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CLAUDE ZDANOW - Class of 2006
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School Closed
Spring Vacation
Mon - Fri
(4/14 - 4/18)
Admissions
Open House
(Pre-Nursery thru 8th Grade)
Thurs (4/24)
9:30 -11AM
EARTH DAY
Fri (4/25)
Summer Adventures
Open House
Sat (4/26)
10AM -12PM
Lower School
Graduation
Fri (6/13)
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UPPER SCHOOL
ACT Test Date
Sat (4/12)
SSAT Test Date
Sat (4/19)
French Exchange Students Arrive
Wed (4/23)
Spring Concert & Art Exhibition
Tues 4/29
7PM
Bahnik Hall
Business Club Dinner
Wed. (4/30)
7-9:30 PM
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MIDDLE SCHOOL
ISE 7th Grade Dance
Fri (4/25) 7-9 PM
Friends Academy
7th Grade Class Trip to Boston
Wed - Fri
(4/30 - 5/2)
8th Grade Class Trip to Washington D.C.
Wed - Fri
(4/30 - 5/2)
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LOWER SCHOOL
5th Grade Class Trip to Philadelphia
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Jon Sandos ' on his favorite part about his Portledge education:
"My relationship with faculty. It's still what we do best."
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Support the Portledge Arts Council
the way they support the Arts at Portledge:
Collect Boxtops for Education and drop off in recepticles at all three divisions.
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ATTENTION RISING JUNIORS!
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's DNA learning center is currently seeking a high school intern. The ideal candidate will provide laboratory assistance to DNALC educators during middle and high school educational programs held throughout the school year and during the summer while gaining hands-on laboratory experience prior to attending college. For immediate consideration of this position please apply online to
Job ID 00158-E
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Bill Mooney (former Portledge student of '82) on why his kids are at Portledge:
"We value education. Portledge provides a rigorous program without
all the nonsense that usually comes with private school."
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SPENCER SCHNEIDER GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS
Spencer Schneider '13, currently studying finance and economics at Pace, returns to Portledge at the end of the month to work alongside fellow Panthers.
"Portledge was never just a school for me, it was a community. Most high schools just focus on academics but Portledge helped me develop confidence, respect, and integrity." Schneider says he gained confidence working to found the Portledge Business Club, which has been a huge success. "While I graduated Portledge last spring, I still feel the same sense of community and connection as I did when I was there. I am just as dedicated and interested now as I was when I attended classes to see Portledge and the Business Club succeed."
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CONSIDER BECOMING A HOST FAMILY
Portledge is looking for host familes for incoming international students for next year.
 It is is a big commitment, but one that yields many benefits to those who are generous enough to open their homes to a child eager to learn our customs. (see the Leibowitz family above). Portledge families are known for their warmth and hospitality, and we trust you will consider this as an opportunity to gain valuable cultural exposure. Please contact Kim Baratoff for further details (516)750-3119. |
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OUR ALUMNI DELIVER A MESSAGE:
YOU CAN DO IT.
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THE MESSAGE FROM ALUMNI IS
LOUD & CLEAR: GO FOR IT!
Our alumni carry their Portledge - our Portledge - out into the world and accomplish wonderful things.
They reflect the values and personality of this place that remains both intimate and aspirational, raucous and inventive, studious, familial, and let's face it, sometimes a little offbeat, but always, always affirmative. We follow our alumni and (they follow each other on the Alumni App) and take pride in their success, which reflects the "can-do" entrepreneurial spirit of their alma-mater.
For a small, relatively young school, Portledge and its alums have had a surprising impact. Lauren Sivan '96 is an anchor for Fox news in LA, Drummer Anthony Barone '05, a Berklee College of Music graduate, has been on tour in Europe with his band Aegaeon (check it out here) Fashion designer Catherine Litke '07 was interviewed by writer Alex Schattner '06 for the Huffington Post just this week (read interview here). Our alumni seem to share a mindset best expressed by Hillary Thomas '88. When asked about her interior design, product and lifestyle company, she said, "I just really decided to go for it."
Even our alums in less conspicuous careers demonstrate incredible passion and commitment. Some pursue advanced degrees like Christopher Gerry '10, who will graduate from Amherst in May to pursue his phD. in Chemistry at Harvard. Or Haley Tynes '09 who has left her job as a geoscientist at an environmental consulting firm to attend law school at Brooklyn Law, where she received an endowed scholarship. Jason Tarricone '06 and Emily Bruschi '06 are pursuing veterinary medicine and Rachel Lee '99 is already a practicing vet. Alums like Kacey Farber '93 work to improve the lives of others. Kacey is a psychiatric social worker at Brunswick Hospital. Ashley Wade '07 was recently recognized as a Distinguished Woman by the Town of Oyster Bay for the work her eponymous charity does to improve the lives of sick children. Emily Lavelle '00 was also moved to give back. She will be honored by the Life of Hope Center in May for her work in Brooklyn educating under-served communities about their legal rights, teaching English as a second Language to Creole residents, and even doing a turn as Santa for local children. 
It is no accident that many of our alumni are entrepreneurs. Francis Hill '01 (Founder of Green Tiburon Holdings, "Junkluggers" of Nassau County), Maurice Freedman '87 (founder and CEO of Zaah Technologies Inc.) Madison Mangino '05 (Madison Lee's Cakes) Marc Perry '00 (Founder and CEO of BuiltLean.com) and Franklin Tsung '05 (Appcrown.com) are just a few.
Nowhere is the "go for it" mindset more obvious than in our athletes who compete in college and beyond. Alex Schidlovsky '12 and Sophie Barnard '13 excel in collegiate tennis and Tom Parisi '11 played in the NCAA quarter finals in ice hockey. He may follow in the footsteps of pro hockey player Douglas Murray '99. 
But our favorite Portledge Alumni are those who keep in touch and stay involved in the life of our school, returning to share their knowledge of the world with the Panthers just coming up. Amanda Presti '07, who got her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology, turned up at the Science Fair last year to share her work with students. Photographer Taryn Simon '93 was here over the weekend to check out the Lower School. Her latest work, Birds of the West Indies, which conflates the ornithologist James Bond with the fictional spy James Bond, is currently showing at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, and Taryn is expected to speak at Portledge next year. Entrepreneur Ben Kaufman '05, founder of Quirky, a company that spreads its own "you can do it" message, has visited with our students, and fashion designer Matthieu Mirano '09 never fails to put in a good word about Portledge to the media. Spencer Schneider '13 keeps tabs on his fellow Portledge Business Club members and returns to Portledge on the 30th of this month for the annual Business Club Dinner. And of course there's Stadiumred founder Claude Zdanow '06 who came by just this week to visit with students. Read on.
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Our 41st Annual Auction Gala was a huge success!
Thank you to Kate Callan, Chair of the Auction and her extraordinary team of Committee Chairs: Wendy Fentress, Live Auction Chair; Anna Janczyk, Mona Sanveren and Tiffany Palagonia, Silent Auction Chairs; Elvira Anderson, Alice Matthaei and Lisa Vella, Journal Chairs; Luciene Salomone, Decorating Chair; and Donna Johnston, Class Project Chair and the entire Portledge Community for supporting the 41st Annual Auction Gala! With your help we raised over $300,000 to support our exceptional programs!
Check out pictures of all the fun on our website - if you'd like a digital copy of a photo, give us a holler!
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BEYOND ACADEMICS: HOW PANTHERS HELPING PANTHERS GIVES NEW MEANING TO MENTORSHIP
Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced person helps to guide a less experienced person. It is about an ongoing exchange of learning, dialogue, and challenge.
 One of the most enduring benefits of a Portledge education is the close student-teacher relationships that are true mentorships. As a community of learners we also recognize how interactions with alumni inform and inspire us. Dean of students Jon Sandos '03 believes a concerted effort to sustain a sense of community among students across divisions yields benefits as well.  Our Blue/White Day and Earth Day activities bring the different ages together to work collaboratively. Pairing older students with their younger brethren teaches responsibility, builds self-esteem, a sense of security, and is just plain fun. Through collaborative field trips (1st & 8th to the Whitney) demonstrations (robotics, reading) & performance activities (team sports, music) we gain knowledge about where we were and where we are going.
This week the Upper School Band, Middle School percussion and Lower School wind musicians teamed up for a group effort. The learning went way beyond the music.
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WELCOME HOME CLAUDE!
 Considering the level of success he's had in the recording industry with Stadiumred Studios (22 Grammy nominations and 11 awards in the last six years) entrepreneur Claude Zadnow is surprisingly down-to-earth. He came to Portledge this week to speak to Middle and Upper School students because he wanted to deliver a simple but profound message: Once you figure out what makes you tick, just do it.
 Maintain balance in your life, and if you fail initially, keep going.
Pursue your passion and you will find success. Once that happens, pass it on.
Zdanow, a member of the Portledge Arts Council, was generous with his time speaking to students one-on-one following his presentation. He has arranged for twelve of them, who have expressed a serious interest in a music career, to attend "Grammy Camp" on May 28th at Pace University. This is Zdanow's way of "passing it on," because he enjoys inspiring young people, but also because it is a message he wishes he had been told when he was younger.
 Following a stint as a bass player for the rock band "Patent Pending," he experienced a personal crisis when his rock star dream came true, but it didn't make him happy. He credits Portledge pal and Quirky founder Ben Kaufman for urging him to look at his love for music in a different way, a way that has since dovetailed all of his talents into a diversified group of companies: Stadiumred Music (an artist development company and record label), Stadiumred Life (an event creation company) and Stadiumred Live ( a technology company).
 While he believes that businesses must diversify in today's global market, it's clear that he is also naturally curious and has taken his father's oft-repeated adage to heart, "I'd rather know a little about a lot than a lot about a little."
But there are two things that Zdanow knows very, very well, which have perhaps been key to his success: how to build relationships and how to take risks. He says his time at Portledge fostered both his people skills and his innate drive. Portledge was so small, he says, that he had to figure out how to get along with classmates or he'd have no friends. In an industry legion for misunderstood talent, managing expectations and building understanding are highly valued skills. Zdanow also enjoyed the freedom he experienced at Portledge because he believes, "you have to be allowed to fall on your face." He also echoes the sentiment of many past and present Portledge students when he says he appreciated the fact that his teachers didn't talk down to him, but treated their students as peers with ideas that were valued and taken seriously. His parents reinforced the Portledge message at home, treating him like an adult, confident that he would find his passion without their interference. And did he ever!
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(Submit Portledge School news or photos to: ebarcellos@portledge.org)
Thanks to: Tara Askeland, Sonna Allen, Elizabeth Atkins,Trish Baehr, Reed Barcellos, Christina Collins, Kevin Coleman, Susan Edwards-Bourdrez, Patricia Hambrook, Phil Hills, Alex Horton, Grace Keogh, Roger La Flair, Sara McInerney,
Gabriella Rabito, Pat Rooney, Jon Sandos, Spencer Schneider, Julia Vinsky, Melania Voutsinas, Claude Zdanow, Jane Zisa
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BUYEA SPELLS OUT ABC's OF WRITING
Fourth and fifth graders were excited to welcome Rob Buyea, author of because of mr. terupt,
to Portledge last week. Mr. Buyea spent the day speaking to families and conducting writing workshops with students, who were enthralled by his book, which they read in class as a group. Mr. Buyea, an animated speaker, made the writing process far less daunting for his listeners when he confessed that he didn't write until very recently; that his own 4th grade students were his inspiration, and that it was wrestling which taught him perseverance. Back in class, Portledge students were challenged to write in the first person as one of Buyea's characters experiencing a Portledge event. He encouraged reading to improve writing and counseled students that the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement!
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL GROWTH
Research shows that having a sense of community can positively influence motivation and achievement in children. This year the Lower School adopted "Caring School Communities", a program that encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning and behavior by exploring fairness, helpfulness, caring and respect through class meetings and "cross age buddies" activities with Middle and Upper school students. This type of activity helps our younger students develop their own voice and enhances problem-solving skills. Aligned with the CSC program is a mindfulness initiative in Lower School. Mindfulness (the practice of purposely focusing one's attention on the present moment) helps to combat stress and enhance focus . The MindUp and Caring School Community programs are the first steps in developing character, the underpinning of the Portledge Pillars.
SOW: AN HONORARY THIRD GRADER
When the third grade students were on a recent science walk, they saw an old bluebird nesting box that had fallen on the ground. They tried to put it back on the post but it was beyond repair. The students measured it and asked Ivan from maintenance for help cutting a board so they could make a new one. Our Head of School Simon Owen-Williams, a fan of birds in general but bluebirds in particular, heard about the project and asked to come to third grade to discuss the birds with the class. The children were so honored that he would take the time to talk to them that they grabbed a "snap" to memorialize the visit.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL:
SCIENCE PUT TO THE TEST
Science is about putting concepts into practice and labs and inquiry based projects have begun apace this spring in Middle School.
Ms. Chiu 's eighth grade have complemented their studies on weather/climate by investigating the effects of heat absorption on different materials.
Ms. Fiore, Miss Renwick and the seventh graders have been exploring states of matter. Recent labs involved making and testing paper airplanes according to Bernoulli's Principle.
Sixth Grade students are engaged in creating 2-D models of cell processes like photosynthesis and respiration to complete their exploration of cells.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
INTERACT CLUB UPDATE
 Fresh on the h eels of the successful backpack drive, the Interact Club has spearheaded a food drive to benefit the North Shore Community Church food pantry. They have also prepared spring goodie bags for the children who use the food pantry. The eighth grade came out on top in the food drive, donating the most canned goods. Way to go!
ROBOTICS IS THE NEW BLACK
Our triumphant Upper School robotics team met with Middle School Lego robotics students recently to share their experience. They explained the progression of the robotics course, building and programming the robot and problem-solving. This type of exchange benefits both sets of students, and requires effective communication, analytical thinking and creativity. It's a safe bet that today's Middle School technology students will expand and improve on the foundation their fellow Upper School students have bequeathed to them.
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UPPER SCHOOL:
CHECKMATE!
The Portledge Advanced Chess class played in the Long Island Open Chess Tournament which was held on March 30th and 31st in Holtsville. 11 Portledge students participated in this event which had nearly 250 players. Jimmy Roel tied for second in his diversion, earning $300 for his efforts. Hussain Khalfan scored second place in his section while Ethan Axelowitz earned 3rd place overall. Richard Goodwin finished as the top unrated player. All students earned national ratings for this event. Congratulations to the members for a fine chess event!
ED MANGANO SPEAKS TO PORTLEDGE BUSINESS CLUB
by Grace Keogh and
Alex Horton
On Wednesday, April 2, Portledge Upper School students had the unique opportunity to hear the plans and ideas of the Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. He came into office in the midst of the recession, having to cope with high unemployment rates and a decreasing sales tax. During his time with the Portledge community, he discussed these issues and the methods he utilized to fix them, stating simply, "Politics is how America works".
Mr. Mangano spends the majority of his time focusing on how to rebuild Nassau County in the aftermath of both a recession and a severe super storm that greatly
impacted the area. This served as his primary goal, and was accomplished through increasing housing and job opportunities, in addition to keeping taxes low.
Mangano's objectives were achieved through a variety of solutions. First off, he moved towards freezing property taxes for the citizens of Nassau County. To address the housing issue, he converted empty office buildings into apartments. Jobs were created through attracting new businesses and by implementing the new "Nassau Works" application as well. To wrap up his speech, Mr. Mangano discussed his plans to conserve energy and make Nassau an environmentally sound place to live. The final segment of the lecture consisted of a question-and-answer session in which members of the Business Club asked questions that covered a broad range of topics.
Jake Levy, the Vice President of the club and an organizer of the event, called Mr. Mangano's presentation "eye opening about business and politics in our local
community." All in all, Mangano's presentation was fascinating and well received by Portledge students and teachers alike.
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The AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) of Nassau County French Poetry Contest was held for 2nd year in a row at Portledge School on Wednesday April 8th.
 Over 10 schools from Nassau County were represented and contestants in levels 6th - 12th grade were judged in two categories: Original Poetry and Recitation of Famous Poetry. While those in the recitation contest were competing, the student-poets were able to read their original works to the attentive crowd. Four Portledege students received prizes for their performance in the recitation contest: Leila Baadarani in Level 1B, Caroline Kriegstein and Cindy Liu in Level 2
Stay tuned for the French Play coming on May14th in Lower School.
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ARTS:
RENT PARTY! A HIT
Upper School can sing!
Our community was treated to an evening of broad comedy and depression-era classics from the Great American Songbook. They were beautifully performed by Upper School cast members who were accompanied by Mr. Peek on keyboards, Portledge Friend Marco Brehm on double bass and Koorosh Leibowitz on drums.
Congratulations go out to:
Scout Jiang, Ashley Herzig, Patrice Narasimhan, Jordan DeCade, Wilson Chapman, Doris Fu, Rita Wang, Betty Zhu, Doris Fu, Porter Collett, Brian Lee, Ally Weber. And many thanks to Director Cynthia Babak, Choreographer Kathleen Moore and Costumer Patricia Hambrook.
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SUPPLEMENTAL
PROGRAMS:
GUIDE DOG FOUNDATION
Portledge Girls Scout troop 67 has sponsored a "Doggy Drive." Inspired by a visit from the Guide Dog Foundation of Long Island, where they learned about the help guide dogs not only provide the visually impaired, but those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other physical disabilities, The Girl Scouts collected badly needed supplies to help the cause, which will be delivered before the spring break.
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ATHLETICS:
Varsity Boys Baseball Starts Hot
The 2014 Portledge Varsity Baseball team is playing some great ball and in no way appears intimidated by competing for the first time in Division I of the PSAA / ACIS Baseball Alliance. After defeating St. Ann's, sweeping a doubleheader from Packer, and coming back from a 4-0 score to beat crosstown rival Long Island Lutheran, the Panthers stand in 1st place as they head into the Holiday Break.
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STUDENT SHOWCASE
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Elana Scwartz '15, vocal
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Our students gathered in Bahnik Hall on Thursday night to perform for the sheer enjoyment of sharing their astonishing talents in a showcase event organized by Music Department Head Patricia Baehr and made possible by the Portledge Arts Council.
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Spencer Hall '19, piano
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The lucky audience were treated to a range of performances on piano (a Steinway which the Paradysz family provided for the event) violin, voice and Guzheng from Middle and Upper School students.
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Betty Zhu '17, Guzheng
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Aaron Vinsky '19, Angelina Mangin '19,Gabriella Rabito '19, Vicky Han '15, Elana Schwartz '15, Talya Kalman '15, Nicholas Paradyz '19, Betty Zhu '17, Spencer Hall '19, Antonia Bentel '16, Julia Khan '15, Kristina Wirkowski '16 and Cindy Liu '16 participated in the showcase, now in its second year, which is sure to become an annual event.
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If you have any questions
you can contact Spencer at spencer.h.schneider@gmail.com
or (516)417-1623
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"FEE [The Foundation for Economic Education] believes a free society is not only possible, it is imperative because there is no acceptable alternative for a civilized people. Our vision for the future is that through education, men and women will understand the moral, philosophic and economic principles that undergird a free society. They will appreciate the direct connection between those principles and their material and spiritual welfare. They will strive to pass those principles on from one generation to the next." - Lawrence Reed
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COMMUNITY:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. RENWICK
An astonishing feat: our community managed to keep a secret surprise birthday celebration for Middle School science teacher Stacey Renwick under wraps - and was she ever surprised! The brief end-of-day celebration capped off a long week when Portledge welcomed the New York State Association of Independent Schools accreditation team to look into every nook and cranny of the school. A big part of their investigation was speaking to our students who were polite, accommodating and articulate. By the time Ms. Renwick's milestone birthday arrived, on the eve of spring break, our students were ready to celebrate - what better way than to honor a beloved teacher!
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FACULTY:
HAMBROOK AT CULMAN CENTER
On April 1st Middle School English teacher Patricia Hambrook attended a seminar at the Cullman Teachers Institute on War Reporting, with speaker Elizabeth Rubin. It inspired class discussions with her eighth grade class.
Says Mrs. Hambrook:
"Even though we read Elizabeth Rubin's articles and suggested readings before the seminar, we were all still in awe as we listened to her describe her two months embedded with American and Afghan
soldiers at the front, in the Korengal Valley. At the time, Ms. Rubin was four months pregnant. Her
passion for correspondence surpassed her worry about safety. She wanted to get the soldier's point of view and the only way to do it was to be on the ground and in the ditches. Her reports illuminate the unpredictable and terrifying days American soldiers endure. But her personal experience gave the 15 teachers present insight into a career that not many of us could follow. Ms. Rubin's writing enlivened
class discussion for the eighth grade as they wondered about the war and about a woman who would take herself and her baby into it."
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ALUMNI:
CONGRATULATIONS YOUR HONOR
Scott H. Siller '79 was inducted as Judge of Nassau County District Court in January. Incidentally, Judge Siller was the first Portledge graduate to become a lawyer.
ARTSY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
A Portledge shout-out to Arielle (Chernoff) Harding, a former Portledge student and sister of alum Emma Chernoff '12 who
is directing Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, arguably the most difficult of the Bard's plays, at the Theatrelab in NYC. Arielle has adapted the play as a farce. Hats off for taking on the challenge and going for it. Break a leg, Arielle!
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SEEKING NOMINATIONS
The Portledge School Alumni Association is seeking new council members. This is a great way to remain active in our school. If you are interested in serving on the Alumni Council, please contact Keith Merkler '87.
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One Last Shot!
Middle School makes sure everyone has a nice spring break by preparing springtime goodies for needy children.
HAPPY VACATION!! |
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Copyright � 2013. Portledge School. All Rights Reserved.
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