04/06 - Junior Wins Common Wealth Awards Contest
03/06 - Spring Break Service in New Orleans
03/06 - Brooking Nominated for NCAA 25th Anniversary Team
03/06 - Science Olympiad Team Earns 21 Medals
03/06 - US Students Raise Money for Cancer Research
03/06 - Whittier Staff Earns State Honors
03/06 - Winter Track Success, Including Coppadge Record
03/06 - More Winter Sports Honors
03/06 - Academic All-State Wrestling
03/06 - Visitors from Japan
02/06 - Student-Athletes on TV
02/06 - Mock Trial Third in State
02/06 - Timmins-Schiffman Scores 1,000th Point
02/06 - WorldQuest Team Success
1/06 - QYLC Participants
1/06 - Academic All-State Football Team
1/06 - Altman Records 100th Win
1/06 - Seventh Grader Wins National Essay Contest and Scholarship
1/06 - Art from the Heart
1/06 - All-State Musicians…and More!
12/05 - Smith Selected for Science Leadership Program
12/05 - More From the Fall Sports Page
12/05 - Field Hockey Success in Florida
12/05 - WFS at Student Leadership/Diversity Conference
12/05 - Wilmington Friends Names New Head of School
11/05 - Coppadge Signs With UNC
11/05 - Two Friends Students Finalists in National Essay Contest
10/05 - Gerdts Honored by Wilmington NAACP
10/05 - Friends Teacher in Japan Fulbright Program
10/05 - Three Friends Students in Professional Theatre
10/05 - Quakers To Be Well Represented at National Hockey Festival
9/05 - Excerpts from Summers Well Spent
8/05 - Friends Students Receive Delaware's First IB Diplomas
6/05 - 2005 Final Assembly Recognitions
5/05 - Interim Head of School Named

2005-2006 - Press Release Archives
2004-2005 - Press Release Archives
Summer 2004 - Press Release Archives
2003-2004 - Press Release Archives
Summer 2003 - Press Release Archives
2002-2003 - Press Release Archives

04/06 Junior Wins Common Wealth Awards Contest
Friends junior David Walter was one of three student winners in the 2006 Common Wealth Awards writing contest. The Common Wealth Awards were presented this year to John Glenn (government), Queen Noor of Jordan (public service), Mike Nichols (dramatic arts), Rita Dove (literature), and Anderson Cooper (mass communications). As a contest winner, David was included in the press conference with the award winners, and attended the black tie reception and dinner. Look for more in an upcoming issue of Focus on Friends.

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03/06 Spring Break Service in New Orleans
Head of Upper School Rob Lake and parent Carol Palmiotto joined five Friends students on a spring break service trip to New Orleans. Participating students were Kelly Fay (who joined the Friends community from her school in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina), Naomi Hamermesh, Justin Holbrook, Katie McEnroe, and Eric Preisendanz. The group spent four days working to help victims of Katrina with clean-up, painting, and clearing out homes.

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03/06 Brooking Nominated for NCAA 25th Anniversary Team
Coach and chair of the physical education department, Anne Brooking, was among the nominees for the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse 25th Anniversary Team. Anne was on three national championship teams at the University of Delaware, was first team all-American as a senior, and is a member of the UD Athletics Hall of Fame.

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03/06 Science Olympiad Team Earns 21 Medals
Congratulations to the Wilmington Friends Science Olympiad team which, with 20 students competing, earned 21 medals at the state competition in March, including a gold for Ben Altman and Sam Titone in the Scrambler competition.

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03/06 US Students Raise Money for Cancer Research
Upper school students raised more than $1000 for cancer programs through the Relay for Life Dodge Ball Tournament and the March Student Union Dance organized by the Spirit Committee, which voted to donate the proceeds.

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03/06 Whittier Staff Earns State Honors
The staff of the Wilmington Friends student newspaper, the Whittier Miscellany, earned four major awards in the Delaware Press Association’s First State High School Journalism Contest: first place to Diane Murray for best cartoon; second place to Amy Johnston for best single-page layout for the entertainment section; and honorable mention to Ethan Timmins-Schiffman for best double-page layout for the sports section and to Stanita Clarke for best feature photo.

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03/06 Winter Track Success, Including Coppadge Record
In the winter track state championship meet, the Friends girls’ team earned a sixth place finish. Senior Alexandra Coppadge, who is headed to UNC as a standout track recruit next year, set three personal records on her way to second place in four events. Sophomore Allie Hammons also set a PR, placing 10th in the 800m run. In the boys’ competition, sophomore Alex Lippincott finished an impressive seventh in the high jump.

Alex Coppadge also set the all-time record (female or male) for grand prix points earned in one season. In addition, Alex placed third on the all-time career points list, despite only three seasons of competition (others on the leader list earned their points over four years).

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03/06 More Winter Sports Honors
Senior Ethan Timmins-Schiffman was second team all-state, as well as first team all-conference, in basketball. Ethan also played in the Blue Gold Senior All-Star Game. Also in basketball, Kristi Kerrigan was first team all-conference; Meg Christman and Micah Hawkins were second team; and Katie Much received honorable mention. In swimming, Kelly Fay earned honorable mention all-conference. In wrestling, Ben Altman, Evan Bartle, and Sam Titone were first team all-conference, and Gabe Aliquo, Geoff Novak, and Adrian Sawyerr were named to the second team.

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03/06 Academic All-State Wrestling
Congratulations to the student-athletes who were named to Academic All-State Wrestling Team: Ben Altman and Geoff Novak, first team; Carl Fritschel and Maury Nolen, second team; Evan Bartle, Sam David, Devin Horzempa, James Maguire, Sam Titone, and John Trenta, honorable mention. Coaches also named an Academic All-State Team for student managers, and both Wilmington Friends managers, Sarah Bartle and Melissa Mitchell, received first team honors.

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03/06 Visitors from Japan
Wilmington Friends was pleased to host two visitors from Japan in the weeks before spring break. Yuki Otsuji, granddaughter of a Hibakusa (nuclear bomb survivor) from Hiroshima, represented the “Never Again Campaign.” Yuki talked with middle and upper school students about atomic weapons and with lower school students about Japanese culture. Makia Abe, a student from Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, spent two weeks at school while living with junior Celia Laskowski and her family. Celia will visit Makia’s family this summer. Celia’s mother, Kathy Laskowski, teaches at the Wilmington Friends Preschool and learned of the student exchange program through the Asia IV Cluster, a professional development program for teachers sponsored in part by the Delaware Department of Education.

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02/06 Student-Athletes on TV
Six Friends student-athletes, all seniors, appeared on the local television program “Youth in Sports” on February 28: wrestler Ben Altman, three-sport-athlete Meg Christman, track standout Alex Coppadge, three-sport-athlete Katie Hunt, football and baseball standout Nick Procaccini, and all-state basketball player Ethan Timmins-Schiffman.

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02/06 Mock Trial Third in State
The Wilmington Friends Mock Trial Team advanced to the semi-finals—the “final four” out of 24 teams—in this year’s state competition, ultimately finishing third overall in the state. Members of the A Team were seniors Dianne de la Veaux, Naomi Nix, and Emily Swain; juniors Jon Culver and David Walter; and sophomores Alexis Kleinman, Josh Little, and Laura Rocek. The faculty sponsor of mock trial was French teacher Frédéric Skrzypek, and the lawyer coach was Jason Jowers.

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02/06 Timmins-Schiffman Scores 1,000th Point
Senior Ethan Timmins-Schiffman scored the 1,0000th point of his high school basketball career on February 7. Ethan entered the game needing five points to hit the milestone, quickly scored the team’s first five, and finished the game with a total of 31 points. He is the fourth Friends basketball player to reach 1,000 career points following Lou Romanoli, Braden Neff, and Kay Binetti. In addition to leading the basketball team, Ethan is a respected student-leader in a range of activities, including his service as clerk of the upper school Business Meeting. He was accepted early decision to Williams College, where he was a top basketball recruit.

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02/06 WorldQuest Team Success
Wilmington Friends took second place in the state at the third annual WorldQuest Delaware competition on February 4. The competition tests students’ knowledge of world events. The second place team included Nathan Hobbs, Willie Kalema, Amara Nwannunu, and David Walter; other members of the Friends team were Julian Irek, Amy Johnston, Tom McNeeley, and Michaela Snead. Upper school social science teacher Javier Ergueta was the coach.

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1/06 QYLC Participants
February 2-4, Wilmington Friends representatives will participate in the Ninth Annual Quaker Youth Leadership Conference, co-hosted this year by Baltimore, Sandy Spring, Sidwell, and Thornton Friends Schools, and held at Sandy Spring. Attending are freshman Maya Koretzky; sophomores Paris Barkan, Carrie Hopkins, and Pooja Yadav; juniors Elissa Cashman, Lauren Galinat, and Emily McMillan; and French teacher Frederic Skrzypek.

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1/06 Academic All-State Football Team
The Delaware Interscholastic Football Coaches Association recognized football players who earned varsity letters while maintaining a grade point average of 3.75 or above with academic all-state honors. Five Friends student-athletes were named to the academic all-state team: seniors Justin DePhillips, Carl Fritschel, Geoff Novak, and Ben Zorach, and junior Markian Pazuniak.

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1/06 Altman Records 100th Win
Senior Ben Altman recorded his 100th wrestling win—believed a first for Wilmington Friends—on January 21, 2006, in the Howard Invitational Tournament. Ben also won his weight class and was named as the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. He has signed to wrestle at Division I Davidson next year. Ben is an IB Diploma candidate and last year received the school’s Bush Award for “character, scholarship, and service.”

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1/06 Seventh Grader Wins National Essay Contest and Scholarship
Seventh grade student Alexis Bussey has been named as one of 10 grand-prize winners in the “Pokémon U.S. Soccer All Stars Essay Contest.” As a grand-prize winner, Alexis will receive a $3000 higher education scholarship. Pokémon is the official entertainment sponsor of U.S. Youth Soccer. The contest, open to youth soccer players 19-and-under, required a 150-word essay on values related to teamwork, sportsmanship, hard work, improvement, or being a good student. Alexis has played soccer in the Kirkwood club program since she was four years old and has been on a travel team, the Freedom, for the past two years.

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1/06 Art from the Heart
In the fall of 2005, lower school parent Jocelyn Sutton Stewart and teacher Ellen Ellis became involved in a project, which was coordinated by West End Neighborhood House in partnership with Juniper Bank, to help families who had relocated to our area following hurricane Katrina. They had plenty of books and toys for the families, but needed things like bedspreads and lamps and, what proved to be especially challenging, art for children’s bedroom walls. Ellen said that looking for art to buy was hard because everything was “either not good enough or way too expensive given the amount needed.” Then one day, she was looking at artwork by students in her pre-kindergarten/kindergarten vertical class at Friends, and she realized, “These are the best artists I know.” Jocelyn, who has a daughter in the class, shared Ellen’s enthusiasm, as did associate teacher Sia Willie.

The pre-k/k class immediately began working on themed art for bedrooms of children ages nine months to ten years. Often working in collaborative groups, and with additional help from lower school art teachers Teal Rickerman and Rowena Macleod, students produced picture series on themes such as animals, super heroes, and sports. With still more help from Creative Arts Center Framing and Aztec Printing, the pictures were scanned to make an “Art from the Heart” calendar and note cards and framed in preparation for donation.

Students were extremely engaged in the meaning, as well as the work, of the project, Ellen said. “They talked about what they like in their own bedrooms, and they totally got the idea of how important it can be. They kept thinking of new things to do. They worried whether we had enough for the baby’s room, enough for the 10-year-old’s room, and they came up with the ideas.” Ellen added, with some emotion, “This project truly has been one of the best things in my 20-year teaching career.”

Before the students’ artwork was donated, it was given a special showing in the education wing of the Delaware Art Museum, with a reception on December 17. Guests included students and their families, alumni, faculty, trustees, lots of friends, and a reporter from the News Journal, which featured the project in a cover story in its January 12, 2006 Crossroads section.

Among the comments from the artists themselves, Maia said that she hoped the art would make “the New Orleans people feel good”; Jason said he and his classmates “had worked hard to try to get it right” and said he would like to tell the families who received the art, “I hope it makes you feel happy”; and Lex added, “When they have things on their walls, then they will feel like they really have a home.”

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1/06 All-State Musicians…and More!
Seven Friends students were selected by audition for all-state choirs: in upper school, senior Dianne de la Veaux, juniors Sarah Hartman and Jane Monari, and sophomore Misha Barker; and in middle school, seventh graders Sarah Coonin, Javier Horstmann, and Julianna Ly. Four students were chosen for all-state bands: in upper school, senior Ben Zorach, flute, and junior Alex Hallenbeck, clarinet; and in middle school, eighth graders Sara Tufano and Allison Wing, both flute.

Added congratulations to junior Jane Monari and senior Dianne de la Veaux who are listed first and second in their section in the all-state choir. In addition, Jane was chosen to sing with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Philadelphia Singers at the Kimmel Center for winter and spring concerts and at the Academy of Music for a ballet production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dianne was accepted early decision to New York University through an application process that included a vocal audition.

Added congratulations, too, to senior Ben Zorach who was chosen for all-state band for the sixth year (every year of eligibility). Ben is completing a certificate program at the Wilmington Music School with ad adjudicated performance for the faculty in March. Students are nominated by their teacher for the program when the student is judged to be at “a high level of musicianship.” Nominated students then have to take theory classes, pass the state level-seven test, and participate in a certain number of performances and ensembles to receive the certificate. Ben is also a member of the academic all-state team in football.

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12/05 Smith Selected for Science Leadership Program
Seventh grade earth science teacher Mike Smith has been chosen to participate in the 2006 Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education program. There were 90 applications for 18 positions in the program. Applicants must have at least five years teaching experience, demonstrated leadership abilities, use research-based pedagogy in the classroom, and commit to mentoring novice science teachers. The program includes a distance-learning course and a summer workshop in Arizona, including five days at the Kitt Peak National Observatory.

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12/05 More From the Fall Sports Page
The volleyball team won its third consecutive conference championship in 2005, advanced to the quarterfinals of the state tournament, and finished the season ranked fifth in the state. Senior Meg Christman was named second team all-state in volleyball. Other fall individual student-athlete honors included Brooke Sheppard, second team all-state in field hockey, and Michael Schell, second team all-state in soccer. A total of seven field hockey players, eight football players, eight soccer players, and four volleyball players received all-conference recognition, along with sophomore Corin Johnson who finished 10th in the extremely competitive DISC cross-country meet, earning all-conference honors.

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12/05 Field Hockey Success in Florida
Congratulations to the Friends field hockey players who helped the U19 Delaware Sharks Hammerheads win their division at the National Hockey Festival in Florida in late November. On the Hammerheads were juniors Elissa Cashman, Lauren Galinat, Katie McEnroe, Lauren Schmittle, and Brooke Sheppard. Also competing at the Festival on the U19 Delaware Sharks White were senior Katie Hunt, junior Katie Much, freshman Lindsay Schmittle, and sophomore Megan Venetianer. Friends parent and trustee Debbie Murray-Sheppard co-coached the Hammerheads.

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12/05 WFS at Student Leadership/Diversity Conference
Junior Anique Clements and sophomores DeSean Taggert and Poojah Yadav represented Wilmington Friends at the annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). This year's conference was held in Dallas, TX, December 1-3. Head of Upper School Rob Lake and science teachers Heather Gosse and Loraine Snead attended the People of Color Conference for school leaders, held in conjunction with the student conference.

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12/05 Wilmington Friends Names New Head of School

The Wilmington Friends School Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Bryan K. Garman as Head of School, effective July 1, 2006.

Garman comes to Wilmington from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., where he currently serves as Assistant Head of School and Upper School Principal.  Previously, he was Sidwell’s Director of Summer Studies and Chair of the History Department, in which he has taught since 1997.

Garman holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from Emory University and received his undergraduate degree in English and psychology from Bucknell University.  He has published several scholarly works including a book, A Race of Singers: Whitman’s Working-Class Hero from Guthrie to Springsteen.

Garman received an Olmstead Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching from Williams College in 2005 and an E.E. Ford Fellowship for Aspiring Heads at the National Association of Independent Schools for 2004-2005. He was chosen to participate in the Institute for Engaging Leadership in Friends Schools of the Friends Council on Education for 2003-2005, and was honored with the Sidwell Friends yearbook dedication in 2001.

Wilmington Friends Board of Trustees chair R. Michael Hendricks and Board vice chair and Search Committee chair David Singleton wrote, "The Board announces Bryan Garman’s appointment with great confidence in his capacity to address a broad range of opportunities with intelligence, a collaborative approach to leadership, the perspective of experience in administration and in the classroom, and a commitment to the defining values of Quaker education."

"I am grateful, excited and humbled," Garman said as he was introduced to the Friends faculty as the next Head of School. Garman pointed to the school’s history, including the recent history of "outstanding leadership" by Lisa Darling, Head of School 1994-2005, and Interim Head of School for 2005-06, Leo Dressel. He quoted the Great Britain Yearly Meeting, which urges its members to "live adventurously," and said, "Throughout its history, and in the last several years in particular, Friends School has lived adventurously." He specifically pointed to the school’s leadership in promoting inclusive diversity, noting the founding of the Wilmington Friends Preschool in downtown Wilmington, and in academic excellence and global education, citing Friends as the first school in Delaware to offer the International Baccalaureate program. Garman also spoke about the "sacred" mission of Quaker education. "We believe deeply in the power of education to transform lives," he said, "in teaching students who will change the world, who will let their lives speak."

Garman said that, perhaps most important to him, "Wilmington Friends is a school where my wife and I would like our children to be."

Garman is married to Karen Ballotta, and they have two daughters, ages five and three.

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11/05 Coppadge Signs With UNC
Senior Alexandra Coppadge, a state champion in both indoor and outdoor track, has signed a letter of intent to attend the University North Carolina next year. A standout in multiple track and field events, Alex was heavily recruited and has received much press attention for her accomplishments and her contributions to bringing track back to Wilmington Friends.

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11/05 Two Friends Students Finalists in National Essay Contest
As part of Earth Science Week 2005, the American Geological Institute sponsored an essay contest for students in grades 5-9. In keeping with this year’s theme of careers in earth science, essays were to answer the question, "What kind of geoscientist would you like to be, and why?" Of the nine finalists in the national competition, two were Wilmington Friends students, seventh graders Michael Leff and Alexa Pierce-Matlack. Michael wrote about his interest in becoming an atmospheric scientist, and Alexa’s essay was about her interest in engineering geology.

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10/05 Gerdts Honored by Wilmington NAACP
The Reverend Doug Gerdts, pastor of First & Central Presbyterian Church, was honored with a humanitarian award by the Wilmington Chapter NAACP. The award specifically pointed to Doug’s partnership in founding the Wilmington Friends Preschool at First & Central. In his remarks accepting the award, Doug praised the "vision" of Wilmington Friends, and specifically asked the school’s representatives at the event to stand to be recognized.

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10/05 Friends Teacher in Japan Fulbright Program
Third grade teacher Matt Auerbach has been chosen to participate in this year’s Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program, from November 20 through December 8. The JFMF Teacher Program is designed to help American teachers strengthen their curricula in global studies and to encourage communication about teaching practices. "It’s an incredible opportunity," Auerbach said, "to really learn the essential lessons of global education—not only lesson content and different classroom practices, but also lessons of peace and tolerance."

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10/05 Three Friends Students in Professional Theatre
Seventh grader Josh Zimmerman performed in his first professional theatre production this fall. Josh played Thor Waldgrave in the Delaware Theatre Company’s production of Larry Shue’s The Nerd. Fifth grader Cavender S. and fourth grader Julia R. have been cast in the City Theatre’s production of Peter Pan.

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10/05 Quakers To Be Well Represented at National Hockey Festival
The USA Field Hockey National Hockey Festival attracts more than 3,500 athletes from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean competing in men’s and women’s multiple age divisions. The 2005 event in Palm Beach, Florida, will feature nine Wilmington Friends School student-athletes, all competing on U-19 teams. Competing for the Delaware Sharks White are senior Katie Hunt, junior Katie Much, sophomore Megan Venetianer, and freshman Lindsay Schmittle. Competing for the Hammerhead Sharks are juniors Elissa Cashman, Lauren Galinat, Katie McEnroe, Lauren Schmittle, and Brooke Sheppard.

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9/05 Excerpts from Summers Well Spent
Among the many valued opportunities earned by Friends students during the summer of 2005:

- Senior Jen Rosenberg, recipient of last year’s Hukill Science Award, participated in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at UCLA, a program for high-school juniors and seniors interested in medicine as a career.

- Junior David Walter participated in the Governor’s School of Excellence, a program for rising juniors of exceptional talent in either academics or the arts. David participated in the academic program, held at the University of Delaware.

- Junior Emily DePhillips and eighth grader Joshua Leviton participated in the People to People cultural exchange program, and traveled to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. Their trips included an overnight stay with a Maori tribe.

- Junior Leah Kramkowski successfully completed two selection trials and was chosen to participate in the North American Young Riders’ Championships held in Lexington, Virginia in July, with competitors from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. Leah competed as part of a four-person team representing Area II (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware), and completed her first full three-day equestrian competition, including dressage and two jump phases. She was one of the few riders to jump "double clear," with no jump faults either day. Leah finished fourth individually, and her team earned a silver medal.

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8/05 Friends Students Receive Delaware's First IB Diplomas
Twenty members of the Wilmington Friends School class of 2005 became the first Delaware students to earn the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, a globally recognized standard of academic achievement in a rigorous college-preparatory high-school program. An additional 23 members of the class earned certificates for completing individual IB courses. More than 800 American colleges and universities have policies granting credit for IB work completed in high school (please see the attached for comments from college admissions officials).

Originally founded to serve the families of diplomats and international business leaders seeking a global standard of excellence in high-school education, the IB emphasizes college-level academics, global perspective, informed and engaged citizenship, and the application of classroom experience to the world beyond. "Those points of emphasis are exactly the defining strengths of the curriculum and philosophy at Wilmington Friends," said Rick Grier-Reynolds, the school's IB Coordinator, "The IB is, truly, a perfect fit for us." Friends became Delaware's first IB school in 2002.

In addition to its standards, broad perspective, and "real world" relevance, Grier-Reynolds pointed to another strength of the IB program. "It doesn't take control away from the individual school or the classroom teachers," he said, "There is a recognition of the importance of learning as a process, not just a single outcome, and there is enough flexibility so that teachers can cover the curriculum in a way that works well for their own students and in keeping with the character of their own schools."

Students pursuing the IB Diploma must complete course work and sit for end-of-year examinations in six academic areas: language A (at Friends, English), language B (at Friends, Spanish or French), individuals and societies, experimental sciences, mathematics and computer sciences, and the arts. Students receive a score of 1 to 7 in each course. Six IB courses (three or four taken at the Higher Level, which reflects college-level work) with a minimum combined score of 24 are required for the diploma.

Diploma candidates also must complete a course in Theory of Knowledge, which brings together themes from across academic disciplines, such as logic and aesthetics. They are required to write a 4,000-word essay on a topic they choose in consultation with an advisor. And they must complete 150 hours of what the IB program calls "Communication, Action, Service," which includes participation in community service and activities such as sports, the arts, and civic and school organizations.

"The great thing about the program," Grier-Reynolds said, "is that it's good for all of our students. The IB offers a program, as Friends has offered for a very long time, that serves the most able and motivated kids extremely well—right to the limits of their abilities and ambitions." "But," Grier-Reynolds said, "Having the IB also strengthens our program across the disciplines and from pre-kindergarten on up, with a structure for curriculum review and access to the best research in education from around the world, and with an accountability for every academic department—you can't have a 'weak' department in an IB school—and accountability for the school itself. It lets us do what we've always done even better, for all of the kids here."

A final benefit of the IB, Grier-Reynolds said, is its impact on faculty. "Through the IB," he said, "we now have access to some of the best teacher training available, literally, in the world," adding, "That helps bring out the best in the teachers we have at Friends and also helps us to attract new teachers who value the kinds of objectives we work toward and the professional development opportunities that help teachers do that work most effectively." The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) that governs IB programs emphasizes that IB training is not focused on helping educators "teach to a test," but rather on how to establish meaningful and demanding course objectives, and then help students to meet those high standards.

The 20 members of the Wilmington Friends class of 2005 who earned the IB Diploma, and the 23 who earned IB certificates, are listed below; with one exception—an international student who will return to Sweden for a year before beginning a university program—all are now enrolled at four-year colleges or universities, given in parentheses.

Diploma recipients, with the subjects in which they completed Higher Level work:

Hannah Beswick: English, French, history, and biology (Vassar College)
Peter Clemmer: English, French, history, and biology (Swarthmore College)
Michael Dalton: English, history, and biology (Dickinson College)
James Geoghegan: English, history, and biology (University of Richmond)
Felicia Goodman: English, French, and biology (Emory University)
Sarah Graves: English, history, and biology (Haverford College)
James Hopkins: English, history, and biology (Vanderbilt University)
Ricki Kaplan: English, history, biology, and art (American University)
Benjamin Klein: English, history, biology, and art (University of Pennsylvania)
Jennifer Ljungqvist: English, biology, and art (returning to Sweden for one year)
Martha MaloneyHuss: English, biology, and math (Smith College)
James Melnick: English, history, biology, and math (Duke University)
Jeffrey Monhait: English, biology, and math (Haverford College)
Sara Mosqueda-Fernandez: English, biology, and art (George Washington University)
Kristen Mraz: English, history, and biology (Santa Clara University)
Elizabeth Ratchford: English, French, and biology (Smith College)
Daniel Rhoades: English, history, and biology (Syracuse University)
Zachary Rowen: English, history, biology, and math (University of Virginia)
Alyssa Serra: English, history, and biology (University of Delaware, Honors)
Debra Shlossman: English, history, biology, and math (Lafayette College)

Certificate recipients, with subjects in which Higher Level certificates were earned:

Rebecca Adams: biology (Eckerd College)
Erin Aliquo: biology and art (University of Delaware)
Meredith Bentley: French, history, and biology (Haverford College)
George Cannon: history (Guilford College)
Nicholas Derke: history and math (Wake Forest University)
Steven Galinat: history and biology (Colorado College)
Calid Habayeb: English, history, biology, and math (University of Miami)
Nathaniel Hoffman: English and history (Case Western Reserve University)
Ellen Johnston: English, history, and biology (Southern Methodist University)
Ashwath Karpe: history and biology (University of Maryland)
Molly Ketcham: English and biology (University of Delaware, Honors)
Fazeel Khan: English, history, biology, and math (University of Delaware, Cornell University)
William Kolodzey: biology (and independent study in math) (University of Michigan)
Kaci Loeffler: English (Guilford College)
Amelia Lyon: history (Boston University)
Edward Matyas: history (Immaculata College)
Julia Moore: theatre (Hampshire College)
Kelly Patton: French and math (Middlebury College)
Chi Hun Rim: history and biology (University of Illinois-Urbana)
Natalie Rosenberg: history and biology (Ursinus College)
Emily Scott: French and art (Arcadia University)
Meredith Seitz: French and biology (University of Vermont)
Joseph Sheridan: English, history, biology, and math (University of Miami)

8/05 Attachment to Wilmington Friends School Press Release
Sample comments from college admissions officers (please note, some have since left their positions) regarding the International Baccalaureate program:

"A transcript that reveals a student's enrollment in International Baccalaureate courses serves notice to the admissions officer that the applicant is someone who accepts rather than avoids educational challenges….The International Baccalaureate program is uniquely designed to serve intelligent, serious students and progressive secondary schools that seek to create or maintain high educational standards." - Cliff Sjogren, University of Michigan

"Send us prepared students a la the IB…it is the 'best' high school prep curriculum an American school can offer." - Marilee Jones, MIT

"Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are always pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Programme on the transcript." - Marily McGraff Lewis, Harvard

"The rigor of IB Diploma requirements meets our recommendation for the strongest high school preparation possible." - Allison Jesse, William & Mary

"Haverford Admissions loves full-IB students. When we're reviewing applicants, we spend a lot of time combing over their curriculums to evaluate their math, science, English, history and foreign language courses. When students take AP courses, we sift through each of those five individual academic areas to determine what the most demanding courses available to
them are, and what they've taken from those. When students follow the full-IB program, we give them credit for having followed the most demanding courses available in all subjects. Essentially, full-IB students are recognized by us the same as a student who has taken solid AP courses in five different subjects. We recognize the extra work that goes into TOK courses and the Extended Essay as well. This is quite a feat." - J.T. Duck, Haverford

"What makes the International Baccalaureate different from other university entrance credentials is that it manages to achieve all of a number of different goals: it insures breadth (through the distribution requirement), provides coherence (through the Theory of Knowledge requirement), teaches writing, analytical and research skills far beyond what is usually asked of a student in high school (through the extended essay) and demands that the student transcend his narrow national/cultural perspective (through the language B requirement)…[W]e decided early on to offer a full year's credit to any student who came to us with a score of 30 or above on the full diploma. We had already been giving college credit for high grades on individual higher-level exams (following our policy of giving course credit for high grades on the Advanced Placement examinations of the College Board). But it soon became clear to us that the full International Baccalaureate was something more than the sum of its parts in a way that three or four APs were not, or not so necessarily…." - Elizabeth Vermey, Bryn Mawr

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6/05 2005 Final Assembly Recognitions
Meredith (Merrie) Bentley and James Melnick were chosen by their classmates to be the senior speakers at Final Assembly on June 13. Numerous students were recognized with service awards for leadership in the school community and with commendations for exceptional contributions in academic classes, athletics, and activities.

Graduating senior Zach Rowen was honored with the John Marshall Mendinhall II '39 Memorial Award, presented to the student who has done the most for the school. Juniors Ben Altman and Dianne de la Veaux received the Charles W. Bush Award, recognizing "character, scholarship, and service." Graduating senior George (Andy) Cannon received the Howard W. Starkweather, Jr. '44 Community Service Award. Senior Bill Kolodzey was recognized with the Amanda Spackman Gehret '51 Memorial Mathematics Award for the student or students who "manifest outstanding mathematical achievement through development of ability and commitment to the experience of the whole class." Junior Jen Rosenberg received the Robert P. Hukill '49 Science Award which emphasizes the importance of "innovation and creativity" as well as problem-solving ability, leadership, and a love of science. In addition the school awards, graduating seniors Rebecca (Katie) Adams and Erin Aliquo received Presidential Freedom Scholarship Awards, recognizing leadership in community service.

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5/05 Interim Head of School Named
The Board of Trustees of Wilmington Friends School has announced the appointment of Leo P. Dressel as interim head of school for the 2005-2006 academic year.

Board chair R. Michael Hendricks and vice chair David Singleton, who chairs the Search Committee, wrote in an announcement on behalf of the Board, "Leo emerged from an exceptional field of candidates, and an experienced and impressive group of finalists who visited campus, as the strong consensus choice for this important role. We introduce him to you with confidence in his proven abilities and with excitement about all the qualities of leadership he will bring, both professionally and personally, to Wilmington Friends."

Dressel began his career in education in 1971 as an English teacher in Kansas City, Missouri. He has had experience leading two schools, most recently St. Martin's Episcopal School in Louisiana, which he served as head for 10 years, and previously St. Louis University High School in Missouri. He also spent six years as a regional administrative leader in Jesuit education and two years as executive director of a community-based social services agency serving youth and families in St. Louis. He has served on numerous boards, both as a leader in education and as a community advocate with a particular concern for children and families and for the treatment and prevention of alcohol and drug abuse.

"Clearly, there is a strong ethical thread that runs throughout Leo's professional life, and if you talk even briefly with him, you realize that it is, in fact, essential to the fabric of his character," Hendricks and Singleton wrote. "It is also easy to discern how the values that underlie much of what Leo has done fit so well with the defining values of our school…He is a staunch believer in the infinite value of each individual, in the importance of tending to the whole person and the whole life, in the celebration of diversity (he led a major diversity initiative at St. Martin's), in collaborative and inclusive leadership, and in the quality of sacred trust inherent in educating young people." Hendricks and Singleton also praised Leo Dressel's particular expertise in strategic planning, in fundraising and budget management, and in making connections to the broader community based on common points of mission.

The Search Committee will continue to work toward the appointment of a long-term head of school. That process is expected to be finalized by early 2006, and the new long-term head of school will begin work in the summer of 2006. The departing head of school is Lisa A. H. Darling who has served in that role for 11 years and has been at Wilmington Friends for a total of 16 years. She has been appointed president of United World College of the American West in New Mexico.

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