Every Halloween, our Lower School students (and teachers!) along with the senior class, participate in the Halloween Parade. Parents are invited to watch the school band lead the children through the halls, the Wilson Gallery, the Dining Hall, the Wilson Theater, and the Centrum to show off their fun and creative costumes before returning to their classrooms for a Halloween party.
If you have a special memory from a Harley Halloween, please email [email protected].
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| Halloween Parade through the Wilson Gallery |
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| The parade drawing to a close in the Lower School Centrum |
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| Average Joe's basketball team |
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| Some of the Lower School teachers showing their Halloween spirit |
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Back at Harley
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Jason Speirs '99 started at The Harley School in the 6th grade. Even back then, he was a tennis phenomenon having started taking lessons at Dave Strebel Tennis Academy when he was 9 years old. He played tennis throughout his time at Harley, making the varsity tennis team in 7th grade where he played first in doubles. By 9th grade, he was number one in singles and soon after led the team to three Section V Team Championships in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Following Harley, Jason went on to Assumption College where he continued playing tennis and eventually co-captain for a year. Under his tenure, the team was undefeated in the NE-10 Conference for singles and doubles all four years, and they advanced to the team's first ever NCAA Championships. Jason was ranked 24th nationally in doubles and 3rd in the East for doubles.
Jason is now taking his tennis skills back to Rochester as the owner and director of Empire Tennis Academy, formerly known as Dave Strebel Tennis Academy, housed on Harley's campus. He is returning after 12 years in New York City developing his tennis professional career at a 12 court indoor tennis facility, Roosevelt Island Racquet Club. Empire Tennis Academy is now up and running and Jason is proud to continue the legacy of Dave Strebel Tennis. He said it is different not to be on the playing side of the tennis academy, but he's looking forward to the challenges ahead as a new business owner.
Off the court, Jason is highly involved in the USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) teaching organization as the 1st Vice President for the USPTA Eastern section and often times presenting workshops at conferences. He also won the prestigious 2016 USPTA Pro of the Year. In addition to serving on the USTA Adult Competition Board, he also served on the USTA Metropolitan Board for four years. Giving back to the community is a big part of Jason's life, which is why he volunteers for the USPTA, USTA (United States Tennis Association), and his own charity fundraiser, Tennis Saves. Jason says, "So much opportunity has been given to me that I feel obligated to give back to those who need it." He's looking forward to reconnecting to Rochester and the tennis community with his new wife, and accomplished tennis player, Maria. You can reach Jason here at Harley, or email him directly at [email protected]. Email him at any time to say hi, or ask any questions.
We welcome Jason back to Harley!
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College Selfies
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We asked our recent graduates to send us a "selfie" from college.
Here is what we received:
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Kat Conde '16 (front) and Seeley Taylor '16 (back) at Wellesley College
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Nate Knauf '16 waiting for the bus at Georgia Tech
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Max Bednarcyk '16 at Ithaca College
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Leo Zhang '16 at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
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Kelly Prister '16 at The New School
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| Jordan and Kristina Benjamin '15 at University of Dayton |
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Gil Smolyak '16 at University of Rochester
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Erin Brennan-Burke '15 and Caitlin Richard '13 at Brown University
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| Anna Baronos '16 at New Jersey Institute of Technology |
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Alyssa Storey '16 in the Netherlands
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We are still collecting photos--if you have one from college that you would like to share, please send it to [email protected].
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Alumni Events
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We had a wonderful trip down to New York City at the end of October. Not everyone was able to make it to the evening event, so we made arrangements to visit friends including
Allie D'Amanda Sacks '03,
Ginger Dreyfus Karren '48, and
Murray Beckerman P '66. We were also able to visit
Ashley Rice '01 at her office at
Perry Ellis in Manhattan and
Jason Sahler '96 at his brewery,
Strong Rope Brewing, in Brooklyn. At our event, Head of School, Ward Ghory gave an update to the group on Harley's strategic plan and invited guests to give their thoughts on the plan and future direction of the School.
Thank you to our event hosts,
Charlie Stuard '82
and his wife Pam Frederick, for hosting us at their beautiful home.
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Our hosts, Charlie Stuard '82 and Pam Frederick
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Rebecca Rothkopf, Sawyer Jacobs '05, Hal Kieburtz '04, Minnie Cho '85, and Nathan Duckles '04
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Kelly Prister '16, Karin Deutsch Karlekar '89, and Deb Weiss Walker '83
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Leo Zhang '16, Rosie Gilroy '13, Anna Barbano '13, JP Fauchet '11, and Kelly Prister '16
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Leo Zhang '16, Jenna Fain '05, and Bryan Wise
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Ward Ghory, Ashley Rice '01, Brooke Mayer '04, and Caroline Abbey '02
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| Ward addressing the group |
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Ashley Rice '01 showing us the ropes at Perry Ellis
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Ashley Rice '01 speaking to Deb Weiss Walker '83 about the sample showroom
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Deb Weiss Walker '83 and Jason Sahler '96 at Strong Rope Brewery in Brooklyn
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| On tap at Strong Rope Brewery |
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HAC Soccer
The HAC varsity girls' and boys' soccer teams were invited to play a game at Rochester Rhinos Soccer Stadium "under the lights" for Senior Night in mid-October. The owners of the Rhinos were kind enough to donate a suite to our faculty, staff, and alumni to help us cheer on the teams. The girls won 3-0 and the boys won 2-0. Thank you to everyone who attended:
Doug Gilbert '87,
Rachel Dennis Oberright '92
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Beth Soanes O'Brien '86,
Kirsten Allen Reader '90,
David Shechter '86,
Josh Shechter '13, and
Al and Helen Soanes.
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| Alumni, parents, current and former teachers watching the game |
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Alumni Visitors
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Paul Dalton '85, son to former English faculty member,
Bill Dalton, was in town for his daughter's wedding and stopped by Harley last week for a visit. Paul was delighted to run into faculty member,
Len Wilcox, during our tour of the school. Paul is currently living in Oakland, CA where he is a technical writer.
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| Paul Dalton '85 and his partner, Jordan |
Jim Moore '80
was also in town for a wedding and he brought his family for a tour. Jim's kids,
Harry
, a non-grad from the class of 2017, and
Emma
, a non-grad from the class of 2012, have not been back at Harley in over 10 years. Harry is now looking at colleges for next year and Emma teaches at Greens Farm Academy in Connecticut. Jim lives in New Jersey where he is the Chairman of the English Department and squash coach at Blair Academy.
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| Jim Moore '80 with his family: Harry, Wendy, and Emma |
Gina Bonanno, daughter of Gracia Broadbrooks '43 and grandaughter to Edna Broadbrooks, Lower School teacher at Harley from 1928-1949, stopped by for a visit. She came in from her home in California to spend some time on the east coast to connect with family and discover the places that her mother and grandmother spoke of so fondly.
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| Gina Bonanno, daughter of Gracia Broadbrooks '43, visiting Harley |
Each year, the third grade class practices their interviewing skills with current faculty and staff at the School. Historically, the kids would routinely ask their interviewee about what they do at Harley, what they do in their free time, about their family, and more. This year, third grade teacher, Margaret Tolhurst had a different idea. With Centennial approaching, she thought her students could start learning more about Harley's history and asked about interviewing Harley alumni and former faculty. We thought it was a fantastic idea!
Diana Tomb Carter '75, a local journalist, offered to come to school and teach the class some interviewing skills. As a participant in the interviews, she was proud that the students heeded a lot of her advice including how they dressed, appropriate greetings, and shaking hands with their guests. Some of the the student questions were: How long were you at Harley? What were the classrooms like? Can you tell me about your teachers?
We had a wonderful turnout and the feedback from the alumni and former faculty was overwhelmingly positive. Everyone said the students took their job very seriously. Thank you to all who signed-up to participate: Lindsay Agor '02,
Katie Baldwin '04, Paul Barrows '80, Phyllis Bentley '45, Diana Tomb Carter '75, Barbara Allard Coe '63,
Keely Costello '64, Mary Critikos '54, Alex De Santis, Charles Fallon '60, Geoff Feltner '65, Kathy Kearns Frame '73, Scott Frame '73, Doug Gilbert '87, Chris Hartman '93, Jane Jezsu, Laura Joslyn '83, Bob Joslyn, Pete Keller '49, Jocie Kopfman '09, Lisa Osborne Lange '74, Jonathan LaRue '00, Lee Sherwood McDermott '64, Brownie Niblack, Kirsten Allen Reader '90, Robert Sandholzer '59, Jason Speirs '99, Ted Townsend '98, Melinda Moyer Whitbeck '66, Deb Schaller Willsea '73, Peter Willsea '72, and Lindsay Worner '02.
We are hoping to continue this tradition of interviewing alumni and former faculty. If you are interested in participating next year, please let me know.
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| Jane Jezsu (Jane started the 3rd grade interviews back when she was a teacher!) |
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Melinda Moyer
Whitbeck '66 |
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Robert Sandholzer '59
Thank you to all of our alumni visitors. Our doors are always open. If you are planning a trip to Rochester and would like a tour of the school, please contact me so we can make arrangements!
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| This year's school picture! |
Karen Saludo, Associate Director of Development | (585) 277-1117 |
[email protected] |
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Correction: In the September newsletter, I wrote an article about Carol Baumeister's work in our archives. I stated we had an Ansel Adams photograph donated from Dexter Lewis. I had the wrong Dexter, it was Dexter Perkins '44.
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