In 1959, Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th states in the United States. Fins and chrome were all the rage on automobiles. NASA announced the first astronauts, known as the Mercury Seven. And, I started school at Orchard.

 

Orchard was called the Orchard Country Day School then. French was the language taught in all grades. The school building on 64th Street was just two years old. I was back at Orchard as a 12- and 13-year-old for ballroom dancing classes and was a student dance instructor at 14.

 

Little did I know I would rejoin Orchard in 2019 as the Director of Institutional Advancement. The last four years have zipped by as we rebranded the Owl Fund. We completed the Capital Campaign, raising over $11 million, and we had all hands on deck for the Orchard Centennial Celebration. We have worked to grow enrollment after COVID and are back to a much healthier number now. I have watched with pride as the Marketing team wins award after award.

 

I will miss the amazing teachers and staff at Orchard. I have enjoyed working with our Board of Governors and Board of Trustees. We are fortunate to have these wonderful volunteers! Thank you to the many, many donors that make Orchard possible! Most of all, I will miss working with Orchard’s head of school, Sherri Helvie. It’s all been a true joy.

 

Steve


Congratulations to The Orchard School's 2022-2023 retirees! Even though we miss seeing you around campus, We're excited for your future endeavors and please know you're always welcome back. #owlsforever