Magazine - Old Trail School

ld Trail SchoolMagazineSummer 2007

Inspiringthe promisein each childAdministrationJohn S. FarberHead of SchoolMichael W. DuffMiddle School DirectorStephen DrosdeckIntermediate School DirectorLuann WilliamsPrimary School DirectorSusan HoldingDirector of AdmissionMission StatementOld Trail School is a Preschool through Grade Eight Independent, coeducational day school nestledwithin the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Founded in 1920, the School, in partnership with itsfamilies, is dedicated to nurturing children by developing a strong academic foundation, a respectfor themselves and others, and a love of learning.Old Trail School cherishes the creative spirit in each child and is committed to a stimulating liberalarts curriculum with high academic standards which prepares students to thrive in challengingsecondary schools. The student community is diverse, consisting of motivated, capable learners,who are guided by teachers, parents, and often, by their peers. The faculty are supportive rolemodels and caring, engaging educators. They are valued by our families for their creativity, theirpassion for teaching and learning and, most of all, for their joy in being a part of this vibrantcommunity.The ultimate goal of Old Trail School is to support young people as they pass through childhoodand early adolescence, into a society where they emerge as thoughtful and constructive citizenswith integrity, confidence and a desire to be of service to others.Vision StatementOld Trail's vision is to be a student-centered, academically challenging, financially wellendowedSchool that will serve as a national model of educational excellence. Students willgrow intellectually, ethically, emotionally and socially through a forward-looking, creative anddevelopmental curriculum enhanced by a supportive community partnership of faculty and families.With campus facilities adjacent to a national park that are both traditional and innovative, anexceptional faculty, and a diverse student body, the School strives for the height of academicexcellence and the deepest personal and moral responsibility.John S. HeapsDirector of External ProgramsDelores J. QuinnChief Financial OfficerAmy C. WongDirector of DevelopmentPublications StaffJulie MillerEditorContributorsJudy BrookhartBonnie ChildsViki HenschenSusan HoldingBeth WatsonPhotographersMike DuffViki HenschenMarianne LaRoseJulie MillerBob VogelSpecial thanks to:Katie Naymon ‘07Katie spent much of hersummer assisting with thecreation of this issue. Wethank her for her creativity,dedication and maturity.Editorial StatementOld Trail School Magazine ispublished three times per yearby Old Trail School and is sentto parents, grandparents, alumniand friends.Core ValuesRespect, Responsibility, Goodness and ServiceNon-Discrimination PolicyOld Trail School admits studentsof any race, religion, or nationaland ethnic origin to all rights,privileges, programs and activitiesgenerally accorded or madeavailable to students at the School.It does not discriminate on thebasis of any of the above in theadministration of its education andadmissions policies, scholarshipand loan programs, athleticsor other school-administeredprograms.

Old Trail SchoolMagazineSummer 2007Welcome to a glimpse of Old Trail School. It is with pride and pleasure that we share our creative learning environment that stimulatesstudents to learn and have fun in the process. This is also an avenue to inform prospective families about who we are and theenvironment we create. An eager spirit is carefully nurtured in each Old Trail School student. We strive everyday to live our Schoolmotto: Inspiring the promise in each child. You will learn about our faculty's passion for teaching as well as the exciting andcreative ways they translate this to their lessons. If you are not familiar with Old Trail School, we encourage you to call and drop in fora visit. You will be warmly welcomed.Table of Contents2 From the Head of School86 Faculty Profiles8 What's New9 Grade Level Profiles6101414 Celebrating the Class of 200716 Campus Highlights21 Alumni Awards23 Alumni Annotations27 Development16Please enjoy some student quotes answering the question, "What's greatabout Old Trail School?" on the upper corner of many pages in this issue.Design and printing by Hudson Printing, LLC. sScrabble ® © 2007 Hasbro, Inc. Used with permission.

Middle SchoolMike Duff, Middle School DirectorIn mid-May, I met with fifth grade parents whose children will be coming intothe Middle School this fall. I have done this annually for a number of years andit is a happy occasion, one in which we can speak optimistically about humandevelopment, our commitment to young people and our shared responsibility to letgo and become vulnerable as parents and educators of these wannabe adolescentswho are beginning to bristle at the pull of the bit.photo by Chris Davey ‘08As part of this program, I invite some sixth grade parents to share a story, adage, or anecdote about their soon-tobe-completedsixth grade year, and like every year before, these parents—who are all younger than I—demonstratehumor, wisdom and gratitude for our school. It is a little community event that speaks volumes about Old TrailSchool, a place of learning, virtue and fun. What struck me this year about listening to these calm and attentiveparents is how much our school, and our world, will be changing for them and for their kids in the next decade—bythe time they are ready to be contributing adults. That once idealized world of global citizenry is now upon us andour children, and the activism that will surely emanate from right-thinking and progressive schools like OTS is sureto be resonant, and for some, a frightening challenge.This past winter, John Farber and I attended the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annualconference, entitled People, Planet, Purpose: Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future. It seemed that all of themany workshops and lectures I attended referenced globally dire situations that need to be fixed: climate change,genocide, pandemic avian flu, poverty and population. One could be driven to despair at the complexity anddiversity of these issues that face us and our children. But because this was a convention of optimistic educators,hope did prevail, even among the ashes of general discontent and alarm. One morning we heard Mary Robinson,former President of Ireland, lamenting the United States' inability to adopt the Convention on the Rights of a Child,while the next afternoon Azar Nafasi (Reading Lolita in Tehran) regaled us with the role that fiction has in forcingus to ask “Who am I?”Most presenters urged schools to teach and encourage activism. Old Trail is proud of the character education weattempt to engender under our core values of Respect, Responsibility, Goodness and Service, about which we remindstudents, not just in the calendar quarters in which they are referenced, but daily. We annually reference “service”in the spring and students undertake projects and initiatives that we hope will sensitize them to their obligation toserve. We will strive to make service and service learning even more active and genuine to our school communityin years to come with more meaningful local and global connections. We believe that teaching service cultivatesactivism in its most basic form, and that people who serve will learn to shed some of the trappings of westernconsumerism and abundance, the very things that help contribute to social injustice and ecological degradation.Late in the school year, a cohort of OTS teachers viewed Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, which is alreadybecoming part of the canon of our seventh grade life science program. Will your child's opinion have an impact onyour next automobile purchase, or to your using compact fluorescent light bulbs in your home? I hope so. I hopeso for my children and for yours.To exist is to co-exist.Gabriel Marcel3

“At Old Trail,you areallowed toset your ownpace.”Intermediate SchoolStephen Drosdeck, Intermediate School DirectorWhat is it like to be the new guy in a new school? That's certainly a questionwe can imagine being asked as we welcome new families to our School. It'salso a question we can ask of the School's new Intermediate School Director,Stephen Drosdeck, who joined Old Trail on July 1.As mentioned in John Farber's article, the School decided to restructure thedivisions early in 2007 and the new Intermediate School was created. Afteran extensive search, Stephen was selected and accepted the position. Hecomes to Old Trail from his position as Executive Director of the ClevelandCouncil of Independent Schools (CCIS) of which Old Trail is a member.Stephen has a long history as an educator with positions at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as wellas a long tenure at Hawken School where he served as Associate Head of School and Lower School Director. Heis a graduate of Connecticut College with a B.A. in child development and psychology and received his M.Ed. ineducation and child study from Smith College.He hails from Stamford, Connecticut, and moved to the Cleveland area in 1992 with his family. He met his wife,Carola, at Smith College and they have been married for 26 years. They have two sons, Tyler and Devon, whoboth attended Hawken. Carola has been teaching fifth grade in the Shaker Heights Public Schools for the past eightyears. Devon, 23, has a history degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where he lives. Tyler, 25,has an integrated arts degree from Bard College and lives in Brooklyn, NY.According to Stephen –Joining the OTS family . . . “Old Trail has an excellent reputation – both within the CCIS community andthe greater Northeast Ohio region. OTS stood out as having most of what I was looking for: a good matchphilosophically; highly dedicated, excellent faculty; forward thinking administration; a working environmentthat is warm and caring - a family atmosphere. Professionally, I thrive best in an environment with an activeintellectual discourse on teaching and learning. So, the combination of division directing, curriculum andprofessional development at OTS seems just the right match.”Biggest challenge in your new position . . . “Understanding the culture and learning about the people(colleagues, children, families) is a big challenge in an administrative position at a new school. You can getaway with “I don't know, but I'll find out and get back to you” for only so long! The inner workings tend to beimplicit rather than explicit in independent schools. “How we do things” are seldom written down. That can bemore difficult in a school with little institutional memory – something I've experienced elsewhere. Luckily, theinstitutional memory is deep at OTS, so, I have plenty of resources and doors to knock on to seek information.”Educating children . . . “Children learn by constructing knowledge – by interacting with their environment,by creating and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships, by mastering skills, and by assimilating newknowledge, ideas, attitudes, and information. One hallmark of an extraordinary school experience is beingencouraged and allowed to find one's voice along that journey. While experiencing a shared curriculum andprogram, such growth is fostered through the development of individual competencies and talents as well as thepursuit of personal interests.”His approach . . . “This is a journey that should help children discover their potential and find meaning in theirlives. Adults sustain children along the way by displaying positive attitudes, approaches and a healthy doseof humor; by maintaining high standards and expectations balanced with realistic goals; and by believing thatproblem solving and responsible decision-making is a way of life that requires support and guidance in social,emotional and academic settings.”Looking forward . . . “I'm excited about working with the faculty and staff to create the best IntermediateDivision possible.”4 w w w . o l d t r a i l . o r g

Primary SchoolLuann Williams, Primary School DirectorOld Trail's Lower School is undergoing extensive organizational changes and Iam looking forward to watching the School's two new divisions unfold! I will berunning the new Primary Division which includes three areas for our youngeststudents: traditional classrooms (kindergarten – grade 2), preschool classes andseveral early childhood options for our youngest children including story hour, atoddler-adult class and a young three-year-old class.The Primary School fosters academic learning, social skills and emotional growth in all children with each day,providing opportunities to explore, share, question and think while interacting with teachers and each other. Thereare also many opportunities for speakers, field trips, demonstrations and special activities that are tied to thecurriculum.In addition to the classroom activities, our students experience rich programs in music, art, Spanish, physicaleducation and science that enrich learning, give students practice with transitions and tie the curriculum togetherin an interdisciplinary way. For example, children are able to immerse themselves in the study of Japan, insects,the desert, marine life and other child-friendly topics through reading and science lessons. They write about them,indulge in computer projects, engage in math activities based on the curriculum and create artistic pieces related totheir studies.Primary School advisory time is sacred as teachers guide the students' social and emotional growth. Our corevalues of Respect, Responsibility, Goodness and Service are woven into these discussions and help the childrenlearn, live and grow together. Using directed teaching activities and teachable moments, everyone learns aboutSchool and classroom expectations, procedures and routine. The children may role play, participate in discussions,join planned activities or listen to stories that center around our core values.Often my inspiring experiences center around our incredible teachers and staff. Our teachers constantly give ofthemselves, volunteering to take an extra recess, staying very late to make something extraordinary happen for thechildren the next day, coming in early to meet with parents, attending special events in the evening, helping a childlocate a splinter, cleaning up a spill or searching for a lost item. There are daily instances when a child is in crisisand I see his or her teacher say exactly the right thing to help.Parents, too, can be a motivating force as I move through my day. Sometimes it is a particularly lively groupdiscussion, a passing moment at the coffee machine, or a phone call that brings a moment of sharing. Every day isdifferent. Each time I need a lift, I just step out into the hall to find a satisfying moment, a stimulating experienceor an inspirational encounter. This is a wonderful place for children, and I feel so lucky to be involved with aschool that has a mission such as ours.This summer officially marks a milestone for me: It is hard to believe, but I have spent half my life working at OldTrail. The most rewarding pieces of my day center around interactions with the children--handing them silverwareat lunch and listening for their “thank you,” reminding them to walk in the halls on the way to recess and creatinga moment for quick conversation with a child that may not often get a chance to talk to me. I love the momentswith children outside at dismissal time as we put the children in their cars and the moments in the morning whenthey hop off the bus and run toward the building, eager to start their days. All of these moments are times when Ican touch the children's lives in a personal way. They make my work worthwhile.5

“We get towrite poemsand doexperiments.”1 yearSusan AlexanderFourth Grade TeacherOne year of serviceIf you're looking for OTS' newest fourthgrade teacher, Susan Alexander, you mightwant to head to a beach. That's whereSusan and her family are drawn wheneverpossible. Susan was lucky to receive thehighly coveted “window seat” room whenshe came to Old Trail for the 2006-07school year and couldn't be happier. “I feellike I'm finally where I'm supposed to be,”Susan said.Susan spent 13 years in a variety of otherteaching assignments prior to coming toOld Trail. These included 10 years in theHilliard City Schools in the Columbus area,teaching fifth and sixth grades in a brandnew school with a less traditional setting.She has also taught preschool, kindergartenand first grade as well as teachingonline with an eSchool, her most recentposition before joining OTS. The eSchoolexperience was unique in that she taughtprimarily home-schooled children andwhile the technology aspect was incredible,6 yearsJim BurnsBand TeacherSix years of service“It's like teaching inheaven,” says Jim Burns,instructor for sixththrough eighth gradeband and fourth gradestrings. His “heavenly”experience began sixyears ago when he waslured out of retirementby Jim Martin, creatorof the OTS band program. After teachingfor more than 30 years in the CuyahogaFalls system, Jim is delighted by thestudents' eagerness to learn and is alwaysimpressed by the parental support givento the band program. “When I expressa need, the Parents' Association stepsright in and helps. In my past positionin the public schools, requests for newinstruments could take as long as fiveyears.”6 w w w . o l d t r a i l . o r gFaculty Profilesshe missed interacting with the studentsand families.When her husband, Kevin, took a job fouryears ago in Cleveland, the family movednorth. With their two sons, Kyle, 8, andConnor, 6, they found a new home in Medinaand are now closer to Kevin's originsin Bath. Susan has found her Old Trailexperience thus far to be wonderful. “Thereis such a great sense of community here.We have an amazing team of teachers andthe support from the parents is incredible.Everyone here puts children, first and thatis what we're all here to do," she said.The Alexanders make an annual pilgrimageto one of their favorite places, HiltonHead, South Carolina. “It's so relaxing andpeaceful there. We all just love the beach,”said Susan. Her boys both enjoy soccerand baseball so she spends much of her“free” time attending games. She is also anavid scrapbooker and enjoys keeping trackof her sons' lives through their scrapbooks.Music and singing are also among Susan'spassions and much of her childhood inWesterville, Ohio, was spent in musicaltheater productions.Jim, a life-long Akron-area resident, andhis wife, Carolyn, have been marriedfor 19 years and live in Mogadore. Theyhave a wonderful blended family withfour children (Matthew in Ft. Worth,Colleen in Cuyahoga Falls, Chelsea inAkron and Lindy in Columbus) and threegrandchildren (Nicholas, age 3, Tanner,age 1, and Nathaniel, six months.)When Jim isn't at home or at Old Trail,he and his wife are on the road with theCarolyn & Jim Burns Band, the houseband at the Azteca Mexican Restaurantin Akron for the last two years andformer house band at the Akron HiltonFairlawn. Jim says Carolyn's voice is a“gift from God,” and with him creating thearrangements and playing the keyboards,they are quite a duo. They have recentlyrecorded a new compact disc with 11songs sung in Spanish. Jim is also anarranger for the University of Akron'sLab Band, Kent State University's JazzEnsemble and the Akron SymphonyOrchestra.Susan also can't help but exude her truescarlet and gray colors as she talks abouther obsession with the OSU Buckeyes. Shereceived her undergraduate degree fromHeidelberg College and her master's fromThe Ohio State University, so she comes byher loyalty honestly.If you don't see Susan on her window seatreading a book with her students, youmight want to look around to see if there'sa tent pitched elsewhere in the classroom,as it often is. “We have such a wonderfulsetting for learning and we really make themost of it in fourth grade,” Susan said.Jim and Carolyn lead the Praise Team atthe Springfield Baptist Church and Jimhas recently applied for membership inthe Gideon Society, that places Bibles inhotel rooms throughout the world. Hereceived his undergraduate degree fromthe University of Akron and his master'sdegree from Kent State University, both inmusic education.One of Jim's most exciting accomplishmentsthis past school year was bringing JimMartin back to Old Trail. Jim retired severalyears ago due to a medical condition andTom Zeller joined the music staff at thattime. Tom's family relocated mid-yearand Jim was called on to fill in for theremainder of the school year. The twoJims are quite a team and enjoyed theopportunity to join forces again.Stop at Azteca some Thursday night andenjoy Jim and Carolyn's performance. Orlook for Jim and his grandson, Nicholas,a train fanatic, on the red caboose on thetracks in Kent.

12 yearsChristine SnyderMiddle School TeacherTwelve years of serviceDid you know that the earliest televisions were large cardboard boxes with miniature people livinginside? The problem was that the TV-watching folks of America got tired of seeing the same peopleplaying all the roles, from Ozzie and Harriet to the Cisco Kid, so eventually modern video technologysaved the day! This irreverent humor, told with a straight face, characterizes Christine Snyder, middleschool language arts and history teacher.Chris' college classes at Bowling Green State University focused on the teaching of art and French. After graduating, she appliedher skills in public school settings and also as a professional watercolorist and jewelry designer. Her passion was horses. Shecreated custom portraits of horses and equestrian-themed jewelry and still “dabbles” in this fun, interesting, stimulating artisticoutlet, but as Chris says, “It doesn't pay the bills.”She first came to Old Trail as a French teacher in 1995, and when a language arts position became available she made thetransition, for she loves literature and loves to write, especially poetry. Originally attracted by the serenity and natural beautyof the campus, Chris says that now it is the almost ideal teaching environment that binds her to our school – small classes;motivated, curious students; people who want to be here every day; committed colleagues and extremely nice families.Still, her passion waits for her at the stable. “Colby” is ninth in a succession of stunning thoroughbreds that were formerracehorses. Chris comes by this love naturally, as her great-grandparents bred horses in Europe and her grandfather was a racingsteward. As an eight-year-old, she balanced her time between her first pony and her voracious reading. These two enthusiasmshave been sustained over time.As a teenager, Chris was so drawn to Holden Caulfield in “Catcher in the Rye” that she read the book 20 times. Today, Chris stillhas an unfulfilled ambition – to write a young adult novel. She has already written the plot in dramatic form, as a contemporaryplay filled with diversity, intriguing characters, with a talking dog named Mr. Piddles as the narrator! Her one tip for aspiringwriters – “read, read, read everything you can get your hands on!!”21 yearsJulie SchweierPreschool TeacherTwenty-one years of serviceOn the first day of every school year, Julie Schweier comesto Old Trail School saying to herself, “Boy, this is going to befun!” And for someone whose motto in life is: if it is not fun,don't do it, this is a wonderful thing. Although Julie claimsher favorite thing is being with her family, she qualifies thatby saying her favorite time is the first day of school each year.She is scared and excited, just like the kids, with their shinyshoes and eager eyes. It doesn't take long for Julie to create hermagic, settle down with the children and become a workingteam!When Julie was making a career choice, the options for mostwomen were to be a nurse, a secretary or a teacher. Howfortunate it was that she hated blood and couldn't file, whichleft her the choice that we are all pleased that she made.Coming to Old Trail School was serendipity. Years ago, an OldTrail parent mentioned that the School was about to start apreschool and encouraged Julie to attend a Saturday Drop-In. Julie did, and was so impressed with the school that sheimmediately submitted her resume and was hired.Julie truly enjoys working withyoung children because everyday brings new and differentexperiences. She appreciates andidentifies with the literal qualities ofa young child. When she was inkindergarten, her teacher would say,“The clock tells me it's time to cleanup” and young Julie would go andstand near the clock and be veryquiet as she tried to hear the clockspeak. Another characteristic Julieshares with her young classmates isthat she is quite energetic and likesto move around, a useful trait for ateacher of active youngsters.Although Julie says her work is her hobby, her other enjoyableoccupations are working in her garden, reading, knitting,quilting, sewing and baking bread. Julie has raised threechildren. Each summer, her family likes to travel to MonheganIsland in Maine. Julie has cherished this experience both as achild and in her adult years. She looks forward to spending timethere with her husband while making new plans for her OTSstudents in the fall.7

“The greatestthing aboutkindergartenis WritingWorkshop!”What's New?Little Readers ProgramIf you come to the OTS Library on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, chancesare you'll see children, accompanied by an adult, nestled in our comfortablelibrary listening to a variety of stories and participating in finger plays andsongs. The highlight of the morning is when the children check out books fromthe library for pleasure reading at home with their parents. A precious canvasbook bag is borrowed to carry books to and from home each week.This wonderful program introduces Old Trail's first steps in literacy.Little Readers ProgramTuesday and Thursday morningsOpen to the publicToddler-Adult ProgramThis fall, Old Trail School will begin a new program in the PrimaryDivision. A toddler-adult program will emphasize the first steps thattake place in a preschool setting. Art, music, play, story time andphysical education will be guided by early childhood teacher LynnZidones, who filled in when second grade teacher Laine Vereeken wason maternity leave last spring. Creating a classroom in which childrenfeel confident and secure is our main goal.Old Trail looks forward to creating a learning environment for adultsas well as children. While little ones are busy playing and workingat adult-guided activities, parents will have the chance to discussareas of childhood development with the classroom teacher. LuannWilliams, Primary School Director, and our school psychologist areplanning several breakout sessions for adult education throughoutthe year. This new beginning in our Early Childhood division not onlygives the children and parents the opportunity for learning but alsohelps build relationships that will last a lifetime.Toddler-Adult ProgramFridays - 8:30 - 10 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. - noonYoung Threes ProgramOld Trail School welcomes a new program in the Primary Division. Two mornings a week, parentswill say goodbye to their young ones as they are greeted by Lynn Zidones and Cheryl Gentle, ourExtended Day Care program instructor, in their new classroom setting. Community and explorationare the focus in this stimulating new environment. Each child will begin his/her day with choiceswithin the classroom. Dramatic play, art, blocks, a cozy book corner and a manipulative center area few of the areas that will be offered for cognitive and social growth. Respect and patience willbe modeled and encouraged. Lynn and Cheryl look forward to creating an educational atmospherethat makes children feel safe and loved. Each child's cognitive growth is considered when planningindividual and group activities. Children will have opportunities to meet the School's librarian, LowerSchool science teacher and begin Spanish enrichment. In addition, gross motor and movementopportunities will be provided indoors as well as outside in our beautiful park setting. Old Trail is veryexcited to welcome the classes of 2019 and 2020 to our community.Young Threes ProgramWednesdays & Thursdays - 9-11:30 a.m.Contact the Admissions Office for more information - 330-666-11188 w w w . o l d t r a i l . o r g

PreschoolLiteracy In PreschoolPreschoolers are becoming reading lovers from their first introduction to literacy in the classroom through a day-todayprogression that accelerates throughout the year. This is accomplished thanks to the outstanding effort by ourpreschool teachers: Susan Atchison, Linda Golenski, Rachel Rich and Julie Schweier, who are true miracle workersthat turn preschoolers into reading lovers.In a different generation, writing notes to each other was an infraction of the rules and not tolerated. Not so inpromoting new literacy in our Old Trail classrooms. There is a message center in each room, stocked with suppliesrelated to writing – tape, glue, word cards, post-it notes, colored pencils and more. Each child has a messagebox, identified by a symbolic picture he or she has chosen. They write notes to each other, deposit them in theappropriate boxes, and await a reply. Parents are encouraged to participate by dropping their own personal notesinto mailboxes. No doubt that the replies are enjoyable and filled with phonetic learning. Children are encouragedto be creative and produce their own works of fiction and fun by writing stories and plays. They become emergingauthors writing and editing new creations based on stories that are read to them. They also role play and deviseother interesting characters to include in their writings.Even more fun is the Mystery Reader project. Anyone can volunteer to be a mystery guest. The guest gives theteacher three clues to read to the class about him or herself. The special visitor knocks on the classroom door threetimes and joins the students while they sit with their eyes closed trying to guess the identity of the mystery guest.After several attempts, the mystery guest settles down with a delightful story to read to the class. Suddenly theprinted words come to life and comprehension begins.Birthdays are a very important component of the literacy program. There is a small committee of children who gettogether and make a gift for each child on his or her birthday. They creatively find supplies available in the classroomand brainstorm perfect gifts. Teachers help the students gather books and material on the internet. In a blink of aneye, the literacy experience begins to unfold and the introduction to other curriculum areas such as math, scienceand social studies begins.Whether it is making a felt insect or writing a puppet presentation,the students work together in a print-rich environment to createa gift that is a work of art. What a wonderful way to encouragegenerosity of spirit and small group cooperation. Thanks to thecreative spirit of the miracle workers in preschool, the children passon to kindergarten quite prepared for the challenge of reading. Ourpreschool teachers marvel each year at the children who graduatefrom Old Trail and remember the beginning steps that their youngstudents took when starting their paths as a life-long readers.9

“There are alot of sportsto play andeveryone isincluded.”Grade 1Creepy Crawlies = Science FunUsually when we think of a classroom pet, we think of a four-legged, furry little animal that is noisy andsometimes smells bad. But the pets in the first grade classrooms are rose-haired tarantulas, named Rosie,Lightning and Ariadne. These large, hairy, Chilean spiders require little maintenance and feeding and areharmless to humans. They have no odor and don't affect people with allergies. They are pets to beobserved and not touched, so they live in glass terrariums where their behavior can be studied andenjoyed.First grade students study insects for the first half of the year and then learn about desert floraand fauna during the second semester. Their study is not only theoretical but practical. Studentsdelight in keeping a written record of their observations. Recently, the students found thattarantulas have an external skeleton. When they grow too large for it, they molt and leavethe hard exoskeleton behind. Two times in the last several years, Rosie has molted and left anexoskeleton for classroom learning.Each week, Rosie, Lightning and Ariadne eat live crickets and kill their prey using venomousfangs to inject a chemical into the crickets to dissolve and absorb the flesh. Yuck! Each firstgrade teacher creates interest in other curriculum areas when studying the tarantulas includinggeography, math investigation and Greek mythology. The excitement has spread to students inother grades when they visit the first gradeHave you ever heard of a Chilean rose tarantula? If you visithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chileanrosetarantula you will findinformation designed by our first grade students. Jodi Johnson,primary school science teacher, helped first grade students writeabout Chilean rose tarantulas and transcribe it to adult text forWikipedia. The students not only delighted in the process but nowproudly encourage their neighbors and family members to gatherinformation on Wikipedia.room to see the beautifully colored rosehairedtarantulas. This experience hasbeen a creative learning experience for thestudents, parents and faculty. Fears havebeen put to rest while listening to the firstgrade children talk about their knowledgeand observations. These unique pets areloved by all and have offered a comfortablelearning environment to our youngscientists.Bravo! Encore! And More!Friday afternoons are busy in Old Trail's second grade where you will findspotlights, stages, props and curtain calls along with a host of young performerspreparing for their stage debut. This is the weekly hustle and bustle of FridayPerformances in the second grade.Laine Vereecken, second grade teacher, created this program seven years ago.Friday Performances provide weekly opportunities for students to improve theirfluency while speaking in public and rotate between the three classes eachweek, allowing students from each classroom the opportunity to be highlightedthroughout the year.At the beginning of each week, students choose two poems that they would liketo perform, one of which must be memorized. Students are given 10 -15 minuteseach day to practice their poems and also make props to accompany their pieces.By the end of the week, they are ready to perform their poems in front of anaudience of fellow second graders, teachers and parents. Performances take placeon a stage with a curtain, spotlight and microphone.Grade 2“It's amazing to see what the kids are able to do and how much their self confidence improves throughout the school year,” saidsecond grade teacher, Barb DiTirro. “The parents are always astounded at their growth as performers over the course of the year,”added second grade teacher Mary Ann Porrata.Friday Performances encourage students to focus on eye contact, expression and pace of performance while executing a piece thatis pleasing to the audience. These skills not only help students as public speakers, but also prepare them for the third grade's oralbook reports. By the end of the school year, the second graders have mastered the art of performing and the craft of public speakingand are ready for all that third grade has in store.10 w w w . o l d t r a i l . o r g

Grade 3Creating Creative Third GradersWatercolor and tempera painting. Pencil, marker, crayon, pastel and white markerdrawing. Wire sculpture design. Clay pot creation. Sounds like a brochure for theCleveland Institute of Art doesn't it? Well guess again! This is just part of Old Trail'sthird grade fine arts curriculum.Throughout the year, the third graders continue a sequence that begins inkindergarten, working on a variety of projects that build on skills they've learnedeach year. These skills are repeated and further developed during third grade. Forexample, in first and second grade, students learn about the printing process andthen in the third grade they actually use the printing press for the first time.Students are exposed to a broad range of media to further develop their creative thinking abilities. Art class meets twice each cycleunder the guidance of Kathy Sapienza, an OTS teacher for 18 years and mother of Zoe ‘09. Students draw from reality as well as theirimaginations as they work on new projects both inside and outside on our beautiful campus, a perfect setting for sketching landscapes.Art lessons reflect classroom lessons whenever possible, relating to the study of space, architecture, colonial times, prairie biomes andmore. For example, when students are learning about the prairie biomes in science class, they select an animal to research. This animalthen becomes the object of a sketching assignment in art class that includes the concepts of composition, foreground and background.Each third grader creates a self portrait, while looking in a mirror, and also models for other students. Favorite art projects are alwaysclay and weaving. Students learn that it is acceptable not to like every medium and that they will eventually land on one or more areasthat they enjoy. At the end of the year, students receive a portfolio containing all of their creations for the year so that they can put on apersonal art show at home. Kathy also provides a summary list of all of the projects with a list of terms and concepts so that the childrencan explain their work to their families.Each child and their family celebrates the year of creative work at the annual OTS Art Show in April.An Impressive LineupAt any given moment as one walks through the fourth grade hallway,harmonious and melodious voices engaged in teaching and learning are heard– occasionally punctuated with outbursts of laughter and choruses of marchingsongs. Then seemingly without advance warning, voices still, books close,papers rustle and more than 50 students file out into the halls and line up byhomeroom for their next class. There are a few moments of greeting and highfiving,and then they go into the room on schedule, ready for a new subject and anew teacher. To an outsider, it looks amazingly calm and well-coordinated. Theteachers and students know that this is the result of practice!Prior to fourth grade, students remain with their primary teacher for most of theday, a concept labeled “self-contained.” Though they do occasionally travel otherplaces, to special subjects and even to other teachers, Old Trail believes that it isimportant for each young student to develop a close, personal relationship with one adult.However, with the fourth grade year, as students mature both physically and cognitively, the daily structure changes.Grade 4All fourth grade students have homeroom teachers, but they also spend part of each day with the other two members of theteaching team. This gives students a chance to stand up and move and provides them more ability to focus. They also learn aboutdifferent teaching styles and voices, and it breaks up the day. The teachers also love it for the same reasons and because it givesthem the opportunity to specialize in one or two subject areas.Just imagine the skills that develop – students must be organized, learn time management, maintain daily planners and adjust todifferent expectations and personalities, just like the real world. These same skills also help the teachers grow. As fourth gradeteacher Holly Wilson says, “Fourth grade is all about procedure and routine. It is predictable and constant.” Dean Ruff lightensthe tone by pointing out that with each teacher being able to focus on what he or she loves, the students often grow to love thesubject too.The three teachers formally meet each day and exchange casual comments in the hall. Teacher Susan Alexander, believes thatthe perspective she gains on each child is a huge bonus. They plan and support each other and the students, while each teachercontinues to stay closest to those in his or her homeroom – which for a fourth grader is the best of both worlds!11

“ Here,people wantyouto succeed.”Connections Across the HallsWhat might you think a fifth grader and a kindergartner at Old TrailSchool could have in common? Certainly not height. Certainly notlocation in the building. Certainly not curriculum – guess again! Thewonderful connection between these two very different groups ofstudents is the Kindergarten-Fifth Grade Buddies Program. For 23years, this creative lower school program has been linking some of ouryoungest students with the oldest before they move on to Middle School. Though the fifthgraders are mentors, the relationship is not one-sided. Kindergarteners give enthusiasm andaffection, and both age groups are enrichedWhen school starts, the teachers in both grades get to know their classes. This gives theteachers time to determine what type of buddy would be best for each student. Althoughgender is considered, many times girls and boys are mixed with great success. After severalweeks, the matches are made and the classes begin their regular interactions.Kindergarten& Grade 5The buddy sessions rotate between fifth grade and kindergarten classrooms and they focus on academics, service and fun!During the first session each fall, the fifth graders bring their favorite books from when they were kindergartners and readthe books to their new buddies. There are several activities that are an annual part of the program. These include creatinggingerbread houses in December and “Buddy Books” in the spring. The students are also involved in community serviceprojects including creating Valentines for veterans, making litterbug bags and collecting litter together outside. They alsodesign placemats for Meals on Wheels clients.In numerous curricular areas, the buddies focus on the same concepts from different developmentally appropriate perspectives.For example, they take unique approaches to studying idioms – the kindergartners draw a picture of what they think theidiom means and then their buddy explains the idiom's actual meaning – this always proves to be a fun exercise. Both gradesstudy Japan, where together they create calligraphy and origami pieces and roll sushi. As part of Reading Workshop, sharingliterature goes full circle, when kindergartners read books they have written to their buddies at the end of the year.Exciting as the service and academic activities are, it is the “fun” that is most remembered. When the fifth graders returnfrom their annual fall trip to the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC), they entertain their buddieswith renditions of their camp songs. One of the most anticipated and exciting activities of the buddies' year is always theBuddy Swim. When the Middle School students vacate the building each spring on their school trips, the fifth graders and thekindergartners hit the pool for fun and frolic. It's hard to say if the swim or the many sledding excursions excite the buddiesmore.The buddies always complete their year with a picnic lunch outside on the circle. At the gathering this June, many of thefifth graders, who were once OTS kindergartners, said they have remained in contact with their own fifth grade buddies whoare now completing their sophomore years in high school. But that is too far in the future to consider now. The delight isin the moment. Joe Blanda says he loves connecting with Glenn Friedman, his kindergarten buddy. “It's always fun doingwork with him and playing too,” said Joe as he smiles at his young friend. Glenn grins back, “He is teaching me to fly paperairplanes and it's very cool!”12 a l u m n i @ o l d t r a i l . o r g

Middle Schoolers Work it All OutWe often hear how important it is that the mind, the body and the spirit are in balance. This is no more in evident than in themiddle school physical education and athletics program. Throughout sixth, seventh and eighth grades, a wide variety of sportsoptions are offered, most of the time with accompanying after-school interscholastic competition. Our young athletes learn notonly skills and strategies, but also the essential concepts of honor, integrity, grit, discipline and fair play. Though winning iswonderful, it is not everything. Meeting individual goals and selfless teamwork are equally valued.The sixth grade program allows students to explore multiple sports and develop skills through instruction and intramurals. Inthe two subsequent grades, skills are honed and the Old Trail name and colors are championed. At the same time, the physicaleducation department offers a number of non-competitive options during the school year. Ronald Teunissen van Manen(“Mr. T”), OTS athletic director says, “We are keen on offering a diverse curriculum, so we offer at least one activity that doesn'trequire interscholastic competition.”Physical education options with an interscholastic competition component include sports for boys, girls and co-ed teams. Theseinclude: soccer, tennis, cross-country, field hockey, track, swimming, softball and basketball. Instructional classes without theafter-school competitive component include: international games, badminton, biking, saber fencing, table tennis, step aerobicsand water games. Golf and lacrosse are not available now but may be sometime in the future.Students practice skills during physical education classes held during the day and therefore are not denied activities that theywant to play. With the exception of basketball, where space limitations and team size are factors, students are not cut. “Whatyou sign up for, you play,” Mr. T. cheerfully reports. The basketball coaches wrote a set of goals and expectations that couldapply to every team sport in the Middle School. These state that “students will play as part of a team which performs at theoptimum level within the framework of substantial participation of all athletes.”Two of our students recently came up the hill from a playing field, covered with mud, with a scraped knee and arms entwined.When asked how their team had fared, their enthusiastic answer sums up middle school sports, “We gave it all we got!”Middle School13

GraduationClass of 2007Graduates as they appear in the photo along with their chosen secondary schools:Row 1 (back)Kyle Bernlohr, Western Reserve Academy, Adam Novak, Walsh Jesuit H.S., Omar Sanyurah, Revere High School, Chris Tonge,Western Reserve Academy, Ryan Porcellato, St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S., Sam Freiberg, Gilmour Academy, Sajjan Patel, Hudson H.S.,Ricky Malson, Western Reserve Academy, Sean Concannon, Firestone H.S., Nathan Droba, Archbishop Hoban H.S.Row 2Michael Farber, Walsh Jesuit H.S., Chris Schott, Walsh Jesuit H.S., Tim Regula, Revere H.S., Sam Albert, Revere H.S., Tessa DiTirro,Firestone H.S., Rachel Blanda, Western Reserve Academy, Carley Stewart, Revere H.S., Colton Hudson, University School,Imani Scruggs, Copley H.S., Frank Adgate, Rocky Mountain River Academy, Manick Saran, Hudson H.S., Rocco LaRose,Archbishop Hoban H.S.Row 3Joe Vandermolen, St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S., Graham Hicks, Revere H.S., Alex Komrovsky, St. Edward's H.S., Meg Martinez,Western Reserve Academy, Vicky Hochschwender, Firestone H.S., Anna Burton, Archbishop Hoban H.S., Stephanie Nelson,Archbishop Hoban H.S., Claire Myerscough, Hathaway Brown School, Zach Wendeln, Western Reserve Academy, Daniel Gens,Hawken SchoolRow 4Drew Wise, Western Reserve Academy, Lesley Wellener, Hathaway Brown School, Jessie Wilson, Western Reserve Academy,Jenny Blanda, Western Reserve Academy, Erica Pacholewski, Walsh Jesuit H.S., Emma Krummel, Archbishop Hoban H.S.,Katie Naymon, Laurel School, Maddie Rosene, George School, Rosalie Woolf, Walsh Jesuit H.S., Casey Mazzotti, Archbishop HobanH.S., Conner Madison, Revere H.S., Daniel DiSanto, Hawken SchoolRow 5 (front)Jeananne Ayoub, Revere H.S., Shamara Costa, Archbishop Hoban H.S., Sonali Paul, Padua Franciscan H.S., Leigh Alexander,Revere H.S., Nancy Jones, Archbishop Hoban H.S., Eterne Merzeau, Archbishop Hoban H.S., Sarah Kuzmarski, Laurel School,Alex Turner, Emma Willard School14 w w w . o l d t r a i l . o r g

Scholarship RecipientsSeven students from the Class of 2007received merit scholarships to theirchosen secondary schools.Eleanor Axson and Casey Mazzotti bothreceived $300 scholarships to Archbishop HobanHigh School. Hoban's Endowment Fund andAlumni Association provide scholarships forcurrent students and incoming freshmen who arein excellent academic and disciplinary standing.An essay and a teacher recommendation wereused in the selection process.Katie Naymon will be attending Laurel School inthe fall. She received the Dream…Dare…Do MeritScholarship. Her interview, essay and teacherrecommendation were used in the selectionprocess. This $10,000 scholarship is awardedeach year to students who have distinguishedthemselves in academics and extracurricularactivities such as leadership, athletics, music andvolunteerism. The scholarship will be renewedeach year based on Katie's academic performance.Maddie Rosene will be attending George School,a boarding school in Pennsylvania, this fall. Shereceived the Anderson Scholarship, which isawarded to four incoming boarding students eachyear. To be selected for this $15,000 scholarship,students must have at least a B+ average,participate in the community, have potentialleadership and be committed to academicexcellence. This scholarship will be renewedeach year provided that Maddie continues todemonstrate these qualities.Three eighth graders received Western ReserveAcademy Merit Scholarships this year. MegMartinez and Zach Wendeln have eachreceived a $1,000 merit scholarship to berenewed each year based on their academicperformance. Jessie Wilson received the$35,800 full-boarding merit scholarship. Fourstudents are selected annually based on theirhigh academic achievement and additional talentsin areas such as art, music, volunteerism andathletics. Jessie's scholarship will also be renewedannually based on her academic performance.15

“I've madeso manywonderfulfriendshipshere.”Campus HighlightsDonna Axson Named Alice L. Wilson Volunteer of the Year AwardDonna Axson, mother of Eleanor ‘07 and James ‘09, received theAlice L. Wilson Volunteer of the Year Award at the Headmaster'sAssembly on May 29 in recognition of her nine years of dedicationas an OTS volunteer.“I was very excited. I had no indication that I was receiving anaward. I was very pleased,” Donna said about receiving the award.The Alice L. Wilson Volunteer of the Year Award was established in1987 by the OTS Board of Trustees to honor exemplary volunteerswho have qualities such as leadership, dedication, creativity andorganization.Bonnie Childs, Director of Constituent Relations and Events, presented Donna with the award, noting Donna's manyvolunteer positions such as auction co-chairman and president of the Parents' Association. She also helped with theHurricane Katrina service project two years ago. She organized volunteers and drove the fork lift. “Donna is so pleasantto be around and with her working, you know the job will get done very efficiently. She is always willing to take on newchallenges,” said Bonnie.“I love volunteering at Old Trail. The parents are so welcomed in the school. It is such a family.”Mr. T Receives McNamara AwardRonald Teunissen van Manen, physical education teacher and athletic director,received the coveted Catherine Silver McNamera Award in June. This awardrecognizes a faculty member's outstanding service to student achievement at OldTrail School. To be eligible for this award, the faculty member must have been atOld Trail for at least three years and demonstrate exceptional performance in theclassroom, creative teaching skills or achieve an accomplishment that leads tostudent achievement deserving of recognition.Old Trail community members that nominated Ronald noted that he is anexcellent physical education teacher and coach because of his calm, yet firm,nature and his enthusiasm for sports. He was also cited as an inspiring advisorand great role model to his seventh grade students.His students love to be around him because he makes sports so enjoyable. Hisadvisees greatly respect him, as does the rest of the Old Trail community. He is avibrant and passionate teacher and it shows in all of his endeavors. Ronald, whohas taught at Old Trail for 12 years, demonstrates a passion for athletics and theSchool.Bruce Silver, John Farber and Ronald Teunissen van ManenThe Catherine Silver McNamara Award was created in 1984 in memory ofCatherine ‘70 following her untimely death in 1983. Through this award, herfather, OTS Trustee Emeritus Bruce Silver, her late mother and former OTSlibrarian Peggy Silver, her sisters, Margie Silver Allen ‘68 and Patti Silver ‘72 andCatherine's husband, Robert McNamara, honor Catherine by giving recognition tothe Old Trail faculty, which “has played such a meaningful part in out lives, andwhich continues to make Old Trail a truly exceptional school.”The recipients' names are engraved on a plaque displayed in Firestone Hall andthe honoree receives funds for further education, travel, classroom teaching aidsor personal enrichment. The Catherine Silver McNamara Faculty Award fund isone of the school's named endowment funds and donations are always accepted.16 w w w . o l d t r a i l . o r g

Spring Sports WrapGirls' SoftballThe girls' fast pitch softball team had an excellent seasonthis year. A combined team of seventh and eighth gradersproved to be a very successful mix in most of their games.The girls worked incredibly hard in practice and gamesand it paid off in their great season as they finished witha 5-3 record. Special thanks to Coach John Conner andassistants Cheryl Baker and Katie Baker. Eighth graderson the team were Jeananne Ayoub, Jenny Blanda, RachelBlanda, Shamara Costa, Vicky Hochschwender, EmmaKrummel, Meg Martinez, Claire Myerscough, KatieNaymon, Erica Pacholewski, Sonali Paul, Maddie Rosene,and Carley Stewart. Seventh graders were Alex Eliopoulos,Heidi Foster, Annie King, Emily Masich, Rachel Nelson,Catherine Oravecz, Ann Preston, Jenna Romansky andLauren Young.Boys' TennisThe boys' tennis season record was 4-4 with two rain outsand one team forfeit. Nathan Droba held the first singlesspot all season. He played the toughest opponents butstill managed to defeat the players that had defeated himearlier in the season! Other singles players were RoccoLaRose at second singles and Sam Freiberg and ColtonHudson who shared the third singles spot. Up-and-comingseventh graders Nick Crisalli, Kwame Gaisie, Matt Krakoraand David Reeping added their talents. Coach John Pintolaboasted he never had a team of such gentlemen! Eighthgraders on the team were Daniel DiSanto, Nathan Droba,Sam Freiberg, Colton Hudson, Alex Komrovsky, RoccoLaRose, Sajjan Patel, Ryan Porcellato, Chris Schott, JoeVandermolen, Zach Wendeln and Drew Wise. Seventhgraders were Avery Behrens, Tyler Burgess, Nick Crisalli,Jonathan Dietrich, Kwame Gaisie. Max Hoover, RyanHuang, Matt Krakora, David Reeping, Mihir Shah andZach Zockoll.Track and FieldThe boys' and girls' track and field teams had verysuccessful seasons. All of the students practiced hard,and the work paid off when they set some new records(including Casey Mazzotti's new discuss record of 75'5" and a 200-meter relay record for teammates LesleyWellener, Stephanie Nelson, Halley Remen and CaseyMazzotti.) The girls' team won one meet, tied once andlost to two public schools. They also placed fourth out ofeight schools at the Hawken Invitational. The boys' teamwon three meets out of five and placed first out of the sixschools at the Hawken Invitational. The eighth graders onthe team were Casey Mazzotti, Stephanie Nelson, LesleyWellener, Frank Adgate, Kyle Bernlohr, Sean Concannon,Daniel Gens, Graham Hicks, Conner Madison, AdamNovak, Tim Regula, Omar Sanyurah and Imani Scruggs.The seventh graders were Tommy Adgate, Samah Ahmed,Morgan Barnett, Alexis Becker, Kimmy Berk, AbbyDankoff, Christopher Davey, Aaron Elsmore, James Forde,Allison Forhan, Brandon Hagans, Nathan Hulsey, MariaKissinger, Kyle Krueger, Amanda Merryweather, AlyssaMurray, Nina Napolitano, Raymond Parr, Alexander Perry,Halle Remen, Daniel Shisler, Stephanie Tabet, Will Woodsand Zachary Woznak.17

“You'reallowedto beyourselfhere.”Spring FlingThis spring, Old Trail continued with one of our longestrunning annual traditions: Spring Fling Day. Everystudent in the school was separated into two teams,red or blue, and played many games such as earth ball,water balloon toss and the always memorable tug-ofwar,in which every grade, including faculty and alumniparticipate. Many alums came to enjoy the festivitiesand to see their former teachers and friends. Afterthe games, students and families moved to the HoweMeadow for a picnic dinner and to play on inflatablesor run through the fire hose, courtesy of the Bath FireDepartment. Special thanks to event co-chairs AmyBowers and Darleen Beaver for their hard work.Spring MusicalThis spring, the OTS Performing Arts Department put on another fabulousmusical. The Boyfriend is a renowned musical by Sandy Wilson aboutParisian girls and their boyfriends that was first performed in London in1953.More than one-third of the seventh and eighth grade students performed andothers helped in stagecraft. Melanie Patterson, Middle School performing artsand sixth grade reading teacher, directed this successful show. The leads ofthe show were Maddie Rosene and Zach Zockoll. Other main characters wereplayed by: Tessa DiTirro, Nathan Droba, Emily Masich, Emma Krummel,Brittany Charleton, Joe Vandermolen, Rosalie Woolf, Anna Burton, StephanieTabet, Nathan Hulsey, Aaron Elsmore and Graham Hicks. An additional 33seventh and eighth graders also performed in the chorus or ensemble.Special thanks to all who helped contribute to the show's success, including:Abbey Studor, Cathy Krummel, John Novak, Doug Hicks, Joe Vandermolen,Jimmy Sobveski and Bill Mottice who assisted with costumes, set design andmusic.Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day - May 4The preschoolers were talking about Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day:“Grandmas have little black sticks that they have to help their feet and in thegrocery store they have a little cart that moves through the store.”“Grandparents have wrinkles on their cheeks that hang down. They are funnylooking.”“Grandpas have no hair.”This spring, more than 500 grandparents and special friends came to Old Trail forour annual Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day. They were treated to breakfastand then set off to watch their students in class. Some teachers prepared activitiesto do with the grandparents and friends like a current events game played in eighthgrade history. Photographs were also taken to commemorate the occasion. As always,it was a fun and memorable day. Special thanks to those grandparents who sponsoreda brick on our Grandparents' Wall of Fame that was created to honor students and theirgrandparents.18 w w w . o l d t r a i l . o r g

Meet the OTS Alumni CouncilAmy Pool ‘91, Alumni Council President, graduated fromWestern Reserve Academy in 1995 and Miami Universitywith a B.S. in 1999. She earned her M.Ed. from John CarrollUniversity. She currently teaches seventh grade reading atGarfield Heights Middle School and coaches the GarfieldHeights High School girls track team. Amy resides in Akronand volunteers at Akron General Medical Center.Andrew Anacki ‘05 will be entering his junior year at RevereHigh School where he is active on the football and baseballteams. He lettered in both sports as a sophomore. Andrew isa volunteer mentor for Revere's youth baseball and footballteams and a camp coach for youth football. This summer heis working as a camp counselor at a fitness center in Bath. Heenjoys golfing, astonomy, cars and fishing.Becky Babcox ‘69 received a B.A. from Emory Universityand an M.B.A. from The Ohio State University. She is retiredfrom her family's business, Babcox Publications. Becky hasalways been an avid community volunteer in Akron. Along withsupporting Old Trail in many ways, she has volunteered withthe Girl Scouts, the Junior League of Akron, the Alzheimer'sAssocication and Goodwill Industries among others.Kevin Bord ‘82 is the council's newest member joiningthis spring. He graduated from The Ohio State Universityin 1990 with a B.A. in English Literature. He is a Realtor ®and manages the office of Progressive Urban Real Estate.Kevin partners with public and private investors includingThe University of Akron and the City of Akron to buildresidential and commercial properties in the city and nearthe university. He serves on the board of Artists of RubberCity, an organization that supports networking and exhibitionopportunities for local artists. He has a two-year-old daughterSonja Marie Roy.After graduating from Old Trail, Marilyn Buckey ‘64majored in government and English at Sweetbriar College.She worked in Boston before returning to Akron whereshe raised her three daughters, Jennifer ‘90, Lisa ‘92 andMindy ‘94. Marilyn currently volunteers for many Akronarea organizations including the Akron General MedicalCenter Women's Board, American Red Cross Summit CountyChapter, Bluecoats Incorporated of Summit County and isa board member with the Boys and Girls Club of SummitCounty. She was active with the OTS Parents' Associationwhile her daughters were students and has been involvedwith the Alumni Council since 1968. She is the President,Treasurer and Limited Partner of the W.E. Wright Company.Christine Freitag ‘52 is an OTS trustee emeritus and hasvolunteered for many Akron organizations. Most recently,her time and attention have been devoted to the environment.Christine is affiliated with many environmental organizationsincluding: the founder and president of Friends of MetroParks- serving Summit County, member of the Cuyahoga ValleyNational Park Partners for Plants, co-founder and chairof Scenic Ohio. Christine has also served on the Trust forPublic Land's Steering Committee. She is the recipient ofthe 2007 Garden Club of America Achievement Award; the2004 Landscape Architecture in Ohio Award and in 2006 wasinducted into the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Hallof Fame. She and her husband, Bob ‘48, live in Akron. Theyhave two daughters, Christina ‘77 and Amy ‘81.After graduating from George Washington University with adegree in finance, Doug Haslinger ‘79 has had a global careerin marketing and corporate strategic and financial planning. Heis President of Haslinger Holding Company and President ofGemma Properties. He is a dedicated volunteer leader in theAkron community serving on the boards of Old Trail, the Boys& Girls Clubs of Summit County and the Cuyahoga ValleyScenic Railroad. He and his wife, Myriam, live in Bath and enjoytraveling.Ruth Hoffman ‘58 was educated during her elementary andmiddle school years in Mexico, England and Luxembourg beforecoming to Old Trail for high school. She received a historydegree from the University of Akron and was an art teacher inthe Highland, Revere and Cloverleaf school districts. Whileher children, Lisa and Trevor, were growing up, she volunteeredwith the Akron Art Museum, Stan Hywet, the Junior League ofAkron and the PTA. Ruth now volunteers with the Alzheimer'sAssociation and is an avid tennis player. She and her husband,Lee, live in Bath.After leaving Old Trail, Bob Keener ‘63 attended WesternReserve Academy and Princeton University, where he majored inhistory. In his senior year, he married Polly Leonard whom he'dmet at OTS when she was in the seventh grade. They have twochildren, Ted and Whitney. After a business career, Bob returnedto school, earning a M.A. in history at the University of Akron and,later, did his Ph.D. work at the University of Michigan, where hewas an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow. He is a member of the Boardof Directors of the Hallstar Company, a chemical manufacturerheadquartered in Chicago, and serves as a trustee on severalnon-profit boards, including the Ohio Genealogical Society andthe Cascade Locks Park Association. He also served as an OldTrail trustee for six years.Brianna LaRose ‘02 will be a sophomore at the University ofAkron majoring in international business. This past school yearshe was an after-school care assistant at Old Trail. Brianna was avolunteer at the Weaver School and with Special Olympics.Sylvia “Sybby” Martin ‘52 began her education at Old Trailin the third grade and has been connected ever since. Her sister,Jean, was in the class of 1942. Sybby's two sons, Ted ‘76, andTom ‘79, attended Old Trail and her grandson, Philip, is in theclass of 2009. Sybby graduated from Centenary College andcontinued with business classes at the University of Akron. Shehas served OTS as a trustee for six years and has been on theAlumni Council for many years. She has been a Realtor ® for 30years and has been involved with many community organizationsin Akron and other cities where she and her family have lived.Nancy Rhinehart ‘53 was honored with Old Trail's LifetimeTrustee award last spring. She has been a dedicated volunteerto Old Trail, serving on the Board of Trustees and on the AlumniCouncil. She and her husband, Clay, have lived in many countriesincluding the Netherlands, Iran and Australia. They have beensettled in Akron for several years and it is not unusual to hearher talk about her digging expeditions! Not archeology, but wildflowers! Nancy serves as president of Diggers and Weeders andshe is a member of the Akron Garden Club. She co-chairs a groupwith the Garden Club that rescues wild flowers from constructionsites. Stan Hywet, Holden Arboretum, the Seiberling Naturealmand the Governor's residence in Columbus, Ohio, are just a fewlocations that are now growing some of her wildflower rescues.19

Don't miss the Fall Fun in the valley.2007 OLD TRAIL SCHOOLALUMNI REUNIONSaturday, October 20, 2007Let the Games BeginAlumni Soccer and Field Hockey Teamsare being formed for the BIG gamesagainst the lean and mean EighthGrade Teams! As proud OTS alums,you must get in shapeand hone yourskills – VICTORY FORALUMS!Register today by emailing yourname, graduation year andsport to alumni@oldtrail.orgMini megaphones will be available forall sideline fans!All Aboard!!!See the beautiful fall colors by train! The Saint Lucie Soundexecutive rail coach is reserved especially for OTS alumni whowould like to travel through the valley on the Cuyahoga ValleyScenic Railroad. Be sure to reserve your seat early for this grandopportunity to tour the National Park in the fall with your friends.Register by emailing your name and graduation year toalumni@oldtrail.org.Luncheon • Class Photos • Alumni Award Presentation • OTS ToursWatch for your invitation in the mail this summer.Celebrating ALL alumni especially those graduating in 1932, 1937, 1942, 1947,1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002Inquire about the FUN by contacting Viki Henschen, Director of Annual Fund andAlumni – 330.666.1118 x482 orvhenschen@oldtrail.org20 a l u m n i @ o l d t r a i l . o r g

2007 Alumni AwardsThese three remarkable individuals have made a mark on the world. Each of them has made profound contributions in thecommunities where they work and volunteer. Susie, Tad and Karen will be recognized at the 2007 Alumni Reunion on Saturday,October 20. Don't miss the opportunity to honor them and recognize their accomplishments at the reunion.The 2007 Lincoln Gries Distinguished Alumni AwardShe's a good friend! She's a leader. She's a mover and a shaker. Suzanne Rogers ‘49 – everyoneknows her as Susie – is the kind of person that makes a community and keeps it going strong.Susie served on the OTS Board of Trustees and has been a Trustee Emeritus since 1984.She served as board president for the Junior League of Akron, the Akron Garden Club, theCuyahoga Valley National Park Association and the Beacon Journal Charity Fund. Along withpresiding over boards, Susie has chaired numerous community events including the grand openingof the John S. Knight Center and the Akron Art Museum Masked Ball.The list of Susie's affiliations with non-profit organizations is extensive! She has volunteered withAkron Golf Charities, Akron Children's Hospital, the Hower House, Keep Akron Beautiful, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, the SummitCounty Historical Society, United Disability Services, the University of Akron and Western Reserve Academy.Susie has given to her community in a colossal way. Many organizations have said thanks to her with recognition. In 1995, shereceived the United Way's Distinguished Service Award and in 2004 she was presented with the University of Akron Alumni HonorAward. This year, along with the Lincoln Gries Distinguished Alumni Award, she was the recipient of the Red Cross H. Peter BurgCommunity Leadership Award.Susie and her husband, Bruce "Bud," live in Akron and have three sons, Bruce, Richard and Stephen. Her energy and vibrancy arecontagious and we are so fortunate to say that Susie is an alumna of our School.The 2007 Peter G. Wilson Rising Star AwardPeter “Tad” LeVan ‘84 is a shareholder at the Philadelphia law firm of Hangley Aronchick Segal& Pudlin, where he has served on the Board of Directors for the past two years. Tad receiveda B.A. from Miami University and graduated with distinction from the University of CincinnatiCollege of Law, where he was a member of the University of Cincinnati Law Review. Prior tomoving to Philadelphia in 1998, Tad served as judicial clerk to the Honorable John M. Manos,United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and worked for Squire Sanders &Dempsey LLP.Recently recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer – an award reserved for the top five percentof lawyers in the state as determined by other practicing attorneys – Tad's law practice focuses oncomplex commercial litigation, governmental representation, ERISA litigation and employment law. Tad is a Fellow of the Academyof Advocacy at Temple University School of Law and he recently received the Equal Justice Award in recognition of his outstandingdedication to pro bono service furthering the cause of equal justice. He currently serves as a member of the Mayor's AdvisoryCouncil in Washington Township, New Jersey, and is the former Assistant Solicitor for the Borough of Swarthmore.When not acting crazy with his three small children, Tad said that he enjoys golfing, singing and generally causing trouble. He is thebrother of Chris ‘87 and Steve ‘91.The 2007 Honorary AwardKaren Hite Goodwin Patterson began teaching sixth grade social studies at Old Trail in 1982 andeventually moved to seventh and eighth grade history. Her sense of humor, enthusiasm and deepknowledge of the subject made her a memorable teacher and advisor to several generations of middleschoolers. As an educator, Karen has never stopped learning. She is always eager to discover newand innovative ways to teach, while respecting and reveling in the unique age group that she easilyengages. A member of the OTS faculty for 23 years, Karen chaired the social studies department,headed the diversity team and instituted school-wide mock political conventions every four years.Karen loves to be outside where she hikes and bikes. Currently she resides in Little Rock, Arkansas,with her husband Dave, who works with Heifer International. Although Karen is now a middleschool teacher at Episcopal Collegiate School, Old Trail rejoices in our long-time partnership with thiswonderful person who has dedicated her life to teaching children!21

Alumni Annotations40sPeggy McCann ‘47 discovered that KatieNaymon ‘07 wrote a column for the BathCountry Journal. Impressed by Katie'swriting, she contacted OTS asking for anopportunity to meet her. A lunch meetingwas set at the School and Peggy broughtalong with her local historical fiction writerLynda Durant. Language arts teacher ErikKorve sat in on the meeting listening toauthors and their love of story-telling andwriting. Peggy is celebrating her 60-yearreunion this fall and shared fond memoriesand pride for OTS.50sRoberta Foot Jackson ‘58 wrote thatshe was joined in Florida in the springby classmates Sarah Mabry O'Reilly fromLake Geneva, Wisconsin, and AnnaWhitacre Mansfield from Atlanta, Georgia.Anna spent a short time with them whileRoberta and Sarah enjoyed an entiremonth together. They are looking forwardto celebrating their 50-year reunion withother classmates in the fall of 2008.60sMinna “Joy” Winder ‘61 is retired andlives in the resort town of Whitefish,Montana. She is writing a book andtaking sculpting classes. Recently shebecame a great-grandmother to a beautifullittle girl. When we received her email shewas packing for a trip to Maine to join herbest friend from childhood. She locatedJoy on Classmates.com. “She and I 'lived'on the beach, with a surfboard under ourarm all summer long. No surfing thistime, just two old gals sitting under a bigumbrella on beach chairs remembering …”Classmates from the Class of 1962, Diane“De Dee” Kepple O'Neil, MarjorieHeller and Ann Poole met for lunch inJune and are looking forward to their45-year class reunion in October.from l to r: 1962 class: De Dee Kepple O'Neil,Marjorie Heller and Ann Poole.Friends gathered when Blanche “Bonnie”Stewart Mikkelsen visited Akron thissummer. A group of Old Trail alumni,friends and Bonnie's bridge club friends,stood for a great photo! Standing l to r:Lois Sewell Pflueger ‘48, former facultymember and trustee, Sue McCormickRickards ‘50, trustee emeritus, JeanPreston, trustee emeritus, Susie ThomasRogers ‘49, trustee emeritus, Ros Mather,trustee emeritus and Jean Mercer ‘47,Seated l to r; Ann Huntington Loughry ‘51and Bonnie Mikkelsen Stewart ‘5070sLisa Preston Bertles ‘73 makes herhome in Palm Beach, Florida, and NewYork City with her husband, Jim. Theirdaughter, Kate, 23, works in Washington,D.C., son Preston, 19, is a sophomore atRoanoke College and son Alex, 17, is ajunior at Deerfield Academy.Phyllis Tougas ‘73 lives in Northboro,Massachusetts, on a farm where she andher husband, Maurice, and son, Andre,grow a variety of fruit. Their customerscome to “pick their own” fruit andpatronize the kitchen that serves lunches,ice cream and other desserts. Phyllis'sdaughter, Nicole, is an athletic trainer atIpswich High School and her daughter,April, is a history major at WorcesterState College. Andre and his finance areplanning a 2008 summer wedding. Phylliswrote to OTS this spring remembering herteachers and friends from high school.She was curious about classmates andwould love to hear from members ofthe class of 1973. (Log onto the alumnidirectory www.oldtrail.org – click onalumni, then Online Directory – you canleave a message for Phyllis there or emailwww.alumni.org for more information!)80sGavin Domm ‘83 and his wife, Jasmin,live in San Francisco with their two youngchildren, William and Samantha.BrookRiddick ‘86and his wife,Nicole Archer,visited OTS thisspring. Theytook a tour ofthe School andenjoyed theannual studentart exhibit. Theylive in Portland,Oregon, whereBrook works as a computer technologyconsultant and has recently started a newphotography business. Brook rememberedhis photography elective with formerheadmaster Peter Wilson and shared howfinding the camera he made in the classreignited his interest in photography.Erica Bord ‘85 married David Parry onDecember 11, 2006, in Kapoli Oahu,Hawaii. Her brother, Kevin Bord ‘82,attended the wedding. Erica and Davidreside in Morrisville, North Carolina.Ethan Hoffert ‘87, his wife, Kim, andthree-year-old daughter, Clara Ann,welcomed baby daughter and sister LelaRuth on March 25, 2007. Ethan worksfor 3M in Medina, Ohio. Former facultymember Robin Hoffert is the proudgrandmother of the girls.Clara Ann Hoffert holds her baby sister at LelaRuth's baptism.Gwen Stevens Lee ‘87, her husband andtheir three daughters, Elizabeth, Hannahand Naomi, live in Montrose, Colorado.She co-founded a children's museum inher community. She plans to “retire” inAugust from her work with the museumand will visit Ohio in September.Erik Diaz ‘88 and Mike Lobalzo ‘88play in a band called Really. Erik is alsothe drummer for Hot Tuna.23

Katherine Swank ‘02 was named to theNational Field Hockey Coaches AssociationNational Academic Squad. She recentlycompleted her freshman year at StanfordUniversity. (See story on page 22).Alexandra “Tookie” Bertin ‘03, HaydenGilbert ‘04, Alison Bertin ‘04, AndrewNovak ‘04 and Sean Lojek ‘03 traveledto Paris and the Loire Valley this June with agroup from Walsh Jesuit High School.Wes Holub ‘03 will pursue his interest inlandscape architecture at The Ohio StateUniversity's Agricultural Technical Institutethis fall.Cliff Kocian ‘03 graduated from Hawkenthis spring. During his final month ofschool and to fulfill his senior experience,he volunteered at OTS helping middleschool teachers. He assisted MarilynWilson with seventh grade languagearts, Cathy Pratico with French classes,Melanie Patterson in performing arts andJeff Eason with the production of theyearbook.At the spring Western Reserve Academyathletic awards assembly, four Old Trailalums were honored. Aminah Daniels‘04 and Maria Innamorato ‘04 receivedthe most improved players for track andfield. Chris Forhan ‘04 received thespirit award for boys' varsity tennis andhis sister, Anne Forhan ‘06 received thespirit award for girls' varsity softball. Annereceived the same award for girls' varsitytennis in the fall.Leah Elsmore ‘04 is a goalie for theHathaway Brown varsity lacrosse team.She was named Most Valuable Playerduring the MSLA Tournament this springwhen the Blazers took top honors bydefeating Mt. Lebanon 8-7. This marksthe second consecutive championship forthe Hathaway Brown lacrosse team.HB goalie Leah Elsmore ‘04StephanieVelloze ‘03graduated fromLake RidgeAcademy thisspring. During hersenior year, shewas a NationalMerit ScholarshipFinalist, a memberof the National Honors Society, editorof LRA's student newspaper and playedGlinda the Good Witch in the school'sproduction of the Wizard of Oz. Stephanieis the recipient of the Trustee's Award atCase Western Reserve Univeristy.Katie Jenks ‘04 participated in theInternational Thespian Society Conferencein March. She received second placeand represented the State of Ohio at thenational competition.Tim Shaub ‘05 and Alex Balogh ‘05participated in the Annual Model BridgeCompetition at the University of Akronin February. Their model won “MostAesthetically Pleasing.” During the samemonth, Alex achieved the rank of EagleScout. His Eagle project involved theredesigning and construction of the fieldcondition sign at the Bath CommunityActivity Center.Katie Naymon ‘07 is a reporter for theBath Country Journal and The RichfieldTimes. She has written several articlesfor the monthly newspapers and her BathCountry Journal column is under theheading Students' Space.May Alumni GatheringsMichelle Assaly ‘06 and her brother RJ ‘04,traveled to China with the Western ReserveAcademy choir.A group of OTS alums and their guests met at Buca diBeppo in downtown Columbus on May 10. The popularfamily-style Italian restaurant was a perfect settingfor gathering around a big table and sharing Old Trailmemories. Becky Babcox ‘69 helped plan the event andmet up with her classmate Julie Mankin Barnett ‘69who lives in nearby Westerville. They were joined byJennifer Mason ‘87 a paralegal working at a small lawfirm in Columbus. She had some fun memories of SamYannerilla's science class. She and her guest, Kyle Smith,a psychology professor at Ohio Wesleyan, enjoy art andart festivals in Columbus. Susan Harrison ‘97 receivedher degree in finance and Spanish from The Ohio StateJennifer Mason ‘87 Mike Myers ‘91 Susan Harrison ‘97University. She's an analyst for J.P. Morgan managing stocks for private companies. Last summer Susan went on a service trip to CostaRica with her church, spending time working with adults and children. Susan's guest was Aaron Wilcox. He too has many Old Trailfriends as he worked as an after-school care assistant while in high school at Revere. Aaron is a medical student at OSU. Mike Myers‘91 has worked as an asset manager with Red Capital Group for five years. He appreciates art and enjoys many galleries in and aroundColumbus. Mike is planning to transfer to sunny San Diego Mike's guest, Rebecca Netsky, is a buyer for Abercrombie, a job that has hertraveling to China and Hong Kong. Ian Henschen ‘02, a freshman at OSU, and his guest, fellow cheerleader Bailey Wills, joined thegroup a bit late after their cheer practice. They had a busy year with their courseload and following the Buckeye's football and basketballteams. They both have summer jobs working as cheer camp instructors.25

In MemoriamTom B. Blair, father of Susan BlairBefus ‘69, died in Akron in June.Steve S. Fazekash, grandparent ofAndrew Fasekash ‘09, died in May inJackson Township.Naomi Gordon, grandmother ofMadison ‘13, Megan ‘09, Kathryn ‘16and Alexander ‘06, passed away in July.Dr. Walter Hoyt Jr., father of MollyHoyt ‘70, died in March.Mary Frances Dannemiller Jarrold ‘48,sister of Dorothy Dannemiller Rogers‘51, died in April.Martha Lenore Kelly, grandparent ofOTS Trustee Beth Sheeler ‘87, died inApril in Akron.Jean F. Lachman, former faculty memberat OTS, died in April in Wadsworth.William John Laub Jr., spouse ofMary Lyn Loub ‘55, father of ElizabethLaub ‘84, Frederick Laub ‘79 andWilliam Laub ‘77 died in May.Henry Beardsell Leonard, father ofNathaniel Leonard, OTS Trustee andgrandparent of Emma Leonard ‘08, diedin May.Raymond C. Norman, grandparent ofTiffany Villalba ‘01, NicholasVillalba ‘04 and Anthony Villalba ‘09and father-in-law of Rico Villalba ‘81,died in March at age 67.Susan Deveny Pavloff, mother ofAlex ‘03, Andrew ‘05 and Tatiana ‘09,passed away on July 11. Sue was also amember of Old Trail's Foundation Board.Patricia Piche, former OTS art teacher,died in September at age 94.William Alexander Saus, grandparentof Alex Balogh ‘05, died in April atage 94.Alumni On CampusLevente Batizy and sonsAthan Barkoukis ‘94Laszlo Tomascheck ‘94Richard Chenoweth, father of Gindy ChenowethSmith ‘72, fifth grade teacher, and Bill Chenoweth ‘79,received the 2007 Sir Thomas More Award. This recognitionis sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and St.Bernard Church in Akron in association with the AkronBar Association. The awarded is presented to a member ofthe legal profession that demonstrates a concern for thecommunity.The McAndrews family sendtheir good wishes to theirfriends at OTS from their homein Canada. l to r: Michael, Ken,Erika and Mari.FRIENDSIt's been two years sincethe McAndrews familymoved to Kitchener, Ontario,Canada. Ken ‘08 playssoccer and basketball and ison a regional summer golfleague. He is a drummerand plays in a band calledHumanity Overdrive. Thegroup has performed publiclyand is in the process ofrecording music. Erika ‘12loves to read and write. Shehas joined a writing club ather school. She also enjoys jazz dancing and performed in arecital this spring.Former librarian Margaret Liske writes (and sometimesvisits!) to let us know that she is enjoying an “endlesssummer” in retirement. She volunteers for the CuyahogaValley National Park Association and has time to travel, readand get in plenty of swimming, walking and cross countryskiing when Ohio weather cooperates.Members of the class of 1957, Karen Kooistra Callahan, SandraSmith Dawson and Jill Jaycox Dietrich.26 a l u m n i @ o l d t r a i l . o r gFormer first grade teacher, Margaret Bryant, traveled fromTexas to attend this year's graduation. The Class of 2007was her last class of first graders before her retirement. Otherformer teachers to attend the commencement were MaryJane Wyant and Penny Thompson. Karen Patterson,former middle school social studies teacher, also visited ongraduation day.

The Schaeffer FamilyVolunteering is part of the family"Without a doubt, I'll always remember OTS as aplace that always had my best interests in mind.The faculty there was always very nurturing, butnot overbearing; I made more than my fair shareof mistakes, but was always welcomed back by ateacher to discuss the problem and how to avoid inthe future. I could even rattle off the names of everysingle teacher I had during each of those nine years,from Mrs. Wrobel in Kindergarten to Mrs. Hoffert inEighth Grade. Admittedly, this is not a feat I couldreplicate with my college professors, with whom Iparted ways only a few years ago! I am grateful forall the School has done for me and my family, andI'm excited to see what it will continue to bring to myniece and nephew." - Jeff SchaefferThe story began almost 30 years ago,when Janet Schaeffer tutored a number ofOld Trail students at her Reading Center inHudson. It was then suggested that shebring her inspired brand of reading tutoringto our campus. Janet agreed, not realizingthat her “home” would be in many oddballplaces, most notably in a former restroom.In typical fashion, she said, “We had morefun there! We laughed our brains out!!”At the same time, Janet's bright olderson, Eric, was languishing in a fifth gradeclassroom. Even his teacher suggestedthat Eric's parents search for a morechallenging environment. Accordingto Janet, the light bulb went off as sherealized she was working at “the world'smost perfect school,” and Eric enrolled insixth grade in 1985.Years later, when Eric's younger brother,Jeff, was ready for kindergarten, he andMrs. Wrobel started at Old Trail together.Janet's plan was that Jeff would attend thefull-day program for one year and thenjoin his public school classmates for firstgrade, but his parents soon realized that,despite the financial challenges, Old Trailwas the right setting for their son. Again,Janet says it succinctly, “Do you take achild away from the perfect place justbecause of money?”Fast forwarding through the years, Janetcontinued to offer loving reading supportto generations of OTSers, while her boysgrew up. Eric married Michelle Hlivko,and had two children, Alexis ‘11 andRiley ‘14. The young family movedaround, finally settling close to family.They eventually came to the same decisionEric and Jeff's parents had made years ago,and enrolled Alexis and Riley at Old Trail.Fourth grader Alexis' eyes dance as shetalks about School, where classes are oftenheld outside. She delights in describingher reading classroom where a full-sizedtent is pitched in “Camp Wanna-Read.”Riley is all first grade boy as he shares thathis favorite time is on the new playground.Then he remembers a great science classwhere they dissected a bug to see whatits brain looked like, and that they have aclassroom tarantula named Rosie.Remembering Rosie again brought gales oflaughter among members of this clan, forthere is another Rosie, Michelle's mother,Rose Hlivko. She and her husband,Tom, have also become a part of ourcommunity, as many grandparents do.Rose assists Michelle with her Market Dayvolunteer assignment and often helps withtransportation and provides generalsupport. Tom, a physician and pathologist(and known at school as “Grandpa Rose”),endeared himself to Alexis' classmatesby speaking in science class on the majororgan systems. In every thank you notethere was an excited reference to his slideshowing a cutaneous horn growing out ofa poor patient's wrist!Eric's wife, Michelle, is the last to shareher Old Trail experience, but certainlynot least. This low-key, nurturing momthrows herself into any activity wherehard work and leadership are needed. Shehas managed Market Day, organized thesummer picnics, served as playgroundand library volunteer and along with Eric,put many hours into the annual Auction.Michelle is gearing up for her new role asPresident-Elect of the Parents' Associationfor 2007-08.According to Eric, “Volunteering is a goodway to meet the parents and get to knowthe kids. It is not expected exactly, butyou want to give back.”In closing, Alexis shows maturity beyondher years, as she says, “I probably willsend my own children to Old Trail, sothat they can experience what I haveexperienced.”"Volunteering is a good way to meet the parents and get to know the kids."

August 27FamilyOpen HouseAugust 28First Day ofSchoolDress code!Sept. 24-27AnnualFundPhonathonOctober 10AdmissionOpen HouseOctober 20AlumniReunionParents' NightsSeptember 6 - Kindergarten & Grade 5September 11 - Grades 3 & 4September 18 - Grades 1 & 2September 20 - Middle SchoolOctober 11 - PreschoolAddress Service Requested2315 Ira RoadP.O. Box 827Bath, Ohio 44210-0827(330) 666-1118www.oldtrail.orgNon. Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDDatabaseMarketing, Inc.For address changes or deletions, please contact Julie Randallat (330) 666-1118 x306 or email jrandall@oldtrail.org.