The Stanwich Heart

The Stanwich Heart
The Monthly Newsletter of The Stanwich School
May 2011
COMMITMENT • COMPASSION • WISDOM • COURAGE • HONESTY • FORGIVENESS • JOY
Dear Stanwich Parents,
ear 13 has truly been one to celebrate as witnessed by so many of you on Friday
night. The evening was filled with spirit and we are grateful to each of you for all
that you did to make “Lucky 13” such a success and a memorable community event.
Indeed our school is living its mission of students, teachers and parents working together
to foster a love of learning and an appreciation for the gifts of others.
As I thought about our growth and the past 13 years, I was reminded of the many ways
you contribute to our program and how important your energy, gifts and talents have
been to our students. Your willingness to participate as class parents, fund agents and
the many roles needed in our leadership of the Parent Association and Board of Trustees
have helped establish a solid foundation for our future. Traditions such as our Field
Days, Community Service Projects and Charter Day Celebrations continue to foster the
connectedness so important to each of us.
You have stepped into our classrooms to share books and projects and have enriched
our understanding. Our Learning to Look Program continues to thrive, meeting high
expectations and creativity
and would not be possible
without you, our teachers.
We are also grateful to
the many ways you have
encouraged us to be better
stewards of God’s world
through our various clubs
and green initiatives. And
our campus on Stanwich
Road continues to bloom
proudly each spring with
the many bulbs planted by
you and your children.
We have embraced
“Parents
as Partners” with
To celebrate Earth Day, Pat Young helped Grade 4 students plant pansies and
knowledge
that we can only
clean up the grounds around the Stanwich Road campus.
achieve the very best for our
children when we are working together. Our faculty are grateful to be working in a school
where there is support and appreciation. In addition to weekly “Sweet Wednesdays”, the faculty
luncheon and the day of flowers speak volumes to our teachers who understand the many ways
you all come together to make “Faculty Appreciation Day” such a treasured time.
This is a time to really thank each of you for all that you have done to make Year 13
a blessed one. In the coming weeks, there will be several opportunities for us to come
together to celebrate the growth of your children. They have enjoyed many challenges and
successes which will bring smiles and applause. We are truly grateful to each of you for all
that you do throughout the year and thank you for your commitment and support.
Y
Fondly,
www.stanwichschool.org
Inside This Issue
2
Pre-K Cottage
3
Primary House
4
Intermediate House
5
Junior House
6 Earth Day 2011
8
Parent Association
10
Lucky 13 Benefit
12
Happenings
May 2011 1
Pre-K Cottage
What a Blessing!
The Pre-K students presented a
check to JH science teacher, Shaun
Fletcher, that will be used to
purchase books for the Cyabatanzit
school. The funds were raised at the
Pre-K Hop-a-Thon, raising money
for Stanwich’s Project Blessing
initiative.
Barbara Kennedy
Head of Pre-K Cottage
Springtime Magic
A little seed
For me to sow
A little earth
To make it grow....
A little hole,
A little pat...
A little wish,
And that is that.
Dad’s Day
Cardboard boxes, empty paper towel rolls and lots of masking tape
were used when the Pre-K Dads helped their children construct
“marble mazes.”
The Pre-K welcomes Spring with a sense of
wonder as we delight in new growth as we:
• Care for our planted seeds and flowers
• Bring home reading books
• Find worms for our worm farm
• Draw and write in our journals
• Solve tangram puzzles
• Share a morning with Dad at school
• Sing new songs in French and English
• Continue to help each other learn, laugh, and
play together
Spring in Pre-K is a special time of year!
The Grass is Always Greener …
Inside of cups decorated to look like faces, students planted grass seed,
made guesses to see how long it would take to grow, and when it grew,
gave the grass “haircuts.”
2 May 2011
The Stanwich Heart
Primary House
Wishes of Hope
n Friday April 15, the Primary House participated in the most wonderful assembly and community service
event. Mrs. Tomoko Dougan, mom to Acacia in Grade 8 and Stanwich Alum, Brandyn in Grade 12,
presented a beautiful lesson of HOPE to the Primary House. Mrs. Dougan explained calligraphy to the
children as a meditative practice that strengthens the spirit of the mind and body. She explained
that when calligraphy is practiced, a wish is held in your heart. As Mrs. Dougan painted the
Japanese character for HOPE on a banner right in front of them, the children held a wish of HOPE
for the Japanese people and watched in perfect silence. The mood in the assembly room was so
beautiful and peaceful. The mood traveled with the children to their classrooms as they painted
their own message of HOPE. Japanese and calming music played in the rooms as the
children practiced calligraphy, and you could truly sense the hopeful spirit.
Each family was asked to make a donation to the Japan Red Cross in an effort to help
those affected by the devastating March earthquake and tsunami. The Primary House raised
$2439.80 and showed the power of Stanwich Students!
In the envelopes, messages of love, smiles, pictures
and flags of Japan accompanied the donations—some
of which were donations of coins, single dollars and
“allowances.” The personal sharing from our children
and Mrs. Dougan’s lesson created a very meaningful
service learning experience.
O
Julie Colligan
Head of Primary House
Classic Drama
Grade 2 students brought
the childrens’ tales of
Hans Christian Andersen,
such as The Princess
and the Pea and
The Ugly Duckling, to life.
Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was masterfully performed by Grade 1 students.
Research Skills
Grade 3 students show off the brochures they made after researching the rainforest.
Children’s Choice
A Pajama Party, complete with pancakes, was the celebration the kindergartners recently
chose to celebrate their commitment to positive behavior.
www.stanwichschool.org
May 2011 3
Intermediate House
The Power of Ten
hen talking to the children about how to make God’s world a better place, we
often try to drive home the lesson that there is power in numbers. There are
times when one person might not feel that they can make a critical difference,
but when we put our energies and our resources together, our impact can be huge.
This is the basis behind the IH fundraiser for Japan, called The Power of Ten.
The fifth grade is heading up the IH efforts to help Japan following the
devastating earthquake and tsunami. They recently studied natural disasters in their science curriculum, so they felt
compelled to take the lead. The idea is simple; we have asked IH students to donate any denomination of ten — dimes,
dollar bills, ten dollar bills, etc., with the goal of raising at least $1000. It has been inspiring to watch the fifth graders
become impassioned and invested in this undertaking.
One student has created bands with a beautiful emblem that she designed to give out to children who donate.
Another took the initiative to raise funds around his neighborhood and at his grandmother’s church, single-handedly
raising over two hundred dollars toward the cause. And, of course, many IH students have taken the initiative to make
their own Powers of Ten donation.
It is a pleasure to watch our students take a truly active role in helping others. We are so proud to see the compassion
and commitment they have shown toward such an important cause. So, if you see an IH student walking around with a band
around their forehead, you can smile, knowing that they have used their Stanwich Heart to help the people of Japan.
W
Meaghan Mallin
Head of
Intermediate House
Ancient Greece Grade 5 students donned togas and gave a smashing
performance of Theseus & The Minotaur.
StanEllis Island
Grade 4 students dressed in costumes of their
heritage and took part in an immigration reenactment.
Medieval Times
Dressed in Medieval
costumes, the sixth
graders played
chess, feasted,
composed ballads
and jousted, as
part of the annual
Medieval Faire.
4 May 2011
The Stanwich Heart
Junior House
Dana Montañez
Head of Junior House
Brilliant Success
ach year the 9th grade identifies a
global need and works to design a
project to raise funds and educate
our community on that need. The Grade
9 group chose to support the building of
a classroom in Rwanda this year, and
their means of fundraising was to create
a Fashion Show! (pictured below)
Students created a mission statement,
balanced a budget, created marketing
packages, and finally executed the
event on Friday, April 7th. Local stores
provided a variety of beautiful clothes,
and models were found amongst the
Grade 9 group with the addition of a
few 7s, 8s, and faculty members.
As the lights dimmed on the crowd,
the runway was illuminated, and
music filled the air. To the outrageous
applause of friends and families, the
student-models emerged, beaming with
confidence and pride in doing their part
and accomplishing a goal. The show
was a brilliant success not only for the
future classroom in Rwanda, but for
the success the Grade 9 students had in
creating such a memorable and spirited
community event for all!
E
www.stanwichschool.org
From Zip Lining to Skype
For a week in February, the Grade 9 class explored the Central American country of Costa Rica. Highlights of the trip
were a 5-hour hike to Punta Mona, a zip line adventure, and donating laptops to the Bambu School that will be used for
future Skype sessions with the students.
Sludge Test
Through a variety of labs, Grade 8 students studied solubility, flammability and density and were then given test
tubes of “sludge” filled with several liquids, dissolved solids and some undissolved solids. The students were then
required to separate them and report on the characteristics of the sludge.
Fashion for Change
Special Performance
The Grade 9 class put on the first-ever
Stanwich Fashion Show which raised funds
for Project Blessing.
JH students showed off their musical talent during a
special Piano and Voice Recital.
May 2011 5
Earth Day 2011
To celebrate Earth Day, students in the Primary House planted flowers for their mothers, built towers
out of recyclable materials, and decorated 100% recyclable paper plates with Haiku poems. In the
Intermediate House, Grade 4 students planted flowers on campus, Grade 5 students planted flowers at the
Nathaniel Witherell nursing home, and Grade 6 students worked at Tod’s Point with Greenwich Green & Clean.
Primary House
6 May 2011
Grade 4
The Stanwich Heart
Grade 5
www.stanwichschool.org
Grade 6
May 2011 7
Parent Association
Dear Stanwich Community,
hat a wonderful turnout for the Lucky
13 Celebration on Friday. I want
to give a big thank you to Caroline
Weiser, Ingrid Winn, Jesse Drennen and
their committees for all of the hard work in
preparing for this very special event. There
were over 100 auction items including faculty
gifts, grade level baskets, etc. What teamwork
and creativity went into this event!
To help raise awareness for the many people impacted by the
earthquake and tsunami in Japan, our Community Service chair,
Lynn Friedberg, and parent, Tomoko Dougan, worked with the House
Heads to create unique events. The PH had a special assembly where
they learned about Japanese calligraphy, received an origami crane,
and wrote a message of hope. The IH used the “power of 10” theme
to raise funds for a “shelter box” that would help provide relief for a
family of 10 people. Plans are in process for JH for early May. Thank
you to Lynn and Tomoko for leading this effort.
Our Spring Parent Luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, May 26
at Indian Harbor Yacht Club. This is a perfect end-of-year event for
parents to socialize one last time before the school year is over. We
W
will also be thanking our many parent volunteers who have helped
with the various events at school, recognizing our out-going Board,
as well as introducing our in-coming Board. This will be our second
year at Indian Harbor for the parent luncheon, and the views are
beautiful. I hope you can join us.
The PA wants to hear from you! We plan to place suggestion
boxes in the Pre-K, PH, IH and JH offices to gather your comments
on the PA, program suggestions, areas for improvement, etc. We
have added a new Board position for next year, Programs Chair,
which will be headed by Kara Donahue, past PA President. Kara
will take a look at all of our activities, evaluate best practices, and
recommend if we need to make changes in the PA.
Field Day is around the corner and the kids are really looking
forward to being outside and having fun in their blue and white
teams. Parents are always welcome to cheer for the teams; and to
volunteer, please contact Sherry Arjomand if you are available to
help with this fun event.
It’s difficult to believe that the school year is almost over. Enjoy
these last few weeks along with the warmer spring temperatures.
—Wynn McDaniel, Parent Association President
Announcements from the PA
“My teacher rocks!”
“I love Stanwich teachers because they are caring.”
These were some of the messages that Stanwich students sent
teachers via colorful Easter eggs at the Faculty Appreciation
Lunch on April 15. Many, many hands pitched in to honor
one of our school’s greatest blessings: our faculty and staff.
From early morning until late afternoon, we had moms gladly
arranging beautiful flowers brought in by students; preparing
and delivering delicious foods; setting up the JH dining hall
with a taste of spring; greeting and serving our honored guests;
and cleaning it all up. Thank you to our many volunteers for
your generosity of time and spirit. And thank you Stanwich
teachers for making a difference in the lives of our children!
Field Day is coming in June!
K and 1 have Field Day on June 1 at Stanwich School Field
and Grades 2 - 6 have Field Day on June 3 at Old Greenwich
Civic Center. If you are interested in volunteering, please
contact Sherry Arjormand at shahrzadforoughi@yahoo.com
K & Grade 1: Wednesday, June 1 • 10:00 - 11:15am
Stanwich School Field • Rain date June 2
Grade 2 to Grade 6: Friday, June 3 • 9:30am - 12:30pm
Old Greenwich Civic Center • Rain date June 6
8 May 2011
The Stanwich Heart
A Spring Shower Sale!
Just in time for the
rainy days of spring,
the Stanwich small tote
umbrella is now only
$10. Also, the stuffed
Stanwich cougar, our
beloved mascot, is now only $10.
Annual Spring Parent Luncheon
Indian Harbor Yacht Club
Please save the date!
Thursday, May 26
Invitations to follow
It’s Almost Time for Summer Reading!
In May, the Parent Association will be selling the
required summer reading books to Stanwich families.
Once the reading list is issued, books will be available
for purchase online. All book orders will be filled
in late May; books will be delivered directly to students to
take home. Take the opportunity to easily buy your books
while supporting Stanwich!
Please contact Elina Daetwiler
with questions at
daetwiler@gmail.com
Want to learn more?
Join us at the Fourth Annual Greening Our Children Luncheon to benefit Mount Sinai Children’s
Environmental Health Center. Come learn how
we can do more to product our children. For info
go to http://mountsinaigocluncheon.org or
contact luncheon co-chair and Stanwich parent
Eunice Burnett at Eunice.burnett@gmail.com
www.stanwichschool.org
STANWICH ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE
Your family needs you.
Every day, our kids are inadvertently exposed to a long list of harmful chemicals that disrupt the normal way their bodies function, cause cancer and more.
In celebration of Earth Day 2011 make a resolution to adopt at least one new
“green” habit that will protect and improve the health of your family.
Tip 1: Know the ingredients in your personal care products.
Just because a label says “gentle” or “natural” doesn’t mean it’s kid- safe. Look up
your products on CosmeticsDatabase.com. Read the ingredients and avoid triclosan,
BHA, fragrance, and oxybenzone.
Tip 2: Eat organic & fresh foods.
Opt for organic fruits and veggies, or use FoodNews.org to find conventionally grown produce with the least pesticides. Choose milk and meat without added growth hormones.
Limit canned food and infant formula, as can linings contain bisphenol A (BPA).
Tip 3: Avoid fire retardants.
Choose snug-fitting cotton pajamas for kids, and repair or replace worn out foam items.
Tip 4: Pick plastics carefully.
Some plastics contain BPA, which is linked to cancer. Avoid clear, hard plastics marked
with a “7” or “PC” and choose baby bottles made from glass. Don’t microwave plastic
containers. Stay away from toys marked with a “3” or “PVC.” Give your baby a frozen
washcloth instead of vinyl teethers.
Tip 5: Wash those hands, but avoid Triclosan.
In addition to reducing illness, frequent hand washing will reduce kids’ exposure to
chemicals. Skip anti-bacterial soaps, since they can be bad for the environment,
aren’t any better than soap and water, and can contain pesticides that are absorbed
through the skin.
Tip 6: Skip the non-stick, the dangers of teflon.
When overheated, non-stick cookware can emit toxic fumes. Cook with cast iron or
stainless steel and bake with oven-safe glass instead.
Tip 7: Filter your tap water.
Use a reverse osmosis system or carbon filter pitcher to reduce your family’s exposure
to impurities in water, like chlorine and lead. Don’t drink bottled water, which isn’t
necessarily better.
Tip 8: Get rid of that (toxic) dust.
Kids spend time on the floor, and household dust can contain contaminants like lead and
fire retardants. HEPA-filter vacuums capture the widest range of particles and get rid of
allergens. Leave your shoes at the door so you don’t bring more pollutants inside.
Tip 9: Use greener cleaners and avoid pesticides.
Household cleaners, bug killers, pet treatments, and air fresheners can irritate kids’
lungs. Investigate less toxic alternatives. Use vinegar in place of bleach, baking soda
to scrub your tiles, and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains.
Tip 10: Your Healthy Home Checklist.
The Environmental Working Group has created a useful Healthy Home checklist. Open
your bathroom cabinets, look under your sink, and check those laundry supplies. It’s
an easy, hands-on way to create a less toxic environment for your family. Download the
file at http://ewg.org/healthy-home-tips/checklist
Healthy Home Tips compiled by the Environmental Working Group
May 2011 9
Lucky 13
BENEFIT & AUCTION
A
s I sit down and reflect on Stanwich School’s benefit and first live auction, I find myself struggling to find the words that
describe Friday night, April 29, at Burning Tree Country Club. From the moment you walked through the doors, the
atmosphere was electric. The buzz around the crowded silent auction tables, the amazing skill of Robert Boolbol at the mic
as auctioneer for the live auction, the vibe of both Brian Millers as they performed in front of us all, drawing the crowd in with
unabashed enthusiasm; and finally the energy on the dance floor afterwards.
Friday night was a true testament of the Stanwich Community coming together with the mutual vision of “building the dream.”
Thank You to Our Parent Community
Thank you to every parent who donated or arranged donations towards the silent auction, and to the Goldstucks, the Carbones and
the Touzots for their generous contribution to the live auction.
The fabulous booklet and collation of all the auction items was the result of the many hours put in by Jeanne Golden, Leissa
Jackmauh and Jessie Drennen. Together they remained positive, focused and never flustered.
Thank you to Kristin Rosenbaum, Amy Bibb and Caroline Weiser and their committees for co-ordinating the class art projects,
and to all the class parents for creating such fabulous grade baskets.
The’ lucky 13’ Benefit t-shirts are being proudly worn by many of the students at PE, thanks to the hard
work of Naomi Azrak.
BENEFIT
COMMITTEE
We could not have accomplished such creative and innovative faculty items without the support and
advice of Miz Liz. Thank you also to our wonderful team of teachers who gave their time and expertise and
Caroline Weiser
helped us to reach our fundraising goal.
Another Big Thank You
At the risk of sounding like an acceptance speech at the Oscars, and for the sake of keeping this short,
I would like to list a few more names to whom a very big thank you is due:
• Winifred Marion for the amazing video montage, with countless hours dedicated to making the video perfect.
• Jeff Magliola and Adam Pacchiana for all the technical support before and during the event.
• Laura Dianis for immense patience and for all the printing, formatting and school-wide communication.
• Robert Boolbol, whose skill at the mic doubled and even tripled some of the live auction items.
• Brian Miller (the teacher) and Brian Miller (the parent) who put their reputation on the line when they
agreed to sing in front of us all. Thank you for being such good sports.
• To Anastasia Brien and Diane Viton for arranging the table decorations, and Karin Goldstuck and
Debra Seiter for the hours spent on the seating plan.
And finally to my co-chairs, Jessie Drennen and Caroline Weiser, and to the entire benefit committee,
thank you for your support, advice and time.
e.
Best wishes,
Ingrid Winn
10 May 2011
Ingrid Winn
Jessie Drennen
Naomi Azrak
Amy Bibb
Anastasia Brien
Suzanne Bubrosky
Maria Consuegra
Rachel DaPuzzo
Natalie De Munnynck
Wendy Duryea
Catherine Farello
Jeanne Golden
Karin Goldstuck
Lisa Jackmauh
Alessandra Long
Carol Ann McClean
Winifred Marion
Giovanna Miller
Dana Noonan
Kristen Rosenbaum
Debra Seiter
Carol Zelenz
Samar Zuaiter
The Stanwich Heart
www.stanwichschool.org
May 2011 11
Senior House
Happenings
ALLSCHOOL
PICNIC
Derek Krein
Head of Senior House
Breadth of Experience —
Depth of Knowledge
s we come into the homestretch of the hiring season
in the Upper School (Junior and Senior House), I’ve
been impressed by the breadth of experience and
depth knowledge of educators eager to join Stanwich.
Particularly compelling among these teaching candidates
is their individual and collective commitment to educate
students for a meaningful, purposeful life. They are drawn
to Stanwich by our mission, and they are inspired by the
dream we are building into a reality.
A couple of weeks ago I had the
ggood fortune to hear Tony Wagner,
th
the first Innovation Education Fellow
aat the Technology & Entrepreneursship Center at Harvard University,
sspeak at Greenwich Library. Wagn
ner’s 2008 book, The Global Achievement Gap, makes the case “there is
m
a gap between what even our best
sschools are teaching and testing and
the skills all students will need for
th
careers,
careers college and ccitizenship in the 21st century.” He
classifies today’s high school students as the “Net Generation” characterized as “constantly connected, creating, and
multitasking … [they] want to make a difference and do
interesting/worthwhile work.” He anticipates – and strongly advocates for – an educational reorientation from an
information-based learning system to a transformationbased learning system occurring with this generation.
As Stanwich grows, we aspire to foster a learning and
teaching community dedicated to mastering the competencies of this “just-in-time” learning framework. Thankfully,
there is an eager and able collection of prospective teachers out there committed to crafting and promoting this
relevant, meaningful experience who will join our already
accomplished and dedicated faculty. Again and again we
hear from candidates that the opportunity to teach at a
place like Stanwich, where the character culture is firmly
in place and the curriculum is dynamic and emerging, is a
dream come true. Yes it is.
A
HOSTED BY THE BOARD
OF TRUSTEES
Greenwich Point
Clambake Area
Wednesday, June 1
5:00 - 7:00pm
Please join the Board of Trustees for this
special all-school family event.
Look for your evite during the first week
of May (space is limited to the first 500 responses).
Uniform Sale • Friday, June 3
Purchase new school uniforms for
next school year on Friday, June 3 from
8:00am - 4:00pm in the Intermediate
House Assembly Room. Cash, checks
and credit cards are accepted.
The Stanwich School • 257 Stanwich Road • Greenwich, CT 06830 • 203.542.0000 • www.stanwichschool.org
12 May 2011
The Stanwich Heart