The Newark Academy Fund
Dear Friends of Newark Academy,
As we wrap up our 250th anniversary celebration and reflect on the year, I am deeply moved by the myriad of ways our trustees, former trustees, alumni, parents/guardians, employees, community members and other friends of the school have demonstrated their generosity of spirit. We came together to generate some remarkable accomplishments, culminating in the Newark Academy Fund achieving its greatest success ever.
Going forward, and with momentum building for our campaign, Ad Lumen: The Campaign for Newark Academy, we are creating a vibrant culture of philanthropy at our school. Philanthropy plays a crucial role in sustaining the mission of Newark Academy, enabling us to provide exceptional resources for our students and educators. In particular, your generous financial support ensures that we can continue to offer a world-class independent school education and maintain our tradition of excellence. Each year - and especially this year - our advancement colleagues and I feel honored to work with you, our donors. Thank you for your multifaceted contributions, committed partnership, active volunteerism, and honest feedback.
I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the lasting legacy of Newark Academy.
Dr. Rose Byron McSween
Chief Advancement Officer
Founders Day
November 15, 2023
In honor of our 250th anniversary, we had our Founders Day giving challenge in the fall. During this challenge, parents and alumni joined together to support another 250 years of continued innovation for future and current students. More than $318,000 was raised from 308 donors.
Day of Giving
February 14, 2024
Love was in the air on February 14, our 11th annual Day of Giving, when 388 donors raised more than $267,000 for the Newark Academy Fund. The Class of 2030 was the first class ever to reach 100% parent participation and 50 alumni classes had more than one donor.
Teacher Appreciation
May 5-11, 2024
Each year during Teacher Appreciation Week, parents and alumni come together to show their support for our teachers, staff members and coaches by making gifts to the Newark Academy Fund in honor of these NA employees.
Their gifts directly support the work that NA employees do each day to sustain an excellent and rewarding experience for our students.
Parent Ambassadors
Newark Academy Fund Parent Ambassadors play a crucial role in fostering a culture of generosity and participation within our community. These dedicated volunteers educate fellow parents on the importance of contributing to the Newark Academy Fund, emphasizing how their support directly enhances the educational experience for all students.
Through outreach, events, and personal conversations, Parent Ambassadors inspire philanthropy and engagement, ensuring parents understand the impact of their contributions. Their commitment helps fund innovative programs, maintain facilities, provide financial aid, and enrich extracurricular activities.
We extend a special thank you to this year’s ambassadors:
Emily Schonbraun- Chair (‘25 &’28)
Cindy Gilsenan (‘24)
Deb Caplan (‘25)
Katy Burns (‘25 & ‘27)
Anu Mahadev (‘25)
Robyn Bennett (‘25 & ‘27)
Susie Polow (‘26)
Mindy Opper (‘26 & ‘28)
Jyoti Ananth (‘27)
Kalpana Tumu (‘27)
Wesley Li and Shirley Gu (‘27 & ‘29)
Latoya Ferguson (‘27)
Pouya Lavian (‘29)
Meryll Grebow (‘27 & ‘29)
Deborah Yu (‘30)
Newark Academy Parents’ Association International Dinner
More than 650 people attended the 31st annual NAPA International Dinner on Saturday, January 27. The night featured cultural shares, performances and a potluck dinner of homemade cuisines from across the globe.
NA News
Acting Students Perform Down Neck in Newark’s NJPAC
Newark Academy acting students collaborated with Newark-based Yendor Theatre Company on a production of Down Neck, a play about the Ironbound section of Newark. In addition to an on-campus performance, students performed the play at the Horizon Black Box Theater in the NJPAC Center for Arts Education on November 19, 2023.
Intermediate acting students spent several classes work-shopping with NA theater alumnus Andrew Binger ’09, the artistic director of Yendor Theatre, in preparation for the performance.
The collaboration began as NA’s Director of Theater Arts Rachel Shapiro Cooper looked for ways to teach her students about NA’s origin city of Newark, in honor of the 250th anniversary year. “I wanted to see if we could bring the community together around an artistic experience,” Rachel says.
