On Sunday, 27 October, more than 350 members of the ASL community came together to participate in the School's biggest community outreach event.

ASL parent and Community Service Day organizer Hattie Hartman writes, “This was one of our best service days ever. Fortunately the storm held off and the sun was shining when hundreds of volunteers headed out to 12 different partner sites. We volunteered in excess of 1,500 hours, undertaking tasks that full-time workers at the facilities we visited do not have time for or the budget to achieve—painting, sorting, weeding, planting, cleaning, building and rubbish collection. The partner sites included a care home for the elderly, a nursery, several wildlife copses, a drop-in center and shelters for the homeless and abused.”
 
The day saw many smiles—most importantly, on the faces of those benefiting from the volunteers' labors. A special mention to ASL's rugby team, who worked together at the American Church Soup Kitchen, and to the extraordinary work done by the team at Solace Women’s Aid.

Hartman continues, “ASL parent Lynette Smith and her group achieved wonders—clearing out a playroom sorely in need of a facelift. The playroom was cleaned and decorated, all the toys and books were sorted into new shelves and containers, and the group painted a magnetic chalkboard and a play kitchen mural on one wall. They also carved a pumpkin to bring Halloween cheer to the children!”

ASL parent Julie Carlin-Sasaki said, “As an ASL parent for five years and a London resident for 15, I admit I don't take a lot of time to meet new people or take on new experiences, besides my involvement in the ICC. At the Community Service Day, I met a family who recently arrived in London with kids the same ages/grades as when we transferred to ASL. It was fun to hear about their perspectives on ASL, life in London and being new to the School. We chatted while we worked. The three students (Grade 12, Grade 11 and Grade 8) talked a lot and fooled around (just a little bit) comfortably. Kudos to the Grade 8 student who jumped right in with two HS site leaders that know each other well. I am so glad I did it.”

“Particularly important this year was the increased leadership shown by high school site leaders in organizing the projects,” said Hartman. “It was a really great day for all involved. Thanks for all the hard work!”

To view photos from the day, watch the slideshow.

The next Community Service Day takes place Sunday, 23 March 2014.

On the eve before Election Day in Washington, DC, more than 60 alumni, parents of alumni, and former faculty and staff gathered at the University Club for the annual ASL reception in the US capital. Twenty classes were represented at the party, from 1961 through 2011, and former students shared memories and raised glasses while catching up with Head of School Coreen R. Hester.

Among those in attendance were former HS Principal Clayton Lewis (ASL 1980-94), Emily Wasley Seyller ’00, Claire Olszewski ’06 and her mom, Patty P ’99 ’96, Jim Bexfield ’61, Scott Kaufman ’68, Robert Jenny ’91, Sarah Holmes ’77, and Sara Kushma ’09. Long may this tradition in the “District” continue!

On Friday, 10 January, we welcomed alumni back into the ASL fold during the School’s annual Homecoming celebration. Festivities kicked off bright and early when members of student council greeted students, teachers and parents with satsumas (because they’re orange, of course!) to help spread school cheer.

In the Commons that afternoon, seniors helped themselves to Dominos pizza while hearing from an alumni panel on tips for making the most out of college and life beyond ASL. Special thanks to our participants: Kamillah Brandes ’13, Billy Kennedy ’13, Rebecca Lambden ’09 and Paige Norris ’13.

Later, droves of basketball fans (including Eagle!) turned up to the Farmer Family Gymnasium to watch the alumni vs. faculty basketball game.

High school students practiced their face-painting skills on eager fans! 

Smarting from their defeat last year, the faculty team of Ryan Steege, Rich Harris, Ivan Hauck, Mat Jones, John Farmer ’97, Erik Niemi, Geoff Richman, Joanna Smith, Marisa Haylett and Alex Afsahi was ready to meet the challenge of their opponents, Blaise Cohen ’12, A.M. Dupee ’03, Luke Gilbert ’12, Carlo Marsaglia ’12, Ethan Phillips ’12 and Aboudi Qattan ’12. For the first time in recent memory, faculty defeated alums in a 26-16 win.

The faculty alumni game was followed by varsity basketball matches against ACS Cobham.

After the games, alumni joined faculty and friends at an evening reception at the Salt House. Guests included Craig Nakan ’99, Marty ’86 and Danielle (Renaud) Cornelius ’87, Patrick Benz ’98, Jonathan Woollard ’00, Ms. Hamadache (ASL 1985-present), Leila Qattan ’07, Aboudi Qattan ’12 and Katie Farrell ’01.

Thanks to all who helped make Homecoming ’14 memorable!

Congratulations to the team of alumni involved with the film Dirty Wars, which has earned an Oscar nomination! The thrilling documentary about the covert operations of the Joint Special Operations Command was co-written by David Riker ’81, produced in part by Brenda Coughlin ’89 and received sponsorship from Danny Coughlin ’81. Dirty Wars won a prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and has been praised as a “gripping, compelling and totally convincing” movie. Visit http://dirtywars.org/ to learn more.

Photo credits: Lillian Reid Photography

“Everyone played guitars during lunch breaks or in the Commons after school, so that’s how I got started.” Chris Jamison ’02 recalls his early immersion into music when, as a new Grade 11 student at ASL, he happily discovered that his classmates thought singing and songwriting were cool and not the wimpy stuff of his rural Virginia hometown. Chris’s new buddies taught him basic chords and songwriting structure, and a year later, he and his fledgling music group, Bones, performed live for the first time at ASL’s Battle of the Bands. “ASL was the catalyst,” he said. Now, this contemporary folk artist writes, records and performs music full-time in northern Arizona. Chris’s fourth and latest album, “Sleeping with the T.V. On,” was recently included in the Austin Chronicle’s Top Ten of 2013. “My pen is getting sharper,” Chris explained when asked how this record differs from his earlier work. “These songs are about right now. These are songs happening around us whether we tune into them or turn the channel.” He endeavors to write music as openly and honestly as he can in the hope of touching on the stories, meanings and emotions that are in everyone. His strategy is certainly working; critics have praised his sound as “beautifully mellow” with the “soulfulness of Paul Simon.” As his music career takes off, Chris remains grateful for the travel and opportunities that his time at ASL afforded him. “The ecology trip to South Africa with Mr. Kenney was one of the most amazing experiences of my life,” Chris enthused. Above all, he is appreciative for the freedom of expression he enjoyed at ASL to write music and find his voice. To read more about Chris or download his music, visit his website.

On Thursday, 30 January, Head of School Coreen R. Hester P ’02 ’04 (ASL 1995-97, 2007-present) and former LS Principal Julie Ryan (ASL 1994-2013) helped welcome more than 75 alumni, past parents, current teachers and former faculty and staff to our Boston ASL reception at Hampshire House in Beacon Hill. Enthusiastic guests included Class of 2013 pals Deirdre Ely, Alex Ericksen, Dana Landman and Kelly Morrison; longtime friends Libby Eustis and Tucker Smith, both Class of ’69; and dozens of other past students, such as siblings Mark Corrigan ’75 and Corinne (Corrigan) Daniels ’77. Among the past parents who attended the party were Doug and Karen Grip P ’12 ’14, Bill Plapinger and Cassie Murray P ’06 ’09, Margaret Mellon P ’94 ’95 ’98 and Cynthia Larson Richard ’05 ’07. New principals Susan Young (ASL 2013-present) and Jack Phillips (ASL 2013-present) introduced themselves to the crowd, and former faculty such as Bill and Alice Iacuessa P ’82 (ASL 1979-2000) and John Smithies P ’13 ’18 (ASL 2002-13) recalled what makes ASL such a special community. Thanks for joining us in Beantown! We look forward to the next reunion.

Members of the ASL advancement office have been California dreamin’ since hosting our West Coast alumni receptions in February. From San Francisco to LA, more than 100 alumni, past parents and former faculty/staff turned out to reminisce and raise a glass to their tenure at ASL. At Café des Amis in San Francisco, special guests Coreen R. Hester P ‘02 ’04 (ASL 1995-97, 2007-present) and Julie Ryan (ASL 1994-2013) greeted former students, parents and colleagues, including Judith Glickman (ASL 1992-98),

(Judith Glickman and Coreen Hester)

Nancy and Chuck Dodson (ASL 1973-2001), Jaime Dominguez (ASL 1997-2005), Molly and Sandy Ashford P ’09 ’11 ’16 with sons Alec ’09 and Stuart ’16, Karen and George Rathman P ’02 ’04 and daughters Meghan ’02 and Sarah ’04,

(The Rathmans: George, Sarah, Karen, and Meghan)

Sheila (Barry) Kennedy ’01 and husband Shane,

(Shane and Sheila Kennedy)

Carolynn Crabtree ’02, Nick Grandy ’96, Greg Marcoux ’06, and the Robinson family: Natasha (Seth) ’98 and Keith ’93, Donna ’91 and husband Tim Frank, and Jo Ann and John P ’91 ’93.

(Tim Frank, John Robinson, Chuck Dodson, Donna (Robinson) Frank, Jo Ann Robinson, Keith Robinson, and Nancy Dodson)

It was a special reunion indeed. The fun continued in Santa Monica on Wednesday, 19 February, when we welcomed guests at Josie Restaurant, where chef Josie Le Balch’s husband is alumnus Frank Delzio ’73! Among the attendees saying hi to Coreen, Julie, and the Dodsons were Shirley and Ellis Fields GP ’08 ’10 ’14,

(Shirley and Ellis Fields)

Liam Brown P ’21, Wendy Lawless ’78, Patrick Mahany (ASL 1999-2011) and Tonglin Xia (ASL 2004-11), Aya Yoshida ’85 and Andrew Pease ’97.

(Julie Ryan, Coreen Hester, Patrick Mahany, Tonglin Xia, Aya Yoshida and Andrew Pease)

Sunny weather, successful parties—what more could we ask for? Thanks to all who attended our events.

“Observe. Educate. Build.” This is the mantra of Cornerstone Reputation, the newly launched company of Carolynn Crabtree ’02. With a mission to teach teens how to use the Internet safely and powerfully, Cornerstone Reputation provides services and mentorship to help students prepare their online reputation for the college admissions process. Back when she was at ASL, Carolynn and her peers didn’t have to worry too much about their virtual selves. “The Internet was where I went to email my older siblings at college, stay in touch with friends and do lots of research for school projects,” she recalled. As for texting and tweeting, forget it. “My cell phone was the size of a Walkie Talkie!” The evolution of technology and social media has rapidly changed the landscape for students since Carolynn graduated, first from ASL and then from Princeton, where she majored in art history. Navigating these web tools can be tricky and can often lead to unwelcome consequences. “The biggest Internet danger teens face now is their false sense of anonymity,” explains Carolynn. “Nothing you post online is impermanent or anonymous.” In fact, web content is up for grabs to everyone, including college admissions officers. Thus, Carolynn and her Cornerstone team work to educate students about how to make smarter choices online while at the same time, empowering them to build a web presence that enhances their candidacy for college. “The Internet can be a tool to show a 3D, creative and interesting version of yourself,” she enthused. Cornerstone brings together experts from college admissions, online reputation management and high school educators to support their college admission service, mentoring program and efforts to tackle cyberbullying. “Our goal is to lay the foundation of healthy teen Internet use,” sums up Carolynn. Well said! Want to learn more about Cornerstone Reputation and how it works? Watch this infographic or visit the website.

On Wednesday, 5 March, ASL parents past and present welcomed journalist and author Celia Dodd to campus for a special presentation, “the empty nest.” This inaugural Speakers Series event, the first to be hosted by the Parents of Alumni Committee, addressed the emotional and often difficult transition parents undergo when their adult children leave home for college, work or other long-term commitments. Dodd, a relationship writer and veteran empty nester, shared the heartache she endured when saying goodbye to her California-bound son years ago, while also offering tips and strategies for embracing this chapter in parenting. Dodd’s insightful lecture inspired laughter, sympathy and camaraderie among the 40+ attendees. She also fielded questions from the audience following her presentation. The Parents of Alumni committee supports the advancement office in creating meaningful programming for local parents of alumni. Want to get involved? Email alumni@asl.org to learn more.

Yee-haw! While deep in the heart of Texas last week to host ASL receptions in Houston and Austin, Head of School Coreen Hester, Advancement Director William Vaughan and Alumni Director Libby Jones celebrated with more than 100 alumni, past parents and former faculty/staff. Houstonians from the Classes of 1969 through 2008 caught up at RDG Bar Annie on Friday, 28 March, including Chris Brown ’08, Dave Hughes ’06, Josh Hoffman ’06,

(Chris Brown, Dave Hughes, Kate Murphy, Josh Hoffman)

past parents Meyer and Beatrice Bengio P ’10, Steve and Gino Coulom P ’19 and daughter Stella,

(Meyer and Beatrice Bengio, Stella '19, Gino and Steve Coulom)

sisters Niki (Moyers) Gregg ’95 and Jenny Moyers ’98,

(Niki and Jenny Moyers)

and 1978 and 1979 classmates Scott Mason '79, Joni Miller '78, Richard Dixon '79, Craig Cook '78 and Julie (Orser) Odermatt '78.

(Scott Mason, Julie Odermatt, Richard Dixon, Craig and Alicia Cook, Julie Odermatt)

The following evening on Saturday, 29 March, 30 guests gathered in Austin’s historic Driskill hotel for the first-ever ASL alumni event in the Texas capital. Cassandra Shankman ’10, Kelly Klingseisen ’04,

(Cassandra Shankman and Kelly Klingseisen)

John Loggie ’88, Martica Lager Foy ’65, 

(John and Jeanne Loggie, Robert and Martica Foy)

Jordan Brunger '81, Natalie Freeburg ’81, Shannon Kennedy ’94 and Serena (Kennedy) Townsend ’90 were among the alumni reminiscing.

(Jordan Brunger, Brian Ferguson, Natalie Freeburg, Shannon and Serena Kennedy)

Thank you, ASL Texans! We had a terrific time.

William Powers ’16 with Richard Powers P ’13 ’16

Delegates from the advancement office recently returned from a wonderful East Coast alumni tour in Connecticut and New York City. We extend a heartfelt thank you to Emilie and Richard Powers P ’13 ’16 for hosting nearly 50 alumni, past parents and former faculty for an ASL family brunch at their home in Greenwich, CT, on Sunday, 28 April.

Julie Ryan (ASL 1994-2013), Mark, Bri ’18 and Patty Eagan P ’11 ’12 ’18

Andy Lubin ’72 and Charles Scudder ’64

The following evening in Manhattan, more than 120 guests basked in their ASL pride at a reception held at the Yale Club.

Sara Molinaro ’05 and 2009 alumni Lily Bennett, Beatrice Moller and Michael Molinaro

Colin McKechnie P ’06 ’07 ’10, John and Becky Lindon P ’06 ’07 ’12, Coreen Hester, Dee McKechnie P ’06 ’07 ’10 and Elizabeth Ryan P ’05 ’08 ’08

Class of 1993 alumni Vanessa Bartko and Coye Nokes

Special guests Coreen Hester and former LS Principal Julie Ryan (ASL 1994-2013) caught up with former students, parents and teachers. Alumni events are always special occasions, and we're grateful to all who turned out to make these reunions so rewarding!

Last week, ASL celebrated the 63rd anniversary of its founding on a day aptly known to our community as Founder’s Day. This is an occasion to recognize ASL’s first Head of School, Stephen L. Eckard, and celebrate all that has followed in glorious succession from his initial class of 13 students whom he taught in his Knightsbridge flat. Students learned about Eckard and other highlights of ASL’s history on Friday, 9 May, during special assemblies led by Head of School Coreen R. Hester. The High School heard a recording of the foundation stone laying ceremony from 1970, which marked the beginning of the building work on our current St. John’s Wood campus.

Eagle, who became ASL’s official mascot in 1960, visited LS students during recess to spread enthusiasm and good cheer. While everyone enjoyed birthday cake at lunch, this was not the only treat delivered on Founder’s Day. Students were given a pair of goggles to mark ASL’s next great milestone, the launch of our New Frontiers capital campaign. New Frontiers will help grow our endowment, transform our campus with new state-of-the-art facilities, and yes, provide us with new opportunities to wear goggles! Whether you sport them in a science lab, an art studio or a swimming pool, it’s exciting to be part of ASL history. Happy birthday, ASL! Our past is great, and our future is bright.

On Tuesday, 13 May, more than 150 ASL parents gathered for a cocktail reception at Winfield House, the residence of the US Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, hosted by Ambassador and Mrs. Barzun P ’20 ’24. Since its founding in 1951, ASL has been privileged to enjoy a special relationship with the Ambassador and the US Embassy at large. Some of the school’s earliest students were invited to play sports on the lawn of Winfield House prior to the School having its own facilities. Two past ambassadors, Ambassador David Bruce (1961-69) and Ambassador Walter Annenberg (1969-74) participated in ceremonies surrounding the opening of our St. John’s Wood campus. And when President Reagan visited the UK to attend the 10th G7 summit in 1984, ASL’s concert band students were asked to perform for the President on the Winfield House terrace. Both Ambassador Barzun and Head of School Coreen R. Hester toasted this long history as well as the current ASL community, who are integral to the strength of our school. Thank you to Ambassador and Mrs. Barzun for a memorable evening!

Teacher, coach, PE director, legend. After almost half a century of service to ASL, and coaching nearly as many teams, Bob Carter is hanging up his whistle and retiring for good at the end of the school year. We asked Bob a few questions about his experiences over the years. From Camden Town to Canons Park, his answers offer a peek into his long and special association with ASL.

In your 45 years at ASL, what do you consider to be your most memorable day at work? I have had a wealth of outstanding experiences working with a truly amazing group of colleagues and students, right up to the present time. However, I still remember my first day at ASL in the spring of 1969, when I was hired as a substitute teacher. The High School was then situated at the Working Men’s College in Mornington Crescent, near Camden Town. I remember standing on the stage, being introduced to 300+ young Americans, and wondering what was happening to me. I still remember many of those (now somewhat older) young people, and have kept in touch over the years with some of them. I remember on a recent alumni trip to America chatting with three of those students who graduated in the early 70s, and the main topic of conversation was retirement—theirs, not mine.

There are several urban legends surrounding the genesis of ASL’s school colors, orange and black. Are you able to set the record straight for us? When I first joined ASL, the school colors were red, white and blue, the same as almost all of our sporting opponents. Eddie Hufford (ASL 1963-2005), who was head of PE and also athletic director, had bought a new red and white basketball uniform for the boys’ team. However, before it was used, we had a small fire in the PE office at the Working Men’s College, and the uniforms, being nylon, melted. Eddie and I quickly visited a local sports shop in Camden Town, where the only uniforms we could get off the shelf were orange. We bought these, and after a while realized that nobody else played in orange and black, so the colors stuck. Some years ago, the School hired a company to revisit the whole area of colors and mascot, but in the end it all remained the same. I suppose we must have got it right.

If you could relive any ASL sports match, what would it be? Where to start? Thirty-seven years coaching the soccer teams, as well as track and field for a short period in the ’70s, leaves a whole host of memories, not to mention serving as ASL’s first-ever softball coach. I even led a volleyball team for two years before someone far more competent than I took it over. More recently, who will ever forget the 2014 ISST swim meet in the Olympic pool in Stratford? What an experience for all participants and spectators. I think winning five ISST soccer championships is something I will never forget, especially the first in 1971, as that was ASL’s first ISST trophy. We also won in 1979, 1989, 1994 and 2000. I also have vivid memories of a couple of losing tournaments. In 1988, we had one of our strongest varsity boys’ soccer teams ever, and I was confident we would do well. The tournament was in Paris, where we started well and won our division. In the quarter-final, we played Cairo and dominated the game from start to finish, hitting the woodwork on numerous occasions. The Cairo goalkeeper was the man of the match; he saved everything. Unfortunately, a few minutes from extra time, Cairo broke away and scored. We finished the tournament in fifth place with a record of 4 wins, 1 loss and a goal tally of 18-1. That goal against Cairo was the only one we conceded. There was a similar situation in 1999, when we played Cobham in the semi-final in Vienna. We had beaten them comfortably twice during the season and felt ready to repeat those victories. But it was not to be. We tied 1-1 after extra time, and then lost the penalty shoot-out 5-4. Of course, the winning times stand out most, but I can remember almost all 36 soccer tournaments I coached whether we won or lost, and all of them are special in one way or another. I still remember many of the players, and even wrote college recommendations for two of our opponents, including the Cobham goalkeeper who saved the penalty against us in ’99! Finally, I must not forget my coaching partner and great friend Martin Hackett (ASL 1986-2010), who worked with me and varsity boys for almost 20 years. Would I go through all of that again? Yes, without a doubt. Strange that those defeats are still printed on my memory the same as all the victories.

What has been the biggest change ASL has undergone during your tenure? When I first came to ASL, the School was situated in three separate buildings around Regent’s Park: Gloucester Gate, York Gate and York Terrace. None of these had adequate athletic facilities, and PE classes were held in Regent’s Park, weather permitting, or various minute gymnasiums around the Marylebone area. The opening of the St. John’s Wood campus in 1971 made a vast difference to all aspects of ASL life. Suddenly, we had showers, offices and carpeted locker rooms. ASL boasted one of the finest gymnasium facilities in London and the School was in great demand from all manner of schools, clubs and even professional and international teams. What more could we ask for? Professional basketball teams played their home games in our gym, as did the US women’s Olympic volleyball team against Japan prior to the ’84 Olympics in LA. Even Elton John wanted to be part of it and performed two gym concerts in the mid 70s.Who will forget those? The addition of the High School in 2000 was also a school-changing event. Traumatic, but well worth it in the long run. Another game-changer was the purchase of Canons Park in the early 90s, which provided ASL sports teams with their own campus. Finally, ASL has a much wider international community than when I first started.

What do you hope your legacy will be at ASL? Difficult one! I hope that at least some of my ex-PE and soccer students learned something. I always tried to make classes enjoyable and goals attainable for all students, whatever their level of achievement. I feel that having spent 45 years at ASL as teacher, coach and administrator I must have done something right, or I would not still be here. I have enjoyed virtually every minute of my time at ASL, and have met and remain friends with some wonderful people, both colleagues and students. Don’t think you have seen the last of me yet!

Tarek Azwai '05 with Somnath Menon P '05 '09

More than 100 friends, family members and supporters turned out to London’s South Bank on Sunday, 8 June to join a walk in memory of ASL alumnus Rudy Menon ’05. Rudy was an accomplished young man who tragically lost his life last year to Gliomatosis Cerebri, a rare form of brain cancer. Stretching along the Thames from Westminster to Tower Bridges, the walk aimed to raise funds and awareness for treatment of this disease as well as to honor Rudy’s remarkable legacy. Participants included Rudy’s brother, Arjun ’09, his parents, Somnath and Vidhu, alumnus Tarek Azwai ’05, Deepa Mer P ’13, LS Creative Arts Assistant Teacher Preeti Nalwa P ’09 ’14, and advancement team colleagues Laurie Hindley (ASL 2006-present) and Libby Jones (ASL 2012-present). The weather was gloriously sunny as the group traversed the river bank, smiles beaming and hopes soaring.

Rudy and Arjun's mom, Vidhu P '05 '09, stands on the far left with friends

 Rudy's brother, Arjun '09

We extend a special thank you to the ASL community for helping to make Rudy’s walk such an encouraging and memorable event.

Read more to learn about Rudy and how you can help.

Bhupendra with Class '14 senior girls, left to right: Audrey Leland, Lena Youness and Riley Henderson

Among the farewells and final moments that underscored the end of their senior year, one goodbye was particularly poignant for the Class of 2014 to bid. Access Control Officer Bhupendra Patel has been an integral part of student life at ASL since he joined the staff in 1998. Greeting students and parents at Waverley Place Reception every morning, he knows hundreds of kids who have come and gone from our school community. But Bhupendra had a special relationship with the 2014 seniors because he has known several of them since they were K1 and K2 children. “They’re nice people,” he explained shortly after their graduation. That’s why, in their last week of school, Bhupendra presented them with graduation gifts: homemade ASL ID cards collaged with school photos and the name of the university they will attend. The project took him three months to complete, and the seniors were incredibly touched. Proudly wearing their ID badges at their graduation rehearsal, the students, in turn, gave Bhupendra a poster that they had all signed with notes of gratitude. “Thank you for being my school protector for the past 14 years!” wrote Riley Henderson ’14. “Bhup, I love you,” penned several students. The poster remained on display at WPR for several days, serving as a testament to Bhupendra’s wonderful, steadfast service to everyone at ASL, and the high regard in which he holds the students under his care. “My favorite part of the job is greeting people,” he said, adding that the seniors “…promised me they would visit.” Come back soon, Class of 2014! We look forward to welcoming your return to campus.

Members of the Class of 1982, along with their kids, partners and friends, pose for a photo outside of school

Thirteen alumni, 9 guests, 3 former teachers, 2 pubs, 1 school tour…all on the 4th of July! This past weekend, members of the Class of 1982 gathered in London from all corners of the world to collectively celebrate their 50th birthdays. This much-anticipated reunion, organized by “El Capitan” Bill McCarrick, provided a chance for classmates to return to campus and revisit fond memories (as well as the old stomping grounds). Several alumni brought along their families and partners to partake in the revelry. A tour of ASL on 4 July kicked off the festive weekend. After marveling at the School Center and renovated Farmer Family Gymnasium, the group made their way to the Salt House for a special happy hour. They were joined by former faculty Bob Carter (ASL 1969-2014), Paul Morton (ASL 1963-1997) and Tim Watson (ASL 1973-2007). Visiting with these beloved teachers was the true highlight of the evening.

Catching up with former teachers, left to right: Sue Katzen, woodworking teacher Tim Watson, Steve Seligson, P.E. teacher and coach Bob Carter, Katie Butler and Sara Brombart

Neal Coble, Courtney Winfree, Bill McCarrick and former math teacher Paul Morton

Following a few hours of talking and toasting, the Class of 1982 continued the party at the Holly Bush in Hampstead. The next day was filled with sightseeing, capped off with a dinner cruise down the Thames. It was a birthday to remember, for America and for these energetic alumni! We are grateful ASL remains such a significant, unifying part of their story.

Cheers to the Class of 1982!