2018 | WSMSNYC.ORG Great Beginnings 2018 CONTENTS
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2018 | WSMSNYC.ORG Great Beginnings 2018 CONTENTS In Mimi’s Voice................................. 1 A Letter from our Board President... 2 2018-2019 Board of Trustees......... 3 Not a Typical West Side Montessori Summer.......................................... 6 Hats Off to WSMS-TEP Grads......... 7 Twos Twos Twos ... Wonderful Twos! 8 Talking to Children about Race and Difference, by Giuliana de Grazia... 10 Behind the Scenes: Keeping West Side Montessori School Safe and Effective........................................... 14 Alumni Notes................................... 16 WEST SIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2018-2019 GIVING 2017-2018.............. 18 Myles Amend, Murtaza (Mort) Elise J. Mary Pat Dowhy, 2017-2018 Financial Highlights.. 19 President Haque, Treasurer Natasha Kazmi Parent Mimi Basso, Jennifer Conway, Nigel-Ann La Qua Representatvie Your Annual Fund Dollars at Work 20 Head of School Secretary Williamson Tenille Skelton, Tim Daileader, Mark Cicirelli Scott Li Parent The Results Are In! WSMS Vice President Victoria Feltman Kelly Opdyke Representative Annual Fund 2018 Survey........... 22 Iva Mills, Lindsay Forbes Jing Wang Casey Gomez, Donor Acknowledgements.......... 24 Vice President Joseph Gilbert Kelly West Faculty Kyra Nelson, Justin Hamilton Bonny Whitcher Representative Volunteer Acknowledgements.... 31 Vice President IN MIMI’S VOICE Dear friends of WSMS, resolution achieved this summer is de- at WSMS. We are proud that we were tailed in this issue’s article, “Twos Twos founded in 1963 with diversity key to our I am delighted to share with you this Twos ... Wonderful Twos!” mission, and that our commitment has issue of Great Beginnings, which cel- only strengthened over the past f fty- ebrates our successful academic year The pilot Twos opportunity happened as plus years. and gives you an inside look at how we we expanded WSMS-TEP, our teacher spent our summer and what we accom- education program, to offer the Twos New in this issue is Alumni Notes—in- plished. credential. The TEP focus has contin- put from alumni families on what their ued to expand academically (into more kids have been up to since they left. I The big news this fall is the opening of credentials) and geographically, with encourage you to send us your updates our new dedicated space for the Twos signif cant activity in the summer, as you for our next issue! Program at 302 West 91st Street (in the will see in “Not a Typical West Side Mon- basement of the Annunciation Greek tessori Summer... .” And the new loca- As always, I am deeply grateful for the Orthodox Church). tion includes off ce space and storage enthusiastic support, both f nancially for TEP admin. and as event volunteers, of our parents, As many of you know, in the fall of 2013 faculty and administrators, alumni fami- we took the big step of testing interest in And the summer is also the time when, lies and friends. Your generosity is de- providing Montessori education for two- with fewer people around, we take care tailed in the 2017-2018 Annual Report year-olds to address the needs of cur- of facilities maintenance that would be section of this issue. My special thanks rent parents. The response was over- disruptive during the school year. I am go to the Board, chaired so effectively whelming, and as a result we devoted grateful to Amy Stoney, Director of Op- by Myles Amend, and to last year’s PA a classroom to these young students erations, and Shawn Cumberbatch, Fa- co-chairs, Tenille Skelton and Bonny while limiting admissions to siblings and cilities Manager, for being on top of our Whitcher, who recruited some amazing legacy applicants. needs and ensuring they are addressed. talent to run special events for our fami- This article, “Behind the Scenes,” is a re- lies. Interest in this new programming option cap of all that they do. led to an exploration of how to balance the opportunity for two-year-olds with “Talking to Children about Race and the simultaneous need to serve an in- Difference,” written by WSMS Diver- coming three-year-old population. The sity Practitioner, Giuliana de Grazia, Mimi Basso ups-and-downs and ultimately exciting is a fascinating article about diversity Head of School 1 BOARD NEWS A LETTER FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR Dear members of the WSMS commu- provide our children with their frst steps nity, in a lifetime of learning. I know I speak for the Board in expressing our appre- I have been thinking a lot about the in- ciation to the WSMS faculty and admin- credible support multiple generations of istrators. the WSMS community have offered to our school over the past 55 years. This This year’s Annual Report commemo- generosity has given us the confdence rates our busy year and the backing and wherewithal to grow our program in of so many people without whom what important ways over the years. The re- we’ve accomplished could not hap- cent additions of classroom space for pen. Special thanks to the 2017-2018 the Twos Program and dedicated offce PA co-presidents, Tenille Skelton and space for WSMS-TEP at 302 West 91st Bonny Whitcher, and to the many volun- Street are the latest examples of the im- teers who gave of their time and talent pact of your generosity. The expansion to make this year so successful. I also of the TEP program, both in the cre- want to thank my fellow trustees for their dentials offered as well as geographi- leadership, hard work, and support. cally—we now offer teacher education programs in China—has cemented our Finally, thank you to everyone who con- global leadership in Montessori educa- tributed to the Annual Fund. Your con- tion. tinuing generosity at every level ensures that we will be able to provide the high- We have much to be proud of, and credit est quality education for generations to for the inspiration and its implementation come. belongs to Head of School Mimi Basso and her multi-talented team. This issue With deep gratitude, of Great Beginnings gives you insight into two areas—facilities management and the teacher education program— and these hard workers are emblematic of all that goes on behind the scenes to Myles B. Amend President, Board of Trustees (Ashley Amend-Thomas ’11) 2 | WEST SIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL | GREAT BEGINNINGS | 2018 | WWW.WSMSNYC.ORG ginning with Cowen and Company, where she focused on healthcare and technology, and later with the Credit Suisse First Boston Technology Group. She then worked in real estate in the Bay Area until she moved to Manhattan in 2013. Kyra holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Georgetown Univer- sity and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Kyra and her husband, Travis, are proud parents of four children: a daughter who graduated WSMS in 2017, her twin brother who is in a home-school special 2018-2019 WSMS education program, a son who graduated from WSMS in 2018, and a son who current- BOARD OF TRUSTEES ly attends the WSMS Twos Program. Kyra has been actively involved at WSMS as a parent volunteer and serves on the WSMS The primary responsibility of the Board of Trustees is to see that Admissions Committee. A LETTER FROM the School operates in the best interests of its students, teach- ers, and parents. The Board sets the purpose and policies of the OUR BOARD CHAIR Mort Haque, School, ensures its fi nancial stability, plans for its future, and Treasurer hires the Head of School, who is responsible for the day-to-day Mort Haque (Treasurer) is a operation of the School. Portfolio Manager at Golden- Tree Asset Management, an tor of Research at Knight Capital. Tim is a investment management f rm Myles B. Amend, Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Tim also specializing in below-investment-grade cor- President serves as a director on two for-prof t boards, porate and structured credit markets. Prior Myles Amend is Associate and previous served on the College Board to GoldenTree, Mort worked at Sound Point Head of School for Advance- of Advisors and in the Admission Ambassa- Capital as a Portfolio Manager and before ment at Trinity School, where dor program for Georgetown University. Tim that at Apollo Management in their capital he has worked since 2000. graduated from Georgetown University with markets group. He spent a number of years Prior to that he served as Director of Devel- a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1992, as an investment banker at Bank of America opment and Finance at Rice High School in where he was a Baker Scholar. and J.P. Morgan in their leveraged f nance Harlem; as Principal of Tampa Catholic High and M&A departments. He is a graduate of School in Tampa, Florida; and as Associ- Georgetown University (SFS) and Columbia ate Director for Institutional Advancement Iva Mills, Business School. Mort is married to Henna and Governance at the Museum of the City Vice President Khan, and they have two daughters who of New York. He is a graduate of Iona Col- graduated from WSMS. Iva Mills is the mother of lege and holds master’s degrees in history twin WSMS alumni (2016). from New York University and in independent Iva served as co-president school leadership from Columbia University Jennifer S. Conway, of the Parents Association Teachers College. He is also a trustee of De Secretary for two years and assisted with the Annual La Salle Academy and a past president of Fund, Auction, Spring Fair, and Admissions Jennifer S. Conway is a part- the New York City Chapter of the Associa- Committee. Iva received her BA in political ner at the law f rm Cravath, tion of Fundraising Professionals.