A
Holding a Steady Course...
Zoom by Jayleana Borges, OSS 5th Grader
At OSS we zoom into reading. We go right for it and don’t stop! We get great
ideas for our writing through reading and we have great imaginations. Us girls are
focused and concentrated because of our teachers and tutors. We thank them for
everything , they are the ones to get us to read more. We learn about nouns, verbs,
adjectives, and adverbs. It helps us with our writing. We learn about interesting facts
and new words. It helps us with our reading. At OSS we zoom into reading. We go
right for it and don’t stop! Inspired by ZOOM!
ANNUAL REPORT
July 1st, 2011 - June 30th, 2012
With the fourth school year having ended in June 2012, Our
Sisters’ School, an independent, tuition-free middle school
for the girls of Greater New Bedford continues to offer a
rich academic program, community involvement and the
opportunity for students to expand their horizons while
being challenged and supported by all those who make
the OSS voyage possible.
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“Although I
spend a fair
amount of time
at the school, I
still get blown
away by the
wonderful
things that
they are doing
for those
adorable girls.”
~OSS Supporter
& Volunteer
OUR SISTERS’ SCHOOL MISSION
The mission of Our Sisters’ School is to inspire and educate middle-school girls from
the Greater New Bedford area to reach their full potential in a safe, supportive and
challenging environment. Our Sisters’ School provides a quality education and
welcomes girls from diverse faiths, races and cultures.
Letter from the Executive Director
June of 2012 saw the passing of a major milestone in OSS growth: the graduation of the first class of students to attend all four
years (5th – 8th grades) at Our Sisters’ School – our second ever graduating class. These students and families took a brave,
bold chance on enrolling in a brand new school for their 5th grade year and they became the pioneers and leaders who set the
bar for all other classes who follow in their wake. Their special night of celebration brought closure to a year of focused and
exciting activities throughout our 4th year of operation as a school.
LETTER FROM THE BOARD
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to start the New Year by thanking you all
for your generous support of Our Sisters’ School. Whether you have volunteered your
time, wisdom or financial resources, you are the reason the school continues to offer an
excellent educational opportunity to the middle-school girls of New Bedford.
Expanding Horizons for Students
Throughout the 2011-2012 School Year, OSS continued to create access and opportunities for our students through the
generosity, collaboration and support of our amazing community partners. Students enrolled in a variety of summer programs
with the support of the United Way and Church Home Society, among others, and our ongoing partnerships with the YWCA,
Lloyd Center, Summer Stars Performing Arts Camp, Tabor Academy and Trips For Kids keeping the girls engaged and learning
throughout the summer months. We were also able to deepen our partnership with Lloyd Center thanks to a generous grant
from the CHT Foundation and to launch a school savings program for students with support from SouthernMass Credit Union.
OSS families coordinated the first-ever OSS talent show at the May Family Fun Night, English teachers hosted a Poetry Slam
in April, and we brought students outside for Neighborhood Clean-Ups with Operation Clean Sweep and around our school
campus. 7th and 8th graders and families prepared for secondary school applications in partnership with Nativity Prep and
imagined what their futures might hold beyond OSS. Our 5th graders had a special sleepover at the YWCA, our 8th graders
exhibited botanical illustrations at the Buttonwood Zoo and the girls stayed busy learning and experiencing new things
all year long.
Much growth has happened over the past four years. In 2012, we saw our second
graduating class accept their diplomas with confidence and excitement for the voyage
ahead. We have been gratified that so many have come back to visit, demonstrating
that OSS is and will remain their extended home - a safe haven of nurturing staff and
friends. Our Finance Committee continues to work vigilantly to make sure our operating
budget of $850,000 reflects our size and is also sustainable over time with 75 percent
of every dollar raised going directly into programming for our students. We continue to
engage our Advisory Council of 30 able ambassadors and advocates for the school. Our
ever-generous “Anonymous Angel” has allowed us take the “match” and start building a
sustainability fund that has grown over the past few years through the kindness of many
individuals and several grants.
Education remains the most powerful way to break the cycle of poverty. Through your
support, OSS is able to give our students the tools they need to continue to pursue an
education. Today our first graduates stand out in the community as examples of young
women well launched toward a future that is productive for themselves, their families
and the entire community.
Single sex education is a powerful way to advance opportunities for women. As Anna
Pollina, head-of-school at all-girls Westover in Connecticut, said in a recent speech: “We
are a girl’s school by intention. It is not the absence of boys that defines us. It is the
celebration of girls!”
Today, OSS celebrates its students as well as its community, of which you are all a vital
part. Please come visit for a first -- or second or third -- time. The atmosphere remains as
effervescent as always and hope is ever in the air!
Lisa Schmid Alvord
President, OSS Board of Trustees
Supporting the Crew
As a more established school program, OSS staff spent time this year focused on expanding the professional expectations for
our staff by expanding staff professional development opportunities and formally implementing a new performance review
system. We acknowledged the tremendous contributions made by our faculty during teacher appreciation week and challenged
our teachers to be role models for others as presenters at the Greenlight for Girls Conference. Our Board and staff teamed
up to plan and develop a new staffing model for implementation in the 2012-2013 school year including teaching fellows
and a professional classroom teacher in addition to our AmeriCorps Volunteers. Our staff also acknowledged the high level
of commitment demonstrated by families and students with certificates of appreciation for family service hours, student
community service hours, attendance, chairing family committees, and family attendance at meetings. In addition, we planned
for and recruited a Family Liaison to work with administrative staff members and family committees for the 2012-2013 school
year. We were also excited to help launch a collaborative of leadership from local schools such as the Global Learning Charter
Public School, Alma del Mar and Nativity Prep. This group is working to share professional development opportunities, partner
on student recruiting and discuss other future ways we can support each other in mutually beneficial ways.
Charting the Course for the Future of OSS
Even as we celebrated the successes of this year, we continued to push ourselves to develop new goals and strategies for our
future work as a school. Frequently our alumnae visited, ran events at the family picnic, greeted guests at graduation and
shared their secondary school stories with students and staff. Building upon their experiences and a careful further analysis
of assessment data (meticulously compiled into Excel by our UMass Dartmouth Endeavor volunteers) we made plans for our
new teaching model, curriculum development and increased student admissions for the 2012- 2013 school year, now bringing
enrollment up to 18 for both 5th and 6th grades. Our Board has also been supportive of and involved in plans for the Head of
School Search and Transition following my announcement that the 2012-2013 school year will be my final one at OSS.
Our sincere thanks to each of you – our loyal crew members – for all that you do to keep OSS going and growing each day. We
look forward to our 5th year as a school beginning in the fall of 2012 and to celebrating the successes and sharing the stories of
our students and our school in the exciting year ahead. Thank you for sailing with us on this wonderful adventure.
With gratitude,
Lisa Yates, Executive Director
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Highlights Year Four
List of Schools the Class
of 2012 Applied to:
Bishop Feehan
Bishop Stang
Bristol Agricultural
Concord Academy
Cushing Academy
Deerfield Academy
Falmouth Academy
Greater New Bedford Regional
Vocational Technical
High School
Loomis Chafee
Lincoln School
Master’s Regional Academy
Milton Academy
Moses Brown School
New Bedford Public
High School
Nobles & Greenough School
Northfield Mount Hermon
Phillips Andover Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Portsmouth Abbey School
Providence Country Day School
St. George’s School
St. Mark’s School
St. Paul’s School
Tabor Academy
Wheeler School
(Bold letters indicate schools
where OSS alumnae are enrolled)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Held four alumnae events throughout the year, welcoming back OSS graduates on and off campus.
We had the support of over 120 volunteers this year that helped contribute to over 4,000 hours of service.
OSS introduced and established an online grading system for ease of teacher and staff use!
Scheduled mandatory drop-in tutoring for students over the summer to provide additional support for students in need.
Planned for and hired for a new teaching model for the 2012-2013 school year.
Student Community Service Program logged over 730 hours.
Over 80% of OSS students were placed in summer programs in the community and afar.
OSS families completed 930 hours of service at the school.
Reflection from AmeriCorp Teacher, Kristina Dolce
When I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2010, I had no
plans to become a middle-school teacher. I actually had no plans at all!
I had spent an afternoon packing my apartment into boxes when I got
an e-mail from the Women’s Studies department head about teachers
needed for an all-girls’ school in New Bedford, Massachusetts. I applied,
and then I rode in a car, a train and a bus to visit Our Sisters’ School.
As soon I walked in the door, I fell in love. When I observed classes, girls
were falling over themselves to answer math questions and write on
the blackboard. Girls came right up to me and shook my hand, looked
into my eyes and confidently asked me questions. “Do you like school
here?” I asked, and the answer was always an enthusiastic “YES!” When
it was time for me to say good-bye, one of the students asked me, “Are
you going to be our teacher next year?” How could my own answer be
anything but an equally-enthusiastic “YES!”?
Teaching at Our Sisters’ School has been both the most challenging and
most rewarding experience of my life so far. I have taught seventh-grade
girls English and Social Studies for two years. During this time, I have
watched two classes learn how to be critical, analytical readers and to
feel confident in their own voices while writing. By the time they are in
seventh grade, OSS girls aren’t afraid to ask questions, to take up space,
or to trust themselves while tackling challenges. Every day, my class
challenged me to be a better teacher, to reflect on my actions and to set
new goals. Every day, through their own efforts, my class inspired me to
never be afraid to ask questions, and never to settle for good enough.
VOLUNTEERS
The volunteer community is an integral part of the success of Our Sisters’ School. Each year, OSS volunteers
perform many different roles during their time at the school. They cover the office, tutor our students, conduct
small group music lessons, clean the school and give support to the staff and students. OSS volunteers invest
time and energy to ensure a successful program for the students and school. Giving back to the community
has become part of the educational program OSS has created and our students are reminded how important
it is to give back by watching the many volunteers who give their time and energy to the school. We thank each
of you for all that you have done and continue to do to make this school and community a safe and supportive
environment for learning. If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities please contact
us at (508)994-1255 or by emailing info@oursistersschool.org.
Thank you to all of our 2011-2012 volunteers for having
such an incredible impact on Our Sisters’ School.
Ahluwalia, Tara
Abella-Bowen, Meghan
Adams, Susan
Albert, Meg
Alpaugh, Kiley
Alvord, Joel
Alvord, Lisa Schmid
Ash, Chris
Baker, Jr., Talbot
Baldwin, Christine
Barrett, Laurie
Bascom, Christina
Bichsel, Chuck
Bichsel, Jan
Blake, Claudette
Bousquet, Jackie
Boreiko, Alison Coolidge
Brooke, Debbie
Bullard, Laurie
Burke, Brenda
Canning, Peter
Canning, Gaelen
Cho, Yul-mi
Claes, Frieda
Corin, Sarah
Costa, Bethany
Dabney, Kate
DeMello, Casey
Denker, Jen
Denny, Joe
Edberg, Donna
Ehrens, David
Ehrens, Deb
Fabian, Betty
Fallon, Sally
Fernandes, Nick
Finn, Betty
Flint, Alice
Forbes-Hoyt, Felicity
Fortes, Gail
Francis, Kimberly
Frantz, Cherie
Gorfinkle, Cheryl
Griswold, Nancy
Healy, Ann
Hickey, Barbara
Hood, Tucker
Howard, Leslie
Huidekoper, Elizabeth
Hunsche, Mary
Hunt, Genevieve
Jennings, Julie
Kalisz, Marlene
Kang, Chan
Keene, Andrea
Kennedy, Judy
Kennedy, Priscilla
Kurtz, Nancy
Lambert, Amethyst
Lim, Mali
Lopes, Doreen
Lopez, Danielle
Marques, Helena
Marshall, Sophie
McGetrick, Peg
McNamee, Jim
McSweeny, Margaret
Melli, Rosemary
Meredith, Elaine
Mitchell, Jannine
Mitton, Dave
Mozaz, Teresa
Nichols, Wally
O’Brien, Joan
O’Neil, Mary
Paradis, Caroline
Park, Amy
Pedersen, Christine
Penney, Celeste
Perry, Dan
Perry, Sue
Pina, June
Pinarretta, Maria
Poyant, Susan
Prentiss, Dave
Prescott, Bill
Roberts, Stephanie
Robitaille, Steve
Rodrigues, Maria
Sands, Patty
Schmitt, Kate
Schultz, Gale
Sears, Martha
Silva-DaRosa, Vanila
Souza, Bernadette
Stone, Cathy
Stone, Margot
Strunk, June
Taylor, Terri
Thomas, Megan
Thomas, Sarah
Tripp, Liz
Tschaen, JoAnn
Tse, Wendy
Vasconcellos, John
Veiga, Taylece
Waite, Marge
Wayss, Judith
Weigel, Russ
West, Janet
Westgate, Emily
White, Amanda
White, Elizabeth
Wood, Victoria
Wotka, Sarah
Zhang, Haiying
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Visual and Performing Arts Program Impacts OSS
Melanie Luperon, 7th Grade
“High school so
far has been a
great and exciting
experience. The
work is intense
but proper time
management has
helped me to find
time for friends,
sports, clubs and
academics. With
my schedule I
am never bored.
Overall, I love
my school and I
thank OSS for
preparing me.”
~Arianna,
OSS Class of 2011
The art class at Our Sisters’ School will never be ordinary. From individual
projects to the teacher herself, nothing will ever match the independent style
the school has taken. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s hard
to come across something like what we have here and not be impressed.
Twice a week we have visual arts classes for a full hour. We walk in and know to
get right to work. We know exactly how to do this because our art teacher, Ms.
Wayss, is unlike any ordinary art teacher. Ms. Wayss is that “favorite aunt” who
will have you working diligently and laughing hard all at the same time. She is
full of humor and possessed of an amazing ability to change people (and not
just the way they draw).
The art being done in our classroom is truly eye-opening. While making my own
art, I have discovered more about myself than I knew existed. The class unlocks
hidden and unhidden talent, and perfects them both. Most of us entered the
fifth grade satisfied to draw stick figures for people and circles for spheres. Two
years later, every lesson Ms. Wayss has given us has really paid off.
The work done at Our Sisters’ School has been featured in many places. Thanks
to Ms. Wayss’ amazing efforts, I have seen both my own and my school mates’
work presented at various locales in the community on multiple occasions.
From the Ocean Explorium to our very own school grounds, our art work has
had heads turning in excitement since the first day of OSS’s first year. Most
schools don’t know that workers like Ms. Wayss exist; instead, they hire artists
to teach students the same old lessons for 15 minutes once a month.
Ms. Wayss not only has us create beautiful pieces of work, but educates us on
these pieces as well. At my present age in a different school I would have no
idea what a “Georgia O’Keeffe-style watercolor” is. I wouldn’t know that such
marvelous pieces of abstract art could exist, or that they are being created
afresh every day. I can honestly reveal that I used to believe that watercolor
palettes were only useful for coloring water and decorating random objects.
Now it is safe to say that Ms. Wayss has properly taught us things like how to
create crayon “resists,” incorporate texture with plastic wrap or salt, “blot” a
brush and many other techniques.
But our art classes involve much more than mere watercolor. Pieces I have
made since fifth grade include: wire sculptures, linoleum, soap and styrofoam
relief carvings, mono-printing, clay totem poles, masks, abstract pastel eyes,
three dimensional models of the first initial of our names using self-expression
and symbolization, multiple charcoal drawings, and much, much more. Ms.
Wayss always has something exciting and interesting to be completed. Even
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our homework assignments are unusual. She has had us draw many things in the
sketchbooks that we receive at the beginning of each school year. From our drawings,
she is able to measure our progress over time, and to gauge our ability to improve.
I have no doubt that when we graduate from Our Sisters’ School all of us will have gained
much more knowledge and insight than we ever would have in a normal school. Ms.
Wayss offers in-depth, hands-on courses that offer more useful information than one
could acquire from some million-page textbook on famous art and its long history. One
example is our recent alumna, Samantha. After graduating from OSS, Samantha went on
to Tabor Academy here in Massachusetts. And in her first year she won one of the very
few art awards given at the academy. Even my sister has artwork from us on her walls! We
have been told that, with proper effort, we can create art at the high-school or
college level.
Ms. Wayss has shown us effort. And she has taught us to learn from our mistakes and to
restart when necessary multiple times, with end results that are frequently astonishing.
People tend to look wide-eyed at many of the works in our art classroom; some have
even gasped and exclaimed, “I want that!” We have been taught since starting the art
class how to apply our skill and knowledge, solve problems, and be responsible for our
doings and our actions. These not only apply to the art we make, but to our real lives and
everything in them. The art program at Our Sisters’ School should always remain just
the way it is today. For all of us it has been fun, entertaining, eye-opening, mind testing,
humorous and serious. All at once.
“High school….all
I can say is that
it is BUSY. When
you get your
assignments, try
to do them ASAP!
Don’t procrastinate. “
~Jarynette,
OSS Class of 2011
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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Our Sisters’ School is fortunate to have a wide variety of committed community
partners sharing in the voyage each year. We are grateful to each and every
organization for collaborating with us, exposing our girls to incredible
opportunities and challenging our students to be active members of our
local community.
“I am learning
things now that
I already learned
in 8th grade.”
~ Rabiet,
OSS Class of 2011
“High school
wouldn’t be high
school without
preparation,
knowledge and
support from
OSS.”
~Nepherterrie,
OSS Class of 2011
Alma del Mar
Baker Books
Boys And Girls Club Of Greater New Bedford
Bristol Community College
Buttonwood Park Zoological Society
Café Balena
Child & Family Services, Inc.
Community Foundation of Southeastern
Massachusetts
Cuttyhunk Ferry Company
Dartmouth Grange 162 Inc.
Dartmouth Public Schools
Friends Academy
Gifts To Give, Inc.
Global Learning Charter Public School
Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School
HarbOur House
Humane Society and Shelter-SouthCoast
Immigrants Assistance Center, Inc.
Junior Achievement
Kaminhu Longi Dance Troupe
Lloyd Center for the Environment
Marion Institute
Mass in Motion
Nativity Preparatory School of New Bedford
New Bedford Ballet
New Bedford Half Marathon
New Bedford Historical Society
New Bedford Jewish Convalescent Home, Inc.
New Bedford Public Schools
New Bedford Symphony Orchestra
New Bedford Whaling Museum
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Ocean Explorium at New Bedford Seaport
Office of Bristol County District Attorney
Operation Clean Sweep
Our Lady of Assumption Church
Peace Works!
Peter Pan Bus Lines
RAPPP Program
Rotch-Jones Duff House & Garden Museum
Salvation Army New Bedford
Sid Wainer & Son
South Coast Hospitals Group
South Coast Serves
Steamship Authority
The Five Growers
Tifereth Israel Synagogue
Tri-County Symphonic Band
Trips for Kids
UMass Dartmouth
United Way of Greater New Bedford
Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation
of Southeastern Massachusetts
The Working Waterfront Festival
YWCA Southeastern MA
Zeiterion Performing Arts Center
OSS FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, community partners and
friends, Our Sisters’ School has stayed the course throughout Fiscal Year
2012. We continue to invest 75 percent of dollars raised directly into our
program expenses. We thank each of you for your dedication to our school,
community and program. As the OSS voyage proceeds, we are committed to
giving our students the promise of a full four-year education at the school.
Toward that end, we have been fortunate this year to be able to grow our
sustainability fund … all thanks to the loyalty and generosity of every one of
you.
expenses
Fundraising: 10%
General Administration: 15%
Program Expenses: 75%
Monies Raised
Events: 2%
Grants: 21%
Individuals: 77%
“High school
has been many
things at once
including hard
and time consuming. With the
skills I gained at
OSS, I have been
able to handle
these tasks and
focus on the fun
parts of high
school I was told
I would be awaiting for us all.
Thank you OSS!”
~ Irene, Class of 2011
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Happiness
Jaeliana Ortega, OSS Class of 2012
The way you see things
The way you hear things
It’s your perspective of a day
That’s your point of view
The way you feel about things
If you think it’s good or not?
The way you understand something from a point of view
That’s your opinion
Your opinion, it’s your judgment
To help you make life decisions
Will you enjoy your day?
Is something worth ruining your day?
Something will make you happy, every day
But it’s how you see your day
With your point of view
And using your opinion to decide
Whether you are grateful for it.
But, you ask me, for my judgment?
Or, my opinion?
My point of view?
Well, it depends on how you see it
It’s how you live your day
Will you laugh? Smile? It’s a new day!
There’s room for new opportunity, new things to learn,
There’s room for error, but we grow from that.
Look around you.
These girls? Don’t they make you happy?
Do you not laugh all day with them?
I do, these girls make me happy.
I live most of my days with them!
Are you happy about it?
Well, use your point of view skills.
What’s your opinion?
Are you happy?
Yeah, me too!
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MANY THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS WHO DONATED
GOODS OR SERVICES DURING FISCAL YEAR 2012.
July 1st, 2011 to June 30, 2012
Ace Hardware
Advanced Auto Parts
Advanced Marine Technologies
AlphaGraphics
Amaral’s Marketplace
Arteaga, Peter
Ashworth, Gary
Avila, Stacey & Jay
Azimi, Talat
Baker Books
Baker, Jr., Talbot
Bawoh Family
Bichsel, Jan & Chuck
Blake, Claudette
Brahmin Handbags
Bruhn, Heather
Busnengo, Frank
Caballero, Myrna
Cape Cod Chowder Company
Cook, Mary & Sackett
Cortez, Alicia
Costa, Melissa
do Carmo, Beverly & William
DuBois, Trish
Fabian, Betty
Falmouth Academy
Fields, Yolanda
Freeman, Heidisue
Gitlin, Ellen
Gomes, Sylvia
Gonsalves, Beverly
Griswold, Nancy
Healy, Ann
Hirst, Lenny
Hunt, Genevieve
Joblon, Wendy
Kennedy, Judy
Knowles, Katherine
Kovacs, Deborah & Nicholas Sullivan
Letendre, Debra & Norman
Lima, Elaine
Mak, Meiyuk & Ka Sheung
Mannix, John
Mary C. Wheeler School
McNamee, Arlene & James
Microsoft Corporation
Montano, Honora
Monteiro, Deanna
Mozaz, Teresa
Mystic Seaport
New Bedford Symphony Orchestra
O’Hara, Meaghan
Olejarz, Nicole & Alan
Onufrak, Marsha
Pedersen, Christine
Perry, Susan & Daniel
Pina, June
Pina, Mia
Pingal, Cristina Torruella & David
Pothier, Stacey
Pratt, Michelle
Prentiss, David
Prescott, Suzanne & William
Quansett Nurseries, Inc.
RAPPP Program
Regal House Furniture
Rogers Gallery
Roth, Eleanor & Bernard
Ruiz, Geraldo
Shaws Supermarket
Sid Wainer & Son, Inc.
Silvia, Neil
Smith, Sue
Soares, Desiree
SouthernMass Credit Union
Squibb, Robin
Starr, Nan
Stone, Amanda & Peter
Stone, Cathy
Sullivan, Stacey
Thomas, Megan
UMass Dartmouth, Women’s Resource Center
Underwood, Joan
Vasconcellos, John & William Barr
West, Janet
White, Elizabeth & Benjamin Please accept our apologies! Every effort has been made to make this donor report complete and correct.
Please let us know of any errors we missed by calling OSS at 508-994-1255.
Thank you.
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THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR financial SUPPORTERS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO
THE MISSION AND VISION OF OUR SISTERS’ SCHOOL!
July 1st, 2011 to June 30th, 2012
13 Striper Club
Ackerman, Margaret & Robert
Adams, Robert
Adams, Susan & Clay
Aisenberg, Kathy & Robert
Alasso, Paul
Aldrich, Sally
Aleardi, Marguerite
Alexander, Anne & Charles
Almy, Anne
Alvord, Lisa Schmid & Joel
Ames, Elizabeth & Oliver
Anchor Capital Advisors
Anonymous
Armstrong, Richard
Bacon, Connie & Jim Bevilacqua
Baker Books
Baker, Barbara & Richard
Baker, Jr., Talbot
Baldwin Reyering Family
Baldwin, Christine & Christopher
Baldwin, Margherita & Michael
Baldwin, Rose
Ballou, Christy & Russell Brackett
Barclay, Leslie & Rutgers
Barrett, Laurie & David
Bascom, Christina & Charles
Bass, Sara
Bauer, Renee
Baum, Matthew
Beauregard, Jacqueline & John
Beckman, Marguerite & Charles
Bedell, Barbara & Laurence
Bennett, Joanna & Robert
Benson, Lauren & Peter
BER, Inc.
Berg, Melinda
Berntsen, Molly
Bichsel, Jan & Chuck
Bickford, Jewelle & Nathaniel
Blake, Claudette
Blake, Loretta
Blasdale, Mary Jean & William
Blumenthal, Nancy & Joseph
Blumenthal, Nina & Scott Corin
Blumenthal, Patricia & Eric
Boes, Julie & Todd
Boreiko, Alison Coolidge &
Tom Boreiko
Bourassa, Catherine & Paul
Braitmayer, Eric & Jack Haney
Braitmayer, Nancy & Jack
Braucher, Nannette & William
Brinkhaus, Cindy
Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Brooke, Deborah
Brooks, Laura & Tom
Brown, Stephen
Bullard, Tia & Peter
Burnes, Amy & Andrew
Burr, Gertrude
Busnengo, Frank
Butler’s Hole Fund
Candee, Lauren & Lawrence
Canning, Gaelen & Peter
Carey, Cindy & Chris
Carignan, Nancy
Carleton, Rena & Bukk
Cederholm, Theresa & John
Celini, Nancie
Chapman Katherine &
Tom Stemberg
Cherofsky, Jessie
Chopra, Roochi & Amit Tandon
CHT Foundation
The Church Home Society
Citizens Union Savings Bank
Claes, Frieda
Clare Rose Foundation, Inc.
Clarke, Marylou & Bruce
Coleman, Janet & Bill
Collery, Kevin
Community Foundation of
Southeastern Massachusetts - Acushnet Foundation Fund
Community Foundation of
Southeastern Massachusetts - Women’s Fund Philanthropy Initiative
The Congregational Church of
South Dartmouth
Conkright, Sally & William Rogerson
Connolly, Anne Marie & Richard
Converse, Sheila Powers
Conway, Merry & John
Cook, Barbara & John Donaldson
Cook, Mary & Sackett
Coolidge, Deborah &
Harvey Goldman
Coolidge, Jane
Coolidge, Lindsay & Charles
Cooney, Elizabeth & Edward
Cooney, Katherine & Daniel
Corkery, Nancy
Cormier, Rosanna
Correia, Nancy & Paul
Council of Women’s Organization of Greater New Bedford
Coxe, Elizabeth & David Forney
Crane, Loretto & Dwight
Crane, Melissa
Creevy, Jill
Crocker, Cindy & Doug
Crocker, Evelyn
Crocker, Joan & Prescott
Croll, Victoria & David
Crosby, Catherine
Crosby, Nancy
Cummings, Mary & Clarkson Collins
Cunningham, Victoria & Robert
Cutler, Molly & Chris
CVS Caremark Charitable Trust
Cyr, Heather
Dabney, Kate & Fred
Daggett, Claudia & Clark
Please accept our apologies! Every effort has been made to make this donor report complete and correct.
Please let us know of any errors we missed by calling OSS at 508-994-1255.
Thank you.
Danforth, Susannah & Donald
Denker, Mary & Bradley
Desmond, Tommie & Jack
DeWalt, Toby & Peter
Dey, Janice
Dildine, Carol & James
Doggett, Joseph
Dorman, Jan & Lawrence
Doyle, Jeannette
Ducas, Sarah & William
Duff, Kathryn
The Eastern Charitable Foundation
Edward Goldberg Philanthropic Fund
Edwards, Nancy & Jim
Egan, Janet
Ellanor & Matthew Fink Fund
Enable Hope Foundation
Evans, Helena
Ewing, Annette
Faulenbach, Helga & Walter Nichols
Feldman, Marla
Fentress, Kate & David
Ferri, Barbara & Paul
Finn, Margaret & Thomas Getz
Fitzgerald, Melinda & Gregg
Fitzgibbons, Janet & Jim
Flint, Alice & Jon
FLS Banners
Forbes, Deedee & Stewart
Forbes, Sarah & Charlie
Ford, Tina
Fordyce, Jean & Cameron
Forrester, Edith & Peter
Fors, Lyn & Steven
Fortes, Gail
Fowler, Viki & John Kelleher
Francis, Kimberly & Carlos Cardoso
French, Jill & Thomas
Frisbie Family Foundation
Fuller, Amy
Gagne, Laurie & Michael
Gallagher, Louise & Daniel
Garfield, Natalie & John
Garrahy, Patricia
Gebelein, Louisa & Jeremiah Jones
Gebelein, Suzanne & George
Georgadarellis, Paul
Gerlek, Alena
Gidwitz Family Foundation
Gitlin, Ellen
Goldberg, Edward
Goldin, Donna & Dave Usher
Gonsalves, Mege & Jeffrey
Goodman, Matthew
Gormley, Beth & Charles
Gouveia, Linda & Michael
Graboys, Lois & George
Graboys, Vicki & Tom
Graff, Joan
Grantham, Hannelore & Jeremy
Grantham, Jennifer & Rubert
Gray, Abby & David
Gray, Elaine & Bob
Gray, Gerry & Sam
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Greenup, Susanna & John
Gregory, E. Jamison
Greville, Marjorie & Nicholas
Griswold, Nancy
Gulbranson, Jean
Guthrie, Anne & Paul
Hale, Judith
Hall, Myrna & Howard
Halpern, Judy & Robert Riordan
Hamel, Pauline & Tobe Berkovitz
Harrington, Patricia
Hartnett, Helena & Kenneth
Harty, Sally & Mark
Harwood, Corbin & John
Hatfield, Carla
Hawes Lees, Mary Ellen
Hayes, Mary Ann & Stephen
Hefferman, Margaret & Robert
Hellman, Alvin
Henry, Julie & Bayard
Herlihy, Penny & Michael
Hewitt, Sandra & Bill
Hickey, Barbara & William
Hicks, Lucille & William
Hitch, Julie & Jordan
Hobbs, Cela & Matthew
Hobbs, Linda & Franklin
Hobbs, Marge & Frank
Hood, Joanna & Fred
Hope & David Jeffrey Fund
Howard, Jill
Howard, Lauri & Frank
Howard, Leslie & Jack
Hoyt, Felicity & Austin
Huguley, III, Heidi & Arthur
Huidekoper, Elizabeth
Huidekoper, Mary & Peter
Hunsche, Mary Ann &
Cynthia Cummings
Hunt Alternatives Fund
Hykes, James
Island Foundation, Inc.
Jacobs, Jared
The James O. Robbins Family Charitable Lead Annuity Trust
Jeffers, Donna
Jenkins, Dottie & Geoff
Hughes, Jim & Bess
Joblon, Wendy & Kenneth
John H. Deknatel Family Fund
Johnson, Nan & Alan Minard
Jolliffe, Ruth & Michael
Jordan, Darlene & Gerald
Julia & Seymour Gross
Foundation, Inc.
Kanter, Rabbi Raphael
Keating, Martha & Michael
Keches, Ann
Keegan, Anna & Steve
Keene, Abigail
Keene, Andrea & Henry
Kellogg, Betsy & Rusty
Kemp, Lilian & David Marks
Kennedy, Mary
Kennedy, Peggy & Gene
Kennedy, Priscilla & William
Ketcham Supply Corporation
Ketcham, Mona & Robert
Kingery, Gertrude
Klugman, Edgar
Knetzger, Leonette
Knowles, Katherine & George Vafiadis
Knowles, Leslie & Bourne
Please accept our apologies! Every effort has been made to make this donor report complete and correct.
Please let us know of any errors we missed by calling OSS at 508-994-1255.
Thank you.
12
Mathias, Dale & Ed
Kunz, Elizabeth & Randall
McBratney, Betsy, & Greer
Kurtz, Nancy & Edward
McDonough, Holly & Joe
Kut-Best, Frances
McElroy, Anne
The Ladera Foundation
McFadden, Nancy
Laferriere, Gail
McFerran, Freddy & Alex
Lambie, Mary
McGetrick, Margaret
Lang, Kathy & Robert
McKinley, Doreen & Arthur
Lapalme, Lynne & David
McLaren, Susan & Phil Guymont
Larkin, Lee & Bob
McQuillan, Linda & William
Lauderdale, Edith
McSweeny, Margaret
Lauderdale,Marijean & Randy
Mead, Susan & Kirtland
Laughton, Sienna
Melli, Rosemary & Tony
Laughton, Susan
Mendoza, Rose
Lawrence, Betsy
Merck, Katharine & Al
Lawrence, Patricia & Robert
Meriz, Inc.
Layton, Anne & James
Miller, Elizabeth & Elliot
Lees, Albert
Montague, Helen & Jim
Lehtsalu, Liise
Moody, Donna & James
Lemelin, Sarah & Michael
Leonard & Hilda Kaplan Charitable Mooney, Lucy & Ward
Morningstar, Faith & Richard
Foundation
Morrison, Carol & Robert
Letendre, Debra & Norman
Moss, Barbara & Timothy Haydock
Levin, Fran & Clinton
Mota, Maria
Levine, Kathleen & Melvin
Nadler, Louise & Charles
Levy, Allan
Nau, Char & Bob
Liebman, Rebecca & Charles
Nelson, Lauren
Lindsay, Elizabeth
New Bedford Cultural Council
Lockwood, Marie & Charles
Nicholson, Diana & Peter
Lofberg, Mouse & Per
Notman, Chip & Bill
Logan, Sharon & Craig
O’Brien, Joan & Jonathan
Lopes, Darci
O’Neil, Laura & Mark
Lopes, Doreen & Luis
Orville W. Forte Charitable
Ludes, Doris & John
Foundation, Inc.
Lyell, Trish & Bob Gilston
Othote, Linda & Louis
MacDonald, Dora & Peter
Pakradooni, Regina
Mace, Claudia
Pappas, Kathleen & Robert
Maciel, Margaret-Mary
Paradise, Linda & John
Mannix, John
Parker, Hillary
Margaret Parker Fund
Parker, John
Marques, Helena
Parson, Ann
Marr, Virginia & Richard
Parsons, Sandria
Marshall, Anna & Charles
Patrick Carney Foundation
Martignetti, Beth & Carmen
Patullo, Betsy & Greg Torres
Martin, Lucinda
Paul, Emily
Mason, Leigh & Jean
Massachusetts Charitable Society Penney, Celeste & Jack
Pennoyer, Christine
Massachusetts Cultural Council
13
Pennoyer, Robert
Pennoyer, Tracy
Perkins, Maura & William
Perkins, Polly & George
Perrine, Laura & Frank
Perry, Margaret
Perry, Phoebe
Perry, Susan & Daniel
Persons, James
Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program
Phillips, Eleanor & Richard
Phyfe, Winnie & Jim
Pierce, Eve & Leo
Pingal, Cristina Torruella & David
Pinheiro, Emily & John
Pittman, Sheila & Robert
Platt, Renia & Charles
Polimeni, April & Bob
Popik, Alexis & William
Poyant, Susan & Richard
Pozzo, Alexandra & Robert
Pramer, Dorothy
Prentiss, David
Prescott, Suzanne & William
Prevost, Ute & Patrick
Price, Laura
Prouty, Jennifer
Purdy, Nancy & Richard
Putnam Investment Garden Fund
Putnam, Mimi & John
Pyle, Cynthia & Jerry
The Rands Foundation
Rasmussen, Mark
Reichenbach, Lynn & John
Reidy, John
Rhind, Julie & Ridley
Rice, Alice & Mark Perkins
Richard Jacobus Family Foundation
Ricketson, Francie
Righter, Anne & Jim
Rioux, Jane & Peter
Robert J. & Bonnie M. Stapleton Fund
Roberts, Cathy & Henry
Roberts, Cecelia & Stephen
Roberts, Susan & Christopher
Rockland Trust
Please accept our apologies! Every effort has been made to make this donor report complete and correct.
Please let us know of any errors we missed by calling OSS at 508-994-1255.
Thank you.
Rockwell, Linda & Hays
Roher, Deborah
Rubenstein, Carolyn & Jim
Runnells, Gale
Russell, Delia & James
Saba, Deborah & Steven
Samuels, Barbara
Sapienza, Anthony
Schmid, Tina & Paul
Schmitt, Kate & Tom
Scoville, Krista & Roger
The Sea Breeze Foundation
See, Frederica
Selig, Renata
Shachoy, MaryEllen & Norman
Shapiro, Frima & Gil
Shapleigh, Jane & Warren
Shattuck, Dorothy & William
Sheeley, Summer & Lesley
Shepard, Richard
Shuster, Martha & Steven
Siegal, Daphne & Edward
Siegal, Sue & Calvin
Silverstein, Bonnie & Louis
Simmons, Sloane & Hardwick
Slaight, Barbara & Tom
Smith, Mark
Sommaripa, Leo
SouthernMass Credit Union
Souza, Bernadette
Souza, Kim
Spiegel, Genevieve & Steven
Spongberg, Sarah & Andy
Spooner, John
Spring, Deborah & John
Starr, Nan & Phillip Marshall
Starrett, Marybeth & Steven
Steen Realty & Development
Corporation
Stengel, Geoffrey & Alice
Stevenson, Fredericka & Howard
Stillwell, Trina & Newcomb
Stites, Clara & Clay
Stites, Nathaniel
Stone, Lara & Jeffrey
Stone, Lisa & Gregg
Stone, Margot
Strand, Sylvia & Eiv
Stroud, Leslie & Jay
Surdam, Lynda
Swan, Carol & Chris
Sylvester, Louise
Taipale, Michelle & Lloyd MacDonald
Taylor, M.E. & Stephen
Teachman, Ron
Thomas, Megan
Thomas, Sarah
Thomas, Shirlee & William
Thye, Pamela & Renke
Tifereth Israel Congregation
Tobojka, Elizabeth & Andree Howard
Toomey, Maryse & Charles
Trautman, Tim
Trippe, Pam & Charlie
Trumbull, Helen & Walter
Tschaen, JoAnn
Ullian, Dora & Arthur
Underwood, Charlotte & William
Underwood, Joan
Ungrady, Joan & Thomas
Unhoch, Dagmar & George
United Way of Greater New Bedford
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
The Upstream Foundation
Vable, Adhiraj
Vable, Madhukar
van Heeckeren, Anna & Edward Baker
Vasconcellos, Angela
Vasconcellos, John & William Barr
Vogt, Joanne
Wadsworth, Annick & Eliot
Wagner, Charlotte & Herb
Wagoner, Mariana
Wainer, Marion & Henry
Waite, Marge & Neal Weiss
Walker, Jane & Robert G.
Wallace, Asha & Peter
Walsh, Ellen & Larry
Walsh, Terry & William
Warburg, Stephanie & Jonathan
Warden, Gail & Duncan
Waterman, Mallory & John
Watson, Susan & Keith
Wattles, Kathy & Gurdon
Webb, Anne & Richard
Webb, Happy & Henley
Weigel, Jane & Russell
Weitzel, Pamela & Philip
West, Christy & Chris
West, Dorothy & Thomas
Westphal, Sylvia & Christoph
Whelan, Jean & William
White, Anne & Alexander
White, Constance & Kenneth Rampino
White, Elizabeth & Benjamin
White, Katherine & Chris
White, Sonja & Gardiner
Whitney, Anne & Jeremy
Wilde, Sally & Peter
William C. Bullitt Foundation
Xifaras, Carolyn
Yates, Lisa
Yoken, Cynthia
Yongping, Wang & Gao Guoping
Zane, Eusie & Tony
Ziegler, Ann & Hans
Ziobro, Virginia & Peter
Please accept our apologies! Every effort has been made to make this donor report complete and correct.
Please let us know of any errors we missed by calling OSS at 508-994-1255.
Thank you.
145 Brownell Ave.
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-994-1255
info@oursistersschool.org
www.oursistersschool.org
Board of Trustees
2011 - 2012
OFFICERS
Lisa Schmid Alvord,
President
JoAnn Tschaen,
Vice President
Bernadette Souza,
Vice President
Elizabeth Huidekoper,
Treasurer
William Prescott,
Clerk
TRUSTEES
Talbot Baker, Jr.
Laurie Barrett
Christina Bascom
Alison Coolidge Boreiko
Gaelen Canning
Kate Dabney
Gail Fortes
Kim Francis
Barbara Hickey
Doreen Lopes
Helena Marques
Margaret McGetrick
Susan Perry
John Vasconcellos
Russ Weigel
CONSULTANTS
Gaelen Canning, Grants
STAFF
2011 - 2012
Lisa A. Yates, Executive Director
Carlene LeBlanc, Business & Operations Manager
Abigail Keene, Director of Development
Jill Howard, Secondary School Program Coordinator
Hillary Parker, Administrative Assistant & Volunteer Coordinator
Blanca Santiago, Administrative Assistant
Mary Wayss, Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator
LEAD & ADJUNCT TEACHERS
David Ehrens
Priscilla Kennedy
James MacNamee
June Pina
Gale Schultz
Elizabeth White
AMERICORPS VOLUNTEER TEACHERS
Heather Cyr
Krissy Dolce
Elise Edmonson
Kara Gonnerman
Courtney Hendrick
Katie O’Hara
Maria Sayed
Caroline Sullivan
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS TEACHERS
Marcus Monteiro, Music
Diana Puccio, Drama
Mary Wayss, Art