REPORT OF GIVING 2014/2015

Touchstone Community School

From the Board A  Message  from  Kerri  Batra,  Chair  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  

hile we optimistically look forward into this exciting new school year, the Annual Report simultaneously offers an opportunity to look back on the accomplishments of the past year. Beyond the financial details, this report reads to me like a celebration of the generosity of our community. And what an exceptional community we are! As you probably already know, the TCS Annual Fund again enjoyed 100% participation from the Board of Trustees, Faculty, Staff, and Parents. In addition, thousands of hours of time were volunteered by so many friends of the school. This generosity has helped to build the TCS endowment, and provided funds that went toward a new Smartboard in Sharon’s class, Financial Aid, hiking and farm school trips and the wonderful African Drumming Program.

I could not help but to read the profiles of the TCS graduates in this report, and to think of their trailblazing parents, so many years ago, supporting this nascent community with excitement and possibly more than a little trepidation. I hear over and over again success stories of well-adjusted, curious, intellectual TCS graduates, and conclude that Touchstone and its transformative model of education is more relevant than ever.So thank you for your dedication to Touchstone; your support is what allows this transformative education to endure. Here’s to a productive and successful 2015-2016 school year!

Warmly,

Kerri Batra

W

Dear TCS Community,

d

of

From our exceptional faculty to our dedicated parents, this community is an inspiration, and I could not be more grateful to be a part of it. What other school can rock an amazing production of steam punk Shakespeare in the midst of a one two three punch knock down of a snowstorm that frizzled our boiler and left us off campus for over two weeks? I am grateful for parents who supported our super stressed and pressed faculty during those snowy weeks with delicious food and kind gestures. I am grateful for our kids who welcome new students, who embrace new ideas, who say “I love school” and mean it. And I am grateful for a faculty and staff that is so dedicated that I literally have to chase them out of the building.

.

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Your gifts to the TCS Fund last year supported our Shakespeare play as well as our new boiler. Your gifts supported our financial aid program so that families could choose TCS who otherwise might be unable. You gifts provided teachers with professional development so that they can be models of life long learning. Your gifts go far and wide into our everyday work at Touchstone. Your gifts express your support for this amazing school.

en

You’ve heard it before, that’s how clichés become clichés, but our children really do skip into school. They really do announce that they wish school could happen over vacations or on weekends. Our children see education as joyful and a pursuit to be embraced. This TCS education is a gift, not only for each child lucky enough to come to Touchstone, but for all of us in a diverse and interwoven world. These children will grow up to be our scientists, our statesmen, our builders, our thinkers and our teachers. What greater gift can we give then to support a school whose mission is: to cultivate a joy of lifelong learning through transformative intellectual, social, and emotional growth.

Thank you and with great appreciation,

Susan Diller Head of School

From the Head

Board of T

rustees 2014-2015

Sarah  Kipp  Chair  Allison  Iantosca  Vice Chair  Andrea  Kendall    Clerk  Steve  Lunt  Treasurer  Kerri  Batra  Sharon  Borg  Liam  BradyJeanne CahillDavid  Cantler  Susan  Diller  Denise  Faneuff  Beckley  Gaudette  Sarah  Guin  Pat  Hutchinson  Emily  Miller  MlcakMichael Mallett  Jim  Pascoe  Melissa  Zeive  

Sunflower  ($10,000  or  more)  David  Dollenmayer  and  Dr.  Linda  Pape ****  

Iris  ($5,000  to  $9,999)  Drs. Ajay and Kerri  Batra  Daylily  (2,501 to $5000) Anonymous    Fidelity  Foundation  Mark  and  Theresa  Wright**  

Zinnia  ($1,000 to $2,500)

WE MAKE A LIVING BY

WHAT WE GET,BUT WE MAKE A

LIFE BY

WHAT WE GIVE.-Winston Churchill

Total Fundraising TCS Fund $70,716 Auction $30,04 6 TOTAL $100,762

Leadership giving is more than a dollar amount. We feel it is important to recognize years of consecutive giving with the key below.

510152025+

YearsYearsYearsYearsYears

***************

Anonymous Fred and Patricia Eppinger**Beckley and Richard Gaudette**Dominic and Meredith GaudianoDonovan and Sarah Guin*Hanover InsuranceEdmund and Marian Hazzard ***** Philip and Allison Iantosca. Jr. Dave Isenberg and Andrea Kendall* Steve and Therese Lunt** Michael Miller and Melissa Zeive Stanley and Ann Miller*** Brian and Kristen Moquin Finley and Trish Perry*

Alison  Bagg  Kimberly  Borg  Oksana  Brown  Elizabeth  Devaney  Kate  Dollenmayer  Emily  Hazzard Phoebe Hazzard   Suzanne  Klainer  Jessica  Sullivan  

Alum

ni

Parent Giving

Chris  and  Danielle  Anderson  Whit  Andrews  Michael  and  Christine  Arruda  David  and  Jill  Asher  Jonathan  and  Kerri  Augusto*  James BagleyDavid  and  Karen  Barry**  Mark  and  Alison  Belanger  Fausto  Benavides  and  Suzanne  HoldenUdo  and  Ellen  Benz  Todd  and  Jan  Berry  Michael  Blum  and  Teresa  Scibelli Liam and LIsa Brady*  Brian  and  Amanda  Costello  Geoff  and  Eileen  DePaula*  Nancy  Dreier  Thomas  and  Dawn  Duplessis  Jon Eisenberg and Denise FanuffDrs. Jordan and Kimberly  Eisenstock   Stephen  Gatesy  and  Maryann  Davis**  Bryan  and  Stephanie  Gava  Jesse  Gregg  and  Natalie  Corridan-Gregg*  Rae  and  Nina  Grenon*  Justin  and  Pamela  HollanderRoland  Hubscher  and  Teresa  Hubscher- Younger  Igor and Liane Ivno

“It’s  a  comforting  feeling  to  leave  our  children  each  day in  such  a   loving   community  where  their  days  are  full  of  meaningful  and  fun  learning."

   -Josh  and  Yael  Rosen

Donald Jackson and Sarah StefanySarah Kipp* Phani Kommineni and Chaitanya Govada Ann Latino and Betty HodgmentGary and Nicole Leet Paul and Charlotte Lenfest Markus and Simone LinsinBrian Maher and Lauren HammAndrew Manby and Fiona Johnston-Manby Chad McGowan* Adam and Elizabeth Mintz Demetrios Mitsis and Ramona Wormley Mitsis Melora NadeauJessica Neuwirth Bob Nicoll and Jennifer Davis Laura Nurzynski John Odell and Nancy BaffaCory and Christina O'Dell Jeff and Blake PoggiRonald Price and Rosa Carrasquillo  Joshua and Yael Rosen Dr. Jeffrey Satnick and Jessica Coppolino-Satnick Melinda Snyder Duncan and Melissa Lee-Sorli Chris and Tracy StowbridgeLaura WachsSteven and Kari WhitneyJeanne Cahill and Joseph Zaia*

Denise and Joseph Antaki Peter and Pat Bagg**Carol Bedrosian**Sharon Borg Stuart and Tamara Brayshaw**** Jay and Lyn Britt Timothy and Mary Brochu** Alex and Polly Brown***Alan Brown and Linda FoxworthyKibbe Brown and Dr. Donna Badner* Mary Ann Carpenter Eben and Ellie Chesebrough Marc Cohen David and Betty Coleman Joseph and Alisa DeStefano David Dollenmayer and Dr. Linda Pape **** Fred and Patricia Eppinger**Martin Fuchs and Sheryl Erickson Beckley and Richard Gaudette** Martin and Rosemary Gelman Drs. Jonathan Grayzel and Julia Gallagher** Peter and Emily Green Edmund and Marian Hazzard***** Richard and Lynda Heller****Karen and Peter Kazanjian-Silvia Donald and Kate Keller Paul and Jeanne Klainer*****John and Beth Lawton*Roger Lawrence and Sarah Lyon Michelle Mangano* Patrick McCabe and Dr. Caroline Fisher Michael Miller and Melissa ZeiveEmily Mlcak*Christopher Murphy and Elizabeth Towne David Parker and Annie Popkin Dr. Deborah Pease Paul Pedevillano Finley and Trish Perry *Paul Peter Dean Ranzo and Emilie Richmond Josephine Ross and Christine Guilfoy

Parent Alumni G

iving

Drs.  Richard  Schmitt  and  Lucy  Candib  Scott  and  Lisa  Shumway  Marcy  Singer  Kenneth  and  Suellen  Slater  David  and  Diane  Smith**  Michael  Smith  and  Pam  DolanDrs.  David  and  Rebecca  Spanagel**** James  and  Susan  Spencer**Neil  and  Anne  Swinton  Johanna  Szumowski  David  Tapscott  and  Gail  Epstein***  Michael  and  Mary  Tonry  James  and  Leslie  Torrey  Wayne  and  Jennifer  Trotter  Allan  and  Jennifer  Unger  Michael  Volkert  and  Margaret  LeRoux  Diane  Wells  Darrell  and  Willie  Wickman  James  Woodward  and  Sally  Kent  Mark  and  Theresa  Wright**Richard  Zajchowski  and  Celia  Brown*****  William  and  Susan  Zujewski  

"For several years, Linda and I have chosen to make Touchstone our major charitable contribution, reasoning that our dollars are more crucial there than at some of the other institutions our kids attended later."

-David Dollenmayer

2

Nancy Baffa Kibbe BrownKim Borg Tamara Brayshaw**** Mary Brochu** Glynis Bylin*David Cantler Sarah Corry Todd Cutrona Susan Diller Ron FestaLiza Gallagher Sheryl Harrow*** Katy Inman** Kathleen Little Jackie Lockney Michelle Mangano* Emily Mlcak* Bethanny Morrill Jodi Stevens Steve Whitney

Faculty and Staff

Grandparents and A

lumni

Grandparents

Thomas  and  Lois  Anderson  Tom  and  Lake  AndrewsMargaret  Baffa  Shashi  Batra  Lucy  Brady  Carl  DePaula  Shane  and  Jerry  Eisenberg  Sheila  Faneuff  Gordon  Faust  Michael  and  Deborah  Fedorchak  Laurette  Hamm  Michael  and  Amy  Hollander  Bud  and  Martha  Hubley  Ed  Isenberg  Harvey  and  Sandra  Korotkin  John  and  Beth  Lawton    Roger  Lockwood  and  Sheila  Aborn Lockwood  Dr. Stanley  and  Ann  Miller  ***Jerome  and  Joan  Neuwirth  Finley and Trish Perry*Azriel  and  Susan  Schmidt  Elaine  Zaia  Mary  Lou  Zieve  

“We are so grateful to Touchstone School. It is more than a school. It is a community where every child is important and valued – a truly special place ."

-Sandy and Harvey Korotkin (Grandparents)

Auction Donations-Businesses

Auction Donations- Friends and Fam

ily

5  Wits  Anytime  Fitness  Appletree  Arts  Armsby  Abbey  Boston  Duck  Tours  Cheesecake  Factory  Chop  Chop  Magazine   Chromatics  Clarke  Corporation  Clark   University  Dance  it  Up  Davis  Farmland  Davis  Malm  &  D’AgostineDawn Fall  EstheticsDiablo  Wine  Tastings  Discovery  Museum  of  Acton  Ecotarium  Glass  Slipper  Princess  Party

Danielle  Anderson  Jill  Asher  Sarah  Guin  

cak

Handmade  by  Rachel  IHanover  Insurance  Hanover  Theater  Harvard  Pilgrim  Healthcare  House  of  the  7  GablesKelley  Bujold  Photography Kimball   Farm  Kumon,  S.  Grafton  Lapinski  &Sons Electric  Lazer  Zone  Legal  Seafood  L.E.H  Photography       Massage  by  Jen  Davis  Mermaid  Maternity  Michael  Stone  Photography  Mohegan  Sun  N.E.  Wild  Flower  Assoc.Pecorino  in  Grafton  Playing  With  Fire  Providence  Children’s  Museum  

Sam  Adams  Brewery  Santa’s  Village  Savers  Bank  Shrewsbury  Family Chiropractic  Simply  Handmade  Ski  Ward  Skyzone  Spirit  Central,  Upton  Stephanie  Anderson  Art  The  Ski  Barn  TJ  Maxx  Wachusett  Moutain  Wegmans  West  End  Creamery  Wheelock  Family  Theater  Wicked  Good  Cookies  WooBerry  Worcester  Art  Museum  

Andrews Family Latino Family Violet MicakMintz FamilyNurzynski FamilyEmily Miller Mlcak in honor of Violet Mlcak Poggi Family

Katy  Aborn  Inman  Whit  Andrews  The  Asher  Family  Nancy  Baffa  The  Brady  Family  Mary  Brochu  Glynis  Bylin  David  Cantler  Beth  Chapman  Todd  CutronaGeoff and Eileen DePaula  Susan  Diller  David  Dollenmayer  Richard  Diutch  and  Sandra  Goodwin  Nancy  and  Morgan  Dreier  The  Eppinger  Family  Beckley  and  Richard  Gaudette  Sarah  GuinLauren Hamm  Sheryl  Harrow  Roland  and  Teresa  Hubscher  Dave  Isenberg and  Andrea Kendall Fiona  Johnston    Kim’s  Class  Ann  Latino Kathleen  Little  Emily MlcakCory O'Dell OSPJudith Szczygiel Duncan Sorli Sarah Stefany-Jackson Tracy Stowbridge Sharon's classTamara's class Majorie Weed Steve Whitney Melissa Zeive

Graduation G

ifts

Violet Mlcak Mackenzie O'Dell

Student Giving

PA Leadership

MEET OUR ALUMNII  make  art  and  I  write  and  draw  comics.  I'm  currently  working  as  an  art  handler  in  the  Art  Study  Center  at  the  Harvard  Art  Museums,  where  I  facilitate appointments  for  classes,   students,  scholars  and  members  of  the  public  who  come  to  have  an  up  close  experience  with  art  from  our  collection  that  is  not  on  view  in  the  galleries.  I've  been  working  as  an  art  handler  in  various  capacities  for  the  past  seven  years  and  am  about  to  move  back  to  New  York  to  continue  working  at  galleries  and  museums  there.  

I  have  a  lot  of  great  memories

which involve  the wonderful

from  Touchstone,  most  of  ways  that  we  learned  through  

hands on  making  and playing.

Some  of  my best memories are  our   annual  field  trip  to  Plum  Island  to  observe  marine  life  in  tidal  pools,  and  field  days  at  a  swamp/pond  near  the  school  to  catch  and  examine  frogs  and  insects  (and  then  release  them  of  course!).  

Sam D

ollenmayer '96

I  think  the  amount  of  making  I  did  at  Touchstone  definitely  shaped  the  artist  and  cartoonist  I  am  today.  I  made  so  many  things  out  of  cardboard,  glue,  popsicle  sticks  and  pipe  cleaners,  and  so  many  (mostly  unfinished)  illustrated  books.    And  I  was  always  made  to  feel  that  this  was  a  valid  way  of  learning.  Not  just  that  it  was  okay  to  always  be  making  things,  but  that  I  should  always  be  making  things.  

Education  after  TCSHopkinton  Middle  School  Hopkinton  High  School  

St.  Mark's  School  Georgetown  University  

Kate D

ollenmayer '86

Education  after  TCS

ArtsAt  Touchstone  I  think  I  learned  to  learn  

the  same  way  I  learned  to  play:  bylistening,  exploring,  cooperating,  and  asking  questions.  That  has  definitely  

stayed with me. A favorite memory from Touchstone is arriving on the very first day of School to discover that my classroom contained a giant checkerboard and a singing, guitar playing teacher, Ginny Scherer .

Hopkinton SchoolThe Bancroft School

Theodor Heuss Gymnaium Radcliff and Harvard Colleges

This photo was taken at Home Movie Day, a worldwide community event that I helped co-host in Los Angeles last year. These days I spend most of my time advocating for the preservation of small gauge films such as 8mm or Super 8mm home movies. I live in Los Angeles, where I work at the Wende Museum, a non-profit museum and archive that preserves Cold-War era cultural artifacts from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. My work gives me plenty of opportunities to ask my Dad for German translation help! I also enjoy making my own small films, hiking, swimming, reading and dog sitting.

I  always  felt  the communityelement  of  Touchstone  very  strongly.    Not  only  was  I  friends  with  the  kids,  my  family  was  friends with  theirwhole  family.    I'm  still  in  touch  with  several  of  them  today.      

Education  after  TCSThe Bancroft School

Concord Carlisle High SchoolHaverford  College  

Audubon  Expedition  InstituteLesley  University  

Emily H

azzard '86

I  work  at  the  Lillian  and  Betty  Ratner  School  in  Cleveland,  OH.    I  am  an  assistant  teacher  in  a  Montessori  3-6 year old  classroom.      

One  of  my  favorite  experiences  at  Touchstone  was  building  a  model  of  an  Ancient  Egyptian  village.    I  also  loved  playing  on  the  rocks  in  the  woods  outside  the  old  building  (George  Ball  School  building).      

I  felt  very  comfortable  at  Touchstone,  and  in  the  school  years  following  my  departure  from  Touchstone  (I  was  at  TCS  from  2nd-5th  grade)  I  never  felt  as  much  that  I  could  "be   myself"  as  I  had  there.    I  have  definitely  sought  out  post-secondary  school  and  work  experiences  where  I  felt  I  could  be  authentic  and  true  to  my  nature.    In  looking  for  a  school  for  my  own  children,  I  consciously  searched  for  one  that  would  feel  to  them  the  way  Touchstone  felt  to  me.    I  did  find  one,  and  liked  it  so  much  I  went  to  work  there!  

I  attended  Touchstone  K-6th  grade  starting  in  1983  (the  school’s  first  year).  At  Touchstone,  the  community  was  an  extension  of  my  family  and  the  educational  experience  was  foundational  in  forming  my  values,  interests,  and  overall  approach  to  life  and  learning.  

At  Touchstone,  I  loved  exploring  creatively  and  at  my  own  pace.I  have  great  memories  of  writing  my  own  books,  performing  in  original  plays,  loving  math  books,  and  

integrating  art  into  all  areas  of  thecurriculum.  

I  now  live  in  Amherst,  MA  with  my  husband  Stephen  and  our  kids,  Stella  (7)  and  Sidney  (4)  where  we  have  a  big  garden,  chickens,  and  two  beloved  pet  rabbits  who  hop  around  the  living  room.  I  enjoy  growing  food,  being  in  the  woods,  and  performing  with  community  theater,  and  I’m  currently  serving  on  the  Amherst-Pelham  Regional  School  Committee.  

Life  since  Touchstone  has  included:  Graduating  from  Mount  Holyoke  College,  spending  a  year  traveling  with  the  Audubon  Expedition  Institute  studying  environmental  education,  getting  my  Master’s  degree  in  teaching  from  Bennington  College  and  my  reading  specialist  licensure,  teaching  fourth  grade  and  theater  for  five  years,  spending  a  year  volunteering  at  an  environmental  education  ranch  in  Costa  Rica  and  doing  theater  with  kids  in  Honduras,  Committee.  

Education  after  TCS  

Phoebe Hazzard '89

The Bancroft SchoolConcord-Carlisle High School

Mount Holyoke College Bennington College

Audubon Expedition Institute

Touchstone  sparked  my  sense  of  exploration  and  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  it  taught  me  that  experimentation  is  one  of  the  best  ways  to  reach  a  conclusion.  Touchstone  is  also  where  I  began  to  develop  my  art  and  writing  skills.  Because  we  were  always  allowed  to  choose  our  own  topics  for  reports  and  essays,  I  was  able  to  delve  into  topics  that  truly  interested  me,  yet  I  was  still  challenged  with  each  new  area  of  study.

My  education  at  Touchstone  helped  me  to  think  differently  and  look  for  multiple  ways  to  approach  problems  and  find  solutions.  This  has  been  useful  in  every  part  of  my  life  from  math  and  design  classes  in  school  to  the  many  multiifaceted  jobs  I've  held.  Touchstone  always  allowed  me  to  be  true  to  myself  and  embrace  

my talents and strengths; these basic lessons serve to enrich my life and will never leave me.    

Adin Heller '96

Education  after  TCS

k  

Touchstone  taught  me  how  to  be  an  

independent  thinker  and  encouragedme  to  always  pursue  my  passions.  Touchstone  also  taught  me  how  to  apply  my  own  structures  and frameworks  to  projects,  and  fostered  an   ability to  problem  solve  independently  as  well  as  

work with  teams  

I  have  been  living  and  working  in  New  York  City  for  seven  and  a  half  years.  I  spent  six  of  those  years  working  for  the  Audio  Branding  division  of  Elias  Arts  (a  commercial  music  production  house),  and  now  I  am  doing  qualitative  design  research  for  The  Big  Picture. I work at a  research  agency  headquartered  in   London.  Both  of  these  jobs  have  drawn  on  my  loves  of  design,  branding,  and  analytical  thinking.

The Rivers SchoolTexas Christian University

University for the Arts (UK)

Summer Camp!Our first summer camp was a huge success! 34 campers enjoyed an array of fun-filled Touchstone activities such as; gardening, coop class, baking, creative arts, water play and so much more!. Camp also served as wonderful and warm way for incoming TCS students to get a feel for the space before the school year started. Over half of the campers were from other Schools. Our students were thrilled to share the Touchstone experience with them.

We are still not sure who had more fun this summer, the campers or the staff! Looking forward to a second year of TCS Summer Camp in 2016!

“Staff wasdedicated,

passionate,

energetic!"and