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Dear Parents:
Welcome to the Fall 2011 issue of the “Portledge Pride” Parent E-Newsletter. We provide weekly updates about what’s happening on campus, but it’s important to continue to give you more in-depth stories about a variety of topics that reach a broad audience. So we decided to keep producing this e-newsletter. Our hope is that you enjoy this and that you share it with family and friends as we are certainly proud of Portledge and what our students and teachers do. And we hope you are too!
As always, if you have any ideas for stories that you would like us to cover, please contact me at savidon@portledge.org or 750-3222.
Happy reading!
Stephanie Avidon
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You may have seen the headline “Bear attack: How LI teen gave aid,” over the summer. Well, what you may not have known was the teen deemed a “hero” was Portledge senior, Sam Melman. His group of seven boys had been hiking in the Talkeetna Mountains, east of Denali National Park, trying to cross a river when the bear attacked them. After the mauling of his companions by an Alaskan grizzly bear, Sam performed first aid to stabilize their wounds and kept them warm by giving them his own clothing. Ultimately, they were rescued by an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter after eight harrowing hours. Sam presented his story to the Upper School student body and faculty at a recent town meeting. He shared a few of the gruesome details, all the while showing the confidence and bravery that kicked into action during the hours following the horrific attack.
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By Turk Lewis ’87, Director of Advancement
Thanks in large part to our Board of Trustees (100%), the Parents Association Executive Council (100%) and our parent volunteers, led by VP for Annual Giving, Kelley Verrochi-Davis, the Fund is off to a fantastic start. Thank you to all parents who have already made a gift or pledge to the Annual Fund this year. We are at 36% participation in the parent group as of today and hope to reach the 80% mark before the new year. Our parent volunteers will be making calls on November 16th. Please notify the Advancement Office or Kelley if you would like to join us. To make a gift or pledge right now, just click here!
How is your grade doing? A participation chart, updated weekly, can be found in the parent section of the website or by clicking here. The Annual Fund supports every student in the school by bridging the gap between tuition and full cost of a Portledge education this year. Thank you for joining us with your commitment. |
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By Michael Coope, Director of Admissions
 The Admissions team has been very busy since the summer. As you know, we have instituted a new Sibling Early Decision Policy. A key element that strengthens our Portledge community is the sense of family, due in part to the large number of siblings attending the school. In an effort to further this inherent strength, we developed a policy for sibling early decision. It provides preferential access for Portledge families in the admissions process, and the chance for siblings of students to conclude their independent school search early, if accepted. For more information, click here.
Our first Open House will be held on Sunday, November 6th, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Middle School. Students, an alumnus and parents will share their experiences through an interactive panel discussion. Tours of the campus and buildings will be given by our Student Ambassadors. The Head of School, faculty and division heads will be on hand to answer questions. Please pass the word along to your friends and neighbors.
The Admissions Team has been giving tours of our beautiful campus and visiting local nursery schools to spread the news about our new Reggio Emilia-inspired program. Plus, we have been going to the local independent schools talking to their “graduating” 8th and 9th graders. We have also been updating our webpages, and hopefully by now you have visited us and seen messages from our new Student Bloggers. This year we have a terrific group all of whom offer different perspectives and help “show off” Portledge. To read the blogs and find out more about the bloggers, click here. |
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 Jon Sandos ’03, history teacher and hockey and lacrosse coach, has been named Upper School Student Life Coordinator. His main responsibilities include assisting class advisors, overseeing discipline within the school, working with class advisors to organize grade- and school-wide activities, such as Pep Rally, Founders Day, Blue White Day, and Earth Day, serving as the liaison for parents, and supporting Upper School Division Head, Harry Grzelewski. Jon is really enjoying the position and is excited about building further relationships with students. As an alumnus, he knows firsthand that the student-teacher relationships are at the core of the Portledge experience. His mission is to further the sense of community that already exists in the Upper School. Students enjoy having Jon as a go-to person to whom they feel comfortable talking and as an advocate with faculty and administration. In the years to come, the position will continue to grow as Jon and Harry generate new exciting ideas. Stay tuned!
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 Katie Henry is not only a teacher and coach but she is an alumna. She came to Portledge in the middle of her own pre-Kindergarten year after an “awful” experience at a local pre-school. She still remembers having drawn the water as green, not blue, and having her teacher “scrutinize” her, leaving Katie devastated and confused. So her parents transitioned her into to Portledge, where she was able to be creative and see the world as she saw it, not as what was to be expected. This experience was an early step along a path that drew Katie into early childhood teaching. She believes that children should feel safe in their learning environment so they can be creative risk takers. This year Katie is spearheading the new Reggio Emilia influenced pre-Kindergarten that allows children to learn with their passions at the forefront.
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By Phil Hills, Director of Athletics
The Portledge fall athletic season is over, and we are gearing up for our winter season of basketball, hockey, squash and middle school fencing. However, before jumping ahead, let’s recap the fall sports teams’ successes. |
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At Portledge, 100% of our Upper School students participate in clubs and/or on athletic teams. In
fact, Portledge encourages students to explore new activities as well as to pursue long-standing interests. Every year, new clubs are added based on student initiative and faculty expertise. Recently, we have added the business, politics, sports management and JSA clubs.
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The Portledge Board of Trustees welcomes five new members to its board of 21 officers and members. Each member is eligible to serve two three-year terms. The Board has the long-term responsibility for the educational and fiscal health of the School and trustees work closely with the head of school and administration through committees that include education, buildings and grounds, finance, advancement and governance.
Left to right: Brad Mott, Dana Pagliara, Walter Oden, Valerie Yardeni, Andrew Fentress
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These five new trustees join other board members: Terri Austin Keogh '85 (Glen Cove), President; Richard Kirikian (Oyster Bay), Vice-President; Leonard Shapiro (Glen Cove), Vice-President; Michael T. Borgia (Oyster Bay Cove), Treasurer; Phillip J. Han '98 (New York City), Vice-Treasurer; Julie Mendik (Lattingtown), Secretary; Robert G. Gahagan (Bayville), Charles Hobbs (Matinecock), Mark Kravietz (Melville), Joan B. Krown (Oyster Bay) (Lifetime Trustee), Betty Ann McConaghy Roel (Glen Cove), John McIlvain (Georgetown, ME), Samara Meshel (North Hills), Adelaide Mulry (Glen Cove), Martin Scheinman (Sands Point), and James F. Wellington (Locust Valley) (Lifetime Trustee). |
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