April
2005
NEWS
Welcome...Young
chooses Healy to head Day
and farewell...Josephine
Komow, retired Day librarian, friend of THE DAYTIME,
is dead at 81
First Amendment,
first-hand in NYC
Cheesecake
Brook testing put off till Fall
Newton
Schools’ Foundation’s “Salsa
into Spring” raises 130G
Freedom of speech....how much
longer will it last?
Tomorrow is
the future: Newton dialogue on race
School committee
hearing: library a huge concern for students; DAYTIME
will be preserved
Tomorrow is
the Future
by A. G.
Newton has recently experienced some violent hate crimes,
and not for the first time. Last month, an event was
held to help overcome these issues. Leading the event
were Newton’s mayor, David Cohen; Newton’s
superintendent, Jeffrey Young, Newton Chief of Police,
John "J.J." O'Brien; Newton Human Rights commission
chairwoman, Marianne Ferguson; Myrtle Baptist Church
Pastor, Howard Haywood; and 44-year Newton citizen/activist,
Hubie Jones.
The dialogue started out with the mayor commenting on
the fact that it has been a tough year, in many ways,
and asking how we, as a community, respond. We can do
better, "get to a better place," said Cohen. "It
works a little bit at a time, and some times the most
important thing you can gain is understanding. An understanding
of who we are." He spoke of the importance of teamwork
and every one pulling together.
Expressing his confidence in this city and its citizens
was one of the last things the mayor did before handing
the microphone over to Hubie Jones, a 44-year Newton
citizen who would be leading the dialogue.
Jones addressed recent hate-crimes, saying, "a
strong, healthy community looks these facts in the eye," then
commented that Newton is no place for hate.
Next to speak was Haywood, Pastor for Myrtle Baptist
Church, with a more optimistic view. Haywood observed
that previous speakers were focusing very much on the
negative aspect of this. He also pointed out that we
all desire peace and harmony for our lives, and "...all
of God’s people have been a part of the contribution." He
encouraged viewers to "...look beyond barriers and
see how we can help each other."
Following was the superintendent of the Newton school
system, Jeffrey Young, who said his piece. He first pointed
out that every parent wants their child’s life
to be better than their own. Teachers and educators want
that for about 4,250 kids, and try to make our world
a better place. Their job is to give children a strong
education, and "...all of our students can become
constructive citizens."
But, Young continued, no matter what our intentions,
every one makes mistakes. Next he noted that, "our
strength comes from our courage." He concluded with, "We
tear people apart. We focus on what makes you different
from you, different from you, different from you, different
from me," turning it over to O’Brien.
O'Brien was sworn in as Newton’s police chief
March the 9th, a week and a day before the event, which
occurred on Thursday evening, March the 17th, at 7 o’clock,
at V. F. W. Post 440. O’Brien mentioned the Constitution,
noting that it protects the rights of ALL individuals.
He stated that it was his job to "...treat all [his]
officers with dignity and respect, even if they make
a mistake. We’re all under the same umbrella. We
should all respect each other, police and citizens, people
and people”.
Ferguson was next up. She explained no one is doing
it for themselves, but rather, for the future, for later
generations. "We’ve got to model."
She then asked where we could learn where racism was? "Is
it in the workplace? On the street?" She said that
we have to work together to meet the goal.
From then on, comments and questions were solicited
from the audience. The first to speak was Rabbi Jack
Porter, a victim of one of the hate crimes. The perpetrator
of this crime had stated "...kill your priest," a
bit absurd, because Porter is a rabbi. O’Brien
replied, saying they, as police, tried to deal with those
attacks with "...tact, courtesy, and diligence."
Porter then asked the audience, as well as the speakers,
how they reacted and what their response was when they
heard something anti-Semitic from a close friend or relative.
Porter finished by reading a quote from a friend of his: "Be
not a perpetrator, be not a victim, but, most importantly,
I say to the City of Newton, be not a bystander.
After Porter spoke, a Newton North student, who had
been in the METCO program since Kindergarten, spoke.
She said that she felt that people were only helping
themselves, and that they needed to expand and reach
out. She also stated that she was a bit more nervous
because of the recent crimes, and a little "...more
on [her] toes."
Dr. Young then spoke briefly in response. One thing
he said was that teaching is "...taking something
from the unknown into the known."
When Young finished, Newton North senior R. A. took
her turn.
R. A. expressed her concern that the perpetrators of
the hate crimes not be punished when found, but educated
instead. O’Brien replied that he wanted the young
people to learn from this, and they would be educated.
A third student spoke, explaining that METCO students
are part of the community, not just the schools, and
she didn’t feel as if that was being honored.
Students were a majority of the audience, one said she
was worried that, since a program had been cut, kids
didn’t really have a place to go when things like
this happened.
To this the mayor replied that adults don’t have
all the answers, and Young said we have to make the best
of what we have. The senior class president, Patrick
Craig, inquired about seeing youth officers in a school,
asking if they were really necessary. Cohen responded
that it was for police-student relationships.
One citizen wanted to now how to eradicate racism. Young
observed that it was already happening, using books in
a middle school curriculum as an example. Now the books
read are not as much by, or about, white men as they
would be 20 years ago.
"There has been an ongoing attempt to diversify
faculty and staff," Young noted. The mayor then
stated that hate crimes such as these remind us of the
ideals we all hold.
With the many students, there were also parents, though
fewer. One parent was upset that the leaders of the dialogue
had asked so much courage of kids when the adults couldn’t
do it. She also said, “If the world picked up on
every little thing, the world would be a much better
place."
A second parent was the African-American father of a
Newton North student whose locker was vandalized. The
family is both African-American and Jewish, and the locker
had on it a racial slur, as well as a swastika.
He asked how, if "...there is no leadership at
the top, how can there be at the bottom in the community?” referring
to the fact that he had e-mailed Cohen 3 times requesting
to speak with him and gotten no response. This hate crime
was very frightening to the victim and her family, as
with all crimes in that category.
A Newton resident spoke, making many points, especially
that in her opinion, the future is not next year, or
even next month. Tomorrow is the future.
Another found a hate letter rolled into her newspaper.
Citizens pointed out that there has been a lot of progress.
One girl questioned why only city people were speaking
and not educators. Some people wanted to know what they
could do to help. A parent pointed out that all Newton
students are everyone’s kids. Haywood suggested
telling your service leader about the issues.
One student described some racial aspects of the government,
and Haywood agreed, saying we were "...putting our
heads in the sand. This is not what we all want."
The mayor spoke multiple times, saying that ending racism
is a long road, and we should use that, not as an excuse,
but as an energizer. He explained that schools have a
collective responsibility. "We’re in this
together. We need to stand up." It is the obligation
of every one, said the mayor. Along the same lines, he
said if one person needs a service we all need it. “I
have not heard that message coming from Washington in
a long time," said Cohen., “All it takes to
start hate is one bad apple in the bunch.”
A Brazilian woman spoke, starting by saying that if
she hadn’t opened her mouth, she could be American. "Talk
about your passion," and, "These are OUR children!" are
two things she expressed emphatically. As well as, "...leadership
is sharing your experience. Celebrating life, diversity..." She
also mentioned how good she had felt when a woman had
complimented her shoes previously that day. She then
questioned why these dialogues could not be held more
often. It was probably one of the most heartfelt speeches
that night.
Another student spoke, saying that dialogue was held
not just because of Newton North, but because of other
recent events, such as the vandalism of a car, including
racial slurs and 3 swastikas painted on it. The student
thought that this event was good, but not enough, and
1 student representing 2,500 was not acceptable.
One woman spoke about security, and how she had been
followed in stores because of her race. She described
how unhappy she felt telling her daughter what to do
if she got pulled over on the road, merely because of
skin color. "We have a lot to learn."
Next was one last student, asking about and challenging
many important issues that had been discussed over the
course of the meeting, Pointing out that people were
not doing enough and making excuses. Mainly, what she
was asking is why, but she pointed out many things as
well, Such as putting 1 book in the curriculum that is
written by a Latino or African-American is not integration.
Tears added emphasis to this already powerful speech.
Last to speak was another parent who wanted to challenge
the press to use forums, and get the message out.
In closing, Jones spoke again. He started by saying, "...no
one can feel afraid. It is absolutely unacceptable. This
is not about the image of Newton."
He said that this dialogue is for the issues going on
in Newton, and that is a serious and deep problem.
"When you lose the capacity to form new illusions,
you are in trouble." He encouraged everybody in
the room to live with the illusion that it can be done
NOW.
He then asked who would be at your funeral. "A
rainbow of diversity? Or people just like yourself?" Then
he asked, "What are we seriously prepared to do?" repeating
it 2 more times. "It’s time for us to come
together and become a tough voice, a smart voice, a strategic
voice." He observed that we have a lot of work to
do, warning that it can be painful, difficult, and enlightening.
"We have what isn’t going on in our schools,
in our community," Jones noted and said that more
dialogues, and actions will be taken to end racism this
year. He explained that "Education is a powerful
tool for promoting understanding." He noted how
wonderful it was that so many committed young people
made statements.
Jones ended by saying, "...things will be better
after this meeting."
If every one helps to reach the goal and make Newton "...no
place for hate," it will be so.
By Z. G.
With a goal to raise money for the Newton Public Schools,
The Newton Schools’ Foundation (NSF) held a fundraiser
on Friday, March the 18th. Called “Salsa Into Spring”,
the fundraiser, which took place at the Sheraton Newton
Hotel, raised more than $130,000 for the schools. The
emcee for the evening was Steve Siagel, of Siagel Productions,
who has acted as emcee for all the NSF’s spring
fundraisers over the last 7 years.
The parents also participated in a silent auction, featuring
auction items ranging from two Red Sox tickets to a color
printers/scanners.
At the event, there was a salsa band for the main audience,
a hip-hop ballroom for young teens and pre-teens, and
a separate room with a magic show and a clown for young
children. Later that night, all ages of the audience
learned how to salsa, being instructed by professional
salsa dancers from Boston. Later, the Siagel Productions
Dance Academy had a performance.
By far, the audience agreed that this fundraiser is
one of the greatest, if not the best, that the Newton
Schools’ Foundations has ever hosted. “This
is our seventh ‘Into Spring’ fundraiser,
and it is even more successful than last year’s,
which was a record-breaker. It is a wonderful event for
families, and gives the NSF an opportunity to bring the
community together for our schools,” says executive
director Clare McCully.
Later that night, the mayor and the superintendent praised
the NSF for all the contributions it has made to the
Newton Public Schools over the last 19 years, donating
more than $1,830,000 in grants. The co-presidents Victor
Milione and Dennie Rothschild announced that the Foundation
planned to donate more than $275,000 in grants this upcoming
May. They thanked the Salsa attendees for increasing
the funds raised at these events, from $50,000 in 1999
to more than $130,000 this year.
by R. P.
The purpose of the school committee hearing on Thursday,
March the 24th was to solicit feedback from the community
on the proposed budget cuts. “We want to make sure
we hear comments,” said chairman Anne Larner.
Set up in Day’s auditorium, all school committee
members other than Renee Murphy, were present. They were
joined by Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Young and Mayor
David Cohen. Two microphones stood on opposite sides
of the aisles. Each speaker was allotted three minutes
to speak their opinions after stating their name and
address.
Before beginning the session, Young officially announced
that THE DAYTIME will be preserved. He noted Day principal
Gina Healy’s strong efforts to keep the paper intact.
Although there would be a “reconfiguring of staff,” Young
promised THE DAYTIME would be returning to its regular
publication. In a phone conversation, Cohen officially
congratulated the staff and said the paper will “...be
back in business...hopefully indefinitely.”
After introductory statements, the meeting proceeded
into a section devoted to children speaking. While many
expressed their voices on positions and activities being
cut, some, like C. M., took time to thank the city for
the opportunities given. C. M. appreciated the Special
Education program which has enabled her to be given “...a
chance to succeed...I don’t know where I’d
be (without the assistance).”
However, one former Newton student, who presently attends
the Corban Russell School, spoke of how Newton did not
open any aid support for his needs. Newton “...did
not understand me,” he said, as he was punished
by being isolated in a room while not receiving the help
he needed.
J. C., a third grader at Franklin School, proved a point
that the library was “...the heart of our school....the
resource we depend on.” If the librarians were
cut, J. C. said the city would be “...denying us
our tools in the future.”
Many high school students spoke of the proposed cuts
to the music department. A concerned parent said, “We
all know that children make beautiful art and music...but
art and music make beautiful children.”
P. T., a senior at Newton North, emphasized how students
are “...tired of hearing about budget cuts...there
is a difference between expected revenues and expenses.” P.
T. suggested that the city hire an efficiency specialist
to evaluate and fix the problem of ever-growing budget
gaps.
After the student speeches, one parent congratulated
the efforts of the board, and encouraged them to keep
making wise decisions. “...don’t stop now,” she
said, “the parents of Newton are behind you...don’t
stop asking questions.”
by S. S.
In a recent study, the John and James Knight Foundation
surveyed over one hundred thousand high school students
across the country, as well as almost 8 thousand teachers
and 500 administrators at 544 high schools, all about
the First Amendment to our Constitution. What they discovered
is very shocking to many people.
First off, the survey showed that 73 percent of high
school students either don't know how they feel about
the First Amendment, or take it for granted. Furthermore,
only 83 percent think people should be allowed to express
unpopular opinions, and 51 percent think that newspapers
shouldn't have to be approved of by principals before
they go to press.
Note that only 3 states in the U. S., including Massachusetts,
don't require school newspapers to be approved of by
the principal.
One of the most surprising facts revealed by the survey
is this: 75 percent of high school students think flag
burning is illegal, when it is not. Day social studies
teacher S. F. reacts to this:
"I wonder whether they answered the question based
on what they think they know about the law versus what
they think the law should be. It may also be a case of
students responding based on popular opinion which runs
counter to what the Supreme Court says is allowed in
flag burning cases."
However, the survey showed that, of the students who
do believe people should be allowed to express unpopular
views, and who do support the First Amendment, most of
them had participated in some form of student media.
What does this show? That student media, such as THE
DAYTIME, helps raise awareness and appreciation of freedom
of speech, a value that is "...an integral piece
of the fabric of our society," according to Ford.
In spite of this, the poll showed that in recent years,
the number of student media programs in the U. S. has
diminished, mainly for the same reason that THE DAYTIME
was threatened: budget cuts. Now, THE DAYTIME was able
to preserve itself, but other student newspapers may
not be as fortunate.
To eliminate this problem, Ford says, "We as educators
... need to understand that the best way to educate our
youth about [the freedom of speech] is to let them actually
practice exercising those freedoms and learn how to balance
their rights and responsibilities in a real-world setting."
THE DAYTIME also took a poll about these topics, to
find out where Day students stand on these issues. On
the most mistaken issue in the Knight poll, Day fared
slightly better; only 61% thought it was illegal to burn
the flag. Surprisingly, 20% believed that people should
not be allowed to express unpopular opinions, and a mediocre
76% agreed that newspapers should be allowed to publish
freely, without government approval. Similarly, 74% agreed
that Day students should be allowed to publish without
approval from school officials.
“Creating a forum for students to discuss and
debate current event and Constitutional issues would
be another strategy [to get kids to think about the First
Amendment]”, says Ford. Should this forum be created?
The Day poll showed that 20% of students personally think
about the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. 41
percent don’t even know about the rights.
Welcome...
by A. H.-B.
Gina Healy, Day’s interim principal, was recently
informed by Newton schools chief, Dr. Jeff Young, that
she can drop the “interim” from her title.
Since Dr. Paul Stein left Day last June to assume a
new position at the Ed. Center, Gina Healy has been serving
as Day’s interim principal.
Newton school superintendent Dr. Jeff Young convened
a principal search committee to which Healy applied.
The process having been completed, Young named Healy
as Day’s new principal.
The Selection Advisory Committee, consisting of staff
members S. C., P. C. , J. H. , J. K. , K. M., also central
office staffers Elley Gangi, John Jordan, Gil Lawrence,
Judy Malone Neville, Paul Stein, and Day parents Patrick
Costello, Margaret Hannah, Norma Jean Scott, and Alan
Roth, has been toiling since February to find a suitable
principal for Day.
Each committee member read 45 resumes from candidates
applying for the position. They then more closely examined
8 semi-finalists, and then narrowed it down to 2 finalists.
The committee then deferred to Young, who, from the
2 finalists, appointed Healy.
Healy's priority as principal is to foster "...a
climate that is conducive to teaching and learning," as
she improves and supports the curriculum. But she hopes
to be involved with more than just the educational aspect
of her position. Healy would like to be an approachable
principal, who is personally connected with students
and parents.
Healy already has a number of goals that she hopes to
achieve for Day as the permanent principal. Healy hopes
to create a stronger Day community by arranging all-school
assemblies more regularly and strengthening the relationships
between the team and cross-team teachers.
The educational standard of the school is also a target
of many of Healy's aspirations. She will attempt to improve
proficiency in each subject with professional development
workshops, the guidance of more experienced teachers.
Critical Friends Groups will be used to rank the literacy
of, and to provide specific feedback for, students' writing.
As principal, Healy will "...promote high achievement
for all students by using data to assess students' progress
and offering support to those who need it both in and
out of the classroom."
In order to increase the school and community's level
of communication, Healy hopes to distribute a monthly
newsletter containing information on recent and upcoming
Day happenings. She sees the Day faculty as "a major
strength" of Day.
"The teachers here are committed to offering high-quality
educational experiences for all students." Healy
finds the balance of core subjects and extra-curricular
activities an excellent way for students to explore a
variety of areas.
However, she feels that the cross-team teachers are
slightly excluded from the effective team structure.
As principal, Healy plans to find a way to guarantee
organization and communication for all faculty of Day.
by S. S.
Newspapers are all about the First Amendment. DAYTIME
staffers are force fed information about the First Amendment
from the time they enter in 6th grade to the time they
depart at the end of 8th grade. In that sense, March
was a very eventful month for the staff of THE DAYTIME.
It was the month where 110 staffers learned of budget
cuts which threatened to shut down the paper, but it
was also the month where 45 staffers would go to New
York and learn about the very rights they would be losing;
specifically, freedom of speech.
Ironically, the staff of the paper that would shut down,
not only met a symbol of free speech in the U. S. (the
president of the New York Times), but became a living
symbol when they won their 5th consecutive Gold Crown
award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.
All of this while the drama was unfolding back home;
the kids who didn't go to New York vigorously petitioned
to save the paper, parents wrote letters to various elected
officials, and even the Boston media ran articles about
THE DAYTIME's situation.
But back to New York.
Excited shouts eager chatting reigned supreme over the
motor-coach carrying over 60 DAYTIME staff members and
chaperones to New York City as it left Day on Wednesday,
March the 16th. The bus left school around 3:15PM to
bring its passengers to the 81st annual conference of
the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), one
of the nation's most prestigious organization of student
journalists.
Before the staff members returned home on Friday evening,
the CSPA would have awarded them their highest honor
for the 5th time in a row: a Gold Crown Award.
The bus rumbled along the highway until it came to the
first stop on the trip: Rein's Deli, in Connecticut.
Here, DAYTIME staff dined on sandwiches and munched on
French fries to sustain them the rest of the trip; three
more hours to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Once
they arrived, at about 10PM, DAYTIMERS were free to explore
the flash and glitz of Times Square with their hotel
groups and chaperones.
The next day was packed, from the moment kids got out
of bed (at 6:15AM) to the instant they returned from
the Broadway musical "Wicked" (around 11PM).
First on the agenda was breakfast at any of the restaurants
in the area, and then off to Columbia University to learn
about journalism. Sessions that staffers attended include: "Thinking
Like An Editor", about how to be a leader on the
paper; "Designer's Dozen", for layout specialists;
and "An Entertaining Thought", for Arts reporters.
Regardless of the session, each staffer was taught many
valuable lessons about how to utilize freedoms granted
by the First Amendment, and how to be a good journalist
Furthermore, several senior DAYTIME staffers gave a
session on how to make a school newspaper involve the
community. This presentation included footage from various
shows on DAYTIME’s broadcast arm, W.O.R.D.
At 10:50AM on Thursday, kids boarded the bus to tour
the New York Times by special invitation. Theirs was
one of the first public tours since 9/11, and one of
the last in the current TIMES building, which will be
replaced in 2007. Before the actual tour, staffers were
addressed by TIMES editors, who gave a critique of THE
DAYTIME and answered questions. At the same time, 8 DAYTIME
leaders were brought up to the 11th floor of the building
to meet with Scott Hanley-Cannady, the president of the
TIMES, where they took pictures and exchanged papers.
Next, students were led through the TIMES vast newsroom,
and saw various reporters producing the nation's most
powerful newspaper.
Following the tour were two more sessions at Columbia,
and then an early dinner at Cucina's, a Mediterranean
restaurant.
The conclusion to the busy day was the performance of
the hit Broadway musical "Wicked", the "untold
story of the witches of Oz".
The next day began with breakfast, then back on the
bus for Columbia. Upon arrival, staffers hiked over to
the steps of the Low Library for a group shot, and then
proceeded to four more sessions before it was time for
shopping in SoHo.
SoHo was also an amazing experience. With trendy stores
rubbing elbows with flea markets selling junky souvenirs
and $10 fake Rolexes, SoHo was overwhelming. The area
THE DAYTIME toured was right next to Chinatown and Little
Italy, so delicious, pungent aromas of oregano blended
with the sizzling smells of spring rolls.
However, 6 staffers shopped closer to Columbia, so they
could go back in time to receive the award. At the time,
it was unknown whether THE DAYTIME would win a Silver
or Gold Crown; when CSPA director Ed Sullivan uttered
the words, "To THE DAYTIME...a Gold Crown" during
the awards ceremony, reactions, such as C. H.'s "Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" seemed appropriate.
Back at Mediterranean restaurant SPQR, the Gold Crown
was given to a waiter who delivered it, draped with a
cloth, to DAYTIME advisor Robert Provencher. The award
was greeted with great applause.
After dinner, staffers boarded the bus for the trip
back home. They brought with them the Gold Crown, various
merchandise, and a wealth of knowledge about how to produce
a newspaper.
Their next mission: to save a newspaper. See pp. B6
and B7.
by M. G.
Cheesecake Brook, the brook that runs along Albemarle
Road, won’t be tested for fecal content until the
Fall because the record-setting snowfall this past winter
caused the water level to rise too much for testing results
to be accurate.
A. R., Jade Team science teacher, will be organizing
the testing, in which students are welcome to participate.
The testing will consist of PH tests, salt concentration,
whether or not chlorine is present, and other tests regarding
presence of nitrogen and potassium.
“The biggest help that kids can do is not to
throw trash into the wild. All trash ends up in the water,” said
A. R. , regarding ways to improve Cheesecake Brook’s
cleanliness.
Cheesecake Brooke runs straight into the Charles River
and may very well be a contributing cause to its contamination
problems. If indeed there is fecal content in Cheesecake
Brooke, there are a few ways this could be happening.
One possibility is that one of the houses along Albemarle
Road was never hooked up to the sewage system, thus having
human waste travel straight into the brook when a toilet
is flushed. In the late 1700’s, when the brook
received its name, it wasn’t yet connected to the
sewer system. Later, when the houses, and later Fessenden
were connected, it’s very possible one of the houses
could have a poor connection, or none at all.
Associations such as the Charles River Water Shed Association,
have been working on the causes of Charles River pollution
for quite some time, and students can now help A. R.
find the cause.
and farewell...
Memorial service set for May the 1 st at Day
An appreciation…
by A. H.-B.
Josephine Komow, advocate for worker's rights, former
Day librarian, and proofreader for THE DAYTIME, passed
away on March 28, 2005. She was 81.
A self-described, active leftist, Komow spent many of
her years as a young woman fighting for workers' rights.
Her husband, Victor Komow, was a videographer who made
documentaries particularly on the formation of unions
and other aspects of the labor movement.
It was his work that sparked Komow's interest in the
topic, and her work led to many exciting adventures.
A particularly exciting day was during the height of
her union work, when Komow answered the door of her apartment
to find herself face-to-face with none other than singer
Paul Robeson. Robeson had arrived to attend a meeting
on the formation of worker unions. Although she did not
pursue a career in the area, she remained an ardent supporter
of workers throughout her life.
Komow moved to Newton from New Jersey and began her
work in Newton in 1967. All three of her sons, Nick,
Tony, and Raymond Komow attended Day. During her first
7 years in Newton, Komow worked as a teacher at Mason
Rice Elementary School, and at the Peabody School for
children with special needs. In 1974, she became Day's
librarian.
Dr. Paul Stein was the principal at Day for many of
the years during which Komow held the position as librarian.
He, among many others, remembers her as "...a terrific
librarian, and more importantly, a truly wonderful human
being."
An avid lover of literature, Komow was always able to
give helpful guidance and suggestions to all who passed
through the doors of the library. Her reputation for
being a respectful, calm, and intelligent woman insured
that browsing the stacks or checking out a book would
be an enjoyable experience.
"She created an environment that put Day's library
not only at the architectural center of the building,
but at the very heart of school community," added
Stein.
Even after retirement in June of 1997, Komow continued
to show her dedication and loyalty to Day by volunteering
as the proofreader of THE DAYTIME. Each month, an
unprinted copy of the paper would be delivered to her
home, and by the next day the packet would be returned
to Room 204, each page marked up with thoughtful comments
and revisions. But Komow never requested credit for her
essential contribution to the paper, a true memento of
her selfless, compassionate personality.
Komow's volunteer work was not limited to THE DAYTIME.
Among other things, she tutored at the Boys’ and
Girls’ Club, taught ELL students at the Franklin
School, worked in conservation at the Jackson Homestead,
and tutored adults at the Newton Free Library.
In acknowledgement of Komow's immeasurable dedication
and love for the Day library, her memorial service will
be held there on May the 1st. The same day is International
Workers' Day, symbolic of her devotion to the fight for
workers' rights.
Komow lived each year of her life to the fullest; her
enthusiasm, commitment, and kindness earning her countless
friends throughout the years. Her presence was meaningful
to so many, and she will be missed by all.
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