Fall 2011 – Winter 2012 Updates
In the fall and winter since our 2011 reunion a few reports have trickled in. In October, Susie and Heidi got together. Susie had planned to attend the reunion, but was a late scratch. In December, Edie got tagged to be a “celebrity bell-ringer” in her adopted hometown of Columbus. In December, Polly and her husband Bob visited Portland for …
Read More“Mrs. Johnson” – an update on our 8th grade teacher
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A couple of times each year, Rick and Anne go to the Oregon coast and stay at the vacation home of good friends David Lifton (U High, class of ’70) and Beverly Wong. Directly across the street lives a very smart and friendly gal named Margo Glenn. When we were at Parker, we knew her as Mrs. Johnson, one of …
Read MoreSteve Levitt and the Beatles Ensemble perform for Chicago Marathon runners
I Saw Her Standing There/Back In The USSR In the never ending pursuit of the Beatles Ensemble to bring the music of the Beatles to the masses, this Old Town School of Folk Music ensemble performs at the 2011 Chicago Marathon. On this perfect autumn day the music inspired the runners and entertained the spectators. Oct. 9, 2011. Steve Levitt …
Read MoreUpdate from Steve Meyer
Steve was disappointed that he couldn’t make it to the reunion this year, and sends this report: It was so nice of Betsy, Rick, and Scott to keep me in the loop and allow me to experience the reunion vicariously. I have now reconnected with Scott Seidner, a very close friend from our Parker days. In fact, this Sunday we …
Read MoreReunion 2011: Recap
On a September weekend in 2011, the class of ’71 gathered in Chicago. Going in, we had no idea it would be such a moving experience. 33 of us took part and another 4 were last-minute scratches (see list below). As far as we know, it’s the most ever for a Parker 40th reunion. 4 hours Friday night, 3 hour workshop …
Read MorePrincipal Dan Frank on our Media Program workshop
Here’s what Parker principal Dan Frank wrote to the Parker faculty after attending our Media Program workshop with Bill Idol, part of Reunion 2011: Dear Faculty Colleagues: Here is a great story. A story about something that happened at the Parker Alumni Reunion this weekend. I would have preferred to tell you in person but we don’t have an opportunity …
Read MoreThe Wisdom of the Non-Rational: Revisiting Parker’s ‘Media Program’ 44 Years Later
It was Mr. Idol back then. In the 1967-68 school year, the Class of ’71 – as 9th graders – took part in Parker’s “Media Program,” which was a multimedia curriculum spearheaded by Bill Idol and taught by Bill and several other faculty members. In September of 2011, we gathered at the school with Bill (via Skype from New Zealand) to hear …
Read MoreEdie’s Story
These images tell the story of Edie Pattou Emery’s experience with books from childhood, through being a teenage at F. W. Parker School in Chicago, to adulthood and being an author of children’s literature. View the slideshow with larger images here. [set_id=72157627802247632]
Read MoreGardy Stern on Bill Idol’s “Propaganda” Class
As Gardy was unable to attend Reunion 2011, James Marienthal read this for him at the workshop held Saturday, September 24th, 2011, “The Wisdom of the Non-Rational: Revisiting Parker’s ‘Media Program’ 40 Years Later.” I was honored when asked to record a few of my recollections about the “media curriculum” program. I remember it as if it were yesterday; if …
Read MoreNote from Skip with cameo by Henry and Gardy
Skip can’t be with us for reunion this time, but sends this report: Greetings classmates. I wish I could join you this weekend, but events have conspired against it. I can’t believe I will miss the return of some old old friends that I have not seen in a long time, leaving me without the chance to ask Goldblatt what …
Read MoreNote from Robert DeBlois
Betsy got this note from Robert to share with us all: Betsy, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful invitation. Regretfully because of obligations that weekend at my irish pub [big home game] I will not be able to attend any of the festivities in Chicago. I have been thinking of all of you though recently with this 40th …
Read MoreNote from Elizabeth McCarthy
Betsy got this note from Elizabeth and got the OK to share it with us all. Betsy, Thank you for reaching out. I will be there, coming from northern California (Sebastopol) for my first reunion in … 40 years. My husband will join us for at least a bit of the weekend – he has other visiting to do in …
Read MoreNote from Crist
Crist Stevenson says he probably won’t be making it to reunion this time, but sent this note to update us on his move from the Chicago area to Iowa: I have been working as a clinical psychologist, divorced and dating here in the Quad Cities, for a little over two years. I like all aspects of the move, especially the …
Read MoreNote from Frank Koszyk
Jane Rosenbluth Baldwin has corresponded with Frank, who will be traveling and miss our 40th reunion, but shared an update for this website: It’s nice to hear from you and happy to know you are doing well. I’m happy to share as well. “Frank” – ?? I think people outside of FWP were calling me that and so before college …
Read More2011 Update from Jane Ellison
Jane sent us this update in August of 2011: I am unable to attend the reunion this year and hope it goes well. This past year, as you probably know, mom passed away after a difficult four years battling dementia. David and I and all our children plus our various spouses, met in Martha’s Vineyard to scatter both mom and …
Read MoreRicky’s 2011 Bio
Life as a Mashup All my life I’ve benefitted from odd combinations that have chosen to stick together. It began with my parents. My Dad was one of five sons in a Jewish immigrant family on the south side of Chicago. My mother’s parents were Baptist sharecroppers from Southern Indiana. They built on that mashup by getting the farm where …
Read MoreBetsy’s 2011 Update
Betsy writes: Still sailing (and won the women’s national championship which was wonderful), raised an enjoyable 23 year old who is working for AmeriCorps in Philly and begins his PhD in Shakespeare at Northwestern in the fall (we need another Shakespeare scholar?), have taken charge of my Dad’s care (he has dementia and doesn’t understand why he can’t continue to …
Read MoreJane Rosenbluth Baldwin’s 2011 Update
Jane has enjoyed sharing with her sons the excitement of the worlds Edie Pattou created in her books, thinking about the twisted beauty of the art Mary Hines makes, and joining the hordes of Steve Levitt’s fans at the Old Town School of Folk Music. She spent 15 years as an actively involved Parker parent, and has just resigned from the board of trustees. While …
Read MoreRemembering Robert
by Edie Pattou Emery My friendship with Robert began with a phone call in 9th grade. We were both in Latin class and one night he called to ask about homework. But he was a little nervous and when he said “This is Bobby” his voice cracked and to me it sounded like he said “This is Barley.” I said …
Read MoreBill Idol on tap for Reunion: here are your Propaganda mimeos
Ours was Mr. Idol’s last high school class. He’s excited to be joining us for reunion weekend. He will be bring with him some of the projects we created for his classes. (Yes, he’s kept them all these years…) To help get you in the mood, you can download Mr. Idol’s handouts from his Propaganda class, which trained us to recognize – …
Read More2011 Update from Isolde
Hi Everyone, I’d forgotten about this website and kept wondering, when I read the print version of FWP’s alumni news, why we never had any news there from our class. In brief, since the last reunion I attended [1991], I earned a PhD from Northwestern and now teach Communication at Hope College in Michigan. My husband of 33 years and …
Read MoreThe Story of Rod, Julie and David
This story comes from the 2005 Annual Report (PDF) of the Cradle Foundation, an adoption agency. Rod Nesbitt and Julie Parson-Nesbitt live in a comfortable, toy-filled home in Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood, an area known for its diversity. This is important to them because, as Rod explains, “our principles really are to be inclusive…that’s part of our family philosophy on …
Read MoreReunion Update: Using Google as a verb
Jane Rosenbluth Baldwin has been putting Google through its paces. Jane found a certain Karen Thanos living in Switzerland. Just the right age. Could it be the Karen that spent 9th and 10th grades with us? Yup, it’s her, and she still visits Chicago regularly to see her dad. She’s planning to make a visit to coincide with our reunion …
Read MoreNews from Gary Goldblatt
[Gary was part of our class in grade school] My family moved to Wilmette for my 6th grade. Graduated from New Trier in 1972. Played Varsity Football and ran track, Graduated Indiana University in 1976, Marketing/Adv degree. Married a Bloomington girl, Denise, still married after 35 years, moved to Cinci for first job then to San Francisco for another job. …
Read MoreKaren Thanos 2011 Update
Jane Rosenbluth Baldwin did some sleuthing on the Web and was able to track down Karen, who has been living in Europe for 30 years. Her dad still lives in Chicago, so she is hoping to make a visit that coincides with our reunion in September, 2011. Here are some excerpts from notes from Karen. I am living in Appenzell, Switzerland. …
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