Greetings!
And we're off! The 2020-21 school year officially opened with in-person classes on Aug. 24, 2020. It's nice to be reunited with students and colleagues again after such a long absence from campus. While there was no All-School Handshake to mark the start of the year, we are doing our best to get to know all of our community members.
This year will look different for all of us. Please watch your email and the LFA website for updates on virtual events and other ways to stay connected.
As always, please reach out if I can be of assistance to you at LFA. My cell and office numbers are listed below. Go, Caxys!
Ruth Keyso
Director of Alumni Engagement
847.615.3268 (office)
847.224.6072 (cell)
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Celebrate Two LFA Legends!
Be a part of (virtual) Alumni Weekend & Reunion and celebrate Life Trustee and former Dean of Students and biology teacher Gloria Harper P'93 along with recently retired Associate Head of School and longtime history and social science teacher Bill Dolbee P'04,'10.
A faculty member at LFA from 1989-2006, Gloria also served the school as a Trustee for nine years. She will be honored as this year's Woman of Distinction. Bill Dolbee, whose career at LFA spanned 36 years, is one of this year's honorees to the Hall of Fame. Join the call to cheer them on as they receive this well-deserved recognition. We will celebrate them in person at next year's Alumni Weekend & Reunion.
Details: Saturday, September 26, 3 p.m. CT
Q&A with Head of School José M. De Jesús and Class Conversations
Also, by being on the call, you will be among the first to find out who else is being honored in the Hall of Fame! Register at www.lfanet.org/reunion
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Got the (St. Louis) Blues? |
(Virtual) Alumni Weekend & Reunion session:
Returning to the Rink, Court and Beyond
Sat., Sept. 26
1 p.m. CST
Eric Stisser ’90 (above left), Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the St. Louis Blues, will share an inside look at the NHL’s new norm, as well as how the team kept fans and community connected during the season pause prompted by COVID-19.
Stisser is the only LFA alumnus to own Super Bowl and Stanley Cup rings. They come from his time with the St. Louis Rams and St. Louis Blues, respectively.
Then, get the inside scoop on athletics at LFA from former Ottawa Senators goaltender and current LFA Athletic Director Darrin Madeley P'11,'14 (pictured above right). Whether an all-star athlete or casual sports fan, don’t miss this! Register at www.lfanet.org/reunion
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Happy Anniversary, Ferry Hall! |
We celebrated the 151st anniversary of the opening of Ferry Hall on Sept. 22. All faculty, staff, and students dressed in yellow and white; we enjoyed yellow- and white-frosted cookies at lunch; and our Ferry Hall Prefect, Rachel Johns '21, along with former Ferry Hall Prefects Kennedy Hayes '18, Audrey Taillon '19, and Elizabeth Campisi '20 sent in video messages of cheer and congratulations.
Happy anniversary, Ferry Hall! And thank you to all of our Ferry Hall alumnae who remain so active and involved with the Academy today.
Click on the image above to view the video.
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Home: A Virtual Gala & Community Celebration to Benefit On-Campus LFA Faculty Housing |
Alumni around the world are invited to Virtual Gala 2020 as the LFA community rallies to support our heroic faculty, who have welcomed students back to campus for the 2020-21 school year. Our faculty are the heart and soul of the Academy as they facilitate learning, mentor, coach, and advise students.
Join us for our Virtual Gala 2020 live stream broadcast, including a curated silent auction and a paddle raise, to benefit the $1.8 million construction of four faculty apartments at Atlass Hall. Gala will take place online at 7 p.m. Central Time on Friday, October 9.
Our curated silent auction includes fabulous wines from Argentina; a virtual cooking class; a California golf package; and a hockey package, which includes two hours of skate time at the David O. MacKenzie Ice Arena on the LFA campus hosted by LFA's Athletic Director and former goaltender for the NHL Ottawa Senators Darrin Madeley, along with an autographed stick and jersey from Chicago Blackhawk and LFA alumnus Alex DeBrincat '16.
Registration is free and can be completed here or by calling 847.615.3298.
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Young Alumni Panel for Parents Day
Every year during Parents Weekend we invite a group of young alumni to speak to current parents about their experience at LFA, their trajectory post-high school, and how LFA prepared them for success in college and beyond. For the 7th consecutive year, we will host a Young Alumni Panel. This year's event, which will be held on Fri., Oct. 9, will be virtual. Many thanks to the following alumni panelists who will represent LFA this year and who are Zooming in from California, Texas, Colorado, and Wisconsin. Go, Caxys!
Pictured are: top left: Kennedy Hayes '18: College junior double majoring in Journalism and Public Relations Strategic Communications at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX
Top right: Felix Ouyang '09: Hardware Design Engineer at Apple in Cupertino, CA; University of Michigan graduate (bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering)
Bottom left: Aaron Beck '10: MD, MPH Candidate at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI; Skidmore College graduate (neuroscience major), where he was Assistant Captain of the Men's Ice Hockey Team
Bottom right: Margaux Boles '14: Audit and Assurance Senior Assistant at Deloitte in Denver, CO; University of Denver graduate (bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting)
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Musa Brothers Make An Impact |
Drs. Shamsideen '01 and Hussein Musa '01 recognize the value of an LFA education. Giving back to LFA in the form of a named endowed scholarship is one way they are demonstrating their support for their alma mater and future generations of Caxys.
Read more about the Musas' lives and their scholarship commitment.
If you are interested in joining the Musas and fellow alumni in supporting the school's Inspire & Invest Initiative, please contact VP of Advancement Rob Buckla at rbuckla@lfanet.org
Learn more about the Initiative on the LFA website.
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London Calling
One of the great things about being on Zoom so much lately is the chance to connect with our alumni all over the world.
LFA recently hosted a casual zoom call with alumni in London. It was wonderful to reconnect and to acquaint everyone with one another. The following alumni were on the call: Courtney Gainer '03; Ibrahim Peeran '06; Carolyn Johnson '06; Alejandro Fernandez '07; Joyce Hung '07; Georgiana Wagemann '11 along with faculty Chris Tennyson, Chris Dozois '84, P'17, '21, Ed Shaughnessy P'14, '16, '17, Adam Gerber P'21, '24, Kerry Cedergren P'13, '17, '24, Andrew Poska, Ruth Keyso.
Be sure to update us with your address and contact information so that we can reach YOU for future gatherings in cities around the world!
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LFA Expands Campus Health:
Introducing Anna Kliner, MSN, RN
With the re-opening of LFA after the forced closure of the school in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the school has invested more than $250,000 in a series of initiatives to ensure the health and safety of the campus community.
LFA has employed a consulting epidemiologist, re-configured campus classrooms to ensure social distancing, purchased personal protective equipment and sanitizing stations, and increased the size and scope of health services. Meet Anna Kliner, MSN, LFA 's newly appointed Director of Health Services.
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Look Familiar?
Do you recognize this popular math teacher? Loring Strudwick P’13, '15, '18, who retired from LFA in 2019 after 18 years as a teacher and administrator, has been tapped to assist the Math Department this fall by teaching two sections of the discipline via Zoom to students who are learning remotely.
Four days a week, from 6 a.m. until 7 a.m. CST, Loring teaches Algebra II/Precalculus Advanced (APA) and AP Calculus BC, courses she taught during her years at the Academy. When asked about her return to the "classroom", now the dining room table at her Cape Cod home, Loring says, “It’s good to be thinking about math problems and fun examples again; it’s like riding a bike!”
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LFA Communications:
Your window into the Academy’s campus and its community at large
Alumni and alumnae tell us that news about classmates; LFA events; and the successes of LFA students are welcome additions to their mailbox or email box. As you can imagine, costs to provide these complimentary communications are significant for a school of our size.
Your support of the Review, the school magazine, and the Academy’s digital platforms ensure that LFA communications remain informative and engaging.
Your gift today will have an immediate impact during the 2020-21 budget year.
Thank you for celebrating the connections we have between us with your support. www.lfanet.org/give
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Start the Conversation
Face it - no one really WANTS to think about estate planning, but creating a plan and talking about your intentions with your loved ones is one of the most important and financially responsible things you can do. And estate planning isn't just for retirees - every adult needs a plan and should adjust their plan as their circumstances change. Check out this article by Director of Individual Philanthropy Garry Sloan about the importance of estate planning and ways to start the conversation.
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