Summit School NEWS January 2011 On the Monday before Thanksgiving, over 350 Summit enthusiasts gathered at Bridgewaters for the Annual Benefit. Amy and Larry Birnbaum (top left) were honored for their leadership in our Capital Campaign For Kids, for the part they have played in raising funds over the past 4 years to renovate both Lower and Upper Schools, and for Amy’s work and involvement in our Parents Association. The Benefit raised $325,000, a good portion from very lively bidding at both the silent and live auctions. Auctioneers Hugh Jackman and Deborah Koenigsberger (top right) charismatically inspired passionate bidding for the live auction items. Upper School students Max Baumbach, Henry Dobell, Julia Friedman, Leo Gilbert, Will Schwarz, and Kaitlin Twomey entertained the crowd with professional caliber performances. The photo (bottom right) shows Julia’s heartfelt performance of her own original song. BOOK FAIR FARES WELL In November, the Barnes & Noble Book Fair team once again coupled with our Parents Association to coordinate a highly successful event. Summit students were introduced to many new writers and a wide variety of books that encouraged them to discover new genres. The collection included art appreciation books; animal and nature lover books;old and new series; cookbooks; a huge selection of games that develop skills; and of course, joke books and bookmarks. The reading buzz spread over two days as books were available to students and also to parents on Lower School student Tara Marley making her their Conference Day. purchase. SummIt StudEntS ExpLORE thEIR FutuRES by Daniel Lewitz with Philip Dubow & Adam Ninyo On Monday, October 25th, Summit High School held a College Fair, featuring representatives from higher learning institutions located across the country. Each representative came with materials containing information about his or her respective school and took a variety of questions from both students and parents. The fair had a very large turnout. About half of the juniors and seniors came, as well as a good number of their parents. There were also a large number of sophomores in attendance. Although the sophomores will not have to “worry” about college for at least another year, many thought that going to the fair would be a valuable experience nonetheless. Even for students who will likely not attend any of the schools represented, this event offered them a chance to get acquainted with the college fair environment, as well as learn more about a few of the options available to them. The fair featured a wide range of schools. While most of the colleges in attendance were located within the tristate area, there were individuals who came from as far away as the Gulf Coast to represent their schools at this event. There were colleges with as many as 30,000 students and colleges with as few as 2,000. Although most were typical four-year colleges, trade schools and colleges offering specialized programs were also in attendance. The list of colleges included schools ranging from Rutgers, a state school in New Jersey with thousands of students, to Lynn University, a private school in south Florida with fewer than 3,000 students from all over the world. Although some colleges may have lower acceptance rates than others, or are better known, each school has something to offer that will either appeal or not appeal to the individual student. One student spoke highly of the fair, saying, “While I ultimately may not choose to attend one of the colleges here, I still found this to be an interesting and informative experience nevertheless. I was able to engage in a meaningful dialogue with representatives from the various schools, as well as learn more about the admissions process as a whole.” One parent agreed, stating that “It was good. The representatives were taking a lot of different questions, and they seemed quite interested in our students.” Many individuals at our school helped to make this fair possible. Yvonne Bowman, Summit’s Guidance Counselor, was responsible for organizing it and personally inviting all of the college representatives who attended. “The purpose of this fair was to inform students and parents of the wide range of options available, and to encourage them to keep an open mind as they begin exploring post-high school possibilities. I look forward to helping each student at Summit as they decide upon their future—whether it is attending college, a career school, or a pre-college program,” Ms. Bowman told The Sun. (Originally published in the October 29th edition of The Summit Sun) there’S Pie In YouR EyE HolidAy BAzaar The Holiday Bazaar was a huge hit at the Lower School. Held in early December, Lower School students had an opportunity to shop on their own for those special people in their lives. Many students shared stories about the people they cared for and were excited to buy gifts for all their loved ones. The enthusiasm was contagious and sales were robust. The Parents Association coordinated the event, and the school appreciates the time they donated to create a lovely store. The joy of caring and giving energized the shopping experience. Immediately following the annual Thanks- giving luncheon, the much anticipated, sacred Summit Pie Eating Contest began! Students from each classroom participated. Contestants were given one blueberry pie covered in whipped cream, and they were not allowed Cookie MonSters? Class 22 held a “healthy bake sale” in mid-December. to use any utensils or their hands. Last year’s Anne Jennis’s students made signs for their homemade items detailing what the healthy winner, and widely considered favorite, Philip ingredients were and the benefit of those ingredients. Above, Pablo Vazquez asks Andrew Dubow, was edged out at the very last bite by Garland what makes his cookies special. In fact, as the signage reports: they contain Adam Ninyo of Class 306. The classroom of the antioxidants, vitamins A, C, potassium, and fibers –and were only 25 cents each! reigning champion received a pizza party to help celebrate Adam’s victory. ToyS FOR TotS Joined by US Marines, who usually come to the school to pick up the toys, Class 303 decided to deliver the toys to the Marine’s Queens Headquarters. Class 303 would like to express its sincere appreciation to the staff and students who donated their time and gifts to make the 2010 Holiday Toy Drive a success. ASSOCIAtIng WIth thE ParentS’ ASSOCIAtIOn Thanks to the hard work of the PA board, there are many social activities organized for both Upper and Lower school students. PA dues buffer the costs of most events, keeping them affordable so that all students may participate. PA membership dues are collected during the summer prior to the start of the school year so that the Parents Association can support many student activities right at the very beginning of the school year. Current membership, however, is at approximately 50%, so please check with our treasurer Beverly Michel at [email protected] to be sure you have joined the PA. This year the Upper School hosted a College Fair for parents and students, and the Lower School organized a holiday boutique, and both were huge successes. If you would like to become more involved with the PA or are considering joining the board, please contact me, Jill Cohen, at [email protected]. We nEW WIng WInS Award Out of 100 entries, the Queens Chamber of always welcome new parents. Commerce chose the new wing of Summit’s Upper School as this year’s winner for “promoting excellence in design for the benefit of the community.” John Please check the weekly Summit eblast and class parent Renner and Richard Sitman will represent the school at a ceremony on January emails to stay informed about PA announcements. On 20 when they will accept a plaque from the Chamber of Commerce that will hang behalf of the PA board, I wish you and your families a in the Upper School. happy and healthy 2011. Jill Cohen, President pEtER SELLIngER, CLASS OF 1988 - yES, 1988! Rikers Island was an unplanned stop for Summit alumnus Peter Sellinger, yet everyday he rises early and heads there to stand in front of his high school English class to teach several groups of students who hadn’t planned to land there either. Peter turned 40 this past December. Back in 1983, he entered Summit after struggling in his local public school in Long Beach, and he graduated five years later from the Upper School as valedictorian. Summit’s Vocational Program (now called the Work-Based Learning Program) helped him to realize that there were many job opportunities ahead for him. His job sites while at Summit included McGraw-Hill, Elmhurst Hospital, and the Marriott Hotels. “Each internship paired some aspect of my known abilities with the acquisition of others as I tapped into new skills and interests,” Peter recalled. Upon graduating from Summit, Peter earned an Associate in Science degree from SUNY’s Sullivan County Community College, and a BA degree from SUNY Purchase. He worked in the television industry for seven years, beginning in the shipping department of a post-production facility in Manhattan and was promoted to the position of Production Assistant for The Ricki Lake Show, the A&E/History Channel, The USA Cafe, The Tempestt Bledsoe Show, and he freelanced for MTV Networks. While mastering television production skills, Peter became an engineer and worked with others to create television studio facilities by installing and integrating electronic component systems for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, The People’s Court, The Sally Jesse Raphael Show, and The Maury Povich Show.