Non Profit Organization
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Permit 183
Greenfield MA
PINE COBBLE SCHOOL
163 GALE ROAD WILLIAMSTOWN MA 01267
PHONE: 413-458-4680 www.pinecobble.org
From the Headmaster
continued from page 1
As you read ahead in this issue of The Cobblestone, you
will encounter a varied collection of articles describing
traditions that have arisen over the years. One of the
many special aspects of Pine Cobble is that our school
is casual in style and never pretentious. Nevertheless,
there are traditions we can trace back to our founders,
Edgar and Doris Flinton – skiing each week during the
winter, maintaining a family-like atmosphere with an
emphasis on the arts, and foreign language instruction
starting with Beginners. Gradually over the years, the
ninth graders began presenting speeches at year’s end.
Soon we added the tradition of the ninth grade trip.
Above all else, we have maintained excellence in the
classrooms as well as a vibrant, bright, and energetic
student body!
Having been here for ten years, I am also able to look
back upon some traditions that have begun during my
decade. We have returned to one lunch sitting to allow
the whole school to come together at least once each
day, adding strength to our school as a single academic
community. Fun things happen at lunch such as singing
“Happy Birthday” to anyone who is celebrating. On a
more serious note, each winter we have cookie day when
cookies are decorated for veterans and shut-ins. Finally,
one of my favorite traditions here is at the end of each
day, when the students walk to the parking lot and shake
my hand on the way. Then, they can ring the Good Day
Bell as they indicate to all that they’ve had another
wonderful day at Pine Cobble.
As you read further in this issue, you will encounter
traditions that allow our students to live our motto,
nosce te ipsum, or know thyself. Children at Pine Cobble
are encouraged to take risks and lead original lives of
purpose because of the self-confidence and grounding
they received at Pine Cobble.
I hope you will enjoy this issue of The Cobblestone!
T R A D I T I O N S : At the heart of guiding children for 72 years
COBBLESTONE
THE
VOLUME 73, NUMBER 1
THE NEWSLET TER OF PINE COBBLE SCHOOL
FALL 2009
Irene Hunter:
A Woman Who Always Cared
From the
Headmaster
Greetings from Gale Road!
Pine Cobble is beginning
our seventy-third year and
the campus is full of excitement. Clearly, the world
around us is filled with
challenges. At such times,
there is a quiet, purposeful
reassurance for each of us
that comes from the longstanding traditions and
strengths that guide each
day at Pine Cobble. As I
write this, the end of the
summer is near and boxes
of supplies are being
unpacked, teachers are
working in their classrooms
and the campus is alive
again. There is nothing
quite like the feel of a
school as everyone comes
together to get things ready
for the students’ return.
continued on back page
Irene Hunter was an inspiration to all with whom she came in contact.
Her incredible intellect, fabulous sense of humor, leadership in so many
causes and abiding respect for others – not to mention her vibrant, violet blue eyes – made her a rare and unforgettable woman. To top all of
that, the grace with which she did everything put her in a league of her
own. At Pine Cobble School, Irene and her husband, Bing, were major
supporters from the Fifties when their children began attending the
school to the last few months of Irene’s life. The Hunter family was one
of a small group who made the school’s move to the Gale Road campus
a reality. Along with her and her family’s longterm financial commitment
to the school, Irene chaired annual fundraising events like the Ski and
Skate Sale and the John Jay Ski Movies while also helping with public
relations and so much more. As she said to her youngest daughter, Susie
’65, when Susie’s first child started preschool at an independent school
in California, “This isn’t just your child’s first day of school, it is the
beginning of a way of life for you.”
Irene Hunter passed away on October 1, 2008. At her memorial service,
Susie spoke the beautiful words below which are the essence of Irene
in her many different roles – wife, mother, grandmother, friend, leader
and philanthropist. Her philanthropy has played a major role in the history of Pine Cobble School and many other worthy causes.
Mom, mother, it’s a word loaded with images and emotions.
We all know that my mother was no ordinary woman, and
believe me, she was no ordinary mom, either. It probably
comes as no surprise to you that she was not a cuddly, doting
mom. But, oh what she gave us as a mother, she gave us
through the way she lived her life. She lived her love; she
lived her gifts to us.
Mom always used to say that the primary job of a parent is
being a teacher. Teachers know we learn best that which we
experience. And here’s what we experienced as her children:
first, and foremost, an expansive zest for life. She performed
her many roles of wife, mother, and volunteer with graciousness, integrity, generosity, humility, compassion for those who
were in need in any way, tolerance, intellectual curiosity, style,
T R A D I T I O N S : At the heart of guiding children for 72 years
and. . . let’s not forget. . . humor. Will anyone ever forget
that phenomenal smile? She encouraged us to embrace
both responsibility and independence as we pursued our
own interests, and ultimately her gift to us was confidence that we could accomplish anything we wanted.
I remember a quote she had on the kitchen cabinet when
we lived in Williamstown. It said, “Those who roll up their
sleeves seldom lose their shirts.” In that vein, a fundamental lesson from Mom was that it is of tantamount
importance to live a life that matters, that each of us is
called to leave the world a better place for our having
passed through it. Everyone here knows that she certainly
embodied that in her life. But what you might not know
is how she kept growing and evolving. What amazed me
about her chairing the steering committee to raise the
funds to build the new building for Northshire Day
School is not that she rolled up her sleeves and chaired
the committee, at age 85 - 88, but that it was a daycare
facility. This was the same woman who, a couple decades
earlier, was horrified when I went back to school to finish
my Master’s Degree when my daughter was a year old
and I, therefore, needed to arrange childcare! She made
it quite clear to me where she thought I belonged and
the relative importance she assigned to my graduate
program! (Let’s face it – she was a pretty straight shooter!
One of my favorite comments about Mom came last
summer, during one of her low periods, from someone
who said, “I miss the Irene Hunter with spurs!”) Yet look
who led the charge when the families in this community
needed quality services for their children. That willingness to change with the times was a gift Mom gave us.
Pre-production make-up time with Bob Burns
The Pine Cobble Theater –
Where Imaginations Soar
She and Dad shared everything they had with their family,
friends and communities: they shared their warmth and
their infectious humor with us all. And they taught us to
embrace all people equally. I don’t think I ever witnessed
my mother being condescending or dismissive to anyone.
She loved us by teaching us to love and respect others
and to treat everyone with dignity. For years when we
were growing up, two African American women from
Alabama came north to work for Mom and Dad in the
summer. Both these women were college graduates, both
were teachers, one had a graduate degree from Columbia
– but it was the 1950s – in the deep south. When I was
in Mom’s room the other day, I noticed something on
the wall I’d never paid any attention to before. It was a
framed poem, recently sent to her by one of these
women, entitled “Because You Loved Us.” I want to end
with a few lines from that poem that speak to the way
Mom loved us all:
Lights! Camera! Action! These are the words one hears
during the musical elective cycle. Every March a musical
production is performed as a Pine Cobble tradition with
rehearsals beginning in January. The elective cycle occurs
during ski season. Students choose between a variety of
activities, and auditions are usually held in December. Last
year Cinderella was performed by a group of students in
grades five - eight, with two ninth graders as student directors. There are many ways to be involved in the musical:
actors, props and costumes, set design, and sound and
lights. Regardless of what one’s “role” is in the production,
all work together as a team. It really is a tremendous
amount of work in a short time. Musicals that have been
performed over the course of the last five years are The
Wizard of Oz, Grease, Little Red Riding Hood: A Wolf’s
Tale, Snow White, and Cinderella. What is the musical
going to be for the school year 2009 - 2010 you ask? Stay
tuned, wait and see and let this year be a surprise!
You saw the best there was in us
Lifted us up when we couldn’t reach
You stood by us and we stood tall
We had your love we had it all
We’re everything we are because you loved us
You gave us wings and made us fly
You touched our hand we could touch the sky
You stood by us and we stood tall
We had your love we had it all
We’re grateful for each day you gave us
Maybe we don’t know that much
But we know this much is true
We were blessed because we were loved by you.
Michelle Despard – Pine Cobble music teacher
In the fall of 1974, Pine Cobble Headmistress, Ellie
Patterson, called me in the midst of my watching the
Watergate hearings and asked if I would consider coming
to Pine Cobble as the music teacher. I accepted.
I put together a music program for the Christmas event –
a Christmas Carol Sing in the 1753 House, currently led by
my wife, Gail M. Burns.
Susie Hunter Watson ’65
The following spring a group of students asked if I would
direct them in a production of Harper Lee’s To Kill a
2
Mockingbird. One student’s mother
had typed a stage version based on
dialogue from the book. The cast
included alumni-ae Dorothy Briggs
’77, George Tanzman ’79, David
Tilgner ’77, John C. Wilson ’78, and
many others. I staged it in what was
called the “multi-purpose” room
commonly referred to by the theatre
people as the “theatre,” and by Jerry
Baran as the “gym”. I begged the
help of Juliet Flynt, and we worked
together on many shows over the
ten years I was at Pine Cobble. We
performed To Kill a Mockingbird for
three nights, and my career in the
Pine Cobble theatre began.
In the fall of 1975, during a
Halloween party for the middle
school, my colleague and friend, Jim
Burger, asked me if I would help
him start a summer school. I accepted the offer/challenge and we began
the Pine Cobble Summer School.
As a part of the Summer School, I
began a summer theatre drama program and we produced Frankenstein
at the Pine Cobble Summer Theatre
– the first of many, many shows.
Some of the other shows we performed early on included The Death
and Life of Sneaky Fitch and Dark
of the Moon – this featured Torben
Brooks ’81, Nancy Reichert ’80,
Hugh Dignon ’77, Everett Eglin ’80,
Dot Hopton ’79, Charlie Hopton ’80,
and many others.
In 1980, Gail Myvanwy Bury came
to work in Pine Cobble’s middle
school. Gail taught regular classes
and took over a younger group of
actors while I worked with the
sixth–ninth grades. We began to
collaborate on shows and Gail
decided to do some Gilbert &
Sullivan operettas. Randy Krum, Pine
Cobble’s music teacher, worked with
us on the music. Gail would direct,
Randy did the music, and I would
design the set and do the technical
work. We did H.M.S. Pinafore and
then The Mikado. Jim Briggs ’83
and Matt Pezzulich ’85 starred.
We became quite advanced with our
set designs, and one summer even
sent John Wilson ’78 to a conference
at Brown University on scenic painting. He would later graduate from
Brown with a degree in computer
engineering. Pine Cobble continued
to produce regular shows – The
Mouse That Roared, Legend of
Sleepy Hollow, The Odd Couple,
Ten Little Indians, Tevya and His
Daughters, You Can’t Take it With
You, Dragnet, Prisoner of Second
Avenue, Barefoot in the Park, Aaron
Slick, Abe Lincoln in Illinois and on
and on.
In the spring of 1981, Gail and I were
engaged and married the following
October. Our reception was held in
the “multi-purpose room.” Following
our wedding we began working on
the fall shows. I had ten wonderful
years teaching and directing at Pine
Cobble. I never set out to be involved
in the theatre, but, I did, it seemed to
work, and I have never stopped. The
memories are there – even if the
photographs have faded and gone,
and that is something that will
never end.
Bob Burns – Drama teacher 1974 -1984
My first stage performance: I was in
first grade at Pine Cobble, and we
were doing a skit for assembly. I had
been cast as a bartender (seems a bit
odd thinking back now), but I had a
line about some grubby guy messing
up my bar that I had been cleaning.
It got a laugh, and I was hooked.
As I approached the upper school
years, I saw some amazing plays at
Pine Cobble, such as The Crucible,
To Kill a Mockingbird, and The
Hound of the Baskervilles, and couldn’t wait to get involved. I auditioned
for every play I could, and every time
I did a play in those days, the acting
bug burrowed a little deeper. I acted
all through high school, was a theater
major in college, and attended the
Asolo Conservatory of Professional
Actor Training, acting professionally
for several years. At each level, I
learned more about the craft of
acting, but I developed the passion
at Pine Cobble.
I owe so much of that passion and my
life experiences in the theatre to Bob
and Gail Burns. Bob influenced a generation of theatre students at Pine
Cobble with his tireless work on fullscale productions, which always
included creative and elaborate sets,
costumes, and lighting. He trusted us
to connect to material most would
consider over the heads of grade
school children, and the results were
always magical. Gail’s passion for
Gilbert and Sullivan brought the
musical genre to Pine Cobble in those
days and inspired a broad range of
students to become involved. Bob
and Gail continued their passion in
the summers through The Starlight
Stage Company, and instilled in me a
confidence, an attention to detail, and
an ability to take a risk in the pursuit
of excellence that I carry with me to
this day.
As I grew older, I began to understand
more and more about what it was that
drew me to acting. I have always been
fascinated by human relationships:
how people react under different
circumstances and how they resolve
their conflicts. It is a part of what led
me to a career as a lawyer, the
essence of which, just like the theatre,
is about conflict resolution.
Jim Briggs ’83 P17/20
Pine Cobble Theater 2008 – Snow White with her friends
3
To this day, downhill and cross-country skiing are traditions that live on at Pine Cobble School. We
currently ski on Fridays, at Jiminy Peak for our downhill and snowboarding program and at Prospect
Mountain in Woodford, Vermont, for our cross-country ski program. For decades, parents have thanked
us for teaching their children how to ski. As one parent said, “I think teaching skiing to my first child
was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Thank you, Pine Cobble, for teaching my next two
children. Now we enjoy skiing as a family and have so many fond memories we will carry with us.” The
ski program, as you will see in the photo montage on the back cover of this newsletter, goes back to
the 1930s. While the mechanics of skiing are the tangible things that are learned through this program,
there are so many intangibles – independence, self-sufficiency, sound decision making, and so much
more. Please enjoy the articles below that span three decades of alumni-ae at Pine Cobble School.
A Life on Skinny Skis
Colorful spandex, snow, athletic endurance, wax wizardry, and skinny skis—they’re the five
ingredients of Nordic ski racing. For many, Nordic skiing evokes the gentle images of ski
touring along a backwoods trail that looks like an evergreen tunnel dusted in new snow.
The world of Nordic racing isn’t like that relaxing tour, and can sometimes resemble a bunch
of wiry folks throwing themselves off a building—a blur of speed, color, and strength.
Andrew Nesbitt ’08 – Nordic
Skier Extraordinaire
While heavy exertion deep in the New England winter does not appeal to everyone,
Andrew Nesbitt ’08 loves Nordic ski racing. He raced for the first time during fifth grade
and was instantly hooked. Andrew cultivated his competitive skills individually, racing all
over New England, as part of Team Nesbitt. His “team” was his dad—who served as driver,
coach, wax technician, cheerleader, and team sponsor.
Fast forward to March of 2008: The culmination of Andrew’s solo career was winning the
Eastern J-2 Championship and National Invitational Nordic ski race, held in Jackson, New
Hampshire.
The newest chapter in Andrew’s ski life is nothing like the bare bones “Team Nesbitt”
operation. At Gould Academy, where Andrew is in the class of 2011, this new life includes
professional coaches who are former professional racers, talented, enthusiastic teammates,
lots of training, a top-level trail system, and many feet of snow this past winter in Bethel,
Maine. Andrew finished the New England Prep School Championships in third place and
helped Gould to win the overall title.
The end of the 2008-2009 race season—the Eastern High School Championships—took place
in Rangeley, Maine. Andrew qualified as a member of the deeply talented Maine High School
Nordic team. His goal was to finish the season in the top thirty of the best 150 racers in New
England and New York. He met that goal but is hungry for more good finishes. He just finished intense summer training to ready himself for the 2009-2010 ski season – go Andrew!
Beth Nesbitt P08
Pursuing a Dream – from
the Berkshires to the Alps
Nina Cook Silitch ’87 – USA
Ski Mountaineering Team
I looked forward to every Wednesday and Friday afternoon in the winter at Pine Cobble; we
would pile into my mom’s carpool and head to Jiminy Peak to ski. “You mean you get to go
skiing two times a week with your school? What a cool school!” friends from other schools
would say.
I have memories of sharing fried dough with friends in the base lodge and skiing fast over
bumps. Who would have thought that a few afternoons skiing at a little hill in the Berkshires
would lead to my now semi-professional ski mountaineering career in the European Alps?
It was not until I moved to Chamonix, France, eight years ago, that I learned what ski
mountaineering was all about. I telemark skied for twelve years and was reluctant to give up
my free heels, but my husband, international mountain guide, Michael Silitch of High-Alpine
Mountain Guides, encouraged me to give it a try. I completed my first Chamonix-Zermatt
haute route on randonee skis and was hooked.
4
Ski mountaineering combined all the things I loved about the mountains: the endurance
while skinning up hill, the technical climbing often in crampons, and the fast down hill in
off piste terrain. This is similar to how the first alpine skiers skied in New England before
ski lifts, often skinning up the mountain with climbing skins under the skis, then bombing
back down huge runs from the top of the mountain back to the trail head. The early races
on Mount Washington were of the same spirit. When the Winter Olympics started, there
was a ski mountaineering discipline; the international ski mountaineering federation
hopes the sport will make its Olympic re-debut in 2018. For more information check out
the United States Ski Mountaineering Association (www.ussma.org)
With perseverance and hard work, I was selected for the USA Ski Mountaineering Team
two years ago. This 2008 - 2009 season, I competed on the World Cup circuit finishing 13th
overall. Next year I hope to represent the US at the World Championships in Andorra
(a small landlocked country in the eastern Pyrenees bordered by Spain and France).
Kim Holzer ’93 – Still loving the
alpine playground
I credit my first coaches at Pine Cobble, Juliet Flynt and Sue Wells for instilling the love
of sports in me at such a young age. Back then, the run to the school field for practice
seemed forever (not even one mile), but we did it! It’s hard to believe those same legs,
25 years later, carried me across 96 km of the Alps to finish tenth place in the Mt. Blanc
Ultra trail. Through my sports at Pine Cobble, I learned teamwork, commitment and
discipline, valuable traits that have encouraged me to follow my dreams.
Nina Cook ’87
Nina (Cook) Silitch attended Pine Cobble School from 1980 -1984. She alpine ski raced at
Carrabassett Valley Academy in Maine and nordic ski raced at Holderness School and Dartmouth
College. She lives now in Chamonix, France, with her husband Michael Silitch of High-Alpine
Mountain Guides and their two sons, three and five years old. She is currently looking for
sponsorship support to help her reach her goal of competing at Worlds in 2010.
Devon O’Rorke Wieneke ’93
– teaching the next generation
that sport is a part of life
Learning and Living Life in the Mountains
“Skiing is about discovering yourself one run at a time. This alpine magic can happen anywhere
there's snow and an incline.” – Jackson Hogen
Learning to ski at Pine Cobble supplied that initial “alpine magic” I needed to ignite a
lifelong love affair with sliding on snow. Back then the magic was about chairlift rides
with friends, wind in the face, creativity, and the freedom to explore a whole mountain
playground. I recall one of our slope-side role plays. My two ski buddies and I were
“germs” and the Jiminy Peak landscape was a body where tree trunks represented hair
follicles, and we had a mission to do something “important,” which required refueling
intermittently with fruit snacks. Ski lessons did not seem so magical at the time, but I
hold some very influential memories from them, such as in ninth grade when our
instructor asked us to stand still at the top of Upper Fox with our tips across the hill
(perpendicular to the fall line) and to initiate a turn WITHOUT the “dreaded” wedge.
Simple, we thought, as we were all self-proclaimed parallel skiers. Try it some time and
you will find out what a humbling task it can be. No doubt with a solid technique arise
new opportunities and challenges that make way for even more alpine magic. Today this
magic for me is still about good company, a fix of fresh mountain air plus vitamin D, and
exploring the alpine playground while pushing myself physically. Additionally, a ski
instructor and snowsports staff trainer, I also love helping others to experience the
thrill that started for me as a second grader at Pine Cobble.
Curious about whether the ski program at Pine Cobble inspired others’ career choices, I
recently contacted my fellow “germs.” Both incidentally spent time after college working
as snowsports instructors. From the Teton Valley in Idaho, a ski patroller and (winter)
field instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Becca Parkinson ’93
definitely shares my passion for the snowy mountain playground. She mentioned the
allure of cold climates and the fact that skiing at Pine Cobble developed a skill set opening doors for more alpine magic, which for her includes heaps of waist deep backcountry
powder. From Down Under, Devon O’Rorke-Wieneke ’93 recounts vivid and colorful
memories of our creative adventures on snow at Pine Cobble. For her, skiing while “at
school,” reinforced that idea that sport is a part of life and learning/working does not
strictly happen indoors behind a desk. She is living this life philosophy and relocating to
Colorado to work as a veterinarian, but also to land closer to the mountains and SNOW.
Kim Holzer ’93
5
Becca Parkinson ’93 – Making
tracks in fresh western snow
sage for people everywhere, to blacks and whites, Jews and
Christians, it doesn’t matter what color you are or what religion you practice, we are all gifts, just in different packaging.
Sincerely,
Jake Daugherty ’13
Dear Natalie Babbitt,
Words are powerful. Words have different meanings and
evoke distinct emotions in people. In The Search for
Delicious, I learned that the word delicious means different
things to different people. I learned that to communicate
effectively, I have to choose my words carefully.
Matthew Germanowski ’13 and Jake Daugherty ’13 with
their awards at the Massachusetts State House
Write On!
Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing
program sponsored by the Library of Congress and Target Stores
for students in grades four through twelve. This is a new fifth
grade tradition at Pine Cobble School in which Mrs. Bernard’s
students have participated for the last four years.
To participate in this program, students write letters to authors
“whose work has made a significant difference in their lives.”
The Massachusetts state program is administered by The
Massachusetts Center for the Book, with primary sponsorship
from the Calderwood Writing Initiative at the Boston Athenaeum.
In Massachusetts, over 3,400 letters were submitted, and judges
selected the top forty-five letters. Two fifth grade students
attending Pine Cobble School, Jake Daugherty ’13 and Matthew
Germanowski ’13, (see their award winning essays below)
received Honorable Mentions in the Level 1 category. The Awards
Ceremony was on May 19, 2009 at 11am at the Massachusetts
State House for the top honors, honors, and honorable mention
Massachusetts letter writers in each of three age-level categories.
Awards included dictionaries, books, tote bags, and certificates.
Dear Theodore Taylor,
I wanted to yell when I read how Phillip treated Timothy.
It seemed that from Phillip’s perspective Timothy was a
dog. Your book The Cay made me realize how bad racism
was in the 1940s. I hoped all the way through the book
that Phillip would change from a disrespectful, racist
child to an appreciative young man. Timothy helped
Phillip to truly appreciate people for who they are, not
for their race or for their religion, but for who they are
on the inside. It took blindness for Phillip to truly
appreciate Timothy.
The Cay changed the way I thought about racism. I
thought racism was just about drinking from different
water fountains and sitting at the back of the bus, but
now I realize that back then black people were not even
treated like people! Recently Barack Obama won the
presidential election, and it is my hope that Obama will
change the country as president. This theme of change
can relate to Phillip and Timothy in The Cay. Phillip
changed his racist ways because of his relationship with
Timothy and became a better person. Obama has promised change for America. I hope that Obama will change
the United States of America for the better. I have a mes-
When I talk to my grandparents, I have to explain things to
them in a different way. Although they are knowledgeable,
they are not as current with technological information as I
am. There are some things about computers they do not
understand, such as how a USB drive is like a closet for files
or why the printer does not work. When I tell them to see if
the printer is USB or not, they do not understand what I am
saying.
It is important for me to communicate thoughtfully in
school. With my classmates I try to calmly express my ideas
even when I am very excited about them. I am passionate
about my inventions, and I need to communicate correctly
for my classmates to understand and share my enthusiasm.
Words can connect people.
To the contrary, the misuse of words can cause communication to break down. Words can start conflicts and end them.
They can influence people's emotions to make them like you
or dislike you. If you use the right words you can do anything; words are powerful.
Sincerely,
Matthew Germanowski ’13
Where Sports and Life
Weave Together
We all know field hockey and soccer are two of the oldest traditions
at Pine Cobble School. From coaches Juliet Flynt to Avery Cushman
on the field hockey field and Jerry Baran, Marshall Cross and many
others on the soccer field, the students of Pine Cobble have a special
place in their hearts for their fall sports teams. What happens every
day on the athletic fields, fall and spring, is difficult to put into words.
Boys and girls learn to push themselves as individuals, work together
as a team, deal with loss while displaying good sportsmanship, and
understand what it means to help a teammate and to lead younger
students. It is a place where personal growth happens naturally and
directly impacts a student’s life for years to come.
Tom Fox ’53 and Juliet Flynt ’66 & former coach speak to the history
of these two long time traditions.
I’m sure that when I first started at Pine Cobble in the
fourth grade, I learned some of the fundamentals of soccer;
but I confess that I don’t remember that year very well (an
even sixty years ago!). But, after an absence of two years
in Arizona, I returned to Pine Cobble for the seventh and
eighth grades and really threw myself into the game. Pete
Strong (aka BSHH, for Big Strong Handsome Hero) was a
good coach, teaching the fundamentals, the will to excel
6
and win, fair play, and teamwork,
teamwork, teamwork. He also
recruited some of the Williams
College players to help coach us.
We did well in interscholastic play,
going undefeated in our eighth
grade year. I’ll never forget our last
game, against rival Bement. We
won 1-0 on a very last-minute
header goal by our offensive star
Ralph Conroy ’54.
For the next twelve years, soccer
was all-important to me. At
Andover I played regularly on the
varsity team my junior and senior
years. At Williams I also played
throughout my four years, highlighted in 1958 by our being chosen along with seven other college
and university teams to compete in
the first NCAA soccer tournament
ever. Then, after graduating from
Williams, I taught at the Taft School
for four years, serving as the head
varsity soccer coach for my last two
years there. Fifteen years later I
tried to play in a men’s soccer
league here in Washington, DC;
but in my first game, after an exhilarating first half, I severely tore a
hamstring. That was the end of that
career. . . I’m just glad that I can
see major league soccer here in
Washington with the perennial
power DC United. And I’ve got my
seven-year old grandson excited
about the game.
1952 undefeated soccer team
Although I am an enthusiast about
almost all sports, why does soccer
remain on the top of my list? Many
sports combine skill, athleticism,
power, daring, and craftiness. But I
think the answer about soccer’s
uniqueness is the game’s focus on
teamwork, more – I believe – than any
other sport. Think about it. And then
think about the role of teamwork in
so many other areas of our lives, at
home, in our professional lives, in our
friendships. Thank you, Pine Cobble
and Pete Strong for setting me on
this most enduring of paths.
Tom Fox ’53
The Pine Cobble field hockey program was started in the early 1960s.
Bill Russell, an upper school Latin
and English teacher, was the first
coach. For the first ten years the
opposition consisted of Bement and
Berkshire Country Day. Kay Potter,
the legendary kindergarten teacher,
was the coach for several years in the
late 1960s. One of her players, Juliet
Flynt, became the coach in 1971. By
the mid 70s Mount Anthony and
other Vermont schools had become
part of the competition. The Bement
tournament was started in 1975 with
eight teams competing, adding four
more teams in 1982. With a small
enrollment in the early 70s, it was
necessary to recruit from the lower
school, but it wasn’t long before
there were both varsity and junior
varsity teams. While winning was
always a preferred result, the goal
was to play as a team and to have a
good time doing it. For several years
in the late 70s and early 80s the varsity team placed first or second in the
Bement tournament and one year
took home the sportsmanship award.
During this time the team was recognized in the “Faces in the Crowd”
section of Sports Illustrated for its
won/lost record. The mothers/daughters game and the student/faculty
game were always much anticipated
events each fall. Alumnae games
were instituted in the early 80s and
have been an important reunion
time ever since.
Juliet Flynt ’66
1974 varsity and junior varsity field hockey teams
7
and provides academic support (homework help) as
a way to help the kids stay out of trouble and focused
on their future.
For the 2009 squash season, Squash Haven came to
Pine Cobble for our annual match, and we volunteered to host some of the players. Olivia Gundrum
’11 and I hosted two players, Dania and Leslie, at my
home. As we were driving back to my house, we told
them that I lived in Vermont. They were so excited,
and when they called their parents to tell them they
had arrived, the first thing they said was “We’re staying
in Vermont!” We then heard excited voices on the
other end of the phone and then “I know, I know!”
from the girls.
The Squash Haven and Pine Cobble relationship is
one for the records. Both groups are equally
impressed with the other. As soon as we first saw
each other, we were ready to become friends.
Squash Haven players and Alex Apkin ’09 enjoy pizza
after our second annual team match
Winter Squash (the sport, not the vegetable!)
Now a Tradition at Pine Cobble
Squash, a game played in a box with three white walls and in most
cases one plexiglass wall, has found some real fans at Pine Cobble
School. Our squash program finished its fourth season in February
2008. It was started in 2005 by Julie Greenwood, former women’s
tennis and squash coach at Williams College and current director of
Squash Haven, a youth squash program in New Haven, Connecticut.
We are fortunate enough to use the Williams squash courts and
learn from fabulous coaches connected with the college. With
Julie’s move to New Haven, we have formed a bond with the
Squash Haven players. Read below about the impact the sport and
our program has had on one current Pine Cobble student and the
connection we have made with students from other programs.
Nearly two years ago, I was introduced to the game of
squash. After one fast paced and intense game, I was
hooked. When I first heard about squash, I thought it was
a silly little game that was played for fun and didn’t take
much skill or fitness to play. As I played more and more –
and became more and more in love with the sport –
I realized how much fitness and skill is required.
About a month after I first played squash, I learned Pine
Cobble offered squash as a winter elective. I was so excited! I could improve my skills and play with my friends!
The next exciting news was that we would play a team,
Squash Haven, led by a former Williams College student
and Women’s Squash coach, Julie Greenwood. When I
learned about the kids who play for Squash Haven, their
background, and how much this program has helped and
changed them, I was really impressed – with the coach,
the kids and the whole organization. Squash Haven works
with kids from New Haven, Connecticut. It is part of a
broader program that teaches squash to inner city kids
This past season I was at a tournament at Millbrook
School in New York. As I walked in, I saw Julie in the
halls and asked her if her team was there. She pointed
me to a bench at the end of the room where I saw a
lot of kids I knew from Squash Haven, and some I
hadn’t met before. As soon as we saw each other,
we had smiles on our faces and open arms ready for
hugs. We spent the entire weekend together and
learned so much from each other, both on and off
the court. I was so glad they were at the tournament.
I am very thankful for the squash opportunities I have
had through Pine Cobble, and the learning experiences I have had through Squash Haven. I will never
forget either.
Clarissa Reichblum ’11
Williamstown was one of my favorite trips since I have
been at Squash Haven. The best part was when we
went to movie night with the Pine Cobble Team. We
saw Mr. Bean’s Holiday. It was so funny.
The hosts that let us stay at their houses were caring
and always entertained us. I liked spending time with
them at the squash courts even though we (Squash
Haven) didn’t win the match.
I am happy I got to go to Williamstown because I
made new friends. At a tournament in New York, I
even got to reunite with Clarissa who was my host in
Williamstown. That was so exciting. We went to lunch
and we got a chance to catch up with each other. I
can’t wait to go back to Williamstown for the NUSEA
Individual Tournament this year!
Dania Haughton
There is so much to tell you about that wonderful
place Williamstown that I don't even know where to
start! But I think I'll start with the people I met at
Pine Cobble. Every person I met was nice and polite.
I met some nice friends, especially a family named the
Finnegans. My stay with them was fun and cool. They
are friendly and smart. I hope I go back to visit them
again because there is so much to do.
Carmelo Reyes
8
T R A D I T I O N S : At the heart of guiding children
for 72 years
Mrs. Brooks – students transform from caterpillars to butterflies
Connecticut). At the Greg School in Washington, DC, she
worked with an autistic child and through the use of drums
and xylophones, the child made a dramatic transformation,
much to the family’s and school district’s surprise and
delight. In the late 1960s, Mrs. Brooks received a Special
Education award for her work from the DC school district.
Music and creative movement is now widely recognized as
a way to improve the lives of people with autism and Down
syndrome.
Our Mrs. Brooks
Pine Cobble’s 72nd Founders’ Day celebration offered an
opportunity to honor Jytte Brooks P79/81/86, as she retired this
year from teaching in our Lower School. Her tradition of teaching
creative movement in a way that reaches all students is a gift her
students will treasure for their entire lives. Her three sons, Tim ’79,
Torben ’81 and Fleming ’86 are grateful for the positive energy she
has brought to so many over the years and continues to share with
her beloved grandchildren. Two colleagues of Jytte’s who are also
alumnae share their love and respect for Mrs. Brooks and thank
her for her years of service to Pine Cobble.
These days our mom gives the same kind of energy and
creativity to her grandkids. Can you imagine having Mrs.
Brooks, the creative movement wizard, as your grandma?
Of course its not just drums and songs and stories and
dressing up and playing and dancing. There’s also bird
watching and gardening and baking and arts and crafts like
painting and drawing and. . . The kids can’t wait to see her!
Of course, at the end of the day they are pretty tuckered
out – while Mrs. Brooks is always ready for more.
Our mom loved teaching creative movement – she loved
encouraging kids to create an imaginative world where
they could be themselves – or anything they wanted to be.
When we were older she would happily tell stories about
a particular student or moment: how a shy girl became
the lion on top of the mountain or how an overly
excitable boy found calm in transforming from a caterpillar to a butterfly. These moments she found irresistible –
she would act them out, often laughing, amazed and energized by the spirit of youth. We always felt that teaching
gave her a great deal – she got back as much as she gave
to it through her time with the kids.
Tim ’79, Torben ’81, Fleming Brooks ’86
Mrs. Brooks was a woman before her time, recognizing the
importance of creative movement in any curriculum and
encouraging children ages three to six to use their imaginations
and to think outside the box. She validated the ideas of the
students and saw the importance of imaginary play and
movement, allowing the children to explore physical space,
body movements, and their ideas all at once. We miss her
and her far-reaching ideas! Thank you, Mrs. Brooks.
It is worth mentioning that Mrs. Brooks came to Pine
Cobble after helping many other kids make significant
transformations. She worked with cutting edge teachers
and child development psychologists (including Grethe
Agatz in Denmark and Dr. Frances Ilg in New Haven,
Maude Rich ’91 and Beth Callahan ’90 –
current Lower School teachers
9
Fear and Trepidation –
the Ninth Grade Speech
Emma Post ’08 – as Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart – World Pilot
and a Heroine to Me
When I was eleven, Heroic Girlz began as a homeschooling project for me and three other girls. We researched
some historic female heroes in order to discover what we
might become. First we made a play – I researched and
played Amelia Earhart. Next, my mother directed Heroic
Girlz, the movie. Finally, this year we all went to the
United Nations where the movie was shown as a way to
reach out to women and girls of all ages. Seeing women
and girls from all parts of the world was spectacular and
made me feel a part of the bigger picture. The Director
for the Advancement of Women at the U.N. said she
could see this kind of educational project happening for
girls in cultures around the world.
One tradition that, when recalled, no doubt still
makes Pine Cobble graduates tremble is the Ninth
Grade Speech. As the school year draws to a close,
each member of the graduating class gives an oral
presentation, replete with visuals, to the entire
school, parents, and friends. When I was first working with students, I would show them how to use
slide film in their cameras to capture images they
planned to use to supplement the presentation.
Now, with the advent of Power Point, finding pictures, graphs, and other supplementary visuals to
enhance the presentation gives a neater and more
professional look to the speech. Students research
and write an essay on the topic of their choice (with
the teacher’s permission) in the first semesters of
school, then work on the actual presentation.
Speech preparation may include memorizing poetry
such as Stopping by Woods…or Richard Cory (Are
you sweating yet?), reading an assigned passage,
and most importantly, practicing, practicing, practicing. In 1993, two students, Devon O’Rorke-Wieneke
and Oliver Levis, gave presentations so outstanding
that the faculty decided to create a Public Speaking
Award to honor their accomplishments, and it has
been presented yearly since. Biographies are always
a popular choice and over the years have included
such luminaries as JFK, Marilyn Monroe, Helen
Keller and Wilma Rudolph. Other memorable topics
include: The Building of the New York City subway,
a history of Alcatraz, The Media’s Effect on Girls’
Self-Image, and The History of Logging in the USA.
Although students look forward to the speech with
trepidation, they all perform marvelously and can
always look back on a job well done.
Linda J.L. Becker P88 S
Working on the play and movie was amazing, especially
with the friends and role models (our mothers) around
us. My involvement in this project at the age of eleven
really changed my perspective of who I was and where
I was going. I started to notice fads and fashions of the
outside world and cared a lot about how I looked and
acted. I suddenly cared more about what people thought
of me, causing me to feel a bit insecure.
Heroic Girlz did not solve all of those problems but made
things a lot easier. It gave all the girls involved a way to
connect with girls our age, talk about the issues we were
having and discover what it was like for women in the
past to deal with the same things.
Emma Post ’08
10
T R A D I T I O N S : At the heart of guiding children
for 72 years
Community Outreach:
Our Students’ Deep
Commitment
The tradition of outreach at Pine Cobble School
is one to which our student body is deeply
committed. Year after year, a large group of
upper school students become involved in the
Outreach Committee that meets once a week,
organizing fund raisers for domestic and
international causes. This year there was so
much interest at the younger grades to serve
on this committee that an intermediate fourth sixth grade committee was also formed.
Student leaders oversee the meetings with
guidance from parents in our community and/or
faculty members. The last two years the dedication of one of our parents, Tracy Finnegan P11,
has made a huge impact, and we thank her.
Some of the causes to which the group has been
devoted over the past few years include Pennies
for Peace – funds raised go to educational organizations in Pakistan and Afghanistan; Cotton From
Blue to Green – an organization that collects
denim to recycle and turn into insulation for
houses in areas affected by natural disasters;
Community Outreach Day – a day spent in the
Williamstown/ North Adams communities
volunteering time (the Berkshire Food Project,
Sweetwood Care Facility, the Salvation Army
and more). Two of our past three Outreach
Committee student chairpersons offered to share
their thoughts on the tradition of outreach at
Pine Cobble School. Thank you, Laura and Logan.
Success and Failure
I wasn’t always one to view failures as
small victories; the Outreach Committee
just made me so. As a co-head of the
Outreach Committee, I learned to take all
of the successes and the failures and run
with them to the next thing. If I was running with the success of a fun and productive cookie day, I had to learn not to expect
the next event to be as large a success. If
I was running away from the failure of not
selling a box full of Earth Day shirts, I
learned from failure and did not let it taint
what could be my next success. These simple life lessons that I gained as a co-head
of Outreach followed me as I left Pine
Cobble and continued on to high school.
In March 2009, I spent a week in Chicago
learning about the problems now enveloping our whole country’s education system.
While in Chicago I visited schools that
clearly represented the very thing that we
were there to learn about. At the end of
the week, my group did not have any solutions to this massive problem; we were
simply committed to finding more answers
and asking more questions. Some expect-
Outreach March 2009 – serving lunch on St. Patrick’s Day at the Berkshire
Food Project
ed to end their week with a tidy
solution to the country’s education
problems. These people viewed our
lack of answers as evidence for a
failed week. I, however, still viewed
our week as a success. My experiences
on Outreach forced me to recognize
that sometimes really understanding a
problem is a success in itself. Our failure to find answers just encouraged me
to look harder and to look past the initial failures of others and myself. From
Outreach I learned that the only failure
you can have is failing to try to succeed.
Words that Embody
the Outreach Experience
Peace
Involved
Neighborly
Eventful
Community
Opportunity
Broad thinking
Building
Learning
Exceptional
Laura Gerrard ’08
M A R K YO U R
C A LE N DA R S:
THIS YEAR’S
ALUMNI FIELD
HOCKEY AND
SOCCER GAMES
WILL BE:
SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 28, 2009
1:00 P.M.
P LE A S E J O I N U S!
11
Ongoing
Unifying
Tenacious
Reaching
Everyone
As much as possible
Creative
Hope
Connections
Observant
Meaningful
Mighty
Inviting
Thoughtful
Touching
Educate
Enlighten
0 bad memories
9 (x5) members
Logan Wilson ’09
That evening our intrepid travelers dined with a dear
friend and fellow classmate, Alice Chaffee Freeman, telling
tall tales and reminiscing into the night. It was a great end
to a special day.
The next morning we arrived at Waubeeka Springs for
the Founders’ Day Golf Tournament, where we were
warmly greeted by Pine Cobble hosts, Sue Wells and Nick
Edgerton. We felt at once as if we were at a family reunion.
It was a strong turn-out. People were welcoming and
friendly. The feeling of community was reminiscent of the
Pine Cobble spirit we knew as students in the 1950s. There
was a sense of enthusiasm and joy. The tee boxes were
marked by colorful posters created by Pine Cobble students exhorting players to do their best and have fun.
Our team followed that advice. The weather held, golf
was played and everyone had a grand time.
The Three Amigos reminiscing – Ted Cole ’60, Alice Chaffee Freeman
‘60 and Sandy Hewat ’60
Later at the “new” Pine Cobble (163 Gale Road), the
Founders’ Day Reception and Silent Auction offered the
opportunity to mingle with parents and friends, past and
present, as well as to visit with one of our favorite teachers, Pete French. After socializing with old and new friends
over the course of the weekend, we were impressed by
the level of engagement and commitment shown by teachers, administrators, parents, and school supporters. It
clearly showed that, though the bricks and mortar of the
school we knew and loved no longer exist, in so many
other ways the Pine Cobble we knew nearly fifty years ago
continues to be vital and relevant. Some things indeed do
not change. And for that we can be grateful.
Gnome and Ted’s
Excellent Adventure
Founders’ Day continued to flourish in 2009 with an ever
growing variety of activities and remembrances. Memories from
two members of the class of 1960 highlight this event.
Sandy Hewat ’60
Two travelers from another era (Pine Cobble class of
1960) shoehorned into a Mini Cooper amidst golf clubs
and luggage and motored into the past one spring day
in May. Destination? Williamstown. Purpose? To re-visit
childhood haunts, renew old acquaintances, play some
golf and attend Pine Cobble School’s annual Founders’
Day event.
DON’T MISS
THE 4th ANNUAL
FOUNDERS’ DAY
GOLF TOURNAMENT
z
Cruising into town past familiar – and unfamiliar – landmarks soon revealed how the town has changed. Main
Street, once a boulevard of stately elms, now largely
treeless. Once-open spaces and bike paths on the
Williams campus now occupied by gleaming new classrooms. New stores and galleries on Spring Street have
long replaced Rudnick’s Cleaners, Bemis Store, the
Square Deal Foodstore, Salvatore’s Shoestore, the
Walden Theater, Burnett’s Bakery, The House of Walsh,
Clark’s, the Gym Lunch, the College Pharmacy, the
Williams Co-op – the shops we knew as kids. No bikes
on the sidewalks, no dogs running free – even the road
has become One Way.
June 6, 2010
WAUBEEKA GOLF LINKS
Please note: Golf tournament date does not
coincide with official Founders’ Day.
ALUMNI/AE: Here is a perfect chance
to get old friends together for a day
on the links. All levels of golf ability
are welcome.
JOIN US! Look for more info
in early 2010.
Contact Sue Wells to sign up now:
s.wells @ pinecobble.org
It did cross our minds that we would encounter similar
changes at Pine Cobble. But we didn’t know what to
expect.
Our Benevolent Sponsors
Barr and Barr, Inc.
Berkshire Direct
BrewHaha
Budz Family
Coakley, Pierpan, Dolan & Collins
Colonial Pizza
Darren Champney General Contractor
Dion Money Management
Donovan & O'Connor, LLP
Farrington Contracting
Finnegan Family
Gagne Mechanical Corporation
George Apkins and Sons, Inc.
Gillooly Family
H. DiMarzo, Inc.
After resting up from our long drive, the terrible (in at
least one sense of the word) twosome warmed up for
the Big Event by playing a round of golf at Taconic Golf
Club. It was a real treat to play this jewel of a course
after nearly half a century. Just as we had done as kids,
we managed to spray golf balls all over the course.
(Some things never change.) But the landscape was
altered. Where did the trees go? Who put that bunker
there? That’s not where the tee box used to be! Lesson
number one: golf courses also change over time.
12
Harrington Family
iBerkshires.com/Boxcar Media
Law Offices of Sherwood Guernsey
Mass MoCA
Meehan Electronics
Orthopedic Associates of Northern
Berkshire
Purple Valley Auto
R.K. Miles, Inc.
Spirit Shop & Deli Station
West Oil
Williamstown Physical Therapy
Williamstown Realty Group
Williamstown Savings Bank
Leading a Literacy Initiative
Pine Cobble embarked on a school wide literacy initiative
this past year which has resulted in a number of positive
changes at the school for faculty and students. Through
the anonymous gifts of a group of generous donors, the
administration was able to research and purchase materials
to support teaching the five components of reading,
faculty was able to participate in a number of in-service
trainings related to the areas of reading and writing, and
school-wide assessments in the area of literacy have been
put into place to ensure that all students receive the best
possible instruction.
A literacy consultant was hired, thanks to a grant from the
Alice Shaver Foundation, to support the initiative throughout the year. She administered assessments in the critical
areas of literacy. She then sat with teachers to interpret the
results and plan instruction. The results have been nothing
short of impressive. Pine Cobble School students’ achievements are well beyond national norms. Also impressive is
the commitment of the teachers. According to the consultant, “These teachers attended classes on the weekends,
stayed after school for meetings – complete with chili and
cookies thanks to Jay Merselis – and willingly took on more
responsibilities as the initiative continued.”
Chris Gillooly P15 – parent, teacher, and well-known photographer with
Sam Cabot ’10 standing before some student prints
The Magic of Photos in
Black and White
Photography at Pine Cobble is a tradition that has been a
part of our curriculum on and off over the decades. During
the winter of 2009, a photo elective was offered for the first
time on our Gale Road campus, and a tradition was reborn.
Chris Gillooly P15, well-known and respected photo
journalist, has for several years offered to cover events on
campus and to help keep our website vibrant with new
photos. Chris, while being a talented photographer, is
equally talented a teacher. He wanted to share his gift with
the students of Pine Cobble, and so he offered a six week,
black-and-white photography elective. In the words of
Sam Cabot ’10, he gave these six students a gift they will
carry with them for the rest of their lives:
I have always loved taking pictures. I was raised with digital
cameras. Digital does all the work for you. The focusing, f-stop,
exposure, all automatically calibrated. Film is the “old fashion”
technique for photography and forces the photographer to be
more clever with each picture. They must visualize and imagine
what will happen at that click.
Sarah Briggs ’17 and 2nd grade teacher, Kristine McGrath, enjoy a book
together
In addition, at the start of the initiative, the consultant
asked administration and faculty to complete a survey
regarding instruction in literacy. They completed the same
survey again at the end of the year. Staff noted significant
growth in all areas of the initiative: goals, objectives, communication, instruction, assessment, and professional
development. After a brief celebration, the staff chose to
continue to work hard rather than rest on their laurels.
They are creating an action plan for the upcoming school
year so their growth can continue, and they are branching
out with more focus on writing instruction.
Finally, because Pine Cobble truly believes in close collaboration with parents and families, they hosted events
throughout the year and provided newsletters to keep the
community informed of the wonderful results of the initiative. The consultant noted, “The support for the initiative
has been overwhelming from the start. Administrators,
teachers and parents are truly excited about the happenings at Pine Cobble.” Jill Pompi
We, the “Six Snapshots”, made up the amazing elective with Mr.
Gillooly. We learned the operations for camera settings and developing film and pictures. We started with the basics of learning how
to load film, use the enlarger, and more. After the basics, we started
taking pictures. At the end of the elective, our best photos were
displayed throughout the Upper School hallway, allowing us to feel
proud as everyone else stood in awe of our pictures.
Chris clearly achieved his goal with these six – taking away
the fear of photography and transforming it to the fun of
photography. In Chris’s words, “They took to photography
like ducks to water. They all taught me to teach is to learn
. . . and I grew, too.”
Sam Cabot ’10, Sue Wells P06/08
13
1937 Society
$100 – $249
Gifts to Pine Cobble School
Pine Cobble’s 2008 -2009 Annual Fund Drive was ambitious. We, as a community,
reached and surpassed our goal of $125,000. The Drive closed on June 30, 2009 at
$137,032. We thank all of you for your generous support of Pine Cobble School.
Your gifts continue to help us maintain the quality education that has been the
hallmark of our school.
With thanks, the following is a list of donors:
Flinton Society
$5,000 and up
Mr. Herbert Allen
Anne and Joe Apkin P09/11
Daft Family Foundation
Whit and Roby Harrington GP06/08
The Holland Family 97/01/05/08/10
Susie Hunter 65
Mr. James Melcher 53
Cobblestone Society
$1,000 – $4,999
Osmin and Monica Alvarez P14/17
David and Jennifer Armet P14
Dusty Bahlman 68 P88
John and Jeri Baran GP18
Artie Becker
Linda J. L. Becker P88 S
James R. and Mary Lou Briggs P77/78/80/83
GP17/20
Jim 83 and Susan Briggs P17/20
Ted Cole 60
Donald Dion and Cathryn Morton P13
Janice Cook and Cecil Driver P12
Joe and Tracy Finnegan P11
Mary and Hank Flynt P66/68/71/74
Stephen Hannock P15 In Memory of
Bridget Watkins Hannock
Liz McGowan and Guy, Rose and George
Hedreen 10/13 In Memory of Louise T. McGowan
Richard and Elizabeth Hedreen GP10/13
In Memory of Louise T. McGowan
Joan and Jim Hunter 61 P96/03
Silberstein Family P17
Marilyn and Jim Simons In Honor of
Linda J. L. Becker
Jenny Walsh Singer 92
Dr. and Mrs. John Sprague 45 P71/73/75/81
Dr. James R. Whittum and
Ms. Wendy Gipp P12/16
Greylock Society
$500 – $999
Judith Benjamin GP17
Phyllis Blair GP96 In Memory of
Bridget Watkins Hannock
Jerald Bope and Mary Ellen Czerniak P07 S
John and Jytte Brooks P79/81/86
Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Brundage GP13
In Memory of Honey
John Cook Jr. 63 The Wendling Foundation
Sam Crane and Maureen Strype P09
Carter (Sally) Crawford 52 In Memory of
Kitty and Ray Carter
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Davis 50
Juliet Flynt 66 FS
Alice Chaffee Freeman 60
John and Deb Germanowski P13
Dan L. Goldwasser GP13/19
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Greenberg GP18
Rick and Ivana Luttazi
Scott and Elizabeth Morris P13
Thet Soe and Mar Lar K. Myint P12
Eloise Pasachoff 89 and Tom Glaisyer
Matthew Pezzulich 85
Bill and Amalie Reichblum P08/11
Michael Samson and Ingrid van Niekerk P09/19
Lamia Sekkal P14
Ranjit and Naveena Shastri P13
W. Anthony Sheppard and
Lara Shore-Sheppard P17/19
David 77 and Lori Tilgner
Berkshire Society
$250 – $499
Ting Barrow 59
Bath Family
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Brodsky GP16/17
John and Janet Bryan GP16/18/20
Katherine and Thomas Byrne GP15/18
Burley Dickerson 67 In Memory of
Polly Dickerson
Nicholas and Elizabeth Edgerton P12/14
Holly Fiore 72
Peter French FS
Sandy Gadsby 49
Corrina and Paul Gitterman P18
Joe and Joanna Gitterman GP18
Carrie Greene and James McAllister P09/18
Richard and Mary Beth Kerns GP17/19
Mr. and Mrs. Walker Kimball, Jr. P81/83
Dick Lamb and Holly Taylor P81
Richard Lourie
Drs. Donna and Glen MacKenzie P09/12/17
Sigrid and Gordon McWilliams 37 GP08
Ridge Morgan GP13/15
Deborah Pasachoff 91
David Pittelli and Amy Stevens P17/19
David and Maribeth Pomerantz P15/18
Hilary Spaulding Richards 85
Williamstown Savings Bank
Dr. and Mrs. E. Michael Tarazi P14/16/18
Anesthesiology of Bennington
Jay Thoman and Lee Venolia P08
Charles Tilgner 74
Mr. Michael Tillou and Dr. Lara Hutson P20
Carrie Waara and Scott Wong P10
14
Rob and Christy Abel P19/20
Cornelia Alden 89 S
Barbara and Paul Baran P18
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Baran P88 FS
Don and Ollie Beaver GP06
Blair & Alison Benjamin P17
April Bernard P12
Bruce Brawley 78
Jock and Jytte Brooks P79/81/86 FS
Fleming Brooks 86
Michael and Sylvia Brown P14
Michael Brown 67
Jonathan Buoni 84
Tom and Serah Byrne P15/18
Ann Marie and Tom Carlough P12
Brigid Hennessey and David Casey P12
John and Kathleen Case P81
Meredith G. Patterson Cochran 69
Dr. Christine Condaris P09/13 In Memory of
Louise T. McGowan
Warren Cook 59
Domenico & Brigid Costantini P14/17
Mark and Elinor Cross GP16/17
Katie Cummings S
James F. Dickerson 62 In Memory of
Polly Dickerson
Mills and Marianne Edgerton GP12/14
M’Ellen Erickson P97/00/18 S
Elena Fernandez 86
Dr. and Mrs. John Flinton
Mary and Hank Flynt P66/68/71/74
In Memory of Ed Goodman
Nancy Foote 60
Jamie Fosburgh 79
Whitney Fosburgh 77
Tom and Elizabeth Fox 53
Philip Fox 51
Garivaltis Family 03/04/06
Nancy Garton S
J. Frank Gerrity Charitable Trust
Robert Giddings 58
Liz Hannock In Memory of
Bridget Watkins Hannock
Margaret Harwood GP09
Bobby Hayes 84
Foster 87 and Janine Hetherington P17/19
James and Karen Hetherington GP17/19
Sandy Hewat 60
C. Brooks Hoffman 78
Alan Horton 85
Scott and Sheila Hotaling P16
Lisa Barber Houck 60
Allison W. Howard 84
Mr. and Mrs. George Hummer GP15/16
Bob and Roxanne Iwanicki P12
Norton Kennedy 71 In Memory of
Polly Dickerson
Eric and Molly Kerns P17/19
Lisa Klensch 73
Steve and Kimberley Kuster P19
Kyle 92 and Christina Lamphere P17/18
Lartin-Christiansen Family 07/09
Tajlei Levis 82 In Memory of
Bridget Watkins Hannock
Sulgi Lim P10
Jason Longo 77
Mark and Karen Losardo P16/17
Mr. and Mrs. Dan MacKenzie GP09/12/17
Frank and Deb Mahan P15/16 S
Dean Manuel 84
John Maragon 70
Mr. Charles Merrill GP12
John G. Merselis III and Family P16/18/20 S
Mary and Jack Merselis GP16/18/20
Shawn and Julie Murphy S
Chris Newbound and Amy Herring P09
Martha Parrish GP08/11
Katherine and Bo Peabody
Marilyn and Robert Pizani GP18
Becky 88 and Gary Polumbo P15/18
Elizabeth S. Poris 66
Cindy L. Parrish and Jonathan Post P08/11
Katharine Potter P70 S
David Powsner 65 and Shona Marston
Chris 88 and Jodi Roosenraad
Hannah Hewat Rose 57
Jonathan Robert Russell 07
Rob and Stephanie Santore P11
Dale Saul GP18
Beth Saulnier 84
Rick Scarborough 76
Esso Scherr 77 and Shelly Pozzi
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Shuey GP14
Anthony Simpson 66
Edward and Marsha Snyder GP10
In Honor of Daisy Davis
Bryan Stevens 48
Kate Brill and Charley Stevenson P19
William Talbot 51
Frances Chaffee Taliaferro 48
Melinda Tanzman and Burton Shapiro
P75/77/78/79/81/83
Jayson Tanzman 83
Gretchen Everback Tatge GP16
Barbara Wright Turner 48
John Walsh P92
Janet and Jim Watkins GP15 In Memory of
Bridget Watkins Hannock
Adria Weatherbee 74 P13/15
Pamela Weatherbee 45 P74 GP13/15
Sue and Peter Wells P06/08 S
Patrick Whalen 83
Virginia O’Rorke and Kuhrt Wieneke P93/96
Beverly and Charlie Wilson GP13/18
David and Sherri Wilson P09/13
Audrey Witter P13/18
Judy and Larry Wright P80 S
Roger and Catherine Yamamoto P95/98
Chris Yamamoto 95
Friend
Up to $99
Luke Ames 08
Helene and Stuart Armet GP14
Betsy Bannerman 54
Sarah Benton S
Betsy Brainerd and Tom Berentes P19
Linda and Scott Bernard P93/95 S
Susan H. Bernardy GP15/18
Ian Bissell 89
Sandra Bisson GP08/16/19
Lynn Bizzi S
Scott and Amber Braman P11/16
Sylvia Braun GP04
Adrianna Brown P84 FS
Tim Brooks 79
Mark Bucknall 83
Steve 50 and Nancy Bullock
Andrus Burr and Ann McCallum P97
Jordan Callahan 18
Beth and Jim Callahan P18
Donald Campbell 76
Duncan and Ann Campbell P76/78
Sarah Brill and Chris Cangelosi P19
Patty and Cleave Carter 82/83
Alison Case P10
Julie and Stuart Chase P05
Hannah Cochran 06
Averill Cook 98
David Cooperman 84
Winsor R. Copeland 58 FS
John Fenske and
Marie Dominique Corbiere P88 FS
Daniel Currie 93 S
Dr. Hallie and Mr. Daniel D’Agruma P20
Beth Dolan Dalzell 79
Alex and Sue Daugherty P13/16
Judith Davidson 59
Chuck Despres 60
Chloe Dircks 05
Jude Dircks 08
Lily Edgerton 14
William Edgerton 12
Michael Edwards 95
Olivia Ellard 13
Amy Morgan and Peter Ellard P13/15
Monica Endres S
Patricia Everett 72
Chris 60 and Sally Faison
George 54 and Lorraine Faison
Gordon Faison 52
Annie Farrell In Memory of
Bridget Watkins Hannock
Steven Fein and Wendy Penner P13
Jenna Fenander 83 P13
Margaret Fenander P79/80/83/85 GP13
Laura Fernandez 83
Steve Fisk S
Robert Flynt 71
Liza Fosburgh P77/79 FS
Elizabeth B. Frederick GP12/14
Reed Wendorf-French 04
Leland Garivaltis 04
Carol McWilliams Gibson 60
Dr. Robert Giddings 58
Catie Gillespie S
Chris Gillooly and Bonnie Hayden P14
Ben Gilooly 16
Emma Gilooly 20
Hannah Gilooly 18
Paul and Sarah Gilooly P16/18/20 S
Leonard and Angela Giroux P18
Ms. Jonquil Wolfson and
Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser P13/19
Nancy and Timothy Griffin GP17
Gail Guerrero 84
Rynard 81 and Susan Gundrum P10/11/14
Deborah Allen Gutschera 53
Andrew Herr 95
James Hetherington 17
Christine Honiker P16 and
Elaina Lamphere 16
Sharon Hotaling GP16
Andrew 99 and Sarah Johnson
Katharine Cox Jones GP08
Eliza Lamphere 95 S
David Lane P16/19
Tim Lawlor FS
Mark and Helen Ledbury P20
Francis Levesque 04
Kimberly Levin 82
Renee Magyar 89
15
Zach Mahan 16
Jeanne and Ed Mahan GP15/16
Ellen K. Mayne 60
John McCormick S
Sean and Kristine McGrath P19 S
Linda and Andrew McKeever 66 P03
Anne Bahlman Miley 70
Paula Stuckens Mulligan 52
Forrest and Sharon Newton P10
Mary Newton 10
Megan Newton 10
Joy Grillon Onasch 86
Karl Oppenheimer
Devon O’Rorke-Wieneke 93
Lisa M. Pezzulich, Psy. D. 82
Peter and Mary Pierson 65 S
In Memory of Polly Dickerson
Isobel and David Polumbo GP09/15
Leslie Polumbo P09
Scott and Sheilah Printz P16/17
Shaun Ralston 87
Dan Reid
Mr. and Mrs. George Repice GP16
Jackie Rich 14
Samantha Rich 19
Maude Rich 91 S
Carey Richardson P09
Patricia Blair Ryan P78
Evan Sanders 13
Drs. Noah and Marlene Sandstrom P19
Nancy Eaton Smart 53
Jane and Peter Smith S
Amie Witten Smith 79
Beth Stoddard 53
Anne Johnson Stone 50
Linda Tassone GP13/16
Thomas Tihen 81
The Tower Family
Michele and Bruce Tower GP17
Kirsten Leaning Vernon 81
Meg Little Warren 62
Lindley Wells 06
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Wells, Jr. GP06/08
Patty White Schoenhuber 81
Nathaniel Whitman 95
Christina Kelly-Whitney P15/17
Henry and Beatrice Winkler GP09
Eve Witten 80 and Randall Hagenstein
Donations to the 2008-2009 Annual Fund
totaled $137,032.
93% of current parents, 94% of faculty
and administration, 100% of Board
Members and 18% of our alumni/ae
gave to the Annual Fund.
P = parent
GP = grandparent
S = staff
FS = former staff
Numbers by name indicate graduation year
Polly Dickerson Scholarship Fund
Gifts-in-Kind
The Polly Dickerson Scholarship Fund continued to grow during the 2008 - 2009 school
year with gifts from devoted family and
friends. Her Fund will assist one of our students for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Polly’s
love for life and everything in it lives on at
Pine Cobble School. Please help her Fund
continue to grow in the coming years. Gifts
are welcome and should be made out to
The Polly Dickerson Scholarship Fund.
From Founders’ Day Auction items, to help
painting and doing carpentry work around
campus, to photography equipment, to much
more, Pine Cobble receives many wonderful
and useful in-kind gifts. These donations help
the quality of life for the students and faculty
at Pine Cobble School. Pine Cobble is grateful
to all of you.
This year’s donors include:
Burley Dickerson 67
James F. Dickerson 62
John Dickerson
Norton Kennedy 71
Peter and Mary Pierson 64 S
Bridget Watkins Hannock
Scholarship Fund
Bridget loved children and gave her time
and energy to many organizations whose
mission involved children. It is Bridget’s love
of giving to others that we want to honor
each year, and funds in her name will assist
one of our students for the 2009 -2010 school
year. Please help us continue to provide
worthy scholarship students with financial
aid by giving to Pine Cobble’s Annual Fund
and note that you would like your gift to
specifically go to scholarship aid in Bridget
Watkins Hannock’s name.
This year’s donors include:
Phyllis Blair GP96
Annie Farrell
Liz Hannock GP15
Stephen Hannock P15
Tajlei Levis 82
Janet and Jim Watkins GP15
Louise T. McGowan Scholarship Aid
Louise’s love for children and education
lives on at Pine Cobble School. For the
2009 - 2010 school year, funds in her name
will assist one of our students. Please help
us continue to provide worthy scholarship
students with financial aid by giving to Pine
Cobble’s Annual Fund and note that you
would like your gift to go to scholarship
aid in Louise T. McGowan’s name.
This year’s donors include:
Christine Condaris P09/13
Guy, Rose 10, & George 13 Hedreen
and Liz McGowan
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hedreen GP10/13
Matching Gifts
Thank you again to everyone who filled out
their employers’ matching gift forms for the
2008 - 2009 school year. These donations are
an easy bonus to Pine Cobble’s Annual Fund
as well as Scholarship Funds. The following
companies donated by matching the gifts
their employees gave to Pine Cobble:
Anesthesiology of Bennington
Amica Companies Foundation
Bank of America Corporation
Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation
Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co.
Green Mt. Coffee Roasters
Mass Mutual Financial Group
Matching Gift Companies can match,
double, sometimes triple, your gift to
Pine Cobble School. Please check to see
if your company provides this benefit.
Christy Abel P19/20
Cornelia Alden 89 S
Joe Apkin P09/11
Alvarez Family 14/17
Jerry Baran P88 FS
Linda J. L. Becker P88 S
Ali and Blair Benjamin P17
Brain Child Magazine
James R. and Mary Lou Briggs P77/78/80/83 GP17/20
Sarah Brill P19
Elizabeth Brundage P13
Alison Case P10
Meredith Cochran 69
Katie Cummings S
Lisa Cushman P97/99/00 S
Mr. and Mrs. Harry DiMarzo GP10/11/14
Edgerton Family 12/14
M’Ellen Erickson P97/00/18 S
Fenander Family 83 P13
Green River Farms
Chris Gillooly P14
Rynard 81 and Susan Gundrum P10/11/14
Steve Fisk S
Nancy Garton S
Wendy Gipp P12/17
Paul and Corrina Gitterman P18
Stephen Hannock P15
Bruce Harley and Mieke Kohl P21
Foster 87 and Janine Hetherington P17/19
Karen Hetherington GP17/19
Amanda Jones P16
Molly and Eric Kerns P17/19
David Lane P16/19
Eliza Lamphere 95 S
Lartin-Christiansen Family 07/09
Mark Losardo P16/17
Mass College of Liberal Arts
Mass MoCA
Jennifer Mattern P17/19
Sean and Kristine McGrath P19
Amy Merselis P16/18/20
Cindy Parrish P06/11
Persnickety Toys
Peter and Mary Pierson 65 S
Maribeth Pomerantz P15/18
Maude Rich 91/P14/19 S
Jane Smith P11 S
Amy Stevens P17/19
Charley Stevenson P19
Maureen Strype P09
Tillou Engineering P20
Adria Weatherbee 74 P13/15
Sue Wells P06/08 S
Sherri Wilson P09/13
Courtney Corelli Foundation
M’Ellen Erickson P97/00/18 S
Dave Fehr GP06
Joe and Tracy Finnegan P11
Annie Gerrity
Chris Gillooly P15
Hamilton Family P11
Stephen Hannock P15
Hein-Walker Family
Deb and Frank Mahan P15/16
Dick and Beth Nesbitt P08
Parent Teacher Group at Pine Cobble School
Dr. and Mrs. E. Michael Tarazi P14/16/18
Audrey Witter P13/18
Heritage Society
In the mid 1990s seven Pine Cobble alumni/ae
and friends became the charter members of
the Pine Cobble School Heritage Society.
Members of this society include people who
have put our school in their estate planning
in the form of a bequest, trust beneficiary, or
other planned gift. We wish to thank those
charter members and others who have also
included Pine Cobble School in their will.
Your generosity and support of Pine Cobble
will continue in perpetuity for future generations of students.
If you have included Pine Cobble in your will,
please let us know. We would like to thank
you and acknowledge you as a member of
Pine Cobble’s Heritage Society.
The entire list of donors has been compiled
and checked with care. Every effort has been
made to ensure that the results are complete
and accurate and printed at the donor’s
request. If an error has been made or a
name has not appeared, please notify the
Development Office and accept our apology.
Your Gifts in Action
Thank you for your recent and appreciated gift to Pine Cobble School’s 2008 -2009
Annual Fund. The good news is that we
reached and surpassed our ambitious
goal of $125,000 thanks to the generous
support of so many. Your dollars were put
to immediate use and helped fund, among
others, the following:
◆ Renovation to the Lower School front
entrance
Restricted Gifts to School Programs
For the 2008 - 2009 school year many restricted
gifts were given to Pine Cobble School by
members of our community. These gifts are
essential in making programs possible at
certain grade levels, purchasing books for our
library, beautifying our campus with new trees,
and supporting special campus projects. All of
these gifts have enhanced our programs and
touch each student’s daily life. Thank you all
for your vision.
Dusty Bahlman 68 P88
Paul and Barbara Baran P18
Linda J. L. Becker P88 S
Bob Christiansen and Karen Lartin P07/09
16
◆ Science room makeover – continued
improvements from 2007- 2008
◆ “Green” electrical upgrades
◆ Necessary upgrading of furnaces
◆ Much needed roof work for several
buildings
◆ Flat screen computer monitors for
business office
◆ New computer in front office
◆ New computer in development office
dedicated to archiving photos
Your continuing financial support makes
a real difference to our school community.
We are grateful for your commitment and
caring.
Report on the
Capital and Endowment
Campaign
Our Capital and Endowment Campaign has
been gathering energy and raising significant
funds since 2005. We are still in the silent phase
of the campaign, and we have many members of
our community to thank for their support of this
necessary and forward thinking effort. Everyone
who knows and loves this institution understands
our desire to ensure, via a significant endowment
campaign, that Pine Cobble continues to be a
leader in elementary and middle school education
in the region for many years to come. While the
centerpiece of the capital portion of the campaign
is a new Upper School building with a focus on
math, science, theater, gym, and classroom space,
there are other projects in our capital campaign
that, too, are very important to the campus.
Those listed have made our progress to date
possible in the Capital and Endowment Campaign.
To them we express our deep gratitude. Our campaign efforts are ongoing and we will be reaching
out to all members of the Pine Cobble community
for much needed support that will allow us to
achieve our financial goal. We will keep you posted
on the campaign’s progress. Thank you for caring.
W AY S
T O
G I V E
If you wish to make a contribution to
Pine Cobble School’s Annual Fund,
here are the ways to do it:
$100,000 – $250,000
Linda J. L. Becker P88 S
Pamela Weatherbee 45 P74 GP13/15
$50,000 – $99,999
Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation
Whit and Roby Harrington GP06/08
$25,000 – $49,999
Susan Gold
Jim and Joan Hunter 61 P96/03
James Melcher 53
$10,000 – $24,999
Anonymous
Alice Dodge Berkeley 58
James R. and Mary Lou Briggs P77/78/80/83
GP18/20
Mary and Hank Flynt P66/68/71/74
Susie Hunter Watson 65
Liz McGowan and Guy Hedreen P10/13
Elizabeth Solomon 60
$1000 – $9,999
Dusty Bahlman 68 P88
Jim and Susan Briggs 83 P17/20
Harry and Harriet DiMarzo GP10/11/14
Joe and Tracy Finnegan P11
Betty and Richard Hedreen GP10/13
Mr. and Mrs. Charles O’Brien
Eloise Pasachoff 89 and Tom Glaisyer
The Scherr Family 66/67/68/77
Shine Wire Company
Dr. and Mrs. E. Michael Tarazi P14/16/18
Dr. James Whittum and Ms. Wendy Gipp P12/17
Up to $999
Cornelia Alden 89 S
Anesthesiology of Bennington
Leah and Robert Barbuto FS
Jerry and Maureen Baran P88 FS
Ting Barrow 59
Dr. Jonathan Cluett
Daniel Currie 93 S
M’Ellen Erickson P97/00/19
Juliet Flynt 66 FS
Bill and Rosalie Girard P99/02/04
Sigrid and Gordon McWilliams 37 GP08
Shawn and Julie Murphy S
Deborah Pasachoff 91
Jay and Naomi Pasachoff P89/91
Mary and Peter Pierson 65 S
The Courtney Corelli Foundation
Helps Pine Cobble Annually
1. Go to the Giving menu at
www.pinecobble.org
This is a secure giving site.
In 2004, The Courtney Corelli Foundation for Literacy was started
to honor the memory of Courtney Corelli. Courtney was a lifelong
friend of the Gundrum family and babysitter to Francesca ’10,
Olivia ’11 and Tyler ’14.
2. Send a check, payable to:
Pine Cobble School
163 Gale Road
Williamstown, MA 01267.
Courtney took a special interest in children and literacy during her
lifetime, and the Foundation is a fitting tribute for a young woman
who loved life, loved children, and loved to read.
3. Appreciated securities and planned giving:
Call the school at 413-458-4680 ext.19,
or go to the Giving menu at
www.pinecobble.org
During the past five years, the Foundation has been able to help
organizations and schools such as Head Start, Troy Public Schools,
Unity Sunshine House, Seton Family Resource Center, Pine Cobble
School, and many others. The Foundation recently committed to
purchasing a listening center for the pre-kindergarten classroom
at Pine Cobble, and since the Foundation’s inception has made
generous gifts to the school’s library.
4. Look into your company’s
matching gift program through
your Human Resources Department
and send in the paperwork.
There is nothing more powerful than helping children become
lifelong readers. Courtney had an amazing gift for working with
children. She had a unique ability to be a mentor, tutor, motivator,
and friend. There is no tribute more fitting than to allow these
gifts to live on through the lives of other children.
Susan Gundrum P10/11/14
17
represent, Amit Peled. Peled, now a world-renown cellist, was in Williamstown July 10 - 11, 2009, giving master
classes.
Notes from the 60s
Alice Chaffee Freeman 60 – I’m living in Newfane,
Vermont, still married to author Castle Freeman Jr.
Our son Alex moved to Texas a couple of years ago,
and daughter Sarah is married and lives in London; that
leaves us with two elderly dachshunds and a cranky old
house full of holes. One of the joys of email is being in
touch with friends of long standing from Pine Cobble.
Sandy Hewat 60 – Alice Freeman 60 does a great job
encouraging participation in Pine Cobble’s fund drives.
She wields a velvet hammer. The reunion in June, 2008,
was terrific. Looking forward to the next one. Especially
enjoyed seeing classmates from 1960 and meeting Sue
and Nick.
Binh and Brooks Hoffman 78
The Alumni/ae News
Note from the 50s
For our 50s alumni/ae, let’s start with a great story from
Tom Fox 53 – Ahhh . . . our undefeated soccer season in
the fall of 1952. Our last game was against Bement on
our home field. We won the game 1-0 with a lastminute goal – a header – by Ralph Conroy 54. There
was no upper post across our goal, so the referee had
to decide whether the ball would have gone into the
net or over it. Happily, though it was close, he decided
for us, but I've always wondered about it . . .
Carter (Sally) Crawford 52 – Still living in Alaska but
one more bitter, cold winter without Ted Stevens and
with a disgraced governor may make it my last.
Working part-time and working out hard – running
races again and ranking #2 in age class including one
half marathon.
Paula Mulligan (Stuckens) 52 – I am a retired
teacher living in northern California. I have three
adult children and seven grandchildren. I enjoy
travel and playing viola in three orchestras.
Tom Fox 53 – After a fascinating and satisfying career
working in the development assistance field (“foreign
aid”), mostly here in Washington, DC with both the
government and non-profit organizations, I still remain
active in the international development field, primarily
as a board member for several non-profit organizations
and as chair of the board of a grant making foundation
addressing African children’s challenges. On the home
front, my wife Elizabeth and I agreed three years ago
to convert our “empty nest” into a three-generation
household. We are now six in the house – our daughter Adair, her partner, and their two boys, now six and
a half and four years old. Despite the occasional decibel level, we are loving this new life; all six of us are.
Beth Stoddard 53 – Still loving my Brain Gym® –
working with all ages – gifted to physically and
mentally challenged. My pace is slower, but no
retirement in sight.
Hannah Hewat Rose 57 – Thinking fondly of the
wonderful June reunion – thanks to Alice, Nick and
Susannah!
Judith Davidson 59 – Alice Dodge Berkeley 58 and I
had tea at her house in London in March and listened
to the Elgar Cello Concerto CD played by the cellist I
18
Ellen Kearsey Mayne 60 – What a wonderful reunion
last summer! So many thanks to all who came from
afar. Special thanks to Alice Chaffee Freeman 60, Nick
Edgerton and Sue Wells who brought us all together.
Jim Dickerson 62 – Mary and I love living in Geneva,
Illinois. We return to Williamstown from time to time to
see my sister, Mary Pierson 65, and her husband Peter,
who both teach at Pine Cobble. I get to Boston a few
times a year to see my brother Burley 67. During my
February 2009 visit to Boston, I met my sister Mary’s
new granddaughter, Lena Kamiyama Pierson, who
arrived at 1:41 a.m. on Monday, February 2. She is the
daughter of Josh Pierson (past music teacher at Pine
Cobble) and his wife Kay. During the annual fund drive
for Pine Cobble, I enjoyed catching up with my classmates Meg Little Warren 62 and Jon Reder 62. They
both now live in Maine, and hope to meet on the
slopes this winter: Pine Cobble Snow Bowl revisited!
Susie Hunter 65 – Having a home in Manchester,
Vermont, makes getting back to Williamstown easier
now. I finally saw the “new” school during the summer
of 2008 – complete with an opportunity to see Mary 65
and Peter Pierson.
Mary Dickerson Pierson 65 – Peter and I are enjoying
teaching together at Pine Cobble School. Peter teaches
Middle School History and I teach in the Pre-K class
and teach music to the three - six year-olds. We live
nearby in Grafton, New York and love living back in
this part of the world. We have two grown sons:
Chase (age 35) and Josh (age 31) and two beautiful
granddaughters. Isa is nine and Lena is seven months
old! We love being Grandparents!
Notes from the 70s
Pamela V. Bates 70 – Pam is living in Durango, Colorado.
Happily married with five children, only two at home,
and two grandkids. We have many pets including a
water dragon, a mini horse, and a goat. I love the outdoors, mountains, snow, backcountry, solitude, and the
teachings of Christ. I build houses and remodels and
help with search and rescue.
Patricia Everett 72 – I’m living in Amherst,
Massachusetts with my two sons, ages fifteen and
twelve. We visit Williamstown frequently to see my
father and my mother who recently moved to
Readsboro, Vermont. I am a psychologist in private
practice and am also working on editing a book of
letters. I see Vicky Lowry 72 as often as possible in
either New York or Williamstown.
Lisa Klensch 73 – I received my Masters’ in Special
Education from Providence College in May 2008,
should have done this right after receiving my BS,
but later is better than never! I’m also on my second foster child, a ten-year-old girl who has been
with me for eight months.
Brooks Hoffman 78 – My wife Debbie and I have
adopted a son from Vietnam. Charles Binh
Hoffman arrived in the U.S. on 7/14/08.
Patrick Hurley 78 – We’ve been in England only
about six months, after spending four years in
Switzerland. I took a position in our Zurich office
when the company was purchased by Thomson
(now Thomson Reuters), as an opportunity to try
living abroad. It was an expat contract with a limited term, but we liked it so much we looked for
other opportunities in Europe, and this position
luckily opened up just before all of the recent
economic downturn. I’ve been married to Lauren
for eighteen years (not quite fathomable!) and our
daughter Lyla is fourteen. Lyla has become quite
the third-culture kid, going to international
schools both in Zurich and here – not unlike the
Pine Cobble day school experience – small classes, educated parent community, etc. – but with
students from around the world. That experience
in and of itself, we believe, is priceless for her.
Loren Shapiro 78 – Loren runs a sports marketing
company called Fortune Marketing. He and his
wife Jeanie have two children – Nina, a Junior at
Westwood High School, and Max, a Sophomore
at Williams College.
Left to right: Kayleigh Fowler, Jeffrey Fowler, Maureen Casuscelli Fowler 80 (pregnant
with Luke Fowler), Chris Fowler (front), Laurent Pommier (back), Jennine Shohan
Pommier 80, Mark Fowler (back), Claire Pommier, Mary Randolph Richards 80 with
her sons Ben and Sam, Michael Richards (back), Emily Pommier.
Notes from the 80s
Jennine Shohan Pommier – By total coincidence, Maureen Casuscelli Fowler 80 and I
once again live within walking distance of
each other in Summit, New Jersey, as we did
in North Adams while attending Pine Cobble
(this after Maureen lived in Berkeley, California,
and also Germany, England and Ireland; while
Jennine lived in France and various other cities
on the East Coast as far south as Atlanta,
Georgia). Mary Randolph Richards 80 lives not
far away in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. We all
shared a third reunion celebration with our
families at Maureen’s house in Summit.
Thomas Tihen 81 – Hi to the class of 1980-1981.
I live in a small coastal town in Rhode Island
just down the street from my parents. I share a
house with my brother, Todd 85. I am happily
employed in the local public library that has
just been expanded. I enjoy the movies and go
every opportunity I get. I square dance on the
weekends, and I take ballroom dancing as well.
I wish all of my classmates well.
Patty and Cleave Carter 82 & 83 – We continue
to live in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Patty is still
in private practice as a psychotherapist, and
Cleave is in his 18th year with the U.S. Navy.
Tajlei Levis 82 – I wrote the book and lyrics for
the Edith Wharton musical, Glimpses of the
Moon, which is now playing in the Oak Room
of the Algonquin Hotel in New York City.
Summer of 2009 – Melissa Levis 84 (winner of the
Pine Cobble Music Award) entertained over 3000
children in Central Park in NYC. Learn more at
www.moeysmusicparty.com
Lisa Pezzulich 82 – I am currently living in
Shaftsbury, Vermont, with my husband, Bob
Hemmer, two children, Rachel (eight) and
Katelyn (six) and enjoying my job as a
psychologist.
Jenna Fenander 83 – After a handful of years
working in various California bakeries, I now
have been back in Hancock for more than ten
years. My son Evan is thoroughly enjoying his
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third year at Pine Cobble (now in sixth grade)
learning lots, working hard, and loving all his
friends and teachers. It is an exciting time for
sure!
News of my farflung sisters: Sara 78 lives on the
North Sea in Scarborough, England with her
husband, an independent filmmaker, and their
three boys. In France, Amy 80 and her husband
own and operate a successful Mexican restaurant, Fajitas, in the center of Paris. Becca 85 is
back in Salt Lake City after two years in Seattle,
working as an early intervention speech therapist. She continues on ski patrol at Alta every
chance she gets.
Kimberly Levin 83 – Currently I am living and
working in Aspen, Colorado, where I am a
practicing emergency physician. If you are
traveling or skiing in the area, please say hello,
as I’d love to reconnect with old classmates.
Melissa Levis 83 – is an award winning OffBroadway songwriter. She collaborated with
her best friend Beth Saulnier 84 on “The Joys
of Sex” and “It's a Hit!” which played at the
New York Fringe Festival. She is a “mommy
rocker” in New York City and leads “Moey’s
Music Party” classes. To the hip urban under
five set, she’s the new Elvis.
Dave Cooperman 84 – My news is that my wife
gave birth to our second set of twins. They
were born January 7, 2009. The previous set of
twins was born January 8, 2007 and our oldest
(four) was born on January 13, 2005. I think it’s
interesting in a carnival-freak kind of way.
Beth Saulnier 84 – My job as Senior Editor of
the Cornell Alumni Magazine has taken me to
some fascinating places this year, including the
ninth ward in New Orleans (still devastated –
three years post-Katrina) and Doha, Qatar, in
the Persian Gulf, to cover the first commencement for Cornell’s Medical School there. They
call this work?
Alan Horton 85 – Alan and his wife, Amy, live in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, with their two-year-old son,
Andre and four-month-old daughter, Alessandra. Alan
is the radio play-by-play voice of the Minnesota
Timberwolves.
Joy Grillon Onasch 86 – My husband, Tim Onasch,
and I just moved into our first home in Westford,
Massachusetts in October 2008 and are enjoying all
that homeownership brings with it. I am currently the
Community Program Manager at the Massachusetts
Toxics Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell. I
work with communities and municipalities to reduce
their use of chemicals – for example: lead in fishing;
pesticides on lawns; chemicals in household cleaners; and perchloroethylene in dry cleaning. I run a
grant program that non-profit and municipal organizations are eligible for. You can see more at
www.turi.org/community.
Michael Silitch, Nina Cook
Silitch 87 and their two sons
Nina Cook Silitich 87 – I am living in Chamonix,
France, with my husband who is an international
mountain guide (www.high-alpine.com) We have two
boys (three and five) who are bilingual in French and
English. I left my teaching job in Switzerland to be a
mom and focus on competing at a high level in ski
mountaineering racing. I am competing on the World
Cup circuit here in Europe. We are all very happy that
Bunge Cook 90 returned stateside February 2009
from Iraq. He hopes to get a visit to France soon.
Nichole Richardello 87 – After working in the boating
industry for many years, I am now homeschooling my
fifteen-year-old son. I am living in Athens, Tennessee,
with my husband, John, my son, Cody, and two step
children, Seager and Eden.
Shaun Ralston 87 – Living in Bow, New Hampshire,
with my wife and two sons.
Sam Becker 88 with
daughter, Lilah, and
wife, Claire
Chris Hill 89 – Chris has had a busy last few years. In
2007, he passed the Professional Engineering Exam,
and is licensed Civil Engineer in Alabama, Georgia,
and Colorado. During the same year, he made his
third venture to Oxford, UK visiting Cardiff, London,
and Worcester (two more castles under the belt).
Back in the States also in 2007, he got his first degree
black belt in Ho Shin Do, a martial art that he has
been studying and teaching since 2002. In 2008, Chris
passed both the Outdoor Emergency Care and Skiing
and Toboggan halves of the National Ski Patrol Basic
Patroller test and is a volunteer Basic Patroller at
Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, North
Carolina. He furthered his pursuit of marital arts and
was tested for and obtained his First Degree Black
Belt in Tae Kwon Do. Chris has studied and taught
Tae Kwon Do since 2003. This year Chris headed back
to Oxford for a three day trek in York and some more
time in London and has begun the two - three year
program to become a Senior Patroller.
Caitlin Bernard 95 and her pups
Notes from the 90s
Anthea Kechley 92 – I’m living in New York City post
graduation (May 2008 with Masters Degree in Flute
Performance from Mannes College of Music) and
working as Assistant to the Director of Instrumental
Studies at Mannes, also as the Mannes Preparatory
Division Orchestra Manager, as well as Program
Coordinator for the Beethoven Institute in the summer. I also play in various orchestras and chamber
groups around the City and teach flute lessons. I
continue studying with my teacher from graduate
school who coaches me through the process of taking professional auditions for orchestra jobs that
open up around the country. Recently, I made my
performance debut in Mexico with the Camerata
Ighme Ensemble, and, more recently, I advanced to
the finals of the Mannes Concerto Competition in
the wind/brass category. With the Mannes Orchestra
over the last couple of years, we performed a lot in
Alice Tully Hall (in Lincoln Center) and Carnegie Hall.
With the Mimesis Ensemble, (a group devoted to
performing works by living composers) we debuted
this year in Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory
in Boston and will soon perform in the Kennedy
Center in Washington DC.
Devon O’Rorke-Wieneke 93 – Still living in Sydney,
Australia. Married my partner of seven years in
Williamstown in July 2008. We’ve been living at Bondi
Beach for the last three years, so finally have fulfilled
my lifelong dream of living at the beach! I don’t surf
much since I tore my MCL on my board two years
ago, but still get in for a swim despite lots of reported shark sightings! I am in my fifth and final year of
vet school here. Its an intern year with month- to
Sam Becker 88 – Sam and his wife Claire finally made
Mrs. Becker happy by producing Lilah on March 30,
2008. The downside is that they still live in London as
Claire finishes her medical training.
Eloise Pasachoff 89 – After two years as a litigator at a
law firm in New York City, I am now teaching legal
writing at Harvard Law School. I am the proud mother of Samuel Isaac Glaisyer, born November 2008.
Fos Hetherington 87 and his wife, Janine and three
boys James, Eamon and Gavin
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three-month long rotations at various types
of practices. It’s great to be out of the classroom and into the “real world” of veterinary
practice. I am taking the North American
Veterinary Licensing Examination this month!
My husband and I are really looking forward
to moving back to the States. We are planning
on living in Colorado, in or close to the
mountains. We both miss snowy winters
and great snowboarding!
Andrew Johnson 99 – My wife Sarah and I
have been across the country studying
salmon in Oregon, desert tortoises in Nevada,
and lynx in Montana. We have returned to
New England where I am getting my MS in
Ecology at the University of Maine.
Caitlin Bernard 95 – I have my own business,
www.pupconcierge.com. The homepage
includes a video from my interview on Fox
Business News. My company, Pup Concierge,
is based in New York City. We offer daily dog
walks, training, overnight sitting, and errands
services to dogs and their owners. Business
has been wonderful – you’ll see deeper
description on the “About Us” page of my
website. I now have five people working for
me, and we are expanding into most neighborhoods of Manhattan. It’s been an amazing
ride. I absolutely love what I do every day for
the first time in my life! I am getting married
to Paul Sancimino on September 26, 2009.
Nora Lamphere 01 – I spent the winter and
spring of 2009 working at Pine Cobble
School! I filled in for Julie Murphy (who
was on maternity leave) as the long term
substitute French teacher for Upper School.
After my substituting ended, I went back to
landscaping with my sister, alumna Rebekah
Hartman 93. I hope to land a job as an
English teacher!
Alexa Carter Hart 95 – I got married on
September 20, 2008 in Manchester, Vermont,
to Edmund Hart of Dorset, Vermont. We live
in Burlington together where he is pursuing
his PhD at UVM and I am teaching tenth grade
English. In the winter of 2008 we took a trip to
Barcelona (not our honeymoon yet though).
We are skiing every weekend, trying to visit
with family, and planning trips to St. Barts and
Florida for the spring. I’ve kept in touch with
many Pine Cobblers through Facebook, and
it's been wonderful catching up. Marta
Johansen was a bridesmaid in our wedding
and Caitlin Bernard is advising us on
purchasing a dog.
Sarah McKeever 03 – spent ten weeks in India
as part of a semester abroad at the University
of Chicago. Megan McKeever 03 was elected
treasurer of the University of Vermont “Feel
Good” Club – a nationwide organization
based on college campuses to combat world
hunger.
Andy Herr 95 – I received my MBA from
Cornell and will be joining JPMorgan Private
Bank in Greenwich, CT. Also, I’ve enjoyed
reconnecting with a bunch of my old
classmates on Facebook. . . although I’m
not exactly a Facebook all-star.
Chris Yamamoto 95 – After leaving UBS in
2007, I decided to switch to private equity and
am currently working for Paine & Partners in
New York City.
Alison Cowie 97 – I’m back in Afghanistan for
another year. I got here in November 2008,
just before Thanksgiving, and I’ll probably
leave just before or just after Christmas 2009.
I am here with Third Brigade Tenth Mountain
Division and am their Brigade Aviation Officer.
We’re at a FOB (forward operating base) in the
middle of nowhere, but if you watch enough
CNN or other news media, you can probably
figure out exactly where we are. Things here
are pretty typical for a deployment, although
definitely rougher than the last time I came to
the country. As always, the view of the mountains is amazing! Especially when they’re covered with snow, as they are right now. Happily,
(and I separate myself from a lot of others
here with this), we get quite a bit of snow.
Anyway, I wish I could write more, but I simply
can’t talk about the majority of what’s going
on in my life as it’s encompassed within the
deployment. I hope all is well with everyone!
Note from the 00s
Robin Girard 02 – I worked at Water Street
Books in Williamstown in late 2008 and early
2009. I also have taught tango lessons in
Lenox, at Rhythms Studio. In the spring of
2009, I headed off to Cairo to explore, study,
and teach tango lessons.
Hannah Cochran 06 – Hannah is a high
school graduate! She is attending Mt.
Holyoke College. She loves to snowshoe
up in the mountains across her street (the
opposite side of Brodie Mt.!) all winter.
She co-captained the MGRHS lacrosse team
in her senior spring. And her mom is really
proud of her!
Emma Parrish Post 08 – Emma received the
“In Her Footsteps” award from the Friends of
the Women’s Rights Convention National
Historical Park and was inducted into the
National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Deborah Pasachoff’s August 2008 wedding –
classmate Maude Rich 91 and her daughters
Jackie 14 and Samantha 20 were all in the
wedding party.
SAVE TH E DATE:
FOUNDERS’ DAY
SATURDAY
MAY 1, 2010
P LE A S E J O I N U S!
Remembering James Ross Hunter
James R. Hunter, known to friends and family as Ross, passed away on March
23, 2009 in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. He attended Pine Cobble School
from his preschool days through the third grade. He, like so many members
of the Hunter family, loved Boston area teams, especially the Red Sox. Ross
had a special place in his heart for animals and often volunteered at Boston
area veterinary hospitals. He pursued a career in cosmetology and practiced
in Florida and Boston area salons. He had the trademark beautiful, blue
Hunter eyes and a smile that lit up his face. His family connections to Pine Cobble are many. His
grandmother, Irene Hunter (see special piece on the front page of this newsletter) and grandfather, Bing Hunter, were major supporters of Pine Cobble throughout their lives.
Ross’s father, Jim, attended Pine Cobble School from preschool through ninth grade and served
an important role for many years on the school’s Board of Trustees. Jim’s three sisters, Elizabeth,
Bonnie and Susie also attended Pine Cobble for most of their early years of education through
the ninth grade. Jim and his wife, Joan, and Jim’s sisters continue to be major supporters of the
school. Ross’s half sisters, Sarah and Maggie, and his half brother, Averill, also spent many years
at Pine Cobble. His mother, Valerie Ross, stepmother, Joan Hunter, and stepfather, Averill Cook,
have also given so much time, energy and support to this institution. Ross and his family have
been a very important part of this school’s history and we, the Pine Cobble community, are
deeply saddened by Ross’s passing.
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Pine Cobble pals
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
S C H O O L A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
2009 - 2010
2009 - 2010
James P. Briggs 83 P17/20, President
Roby Harrington III GP06/08, Vice-President
Joseph Finnegan P11, Vice-President
Joseph Apkin P09/11, Treasurer
Eloise Pasachoff 89, Secretary
Meredith Cochran 69 P06, Member-At-Large
Dusty Bahlman 68 P88
Jerry Baran P88 FS
Jonathan Buoni 84
Jonathan Cluett
Sam Crane P09
Nicholas M. Edgerton P12/14 ex officio
Rick Luttazi
Jayson Tanzman 83
Nicholas M. Edgerton P12/14,
Linda J. L. Becker P88,
Director of Admission and Placement
M’Ellen Erickson P97/00/19,
Head of Early Childhood and Lower School
Deborah Mahan P15/16,
Jay Merselis P16/18/20,
Headmaster
Business Manager
Head of Intermediate School and Upper School
Susannah H. Wells P06/08,
Director of Development
Photography by Jim Hunter 61, Sue Daugherty P13/17, Tom Fox 53, Julie Greenwood, Cindy Parrish P06/11, Tracy Finnegan P11, Sandy Hewat 60, Jane Cabot P10
T R A D I T I O N S : At the heart of guiding children
for 72 years
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Pine Cobble Traditions
Span the Decades
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