COMMENCEMENT 2020
Class of 2020’s Last Day
By Emily Shen (IV) Blasting music in the senior area, taking selfies with their friends, and putting on their college shirts to show off their pride and incredible accomplishments––this was how the seniors imagined their last day to be like. However, given the current...
New Plans For Class of 2020 Graduation
By Meghan Durkin (V) Following NJ Governor Phil Murphy’s announcement that school closures would be extended through the end of June, Pingry needed to adjust plans for graduation, which was originally supposed to be held on June 7. While the traditional in-person...
Dear Pingry
By Brynn Weisholtz In this time, we are surrounded by unknowns, unsure of whatever comes next. The media outlets have analyzed this pandemic from every angle, scrutinizing each viewpoint… except, it seems, the positive one. It is with this sentiment I find myself...
Belonging
By Emily Sanchez I have a vivid memory of sitting in the senior area as a newly accepted eighth grader and listening to a panel of students talk about Pingry. It was the first time I had ever actually visited Pingry, and knowing absolutely no one, I was nervous out of...
The Legacy of the Class of 2020
By Burke Pagano When I look back on this past year, one memory of our grade comes to mind before any others. The grade began to funnel into Macrae Theater at 10 o’clock for a routine form meeting. A few seniors had the idea that we should get together as a grade to...
Student Body President Li Reflects on Time at Pingry
By Brian Li I did not want to come to Pingry. When I first received the phone call from the Admissions Office as an eighth-grader, I was ambivalent. The thought of being a new student in a new school in a new town was an incredibly daunting one. I remember the first...
Lewand Reflects on Her Time at Pingry
By Martha Lewand In my first journal assignment for Mr. Keating’s Freedom-Honors class, I defined what freedom means to me and how I exercise that freedom on a day to day basis. I wrote: “For me, freedom means having the ability to make choices. This feeling of...
Gu Reflects on Her Time at Pingry
By Victoria Gu As an eighth grader at Pingry, my time management skills were particularly poor. I spent too much time procrastinating each afternoon, causing me to start my homework late at night. I have only myself to blame for these habits, but the consequences were...
Faculty Departures
Longtime Lower School Teacher Homa Watts Retires
By Emma Drzala (V) After working at Pingry for thirteen years, Mrs. Homa Watts has announced that she will be stepping down from her position as a second grade teacher. Throughout her time at Pingry, Mrs. Watts has taught kindergarten, first grade, and second...
Ms. Haley Kost
By Kelly Cao (III) After two years, the Pingry Faculty must sadly say goodbye to Ms. Haley Kost, who has made the decision to depart Pingry to be closer with family. During her tenure, Ms. Kost has taught Form I history. Before arriving at Pingry, Ms. Kost worked at...
Ms. Patty Finn’s Departure From Lower School Music
By Emma Drzala (V) As the 2020-2021 school year comes to a close, Ms. Patty Finn has announced her retirement from the Lower School. After teaching at Pingry for thirty-seven years, Ms. Finn describes the Short Hills music room as her “happy...
Mrs. Schifano
By Julia Eng (III) After working for almost ten years at the Basking Ridge campus, Mrs. Schifano is leaving Pingry. Before joining the school, she received her B.A. at Villanova University and shortly thereafter began working at a talent agency with newscasters,...
Mr. Dennis Pearlstein to Depart Pingry
By Dean Koenig (V) Mr. Dennis Pearlstein has written and directed fantastic plays and musicals over his time at Pingry, but most importantly, he has taught and mentored the students here since 2007. After 13 years, he is departing from Pingry. Mr. Pearlstein began his...
Pingry Says Goodbye to Ms. Susan Conklin
By Ashleigh Proovost (IV) This year, we must say goodbye to Ms. Susan Conklin, Pingry’s Academic Support Coordinator and Learning Specialist. On the Basking Ridge campus, Ms. Conklin could always be found in the hallway with a smile on her face, or in her office...
Mr. Crowley Delman to Leave Pingry
By Brooke Pan (V) After nearly thirty years in the Pingry community as both a student and a teacher, Mr. Crowley-Delman is leaving to further his interests in the outdoors. Having largely taught in the humanities department, Mr. Crowley-Delman will be shifting his...
Dr. Reid Pritchett to Leave Pingry
By Mirika Jambudi After serving as Dean of Faculty for Teaching and Learning, Dr. Reid Prichett will be leaving Pingry to take the next step in his career. He was tasked with nurturing the faculty's ongoing professional growth and developed the Assessment for Growth...
Ms. Eva Ostrowsky to Leave Pingry
By Meghan Durkin (V) Ms. Eva Ostrowsky, who began teaching at Pingry in 2011, is leaving at the end of this school year. Before coming to Pingry, she earned her B.A. at Cornell University, where she was captain of the Field Hockey team. After college, she...
Mr. Freiwald to Depart Pingry after 32 Years
By Eva Schiller (V) This year, the Pingry community must bid Visual Arts Teacher Mr. Freiwald (affectionately known as “Frei” by his students) farewell as he enters retirement. During a 32-year career at Pingry, Mr. Freiwald has taught a myriad of art classes...
Mr. LaValette to Leave Pingry After 41 Years
By Noah Bergam (V) After 41 years at Pingry, beloved Upper School German teacher and former Head of the World Languages Department Norman LaValette is retiring this year. Mr. LaValette (often referred to by students as “Herr LaV” or simply “LaV”) is known for his...
Lower School Spanish Teacher Ms. Yorkshire Departs Pingry After 25 years
By Monica Chan (V) Lower School Spanish teacher Ms. Matty Yorkshire will be leaving Pingry after a 25 year stay at the Short Hills campus. Her passion for teaching Spanish language and culture to Pingry’s youngest students has remained an integral part of Lower...