FALL 2017 | WSMSNYC.ORG Great Beginnings Fall 2017 CONTENTS IN MIMI’S VOICE........................................ 1 A LETTER FROM OUR BOARD PRESIDENT 2 2017-2018 BOARD OF TRUSTEES.............. 3 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND ANTI-BIAS EDUCATION.............................. 6 BIG STEPS AT WSMS-TEP: Expanding our Montessori Teacher Education Program......... 10 A MONTESSORI MATCH: Congratulating Dave and Stefanie Eckert!...... 12 2017-2018 PA SPEAKER SERIES................... 13 ALUMNI NEWS: PanCakes, Plays, Novels and NBC, The Ackerman-Weston Family........ 14 2016-2017 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS.......... 17 WEST SIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF GIVING................... 18 BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Annual Fund.......................................... 19 Parents Association...................................... 26 2017-2018 48th Annual Auction..................................... 29 Fall Festival................................................... 32 Myles Amend, President Tim Daileader, Vice President Lindsay Forbes, Vice President Iva Mills, Vice President Jason E. Santiago, Treasurer Jennifer S. Conway, Secretary Nissa Booker Mark Cicirelli Victoria Feltman Justin Hamilton Mort Haque Elise J. Natasha Kazm Allen Lamb Nigel-Ann La Qua Williamson Kyra Nelson Kelly Morrison Opdyke Jing Wang Kelly West Tenille Skelton, Parent Representative Bonny Whitcher, Parent Representative Katherine Fordney, Faculty Representative IN MIMI’S VOICE This summer marked the 10th One thing we have always done at faculty and administrators, in so many anniversary of my return to WSMS as WSMS is read with our children, and ways. You will see the breadth of that Head of School. As many of you know, I the article on literature in the classroom support in the Annual Report included served as Associate Director from 1995- by Giuliana de Grazia (Head Teacher, in this issue. We celebrate our ability 2001, and I had a long relationship 3Wam) will give you an interesting to continuously grow and evolve, and before and after that time as a Teacher perspective on how much thought goes acknowledge from our hearts that we Education Program (WSMS-TEP) in to choosing the books we share, and could not do it without you. instructor, and as a fellow member, and to how we share them. later Vice President, of the American Montessori Society. Our alumni article connects you to a family who preceded me at WSMS: I have seen much growth at WSMS the Weston-Ackermans. This is a family over the years and am proud to be who thrived in the Montessori focus on Mimi Basso responsible for implementing signifcant creative exploration, and continues to Head of School changes. Many of you know about our do so more than 25 years later. physical enhancements (especially the gym/ffth foor and library) and our InCluded in tHis issue is tHe sCHedule academic ones: the new Twos Program, of upComing Parents AssoCiation the After Lunch Bunch, the Visiting worksHops on a variety of CHild Scholars. What you may not know about development subjects. The Weston- is the parallel expansion of WSMS-TEP ACkermans desCribe tHeir appreCiation and the impact it has had on both our for tHe post-drop-off gatHerings with school and other schools around the tHe sCHool’s psyCHologists in tHe early world. “Big Steps at WSMS-TEP” will 90s; tHey would Have jumped at tHese give you a quick overview of how much opportunities! has happened in the recent past. (Who knew that would include the marriage Finally, I want to express my deepest of Stefanie Allen and Dave Eckert, two gratitude for all the support we receive teachers who met through TEP?!) from current and past families, friends, 1 BOARD NEWS A LETTER FROM OUR BOARD PRESIDENT Dear members of the WSMS community, wHo give generously of tHeir time, talent, and treasure to ensure our suCCess today As someone wHose professional Career and into the future. has focused on education, I have been exposed on an intimate basis to a broad This issue’s Annual Report celebrates the variety of institutions. My experienCe as a sCHool’s aCtivities of fun and fund-raising. long-time Board member at WSMS, and Our deep tHanks to last year’s Parents as Board President for tHe past year, Has AssoCiation Co-CHairs—Jeff Leaf and confrmed to me how fortunate we are Bonny Whitcher—and to the innumer- as parents to Have found a plaCe tHat is able volunteers wHo made tHe year so dedicated to offering the best possible successful. start to our CHildren’s sCHooling. West Side Montessori SCHool never stands Finally, my sinCere gratitude to everyone still or rests on its well-deserved laurels. who contributed to the 2016-2017 An- As a community of educators and fami- nual Fund. Every gift makes a differenCe lies, our school is always seeking and and your partiCipation and wonderful implementing opportunities to prepare generosity ensure our ability to provide CHildren to be joyful, life-long learners in the highest quality education for genera- new and exCiting ways. tions to come. For tHis spirit we Have to tHank Head of School Mimi Basso, who continuously Gratefully, tHinks about wHat we sHould do next, and her tireless administrators and dedi- cated faculty, who spend their days en- suring tHat our students (and tHis means botH tHe young CHildren and tHe TEP Myles Amend scholars working so hard to become their President, Board of Trustees eduCators) are inspired and CHallenged. I (Ashley Amend-Thomas ’11) am deeply grateful to my fellow trustees 2 | WEST SIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL | GREAT BEGINNINGS | FALL 2017 | WWW.WSMSNYC.ORG A LETTER FROM OUR 2017-2018 WSMS BOARD PRESIDENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES Myles B. Amend, Lindsay Forbes, of the Studio Museum in Harlem and President Vice President volunteers for the Harlem Children’s Zone. She is married to Scott Mills. Myles B. Amend is Associ- Lindsay Forbes was born and ate Head of School for Ad- raised in VanCouver, Canada. Jason E. Santiago, vanCement at Trinity SCHool, She holds a BS in natural re- Treasurer wHere He Has worked sinCe sourCes Conservation from tHe 2000. Prior to tHat He served as DireCtor Faculty of Forestry, University of British Colum- Jason E. Santiago is currently of Development and FinanCe at RiCe High bia and a JD from the University of Toronto. an investor at Stripes Group, School in Harlem; as Principal of Tampa Catho- Lindsay praCtiCed CommerCial real estate law a $2B private equity fund lic High School in Tampa, Florida; and as As- in VanCouver and New York. SHe later Helped that invests in internet and soCiate DireCtor for Institutional AdvanCement develop tHe U.S. East Coast market for EAB consumer products companies. Prior to join- and GovernanCe at tHe Museum of tHe City Tool Co., a power tool aCCessory Company ing Stripes Group, Jason was an investment of New York. He is a graduate of Iona Col- marketed in over 2,700 retail outlets in North banker at Cowen and Company in both New lege and Holds master’s degrees in History AmeriCa. Lindsay and Her Husband, Ali Dibadj, York and San Francisco, responsible for the from New York University and in independent are the proud parents of two recent WSMS al- execution of growth equity fnancings. He sCHool leadersHip from Columbia University ums. During Her time as a parent at WSMS, was also a director at PRIMEDIA, responsible TeaCHers College. He is also a trustee of De Lindsay served for two years as the co-pres- for enterprise-wide internet product devel- La Salle ACademy and a past president of tHe ident of tHe Parents AssoCiation, and before opment. Jason started his career as an en- New York City CHapter of tHe AssoCiation of that helped run the Auction raffe and WSMS’s trepreneur, co-founding two internet tech- Fundraising Professionals. Myles and his hus- annual Bulb Planting event. She remains an ac- nology companies, and then leading them band, MarC THomas, are parents of a WSMS tive partiCipant in WSMS as a member of tHe through acquisition and IPO. Jason was alumna wHo Completed Her two-year Career at Admissions Committee and a Board Trustee. born in Puerto Rico and has an MBA from WSMS in 2011. Columbia Business School, where he was an Alberto Verme Scholar, and a BA in architec- Tim Daileader, Iva Mills, ture and planning from Columbia College. Vice President Vice President Jason and his wife, Casey, have two children: a daughter who graduated WSMS in 2017 Tim Daileader, the father of Iva Mills is the mother and a son who graduated WSMS in 2015. Declan and Madeleine Dail- of twins who graduated eader (both WSMS ‘14) and WSMS in 2016. Iva was an husband of Maggan Dail- active parent at WSMS, Jennifer S. Conway, eader, has over twenty-fve years of experi- and assisted with the Annual Fund, the Secretary ence in fnancial restructurings, investment Auction and Spring Fair committees, and Jennifer S. Conway is a part- management and banking. Tim is a Char- the Admissions committee. Iva received her ner at the law frm Cravath, tered Financial Analyst (CFA) and has volun- BA in political science from the University of Swaine & Moore, where she teered on the Board of Directors of 257 Cen- California, Los Angeles, and her JD from the is a member of the Executive tral Park West, Inc., and the College Board American University Washington College of Compensation and Benefts Department. of Advisors and the Admission Ambassador Law. Iva practiced law for ten years, frst at a She regularly advises public and private programs for Georgetown University. Tim law frm, primarily in the area of advertising companies on executive compensation graduated from Georgetown University, and marketing litigation and, later, in-house and employee benefts matters, principally where he was a Baker Scholar, with a bach- litigating intellectual property disputes. Iva in connection with mergers and acquisi- elor’s degree in economics.