. 

Under the leadership of Buildings and Grounds 

Committee Chair Steve Rabbitt, we are finished with 

our multi-year Manse renovation project and the 


econstruction of the Manse Field. Everyone is 

now enjoying these revitalized Manse facilities, 

which also serve as important elements 

of the School’s history and culture. One of the 

School’s traditions that no one is going to miss, 

however, is the fire lane that used to run down 

the middle of our primary recreational field! 

Our next capital project is the renovation of the 

Barn. Steve and his Committee are working 

closely with our faculty and our design professionals 

to ensure that we can maximize the program 

opportunities for this building. Our goal is 

to break ground on this project in June 2008. 

privileged to have their expertise and wisdom 

on the Board these many years. In addition, 

we are delighted that Georgie Berkinshaw has 

accepted a permanent role to continue her 

relationship with Key and was appointed as 

Trustee Emerita—a recognition conferred on 

those who have long tenure and deep involvement 

with the School. This fall, we are also 

pleased to welcome three new Trustees to the 

Board: Katie Edwards, Leslie Gruskin, and 

Katie Heines. This is the first year in which 

all of the incoming Trustees have either an 

M.D. or a Ph.D degree, raising the bar for the 

rest of us! 

Key is very fortunate to have such talented and 

dedicated members on its Board of Trustees. We 

also thoroughly enjoy collaborating with Key’s 

exceptional faculty and staff, led by our Head of 

School, Marcella Yedid. Key is a vibrant institution, 

with a promising future and a distinctive 

culture that we cherish each and every day. 

I am so very grateful to be a part of this exciting 

and hardworking community. 

Last spring, the Board honored five retiring 

Trustees: Georgie Berkinshaw, Jerry Feldman, 

Jessica Hodge, Nick Maistrellis, and 

Shelley Sarmiento. Together, these Trustees 

provided more than 50 years of volunteer 

service to the School. We have been so very 


The 2006-2007 school year was full of noteworthy accomplishments 

on both the admission and communication 

fronts. On the enrollment side, the School realized 

the largest student body ever with 722 students. 

Admission 

and 

Communication 

As we seek to enroll new students, always with an eye 

toward building a community rather than just filling 

seats, we also take pride in the students themselves 

and what they bring to their respective classes and the 

School. I am most proud to report that our 

minority student enrollment grew again for 

the year, taking us from 21 to 23%. Our 

outreach efforts also brought new students 

who hailed from other countries and as far 

away as Pakistan and from a wide variety 

of states within the USA including Minnesota, 

Michigan, New York, and Texas. 

Also representing diverse backgrounds, 

local students came to us from 

public, parochial and other 

independent schools including 

boarding schools, Severn 

School, Indian Creek, St. 

Anne’s, and St. Mary’s. 

Jessie Dunleavy 

Director of Admission, 

Communication and 

Financial Aid 

This healthy enrollment is built on the School’s ability 

to both attract new students and retain a high percentage 

of returning students. With 106 newcomers 

and an attrition rate of 7%—a number that compares 

favorably to the NAIS average of 9.8%—we were able 

to exceed our enrollment projections for the year. 

The financial aid budget for the year, in excess of 

$1,100,000, surely enabled our efforts to retain and 

attract qualified students regardless of family income 

and stands as a testament to our commitment to uphold 

the vision of our founders and their passion for 

creating an inclusive community. Another highlight, 


epresenting a feather in our cap, is that we 

welcomed six students back to Key, students 

who had left the School and had a change of 

heart shortly thereafter. 

We cannot address the year’s triumphs without 

giving the new website and the accompanying 

and enhanced communication capabilities its 

due. The electronic communication that we 

were able to inaugurate in 2006-2007 will not 

only better serve our Key constituents but also 

will help the School realize significant savings 

in postage, printing and paper. And, as a School 

that is committed to environmental sustainability, 

the benefits of these savings are indeed 

significant. 

Our efforts with regard to the website are 

obviously ongoing as we strive to maintain a dynamic 

and alluring presence with updated and 

newsworthy information; however, the many 

achievements of the 2006-2007 school year 

are well worth mention. The Divisional pages, 

which were significantly enhanced during the 

redesign of the website, provide timely information 

from the Division Heads and teachers and 

offer dynamic photo galleries that chronicle 

the students’ activities. The Downloadable 

Forms section of the website also proved to be 

a significant enhancement that will continue to 

be expanded in upcoming years. In addition, the 

customizable school calendar provided parents 

a more user friendly way to access information 

about school events, and both the emailed and 

the online versions of the monthly parent bulletin, 

What’s Happening at Key!, received positive 

feedback from members of our community. 

Last, but by no means least, the addition of 

pod casting was an exciting enhancement that 

enabled us to showcase the talents of Key’s students 

to an even wider audience, as scenes from 

AIDA and numbers from the Upper School 

Musical Evening were posted on the Fine and 

Performing Arts pages. Key’s website continues 

to be a powerful portal for communicating with 

current parents and Key alumni as well as for 

reaching out to prospective families, offering 

to them a glimpse into the Key community and 

that which makes it so distinct. 

In a year when admission offices throughout the 

country were increasingly challenged to meet 

targeted enrollments, we are certainly proud 

of our accomplishments in both the admission 

and the communication arenas. We know that 

our success is the direct result of teamwork 

both within our office and across the campus. 

We know too that without the School’s superb 

faculty—who are the primary reasons that 

families choose a Key education—and without 

the support of our current parents—who sing 

our praises within the School community and 

beyond—our successes would not be possible. 

Therefore, on behalf of the Admission 

and Communication office, I wish to express 

heartfelt appreciation to my wonderful colleagues 

across the campus and to our devoted 

Key parents whose support is so very vital to our 

collective well being. 


Pre- 

Susan Rosendahl 

Pre-School Division Head 

What better way to “tell the story” of the exciting 

experiences that took place in Pre-School during the 

2006-2007 school year than by sharing children’s 

words and pictures about some of their favorite days 

at Key. To accompany students’ artistic and written 

expressions about what they loved about their past 

year at Key School, several descriptions highlight 

just a few of the many 

wonderful Pre-School 

activities. 

Life Skills 

School nurse, Holly 

Smith taught Pre- 

Schoolers about 

people with disabilities 

as part of the life 

skills curriculum. 

Three dolls were 

introduced to children: 

one with crutches, one with a walker and one 

seated in a wheelchair. The children gave the dolls 

names and with discussion they discovered these 

dolls enjoyed doing the same things as they enjoyed 

doing. To culminate the lesson, the children were 


asked to draw a picture showing an activity they 

would like to do with one of the dolls. The pictures 

depicted disco dancing, swinging, skiing, basketball, 

and playing in the park. 


Mr. Dan’s Physical Education Classes 

Many of the games that are played during 

Mr. Dan’s P.E. class are designed to build 

important life skills while having fun. All of 

the games are designed to keep children at 

play and challenge them at their level of skill, 

but never to eliminate children from games or 

embarrass students. They are non-traditional 

outcome games and everyone who plays is 

a winner. There is no elimination, just more 

participation. While in Mr. Dan’s class, the 

children enjoy these games as well as traditional 

activities that include soccer, kickball, 

jumping rope, and riding tricycles. 

Terrific Tuesday Art Program 

In Pre-K 4 art the Terrific Tuesday Art Program 

highlighted art appreciation by introducing 

the techniques and works of famous artists. 

The art work and styles of Wasil Kandinsky, 

Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, 

Georgia O’Keefe and Vincent Van Gogh were 

introduced. The children were introduced to 

these artists through posters, postcards and 

books, and the children then tried their hand 

at creating art in the style of that month’s 

artists. A culmination of the studies was a trip 

to the National Gallery of Art in Washington 

where they participated in a “treasure hunt” 

using photos of actual paintings in the galleries 

followed by classroom discussions about what 

they had found. One of their favorite artists was 

Jackson Pollock. 

Beyond the Bay 

During the month of December, Mrs. Libson’s 

and Mrs. Dierdorff’s class embarked on a unit of 

study entitled “Beyond the Bay.” This unit took 

students on a journey discovering how children 

around the world are both different and the 

same. They learned about many holidays that 

are celebrated by people in our community and 

beyond. The class then focused on China. The 

children read many non-fiction books and looked 

at captivating and colorful pictures and were 

fascinated by snapshots of life on the other side 

of the world. Fictional stories led students into 

a view of Chinese life, culture, history, traditions, 

holidays and celebrations. The children 

made Chinese lanterns, had fun with pandas 

and dragons, learned about Chinese calligraphy 

and painted their names onto scrolls in calligraphy. 

The class also created a ‘Museum’ of 

Chinese artifacts. The culminating event was 

a performance for parents and guests featuring 

each child wearing Chinese clothing, acting out 

The Story of Ping, singing songs, saying Chinese 

phrases and counting in Chinese. 


Following a year in temporary quarters during the 

renovation work of the century old Mansion House, 

the Lower School opened its doors at the start of the 

2006-2007 school year settled and at home in its 

permanent quarters. Supported by grand facilities, 

Lower 


Mary Jane Milner 

Lower School Division Head 

the Lower School prospered: purposeful learning and 

fruitful living abounded. Indeed, the full community—students, 

faculty, and parents—appreciated on 

a daily basis the talents and time that so many had 

devoted to the renovation project! 

Stepping back and reflecting upon the noteworthy 

aspects of the year beyond the enjoyment of new 

facilities, four facets of Lower School life seemed to 

be of particular significance: 

1. The growing use of technology in the teaching 

and learning process 

Year by year, the role that technology has played to 

support student learning has grown substantially. 

Supported by weekly computer classes in a fully 

equipped computer lab with state of the art hardware 

and software, students learn discrete skills from keyboarding, 

to search strategies, to creating web pages, 

charts and graphs, and tri-fold brochures. Increasingly 

these skills are now put to use in language arts, 

social studies and library classes, math and science 

classes as well as in French class. The addition of 

LCD projectors and SMART boards in classrooms 

helps to make the integration of technology into the 

daily life of the classroom seamless. The fourth graders’ 

creation of a virtual museum to “show off” their 

learnings of the Inca civilization was a magnificent 

example of such integration. Indeed, the presentation 

to the full Lower School community was outstanding! 

10 THE KEY SCHOOL 2006-2007 ANNUAL REPORT

“I liked using the technology in this project. 

We had to take a lot of time on this and be 

very careful. We had to get all the pieces 

of information and turn them into a speech. 

We had to make a slideshow before we made 

the one on the computer and we had to get 

pictures for it and put some of our notes on it 

as bullet points for people to have a little more 

information. We had to make backgrounds 

for our 3-D projects. I liked making the art 

and music go onto the website.” 

- Claire Harding, Class of 2015 

2. The multiple ways that students study 

and care for the environment 

Since its inception, Key School students have 

had numerous opportunities to engage in 

field work as a part of their science classes. 

Further, as a part of the Mission of the School, 

Lower Schoolers have been asked to function 

as caretakers of their environment. That 

tradition has only grown over the years. Now 

students at every grade level use the out-ofdoors 

from Hillsmere Beach, to Jug Bay, to our 

own student gardens as places of study. Additionally, 

through projects such as the oyster 

restoration work, sponsored by the Chesapeake 

Bay Foundation and executed by our second 

graders, to the ongoing caretaking of natural 

habitats on our Key School grounds, there are 

ample opportunities to practice stewardship of 

the environment. Perhaps the most ambitious 

project is our third graders’ year long recycling 

and composting project. 

“I think it was a great idea to recycle and 

compost. Recycling helps save trees and composting 

helps make great soil. I think helping 

the environment is a great idea. It makes me feel 

good just to think how much paper we’ve carried 

down to where we recycle or how much rich soil 

we’ve made from composting. These projects have 

taught me not to throw away orange peels or 

throw away paper that I haven’t drawn on the 

back.” - Anna Coney, Class of 2016 

3. The pivotal role that an expanded 

library plays in the lives of students 

and faculty 

Now more than triple the size of the former 

Lower School library and with three distinct 

teaching/learning areas—the story room, the 

teaching/project room, and the grand living room 

that houses the collection—the library is an important 

resource for students and teachers alike. 

“I love how spacious the main room is and 

how many more books there are to read. I also 

like windowed walls because we have regular 

light. I think the wooden desk is really cool.” 

– Wyatt Anderson, Class of 2016 

4. The ongoing emphasis on, and appreciation 

for, responsible community living 

Key to Key School living is the assumption that 

all members of the community are respectful 

of one another and act as responsible citizens 

within classrooms as well as on playing fields. 

As the faculty recognizes that developing the 

skills and attitudes critical to living as a responsible 

member of the community is as important 

as learning the academic skills so necessary to 

becoming a life long learner and a contributing 

member of society, these values are taught, 

thought about, and practiced on a daily basis. 

“I really enjoyed every thing I learned but I 

think the most important thing was I learned 

to be friends with people who are not necessarily 

cool but I liked them for who they are 

on the inside. I really enjoyed the Lower 

School.” – Student, Class of 2015, on 

her four years in the Lower School 

THE KEY SCHOOL 2006-2007 ANNUAL REPORT 

11

The 2006-2007 school year had many highlights that 

impacted everyone in the Middle School community. 

All of the students had wonderful class trips to Colonial 

Williamsburg, the Echo Hill Outdoor Education 

Center, backpacking in the Catoctin and Shenandoah 

Mountains, and camping at Point Lookout State 

Middle 


Dave Magnus 

Middle School Division Head 

Park and Wye Island. In addition, our Middle School 

community pulled together for some very productive 

community service efforts, most notably with an endof-year 

book drive for a school in New Orleans. As a 

community, we also came together more frequently for 

some wonderful and inspiring assemblies that included 

storytellers, traveling theater and musical groups, and 

community outreach leaders. Many students participated 

on our athletic teams, and this year marked 

the initiation of a hugely successful girls’ basketball 

program to complement the existing teams. 

As always, there were many curricular initiatives, but 

several highlights stand out. First, our seventh grade 

Civics classes combined their regular immersion 

into national and international current events with 

a focus on school issues in which students have a 

vested interest. Through much discussion on topics 

such as coordination of homework, time for lunch, 

and campus environmental stewardship, students 

prepared speeches and campaigned on these issues 

for the annual spring mock election. With equal 

vigor and activism, many sixth graders joined hands 

with kindergarten students to build a drip irrigation 

system in the Pre-School gardens between the 

Pre-School and the Barn. Born out of the CHUMS 

partnership with schools in England and Africa, this 


project was one tangible step toward learning 

about the preservation of scarce water supplies 

on our own campus. Finally, to better understand 

the role that religion plays in the Middle 

East, our eighth grade Global Studies classes 

participated in a new field trip to Washington 

D.C. where students visited the houses of 

worship of three monotheistic religions: Islam, 

Judaism and Christianity. This experience was 

yet another immersion into a study of global 

cultures, providing students with new insights 

and perspectives and always challenging them 

to view themselves and their own culture in a 

broader world context. 

Eighth Grade Middle East Trip 

“This trip helped me understand that it isn’t 

religions that cause war, it’s how people twist 

the beliefs of the religions to get power and 

control.”-Lucy Davidson, Class of 2011 

“This course has really taken off the blindfold 

that I wore in reference to the complexity of 

foreign cultures and the conflicts in the world, 

and I know that I will never look at them in 

a simplistic, narrow way again.” 

-Jeff Dowell, Class of 2011 

Eighth Grade Global Studies Course 

As a part of their end-of-year portfolio, the 

eighth graders were asked to reflect on the year 

and what they learned. 

“I will never forget learning about Gandhi. 

He got me thinking—what if every country 

around the world had one person who 

was willing to stand up and work to solve 

conflicts without violence and death Perhaps 

we should all live by his words, ’An eye for 

an eye makes the whole world blind.’” 

-Alexandra Wolfe, Class of 2011 

Seventh Grade Election 

The seventh grade Civics election changed 

from a “mock election” that focused on national 

issues to a true election that focused on issues 

identified by the students in the Middle 

School. All grade levels participated in the 

voting and those who were elected will lead the 

2007-2008 Student Forum. 

“The election was valuable because it built 

so many important skills like leadership and 

cooperation, and forced us to use many of the 

skills we were taught throughout the year for 

something real.” 

-Taylor Magnus, Class of 2012 

Fifth Grade Annapolis Walk 

“The Annapolis Project was amazing! 

I never worked so hard and felt so 

great. I learned more about James Brice 

than I ever thought possible, and even though 

it was really hard sometimes, in the end it 

was all worth it.” 

-Jacob Krens, Class of 2014 


13

Upper 


Todd Casey 

Upper School Division Head 

Ethics and Leadership Conference 

by Claire Fitch, Class of 2008 

This year, 22 Key students were able to attend the 

Ethics and Leadership Conference at the Landon 

School. At the conference, we sat in on presentations 

given by students at schools with working 

honor systems in place (such as Washington & Lee 

University and 

the University 

of Virginia) and 

a lecture from 

the keynote 

speaker, Sandra 

Day O’Connor. 

In the months 

following the 

conference, we 

met as a group 

twice to discuss 

what aspects of 

the conference 

we could bring to the Key community. These discussions 

have generated interest among many students 

in examining the ethical climate of Key School and 

how our school’s culture affects the ethical development 

of Key students. Although hearing about other 

schools’ honor systems was enlightening, it also 

served to highlight Key’s differences in both the issues 

at hand and the manner of dealing with them. 

The conference was valuable and provocative. We 

hope to continue our discussions about the future 

of ethics education and how we deal with ethical 

dilemmas at Key. 

Community Service 

by Leza Naydich, Class of 2008 

Key’s approach to community service is remarkable in 

the fact that, while options for participation are given 

to every single student, Key students run with their 

ideas. In starting a Hospice Cheer Team within our 

School, Key gave a small group of participants a bus 

and a weekly chunk of time in which to make our visits. 

Granted, since this form of volunteer work is not 

for everyone, the group was very small and participation 

was entirely optional. As far as involvement with 

Habitat for Humanity goes, it’s much more integrated 

into the eleventh grade curriculum —in addition 

to almost-weekly “build” opportunities outside of 

school, the annual Key School Coffee House (run by 


the junior class) raises money for Habitat for 

Humanity. 

Again, involvement with Habitat for 

Humanity shows just how far Key School 

allows students to run with their community 

service ideas. Key School’s association 

with Arundel Habitat was single-handedly 

established by Kaitlin Gardner, a nowalumna 

who established a relationship with 

Habitat her senior year. 

Two years later, the program is in full flight. A 

possibility for the coming 2007-2008 school 

year would be to establish an independent 

Campus Chapter, which would make Key 

School responsible for all its own supplies and 

houses to build. Who knows what will happen 

The point is that anything can happen, because 

of Key School’s willingness to let students take 

charge of their ideas, and make them reality. 

Environmental Awareness 

by Emily Rogers, Class of 2009 

Key School students are known as “tree huggers”. 

When students discuss the reputation we 

have, they often laugh and say “have you seen 

our campus” Yes, The Key School campus 

has gone through a rough patch, with several 

issues including runoff, littered sidewalks, the 

dead grass problem, and the lack of a recycling 

system; but recently students have come to 

notice these issues as a serious problem and 

have taken action. 

The formation of an environmental awareness 

activity was just the start of many strides the 

community has made to clean up our campus 

and make it more environmentally friendly. 

The Upper School conducted a town meeting 

where it came to an almost unanimous decision 

that a recycling system needed to be installed. 

Since then, a very successful student run and 

organized campus-wide recycling system was 

installed and put to work. The community reacted 

well to the new addition and has adjusted 

well. The other problems students have noticed 

around campus are also being addressed. Recently, 

students have been looking toward the 

future, imagining the campus equipped with 

florescent lights, run on renewable energy, and 

new buildings designed with green technology. 

These are just some of the ways students have 

been exploring environmental sustainability. 

Student Diversity Leadership Conference 

by Emily Schwartz, Class of 2009 

Several students and faculty members took a 

trip to Seattle, Washington this past December. 

We attended the Student Diversity Leadership 

Conference and People of Color Conference; 

an annual conference sponsored by the NAIS. 

Over the course of several days, we took part 

in workshops, listened to various speakers, and 

were separated into discussion groups based on 

race, gender, and pure chance. 

This conference allowed me, as an individual, 

to further build upon my understanding of 

the concept of diversity and to learn how to 

make our school one which is more respectful 

towards others. This conference has made an 

outstanding impact on me and will be an event 

which I will never forget. 

Ethics through Student Leadership 

by Alison Rogers, Class of 2008 

Growing up, we as children have this feeling of 

being ‘the all important person’. Our parents, 

teachers, and schools are doing things to better 

us. This year, Key has begun conversations 

between faculty and students about ethics 

through means of student leadership. Pandora’s 

Box was opened after a group of students 

and faculty attended the Landon School in 

Bethesda. There we were privileged to have 

the opportunity to hear from a mix of different 

ethical experiences. I heard from one extreme, 

Washington and Lee College’s ‘Honor System’ 

to another school’s strict prefect system. 

When I was in the Washington and Lee 

conference one student asked me about Key’s 

‘Honor System’. I looked to my friends 

sitting around me and we muttered, “Well, 

I think we sign something in the beginning of 

the year, but mostly it is an unwritten rule to 

be ethical.” 

Following this conference a series of conversations 

have taken place; this, in effect, has 

resulted in ideas and opinions concerning Key’s 

‘Honor System’ set free into a productive atmosphere. 

Now, instead of adults making a series 

of decisions to better our lives, we have been 

able to participate in conversations that may in 

the future affect how the School is conducted. 

For this I am grateful. 


15

The Key School Athletics and Physical Education 

Programs offer a broad range of options from 

intramural sports to interscholastic competition. 

Athletics 

Brian Boyd 

Athletic Director 

Physical fitness, good sportsmanship, and teamwork 

are the goals which govern the program offered at 

Key. Students in Pre-School through Upper School 

participate in Key’s physical education program and 

individual achievement is honored as each student 

works to develop skills and achieve their personal 

best. 

The 2006-2007 year’s highlights include stellar results 

for both boys and girls teams. The Girls’ Varsity 

Soccer team capped an incredible season by reaching 

the IAAM Championship game for the first time in 

eight years. Head Coach Chris Rixham moved from 

England to Maryland to coach the Lady ’Zags. The 

team will return with almost all of its starters next 

year and looks prepared to make a run at the championship 

once more in the fall of 2007. 

Two firsts occurred on the boys’ varsity athletic front. 

The Varsity Soccer team reached the MIAA playoffs 

for the first time, losing a very hard-fought, rainsoaked 

game at Park School 1-0. The Boys’ Varsity 

Basketball team got their first ever playoff victory 

this year over the Park School en route to the MIAA 

semi-finals. With the return of many starters, each 

team looks to take the next step toward an MIAA 

Championship in 2007-2008. 

2007 was the inaugural season for the Key School 

Varsity Baseball team. Twelve boys and one girl 

bonded together to win four games, including one 

over MIAA perennial powerhouse Glenelg Country 

School. The team, which started five freshmen, 

looks to continue their early success as they enter 

the MIAA B Conference for their first full varsity 

schedule in 2008. 


“This year’s basketball wasn’t quite like any 

other season I have experienced. The bond that 

I felt our team and Coach Scott shared was 

forged through hard work, a mutual desire to 

succeed, and a universal respect that allowed 

us to joke when we needed to but be serious 

when it was time to get to work. The lessons 

learned on the basketball court can be applied 

to school and everyday life. The resounding 

cheer of “Hard Work” after every huddle best 

sums up the most important lesson learned 

that manifested itself through on court success. 

We lost a close game in the conference 

semifinals; and ever since, I have been itching 

to get back on the court with my teammates to 

work, play, and win. Go Obezags! ” 

- Jake Maldonado, Class of 2009 

I thank the many extremely talented and dedicated 

coaches who, together with a fabulous 

group of parents, worked to guide Key students 

and support them in their achievements. 

Go Obezags! 

Baseball 

Soccer 

Field Hockey 

Tennis 

Golf 

Lacrosse 

Cross Country 

Sailing 

Obezags! 

Basketball 

Track and Field 


17

Key continued its commitment to Fine and Performing 

Arts during the 2006-2007 school year through 

an array of both new and traditional programs. In 

the fall, the Key Theater presented both the male 

and female cast 

versions of Neil 

Simon’s The 

Odd Couple. 

Fine and 

Performing 

Arts 

Rick Layton 

Fine and Performing Arts 

Department Head 

The spring 

Upper School 

Chorus, Chamber 

Choir, and 

Dance performance 

again 

included individual 

student choreographies 

and featured a medley of songs 

about brotherly (and sisterly) 

love. As always, the Upper 

School Jazz Ensemble featured 

a variety of instrumentalists 

and vocalists as the students 

entertained audience members with two spectacular 

performances in May. 

Middle School students were involved in a wide 

range of performances throughout the year including 

an Evening of Performing Arts which showcased 

the Middle School String Ensemble, Middle School 

Wind Ensemble, Middle School Chorus, and the 

Middle School Dance activity. Additionally, the fifth 

and sixth grade theater activity entertained the audience 

with the comedy The Devil’s Storybook. As always, 

the fifth through eighth graders joined together 

for their annual Orff Schulwerk performance. This 

year they presented an evening of fairy tales—both 

old and new. Not to be outdone, the Lower School 

also had its evenings of Orff Schulwerk, with the first 

and second grade performance of Mouse Soup, and 

the third and fourth grade performance of Follow The 

Drinking Gourd. 

In March, seventy Upper School students took to the 

stage as Key Theater presented the musical AIDA, 


y Elton John and Tim Rice. This outstanding 

performance reached new heights with regard 

to set, costuming, and choreography—showcasing 

the musical and stage talents of Key 

students at their very best. 

Special thanks to all of the faculty, staff and 

parents who continue to support The Key 

School’s Fine and Performing Arts Program, 

and to the students who share their talent, 

imagination and creativity with all. 

The annual Art Shows, also held in the spring, 

were an outstanding presentation of the artistic 

talents of art students from Pre-Kindergarten 

through grade twelve and included visual arts 

projects in a variety of media—sculptures, 

paintings, drawings, ceramics, digital photographs, 

and digital videos. 


19

Reflecting on the 2006-2007 school year after 

returning from a six day backcountry canoe trip on 

Outdoor 

the Patuxent River with Middle School students 

Education 

Brian Michaels 

Outdoor Education 

Department Head 

this summer, I have to say that I am very proud and 

honored to be part of this important and impactful 

outdoor program at Key. This past year we focused 

on the ever-important building of community, the 

development of both teambuilding and camping 

skills, the enhancement of integrated curricular 

aspects of our experiences, and the fostering of 

stewardship through sustainable practices. I had 

the pleasure to meet and share ideas with former 

Outdoor Education Department Head Lee Curry, 

as well as work with a wonderful group of staff 

and students, to collectively make all of our trips 

meaningful and fun. 

The year began with the traditional late-August 

Peer Leadership Trip in Shenandoah National 

Park. Fourteen Upper School students spent five 

days learning and sharing the skills to successfully 

co-lead Middle School fall backpacking experiences 

(including trail selection, camp set-up, first-aid 

skills, resolving social conflicts, and more). The fall 

began with the entire senior class spending three 

days together at Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania, 

with the goal of rafting a five mile section of the 

Lower Yough River. The games, teamwork, laughter, 

reflection, and challenges on the river led to great 

discussions about the types of school leaders the 

seniors intended to be. The ninth grade class was 

immersed in the natural sciences and cultural 

issues of the Chesapeake Bay during their three day 

Island Odyssey experience. This trip has become a 

great jumping-off point for the Ancient Civilization 


curriculum, and a tone-setting experience 

for the importance of community in the 

Upper School. The fall also brought with it 

backpacking trips for the seventh and eighth 

grades. Seventh grade students explored the 

trails of Catoctin Mountain Park with their 

beautiful fall foliage, and worked well together 

through an unusually cold October night of 

twenty-eight degrees. The Old Rag trip was 

fantastic, with all members of the eighth grade 

making it to the top for a beautiful view of 

Shenandoah National Park. The traditional visit 

to Echo Hill on the Eastern Shore provided 

a chance for sixth graders to explore the 

ecosystems of the Bay, as they learned to work 

together as a community. 

With the larger all-class trips on hold for the 

winter and early-spring months, there were 

three small-group optional adventures that 

took place this year; a one day Middle School 

hike on the southern-most eight miles of the 

Maryland Appalachian Trail near Harper’s 

Ferry, a three day Upper School winter camping 

and hiking trip to the Green Ridge State Forest 

in Western Maryland, and the classic ninth 

grade hiking trip to the beautiful waterfalls of 

Rose River in Shenandoah. 

Along with the warmer spring months came 

the flurry of spring all-class outdoor program 

experiences. The seventh grade spent four 

days at Point Lookout State Park, the tenth 

grade explored the waterways and towns of 

Pennsylvania and Delaware for four days, and 

the eleventh grade spent five days studying 

and living together at Assateague Island. 

We also incorporated a new fifth grade one 

day experience at Quiet Waters Park, with 

the effort to continually be mindful of the 

progression of our trips through the whole 

Middle and Upper Schools. These students 

had a great day playing and learning, with an 

eye to the curricular experiences they had 

during the year (journaling and self-reflecting 

in the environment, measuring the height of 

trees from afar, and more). The year culminated 

with the time-honored eighth grade trip to 

Wye Island. In addition, this summer two 

groups returned from successful backcountry 

canoe expeditions—the first from Maine on 

a fourteen day Allagash trip, and the second 

here in Maryland, on a six day Patuxent River 

adventure. 

We can certainly celebrate a successful year 

again for the Outdoor Education Program, 

and thanks goes to the long list of faculty, 

alumni, administrators, parents, and students 

who make this program a meaningful one. 

Again, I am honored to be one of many 

who carry forward Lee Curry’s vision for 

outdoor experiences that develop our School 

community in so many ways!! 


21

The 2006-07 school year exemplified the continued 

generosity of the Key community. Many, many 

individuals gave of their time, talent and treasure 

and have put the School on fabulous footing as we 

approach our 50th Anniversary year. A fall highlight 

was the dedication of the renovated Manse. Parents, 

alumni, faculty and staff gathered at the Head of 

as the 5K-10K and Family Fun Run, the ever popular 

Halloween lunch, the Auction Party and Annapolis 

Book Festival, and the Faculty Staff Appreciation 

Lunch; creating various fundraisers that allowed the 

Parents’ Association to make significant contributions 

to the Annual Fund, the Tutoring Fund, and 

the Speaker Fund. These first-class parent volunteers 

Advancement 


Director of Advancement 

School Picnic, hosted by the Parents’ Association, 

and heard Lower School Division Head Mary Jane 

Milner speak about the labor of love and year of hard 

work and sacrifice that allowed the glorious Mansion 

House to once again be brought to life at the center 

of Key’s beautiful campus. Parents’ Association volunteers 

continued to support the School in a variety 

of ways: classroom volunteering; hosting events such 

clocked countless hours that helped support and 

strengthen the School. 

The enthusiasm for the Annual Fund reached an 

all-time high this year. Parents, alumni, grandparents, 

parents of alumni, and faculty and staff understand 

better the needs of the School, and their gifts significantly 

help to sustain our fine curriculum, signature 


• $482,871 was raised in record-breaking 

unrestricted contributions to the Annual Fund 

during 2006-2007. 

• 350 current Key School parents made a gift 

to the Annual Fund representing 62% of all 

current parents. 

• $4,242,500 —the new value of The Key School 

Endowment which includes almost $9,150 in 

contributions from the Class of 2007 Senior 

Parents’ and Grandparents’ Gift. 

• 48% is the percentage of participation in the 

Annual Fund from Key faculty and staff. 

• 81% of families in the classes of 2014 and 

2020, 80% of families in the class of 2013, and 

79% of families in the classes of 2017, 2018 

and 2021 made philanthropic gifts to The Key 

School—the highest levels of participation. 

Annual Fund Fast Facts 

• 15 is the number of families who have joined 

The Legacy Society by providing for Key 

School in their estate plans. 

• 100% of Trustees supported the Annual Fund 

along with 48% of all past Trustees. 

• 119 is the number of donors who made a firsttime 

gift to the Annual Fund. 

• 127 is the number of families, companies, and 

organizations that supported the Annual Fund 

at the Leadership level of $1,000 and above. 

• $50,000 is the amount from the E.E. Ford 

Foundation that was awarded when the School 

met the 3 to 1 matching grant challenge to 

support Upper School Financial Aid. 

• 71 cents is the amount from every dollar raised 

that supports teacher salaries and benefits. 

• $938 was the average Annual Fund parent gift. 

• 395 is the number of donors who increased 

their gift to the School over their previous gifts. 

• 31 is the number of donors whose lifetime 

cumulative support of Key in gifts and pledges 

has surpassed $100,000; 26 is the number of 

donors whose lifetime cumulative support in 

gifts and pledges has surpassed $50,000. 

• $672 per student was received through 

unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund in 2006- 

2007 which supported the day-to-day needs of 

the School’s program of instruction. 

programs, beautiful campus, and outstanding 

faculty. With much excitement, Key received 

its second gift of over one million dollars, generously 

donated by an anonymous Key School 

family in support of the Endowment, Annual 

Fund, Fine and Performing Arts, and Athletic 

programs. 

Our efforts to grow the Endowment are paying 

off. With the value of the Endowment at over $4 

million dollars, we hope to realize our goal of an 

Endowment at over $5 million dollars by our anniversary 

year. In addition, $245,690 was raised 

for Upper School Financial Aid as part of the 

Edward E. Ford Foundation’s challenge grant. 

In anticipation of Key’s 50th Anniversary, a 

planning committee, chaired by Harry Ivery ’71, 

Marie Brockhurst, and Missy Attridge actively 

began working on plans for the golden year. A 

book on the history of The Key School, authored 

by faculty member Jayne Karsten, is in its final 

stages and oral histories from former families, 

faculty and alumni are being gathered. Faculty 

member and Key alum Lee Schreitz ’71 and 

Alumni Director Crystal Watkins ’99 continue 

to oversee a huge archiving project of the many 

Key pictures taken over the years. With bustling 

activities surrounding plans for our 50th Anniversary 

celebration, excitement is most certainly 

building as we anticipate 2008. 

Our fundraising goals are being realized as we 

grow the Endowment, strengthen the Annual 

Fund to be more in line with that of our peers, 

and think about the future needs of Key well 

beyond our anniversary year. It is with gratitude 

that I thank all those individuals who keep Key 

in their heart and make it the very special place 

it is today. 


23

Philanthropic Giving* 

July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007 

Annual Fund (unrestricted) ......................................... $482,871 

Restricted Annual 

Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust........................... $25,812 

Chesapeake Bay Trust.......................................................... $2,195 

Cultural Arts Foundation......................................................... $300 

Maryland State Arts Council................................................ $2,723 

Parents’ Association Speaker Fund....................................... $2,000 

Parents’ Association Tutoring Fund....................................... $2,212 

Scholar Funds.................................................................... $43,500 

Title II County Grants ....................................................... $10,891 

Total Annual Giving ....................................................... $572,504 

5th Decade Capital Campaign........................................ $12,028 

Additional Gifts..................................................................$86,351 

Arbor Fund .......................................................................... $1,425 

Athletics Program............................................................... $23,650 

Barnes & Noble Night.......................................................... $4,947 

CHUMS (Triangular Global School Partnership)................. $2,430 

Class of 2007........................................................................ $4,295 

Fine and Performing Arts Program..................................... $40,000 

General................................................................................. $2,104 

Outdoor Education Program................................................ $7,500 

Endowment Gifts 

General ............................................................................ $501,161 

Annapolis Book Festival..................................................... $26,510 

Parents & Grandparents of the Class of 2007 ..................... $9,150 

Tribute Fund........................................................................ $1,425 

Edward E. Ford Foundation for 

Upper School Financial Aid .......................................... $236,540 

Named Funds .................................................................... $72,698 

Caitlin Dunleavy Bloom ’96 Memorial 

David Nathanial Wilkerson Memorial 

Donna Marie Delattre ’87 Memorial 

Edward E. Ford Foundation for Upper School 

Professional Development 

Jayne Karsten Fund for the Humanities 

Jonathon Fund for Libraries 

Lee Curry Outdoor Education Fund 

Nancy Berkinshaw & Howard Krieger Cohen 

Endowment for the Performing Arts 

McCrary Family Fund for Excellence in Mathematics 

William Michael Gudger Memorial 

Total Endowment Giving............................................... $847,484 

New Endowment Pledges............................................. $938,330 

Annual Giving Highlights 

Total Philanthropic Giving ....................................... $2,456,697 

* Unaudited 

Amount no. of Participation 

Donors 

Current Parents $328,427 350 62% 

Alumni $14,400 96 8% 

Faculty and Staff $47,892 67 48% 

Grandparents $53,135 117 21% 

Parents of Alumni (PALS) $112,606 117 15% 

Past Board $25,825 41 48% 

Included above: 

Trustees $137,473 27 100% 

Matching Gifts $1,525 6 n/a 

Gifts may be represented in more than one category if the donor is affiliated with more than one constituent group. 


Growth of The Annual Fund 

(2001-2007) 

$482,871 

$305,400 

$341,703 

$362,892 

$402,025 

$426,400 

$452,013 

00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 

2006 - 2007 Budget 

Income 

Tuition/fees.................................................................. $13,118,050 

Summer programs ........................................................... $241,917 

Other gifts ......................................................................... $60,000 

Annual Fund (restricted and unrestricted) ...................... $500,000 

Other income .................................................................. $287,707 

Total ....................................................................... $14,207,674 

Expense 

Salaries ......................................................................... $6,786,565 

Benefits ........................................................................ $2,490,905 

Administrative ................................................................. $336,935 

Summer programs ........................................................... $147,627 

Institutional ..................................................................... $436,000 

Financial aid.................................................................. $1,114,282 

Instructional ................................................................. $1,061,965 

Plant/leases/pprrsm................................................... $1,018,248 

(Provision for Plant Replacement, Repair and 

Special Maintenance) 

Debt service .................................................................... $326,500 

Endowment Contribution ................................................ $150,000 

Plant reserve ..................................................................... $253,647 

Other expenses.................................................................... $85,000 

Total..........................................................................$14,207,674 


25

Imagine thousands of people listening, learning, discussing, 

watching, questioning, reading, playing, shopping, 

eating, drinking, and generally enjoying themselves 

at The Key School—and it’s all about books! 

This is what happened at the fifth Annapolis Book 

Festival held on May 5, 2007 and hosted by The Key 

School Parents’ Association to celebrate literacy and 

Annapolis 

a love of learning and 

the written word. 

The event was made 

possible by almost one 

hundred Key School 

volunteers, led by com- 

Book 

Festival 

mittee co-chairs Rosalind Calvin and Shahla Ahmad. 

The Festival was sponsored by Verizon Foundation and 

other corporate and community sponsors. 

Thirty-two authors came to The Key School campus, 

including 2007 Pulitzer Prize recipient Gene Roberts, 

Newsweek Managing Editor Evan Thomas, political 

reporter Joe Klein, Washington Post Book Editor Marie 

Arana, AARP CEO Bill Novelli, Washington Post 

Managing Editor Rajiv Chandrasekaren, novelist Chimamanda 

Adichie, University of Maryland Baltimore 

County Professor Tom Schaller, and other nationally 

renowned authors. 

C-SPAN’s Book TV broadcasted live from the Annapolis 

Book Festival throughout the day, filming many of the 

authors in conversation with their audiences on topics 

from the war in Iraq to the 2008 presidential election. 

The Annapolis Book Festival marked the conclusion 

of Annapolis Reads, a city-wide effort encouraging 

residents of Anne Arundel County to read The Great 

Gatsby. The Festival, whose theme was The Great 

Gatsby, featured a presentation by Caroline Preston, 

author of Gatsby’s Girl, performances by The Key 


Thank you to the Annapolis Book Festival Volunteers! 

Annapolis Book Festival 

Committee Co-Chairs 

Shahla Ahmad 

Rosalind Calvin 

Authors of the Event 


Dawn Berlin 


Connie Brown 

Shannon Brownlee 

Donna Cole 

Dana Cooksey 

Bruce Duncan 

Kimberly Duncan 

Jamie Ebersole 

Martine Foster 

Kristin Fusco 

Gary Gallant 

Trish Gallant 

Madonna Gambrell 

Marissa Gonzales 

Erin Gormley 

Leslie Gruskin 

Laurie Heacock 

Mary Hill 

Barbara Holch 

Jayne Karsten 

Iris Krasnow 

Laura LaRosa 

Dawn Madak 

Anne Marvin 

Sharon Mumma 

Linda Opiekun 

Cathie Phelps 

Linda Pittelli 

Gabrielle Redford 

Stephanie Reisinger 

Valerie Robbins 

Mary Stagg 

Deborah Stark 

Laura Strachan 

Jessie Sunshine 

Donya Maria Twyman 

Jade Valdevieso 

Monica VanEyken 

Jeni Zerphy 

Cast of Characters 

Laura Anderson 

Senator John Astle 

Cathy Belkov 

Laurie Berman 

Reid Buckley 

Robert Campbell ’92 

Todd Casey 

Anne Caverly ’09 

Class of 2009 

Kim Collins 

Anne Marie Comaratta 

Deb Crnkovic 

Lydia Crooks 

Rob Ferris 

Charlie Flanagan 

Fikerta Forrester 

Martine Foster 

Marissa Gonzales 

Joan Gillece 

Julie Heath 

Niels Holch 

Carly Ivrey ’09 

Lauren Jack 

Ellene Jones 

Raeesha Jones ’15 

Tynia Jones ’15 

Molly Kalifut 

Derek Lieske 

Bob McCarthy 

Jennifer McGee 

Sally Palmquist 

Kristin Pauly 


Emily Rogers ’09 

Shelley Sarmiento 

Donna Saunders 

Scott Saunders 

Dan Schoos 

Annie Shaughnessy ’92 

Mary Spencer 

Craig Symonds 

Patricia Truitt 

Jamilah Twyman 

Mercela Valdes 

Regina Verow 

Crystal Watkins ’99 

Katrina Williams 

Pam Williams 

Ginger Woolridge 

Tracy Wright 

Lori Young 

Storybook Chair Artists 

Sandy Askew 

Kelly Bronzyna 

Deb and Mike Crnkovic 

Molly Gamble 

Vivian Hopkins 

Cheryl King 

Selma Manizade 

Marie McCarthy 

Sharon Mumma 

Ahni Sallaway 

Mary Stagg 

Patricia Truitt 

Annette Uroskie 

Jeni Zerphy 

Many thanks to: 

Wendy Braithwaite 

John Dege 

Nancy Fitch 

Aaron Jolie 

Irfan Latimer 

Jeanne Messick 

Geof Morgan 

James Morgan ’01 

Jamey McCulloch- 

Faber ’05 

Wade Thomas 

Sheerod Wilkerson 

Steuart Wilson 

Pilar Wyman 

Joann Vaughan 

School Jazz Ensemble and The Key School 

Dancers, as well as Charleston tea parties for 

Pre-Schoolers. Verizon Foundation was the 

exclusive sponsor of Annapolis Reads. 

In addition to talking with authors, visitors were 

able to purchase the authors’ books as well as 

hundreds of other new and used books. As if 

finding fantastic choices for summer reading 

wasn’t enough, families also had the opportunity 

to listen to storyteller Jim Weiss, enjoy the music 

of Abu the Flutemaker, and see the magic of Joe 

Romano. The magic wasn’t only for the kids; mom 

and dad learned a few tricks for the kitchen at 

demonstrations by cookbook authors Joan Nathan 

and Lenny Rudow. Children examined the workings 

of the human body by visiting Ms. Frizzle 

and the Magic School Bus, and readers of all ages 

added their favorite book to the giant bookworm 

that stretched across Manse Field! 

Fifteen Storybook Chairs were raffled in support 

of the event, each handcrafted by a local artist 

and inspired by books as diverse as The Sun Also 

Rises and Charlotte’s Web. 

A Roaring ’20s Auction party kicked off the 

festivities of the weekend, raising funds for the 

Key School Endowment and offering fun for the 

entire Key community. 


27

Annapolis Book Festival Sponsorships 

Title Sponsor 

The Verizon Foundation 

Verse Sponsor 

The Glaucoma Center 

Nobel Sponsor 

AARP 

CBay Systems 

Chaney Enterprises 

Chesapeake Family Magazine 

Institute for Social Policy and 

Understanding 

Jerome J. Parks Companies 

The Washington Post 

Pulitzer Sponsor 

The Attridge Family 


The Brock Family 

Charlie Buckley, Mr. Waterfront, 

Long & Foster 

Chester Plaza 

The Harding Family 

Niels C. Holch, LLC 

Lessans, Praley & McKormick, P.A. 

Morgan Stanley/ Andrew Kadala 

Realistic Builders 

The Vaughan Family 

Pam and Mike Williams 

The Zia Family 

Newbery Sponsor 

Annapolis Bank & Trust Co. 

Annapolis Pediatrics 

Anston House Press 

Charles E. Anthony Architects 

The Ellerson Group Inc. 

Sherine El-Warraki and Aziz El Said 

Laura LaRosa Photography 

Orthopaedic Sports Medicine 

Jim, Chris and Alex ’15 Peterson 

The Pete Stark Foundation 

USALCO—The Askew Family 

Caldecott Sponsor 

275 West Garrett LLC 

Abtech Systems– Adam and 

Donna Cole 

The Altschuler Family 

Jo and Jerry Barton 

Peter Biché and Ginger Woolridge 

The Brockhurst Family 

Pat and Howard Champion 

Martha, Alison ’06 and 

Sarah ’07 Doherty 

Chris and Dawn Ellis 

Jerry and Sonia Feldman 

Foley, Maldonado & O’Toole 

Friends of Katherine Quinn 

Gary and Trish Gallant 

Steve and Leslie Gruskin 

Carol Hall 

The Jodak Family 

Warren and Gay Kahle 

Neal and Denise Koller 

Mike and Debra Leahy 

William and Shari MacQuilliam 

Mahoney & Mahoney, 

Attorneys at Law 

Lori and Jerry Mathis 

Lloyd and Jill Moore 

Mayor Ellen Moyer 

Rob and Sharon Mumma 

Steve and Sabrina Rabbitt 

Bruce and Susan Rosendahl 

Marj, Jerry and Olivia ’03 Sparer 

Frederick T. Sutter MD, LLC/Center 

for Wellness Medicine 

Scott and Susan Dierdorff Taylor ’76 

Workable Web Solutions – Harry ’71 

and Kathy Ivrey 

Wyman Indexing 

Marcella and Roger Yedid 

Friends of the Festival 

Michael and Barbara Dowling 

Mr. and Mrs. Robin Fisher 

Dennis and Cheryl King 

Dr. and Mrs. James Luke 

Nick and Judy Maistrellis 

Rob and Sharon Mumma 




Corporate Donors 

Roaring ‘20s Party 

We would like to thank the following donors for making our Auction a success. 

1st Class Gymnastics 

Admiral Cleaners 

Ahni & Co. 

Alexander’s of Annapolis 

Alyson Hall 

Amelia Mitchell, CMT 

Annapolis Jazzercise Fitness 

Center 

Annapolis Summer Garden 

Theatre 

Arts in Woods 

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad 

Museum 

Gerald & Jo Barton 

Basignani Winery 

Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits 

Be Beep A Toy Store 

Blanca Flor, Ltd. 

Body Connection Wellness 

Day Spa 

Bowie Baysox 

Buddy’s Crabs and Ribs 

Carroll’s Creek Cafe 

Center for Wellness 

Medicine 

Cheesecake Factory 

Chesapeake Children’s 

Museum 

Chuck E. Cheese 

Wes Jones & Dawn Madak 

City of Bowie Ice Arena 

Class of 2007 

Class of 2009 

Class of 2010 

Class of 2013 

Class of 2014 

Class of 2015 

Class of 2016 

Class of 2017 

Class of 2018 

Class of 2019 

Class of 2020 and 2021 

College Park Aviation 

Museum 

Crofton Bowling Centre 

Cygnus Wine Cellars 

Kim D’Amico 

Dave & Buster’s 

DC United 

Irene de Groot 

Docksiders Gymnastics 

Martha Doherty 

Earth Treks Climbing Center 

Elk Run Vineyards 

ESPN Zone 

Evolutions Body Clinic 

Extreme Bounce 

Amanda Falk 

Framer’s Vise Gallery 

Clementine Fujimura 

Gartenhaus Furs 

Gary and Trish Gallant 

Ed Gillespie 

Robert & Elayne Goodman 

Grand Ole Opry 

Grump’s Cafe 

Harley Davidson/Buell of 

Annapolis 

Historic Annapolis 

Foundation 

David & Koren Brewer 

Hobo International 

Homestead Gardens 

Homestead Llamas 

Hudson & Fouquet Salon 

Margaret Hughes-Baldwin 

Hunter Mumma ’08 

James E. Chappell, M.D., P.A. 

Jasper’s 

Jiffy Lube of Ellicott City 

Kelly Buckley ’10 

Ken’s Creative Kitchen 

Cheryl & Dennis King 

L&D Events 

George & Pamela Lane 

Laura LaRosa Photography 

Laurie Heacock, Van Pool 

Cordinator 

Kathy Long 

David & Lori Podrog 

Maritime Autowash 

Marrakesh 

Maryland Crab & Oyster Co. 

Mexican Cafe 

Mike and Pam Williams 

Mills Wine & Spirit Mart 

Bill Moldoch 

Mr. and Mrs. Gabe 

Hausmann 

Mr. and Mrs. Richard 

Cooksey 

Muddy Paw Wash and 

Coffee Bar 

My Gym 

Nicole Turner 

Pepco Holdings, Inc. 

Pete and Deborah Stark 

Peter Biché 

Phillips Seafood 

Richard Popkin 

Quayle & Company 

Design/Build, Inc. 

Radisson Resort South 

Padre Island 

Red Robin Restaurant 

Severna Park Golf Center 

Martha Shapiro 

Shure Incorporated 

South Padre Island Golf Club 

Sport Fit Bowie 

Neil Sullivan 

Sunburst Hospitality 

The Annapolis Chorale 

The Annapolis Pottery 

The Capital Grille 

The Lifestyle Center of 

Annapolis 

The Mitchell Gallery 

St. John’s College 

The O’Callaghan 

Annapolis Hotel 

The Picture People 

The Walters Art Museum 

Thurgood Marshall, Jr. 

Tracy Wright 

Universal Gymnastics Inc. 

Warren & Gay Kahle 

Warren Kahle Photography 

Washington Capitals 

Washington Redskins 

Charitable Foundation 

Watermark Cruises 

Weems Creek Solutions 

Westfield Annapolis Mall 

Whitetail Mountain Resort 

Wine Cellars of Annapolis 

Woodhall Wine Cellars 

Zachary’s Exquisite Jewelry 


29

As an essential and positive partner in the life of 

The Key School, the Parents’ Association continues 

to support the faculty and administration through 

its wide-ranging volunteer activities, community 

building and philanthropic events. 

Parents’ 

Association 

The newly expanded Multicultural Committee has 

served as a vital link in enhancing opportunities for 

parents to communicate, participate and establish 

a sense of community with one another, faculty 

and staff. In addition, working through its many 

core parent groups, the P.A. stands committed to 

strengthening the central partnership between 

Key and its parents in order to enhance the parent 

and student experience. Through the myriad 

of opportunities for participation and volunteer 

involvement throughout the School, this experience 

ultimately benefits all involved. 

From the Back to School Coffee where new-to-Key 

parents can gain insight into the Key experience 

from the first day of school to the Annapolis Book 

Festival—the P.A.’s largest and most diverse 

fundraiser and highly anticipated Annapolis 

community event—the P.A. promotes and enhances 

many opportunities for parents to be involved 

in as many events as possible and continue its 

fundamental mission. 

This year the time-honored events such as the 

tremendously successful 5K/10K Run and Family 

Fun Run, the Family Talent Show, Faculty/Staff 

Appreciation Lunch, and Grade Potlucks helped 

the parent volunteers contribute to the collaborative 

spirit of Key and advance the partnership with the 

Annapolis community. 


A special Head of School Picnic highlighted 

the dedication of the recently renovated 

Manse, while the Halloween Lunch again 

featured the “Pizza Posse” of Key School 

dads serving up a school wide lunch. This 

year’s skating event celebrated the Dr. Martin 

Luther King, Jr. Holiday with a special 

moment for all to reflect upon his legacy. As 

always, the P.A. volunteers spent countless 

hours assisting in the classrooms and offices, 

chaperoning on field trips, and providing 

numerous other valuable services to the 

School. Through the ever-successful Sally 

Foster Gift Wrap Sale, the Used Textbook 

Sale, and the extremely popular gift cards, 

the P.A. was able to give a generous $15,000 

gift to The Key School Annual Fund as well 

as continue its support of the P.A. Tutoring 

Fund and the Speaker Fund. 

Celebrating its outstanding volunteers who 

form the exceptional partnership to support 

this community of dedicated parents, faculty 

and staff the P.A. remains a constant beacon 

of light at The Key School. 

Parents’ Association 2006 - 2007 

President 

Alyson Hall 

President Elect 

Pam Williams 

Vice President 

Kate Houley 

Secretary 

Gabrielle Redford 

Treasurer 


Nominating and 

Volunteer 

Kimberly Duncan 

Community Outreach 

Robin Kane 

Linda Opiekun 

Communications/PR 

Carol Mahoney 

Donya Maria Twyman 

Fundraising 


April Forrer 

Multicultural 

Marva Jo Camp 

Renee Carter-Perpall 

Parent Community 

Coordinator 

Julie Heath 

Ellene Jones 

Programs and Speakers 

Turkessa Thompson 

School Events 

Ginny Nayden 

Donna Saunders 

Annapolis Book 

Festival 

Shahla Ahmad 

Rosalind Calvin 

Advancement Liaison 

Deb Crnkovic 

Board of Trustees 

Liaison 

Lori Mathis 

Division 

Representatives 

Upper School 


Iris Krasnow 

Middle School 

Bruce Duncan 

Mary MacLeod 

Lower School 


Margo Speciale 

Pre-School 

Deborah Stark 

Vicki Gumtow 


31

Whether it’s leading a group of Middle Schoolers 

along a trail on Old Rag, discussing local politics in 

a classroom, or coaching our young athletes, alumni 

could be found lending their skills in a variety of ways 

to the Key community last year. At Key, students are 

not only given an environment to hone their talents, 

but also taught the importance of sharing those 

Alumni 

talents, skills, and interests for the betterment of 

others. Our alumni continue to reflect that lesson by 

volunteering their knowledge, experience, and time at 

the School. 

Career Day and the Alumni-Senior Luncheon. In 

addition to these activities, alumni also volunteered 

in the classroom, accompanied students on outdoor 

education trips, joined the chorus for caroling 

throughout downtown Annapolis, participated in the 

Annual Fund phonations, and welcomed guests at 

the Annapolis Book Festival. 

As if all of that wasn’t enough, this year alumni began 

to organize Key’s vast collection of photographs, to 

collect and record remembrances of founding families, 

and to brainstorm opportunities for reflection 

on and celebration of Key in preparation for our 50th 

Anniversary in 2008-2009. The archival and preservation 

work being done will benefit the School for years 

to come and we are so proud to have this initiative 

spearheaded by such dedicated alumni. Thank you 

to all the alumni who supported the School this year. 

Your unequalled perspective, energy, and thoughtfulness 

are invaluable to Key! 

The annual activities of the Alumni Program are 

Reunion Weekend, Turkey Bowl, the College-Age 

Reunion, the Wilkerson Memorial Basketball Game, 


State of the School Evening of 

Conversation 

50th Anniversary 

Executive 

Committee 


Lee VonPein 

Schreitz ’71 

Crystal Watkins ’99 

Reunion Weekend 

Jennifer Andreason ’81 

Megan Dombi ’01 

Spencer Leech ’82 

Judd Legum ’96 

Nils Reuter ’97 

Mary Talbott Smith ’76 

Annual Fund 

Jeannie Berkinshaw ’01 




Upper School Career 

Day 

Josh Cohen ’90 

Homer Rich ’78 

Alumni Program Volunteers 

Middle School 

Charlie Berkinshaw ’99 

Teddy Wolfe ’06 

Key Camp Counselors 

Jeanette Beigel ’04 

Steve Correll ’00 

Alison Doherty ’06 

Nariman El Said ’06 

Chelsea Greenwald ’06 

Jesse Hayes ’04 

Jaleesa Johnson ’05 

Rob Mauro ’00 

Jamey McCulloch- 

Faber ’05 

Trevor McCulloch- 

Faber ’04 

James Morgan ’01 

Scott Waymouth ’05 

Sam Wetterau ’05 

Luke Williams ’06 

Melanie Williams ’08 

The Annapolis Book 

Festival 

Robert Campbell ’92 

Jeremy Parks ’89 

Josh Reynolds ’91 

Karen Russell ’86 

Annie Shaughnessy ’92 

Athletics 

Sara Leslie ’01 

Trevor McCulloch- 

Faber ’04 

Keely 

Reithlingshoefer ’98 

Erin Skahan ’99 

Kourtney Turner ’02 

Outdoor Education 

Lindsay Campbell ’95 

Keely Corboy ’98 

Rachel Feldman ’03 

Meridith Kotelec ’05 

Jen Gardner ’05 


Tom Powers ’02 

With the understanding that conversation draws people 

together through shared interests and the exchange of ideas, 

The Key School hosted a State of the School Parent Forum that 

was well attended by over 100 current parents who gathered 

together with Head of School Marcella Yedid and members of 

the Board of Trustees to learn more about the finances of the 

School and the activities of the Board of Trustees. Organized by 

enthusiastic parent volunteers, the evening included an Italian 

feast and the gathering was both comfortable and informative. 

In addition to a presentation by Marcella Yedid about the State 

of the School and an overview of the School’s finances, Board 

of Trustee Committee overviews included short presentations 

by Advancement Committee Chair and Board President Niels 

Holch, Finance Committee Chair Jim Praley, Committee 

on Trustees Chair Missy Attridge, Buildings and Grounds 

Committee Chair Steve Rabbitt, and a presentation on the 

Long-Range Planning Committee by Trustee Mike Damas. 

Recognizing that an independent school education is an 

important investment, the topics that were explored included 

how tuition dollars are spent, how the School’s income and 

expenses compare to other area independent schools, why the 

school needs an Annual Fund, why an Endowment is important 

to the School, and what is ahead for The Key School. Building 

on the success of this special event, volunteers plan to hold 

another educational evening in 2007-2008. 


33

Activities of the Finance and Buildings and Grounds 

Committees were once again robust during the 2006- 

2007 fiscal year. 

Finance Committee 

The Finance Committee, chaired by Jim Praley, 

focused its attention in the following areas: 

Finance 

Audit Committee 

Though the Finance Committee oversaw the independent 

audit in the past (and will continue to do 

so), the creation of an Audit Committee was seen 

as a means of more closely reviewing audit procedures, 

school business practices and ever changing 

financial regulations. Chaired by Marie Brockhurst, 

this committee updated the Key School Statement 

of Financial Principles, record retention, and cash 

receivables policies. The Committee held several preaudit 

meetings with the independent auditors and 

established a timetable for the 2007 fiscal year audit 

process including delivery and presentation to the 

Finance Committee and Board of Trustees. 

and Operations 

Ken Piel 

Director of Finance and Operations 

• creation of the Audit Committee 

• strengthening the financial reserves of the Schooloperational, 

PPRRSM, Endowment 

• Key School debt analysis 

Financial Reserves 

The establishment of both Operating 

and PPRRSM (physical plant renewal, 

replacement and special maintenance) 

reserves several years ago has solidified 

Key School’s financial status. The 

positive fund balance of 2005-2006 was directed to 

the permanent Operating and PPRRSM reserves 

and also to the creation of a Board directed special 

reserve in anticipation of a major expenditure on the 

Barn building. 


The Key School Endowment continued its 

impressive growth with the announcement of a 

spectacular gift of $1,125,000 from an anonymous 

Key School family, of which $920,000 

was earmarked for the Endowment. This most 

generous gift has lifted the Endowment to a 

current balance of $4,242,500. Trustee Jim 

Ellerson and the Investment Committee members 

have ably guided the growth of this most 

important component of Key School’s financial 

present and future. 

Debt Analysis 

In anticipation of a much needed renovation 

of the Barn building, the Finance Committee 

reviewed the financial position of the School 

in relation to its current debt. One of several 

planned meetings with bankers was held as 

Committee members deliberated on the possible 

increase of the School debt in order to 

finance the renovation project. Working closely 

with the Buildings and Grounds Committee, 

the Finance Committee will review both the 

design and cost estimates for this project in 

September, 2007 in order to make a recommendation 

to the Board of Trustees. 

Once again, Jim Praley skillfully guided 

committee members in spirited, constructive 

discussions which resulted in consensus and 

very beneficial planning. 

Buildings and Grounds 

Committee 

Manse Field 

School years have a beginning in September 

with the return of students and teachers and 

an end with graduation in June. The most 

dramatic work on the physical plant usually 

occurs during the “quiet” summer months. 

This past year was no exception. A drive by the 

Key School campus during July and August 

would have convinced most passersby that the 

School had returned to its agrarian roots. The 

Manse Field was literally removed and replaced 

with new top soil, irrigation and rolled carpet 

turf. The haphazard spider web of sidewalks 

between the Manse, Arts Building, Farmhouse, 

and Pre-School was removed, re-designed and 

replaced with a sidewalk system of exposed 

aggregate concrete. In the process, the Pre- 

School playground area was increased and a 

new Lower School outdoor climber structure 

was designed and installed. 

Grounds Planning Committee 

The Grounds Planning Committee, composed 

of faculty and staff representatives from all divisions, 

worked closely with the Buildings and 

Grounds Committee as it brought to completion 

the first Landscape Master Plan for Key 

School. Landscape architect and former Key 

parent, Gay Crowther, provided valuable expertise 

to committee members as specific areas for 

landscaping were discussed. During the fall of 

2007 recommendations for funding of specific 

phases of the Master Plan will be presented 

to the Buildings and Grounds Committee for 

review and presentation to the Finance Committee 

and Board. 

Barn Project 

Members of the Buildings and Grounds 

Committee focused much of their attention 

on the Barn renovation project. A competitive 

architectural review resulted in the naming of 

Hammond-Wilson as architecture firm for the 

design of the renovation. An MEP (mechanical, 

electrical, plumbing) review of the existing 

Barn structure was conducted with the good 

news that the “bones” of the Barn were strong. 

Architects met with a committee of Middle 

and Upper School faculty and administrators 

several times to determine the wishes and 

needs for the Barn. Under the tireless direction 

of Steve Rabbitt, Committee Chair, a commitment 

to present the Board with a design and 

cost estimate in September, 2007 was made. 

Campus Security 

In a continuing effort to enhance the safety 

and security of The Key School community, the 

Buildings and Grounds Committee recommended 

and received approval for a significant 

expenditure for improved exterior door locks on 

all exterior doors and replacement doors in several 

locations. Campus-wide communication 

has also been improved by means of upgrades 

to the existing phone system. 

In summary, Key School achieved solid results 

in its financial operations for the 2006-2007 

fiscal year which has allowed for increases in 

its financial reserves, continued upgrades to the 

physical plant, and growth of its Endowment. 

In my 25 years of experience in independent 

school financial management, I have never 

witnessed, nor been privileged to receive the 

hard work, thoughtful guidance and good 

humor of such a talented and dedicated group 

of Trustees as those men and women who serve 

on the Finance and Buildings and Grounds 

Committees. My thanks to all! 


35

Grandparents’ and Family Friends’ Day 

In May, more than 450 guests joined students 

from Pre-School through Middle School for 

the 2007 Grandparents’ and Family Friends’ 

Day. With the support of Key’s enthusiastic 

teachers and parent volunteers, this very 

special event invited guests to share in the 

Key experience through art, music and dance 

with their host students. Pre-School began 

their day with a much-enjoyed assembly 

filled with songs and special activities, Lower 

School guests shared a full morning with 

their host students in a variety of academic 

classes including music, foreign language, 

and art, and Middle School guests visited 

classrooms and enjoyed lunch with other 

students, grandparents, and friends. Activities 

and performances filled the entire day and 

grandparents and special friends expressed 

their praise of our School, students and 

teachers when they joined together at a 

reception. During the reception, Head of 

School Marcella Yedid welcomed guests, and 

grandparent Carol Hall spoke to the audience 

about her love of Key and the benefits of 

Key School’s program for her entire family. 

A delightful performance by the Chamber 

Choir, directed by Fine and Performing Arts 

director Rick Layton, entertained the audience 

and provided a glimpse into the wonderful 

opportunities available to students in the 

future when they become Upper School 

students. This bi-annual intergenerational day 

was a special opportunity for our visitors to 

participate in the day-to-day life of Key. 


Annual Fund Volunteers 

This year’s Annual Fund success would not have been possible without an exceptional group of volunteers whose commitment was seen and felt by 

parents, grandparents, teachers, alumni, and friends alike. Through one-on-one conversations, hundreds of phone calls during phonathons, and stacks of 

hand-written notes, these volunteers helped to tell the story of the importance of the Annual Fund and the need for support from all corners of The Key 

School community. Many thanks to all of the following enthusiastic and loyal volunteers: 

Annual Fund Parent Chairs 

Leslie and Steve Gruskin 

Parent, Alumni and 

Student Volunteers 

Randi and Jon Altschuler 

Chuck Anthony 


Alex Baca ’07 

Mark Baganz and Laurie Salladin 

Grant Hughes-Baldwin ’07 


Jeannie Berkinshaw ’01 

Peter Biché 


Dana Cooksey 

Mike Damas 


Chris Ellis 

Jacob Finley ’07 

Lynette Fuhrmann 

Leslie and Steve Gruskin 

Alyson Hall 

Carol Hall 

Chelsea Hartman ’07 

Laurie Heacock 

Niels and Barbara Holch 



Anne and Michael Marvin 

Lori and Jerry Mathis 

Marie McCarthy 

Zenji Nakazawa 

Ginny Nayden 

Tony Olmert 


David Plott 

Steve Rabbitt 

Larry Rose 

Jerry Sparer 

John ’77 and Juliette Tower 

Parents of Alumni (pals) 


Grandparents 

Carol Hall 

Current/Former Trustees 


Niels Holch 

Jerry Sparer 

Annual Fund Club Levels 

Manse Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,000 + 

Gazebo Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000 + 

Gold Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000 + 

Founders Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 + 

Head of School Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,000 + 

Benefactors Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,500 + 

Blue and White Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,750 + 

Key Leaders Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000 + 

1958 Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500 + 

Obezag Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $250 + 

Key Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100 + 

Young Alumni Leadership Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50 + 

Advancement Volunteers 

Advancement Committee 

The Key School Advancement Committee oversees the School’s 

fundraising efforts, setting priorities for current and future 

fundraising activities and helping to further educate the entire Key 

School community about the needs of the School. 

Niels Holch, Chair 

Jon Altschuler 


Peter Biché 

Mike Damas 



Alyson Hall 

Carol Hall 

Jessica Hodge 

Lori Mathis 



Major Gifts Committee 

The Major Gifts Committee’s priority is to significantly increase the School’s 

Endowment with a goal of reaching $5 million by 2008-2009, Key’s 50th 

Anniversary. Members of this committee solicit major gifts on behalf of The 

Key School. The current Endowment stands at $4,242,500. 

Randi Altschuler 



Lynne Davidson 

Niels Holch 


Jerry Sparer 


37

Ways of Giving to The Key School 

When considering a gift to Key, there are many opportunities that will not only support the excellence of the School’s outstanding programs, 

but may also provide a tax-deductible contribution to the donor. 

Cash Contributions 

Unrestricted gifts of cash are the most popular and easiest way to 

support The Key School. The School accepts gifts of cash, checks, and 

payments by Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Checks should 

be made payable to The Key School. 

Installment Payments Using EFT 

A pledge can be paid by spreading the payments over several months 

(specified by the donor) through Electronic Funds Transfer which will 

automatically debit your checking or savings account each month. 

Please contact the Advancement Office for more details on how to get 

started on this trouble-free method of giving. 

Matching Gifts 

The impact of a contribution can be greatly increased by a matching 

employer gift. When considering a donation, consult with your 

employer, and, if applicable, forward the completed matching gift form 

to the Advancement Office with your contribution. A matching gift can 

dramatically increase your support for the School. 

Stocks and Securities 

Gifts of stocks or securities benefit the donor and the School. This type 

of gift is a tax-deductible contribution and the donor may avoid paying 

capital gains tax on the appreciated stock or security. Your broker and 

the Advancement Office can provide information and assistance. 

Deferred or Planned Gifts 

Gifts of real estate, tangible personal property, bequests, life insurance, 

and Charitable Trusts are of great value to the School and may provide 

many advantages to the donor. Please contact your personal financial 

advisors or the Advancement Office for information on planned giving 

opportunities. 


Credits 

Director of Advancement: Debbie Richardson 

Annual Fund Director and Annual Report Editor: Mary Spencer 

Alumni Director: Crystal Watkins ’99 

Advancement Services Director and Parents’ Association Liaison: Deb Crnkovic 

Administrative Assistant and Database Manager: Sally Palmquist 

Graphic Design: Peña Design, Inc. 

Photography: Donna Cole, Irfan Latimer, Ginny Nayden, Josh Reynolds ’91, Marjorie Ross, Mary MacLeod, 

Kathleen McCulloch, and Mary Spencer. Special thanks to members of the faculty 

who provided photography during the school year. 

We have made every effort to be as accurate as possible in compiling our lists of donors. If your name has been listed incorrectly or omitted, please 

contact the Advancement Office and accept our very sincere apologies. 

The Key School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, color, sexual orientation, or national origin in administration of its 

educational policies, admission policies, financial aid and loan program, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

TheKey - Key School

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