Welcome, Alumni!
Alumni are an integral part of what makes Richmond Friends School so great. This section is a place for alumni to find out about activities related to them, see information shared by other alumni, and keep up-to-date with the goings on at Richmond Friends School.
Catch up with old friends, keep track of events at Richmond Friends School, share stories, or just chat! Join our Facebook group for Richmond Friends School Alumni: Children's School
35 Anniversary PowerPoint
Did you miss the Richmond Friends School 35th anniversary celebration? Download this PowerPoint slide show (warning: 29MB download) commemorating the 35th anniversary celebration.
Alumni and Teacher Updates
Debbie Perry
Thanks for contacting me by mail and phone regarding the 35-year celebration of The Children’s School.
Tim is teaching English and speech at Brownstown Central High School, which is 10 miles from Seymour. He graduated from Ball State, and his Master’s Degree is from I.U. Bloomington. They moved into a new, four-bedroom home this month so the children (Alan, 7; Alyssa, 4; and Bret, almost 2) could have their own rooms. Their home is located in a subdivision of Seymour. His wife is working for her grandmother and is being mentored to eventually take over the family trucking business. She graduated from Purdue with a management degree, and her mom is an English teacher at New Castle High School. Her dad took early retirement as a principal.
This is my first year of retirement after 34 years at Centerville High School teaching a variety of business subjects and family and consumer science (home ec.). It has been quite an adjustment for me because I miss the daily interaction with my students and teaching friends. I have taken quilting classes, line dancing classes, and have started biking (up to 12 miles J ).
Linda Tiffany
I was happy to get your information in the mail today. We wouldn’t have been able to come to the reunion anyways this year, but it was good to hear from you. We are getting ready for Evan’s wedding, which is to be next Sunday, May 6, on Catalina Island, CA. He and his fiancée met while on the dance team at UC San Diego, where he got his PhD. She is from the Southern California area. Fred is to perform the ceremony.
Fred and I are still working in Columbus, OH, at the same jobs. Evan is now tenured professor of moral philosophy at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. I credit much of his academic success to the Friends’ School (former children’s school). I’m sure he will be happy to get your e-mail.
My work e-mail is ltiffany@columbuslibrary.org. E-mail is great for keeping in touch easily!
Dan Liston
What a pleasant surprise and such remarkable news. It looks like the ginko tree is still out front of the school and those walls hold such wonderful memories. I cut my teacher teeth at the Children’s School – and you, Marge, the parents and the kids were all so supportive, thoughtful and engaging. I wish I was better about reunions and such. I never have attended a high school or college reunion. Perhaps I live to much in the present and future. Life is full here –my youngest Matthew is a junior, a soccer goalie, and community youth leader and an outdoor enthusiast. My oldest – Ira – spent in the fall traveling around Central America and is now back at Macalester as a junior studying history, international relations, and Spanish. Michel – my dear and ever lovely wife – has worked for the last 15 years as the directory of Lafayette Public Library and recently has taken on numerous other responsibilities – including the senior center, arts cooperative, and history museum. She’s looking to leave that effort in a year or two after the college fund is healthy. I continue to work as an academic, with public school teachers and administrators in retreat settings (Center for Courage and Renewal) and have slowed down my on my own intellectual work as I learn about leadership in the academy.
You sound busy as ever and still finding ways to enjoy life. Lota Kakutani as a musician and Chris and Graham Wood – I hadn’t recalled that Sharon Wood had died. A life qite full with connections from the past, in the present and ever on toward the future.
A memory – there are so many. Ben’s vengeful attitude toward math - Kota’s easel work, my two struggling readers – JJ and ?? – Sara my Joan of Arc – oh so many. The kitchen lessons, the parents meetings, too many of the names escape me at this moment. I have that picture on my office wall – a wonderful collection of human spirit. A wonderful place to teach.
Susie Goldenberg
It was good to hear from you. I’m glad to hear that you are doing well and are still so involved with the Children’s School. I’ll pass some information along to you about Ryan (and Rachel too…she also attended the Children’s School for a short time).
First… Ryan:
Ryan attended Children’s School from age 4 to 2nd grade. At that time, he made the
change to public school (Charles Elementary) and in the summer before 4th grade, in 1990,
we moved to Tampa, Florida.
Ryan played tennis, football, basketball, and finally ran cross-country throughout his school years in Tampa, at Berkeley Preparatory School. He was very active on the math team, and served as its president during his senior year. He attended many Mu Alpha Theta math competitions and brought home too many trophies to fit on his shelves! Ryan also sang in an all-male a capella group, the “Beatitones”, at Berkeley, and played a part in the school musical. He graduated in 1999, a member of the Cum Laude Society, in the top 10% of his class.
Ryan attended Princeton University from Fall 1999 – Spring 2003. At Princeton, Ryan studied engineering and finance. He again participated in an all-male a capella group, the “Footnotes”. In the summers, Ryan interned at Tampa Engineering, Trucks and Parts of Tampa, and the Secret Service in Washington DC. During Ryan’s senior yearm Ryan met the love of his life, Rachel Brager, a Westminster Choir College junior and aspiring opera singer. Ryan graduated from Princeton in 2003 with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Operations Research and Finance.
After graduation, Ryan moved to Richmond, VA, to begin his career as an analyst at Carmax’s corporate headquarters. He is now a senior analyst and really enjoys his job. In 2005, Ryan ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. He continues to participate in local races and trains with a running team.
Rachel Brager graduated from college, earned her MM, and moved to Richmond in 2005. On thanksgiving day, 2006, Ryan and Rachel announced that they were engaged to be married. The wedding will take place on July 1, 2007 in Richmond, VA.
His contact info is:
Ryan Goldenberg
9304 Olde Mill Pond Dr.
Glen Allen, VA 23060
(804) 714-4800
rdg@alumni.princeton.edu
And now, on to Rachel…
Rachel Goldenberg attended the Children’s School from age 4 through kindergarten.
Then she moved to Charles School for 1st grade. After 1st grade in 1990, we moved to Tampa.
Rachel attended the Hillel School for 2nd grade, and then Berkelyey Preparatory School from 3rd grade through high school. Rachel studied dance throughout high school, and was very active in the school drama productions, playing many lead roles in plays. She was also the captain of the dance team, a cheerleard, and a coxswain on the crew team. Rachel sing in a female a capella group at school, called the “Mellodivas” Rachel graduated from high school in 2001.
After high school, Rachel attended the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism to study broadcasting. At Northwestern, acted as the producer of a percussion/dance troop called “BoomShaka.” She also was the video production manager for campus fundraiser, “Dance Marathon..” Rachel soent her summers interning at Business Video Productions in Tampa, MTV in New York City, and Kurtis Productions in Chicago.
Rachel graduated from Northwestern in 2005 with a BS in Broadcast Journalism. After graduation, Rachel remained in Chicago where she continues to work for Jurtis Productions as an associate producer. She has worked on the show “Cold Case Files”, some new pilots, and is now writing and producing her own documentary.
Rachel is also engaged to be married. Her fiancée, Motti Pikelny, is a high school history and anthropology teacher. They will be married March 22, 2008 in Tampa.
Rachel’s contact info is:
Rachel Goldenberg
1934 West Thomas Street
Unit 2
Chicago, IL 60622
(847)962-3337
rgoldenberg@kurtis.com
In the meantime, Carery (the baby) is graduating from high school this June. So.. I’ll be an empty nester. But with 2 weddings to plan, I’m sure I’ll keep busy!
Noah Mickey-Colman
Hi Chris, How great to hear from you! I’m surprised you found me but am glad you did. I haven’t thought about the school in a long time but I do have a few vague memories that I recall from being there. I am glad to hear that school continues to thrive and provide children with a great foundation to their educational experience.
Ad far as memories go, I don’t have too many. I definitely remember Sharon as a beautiful, kind, caring, and supportive teacher. I remember playing outside with friends, especially Joel McMillan whom I have lost touch with a long time ago. I remember making tools to observe a solar eclipse that occurred when we were there. I don’t remember too much else and I wish I did but it was 24 years ago, WOW!
As far as an update on myself: I moved around a lot as a kid = Chicago to rural Washington state were my major moves. I went to Western Washington University where I got a BS in environmental science. During college I did a study aboard program in Ecuador that really changed my life and sent me in a different direction, a good one. After college I went to Honduras to work on a medical project, which was amazing. We were treating Dengue Fever using homeopathis medicine. I then moved back to Chicago for a couple of years with my fiancé (not married yet, just recently engaged). After Chicago we went back to Honduras for another medical project, this time treating childhood diarrhea with homeopathic medicine, and lived there for almost a year. We’ve done a lot backpacking and budget style. I’ve learned that we in the US live a life that is not the realty for anyone else in the world. The amout we have here and the amount we consume is truly staggering when you got to a developing country to see how people live there. I’ve also learned that the most generous people I’ve met are also the ones who have the least. It’s been amazing. I now live in Tucson, Arizona. I work at the Universtiy of Arizona Rogers College of Law. I am also studying to get my Master’s of Education in elementary education and will be doing my student teacher beginning in August. I’m very excited for that. My fiancé and I are also planning our wedding.
Tahnks again for getting in touch with me. I’d love to be on whatever mailing or email list there is that keeps people updated on what’s going on with the school. I’m disappointed I can’t be there for the celebrations but have sent in a contribution to the scholarship fund. It is a modest contribution but is all I can afford as a full-time student and soon –to-be teacher.