The Crefeld CourierThe Newsletter for Alumni, Parents, and Friends ofThe Miquon Upper School and The Crefeld School

A Biannual Newsletter Fall/Winter 2013/14

If you decided to stop by campus on a Wednesday afternoon, you might wonder where is everybody? It has long been a school tradition that Wednesday afternoons be dedicated to Community Service Learning projects, or CSLs as they are affectionately called by many staff and students. At Crefeld, citizenship development is an integral part of a student's learning experience. While most students devote their time to group CSLs, a few decide to create their own independent CSL with some help from teacher/advisor, Ann Croxson.

This year, Ori Ginsberg and Nicole Macey decided to branch out on their own and do something different. Ori, a 12th grader, is an experienced horse rider. She has taken private lessons and even competes in endurance competitions. Ori’s love of horses and her desire to help people convinced her to reach out to Special Equestrians (SE) in Warrington. SE’s mission is to improve the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of individuals with disabilities through the equine experience. 

Ori’s job at SE is to lead the horse during a lesson. Ori participates in the student’s lesson by assisting the student and the occupational therapist while she is leading a very well-trained horse. Another one of her jobs is to be a side-aid. The side-aid helps students maintain balance on the horse by repositioning their feet as needed during a lesson. Ori said that she loves to help “kids feel safe and excited to be with the horses.”

Community Service Learning: Just One of Crefeld’s Hallmark Programs

Can you imagine a better way to spend your Wednesday afternoon?

Nicole Macey, an 11th grader, is an artist so she worked with Ann to develop her placement at the Mural Arts Program in Center City. The mission of the Mural Arts Program is to unite artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives. The program has grown beyond just mural-making to include educational programs for inner-city students.

Nicole spends 2 1/2 hours after school each Wednesday working with 3rd - 6th grade students as they learn to create their own artistic pieces. Lately, they learned enough about anime to create their own anime creatures. Earlier in the semester, they made mini-murals of heirloom fruits and vegetables. When a mural artist visits, the students help design future murals for the city. Nicole enjoys spending time with the kids. “I know that I love art. To see these kids who haven’t been exposed to art before enjoy it so much just makes me so happy.”

Citizen development is not the only benefit of a CSL assignment; Crefeld students also learn valuable life lessons. Nicole and Ori are both learning to become more dependent on themselves, a necessary life skill that will help them as they transition to life beyond Crefeld when they graduate. CSL, group or individual, remains a highly valued component of Crefeld’s curriculum.

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Crefeld Welcomes Back MK Asante ’00

On October 10, Crefeld alumnus MK Asante ’00 returned to campus to share his recently released memoir, BUCK, with the Crefeld community.

It was a busy day for MK. First on the agenda was a meeting with members of the book club (students and staff) to answer their thoughtful (and many) questions about the book. Then MK headed off to the theater to lead a special mid-week community meeting with the entire student body. Students enjoyed hearing from one of their own. They left the meeting beaming with school pride. Everyone could sense the positive vibe felt throughout the school community that day.

After school, MK was the guest of honor at an private event that raised funds for his Creative Writing Scholarship Fund and the Annual Fund. Guests mingled with MK and received a signed copy of the book during the intimate party. By 7:00pm, it was time for the big event: a book reading that was open to the greater community. More than 150 people attended the talk. Registrants from neighboring schools, as well as the greater Philadelphia area stopped by to learn more about BUCK.

Crefeld is celebrating BUCK because MK credits the school with helping to transform his life for the better. There are a couple of chapters dedicated to MK’s time at Crefeld. Interested in learning more? Here is a summary of the book:

BUCK is a powerful memoir of how a precocious kid educated himself through the most unconventional teachers—outlaws and eccentrics, rappers and mystic strangers, ghetto philosophers and strippers, and, eventually, The Crefeld School where he transformed his life with a single blank sheet of paper. It’s a one-of-a-kind story about finding your purpose in life, and an inspiring tribute to the power of art.

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Marina’s Perspective by Marina Neslen

! If there were one phrase I could use to describe the MK Asante visit, it would be ‘eye-opening’. But not in the sense that it was complete and utter surprise to me, more that it was an experience that helped to introduce me to a lot more of the world, and what it’s truly like to live in it, and made me feel like that I’ve taken a good step in maturing as both a writer, and a person in general.

For starters, when M.K. entered the room and introduced himself and his memoir, it actually didn’t feel like I was in the presence of a writer like I was last year ; it felt like he was another Crefelder who got along with the teachers, had a sense of humor in his tone and words, and liked to hear what others had to say. It felt strangely comfortable to me, since I had no idea what to honestly expect after reading the story of his life. If anything, I was expecting the dapper visitor with dreadlocks that came last year to talk about what writing is like. But when I had instead seen him in a rather casual format, seeming perfectly comfortable in the school and surrounded by teachers and students, it gave me a sense of relief because I felt like I was a student who belonged at a school - at Crefeld.

As a writer, it taught me two things; one, it’s okay to edit and revise, because you can put down words and ideas just like a mountain is already formed, but you need a true eye to chip away at that mountain to form something as beautiful as Mt. Rushmore. The same is true in writing, since someone like me can put down so many ideas at once, but I’m often never sure how to arrange them. With editing though, I feel like I understand the writing process a lot better now. Secondly, was finding the components of life that can be put into a good story. After all, while the heart of a story is important, it still needs the bones, blood, and muscles that are narration, wordplays, and understanding a formula of an introduction, conflict, and resolution. All of which isn’t bad, because writing can allow for a lot of interesting ideas to flourish from those systems.

Julie’s Perspective by Julie Weiner

Reading Buck by MK Asante with the Crefeld book club showed me a new perspective of the city of my birth, and hearing the author answer our questions was an honor. I see Buck as a story about one person written for everyone. It was very relatable, at least for me, because there are places and people in the story that I’ve been to and I know. It sometimes came as a shock to me that this happened in that place, or that this person hasn’t changed a bit. There were some people described in MK’s life that were similar to characters in mine, which told me in a way I hadn’t heard before that I’m not alone. Buck gave me a brand-new perspective on the 90s, the city of Philadelphia and the human race in general. The wisdom, humor and emotion in MK’s inspiring story stuck with me, and I’m sure will stick with everyone who reads it in the future.

Book Club Member Views

The Courier is published twice a year.Editor - Joan Giannobile Head of School - George Zeleznik

Crefeld Board of DirectorsRobert Lane, PhD (President), Nancy Jennings (Vice President), Susan Ellis (Secretary), Malinda Powers Berardino (Treasurer),

Katrina Lear Berk, Morris Birnbaum, MD, PhD, J. Craig Currie, Esq., Anderson deLone, Joan Greenfield, Judith Hain, Dana Levitties, Robert McIntyre, George Popky, MD, Jeri Bond Whatley, Gene Caffrey (Emeritus Member)

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Winter Arts CelebrationIn January, Crefeld held the biannual arts show. Students involved in art, music, and dance classes gathered to perform or present their work to a packed room full of

proud parents, friends and faculty members. Interested in attending the next show? Mark your calendar for Thursday, May 22, 2014, 6pm.

Photos clockwise starting top left: Jade Bydalek, Mioshi Ellison, & Brooke Adams-Porter ; Harrison Brietling, Khaseem Allison, & Bex Livingston; Rosie Stein, Amma Munashe Thomas, Jacob Allem, Leo Neyman, Devon Wood, Julie Weiner, & Iris Hills; Mathison Chicetawn & Lior Lefkovitz; TECH CREW: Kim Doan, Sophie Levitties, & Jack Oswald;.

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Crefeld Appreciates Your Support! Your gifts DO make a difference.

When you donate to Crefeld, it allows us to enhance academic programs and support the work of our faculty and staff. We encourage you to consider contributing to the Annual Fund if you haven’t sent in a gift this year. It’s easy to donate: simply mail in your gift or donate online via our website at crefeld.org/support.

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**All gifts received through 1/15/14

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Alumni Reunion: May 22, 23, & 24, 2014Come to the reunion! We promise to provide a fun-filled weekend of activities. Thursday night you’re invited to the Spring Arts Celebration. On Friday night, join an adults-only party in the school lobby (babysitting available) where you can mingle with your old friends (and make some new ones), and maybe even join in on the open mic/jam session. Saturday is a family-friendly day of fun on campus. Rumor has it that an all-ages game of CAPTURE THE FLAG is being planned, or perhaps you’d prefer to join the drum circle or reminisce in the archives (photo/yearbook) room. Just don’t miss out! If you did not receive a save the date postcard (see below), call Joan with your contact information - 215-242-5545.