RE Log - Fall 2021

68 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2021 Class N e 2021 Class Agents: Georgia Crosby (Georgiamdfcrosby@gmail.com) , Liza Dill (lizadill25@gmail.com) , Alex Dray (Alexdray305@gmail.com) , Bruce Leight (bruce.leight@aol.com ), Rachel Bienstock (rachelbienstock@gmail.com) , Yuhan Liu (02yuhanliu@gmail.com ), Gori Spillis (gorispillis@gmail.com) The following members of the Class of 2021 and their respective alumni parents received legacy plaques at commencement. Congratulations to all! David Arnold ’86 and Elanah Arnold ’21 Catherine Harrison Balestra ’90 and Mia Balestra ’21 Bradley Gould ’85 and Peri Gould ’21 Eric Gould ’85 and Lindsay Gould ’21 Mark Hoffman ’85 and Jordan Hoffman ’21 William Holly ’86 and Hayes Holly ’21 Daniel Holtz ’77 and Lauren and Aaron Holtz ’21 Heidi Howard Tandy ’88 and Jonny Tandy ’21 Louis LaFontisee III ’81 and Louis LaFontisee IV ’21 Wendy Levitz ’88 and Kiran Desai ’21 Elizabeth Lehr Matthews ’80 and Caitlin Matthews ’21 Jeffrey Miller ’79 and Lenny Miller ’21 Carlos Prio-Touzet ’72 and Alexandra Prio-Touzet ’21 Stefanie Sayfie Aagaard ’88 and Anders Sayfie Aagaard ’21 Victoria Chirdaris Schein ’89, Greg Schein ’89 and Thomas Schein ’21 Michelle Simkins Rubell ’90 and Ella Rubell ’21 Scott Srebnick ’83 and James Srebnick ’21 Jessica Meyeringh White ’91 and Walker White ’21 Axel, Sebastian , and Hanna Hicks ’21 , see Andrew Roberts ’10 Louis LaFontisee IV , see Louis LaFontisee III ’81 Lenny Miller , see Jeff Miller ’79 Thomas Schein , see Greg and Victoria (Chirdaris) Schein ’89 Jonny Tandy , see Heidi Howard Tandy ’88 Former Faculty Guess which RE community member Head of School Penny Townsend visited this past summer? Send your answer to vwilliamson@ransomeverglades. org. The answer will be displayed on REconnect at www.realumniconnect.org . Dan Leslie Bowden, (deceased), see Kit Pancoast Nagamura ’77. Jay Calkins, a science teacher at Ransom Everglades from 1999-2015, authored his first novel for teens, The Fifth Cemetery , which was released in July by Dorrance Publishing Co. The 94-page paperback is the first in a series about the adventures of 13-year-old Danny Collins, who fears there are ghosts in the thick fog that envelopes a cemetery on the coast of Maine, where he spends summers with his parents; science will help Collins and his parents solve the mystery. Calkins is married to Karen Thompson, the Interim Head of the Middle School at RE, and they have a son, Daniel Calkins ’15. Jackie Collaso was featured as part of our faculty emeriti series in the August 2021 Alumni News (electronic newsletter). She began teaching at Everglades School for Girls in 1972 and retired 33 years later from Ransom Everglades. Jackie shared a little bit about her journey at RE and what she is doing today. Here are some of the highlights: “To ask for a favorite RE memory is impossible! I can start with the first one: getting hired. As a 22-year-old, I did not qualify for the job description of five years experience and a master’s degree. With my father’s advice (also an educator), I wrote the school a letter explaining why I should be granted an interview. Well, I was definitely interviewed… by the Spanish teacher and then in French by Christel Marin. Next came Craighill Burks, dean of faculty and lastly, Mr. McDonald, the headmaster. Mr. McDonald explained the problem: I was simply too young. I believe that my naïve response is why I got hired! ‘I am inexperienced and have no bad habits to break. You can mold/train me to be the kind of teacher you wish to represent the school.’ I like to think they did, because, although I made many mistakes along the way, I was always supported and encouraged. Years later, as I mentored new teachers, I always guided with the same gentle hand. Where am I now? Shortly after I retired, I began to get calls from former students and other parents, requesting tutoring assistance. I tutored for 12 years and made more friends in the process. In 2017, we moved to The Villages, in central Florida. Although it has been difficult to leave Miami, we love living here. My most recent venture has been golf lessons.” To read the full arti- cle, visit: https://bit.ly/2TKGUUD Ms. Collaso is photographed with former stu- dents Rosa Eckstein Schechter ’85, Trae Williamson ’90, Sharon Popkin Andersen ’79 , and Sharon Katz ’89 (deceased) celebrating her retirement.