| |  | | | | | Dear Parents:
Welcome to the Spring 2011 issue of the “Portledge Pride” Parent E-Newsletter. As promised, we have “gone green” and present this electronically. A copy will always “live” on the Portledge website under the Parents section.
Even beyond the weekly e-mail with news and photos, there is so much to share with you and we truly hope after reading this you get a glimpse of all the exciting programs, trips, and projects our students do in each school and gain insight into the exceptional work of our amazing faculty. Please share this e-newsletter with family and friends. We are proud of what Portledge offers and feel it is important to let everyone know!
As always, if you have any story ideas, that you would like us to cover, please contact me at savidon@portledge.org or 750-3222.
Happy reading!
Stephanie Avidon
Editor | |
| Meet the Faculty: | | Roger LaFlair, Upper School Science and Math Teacher and Middle School Basketball Coach | | | | 
Mr. LaFlair has been teaching at Portledge for nine years. After teaching at Portledge from 1996 to 2000, he tried his hand with a technology firm, and returned in 2005. Over the years, he has taught both middle and upper science (chemistry and IPS), math (algebra) and computers (programming). Mr. LaFlair is also known for being the Chess Club advisor, a club he started when he came to Portledge, which survived when he left and is now one of the most popular activities chosen by lower schoolers in the After School program. Middle school students play in the atrium when they have time, and there is generally an upper school game going on in the lounge. His work with chess extends into the summer when he teaches a three week session at Portledge Summer Adventures. He also organizes inter-school chess tournaments and hosted the first event at Portledge in the fall. In his free time, he also tutors chess players of all ages. Mr. LaFlair believes that children need to compete in order to learn from their losses, and for those true “experts” it is important in the chess world to be nationally ranked.
When asked what he liked most about Portledge, he answered “the kids -- since they are interested in learning.” He is a man of few words who brings his own lunch in order to be more efficient with his time in and out of the classroom. He loves teaching new courses; although it’s a lot of preparation, he is always up for a challenge. He enjoys spending his spare time with his family, playing basketball, watching sports, participating in fantasy sports leagues, tutoring and reading. He is currently reading The Brief History of Everything by Bill Bryson. If he doesn’t have time to read, he will listen to audio books. He is also studying for his Master’s degree on-line. His dream was to be a chess pro, in the days when he was ranked in the top 100 in the country. The last interesting fact Mr. LaFlair shared was that he raised hundreds of chickens as a young boy.
It’s always fun and interesting to get to know the faculty outside of the classroom and each of our staff members has his/her own interesting story to share. We will continue to highlight others in future issues.
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| Welcome To Our New LS Division Head | | | | | |
We welcome Alan D. Cohen as the new Lower School Division Head who will join our community on July 1, 2011. Mr. Cohen brings 34 years of educational experience to Portledge having filled many roles as a teacher and administrator for the New York City Department of Education. He is currently a Network Leader providing support and supervision for principals in 32 New York City schools and prior to that completed seven years as principal of Public School 69 where he implemented a Reggio Emilia inspired early childhood program, which combines child initiated learning with teacher directed activities. In the past, he has had various responsibilities in the New York City system, including teaching, crisis intervention, mentoring teachers and aspiring principals, high school admissions, and supervising student support services.
Mr. Cohen is a life-long New Yorker who lives in Bayville. He received his bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and holds a Master’s of Science, Special Education from New York University. He is a Cahn Fellow at Columbia University. Recently, he has spent his summers as a group leader at The Principals Center Summer Institute of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Mr. Cohen also serves as an advisory board member at The Principals Center.  | |
| Summer Adventures Is Right Around the Corner | | | | | | If you are looking for a camp for your child(ren) this summer, why not consider our own Summer Adventures. Programs include Drama (this year’s play will be Beauty & The Beast), the Arts (such as studio art, painting, pottery, jewelry making, sewing, fashion design, wood working, and cooking), Athletic Adventures (including gymnastics, NOGA soccer, horseback riding, baseball, lacrosse, golf, tennis, fencing and more) and Science (like pondology, videogame creator, rocket blasts, astronomy, computers, math games, chess, robofun). Plus, we have Spanish Enrichment, Fantasy Writing Workshop and Young Author’s Middle School Writers and Driver’s Education. There is certainly something for everyone. Our Family Day Open House is Sunday, May 15th, so mark your calendar and spend an afternoon with us to see what we have to offer. Or if you don’t want to wait until then, click here for more information or call Melissa Worth, director, at 750-3104.
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| | Celebrating 2011 and looking forward … | | | | | | Spring brings unique energy to Portledge – the cherry trees are in full bloom for a week, highlighting the exquisite beauty of the campus; the science fair, art displays, and music concerts document student creativity, talent, and achievement and the confidence with which our students are able to perform or speak about their work; lower school students rejoice in exploring the outdoors with Mrs. Sarles; the days lengthen and so many middle and upper schoolers participate in baseball, softball, tennis, golf, and lacrosse; senior speeches, reflective and provocative as well as serious and humorous, their independent projects, and finalizing their choice of colleges, set the stage for the emotions of graduation. Teachers are able to step back and recognize how their students have grown – and we know that hard work, determination, and confidence in each other pay off.
My greatest personal reinforcement may be a sophomore randomly tapping me on the shoulder after a Wednesday morning meeting and saying, “You know, I love this school!” or the fourth grader who always greets me not only with a hug but with an account of what she just did in class, or the parent who, despite or because of several polite but contentious conferences, says that he is thankful for the dedication of the faculty. However, institutionally, I always go back to that mission, one that speaks to inclusive community, individual potential, critical academic skills, moral courage, and global citizenship, and I look to how we can collectively move forward.
We are planning for next year and are particularly excited about initiatives that are in progress. The Lower School faculty has aggressively addressed literacy, social studies, and math over the past several years, and our new division head, Alan Cohen, brings the expertise and experience to build on that foundation. His background in the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education and his infectious commitment to establishing Portledge as the leader in elementary education are totally consistent with our mission. The concept of creating a stimulating and supportive physical environment to complement a developmental and student-centered curriculum is applicable across all our divisions, but it will be particularly noteworthy in the early childhood arena. We see such a substantive program, along with Portledge’s sense of community, attracting new young families to our school.
The security that Susan Edwards-Bourdrez and the middle school faculty provide for young adolescents whom we encourage to explore, take risks, and try out new ideas will continue to make the middle school shine in its own right and as preparation for upper school and beyond. Middle school teachers will continue to collaborate as they focus on a foundation in the core disciplines while encouraging all students to participate in music, art, and athletics. We are so fortunate to have teachers who love middle school and fill the roles of advisor and coach in addition to their academic responsibilities.
Under Harry Grzelewki’s leadership and thanks to department head input and buy-in and Zoe Schwam’s ability to translate concepts into a new schedule using our technology, we are developing a new schedule that addresses each department’s needs and maintains our commitment to extraordinary music and athletic programs. Preparation for college certainly includes substantial academic achievement in the full range of subjects; Portledge aims to go beyond as we expand our focus on critical thinking, cooperative problem-solving, research, the ability to listen and to interpret, and the importance of active learning. We will continue to work on making maximum constructive use of technological and human resources and students taking responsibility for their education. The students in the Class of 2011 are ready to be leaders at the colleges they have chosen, and we expect even more for the Class of 2012.
Finally, the first of many personal thank yous to those extraordinary teachers – Karen Johnson, Sheena Schlegel, and Angie Twist – who have been so much a part of Portledge for decades and to Rick White, who in a short time has made a great contribution as CFO.
I look forward to enjoying with you the culmination of the year and to continued growth ahead for our school!
Steve Hahn
Head of School | |
| Students Give Back | | | | | | Beyond the classroom, Portledge students are exposed to the world around them and the needs of others through active participation in community service projects. From collection of toys and food drives during the holidays to visits to nursing homes and homeless shelters, our students gain valuable life lessons that nurture their sense of citizenship. These programs occur in and out of school; however, teachers instill the concepts of responsibility and giving back to the community in students at an early age and continue to reinforce these ethics through every grade.
Service Highlights:
Most recently, Harrison Tanchuck ’12 organized a group of eight upper school students involved in the Community Service Club to travel to New Orleans with Rustic Pathways to work with the St. Bernard’s Project and build a house for a family displaced from Hurricane Katrina. During their week-long visit they also assembled gift baskets full of household necessities, such as flashlights, detergents, mops, and cleansers, for the 200 families living in FEMA trailers and several thousand still living as refugees in neighboring states; and they planted sticks in the mud, encouraging birds to come to the area to roost; and they helped with beach cleanup, where the students were amazed to encounter tar balls the size of footballs.
Back home, other projects include Homeless Lunch Bake Sales, with proceeds used to provide bagged lunches to the guests of the North Shore Sheltering Program in Glen Cove; Operation Christmas Child, through which donations are collected for toiletries, school supplies and toys for young children; UNICEF collection during Halloween; holiday cards for the soldiers abroad; volunteering at the Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club of Locust Valley, tutoring youngsters or helping with after-school recreational activities or special events; Jeans for Teens; and “Pink Promises” for breast cancer research. Faculty coordinator, Mrs. Schuessler, does an extraordinary job organization, encouraging and working with all students.
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| Athletics Recap: | | | | | | The winter season is over, and we have begun our spring season of baseball, softball, lacrosse, golf and boys tennis. However, before we jump ahead, we want to recap the winter sport teams’ successes. Congratulations to the Varsity Girls Basketball team for winning its second consecutive IPPSAL Championship with an overall record of 17-4, while going unbeaten, 12-0, in IPPSAL regular season and playoff competition. After securing the league championship, the girls moved on to the state independent school tournament where they were defeated in a close game by the Trinity School of NYC. While it didn’t match up to last year’s championship campaign, this winter’s Varsity Boys Basketball team completed a solid season with a final mark of 10-11. They were defeated by Solomon Schechter in the IPPSAL semi-finals, but demonstrated that they could compete with the strongest independent schools in the metropolitan area throughout the year. Varsity Boys Ice Hockey finished seeded second among all schools in New York State and 29th nationally out of approximately 130 independent schools. The team had an overall record of 16-4-1 and challenged for the Empire Cup, a tournament seen by many as the unofficial Mid-Atlantic championship, losing only to highly regarded Albany Academy 2-1 in overtime of an exciting semi-final game. Girls Varsity Hockey, the only such team on Long Island, had a successful rebuilding year ending up with a record of 7-7-2. At the end of the season, the team won three in a row to qualify for the Mid-Atlantic Championship game against their arch rival Morristown Beard. Even though they lost the game, this group of primarily eighth and ninth graders learned a great deal about pressure play and will return as an even better squad in the future. Portledge boasts two unique programs at the Varsity level in fencing and squash. The fencers emerged as a dark horse candidate in the Independent School Fencing League. The team’s best weapon, by far, was epee. The group of young squash players enjoyed this season despite posting a losing record. Many of the players improved significantly and are looking forward to coming back stronger next year. Congratulations to all the athletes, and thank you for your commitment to your team and to Portledge!
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| College Counseling Update | | | | | | College Counselor, Elisabeth Mooney, was awarded a Silver City Scholarship by the University of Aberdeen and spent a week in Scotland and London visiting schools that may be of interest to the Portledge student body. In addition to spending two days at the University of Aberdeen, she was also a guest at the University of St. Andrews, and toured the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Although time did not allow for campus visits to Cambridge and Oxford, Mrs. Mooney did meet students who had attended those schools and was able to stop in at the London School of Economics. During the tour she learned a great deal about the admissions process by meeting with administrators, professors and students from the various universities. She was also fortunate to meet with students from the United States who gave her their perspective on attending a school in the UK.
Back home on campus, as of mid-March, the senior class, comprised of 48 students, applied to a total of 195 colleges. In what some have described as a surprisingly tough admissions year, our Portledge students should be proud of their achievement. | |
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| | Peer Mentoring Helps Everyone | | | | | |
Portledge always encourages students to give back to the community, incorporate what they learn in class and apply that in hands-on situations. What better way than for students to work with fellow students to learn and grow, especially through cross-divisional programs. Dr. Lustberg started a peer counseling program for upper school students at the request of Mr. Hahn last spring. Selected students receive training in listening, observation and communication skills as well as how to assist others with identifying and addressing problems common to adolescents, such as stress, peer relationships, self-image and confidence. In addition, the goals of the program are to learn conflict-mediation and team-building skills. Peer mediators are currently working with middle school and ninth grade students, and earlier in the year they worked with lower school students.
Currently, there are fourteen upper school students helping in the lower school classrooms as part of the T.A.I.L.S. (Teacher Assistants in Lower School) program. Upper school students meet in a group once a week, and Mrs. Schniebolk, who created the program, leads interactive discussions about child psychology and development. Guest speakers, such as lower school teachers, the school psychologist and head of school, also visit with the group and address a variety of topics. The upper school students visit the lower school twice a week and work directly with a teacher. Students work one-on-one, in groups or with the entire class, and they help in academic and extra-curricular areas that range from reading and math to sports. Ms. Henry is the lower school coordinator and believes the program helps build the students’ confidence. The little children can’t wait for the older kids to arrive, and the older students love helping the younger ones. | |
| Retirement Announcements | | | | | | This year we have three retirements to announce: Karen Johnson, US English Teacher; Sheena Schlegel, LS Division Head; and Angie Twist, US Librarian. We also want to extend a fond farewell complete with well wishes to Rick White, Chief Financial Officer.
Click each name to read more.
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| Admissions Update: | | | | | | The Admissions Office in conjunction with Marketing & Communications created several events that helped showcase Portledge at its finest. First, we hosted Winter Wonders, led by Mrs. Sarles - the students and parents enjoyed a walk through the woods where they looked for animal tracks, enjoyed a winter-related story and a snack. A personal invitation was sent to local nursery schools, and two schools (St. Paul’s in Glen Cove and Temple Sinai in Roslyn) enthusiastically responded. Thirty-eight students and about 30 adults spent four mornings with Mrs. Sarles during the Winter Wonders exploration.
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| Advancement Update: | | | | | | 2010 Champion’s for Charity® Sets New Record
Thank you to everyone who supported the 2010 Champion’s for Charity® event at the Manhasset Americana and Wheatley Plaza in December. As a result of your shopping at participating stores on the designated dates, Portledge will receive $19,427 for our 2011-2012 Financial Aid Fund. This is the largest donation generated by the event in our six years of participation! Thank you to Sophie Pompea for chairing this committee through the Parents Association. We know many of you enlisted the support of family and friends, all of whom designated Portledge as their preferred charity. We truly appreciate your support!
Thank you to everyone for supporting the 38th Annual Crystal Ball Auction Gala on April 16th. It was among the most successful fundraisers the school has hosted! This year’s event saw more faculty participation than last year, more alumni than ever, and just about the entire crowd on the dance floor late into the evening.
 There may still be spots available to play in this year’s Joslin Memorial Cup golf event to be held at the Creek Club and Piping Rock Club on May 24th. Check our website for more information or call Turk Lewis ’87 at 750-3220 to play. A $500 entry fee includes caddies, lunch, golf, cocktail reception at Stoddart House afterwards with passed hors d’oeuvres and awards. | |
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