Happy 2024 everyone! It's hard to believe that we are halfway through the school year.

We hit the ground running in January with "Alumni College Day" held shortly after winter recess, weekend open houses hosted by our spectacular Enrollment team, MLK Day celebrations, and a Commons Series. Here at The Harley School, we rarely sit still, and why should we? We have always had an ambitious community ready to take on the world!

I hope you are having a great start to the new year. Do your best to start off strong and don't let those "It's a new year" clichés take over.

—Karen

THE HARLEY SCHOOL• Dr. Kathryn Kaiser’s Office • January 3, 2024

Campus Chronicle: A New Year Begins

2024 Has Arrived

During winter break, I returned to New York City to spend time with my husband and daughters. I had a long bucket list of visits and adventures I hoped to accomplish in my time there. NYC has so many positive winter memories for me. I planned to see the tree at Rockefeller Center, the créche at the Met, eat at my family's favorite celebration restaurant, Wild Ginger, see a holiday movie with my girls (potentially the new Miyazaki), and attend a play about present-day and 17th century Lenape (the indigenous people of Manhattan) at the Public Theater with a good friend. The play, Manahatta, shares a complex history from the perspective of a silenced narrative. I hope the production can travel and shine light in many far reaches of the US. (See it if you have the chance!) While I was able to do some of the things on my list, I spent most of the break bedridden with the worst cold I have ever had. I appreciated the way my family rallied and provided a lovely holiday time at the apartment for us but secretly I couldn’t wait to return home to Rochester. I didn’t realize how comforting my existence is here and how attached I have become to this place that is so new for me.

The New Year has begun and with it so much anticipation for what is to come at Harley. I look forward to our remaining time together working on behalf of the children. You will soon hear directly from Division Heads with specific information about your division(s). My goal, as always, in this chronicle is to provide you with information on planned N-12 school programming, upcoming family engagement opportunities, and our Harley Direction work that is underway.

The Harley Direction

The fall brought significant progress on the comprehensive sustainability of the Harley School through four measurable and interdependent focus areas by 2025. Below are the focus areas we continue to strive towards collectively: 

· Community: Grow, retain, and support the diverse perspectives and identities of the Harley School by increasing representation, inclusion, and retention by establishing and adhering to programs and policies that cultivate and celebrate a culture of safety and belonging.

· Academic: Strengthen Harley’s culture of academic excellence by increasing student success, faculty development, and a commitment to student interests through access, exposure, innovation, and experience.

· Environmental: Realize the school’s Sustainability Plan focused on improving our ecological footprint, implementing a sustainable farm and food program, and increasing community engagement and education.

· Fiscal: Enhance and support our community and stated goals by becoming more fiscally sustainable through intentional organizational structure, focused philanthropic and earned revenue.

This year we are taking a comprehensive look at many aspects of Harley’s organizational and financial structure. This thoughtful analysis with the administrative team, board of trustees, and representative Harley teacher groups has allowed us to identify areas of strength and areas of opportunity in our structure and budget. Thus far, we have shifted some of our non-instructional work to third-party contractors, worked to address scheduling conflicts that prevent students from accessing all teachers and utilizing our significant instructional personnel less efficiently than is ideal, and studied our revenue and expenses closely. We know that the plans for the coming year will support Harley’s sustainability while enhancing our program mission and values for our students.

2024-25 Middle School Leadership Announcement

Current Head of the Middle School, Lydia Okturo-Seck P '32, is not returning after the end of this school year and we are planning for new leadership of the Middle School as well as the leadership of the entire school. I am pleased to announce that Seth O’Bryan has agreed to step in and serve as the Interim Middle School Head for the 2024-25 school year so that we can complete the Head of School search without any disruption to the Middle School search process. Seth will work alongside Lydia to learn from her experience from January-June to smooth the transition next year. He will then continue to partner with Lower School and Upper School Division Heads from July 2024-June 2025. Lydia will continue as the Middle School Division Head for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year.

Seth (P’32 and P’34) has been a tremendous asset to Harley for the last 13 years, starting here in the Upper School Dean role. He was pivotal on the transition team last spring and currently serves as the co-director of the Commons and Director of Professional Development. Previously he has taught in Grades 2-12 at Harley. Seth has been a full contributing member of the Harley leadership team and taught both mathematics and capstone at the Middle School level. He has over two decades of experience in independent schools, serving as both a math department chair and diversity coordinator in previous schools. Seth is currently in a doctoral program at the Warner School of Education. I know the Middle School students, teachers, and families will be in skilled hands next year and already value his many contributions to the community.

I am so happy to be back in my adopted city, feeling healthy, and surrounded by such dedicated teachers and staff, and your unique, delightful children. I look forward to their winter adventures, cumulative learning, and cultivating plans for spring. Welcome back, we are glad to see you.

Yours,

Kathryn

Dr. Kathryn Kaiser

Transitional Head of School

The Harley School

Harley's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team, Jonathan Ntheketha P '29, '31 and Danielle Walters P '28 along with our Horizons Executive Director, Claire Labrosa P '29, coordinated with The Greater Rochester Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission to pull the Rochester community together to celebrate MLK Day activities earlier this month.

On Monday, January 15, there were an estimated 130 attendees from our Harley and Horizons community at an event at Kodak Hall. Two students from Harley, Kaitlyn Shin '26 and Kai Rosen-Carole '30 were honored at the celebration. The Democrat & Chronicle covered the event, you can see all of their photo coverage here. 

Following the event at Kodak Hall, Harley and Horizons families were invited to participate in community events at the Rochester Museum and Science Center and a service project at The Avenue Blackbox Theater.

Harley's Silent Auction Silent Disco Returns to Harley in person and online Saturday, February 3, 2024

For the locals, join us on Saturday, February 3, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm at Harley!

This is not an occasion you want to miss! Whether you put on your dancing shoes or prefer to mingle with friends old and new, this event is for you! Enjoy the sense of community—while supporting The Harley School’s mission. Click here to purchase your ticket.

Your admission includes catering by Fare, complimentary wine and beer, silent disco headphones, and music provided by Wildbyrd Productions, as well as one-of-a-kind auction items that you're sure to love.

If you are not able to attend the event in person, you can still support Harley and Horizons at Harley by participating in our online auction.

This year's auction is filled with incredible treasures waiting for your bids. Whether you're interested in unique faculty and staff-donated experiences and items, local business delights, or one-of-a-kind experiences and excursions, there is something for everyone!

Here is a sample of just a few auction items:

• Join Doug Gilbert '87, P '21, '24, '27 (Middle School History, 1999-present) for a Historic Bike Tour around Rochester

• Beautify your home with the "Aquarius" watercolor painting by the talented Harley Alum, Andrea Durfee '02

• Enjoy a bottle of Scotch donated by our beloved Gail McGuire (pictured below), Harley science teacher from 1965-2000

Register now to start bidding, because the online auction is now open!

Did you know that Rochester is going to be at the epicenter of April 8th's total solar eclipse? Though Harley School will not be throwing an event on campus, we hope you will consider a trip back to Rochester to participate in all the fun activities planned around the region. Click here to learn all about the fantastic events happening in your hometown!

From the book Great Heart: Hubbard’s companions, Dillon Wallace and George Elson, haul their canoe upstream in Labrador.

A Labrador Wilderness Adventure: Then and Now

Jim Davidson '64 is a historian and canoeist who, along with his paddling partner John Rugge, stumbled upon a remarkable story of three wilderness expeditions undertaken at the dawn of the twentieth century. Curiosity piqued, Jim and John set out to discover more. They unearthed long-lost diaries of the participants, yellowing newspaper clippings, and hastily scrawled letters. They also paddled the original expedition routes—still deserted and wild eighty years later. The end result was Great Heart: the History of a Labrador Adventure (1988), praised by the New York Times as an “astonishing adventure… that combines the grace of fiction with the power of history.” The National Geographic Society included Great Heart on its list of the “100 Best Adventure Books of All Time.” Most recently, film rights to the book have been acquired with an eye to making a miniseries for television or streaming service.

On June 22, during Harley's Alumni Reunion Weekend, Jim will bring slides, diary excerpts, and artifacts to flesh out the dramatic saga which began in July 1903, when an aspiring journalist named Leonidas Hubbard set out with two companions to canoe one of the last blank spaces on the map of North America. That wild space was Labrador—550,000 square miles of subarctic barrens, mosquito-infested bogs, and lakes without names—all of which now constitute the northernmost edge of eastern Canada. Hubbard hoped to make his reputation as an explorer and adventurer.

It was not to be. Deep in an unforgiving country empty of game and swept by polar winds, the little party was forced to turn back, ragged and weak, in a race against starvation. Only two out of three men survived the ordeal. And out of the headlines and controversy that followed, not one but two expeditions departed for the north in 1905, bitter rivals in a race to complete Hubbard’s unfinished mission. One expedition pledged fidelity to its fallen comrade; the other, equally loyal, was led by a widow convinced that not enough had been done to save her husband’s life.

For more information about the book, click here.

We hope you are able to join us for Jim's talk and all the Reunion festivities during Alumni Reunion Weekend, June 21 and 22. Stay tuned for more weekend announcement!

Rugge, Davidson and Ron Turbayne traversing a bog beside an unnamed Labrador lake.

Photo by Sam Kauffmann

Caitlin Richard ’13, Director of Budget at Tulsa Public Schools, recently joined us at Harley to speak about equity, advocacy, and the transformative power of education.

Caitlin was initially invited to give a Commons talk, but she decided to add on to her stay and join us a day early so she could speak directly with students, faculty, and staff about this important work. During her two days at Harley, she met with students in the Grade 9 Rights & Responsibilities class, the Entrepreneur Class, and at an Upper School assembly. In both classes, she spoke about the distinctions between equality vs. equity, emphasizing the importance of ensuring fair opportunities for all students. She shared that her work is not all crunching numbers and highlighted that an “entrepreneurial spirit” is required to take the initiative to get the right people to the table and get the conversation started. At the assembly, students were able to get to know her even better with an “Inside the Actors Studio” style interview with Henry Smith ’14, Assistant to the Head of the Upper School. Prior to her Commons talk Tuesday evening, she was also able to engage with current employees at an afternoon meeting. 

During her visit, Caitlin took time to reflect on her own Harley experience and how transformative her participation in Hospice class and Horizons at Harley were. Both experiences instilled a profound sense of giving back to her community and helped guide her as she considered a future career in advocacy. Horizons gave her the keen awareness of the disparities in educational opportunities in Rochester and this helped push her even further.

In her work, she has learned that there is a stark correlation between poverty and academic achievement. She also said that there is a change in the landscape of education. Schools are not only expected to educate their students, but take care of societal needs as well. This is tough work for any school district. She stressed that this work takes more than just money per student, you also need diversity, experienced teachers, access to resources for programming, educational materials and space, and technology. 

Caitlin was so appreciative of her time and shared with Dr. Terry Fonda Smith P ’19, ’21, Head of Lower School, 2007-present, "Thank you so much for the opportunity to engage so deeply with the Harley community this week. It was incredibly meaningful for me to reflect on my own educational journey in the context of the broader questions of education reform. I learned a lot about myself and the next steps in this work. It was incredible to get to reconnect with faculty and a reminder of how they shaped my ability to do the work I’m doing today."

Caitlin was a recipient of the Harley Alumni Life of Purpose Award in 2022.

Click here to watch the recording of her Commons talk. Due to technical difficulties, there is no audio until the 11:45 mark.

You can also listen to her recent school podcast.

Caitlin had the chance to dine with some of her former teachers while she was in town: Doug Gilbert '87, P '21, '24, '27 (Middle School History, 1999-present), Amy Colosimo P '23, '23 (French, 1999-present), Betsy Vinton (Math and Science, 2001-present), Caitlin Richard '13, Dan O'Brien P '11, '13, '27 (Middle School Math, 2004-present)

Frances Dickinson '23, Aliyah Couch '23, Eva Nielsen '23, Addy McHenry '23, Alicia Zhu '23, Erin Wolfanger '22, Griffin Kutny '22, Margot Hilyard '22, Ian Lerczak '23, and Nathaniel Bushnell '23

Earlier this month, we hosted "Alumni College Day," bringing recent graduates back to share their post-Harley experiences with our current upper schoolers. The alumni engagement included two distinct sessions—one for Grades 9 and 10 and another for Grades 11 and 12. Huge thanks to our visiting alumni for sharing their wisdom with the Harley students of today!

Advice for our Grades 9 and 10 students:

College Counseling is huge. Harley counselors will take your passion and advise you on colleges and majors that can help get you where you want to go. One alum found the perfect match to expand their love of music and another was able to find an all-girls college with a rowing team.

Picking a major. Not everyone knows what they want to do when they get to college and it’s ok. Sometimes a little uncertainty will give you the freedom to explore interesting classes at Harley and at college. In fact, one alum said that you should take advantage of the interesting class opportunities offered at Harley because once you are in college, those fun glass classes or theatrical performances might only be offered to student majors in that department.

College isn’t for everyone. One of our alums is going to trade school and said, “...all of my classmates were freaking out about college essays and applications...” while he took his passion for working with his hands and woodworking to the next level. Yes, Harley is a college prep school, but if college is not for you, Harley will help you get where you want to go.

Sometimes you just need to know the basics. All of our guests said that Harley is a competitive school and sometimes students feel pressured to take the advanced classes and it might not be necessary for what you want to do. Several alums mentioned that they wished Harley taught some basic life skills like balancing a checkbook and basic repairs.

Advice for our Grades 11 and 12 students:

The discussion for the upperclassmen focused on academic preparedness and social aspects of college life.

Harley kind of over prepares you. A couple of our visitors said that Harley over prepared them, particularly for writing and Spanish classes. One jokingly shared that if Pat Malone (English, 2009-present) gave you a C, consider it an A in college. All of our guests shared that, unlike some of their college classmates, they are not afraid to speak to a professor after class to get some help or continue an interesting class discussion.

College application concerns. Our visitors said that the college essay is the time to utilize those strong Harley writing skills and craft an engaging essay to show off your achievements, like a service project, athletic accomplishments, a capstone, or a project outside of school.

You have to learn to navigate the social landscape at college. It’s not always easy finding friends. There are so many people at college and our alumni advised our students to take the time to explore connections as early as new student orientation. You can also make connections through classmates, roommates, and club activities. It’s important to create a supportive environment for yourself and even if you are not the most social person, it’s worth it to put yourself out there.

Food and campus life. Get a meal plan and make the most of dining halls, there are so many options. Be open-minded about your food choices. Make sure you bring snacks like granola bars to class (sometimes you don’t have time between classes or the dining hall is closed). Take advantage of those extracurricular options like intramural sports or clubs. It was emphasized, again, even if you are shy, attend the “club rush” events because you might discover new interests and meet new people.

To AP or not to AP? Just as with our Grades 9 and 10 students, our guests said those advanced classes are not for everyone. If you are not planning to go into a math career, why take AP Calc? Take this time to explore some of the more unique classes that Harley has to offer.

Overall, our alumni visitors encouraged students to appreciate all that Harley has to offer (they didn’t necessarily when they were here) because it will help you to build a foundation for a successful post-Harley experience.

Kristina Benjamin '15 is currently a proud member of American University’s Women & Politics Institute’s WeLead2024 Program! The program's mission is to train and empower young women to run for elected office, and the best part—it’s completely tuition-free! Kristina is asking for our support in paying it forward. Whether big or small, your contribution will go towards directly covering program costs for the next cohort of incredible women leaders. 

Click here to learn more and support this program. Kindly consider a gift by February 15.

Eyes: How strange, that we can never really see our eyes...

By Abby Kraai '04

Every morning, I can barely open my eyes.

I used to think I had a sleep disorder, because I can’t remember ever waking up feeling rested. I do not wake up naturally before my alarm, and my eyes never “pop open” as so many of my morning friends say theirs do.

When I was a teenager, I would stay overnight at my best friend’s house, because I lived so far away from school. Every morning, she would be up early, already showered and dressed and blow-drying her hair when I would stumble into the bathroom. She laughed, every time, because before my body would enter the room, my hand would stretch clumsily through the doorway, fiddle with the dimmer until it was dim enough for my tender eyes. Only then would I come in. We would stand there together, her, laughing, me, rubbing my eyes as I stood in my underpants, wondering how anyone could feel so awake.

My dad was a morning person, too. He was also a night owl. I actually don’t know when he slept. But every morning, he would trek down to the basement, radio on high, and begin his workout. By the time I got up, he was already in the shower, singing.

My mom was also a morning person. Her mornings were gentler than my father’s, though they also often included exercise; other times, she would play the piano.

I remember when my mom would try to get me up for school each day, and every day I would protest. She would begin with a gentle back rub, saying quietly, “It’s time to get up!” When I did not get up, she would come back to peek in my room. “Okay, you gotta get up!” she would try, a little more urgently. A few minutes later, I would hear a loving but impatient shout from the kitchen, “Abby, breakfast is ready!” A few minutes after that, she’d start the car, come back in and holler, “Abby, we gotta go!”

And still, I would close my eyes.

I really wasn’t trying to be ornery—I just couldn’t keep my eyes open.

Maybe I did have a sleep disorder. Or maybe it was the scoliosis. Or maybe some people are just tired.

Did you like what you read? Abby's newsletter, With This Body is a reader-supported publication. Click here to sign-up!

The talented Ava Sauer '14 and her band The Archive Ravens have some upcoming performances coming to the Rochester area. Support local music and a member of the alumni community! Click here for the latest news on The Archive Ravens.

Stephen Mann '09 won two Emmy Awards!

Stephen shared, "I'm working at NBCUniversal overseeing unscripted programming across our company's networks. Two of my shows won Primetime Emmy's this year: The Traitors (on Peacock) for outstanding casting and Password (on NBC) for outstanding host."

Another one of his series, That's My Jam (with Jimmy Fallon) was nominated for Best Gameshow, but lost to Jeopardy!

Mimi Clarke '79, Vice President of Front Row Media Inc, out of Los Angeles, California was recently featured in an article about product placement in the new movie "Mean Girls." Click here to read the article.

If you'd like to learn more about Mimi's work, she was also featured in a podcast called "You've Got Mail." She joked, "My brother and nephews listened to it and said that after all these years, they finally have an understanding of what I do."

She also wanted to give a shout out to her time at Harley:

"Some of the Harley classes that put me on this path include English with Bill Dalton (English, 1971-1998) and Alex DeSantis (English, 1971-2009). They fueled my love of character and story. Photography with Ron Richardson (Art, 1975-1984, 1985-1998) and film with Mr. DeSantis taught me how to see and capture that character and story. Mr. DeSantis's influence continued as my college advisor and he is the one that pointed me to earn my bachelor's in Television and Radio Communications from Ithaca College. And of course there where the fun stage productions with Pamela Stoffel (English 1973-1982 and Drama 1989-1996) and Mr. Dalton.

I did an internship in production at WXXI, Channel 21 the summer before senior year at Harley and it confirmed that this was an industry that I wanted to be a part of. I have worked in or with productions ever since. I've been in Los Angeles representing brands to television and streaming series, movies, music videos and video games for 0ver 28 years. I've even done two Broadway shows! So thank you for everything Harley!"

Kristy Houston P '25 (Music 2010-present) hosted a recent performance by the Rochester Women's Community Chorus in Harley's Wilson Theater. It turns out she has several talented Harley alumni in the group! Thank you to Bill Fowlkes and Kim Benedetto for the photographs.

Carol Baumeister '82, far left

Ginny Munson '16 playing "Barso Re" on marimba.

Maggie Sayre '03, third person from the left

Members of the class of 1974 writing notes to their classmates about their upcoming 50th Reunion: Lisa Osborne Lange '74, Mary Driscoll Vernetti '74, Jim Alsina '74 and Shira Goldberg '74

Will Widger '00 stopped by to visit Sybil Prince '00, P '37, Harley Hospice, 2017-present

David Villani '23, home from Olin College of Engineering, stopped by school over break.

Former staff gather for lunch: Nita Goronkin (Business Office, 1997-2020), Cheryl Skiba P '08 (Registrar and Enrollment, 1984-2022), Sherry Edgecombe (Receptionist, 2014-2019), Cindy Harrell (Business Office, 1990-2023), Anne Townsend P '98, '01, GP '32, '33 (not pictured)

Nate August '11 donated some glass supplies.

In Austin, TX for a conference, I was able to get together with a group of alums living in the area: Stephanie Sanger-Miller Max '04, Walker Zupan '14, Erik Chesonis '10, Cat Everett '10, and Tim Crumley '09

Take a look at this unique Harley magazine sent to me by Nell Davidson '68.

Graffito Prospectus:

This volume begins Harley's experimental creative magazine, which will be published three times yearly, as one magazine, Graffito. As the name implies, this is the writing on the wall which shows the younger generation's viewpoint of the world. I hope that through this magazine you will find enjoyment and knowledge.

Inside you'll find contributions from Masanori Okuda '67, Molly Little '67, Mary Cunningham '67, Nell Davidson '68, Sandy Clay '68, Jan Costello '68, Margy Cooke '68, Magie Alling '80, Rachel Sherman '67, Peter Fend '68, Nancy Yanowitch '68, Choddy Houghton '68 and Jeanie Jemison '69. Contributions include Haiku, poems, and several writings referencing a "God is Dead" controversy.

Click here to download the entire issue as a PDF.