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Image of Tower Backyard Project
 
 
Photo of Dean Sidell, Acting Head of School

When I read The Beacon I am reminded of the breadth and reach of Tower's community in educational and professional circles. We often judge the success of our program by the schools our graduates attend, but I believe the true indication of our mission's fulfillment is the impact that you, our alumni, make beyond the classroom.

 

Tower's alumni employ the skills and qualities they developed in the classroom--problem solving, critical thinking, application of knowledge, creativity, service to others, leadership and respect--to create change and positively impact others. We are proud of all our alumni and are excited about the many ways we can serve our current and future students. We are in the process of a search for Tower's 10th Head of School and have just launched a new strategic plan to ensure that we achieve our mission for every child, every year. It's an exciting time to be at Tower; we hope you will continue to stay connected with classmates, teachers, and with Tower.

 

Best,

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Dean Sidell

Acting Head of School

SPOTLIGHT ON PHILLIPA HAVEN '09

Editor's Note: This fall we talked with Philippa Haven '09 to learn more about her role as a healthcare-policy analyst in Washington, D.C.

 

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What do you do in Washington?

 

I am an analyst for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), in their healthcare cost estimating unit. My primary role is to help Congress understand the fiscal implications of legislation. This includes a wide variety of exercises, like estimating the cost of a bill and modeling the 10-year effect of a change in policy. It's a fast-paced job working shoulder-to-shoulder with a lot of truly bright people, which I really enjoy.

 

What impact did Tower School have on you?


Tower helped me lay down a strong foundation of both knowledge and skill. It ingrained in me the importance of being a participant, not just a consumer, in my education. I remember learning how to talk with teachers about any challenges I had with homework and how to engage with other students on projects. This experience helped me feel comfortable later in life, when attending office hours in college and working with colleagues to produce an estimate of a bill.

 

Would you mind sharing some of your Tower stories?


I remember getting my first planner in first grade! Being taught how to use a planner was pivotal in my growth as a student because I learned how to be realistic with my time. Classes at Tower were also like real life, meaning that we had to work in small groups, be prepared, and actively participate.

 

One of my favorite teachers at Tower was Mr. Shepard. His enthusiasm for Latin and music was contagious—I always looked forward to his classes. Not to mention watching his plays was always fun!
 

What do you do in your free time?


I recently ran my first half-marathon and am looking forward to the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April!

 

SCHOOL NEWS

 
Photo of Tim Delehaunty

We greatly appreciate the kindness shown to us by Tower's community at the unexpected passing of our beloved Head of School, Tim Delehaunty. The support and thoughtfulness was extraordinary. We are humbled to be part of such an amazing group. Thank you.

 
Photo of Cornell Loop and Green

Our beautiful new outdoor space, the Cornell Loop and Green, which provides new opportunities for play, community gathering, and safety, opened in September. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our former Board of Trustees whose long-term vision made this expansion possible.

 
Rendering of Reimagined Backyard

Following on the heels of our recent campus expansion on Cornell Road, we are excited to introduce details of the plans for transforming the space behind the school house into a premiere environment for athletics and science learning as well as a plan for revitalized playground and community space. This opportunity is made possible thanks to the generosity of Fran and Steve Lockwood, who are parents of Tower students Allison Lockwood Nguyen '90, Kate Bracken '92, and Jessica Hyde '95 and grandparents of current Tower students. A small group of leadership families generously added their support. We're thrilled to announce we have raised $1.1 million toward our estimated project cost of $1.36 million. The project is expected to be completed in time for school opening in September 2019. This effort is part of Tower's strategic plan.

 
Photo of Alumni Hall

Thanks to the generosity of the Class of 2018 families, each member of future graduating classes will be honored with their own hand-illustrated and glazed tile, framed in the newly name Alumni Hall entrance. When viewing the space for the first time, an Upper School student commented, "Wow, this looks really nice, like something you'd see on a college campus!" We agree; it looks terrific. Thank you to the Class of 2018 for their class gift, which brings new life to the stairwell and creates a legacy for future graduating classes.

 
Photo of Legacy Families

In October, we hosted our second annual Legacy Breakfast for alumni whose children are enrolled at Tower. In them and in their ideas, enthusiasm, and commitment, Tower's 100+ year legacy of forward-looking education evolves, adapts, and improves for the next generation of Tower students. We are fortunate to have such a vibrant legacy and spirited group of alumni parents within our community.

 
Photo of Ellie Tomlinson and Emma Garfield '08

We were delighted to welcome many friends to Tower's Art Gallery for an exhibit and opening reception of alumni and former faculty artwork. The exhibit, titled Celebrating the Student-Teacher Relationship at Tower, featured the work of Emma Garfield '08 and former faculty Ellie Tomlinson, who retired in 2004 after teaching art at Tower for thirty-seven years. Emma is now a very busy professional artist and Ellie has written and illustrated two children's books. Ellie's most recent book, Molly's Pal, is available on Amazon.

 
Photo of Fellowship Reception

Tower welcomed nearly 100 parents of alumni, current and former faculty and board members, and alumni back to campus this past spring for a Fellowship Reception in the Phillips Library. The room was filled with warm greetings, fond memories, and enthusiasm for the school's future.

FACULTY UPDATES

This past winter we were saddened to share the news that our beloved former teacher, Georgia Sledge, who retired in 1996 after thirty-five years of teaching, passed away. Georgia is remembered by alumni and faculty as being an engaging, larger-than-life figure. Students adored her humor and quick-wit. In addition to teaching Grade 6, Mrs. Sledge wrote the school musicals, carefully crafting the perfect role for each student.

 
Photo of Nancy McCarthy

Nancy McCarthy was honored at the Spring Fellowship Reception for her forty-two years of wonderful teaching. Congratulations on your retirement, Mrs. McCarthy!

IN THE CLASSROOMS

 
Photo of Webb Thomson in Greece

Mr. Thompson, Grade 6 teacher and recipient of the McCann Chair for Teaching Excellence, has brought insights from his recent trip to Greece to his integrated English-History humanities classes. He describes his trip, which followed the flow of his curriculum, as having changed the way he teaches Ancient Greek History and Mythology, and given him new perspectives on all ancient civilizations.

 
Photo of Sig Orne '80 in Oregon

History teacher Sig Orne '80 could be found on the Oregon trail this past summer tracing the route of westward expansion by following in the footsteps of early settlers. Her Grade 7 and 8 students are now reaping the reward of her primary-source experience. She tells us, "the Oregon Trail is not a single period of time, it is an interwoven tale of people: risk, pain, joy, and fortitude. My goal as a teacher is to have students comprehend the real decisions and reasoning of those decisions that people made in a different time."

ALUMNI NEWS

The door at Tower is always open for alumni to visit, which they often do. We recently enjoyed catching up with EJ Bulkeley '47 and also Terrance '58 and Greg Murphy '60. We are immensely grateful to these alumni for dropping off a treasure trove of old photographs and other memorabilia for our archives.

 
Photo of Doug Segal '62

Congratulations to Doug Segal '62 who won the closest-to-the-pin contest during this year's Golf Tournament! We were warned by John Sheldon '62 that Doug's an expert player. Having someone of Doug's caliber there elevated everyone's playing so we hope he and other alumni join us for the next tournament on June 1, 2020, at Kenwood Country Club. All proceeds benefit Tower's tuition assistance program.

 

Bess Cutler '63 writes to tell us her whole life since Tower has been centered around art. She painted and studied art for many years, then opened contemporary galleries in Boston, LA, and NYC. She is now living and painting in Kittery, Maine. She is saddened by the recent death of her husband. She sends along good wishes to all her Tower classmates.

 

Stephen Doty '75 shares his nostalgia for Tower with us in this video.

 
Photo of Tracy (Brennan) Stevenson '81

After 30 years of process engineering at companies like G.M., McDonald's, International Paper, Scudder Kemper Investments, and Fidelity Investments, Tracy (Brennan) Stevenson '81 switched gears. Now in "retirement," she has founded Freedom Solutions in Topsfield, MA, which offers process improvement services. 

 

One never knows how chance encounters will unfold. Kaitlyn Cronin '83, Head of Lower School at the Sage School in Foxboro, MA, reaching out to Tower's Head of Lower School Liz Buchan, after the publication of the last Beacon. Kaitlyn came back to campus to visit her alma mater and share insights with Liz Buchan.  

 

Hilary (Schwarzenbach) Samarel '97 lives in Needham with her husband and their two children. Hilary teaches chemistry at Needham High School.

 
Photo of Hawkins-Morrissey Wedding

Congratulations to Rob Hawkins '00 and Caroline Morrissey '02 on their recent nuptials. They were married on October 6 amid family, friends, and a large group of Tower alumni. We're told the closeness of this group is testament to the community and friendships at Tower. We wholeheartedly agree!

 
Photo of Sarah (Williamson) Bennett '03

Last March Sarah (Williamson) Bennett '03 was in Puerto Rico working with the Army Corps of Engineers documenting the redevelopment process. Her main project is Columbia River Basin management based out of Portland, OR.

 
Photo of Tatelman-Boeschenstein Wedding

Congratulations to Jenny Tatelman '03 and Hobie Boeschenstein '00 who were married this summer. In addition to tying the knot figuratively, Jenny has launched Fly and Flow, a fly fishing guide service catering to woman. Read more about Jenny's new endeavor in this Marblehead Report article.

 
Photo of Eric Kanter '05

Eric Kanter '05, a Senior Policy Advisor in Congressman Seth Moulton's office, joined the congressman in meeting with the Class of 2018 during their visit to Washington DC last May.

Eric Schwarzenbach '05 is moving back to Boston after four years in San Francisco. He is a software engineer for Google.

 

We are humbled by the parents of Joy Facella '06 who tell us the wonderful faculty at Tower helped shape Joy's love of learning and passion for science, which continued into secondary school, where Joy won the Freshmen Science Award and Honors in the State Science Fair. At George Washington University, Joy majored in psychology, with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience and a minor in biology. After graduation, Joy worked at Children's National Medical Center on a team conducting and co-authoring research in pediatric epilepsy. Joy is an advocate for women's leadership in science.

 

Alanna Waldman '06 is a 2014 graduate of the University of Southern California. She is currently a graduate student in marine biology at NOVA Oceanographic Institute in Fort Lauderdale. Alanna was invited to present her research on barrel sponges at Oxford University at the European Coral Reef Symposium.

 

Mikhaila Waldman '08 just completed her MS at Tuft's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Her dog Silas, a German Shepard, has performed professionally in both television productions and major motion pictures. Mikhaila is currently the co-owner of Critter Casting, an animal acting agency.

 

William Bloxham '09 is in his second year of a PhD program in biophysics at MIT.

 

James Jenkins '10 graduated from Bucknell in May and is working as an asset management analyst at ERI in Cambridge.

 

Colleen Polk '10 graduated from Notre Dame in May and is pursuing a MS in sports management at Columbia.

 

Alex Ricciardelli '10 graduated from the Carroll School Of Management at Boston College this past May. He is currently working as Project Manager at the marketing firm Digitas in Boston. During his time at BC, he travelled to Nicaragua, volunteered all four years with children at the Jackson/Mann school in Allston, was a leader in BC's CURA program, which unites and encourages its members to "lead a life for others," and acted as one of the editors for "The Rock" a BC publication.

 

Jamie Bloxham '11 is in his senior year at MIT, majoring in computer science. He will be taking a job in San Francisco next year.

 

Izzy Coffman '12 is at Washington University studying finance and supply chain management at the business school. She is an incoming Omni Buying and Planning Intern at Bloomingdales in NYC for the summer 2019.

 

Emily Garrard '12 is at Boston University studying mechanical engineering.

 

Jenny Jenkins '12 just returned to Santa Clara University after having spent a semester in Milan, Italy.

 

Olivia Leach '12 is a junior at Syracus. She is pursuing a double major in Spanish and writing inspired by her language teacher at Tower. She is planning a Spanish language immersion experience in Lima before graduation. She is especially enjoying a leadership role in Greek life at Syracuse as an active member in the Delta Gamma Rho chapter. She was granted a position on the executive board of the Panhellenic Council as Director of Rho Gammas for Panhellenic Recruitment 2020.

 

Corinne Mayle '12 is a sophomore at Duke University double majoring in Public Policy and Global Health. She has worked as a teaching assistant in Public Policy and has done research for a Duke professor writing a book about the economics of the health sector. Corinne has played club lacrosse and is on the board of Illyria, a women's empowerment group. She loved her internship last summer at Northeast Legal Aid in Lynn.

 

Sophia Ricciardelli '12, after graduating from Pingree, is a junior at the Carroll School of Management majoring in marketing and communications. Sophia has volunteered every year at the Jackson/Mann preschool in Allston. She also spent one year visiting a prison in Boston twice a week to tutor inmates, both men and women, on getting their GEDs as well as helping them learn better parenting skills. Additionally, she served as a Freshman Orientation Leader. She will spend the second semester of her Junior year studying in Salamanca, Spain.

 

Will Slattery '12 is a junior studying journalism at Colorado University at Boulder. We hear is doing well in school and loves having access to world class skiing.

 

Jack Garrard '14 had the wonderful distinction of being his graduation speaker at Brooks School this past June. His mother tells us all those Tower Recitation Days paid off. His is studying mechanical engineering at Northeastern. 

 

Teddy Mayle '14 graduated from Marblehead High School in June, where he was president of the senior class and captain of the football team. He loved playing basketball for four years as well. He was the MHS nominee for the Salem News Student Athlete Award. His parents say thanks to Tower he still has a connection with My Brother's Table, where he has volunteered over summer breaks. Teddy is now a freshman at Notre Dame.

 

Abigail Walker '14 attended Milton Academy after graduating from Tower. During her time at Milton, she focused on writing and editing for various campus publications, becoming head writing tutor and editor-in-chief of the arts magazine during her senior year. Abby is at the University of Pennsylvania.

 
Photo of Kilimanjaro Summit

We were very excited to hear news of Olivia Fulghum '15, Leonie Flacke '16, and Mariel Fulghum '17 summiting Kilimanjaro! Olivia and Leonie were in Tanzania for a service trip with Swampscott High School. They were later joined by Mariel and their fathers and some friends for the expedition, which took seven days to trek up and one day to trek down. The climb involved hiking through all vegetation zones, from jungle, to moorlands, to an alpine desert, to glaciers. The temperature at the top of Kilimanjaro was zero degrees Fahrenheit and really windy, but with a spectacular view of the sunrise.

Dynamite athlete Wes Rockett '15 has received numerous accolades for his athletics and sportsmanship on the field, especially in football. A recent Boston Globe article described his "performance of the ages" as being the clincher for St. John's Prep Division 1 Super Bowl Crown at Gillette Stadium. Wow! We wish him much success as he heads off to Brown University to study economics and play football for the Bears.

 
Photo of Charlie Suhr '15

Charlie Suhr '15 was one of seven seniors on the MHS Golf team, where he was recently honored with a Coach's Award. Congratulations to Charlie, shown here with mom and pre-K teacher Mrs. Suhr, and all golfers on a great season!

Photo of Ben Weise '15

News of college acceptances for the Class of 2015 are starting to come in. Congratulations to Ben Weise, shown above, who will attend American University in Washington, D.C., Grace Arthur will attend Boston College, Cici Doherty is over the moon to be heading off to Wake Forest, Robert Greene will be studying at the University of Oxford, Cooper Johnson is considering an offer from Savannah College of Art and Design, Paige Raisides will graduate from St. George's then head off to Boston University, Colby Shea, who was named Eastern Independent League Player of the Year and New England Prep School Athletic Council All Star, has decided upon Tufts, and Hanna Walker will attend Boston College.

 
Photo of Reed Cole '16

The St. Paul's Alpine race team had a banner year thanks to the contributions of several Tower alumni. Reed Cole '16, shown right, led the way with first place finishes in giant slalom and slalom followed by Morgan Cheney '16 who scored third in points to help the team capture a 1st place finish in the Lakes Region Championship. The girls also had a strong showing in the NEPSAC Class A Championships with a 2nd place finish.

 
Photo of Morgan Cheney '16

Elsewhere at St. Paul's, Morgan Cheney '16 can be found playing goalie for the JV Field Hockey team and setting her sights on lacrosse for the spring. This summer she will be teaching at Pleon.

 
Photo of Leonie Flacke '16

Congratulations to Leonie Flacke '16 and her Swampscott High School classmate who won First Place in the school Science Fair!

 
Photo of Dylan Klocker '16

Congrats to Dylan Klocker '16, who helped lead the way to Marblehead High School's Thanksgiving Day football victory over Swampscott with a 'pick six' in the 3rd quarter.

Sarah Newhall '16, a junior at Phillips Exeter Academy, is enjoying the academic experience as well as the opportunities to engage in her other passions--acting and music. She's currently playing Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz, involved in a production of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, and just completed a book trailer for a novel coming out in 2019. She plays guitar, and sings in Exeter's Concert Choir and a chamber choir, and has discovered the fun of Mock Trial.

 

Philip Ricciardelli '16 is a junior at St. John's Prep. He is the lead singer in their a capella group, Swingtown, and the announcer for the St. John's football games. In addition, Philip started a program at SJP to help freshman transition and have an easier time adjusting to life as a high school student. He is a member of the national Honor Society and is a student tutor. In December, he participated in the PULSE program where he lived in a Boston homeless shelter for a week gaining a better understanding of the hardships people face and how we, as a society, can help people get back on their feet. Philip welcomes any Grade 8 students considering The Prep to reach out to him, to shadow him on campus for a day, or just chat about life after Tower.

 

Charlie Anderson '17 is now at St. Paul's School.

 
Photo of Leila Cavero '17

Leila Cavero '17 was honored with the Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall Coach's Award for Varsity Soccer this fall. In addition, the Salem News recognized Leila this past spring for her contribution to the school's softball championship in the Independent Girl's Conference. More recently, Leila has been honored with the Most Improved Player award for Girls Varsity basketball.

 
Photo of Mason Cheney '17

Mason Cheney '17 helped St. Paul's Big Red go undefeated in football this past fall. In addition, Mason's fourth place finish in points overall contributed to St Paul's banner day as the Lakes Region Alpine Champions. Mason will be teaching at Pleon this summer.

Cole Kronberg '17 is now a junior at Cushing Academy.

 
Photo of Justin Dean '17

Justin Dean '17 is now at Brewster Academy where he ran cross-country and is using the guitar he made at Tower in Brewster's jazz band.

Christopher Pandapas '17 is enjoying his sophomore year at The Lawrenceville School. He ran cross country this fall, something he started at Tower, and has decided to fully dedicate himself to running as a sport by doing winter track as well. He is on the Model U.N. and Speech & Debate teams which have just started their competitions. Christopher made Dean's List for the fall semester and was nominated for the school's Hutchins Scholars program, which recognizes and supports outstanding science students by giving them opportunities for in-depth research studies. He stays in touch with the good friends he made at Tower and they get together whenever they can.

 

Drew Botta '18 received high honors at Pingree for the first trimester, putting him at the top 10% of his class. In addition, Drew had the opportunity to play football for the first time. His team beat Dexter Southfield in the final game of the season and made it to the championship, where Pingree was defeated by St. Paul's. Drew also volunteered with the Special Olympics at Pingree.

 
Photo of Kendall Brant '18

Kendall Brant '18, shown on left with Tower Classmate Fran D'Orio, helped the Tilton School hockey team bring home a nice win in their recent game against Holderness. In addition, Kendall was recently named a Top Performer by her coach in an earlier game against Brewster Academy. Way to go, Kendall!

 
Photo of Fran D'Orio '18

Fran D'Orio '18 is having a wonderful year at Holderness. In addition to joining the ski team, she is one of a small number of Admissions Office volunteers giving tours to students and their families. Fran stands out with her public speaking, confidence, and overall helpfulness. You make us proud! Fran is shown here with a prospective student from Tower.

 
Photo of Zach Nassar '18

As we turned the page on the calendar for September we were delighted to be greeted by the familiar face of Zach Nassar '18. Zach and brother Alex '18 are freshman at St. John's Prep.

SPECIAL THANKS

Thank you to Grace Beatty '13, a freshman at Salve Regina, for her help in the Development Office last summer. Our archives are much easier to navigate because of her hard work.

 

A big thank you goes out to Jason Grazado '83 and his staff at Marblehead Sports Shop. His friendly top-notch team always do an outstanding job stitching matriculation caps for our graduating Grade 8 students.

 

Thank you to former faculty member Ellie Tomlinson and Emma Garfield '08 whose beautiful artwork graced the lives of all who walked through the front door during their exhibit.

 

We are fortunate to have former parents LuAnn and Tom Gabel P '07, '09, '11, and alumni Greg Lydon '90 and Angie Munro '91 working on behalf of Tower's 2018-19 Annual Fund. Visit towerschool.org/giving to show your support for Tower.

SAVE THE DATE

Our second annual Young Alumni BBQ is scheduled for Thursday evening, May 30, 2019, from 6:30-8:00. More details to come. 

 

The next Golf Tournament, which supports tuition assistance, will be at Kernwood Country Club on Monday, June 1, 2020.

 

All alumni and parents of alumni are invited to the biennial Tower auction on Saturday, April 6, in Tower's Lynch gymnasium. Jess Hyde '95 and Ali Spring '95 are two of our parent volunteers seeking alumni support for the event. Click here to learn more about the event, its impact on the school, and how you might support it.

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75 West Shore Drive, Marblehead MA 01945 | towerschool.org

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