Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12
History of the Hamden Hall Lifers' Shirting Ceremony

A Cookie-Cutter Tradition 

The Valentine Cookie Sale has been a heartfelt tradition at Hamden Hall since 1942 when the kindergarten and connecting classes held a candy and bake sale to benefit the Junior Red Cross. According to the Feb. 18, 1942, HHCDS Register News: “The children sold candy and valentines, which they had made, to pupils in the upper grades and high school. All purchases were made with pennies so that the young boys and girls could manage the sales.” In 1969, the tradition was touted in Scholastic Teacher magazine because of its educational experience for the school's youngest students in areas of home economics, business, human relations, teamwork, and consumer education. They also learn self-discipline as they are not allowed to sample the cookies,” the magazine noted. 

In 1982, the Valentine's Day tradition was broadened by then-PreKindergarten teacher Katharine Harris (who later became Director of Lower School Admissions). The ever-creative Kathie came up with a marketing idea for the bake sale that spawned a new tradition for the school: the shirting ceremony. “I was talking to the students about what a commercial is, and I told them we were going to go to the Upper School and do a commercial to get them to buy cookies,” she explained. To sweeten the pot a bit,  Kathie also suggested acknowledging those students who had spent their entire careers at Hamden Hall and gifting them with T-shirts that were virtually walking advertisements for the bake sale! Thus the shirting of the “lifers” was born. "The children drew cookies with their names on them and we had them printed on the shirts. It was a fun way to celebrate love and family in addition to being a learning experience.” 

We are proud to have continued these two wonderful traditions, both of which have milestone anniversaries this year: our Valentine Bake Sale has taken place for 80 years and our Lifers' Shirting Ceremony celebrates 40 years. On Feb. 14, 2022, our youngest students will host their annual cookie and baked goods sale, and on Feb. 4, we will celebrate our 2022 Lifers.
 
Lifers Through the Years
Congratulations to our Hamden Hall Lifers!

Class of 1966
George Vollano 1966
Class of 1968
Nancy Dennett 1968
Polly Sanford Sosnowski 1968
Class of 1971
Gail B. English 1971
Class of 1972
Elizbeth Paradis Griffin 1972
David M. Pilot 1972
Class of 1973
Edith Wilson 1973
Class of 1974
Andrew Liveten 1974
Class of 1977
Mark A. Adley 1977
Teresa Cannavaciolo Souza 1977
Class of 1979
Gabriella Hebert Benedict 1979
Alphonse Cannavaciolo Jr. 1979
Kimberly Canter 1979
Catherine Adley Formo 1979
Marc Levine 1979
Class of 1980
James Hunter 1980
Cynthia Lawder 1980
Elizabeth Levine Reede 1980
Class of 1981
Lisa Cannavaciolo Ferris 1981

Start of the Official Recognition of Lifers and Annual Shirting Assembly: 

Class of 1982
Dr. Michele R. DeMusis 1982
Maria Esposito Prota 1982
Irma Felix Rappaport 1982
Class of 1983
Christine Adley Battista 1983
Class of 1986
T. Gregory Ames III 1986
Dr. Frank Mongillo III 1986
Earle J. Perrini 1986
Class of 1987
Michael Zibello 1987
Class of 1988
Kim Chandler 1988
Richard Johnson 1988
Elizabeth Krizsan 1988
Class of 1989
Derek S. Cervoni 1989
Dr. Felicia Cuomo 1989
Dr. Sanda Lujic Tomak 1989
Paul D. Zibello 1989
Class of 1990
Jonathan Ames 1990
Class of 1991
Anthony Onofrio 1991
Class of 1992
Jennifer Chandler 1992
Irene Cheung 1992
Danielle E. Halpin 1992
Christopher Leahy 1992
Kirk Schoff 1992
Class of 1993
Michael L. Danishevsky 1993
Geoffrey H. Schroeder 1993
Class of 1994
Jana Bozelko 1994
Jacqueline Chandler Burns 1994
Wendy Mongillo 1994
Deanna Zibello 1994
Class of 1995
Patricia Keith Baione 1995
Jamie Roseman 1995
Samantha Schroeder Jooste 1995
Class of 1996
Jacklyn Greenberg 1996
Douglas Pettit 1996
Steven Danishevsky 1996
Class of 1997
Kevin Costa 1997
Andrea Calaluce Giordano 1997
Vincent J. Idone 1997
Lewis Zundell 1997
Class of 1998
Joseph A. Forte 1998
Dr.  Marko P. Lujic 1998
Megan Brownstein Rutstein 1998
Ekita Z. Shaw 1998
Scott T. Sheridan 1998
Class of 1999
Marissa L. Hewitt 1999
Gloriana Smith Miles 1999
Jonathan M. Shapiro 1999
Class of 2000
Nicholas Butler 2000
Kiernan P. Griffin 2000
Hayden Mixsell 2000
Kristen Fiore Nugent 2000
Dominic Viglione 2000
Lacy J. Zuffelato 2000
Class of 2001
Kimberly Brownstein Greenberg 2001
Tiffany Gambrell-Jones 2001
Patrick J. Hamrock 2001
Jessica Schmidt 2001
Andrew Shapiro 2001
Odell Stewart 2001
Lisa  Forte Viscuso 2001
Diana Webb 2001
Class of 2002
Marielle Casanova 2002
Adam Riccio 2002
Murphy Smith 2002
Class of 2003
Brian Danishevsky 2003
Dr. Erin K. Hewitt 2003
Casey L. Hughes 2003
Kristin Smith 2003
Adam Weisz 2003
Jaxi Zundell 2003
Class of 2004
Karen Markman Newburg 2004
Timothy Riccio 2004
Class of 2005
Michael Battema 2005
Treanna Santillo Castronova 2005
Laura Gibson 2005
Michael J. Kaczynski 2005
Liam Sweeney 2005
Class of 2006
Ross Bennett 2006
Rebecca Feigenbaum 2006
Kristen Fasano Sharpe 2006
Class of 2007
Jackson Arpine 2007
Daniel Bennick 2007
Ms. Cali Calarco 2007
Michael R. Guay 2007
Sara Markman 2007
Class of 2008
Heidi Smith Anderson 2008
Andrew C. Downs 2008
John DeLano Greenawalt 2008
Francesca Q. Howard Macias 2008
Class of 2009
Blake Brownstein III 2009
Timothy Byrne 2009
Robert Fasano 2009
Nicholas A. Guay 2009
Ryan J. Hunter 2009
Christie I. Marando 2009
Mr. Jay Onorato 2009
Grant Smith 2009
Class of 2010
Meagan J. Clark 2010
Brian L. Giacalone 2010
Heather C. Held 2010
Averi M. Schwartz 2010
Class of 2011
Francesca Anastasio 2011
Luke Ashford 2011
John J. Bacon III 2011
Christopher M. Byrne 2011
Taylor B. De Natale 2011
Cameron Griffin 2011
Eleanor C. Hudd 2011
Rachel Litvin 2011
Richard T. LoRicco 2011
Joseph E. Murray 2011
Lindsay S. Perrelli 2011
Matthew W. Prota 2011
Class of 2012
Blake Acquarulo 2012
Adam B. Bassett 2012
Marc Cafasso 2012
Jason A. Cimino 2012
Daniel Clark 2012
Sara N. DeFelice 2012
Karla L. Fasano 2012
Nigel Felder 2012
Chelsea S. Fusco 2012
Rebecca M. Hunter 2012
Sara E. Hunter 2012
Michael W. Izzo 2012
Jacqueline A. LoRicco 2012
Class of 2013
Lauren R. Collins 2013
Bianca A. D'Ambrosia Wollman 2013
Audree Herrera-Symonds 2013
Katherine A. Prota 2013
Matthew C. Russo 2013
Harpur A. Schwartz 2013
Class of 2014
Alex A. Acquarulo 2014
Sara E. Bennett 2014
Kevin C. Butler 2014
Albert S. Fusco 2014
Allison G. Izzo 2014
Braedon C. Kohler 2014
Ariana N. Martone 2014
Christian J. Montano 2014
Abigail Podlubny 2014
Nicholas A. Strada 2014
Class of 2015
Marilee S. Bodden 2015
Mansell J. Carloni 2015
Elijah E. Cordova 2015
Austin DiMartino 2015
Loren M. Dunn 2015
Richard Haney 2015
Sara Haney 2015
John G. Marando 2015
Josie Maynard 2015
Jay T. Moran 2015
Konstantionos I. Sousoulas 2015
Class of 2016
Moishe Azoff-Slifstein 2016
Carolyn A. Consiglio 2016
Michael B. DiMartino 2016
Marco Fontana 2016
Ronald LoRicco 2016
Brandon R. Massey 2016
Kayla C. Stanley 2016
Class of 2017
Gabriella M. LoRicco 2017
Elliot S. Markman 2017
Sydnee D. Peterson 2017
Hadia Wazaz 2017
Class of 2018
Marissa Consiglio 2018
Maisa Della Valle 2018
Christopher E. Duffy 2018
Christopher Izzo 2018
Krishnan T. Moran 2018
Joseph H. Neubauer 2018
Maxwell Sinoway 2018
Moustafa Wazaz 2018
Class of 2019
Emily Clarke 2019
Karis Curtis 2019
Hannah J. Flamm 2019
Vasilios Gioulos 2019
Lily K. Lange 2019
John Carlo Letizia 2019
Maria L. Mack 2019
Dylan T. McNamara 2019
Joseph A. Sansone 2019
Aya Wazaz 2019
Maxwell R. Wolpert 2019
Class of 2020
Abbey N. Catalano 2020
Riley A. Kohler 2020
Christina M. LoRicco 2020
Eduardo R. Pagliaro-Haque 2020
Julia M. Pandolfi 2020
Chavon T. Patterson 2020
Orly I. Richter 2020
Class of 2021
Timilehin Ayobami Afolalu 2021
Aidan J. Armstrong 2021
Maurice J. Barakat 2021
Alexandra E. Blaise 2021
Liam J. Kohler 2021
Luke Letizia 2021
Anisha Moran 2021
Andrew P. Neubauer 2021
Jessica E. Stanley 2021
Class of 2022
Henry M. Cort 2022
Olivia F. McNamara 2022
Ashley Sapiente 2022
Ava A. Vingiano 2022
Kate Xie 2022
Class of 2023
Frances Gustafson 2023
Class of 2024
Casey Armstrong 2024
Ethan Berman 2024
Jake Cacace 2024
Will Christman 2024
Nico Ciccone 2024 
Margaret Gustafson 2024 



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