Reunion 2011

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Alumni Reunion Weekend - Official WebsiteSeptember 23rd through 25th in Chicago

Show up. It really is that simple. We want to see you.

But we do need a head count for food and beverages. The costs for our events has been added to the event rundown below. If the cost will be a barrier to you being able to attend, simply send Rick an email (and let us know which events we’ll see you at). That way we’ll have enough supplies on hand.

2 Ways to Register

  • You can call Parker’s development office at 773.797.5520 to register (during business hours).
  • Finally, you can send Rick an email and optionally bring a check (made out to Parker School) to the event. With the check option you can pay on a sliding scale (pay what you can afford).

Either way, let us know which events you plan to attend. In the right column of this email is a list of classmates who plan to attend reunion. If your name is in the list but you haven’t yet registered, please do so. To check if you have registered, visit this page at the FWP website.

For more than two thirds of our lives, we’ve been out of high school. Whether you spent one year at FWP or fourteen, your Parker friends feel more like cousins than classmates. It’s time to catch up with those old friends. The 10s are the big reunions; you don’t want to wait another 10 years to see your friends. We will have a great turnout. See who’s coming (below).

Jane, Ephraim, Betsy, Edie, Carmela, Henry and Ricky are helping to pull this together, but we could use your help to make sure each classmate gets a personal invitation. Can you contact someone who you would like to see?

We hope to see you in September.

FWP Info

See the official FWP Reunion webpage for details of school-wide events, including campus tours, class visits, a soccer game, etc. These are fun opportunities for a nostalgic walk around the school with old friends.

Our Events

  • Note Change of venue: Friday evening at about 7:45 pm we’ll gather for an informal dinner at The Indian Grill Restaurant, 2258 N Clark St. – across the street from Parker, 3 doors South of Belden. Cost: $30 per person Including beverages, but not tip. Please bring cash. (This will follow the all-classes Welcome Home Reception which begins at 6 pm at the school.)
  • Saturday at 10 am, join us for “The Wisdom of the Non-Rational: Revisiting Parker’s ‘Media Program’ 40 Years Later.” Members of the Class of ’71, who – as 9th graders – took part in the media curriculum spearheaded by Bill Idol in the late 60s, will be making a presentation on the program, share stories of what they’ve done in the years since, and talk about how the Media Program impacted their lives. The presentation will include news articles written about the program (see a Chicago Daily News story from November, 1967, which quotes Carmela, Skip, Susan and Gardy) as well as a slideshow from the instructor, Bill Idol, who hopes to join the presentation from New Zealand by way of a Skype teleconference! (Bill Idol had to cancel his plans to be with us in-person because of a family health issue).
  • Saturday night at 6 pm will be our main event. We’ll be at the home of Jane Rosenbluth Baldwin and David Baldwin, 3708 N Janssen Ave. Parking in Jane’s neighborhood requires a sticker. Stickers will be at her front door. She is happy to mail you one if you let her know by Tuesday evening, at jrb3708@gmail.com. And she’ll bring some along on Friday night; just ask for one. Cost: $50 per person.
  • Sunday at 11 am we’ll have brunch at Betsy’s. If you can join us for a walk to Belmont Harbor and surrounding parks prior to the brunch, meet us at Betsy’s place at 9:30 am. Betsy’s address is 3300 N Lake Shore Dr #7C. Cost: $35 per person.

Hotels

Hotel rooms are being held at reduced rates. Just let the hotel know that you want a room held for Francis W. Parker School. Please make your reservations early, and encourage your classmates to do the same, as there are a limited number of rooms in each block.

Belden-Stratford Hotel ($159/night + tax)
2300 Lincoln Park West
Chicago, IL
www.beldenstratford.com
800-800-6261
The Seneca Hotel ($139/night + tax)
200 East Chestnut St.
Chicago, IL
www.senecahotel.com
773-787-8900


To update your status shown here, please leave a reply below or email Rick.

Attending

  • Barry Witlin
  • Betsy Bergan
  • Bill Henner
  • Bill Marks
  • Bruce Hodo
  • Carmela Rago
  • David Henner
  • Edie Pattou Emery
  • Ephraim Grier
  • Elizabeth McCarthy
  • Gary Goldblatt
  • George Joosten
  • Gib McCutcheon
  • Heidi Ellison
  • Isolde Anderson (Koenig)
  • James Marienthal
  • Jane Rosenbluth Baldwin
  • Janet Barsy
  • Jill Rosenzweig Epstein
  • Jill Ratner
  • Joel Hoffman
  • John Pink
  • Karen Thanos
  • Kate Markin Coleman
  • Mary Hines Bendix
  • Nancy Blank Hammonds
  • Nat Mauldin
  • Polly Kuehn (Ramstack)
  • Rick Ray
  • Robert Meltzer
  • Scott Seidner
  • Steven Lloyd
  • Todd Chapin

Likely

  • Steve Levitt

We’re Hoping…

  • Beth Leonard
  • Joel Pond

Regrets

  • Crist Stevenson
  • Francis “Frank” Koszyk
  • Gardy Stern
  • Henry Davis
  • Jane Ellison
  • Linda Pritzker
  • Melissa Shifflett
  • Skip Herman
  • Steve Meyer
  • Susan Fried
  • Robert DeBlois
  1. Polly Ramstack Kuehn04-05-2011

    Bob and I plan on attending. I just made hotel reservations today. I don’t know what to expect and am looking forward to it!

    • Rick Ray04-05-2011

      Yay, Polly! Looking forward to seeing you. Should be great fun.

    • Jane Rosenbluth Baldwin04-06-2011

      Polly, that’s great news! Bring pictures of your family.

  2. Gib McCutcheon04-29-2011

    Say, I am the only EXPELLED class member intending to attend? Great seeing Bill Idol on the marquee. So nice having Betsy call offering me free lodging at Ambassador East just to sweeten the pot. Looking forward to catching up on all our entertaining misfortunes.

    • Rick Ray04-29-2011

      Ha! So excited that you’ll be a part of this. Definitely ups the ante!

    • Rick Ray05-20-2011

      Um, Nat will be at reunion, so you’ll need to share the “bad boy” honors.

  3. Scott Seidner07-29-2011

    I will be there in September. It’s been over 42 years for me since I left after 10th grade. Can’t think of anything clever to write but am looking forward to that weekend.

    • Rick Ray07-29-2011

      Yay, Scott! Looking forward to seeing you.

    • Jane Rosenbluth Baldwin08-22-2011

      Scott! That’s great news. See you soon.

  4. Todd Chapin09-02-2011

    Looking forward to the Parker events!

  5. David Henner09-11-2011

    Ricky,

    I see you have me in the “likely” column. Please move me into the “attending” column. I can’t wait to see everyone there!
    David

    • Rick Ray09-11-2011

      Excellent news, David!

  6. bill marks09-16-2011

    If non-official alums are allowed, I’ll be there. Looking forward to picking up where we left off when I departed after 10th grade.

    • Rick Ray09-16-2011

      Yay, Bill! You had several people asking whether you’d make it.

      The list of classmates that departed (moved, transferred or mysteriously disappeared) before graduating is a long one. Several will be with us for reunion: Nat, Gib, Betsy, George and Karen, and from grade school, Mary, Jill and possibly Gary. These are off the top of my head. I’m sure I’ve left out someone.

  7. Bruce Hodo09-19-2011

    We registered on the 9th of September, so I’m unsure as to why my name isn’t on the list. But we’ll be there Friday, maybe Saturday at Jane’s, and maybe Sunday at Betsy’s.

    40 YEARS!!!!!!

    AAARRRGGGHHH!

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