from the alumni office
Dear Chadwick Alum,
It was great to see so many of you at Chadwick's fourth annual Alumni Weekend in May!
More than 600 people celebrated with friends, family and faculty. The weekend offered opportunities for attendees to reconnect with their classmates and former teachers and reminisce about their time at this remarkable school.
This issue of The Anchor focuses on many of the wonderful events that took place that weekend, including the “Big Blue & White Cookout," an all-community picnic to honor John Fiske, the Class of 1958 fifty-year reunion, an alumni reunion dinner honoring retiring faculty and an alumni awards recognition brunch.
Despite the scorching temperatures, we all had a great time. We’re already planning next year’s Alumni Weekend and we hope to see even more of you there as this tradition continues to grow.
SAVE THE DATE FOR ALUMNI WEEKEND: May 15-17, 2009
We encourage all alumni to attend — in particular, reunion classes ending in 4 and 9. As always, we need one or two members of the reunion class to take the lead to contact classmates and plan the event. (Click here for tips on planning your reunion.)
If you have any suggestions or ideas for Alumni Weekend 2009, please contact me at (310) 377-1543, ext. 4023 or alumni@chadwickschool.org.
Have a great summer!
Alex
Alumni connections
Alumni Athletic Day
Over 200 fans, athletes and alumni attended Chadwick’s first Alumni Athletic Day on Dec. 31. Alums played against each other in a friendly round-robin of co-ed basketball, water polo, soccer and volleyball. Some current Chadwick athletes joined the fun as well, and all enjoyed the support of friends, family and alumni who turned out to watch.
After the games, alumni reconnected with old friends over a taco lunch on the Pascoe Pavilion, overlooking Commander Chadwick Field. [Click here for more photos.]
If your holiday plans include a return to the area, add us to your schedule for Dec. 31, 2008. We're getting together on campus for the second year of this great new tradition!
Big Blue & White Cookout
The "Big Blue and White Cookout," a one-time Chadwick tradition, was resurrected this year by the Booster Club and athletic department to honor current and former Chadwick School athletes. The event was held on the Friday evening of Alumni Weekend, and enjoyed a great turnout — even though many students, faculty and parents had to leave early for the volleyball team's CIF quarterfinal match! We plan to continue this Alumni Weekend tradition in the coming years.
Alums Join Students and Families for “Fiskeval”
On Saturday, May 17, in conjunction with Alumni Weekend, Chadwick celebrated the career and retirement of longtime faculty member and administrator John Fiske with a Chadwick Community picnic on Vanderlip Lawn. Attendees enjoyed a golf cage, a moon bounce, great food, a face painter, music by Chadwick's pep band and more.
Highlights of the program, emceed by student body president Mark Sonnenblick '08, included the presentation of a commemorative declaration scroll from County Supervisor Don Wannabe's office. Attendees were also treated to memories of working with John from Headmaster Ted Hill, former teachers Jerry Martin and Jim Holland, and alum and former teacher Jen Chou '96. Just like the man who was the reason for the festivities, the day truly "rocked."
Photos from the day can be viewed on the photographer's site by clicking here.
Honor John Fiske with a Gift to the Fiske Endowment Fund
If you are among the Chadwick students taught by John Fiske over the past 30 years, there's no doubt you've been inspired by his warmth, intelligence and good humor. To honor John and to support the institution to which he has dedicated his life’s work, a group of alumni and past parents are creating the John Fiske Endowment Fund. This fund will support every area of the school, including those areas in which John had particular influence, like the outdoor education and Middle School programs. So far, the committee has raised $398,825 toward the $1 million goal. If you would like to honor John with a gift of your own, please click here and type “Fiske Fund” in the comments section. For more information or to make a gift by phone, please call Blair Contratto at (310) 377-1543, ext. 4196.
Alumni Honor Retiring Faculty at Reunion Dinner
Seventy-five alumni and faculty gathered in the Leavenworth Library for dinner and a program to honor retiring faculty John Fiske, Suzy Pakkala and Jim Spalding for their collective 93 years of service to Chadwick.
After introductory comments from Headmaster Ted Hill and Board of Trustees Chairman Rick Learned ’62, honorees briefly spoke about their years at Chadwick and the relationships they formed at the school. A final slide show brought back memories for honorees and alumni alike, sparking conversations and connections as the evening wound to a close.
Spalding Speaks at Class of 2008 Baccalaureate
Chadwick's Class of 2008 brought its school days to a close with traditional Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies.
Baccalaureate was held on June 13 in a packed Neighborhood Church. Science teacher Jim Spalding, who retires this year after 27 years at Chadwick, delivered the meditation. He spoke to the class about critical thinking and personal and professional integrity. (Click here to hear his remarks.)
Commencement ceremonies in the Rosenwald Amphitheater on June 14 featured speeches from student body president Mark Sonnenblick '08 and English teacher Erin Frank.
Distinguished Alum and Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Honored at Awards Brunch
On May 18, the final day of Alumni Weekend 2008, alums gathered at a Sunday brunch in the Middle School courtyard to honor our 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award winner and our new Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame inductees.
Rabbi Sherre Zwelling Hirsch ’87 was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award, established in 2006 to honor Chadwick alumni for their contributions to the school, the community and the world.
Rabbi Hirsch received her ordination and master's degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. She also received a master's degree in Hebrew Letters from the University of Judaism in California, as well as a BA from Northwestern University. Rabbi Hirsch served at one of the largest synagogues in the United States, the Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, and during her eight-year tenure was instrumental in its growth from 900 to nearly 2,000 families. She is currently Spiritual Life Consultant for Canyon Ranch, offering guidance, inspiration, education and support to guests at both the Tucson and Lenox resorts. Rabbi Hirsch has recently ventured into electronic media to engage in discussions on spirituality — including serving as a spiritual commentator for the "Today" show, discussing interfaith issues on Naomi Judd's weekly “New Morning” show on the Hallmark Channel, and speaking as a featured guest on “The Tyra Banks Show” and PBS’ “Thirty Good Minutes.” In April Rabbi Hirsch published her first book, "We Plan, God Laughs: 10 Steps To Finding Your Divine Path When Life Is Not Turning Out Like You Wanted."
Rabbi Hirsch has remained an active supporter of Chadwick since her graduation. Most recently, she addressed the student body on Judaism as one of a series of speakers on different religions. She also provided counsel on Judaism as the school recently revised its policies on religious observance.
Athletics have been an integral part of Chadwick School’s educational philosophy since the school was founded, and this year we were proud to recognize two new members of the Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame — Gary Horkey ’64 and Hobby Coale ’68.
Gary Horkey ’64 attended Chadwick School for four years. During that time, Gary played varsity and all-league basketball and baseball. He was elected most valuable player in both sports in 1962 and 1963. Gary went on to teach and coach for 35 years. He continues to enjoy golf and fishing.
Hobby Coale ’68 played varsity football, baseball, basketball and track during his 12 years at Chadwick. He was voted most valuable basketball player in 1967. He was also a member of the Letterman’s Club and played on the all-league basketball team. Hobby served as athletic director at Chadwick School and at The Buckley School. He is currently coaching at Milken Community High School in Los Angeles.
Alumni Athletes — Where Are They Now?
With help from the Booster Club, Chadwick has started a list of our alumni athletes who've gone on to compete in college. The list currently features athletes who graduated between 2005 and 2008. Click here to see where they are now!
Get the Latest Chadwick News Wherever You Are Online
Want to know what's going on with Chadwick School and your fellow alumni, but don't remember to check our Web sites? Add one of our news feeds to your MyYahoo page, iGoogle page or other RSS reader. Or, become a fan of the school's new Facebook page.
To subscribe to a Chadwick news feed:
Firefox users can simply click on one of the links below, then follow instructions for subscribing at the top of the resulting page. If you're using another web browser or feed reader, copy one of the internet addresses you see below and follow your reader's instructions for subscribing to RSS via URL. (iGoogle users, click "add stuff" from your home page, then select "add feed or gadget" from the left-side navigation. MyYahoo users, select "personalize this page," then "add RSS feed." )
Chadwick News Feeds:
Chadwick School News
http://www.chadwick-k12.com/rss/schoolnews.xml
Chadwick Alumni News
http://c.yourmembership.com/sites/alumni.chadwick-k12.com/resource/rss/news.rss
To visit Chadwick's Facebook page:
Visit Chadwick's new Facebook page by clicking here. The page includes links to other Chadwick groups and news from our "Chadwick School News" feed. Facebook users, stay in the loop by signing in and becoming a fan of our page!
Class of 1958 Celebrates its 50th
Organized by Eddie Rosenson, the class of ’58 celebrated their 50th in a big way, with a dinner at Headmaster Ted Hill’s home. Before dinner, classmates joined their fellow Chadwick alumni at the Fiskeval picnic. Pictured at the picnic are (back row) Mrs. Rohan, Jan Cosgrove Day '58, Lee Stewart '57, Mrs. Rosenson, Eddie Rosenson '58, Dennis Rohan ’57, Rick Barrett ’57, and (front row) Christine Leonart Stewart '58 and Sheri Denton '58.
Class of 2002 Gathers for Five-year Reunion
The Class of 2002 celebrated its five-year reunion and the holidays at Hennessey's in Hermosa Beach on Dec. 22.
Click here to view more photos from the event.
Alumni Annual Fund Updates
Congrats Class of ’51! Last year, we began presenting an award to the alumni class with the highest percentage of its members giving to the Annual Fund. This award, the Robert Roessler ’40 Alumni Annual Fund Participation Award, was named for Bob Roessler, a member of Chadwick’s first graduating class and a trustee since 1955. Bob personally has the longest history of continuous giving to the Annual Fund. Because Bob's class of 1940 regularly achieves 100 percent participation in the Annual Fund, the Roessler Participation Award is presented to the class that comes closest to matching that achievement.
This year, we would like to congratulate the Class of 1951 for achieving the highest giving percentage to the Annual Fund before Alumni Weekend festivities in May. A special thank you to Charles Cooke ’51, who accepted the award on behalf of the class at the Alumni Brunch on May 18.
Alumni Respond to Student Callers Many of you received calls from a current Chadwick student this past March asking for your support of the Annual Fund. Our students had such a wonderful time talking with alumni and hearing about your Chadwick experiences. They were also impressed by how many alumni responded positively to the request for support of the Annual Fund. The calls to alumni this year brought in 110 gifts totaling $11,017 – double what was raised from the students’ calls to alumni last year!
We will be continuing our student calling program next year. In March 2009, when you get a call from a current Chadwick student, please consider making your gift.
If you have any questions about Chadwick’s Annual Fund, please feel free to call (310) 377-1543, ext. 4068 or click here. Thank you to all the alumni who support the Annual Fund.
Alumni In The News
’98 Alum Stars In Food Network’s “Ask Aida”
Starting this summer, Aida Mollenkamp ’98 solves viewers' culinary concerns on her new Food Network show, "Ask Aida." Aida will troubleshoot recipe and ingredient issues, offer advice on kitchen machinery and tools, and solve cooking conundrums such as handling impromptu parties, feeding a crowd and planning make-ahead dishes.
You can ask Aida your cooking question via e-mail at AskAida@foodnetwork.com, or by submitting a video through the show's page on the Food Network web site. [click here]
Alum's Angel Sculpture Wins Best of Show Award
"Rising From The Ashes," a sculpture designed to raise the spirits of friends and neighbors after October wildfires near his San Diego-area home, won Best of Show honors for Jim Helms ’66 at this year's San Diego County Fair.
"I was happy that it got into the show, surprised when it got a first-place award, and shocked when it was named Best of Show," said Jim.
"The fire came close to our home and we had no damage," said Jim. "That was not the case for many of our friends. While walking through the debris I noticed an immense amount of material which could be put to good use."
In addition to "Rising From The Ashes," Jim sculpted a large angel for the entrance to the Valley Oaks Mobile Home Park, where half the residents lost their homes. He also created a smaller angel as a fundraiser for fire victims, donating proceeds to the art campus where the park residents could take classes for free.
Campus News
Chadwick Participates In Round Square Americas Regional Conference
Seven members of the Chadwick Community braved the mid-February heat in Lima, Peru to attend this year's Round Square Americas Regional Conference held at Markham College. "Mit'a - Mitad: Chawpi Quiru Kamalla" was the theme of the conference. The first part means "sharing," and the second means "the half-full glass." Attendees were encouraged to look at the world through a lens of optimism and see how they can implement Round Square’s philosophy in bettering the world around them.
Chadwick is currently a Regional Member of Round Square, an association of more than 60 schools on five continents. Round Square is based on the theories of experiential educational philosopher and Outward Bound founder Dr. Kurt Hahn, who believed young people should prepare for life by facing it directly and experiencing it in ways that would demand courage, generosity, imagination, principle and resolution.
Chadwick is on a path to securing full Round Square membership, which will broaden students' opportunities for service and study abroad and allow students and faculty to attend international Round Square conferences, including this October’s event in Vancouver, Canada. [more]
Revived Chadwick Carnival Makes Second Appearance
Thanks to Upper School leadership class students, Chadwick held a school carnival for the second consecutive year in April. Booths and activities sprawled across the main lawn and entertained an extensive crowd that included Chadwick Village, Middle and Upper School students and faculty. Addie Farrell '08, Zack Williams '08, Ashley Nendick '08 and Andy Magee '08 organized the event. [more]
Dolphin Teams and Athletes Qualify For Postseason Play
Chadwick boys volleyball, baseball, tennis and golf teams qualified for California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section (CIF-SS) postseason games this spring, while golfer Paul McNamara '09 and tennis player Austin Chafetz '08 qualified for individual tournaments in their respective sports.
This year's boys volleyball team made Chadwick history, winning their third consecutive league title and qualifying for the CIF semifinals. The team dropped a tough 3-1 match to three-time defending champion Viewpoint in the semifinal. [more]
The baseball team defeated New Roads 7-6 in a CIF-SS Division VI wild-card match to qualify for playoffs. The Dolphins drew top-ranked San Jacinto as a first-round opponent, ending their season with an 8-5 loss. [more]
The boys tennis team posted final records of 10-11-1 overall and 4-2 in Prep League matches on their way to a playoff berth. A 12-6 loss to El Dorado in the first round ended the team's CIF run. Austin Chafetz finished an undefeated 36-0 singles season and was named a Prep League singles MVP. He capped his senior season by competing in the CIF-SS Individual Sectionals at Arcadia County Park. [more]
The Dolphin golf team shot a 389 and finished in fifth place in the CIF-SS Eastern Team Divisional Tournament at Cimarron Golf Resort on May 5. Paul McNamara was the low scorer on the team, shooting a 73. McNamara was the only golfer in the Bay League to qualify for the CIF-SS individual finals at Mission Lakes Country Club in Desert Hot Springs.
In non-CIF Dolphin golf news, Alex Miller ’08 made the local qualifying cut for the U.S. Open by shooting a 70 at North Ranch Country Club. As a result, he was one of only 830 amateur and professional golfers in the world to qualify to compete in a sectional tournament.
Chadwick School is dedicated to helping Chadwick alumni stay connected to one another. If you have information you would like to include in a future issue of The Anchor, e-mail Alex Jones at alumni@chadwickschool.org.