10 Campus Drive - NonprofitDesign.com
Transcription
10 Campus Drive - NonprofitDesign.com
Noble & Greenough School 10CampusDrive Volume 4, Number 3 October 2007 A Strong Class Doesn’t Just Happen Retreats Prepare Students for Best Possible Year In This Issue B y t h e O f f i c e o f Co m m u n i c a t i o n S J o y c e L . E l d r i d g e , A r i e ll e G r e e n l e a f , J u l i e G u p t i ll Class I Retreat Page 1 Magic Bus Ride Page 1 English via Latin Page 2 New Faculty Enrich Classrooms Page 3 Class II Retreat Page 5 Class III Retreat Page 6 Class IV Retreat Page 6 Class V Retreat L eadership skills, identity, orientation to new surroundings, thoughts about legacies…these are four of the core themes of Classes I through VI retreats, each tailored to the needs of students entering the next stage of their education. As Head Robert P. Henderson Jr. ’76 said in his opening day remarks: “This is a remarkable and caring faculty who will help you navigate the tough moments [and share your joy in the happy ones].” Ten Campus Drive offers you a bird’s-eye view of each retreat, some off campus, as far away as the Cape and New Hampshire, and some transporting students to other realms, via their imagination and activities, but never leaving Nobles’ own 187 acres. Page 7 Class VI Retreat Page 8 Veteran Faculty in New Positions Page 8 The Achieve Program at Nobles Page 10 Bridges Program Leads to Transitions Page 11 Cambridge Kids Contribute Substantively Page 11 C L A S S I R E T R E AT The “L” Words: “Leadership” and “Legacy” Fifthies enjoy low ropes course. Having moved up the ranks from “sixies” (in many cases) to graduates-to-be, Class I students, at their retreat, appeared to have earned some of the hallmarks of privilege. Discussions were more loosely structured than in past years; considerable free time to mingle was available between activities; some of the information shared was very personal, some confidential, almost like an analytical session rather than a focus group. Class I spent a day and a half at Camp Bournedale, set on a fairly steep hill alongside Long Lake in Plymouth. Small cabins, replete with cots and showers, dotted the hillside, as did a spacious gymnasium and an impressive dining hall encircled by decks that students and faculty alike used to read and so- News Briefs cialize. Platters of healthy food were served family style, and one needed only to lift a platter on high before a server scurried over to refill the mashed potatoes or the golden roast chicken. The first day was spent in a story-writing and sharing exercise that was designed to reveal something interesting or surprising about the author. The class was divided into nine groups, each of which nominated a candidate to tell the group’s best or most representative story later that evening. Topics ranged from the lessons learned from being in a car accident, to feeling out of place racially, to flying for 14 hours in a plane next to a girl who seemed to be on a “bad trip,” to a hilarious reenactment of a golf game played with a little step-brother. Retreats c o n t i n u e d o n pa g e f i v e “Magic Bus” Takes Shape as Casino Boat Cruise Page 12 Head of School’s Opening Assembly Speech O Page 14 n a warm, late summer afternoon, students of the Upper School took a journey on the famed “Magic Bus.” It delivered them to Boston’s World Trade Center dock where they boarded a casino boat cruise. Not only were the songs electric, but also the mood. The start of the school year had Classes IV through I singing and dancing to the “techno” version of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” as the Provincetown II sailed out of Boston Harbor to the open sea. Old friendships were rekindled and new friendships made as the lines between classes Heard in the Halls Page 15 Parent Spearheads Effort for CarlsonPietraszek Family Page 16 Students enjoy each other’s company with the city as their backdrop. Magic Bus c o n t i n u e d o n n e x t pa g e 2 10 Campus Drive October 2007 Duo Magistri, Duae Linguae B y J oyc e L e f f l e r E l d r i d g e I magine entering a class as a Class VI student, where literature, poetry, vocabulary and grammar are but four phases of the course. Also promised are writing, art, recitations and field trips. And by the end of the year: an immense vocabulary, a lifelong understanding of grammar, ancient myths and classical literature that will serve you through college. This is the new interdisciplinary breakthrough planned for Middle Schoolers entering the Class of ’13 this September. “This year-long interdisciplinary course in English and Latin will show the underpinnings and continuity of language as students grasp derivatives, cognates, myths and archetypes,” said Middle School Head Jenny Carlson-Pietraszek when the course was in its planning stage. “The Middle School faculty has found that students in the 7th and 8th grades particularly tend to see the world in many dimensions. When students examine any one property from other perspectives, they more clearly appreciate the discipline they are working through.” The team teachers for the new English via Latin course are Sarah Snyder and George Blake, who teach English and Latin respectively in the Upper and Middle Schools. “There’s a connection between Latin and virtually everything else in the world, including politics, history, architecture and city planning,” Blake said. Furthermore, as in any interdisciplinary course, some joint goals have been established that transcend subject-specific aims. Together the two language teachers will enable 7th graders to appreciate and understand Roman and English literature. In addition to thorough interpretations of texts such as John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and the Biblical Genesis, students will be asked to write often Magic Bus c o n t i n u e d f r o m pag e o n e blurred over the whirr of the roulette table and the screams of “black jack!” With faculty as their casino dealers, much laughter ensued. These Upper Schoolers were ready to leave summer behind and embark on the adventure that each new school year brings. “This is a really relaxed way for all four grades to get together and interact,” said SLC President Raj Dhaliwal ’08. “Once the boat launches, the seniors really reach out to the younger students and it’s completely relaxed.” — Arielle Greenleaf Science teachers Jen Craft and Dominic Manzo oversee the roulette table as students watch hopefully for their number. Latin teacher George Blake and English teacher Sarah Snyder share teaching responsibilities. and thoughtfully to gain a fluency in literary criticism. Throughout the year students also will read excerpts from Edith Hamilton’s book, Mythology. The two literary themes that all Class VI students will study are “innocence” in first semester and “empathy” in second semester. Writers such as Shakespeare and Sophocles are among just a few whose works will illustrate these themes. One of the joys anticipated from a course like this is finding connections that would otherwise be unrecognized. In some ways that’s what education is all about, the word “education” itself being a derivative of the Latin words “ex” and “ducere” meaning to “lead out.” Many view education as a leading out of ignorance. For an “English via Latin” course description, visit www.nobles.edu/MScurriculum. October 2007 10 Campus Drive 3 New Faculty and Staff Arrive with Questions, Excitement and Enthusiasm B y J u l i e G u p t i ll T wo weeks before the start of the new school year, students from the Nobles Peer Help Program greeted a special “class” and showed the incoming members the nooks and crannies of campus, answering every question from “Where is the Academic Office?” to “Where do we eat lunch everyday?” No doubt those students spent the first few days of classes answering those questions again when new students arrived in September; the first round of inquiry came from another group of “freshmen”—new faculty and staff. The new members of the Nobles community began their orientation at the end of August, eager to learn about life at the school and to kick off the start of the academic year. New teachers join several departments this year, including History and Social Science, English, Modern Language, Classics, and Science. During the opening series of introductions Ruihua Sun introduced herself as a “Chinese [woman] who is teaching Japanese here at Nobles,” while Pamela Rojas, a Fulbright Exchange Scholar, explained that she typically teaches English to Spanish-speaking students, but will switch roles at Nobles to teach Spanish to English-speaking students for the first time. Several new staff members also participated, including members of the Admission Department, Communications, Development and Graduate Affairs Offices, and Information Systems and Support. Communications Specialist Arielle Greenleaf, an alumna of Independent School League (ISL) St. Paul’s School, had been working with the department since June, but was excited for the arrival of students and the day-to-day bustle of the Schoolhouse. A frontline of Nobles veterans greeted the orientation group to help ease new members into the “Nobles way”; many offered advice and information from years of experience. Head of School Robert Henderson Jr. ’76 spoke about the fast pace at Nobles, noting how it surprises many new teachers, including himself when he first started. He also quoted one of our own, Dean of Students Erika Guy, whose well-known mantra of “Never worry alone” is invaluable advice for all members of the Nobles community—new comers and veterans. “Ask a lot of questions,” urged Henderson. “There is someone here who will know the answer and help you do your best for our students.” Head of Upper School Ben Snyder, Dean of Faculty Sandi MacQuinn and Dean of New Faculty Mark Sheeran were also on hand to offer resources and information to help new faculty and staff ’s first year run smoothly. “The students here love to learn,” explained Snyder. “And although there will be both good days and bad days for all of you, what will push you through is the knowledge that the students look to you for an interesting classroom experience and reliable guidance. It’s why we’re all here.” Director of Financial Aid Nan Bussey, right, looks on as Japanese Teacher Rae Sun introduces herself to fellow new faculty. Meet the New Faculty & Staff Michelle Albert, Diversity Teaching Fellow Albert joins the Nobles staff after completing her first year of teaching at Boston Collegiate Charter School in Dorchester. She graduated from Middlebury College in 2006 and is eager to work at Nobles, as she is an independent school alum herself (Groton School). Kate Blake, English Department After one year as a teaching fellow at Nobles, Blake told Dean of Students Erika Guy she might become a professional runner rather than continue teaching, to which Guy replied, “Is there any money in that?” Blake quickly discovered that the answer was “no.” That fall, Blake was back in the classroom, this time at Weston High School. After five years, Blake moved on to her next venture: writing. She will receive her MFA from Emerson College this December after completing a “work of publishable quality.” Nan Bussey, Director of Financial Aid/Admission/Coach Bussey is returning to Nobles...although she never really left. After graduating from Trinity College in 1989, she worked in the Nobles Development Office as Campaign Coordinator and coached field hockey, squash and lacrosse. She left in the summer of ’92, married Provost Bill Bussey and attended Boston College where she received her Masters in Education. During the past several years, Bussey has coached J.V. girls’ squash at Nobles and middle school soccer at Milton Academy, where daughters Kate and Sarah attend school. Barry Clifford ’87, Senior Development Officer Clifford is a Nobles graduate, Class of 1987. After leaving Nobles, he attended Williams College and then spent the next 15 years outside of New England. He has been a teacher in Osaka, Japan, a PR professional in Houston, an actor and entrepreneur in Los Angeles, and more recently Director of Communications for a local community health center. Tara Cocozza, Spanish Department Cocozza earned her B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from the College of the Holy Cross and began her teaching career at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill. Not accustomed to the idea of having summers off, she spent three summers at Middlebury College, earning her M.A. in Spanish. Since then, however, she has learned to take advantage of the summer months by using them to study French and Italian and to travel to interesting places such as Spain, Italy and, most recently, China. New Faculty & Staff c o n t i n u e d o n n e x t pa g e 4 10 Campus Drive October 2007 New Faculty & Staff c o n t i n u e d f r o m pag e t h r e e Rob Feingold, Assistant Director of Athletics After receiving his B.A. in Environmental Studies from Lewis & Clark College, Feingold came home to teach sailing at Cape Cod Sea Camps in Brewster, Mass. (where he would spend his next seven summers). Feingold transitioned to the independent school environment at The Fenn School as the Assistant Director of Admissions. He also taught math and coached soccer and lacrosse. Arielle Greenleaf, Communications Specialist Greenleaf received her B.S. in print journalism from Boston University. After a year at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children as communications associate, she channeled her inner “fac-brat” and decided to head back to independent schools. Greenleaf grew up and was later a student at St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H., where her father is a religion, ethics and philosophy teacher. Darryl Hazelwood, Middle School Social Studies Teaching Fellow Hazelwood is originally from southern New Jersey, where he attended an all-male Catholic school in Delaware, playing football, basketball and track. He received his B.A. from Boston College with a double major in Education and History. Hazelwood worked in the admission office at BC, and will be involved in many aspects of Nobles including Brother to Brother, Middle School MSA and the Middle School social studies curriculum. Jamileh Jemison, Science Department Jamileh is an Arabic name that means “beautiful” and, in some interpretations, “camel.” Her fantastic voyage to Nobles began with a B.A. in Biology from Cornell University (Go Big Red!), followed by an M.S. in Genetics from The University of Michigan (Go Blue!). Still working out that “What do I want to be when I grow up?” question, Jemison worked at the NIH for two years before returning to New England to complete the first year of a pediatrics residency at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Owen Kiely, Science Teaching Fellow Kiely comes to Nobles after completing both his B.A. and M.A. at Wesleyan University in Neuroscience and Behavior. Originally from Athol, Mass., Kiely has done extensive research in neuroscience and has been a teaching assistant in that department as well. He will be teaching biology and coaching cross country, basketball and tennis at Nobles. Jody McQuillan, French Department McQuillan will be teaching two sections of French at Nobles after being an Assistant Professor of French at Wellesley College since 2002. She earned her Ph.D. in French from Brown and received her undergraduate degree from Amherst. She taught for many years at independent schools in Colorado, Connecticut and Rhode Island before moving to the Boston area in 2002. Heather Peterson ’03, Classics Teaching Fellow Peterson grew up in nearby Weston, Mass., and attended Nobles beginning in the seventh grade. After graduating in 2003, she went on to pursue a passion for the Classical world that was sparked by her Latin classes in the Middle School, and received her B.A. in Classics and Old World Archaeology and Art from Brown University. Remembering the amazing influence her classes and teachers at Nobles had on her, she decided to return this year to experience the school from a new angle (and a new spot in Assembly). Pamela Rojas, Spanish Department Rojas received her B.A. in English Literature and title as English teacher in the year 1998, from Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile. She has been working in Colegio Esperanza, a semiprivate school in Quilpue, for 10 years, where she was head of the English department for six years and head of two different grades for 10 years. She speaks Spanish as her native language and English as her second language. Rojas is a Fulbright Scholar from Chile who is filling Margaret Robertson’s position for the year. Alycia Scott-Hiser, Middle School Academic Tech. Advocate A proud Midwestern native, Scott-Hiser is not afraid to admit that she grew up in Normal, Illinois (yes, Normal!). At Illinois State University, she majored in photography, which was the vehicle that eventually got her interested in media technology. For four years she helped map technology curricula and taught a variety of technology classes. In addition to feeding her passion for “all things media,” Scott-Hiser spends the rest of her free time transporting her 8-year-old daughter to piano lessons, softball practice and various judo tournaments across the Northeast. Tessy Smith, Information Systems and Support Smith received her B.A. degree in Mathematics/ Computer Science from M.I.T. After graduation, she started her career at Mercer as an actuarial trainee but spent most of her time in the computer department where she figured out what she most loved to do. Now she is a self-declared geek and considers her job one of her hobbies. Two of her four children are current Nobles students, Brendan ’11 and Conor ’13. Smith loves working with kids, especially middle schoolers and hopes to find time to do that at Nobles. New faculty member Kate Blake catches up with Dean of Faculty Sandi MacQuinn and Head of School Bob Henderson. Ruihua Sun, Japanese/Modern Language Department Sun received her B.A. in Japanese Language and Culture from Nanjing University, China, and her M.A. in Japanese Education as a Foreign Language from Tsukuba University, Japan. She is also teaching Japanese at the Japanese Language School of Greater Boston in Medford and Chinese at the Newton Chinese Language School. Since she hadn’t used English since high school, she had to take English lessons again at 37 years old. Now she speaks Chinese, Japanese and English. Before coming to Nobles, she had taught Japanese for more than 10 years in China and Japan. Connie Yépez, Director of Achieve; Assistant Director of Admission Yépez, an (U.S.) Army brat and proud daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants made her way back to her alma mater, Groton School, to work in the admission office after receiving her B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies from Eckerd College. She really enjoyed admission work and decided to move on to A Better Chance (ABC) where she knew she would have the opportunity to work closely with many students/families of color as they sought entrance into independent schools across the country. After several years, she joined the team at Citybridge (a program at Concord Academy) and finally found her calling and the kind of program she wanted to run. Now she is thrilled to be at Nobles where she will have the opportunity to create a new middle school academic enrichment program named Achieve, which will begin in the summer of 2008. (See story, page 10.) October 2007 10 Campus Drive Retreats “Down time” c o n t i n u e d f r o m pag e o n e enjoyed on the deck Because so much of Class I’s thinking lends itself to preparing for life after Nobles, a session was devoted to “Leaving a Legacy.” Students were advised to consider “what words you would want to be remembered by” at your 5th or 10th reunion. Gandhi’s words, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” were used as a guidepost, as they frequently are in Assembly messages and addresses from Head of School Bob Henderson Jr. ’76. C lass I I R etreat Preparing for Additional Responsibilities While a guest speaker and facilitator were brought into school for the Class II retreat, most of the insights and decisions emanated from the Class of ’09 itself, guided by an attentive and well-primed faculty. The purpose of the dayand-a-half-long experience was to prepare students for the leadership roles they will be volunteering and vying for between now and graduation. A corollary topic involved informal leadership opportunities that everyone assumes at some point in time. English faculty member and former Head of School Dick Baker phrased this meaningfully by asking, “Who leads in the alcoves… Who sets the agenda in terms of conversation?” Baker’s advice, based in no small measure on his leadership experience in the military and in independent school education (his own as well) included paying attention to “the need to set values for the group you are leading.” He cited the importance of convincing people to do something you want [and believe needs] to get done. One lesson he learned in the military came from his larger-than-life commanding officer (Baker was his No. 2 man) Capt. Pete Dawkins, U.S. Military Academy (a.k.a. West Point) graduate, former Heisman Trophy winner and Rhodes Scholar: “Leadership is part performance. Take on a persona that conveys confidence and a cando attitude.” Baker himself later realized, as Head of School at Nobles, that a leader is tantamount to a “servant” whose responsibility is to better the lives of the people he is leading, never failing to acknowledge that success is generally due to the work of many others. As Class II Dean Brian Day phrased it: “My hope is that the retreat will allow students the opportunity to identify and think about specific characteristics of good leadership, formal and informal, so that they can reflect on how these may relate to their lives at the present time...and to think about potential leadership positions that they may be interested in assuming as they move through this coming school year into their Class I year.” To this end, Day invited as keynote speaker a close friend, Dr. Robert Puchniak, a faculty member at Day’s former school, Delbarton, in encircling the dining hall Morristown, N.J. Dr. Puchniak played Major Junior hockey in Canada after high school, only to learn his talents were not sufficient to make hockey his lifelong profession. His decision to earn his Ph.D. in theology may have seemed like a giant leap, but Dr. Puchniak used as his mantra Kierkegaard’s dictum: “We are never finished with life ’til life is finished with us.” Only by knowing one’s “inner self ” and determining one’s non-negotiable set of values can one “truly lead others,” he advised. This call for self-knowledge became the foundation for discussion when students split into small groups. Students were asked to enumerate qualities of leadership that they considered indispensable. Common answers included “respect, take-charge attitude, goal-setter, good communicator, risk-taker, honesty, integrity, confidence, fairness, good judgment, independent thinker, open-minded, ability to lead by example, ability to compromise.” During a second discussion period, students were asked to rank 15 items in order of importance to survive a shipwreck. The purpose was less to figure out whether a jug of drinking water was more important than a jug of oil and gasoline than to appreciate the dynamics of leadership: How did consensus evolve? Who/how did someone step up to lead? Did everyone feel heard? What means worked best to establish a leader? New parent Kirk Arnold P’11, a CEO of her own company which facilitates leadership groups, spoke to the class about the three essentials to good leadership: “Don’t seek personal glory. Never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do. Be trustworthy.” Arnold gave the class a few questions to keep in mind as they assess their leadership opportunities: Whom would I want to follow? Why does that leader make me want to be part of his/her team? What is it that makes us trust someone? She ended by advising the Class of ’09 to “watch and learn from the leaders amongst you” and “develop your own list of leadership lessons.” English teacher and former Head Dick Baker addressed Class II. Class II Dean Brian Day, left, with Keynote speaker Dr. Robert Puchniak 5 6 10 Campus Drive October 2007 C lass I I I : Identity With one year of high school behind them, most Class III students are faced with the realization that they’re no longer transitioning into Nobles —they’re here and ready to identify who they truly want to be. Class III Dean and math teacher Karen Gallagher opened the sophomore retreat with a story of her own high school experience. Gallagher said that freshman year is about getting up to speed and trying to stay comfortable among new surroundings. “I realized sophomore year that I didn’t want just to be comfortable. I wanted to leave my mark on the school.” She challenged the students to use the two-day retreat to examine the theme of “identity” and what it means to them, not only as students, but also as family members and as people outside of Nobles. After spending the morning in small group discussion, the students heard Dean of CityYear Charlie Rose speak about identity. He brainstormed ways that people often identify themselves, including race, gender, religion, personality and environment, among others. Rose shared details of his troubled adolescence, a time when he says “he identified himself by all that was wrong in his life.” It wasn’t until he was incarcerated, that a probation officer helped change this, and Rose, who still keeps in touch with his mentor, started to turn things around. Rose ended, “You absolutely can change your course.” The second day had the students taking a different look at identity and, with help from the Visual Arts Department, examined how to “make their mark.” The students took on a threepronged art project, with each component involving every student’s touch and contribution. The students collaborated on the first two steps to create a new installation in the Foster Gallery, using their own silhouettes cut from black paper, and their own words, symbols and stamps to mark up the walls of the gallery. (For more information on Class III’s exhibit in Foster Gallery, visit www.fostergallery.org) “At Nobles, teamwork arrives differently, whether it’s on the field or in the classroom, and because of the Foster Gallery, we can also collaborate in the arts,” explained photography teacher and Visual Arts Department Head Roger Boulay ’99. After showing silhouette work from other accomplished artists, Dean of CityYear Charlie Rose addresses Class III. art teacher Betsy VanOot reaffirmed the importance of collaboration: “This exhibit, which will hang [in the Foster Gallery] for the next month, won’t work unless we have all of your silhouettes. Your silhouettes—taken from part of your identity—will line the walls of Foster.” Faculty members John Dorsey and John Hirsch explained the details of the third component of Class III’s art project—a garden, which will inevitably become a part of the school’s identity as a new space for students to spend time. Students worked to create a unique garden, whose home is purposely positioned between the old and new arts buildings, to honor the life and art of former visual arts faculty member Makoto Yabe, who taught ceramics at Nobles for 12 years and who died in 2005 after a fight with cancer. For inspiration and vision as to what thoughtful design can do to a simple space, the students saw slides of other spaces that were transformed with artistic changes in landscape. As each small group rotated through the three components of the day-long art project, the students watched as each piece came together, evolving before their eyes and changing the campus spaces that had been unmarked just hours before they arrived. The transformation was an exceptional bridge between the themes of identity and mark-making and the tangible change that the students helped evoke. As the Class III students begin their school year, hopefully that bridge will remind each of them that the effort to change can produce direct results. Class III students and faculty work to create a new campus garden. Students leave Towles to begin small group discussions. C lass I V : Change Is in the Air Brittany Reid ’11 helps her classmate across the fields during team-building exercises. Freshman year is fairly complex; it’s the beginning of what everyone hopes will be an amazing high school experience, riddled with the anxiety and an instant rush to navigate everything from new classes and friendships to a new campus and traffic patterns. For the Nobles freshman class, there’s another complexity. Members of the Class of 2011 inevitably fall into two categories: those students who have stepped up from the Middle School and have some sense of how things run at Nobles, and those who are new to the school. Each group came to the Class IV Retreat with different challenges and opportunities and, yet, left as one united freshman class. New students, although dealing with all that comes with starting at a new school, have the opportunity to start fresh easily; they can choose the person they’ll be here at Nobles. Returning students have to deal with change in a different way; people may know them a certain way, and if they want to branch out to try new things, they’ll have to take risks to get there. Trying to keep all of this in mind, faculty and staff leaders attempted to help the entire class let its guard October 2007 down and get to know one another through team building exercises and ice breakers. Class IV Dean Alex Gallagher welcomed the students on Tuesday, Sept. 4, where they gathered at the Morrison Athletic Center. He spoke briefly about the retreat schedule, leaving most of the talking for the students themselves. During the course of the next two days, the students worked in small groups mixed with both new and returning students. At times, the tasks at hand were entertaining, like how to work together to fill a bucket with water when each team member’s feet were planted to the ground, yards away from both the bucket and water source. Other times, the tasks took a more serious tone, like discussing tough case studies that dealt with the Nobles’ Community Principles and feeling comfortable enough to speak openly and honestly with the group members. During the team building activities, while one group of students tried to assess how best to work together to move a soccer ball 10 yards without touching it, Director of Academic Support Laura Vantine guided them, advising: “The point is to listen to one another and really Middle School Retreats Focus on Teamwork, School Values C lass V R etreat At 7:30 a.m. the busses were packed and ready to go on Nobles’ Class V retreat at Windsor Mountain in Hillsboro, N.H. With sleeping bags in tow, old friends were reunited and new friendships were made on a beautiful late summer morning in the mountains. Led by counselors from the Windsor Mountain camp and by Nobles faculty members, the fifthie retreat focused on teamwork, leadership and communication. Whether on the waterfront, high or low ropes course, or engaging in problem-solving 10 Campus Drive 7 A small group of Class IV students work together on a challenge. hear what’s being said; you have to respect each other’s input and trust each other’s judgment.” Those words proved true throughout the retreat, and the more students heeded her advice, the stronger the bond among them became. Several days later, sitting in Assembly on the first day of school, no one would have looked out to see two groups, one of new and the other of returning students, but rather, one strong class, ready to navigate the next four years together. activities, students accepted each challenge and worked together to find a solution for success. Take the high ropes course, for example. While one student climbed, a Windsor Mountain counselor belayed while another student was backup belaying. Essentially, each student had the life of another in his or her hands. Though fears were evident at times, students supported each other both physically and mentally and helped each other reach their goals. “Being up there was scary at times,” said Matt King ’12. “I definitely felt like my group supported me and helped me get through it.” Another aspect of the retreat had students focus on their goals for the upcoming year. Re- Kimmy Ganong ’13 looks on as her Class V mentor Megan Hickey guides her through her day. The beautiful Bourne campsite was host to Class I’s retreat. treat leader Fred Hollister really wanted students to look inside themselves and figure out what it is they are after. “We’ll have them start by making 20 goals and we’ll have them cut the goals down until they get to five or maybe even one,” Hollister said. Once these goals were sealed in an envelope, they would return safely to school and be given to each student’s advisor to encourage a conversation about personal goals. It wasn’t all business in New Hampshire. The fifthies had plenty of down time to play ping pong and Frisbee and reconnect with one another after the long separation of summer. It was an adventure for all and an exciting way for students to come together and learn about the value of working together, supporting each other and helping one another achieve a common goal. The teamwork was best cited by one camp leader who asked not to be named: “We had an 8 10 Campus Drive October 2007 Retreats c o n t i n u e d f r o m pag e s e v e n Same Faces, even mix of leaders and participants. Once we all got in a circle and participated, we were able to execute the plan.” With that in mind, the fifthies headed back to Nobles for Day 3 when they welcomed the Class of ’13 and helped them find their way. C lass V I R etreat With wide eyes and awkward smiles, members of the Class of ’13 began their Nobles career with a retreat on Tuesday, Sept. 4. First and foremost, the Nobles faculty assigned to the “sixies” worked hard to make them feel comfortable in their new surroundings, helping them meet new people and adjust to the layout of the campus. From icebreaker games to an orienteering exercise aimed at getting them acclimated to the buildings on campus, Day 1 of the retreat kept the sixies busy. With the first day of retreat under their belts, the students were even more excited to explore their new world on Day 2. Learning about advisors, study hall and dress code, the students opened up with questions, eager to know all the rules and how not to break them. “Tucked in, collared shirts, whoa,” one young boy loudly whispered to his new pal. As the dress code was described in specific detail, students’ eyes wandered, looking for peers who may be out of code. “If there’s any question in your mind, don’t wear it,” science teacher Chris Averill announced after more than a dozen questions had been asked about the difference between a sweater and a sweatshirt among other technicalities. (For more on dresscode, visit www.nobles.edu/dresscode.) Dress-code fears aside, Day 2 proved successful as the new students gathered in small groups to define the three words Nobles is founded upon: community, integrity and respect. Acting Head of Middle School John Gifford ’86 proudly shared the definitions with the entire community at the first all-school assembly, citing the wisdom of the incoming sixies: “A community is a group of people with common interests and goals who rely and depend on each other. Respect is to treat other people how you would like to be treated; it is a trust or honor that can be given, received, earned and/or deserved. Integrity is the act of doing ‘right’ when no one else is telling you to or doing right without seeking credit.” With wisdom in hand and new friends by their side, the sixies were ready to be shown the way by their Class V mentors on Day 3 of the retreat. Finding their lockers, mailboxes and schedules helped allay any fears of confusion in the coming days. No doubt the Class of ’13 benefited from its first three days, designed to help students start their first day of classes with a little less anxiety and a lot of excitement. History teacher Louis Barassi, new Department Chair Q. What sort of preparation do you have for this job? I held a similar position for five years at the American School of Milan, and I also hold a leadership role here at Nobles as director of the school’s community service program since 2004. Further, I majored in history, hold two graduate degrees in history and have taught history for about 22 years now. Q. What talents or skills will stand you in particularly good stead? I like to cook and host parties so that should help me keep my department well fed and entertained—which, by the way, is one of my primary objectives! Q. Given the relative youth of most department heads, do you feel Nobles champions young leadership, perhaps more than other institutions? I must be the “relative” variable here since I’m older than the others in the group, but it seems to me that Nobles not only encourages younger faculty to take on leadership roles but also benefits from the fresh perspective, energy and enthusiasm they bring to their tasks. Q. What changes, if any, do you anticipate making in the coming year? My predescessor, Doug Jankey, left me a very healthy and solid foundation to build upon so I don’t anticipate making any dramatic changes, especially this first year. I do, however, plan to hold fewer department meetings in order to provide more time for my colleagues to observe each other in the classroom. I think this is a key step towards appreciating the varied and unique strengths the history faculty brings to this department. Photography teacher Roger Boulay ’99, new Chair of Visual Arts Q. What sort of preparation do you have for this job? I spent a good portion of the summer getting up to speed on what my new position requires with the help of Ben Snyder, John Dorsey and Betsy VanOot. Other than that, I don’t have a whole lot of preparation. I’ve been in other leadership positions in the past, so hopefully that helps me out. Q. What talents or skills will stand you in particularly good stead? My colleagues poke fun at me because I often send lengthy emails, but hopefullly communicating a lot will help me take this position on. Q. Given the relative youth of most of you, do you feel Nobles champions young leadership, perhaps more than other institutions? I think Nobles does a good job of hiring young adults and challenging them to work hard and make meaningful relationships with kids. I don’t know how Nobles stacks up in this respect with other schools, but personally, Nobles has put me in several leadership positions—from JV soccer to the art department—since I started working here. In some ways leadership seems inherent to what faculty do here. Q. What changes, if any, do you anticipate making in the coming year? My hope is, if I make changes to the schedule, events and curriculum, I do so in order to allow my colleagues in the art department to do what they do best. October 2007 10 Campus Drive 9 Different Posts Asst. Head for External Affairs John Gifford ’86, now Acting Head of the Middle School Q. What sort of preparation do you have for this job? After 17 years at Nobles and having worked as a teacher, coach and advisor, I have a good understanding of the culture of the place and of the workstyle that allows Nobles to provide such a strong educational program. Q. What talents or skills will stand you in particularly good stead? I love working with kids and especially middle school-aged students. It’s not a talent, but I’m willing to wager that it will serve me as well as (if not better than) any talents that I could bring to the table. Q. Given the relative youth of most of you, do you feel Nobles champions young leadership, perhaps more than other institutions? Relative youth to what, the “Joshua Tree”? I know a number of administrators at other schools; some are older but many are my age. I don’t think there is anything particularly calculated going on at Nobles with the “youth” of some employees. Q. What changes, if any, do you anticipate making in the coming year? I plan to make few to no changes in the Middle School. I hope that I’ll be able to keep things in good working order while Jenny CarlsonPietraszek takes some important time away from Nobles. Director of Nobles Theatre Collective Dan Halperin, new Performing Arts Chair Q. What sort of preparation do you have for this job? I have been directing the theatre program— ostensibly a sub-department within performing arts which also includes dance, choral/vocal music, and instrumental music—since arriving at Nobles in 1999. In addition, all the productions I direct—especially large musicals for which I lead a team that includes six other theatre professionals (band director, music director, choreographer, lighting designer, scenic designer, and costume designer), parent assistants, professional and student musicians, student technicians, stage managers, cast, box-office staff and ushers —are large executive undertakings. Stepping forward into Michael Turner’s shoes and helping facilitate the day-to-day running and future growth for the entire department feels like a next logical step. I’m excited for the challenge and opportunity to help our department serve Nobles students as well as we possibly can. Q. What talents or skills will stand you in particularly good stead? I have spent many years at Nobles and before, developing my skills as a collaborator and a leader. Q. What changes, if any, do you anticipate making in the coming year? The most significant change will surround the 10-year accreditation process, which will give us a very thorough opportunity to clarify our understanding of what we do and why, how well we’re doing it, and where we want to be in one year, five years, etc. English teacher Julia Russell, new Department Chair Q. What sort of preparation do you have for this job? I’ve been working in schools more than 20 years, primarily as an English teacher, but I’ve also had several administrative and leadership positions along the way. I also had a chance to “tryout” for the job here by doing it for one year when outgoing Department Head, Vicky Seelen, went on sabbatical. Q.What will you do differently this time? Be more confident. I am part of a wonderfully supportive department which believes in me. I need to believe in myself. Q. What talents or skills will stand you in particularly good stead? I think that I am pretty good at creating a tone and an environment that can help teachers do good work. I’m a good listener, and while I do take care of the small details, I also like looking ahead and thinking broadly about what we hope to accomplish. Q. Given the relative youth of most of you, do you feel Nobles champions young leadership, perhaps more than other institutions? My sense is that Nobles works hard to find good people who have potential, regardless of age. I do think they want to keep good teachers challenged and supported so that they stay. Giving leadership opportunities is just one way that the school does this. Q.What changes, if any, do you anticipate making in the coming year? No big changes right off. I want to make sure that we do not have any significant gaps or redundancies in the curriculum and that the skills we teach are the skills our students will need in the future that awaits them. My goal is to make sure everyone in the department knows what the goals are for each year, Classes VI through I. — Joyce L. Eldridge 10 10 Campus Drive October 2007 Veteran Diversity Advocate Heads Nobles Achieve Program B y A r i e ll e G r e e n l e a f C ONNIE YÉPEZ joined Nobles this summer as director of The Achieve Program at Noble and Greenough School (Achieve for short), set to begin in the summer of ’08 and dedicated to academic immersion for roughly 70 public middle school students from the Greater Boston area. Achieve will be geared to attract students from ethnically and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds, likely to be first generation college students. All program costs will be covered by fundraising efforts. “We want to give these students a boost to help them get where they need to be academically,” said Yépez. Similar to the Upward Bound high school program operating at Nobles for the past 17 years, Achieve will run for six weeks during the summer and mirror a typical day at Nobles. Students will take math, science, language arts and literacy with Nobles faculty and will also participate in community service, visual and performing arts, and athletics. “My desire is to have it be really high-level academics, but I Director of The Achieve Program Connie Yépez understand that middle school students have a limited attention span,” said Yépez. “We want them to be well-rounded and get involved in arts and athletics as well.” Upper School Head Ben Snyder and Dean of Enrollment Management Jennifer Hines initiated the process of bringing Achieve to Nobles. Snyder contacted a friend at the Aim High pro- gram in the San Francisco Bay Area. With Aim High’s approval, Hines and Snyder agreed that they would model the Nobles program on the successful program, using the California group’s set curriculum. Once the plan was set, money was raised to hire Yépez and start the program at Nobles. Yépez has spent the summer visiting programs like Achieve at neighboring independent schools and planning her recruitment strategy. For now, the program will draw from Boston Public Schools in neighborhoods like Roxbury, Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain, among others. “We’re taking a ‘best practices’ approach with Achieve, drawing from well established, successful programs to shape a program that works well at Nobles and best benefits the students we’re seeking to recruit,” said Yépez. Yépez brings to Nobles nearly a decade of experience directing similar programs. In 1999 she started at A Better Chance (ABC) whose mission is “to transform talented students of color into successful leaders.” Starting as a program manager, she quickly became a senior program Bridging the Gap for New Students of Color W hen Roberta Phillips ’97 arrived at Nobles in 1993, she longed for the familiarity of her former public school days—missing everything from the yellow school bus that picked her up each morning to the ease of classes and comfort of old friends. She recalls her first day at Nobles, arriving for to Assembly, looking around Lawrence Auditorium, and realizing that the majority of students didn’t even look like her; there were few students or faculty of color in the room. Phillips spent the next few years trying to conjure up the ease of earlier academic years, to find her place in a school that seemed so different, and to find support and friendship from people with similar experiences and backgrounds. Phillips returned to Nobles in 2003 as a teaching fellow, and is now an Assistant Dean of Students and a member of the English department. Although the diversity of the school has changed considerably over the last decade, she knows how hard it can be for students of color to transition to this school, and has helped instiTeacher Ambrose Faturoti ’99 leads the Bridges students in an ice breaker. tute a program to make the orientation process go as smoothly as possible. Bridges, a program for new students and families of color, had its October 2007 10 Campus Drive 11 Cit y Profile: Coming from Cambridge (Ten Campus Drive will periodically spotlight one community that sends a significant number of students to Nobles.) manager and then assistant director of field operations helping to recruit, organize, and guide students who showed potential for academic achievement. In 2001, Yépez became the co-director of the New England Citybridge program based at Concord Academy. Citybridge aimed to take middle school students from ethnically and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds and prepare them for an academically rigorous high school environment. In addition, Citybridge sought to help students explore careers in teaching or public service. Similar to Achieve, Citybridge recruited students from Boston and Cambridge public schools who were deemed of college-bound caliber. In 2003 Yépez became the executive director, guiding and directing the program in all aspects. When she’s not busy with Achieve you will find Yépez working in the admissions office, as well as advising middle schoolers and serving on the Diversity Team. Yépez lives in Woburn with her partner Gabe, a graphic designer, and his 8-year-old son Maximillian. Four of the Cambridge commuters who offer so much to the school are, from left: Ashleigh Davila ’10, Yara Tercero-Parker ’10, Emma MacDonald ’08 and Shabrina Guerrier ’09. E Roberta Philips ’97 presents Bob Henderson with an official Bridges t-shirt. orientation in late August, helping to provide insight into both the challenges and resources that await each student of color at Nobles. New students gathered together for ice- breakers, group activities and workshops, and to meet the faculty and staff who will continue to work with them throughout the year in Transitions, an extension of Bridges that allows students to meet each month. New students of color were also paired with a “big sibling,” an older student who could share common experiences and help mentor them through the initial transition. — Julie Guptill ighteen miles northeast of Dedham, Cambridge seems to be a training ground for some of the acting, musical and backstage talent in the Nobles community. Cantabridgians Karan Lyons and Will Macrae describe themselves as “theatre guys,” both behind the scenes and on the stage. Will handles all the technical lighting for the mainstage productions and this year will expand his theatrical repertoire by taking a course in acting and directing. Nobles Theatre Collective and Performing Arts Director Dan Halperin describes Will as “a rising theatre superstar who does excellent work in various support, technical and design roles. As the first elected Director of Communications for the Nobles Theatre Collective student board, Will organizes and leads us through the agendas for our X-Block meetings and even keeps the minutes. As a frequent member of our student production crews, he has mastered our sophisticated lighting board and has begun to investigate lighting design. Will even volunteered to stage manage our Pirandello faculty production, Chee-Chee, at the start of this school year.” Karan already works both backstage and on-stage. Halperin describes him as “phenomenal with computers as well as being a natural actor” who made his debut on the Nobles stage while in Class VI. He is also an excellent 1st tenor in the Nobleonians, according to director John Gifford. Shabrina Guerrier, a graduate of the Benjamin Banniker Charter School, is the first student at school every day, driving in with her mom who drops her at Nobles at 6:30 a.m. en route to work in Dedham. Shabrina makes the trip home by bus, which takes an hour and 45 minutes; on some nights she doesn’t get home until 8:30. What she does in the interim is enough to exhaust a marathoner. She has been tapped as dance captain by Nobles’ resident choreographer Kelly Jean Lynch for the coming year and manager of the girls’ varsity basketball team. Last year she was one of the youngest students to appear in the spring musical. Besides a rigorous academic schedule, her biggest investment of time is serving as junior officer in the Multicultural Student Association where she helped plan orientation programming for new students of color (see Bridges story, page 10), and has worked avidly on behalf of the Big Sibling Program. Emma MacDonald has used her Cambridge savvy to enlighten her Nobles classmates to “another culture.” “As the only Cambridge kid in my grade (Class of ’08), I thought I’d expose my friends to ‘hanging out in Harvard Square.’ It gave me a great sense of satisfaction…almost like a trip to an exotic part of the world where everyone learned another culture and history.” Her advisor says that Emma “loves trying new foods, meeting new people, and placing herself in challenging situations.” To this end, 12 10 Campus Drive February 2007 Coming from Cambridge c o n t i n u e d f r o m pag e e l e v e n Will Macrae and Karan Lyons she participated in two Nobles trips in the past year: a community service venture to South Africa and a history-based bike trip through Vietnam. Ashleigh Davila, as a member of the Latino community, is looking forward to her quinceanera coming-of-age party at St. Mary’s Church in Cambridge this year. “The priest will bless my crown during a Mass and acknowledge my entrance into womanhood,” Ashleigh said with excitement. Ashleigh chose to board at No- bles after loving the experience of boarding at Citybridge, a program at Concord Academy for students who otherwise might not think of independent school. Ashleigh fills her days with basketball, softball and dance, depending on the season. She hopes to spend at least one of her semesters abroad, either in Italy or Spain. According to Class IV Dean Alex Gallagher, “Ashleigh has become the person we want at all admissions events so that we can show exactly the type of person we care about having at Nobles. She is committed to her community, her academic work, and her own overall excellence. This young woman is a star whom we will see and hear great things from in the years to come.” Basketball is one of the passions of Yara Tercero-Parker, who arrived in this country at age 6 from Nicaragua. Before coming to Nobles, she attended the Amigos School in Cambridge for eight years. “My homework suddenly jumped from 30 minutes to 3.5 hours,” she said, but she has plenty of time to tackle it during her commute. The Head of Nobles Upper School, Ben Snyder, described Yara as “ridiculously smart and tearing it up here.” — Joyce Leffler Eldridge “I thought I would expose my Nobles friends to ‘hanging out in Harvard Square.’ It gave me a great sense of satisfaction...almost like a trip to an exotic part of the world where everyone learned another culture and history.” Emma McDonald Nobles Yard Sale Scour the tables for hidden treasure at the biannual Parents’ Association Yard Sale on Friday, Oct. 19, and Saturday, Oct. 20, to benefit the Scholarship and Faculty Enrichment Funds. If you love the hunt of finding a great deal, the challenge Calendar Fields A new four-color calendar features “The Playing Fields of Noble and Greenough School” as the July poster selection. An inset shows recent Holland Award winner Alan Dull marking the perimeter of the field. The calendar is produced by Pioneer, which provides equipment and materials for creating lines and logos on all sports fields. About Nobles, Pioneer writes: “The grounds crew at the Noble and Greenough School has their work cut out for them, maintaining 187 acres that make up the school’s historic campus. Situated on those 187 acres are four full-sized soccer fields, two full-sized field hockey fields, a football game day and practice field, baseball and softball fields, and lacrosse fields.” Other news from Buildings and Grounds: Some of the grounds crew spent a day during the summer working on the baseball field of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the AA Eastern League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Sunny Days for People of Ladakh Science teacher Chris Pasterczyk collected spare eyeglasses and sunglasses donated by Nobles students and faculty to be distributed to the people of Ladakh, where Tibetan sunlight is at an extreme level. She commented: “I am just back from a visit to the nomadic area, where distribution of eye- and sunglasses was a great success and met a fantastic need. One family gave me a fresh leg of mutton as a token of gratitude. In fact, I could have used many more sets of glasses. I ran out after just several hours, and many eyes have gone uncovered. Next year I hope we can run the drive again, bigger and better.” Her picture of the beneficieries of Nobles’ largesse, at right, was sent via email on a computer transported over the Himalayas via yak. of refurbishing a neglected piece of Faculty News furniture or have a knack for picking out Artist-in-Residence Joe Swayze took a group of Nobles staff and faculty on a tour of historic Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge in late September. The cemetery commentary included information on the horticulture, history, ecology and architecture contained within the cemetery’s walls. perfect knick-knacks, this is the event for you. Although the donations deadline has passed, you can still volunteer during the week of Oct. 15 to sort and price donations. Planning committee volunteers are also needed to manage early-bird donations, create and implement a publicity program, re-vamp event procedures such as check-out, and serve as chairs of sales departments. Don’t miss this opportunity to work together with other Nobles parents on a fun-filled, yet beneficial, event! Contact Yard Sale Chairperson Fancy Zilberfarb P’10 at fancyzil@aol.com with any ques- tions or brilliant ideas or visit the Parents’ section of www.nobles.edu for more information. Cover Story Rise Magazine, formerly School Sports, has chosen soccer standout and goal- October 2007 10 Campus Drive NEWS BRIEFS hire as their permanent person, and will run four days a week, leaving time for long weekends boating and enjoying his home in Maine. “Should be interesting and fun,” he writes. “It is the kind of thing I had hoped might come up about a year from now, but one does not control the timing of such things.” Coincidentally, Chamberlin’s predecessor, Kim Smith, started his career at Fenn before coming to Nobles as our business manager. Chee-Chee keeper Jan Trnka-Amrhein ’08 to appear on the cover of its October issue for his consistently high-level performance on the field. Jan is captain of this year’s team and was selected to the U.S. Under 18 National Team. This summer he won the Golden Gloves Award for best goalkeeper at ESP Camp for best high school players in the country. Here He Goes Again! Recently retired Asst. Head for Finance and Operations Bill Chamberlin has apparently finished with full-time relaxing (two months) and Thanks to a summer faculty grant and brilliant interpretation by the Nobles Theatre Collective, faculty, students and parents were treated to a first-week-of-school presentation of Luigi Pirandello’s Chee-Chee starring Theatre Collective Director and Performing Arts Department Head Dan Halperin and Performing Arts faculty Kelly Jean Lynch and Todd Morton. — Joyce Leffler Eldridge taken a new job as of Sept. 4 as the interim business manager of Fenn School in Concord. The job will last somewhere between two and 10 months, depending upon when and whom they The Nobles Theatre Collective Presents the Fall Mainstage Production The Learned Ladies By Moliere, translated and adapted by Freyda Thomas This rollicking version of Les Femmes Savantes delighted audiences Off Broadway in a production starring Jean Stapleton as Philamente, a most unliterary lady intent on having a high-toned literary salon. She has neither literary nor common sense, which makes her easy prey for sycophantic con artist Trissotin who passes himself off as a famous poet and becomes a permanent house guest. According to Variety, “Thomas’ modernisms smartly put the satire’s emphasis on the pomposity rather than the feminism of the Precieuse Movement.” 5 performances: Tues 11/6–Fri 11/9 at 7pm; Sat 11/10 at 4pm only Limited seating. Performed live in a simulated television studio where monitors catch expressions that will surprise those in the real audience! Todd Morton, left, and Dan Halperin 13 14 10 Campus Drive October 2007 The First Assembly Sets the Tone by R o b e r t P. H e n d e r s o n J r . ’ 7 6 , P ’ 1 3 , H e a d o f S c h o o l P arents sometimes comment to me that messages conveyed in Assembly often do not get clearly translated when related to parents at home. This is not surprising, and my own children have a particular gift for mangling what they have heard from a teacher or coach, especially when the specific directions are to explain something carefully to parents. The reality of Assembly is, however, that it is not designed for parent participation. It is a unique and powerful element of the student experience at the school, shaping the culture and sense of community at Nobles, and it is indeed difficult to explain what transpired on any given day to folks who were not there. There are Assemblies that occur every year in rather the same format, such as the Holiday Assembly right before the December Break, or some of the closure assemblies in May and June. One of these somewhat predictable gatherings is the “first Assembly” in September, the initial common student experience that occurs at 8:00 a.m. on the opening day. The tone for the school year is set on that morning, so I thought it might interest parents to get a sense of what actually occurs, and what I actually say, in that forum. We started late. There was so much chatting and catching up in the halls that it was hard to shepherd everyone promptly into Lawrence Auditorium. Plus there was palpable nervousness and anxiety, from new and returning students alike, about all that the incipient school year would visit upon them. I began by ringing the handheld bell that has traditionally called the Nobles Assembly hall to order for as long as anyone can remember. I introduced Jeff Grogan ’74, president of the Nobles trustees, who briefly welcomed students and faculty. Then I shared my remarks. This year I opened by relating the challenges experienced by one of my 10-year-old sons as he grappled with the idea of “sleep away” summer camp. It was actually his initiative, way back in the grips of winter, to imagine going off to camp when the warm weather returned. So we signed him up, along with his two brothers, for a 10-day jaunt at a camp in Maine in July. As the date approached, however, he became very anxious about the entire prospect. The closer we got, the more convinced he became that camp just wasn’t for him. He seriously contemplated how he could run away once we left him there. Then, of course, when we picked him up at the end he was deliriously happy about the entire experience, and asked if he could stay for a few more days. When we got him home, he made a feeble stab at running away to get back there, declaring he was “camp-sick.” Eventually he readjusted and decided home was okay. The moral of the story was pretty straightforward—change is just hard sometimes, and anticipating change is frequently much harder than the change itself. I then took a moment to apply that moral Head of School Bob Henderson Provost Bill Bussey can hold anyone’s Jr attention at 8 a.m. in the morning. to all that everyone is feeling and experiencing in a new place and/or in a new school year. The worst part of the entire experience, I intoned, is likely the anticipation, and it is amazing how quickly the new routines and relationships will feel “normal.” I then spent a few minutes talking about the school’s Community Principles. To make the abstract ideas of honesty and respect for self and others a little more real, I talked about the fact that much of a teenager’s life is beyond his or her control, and that is frustrating. Students are coached, taught, graded, judged, scheduled and guided through much of the high school experience. But one always, I maintained, has a choice and control in regard to honesty and respect. We must choose to be dishonest or disrespectful. So, I explained, don’t relinquish that over which you have the greatest control, honesty and respect for self and others, indeed the key elements of your character. Nobles, I continued, will challenge you every day, stretch you, exhaust you, and ask you to step outside of what is comfortable, and it will require you to take risks in your work and activities. We ask this of students because we believe that the real source of confidence and growth is achievement. But achievement is empty unless it is accompanied by character. Along the way, through any school year, there will be great challenges, and certainly there will be mistakes and disappointments. Your character will receive its true measure when these moments inevitably arise, rather than when you encounter success. Success is easy, but the deeper reality of our experience as human beings is that we will sometimes fail and err. And in the end you are in charge; responding with honesty and respect is the key to turning challenge into opportunity. Along the way, I pointed out, you will receive incredible amounts of support at Nobles; this is a remarkable and caring faculty who will help you navigate the tough moments, and that is one of the things that makes Nobles a special place. Yet I know that as students sat there in Lawrence…they were mostly wondering when it would all end, when they could see their friends again, and when the day would be truly underway. In contrast, for me, the resumption of the familiar rhythms of the school year is the real relief; the ringing of that bell to open the first Assembly signifies the true return to the normal, and this is a change that I eagerly embrace each September. Welcome back, or welcome to the Nobles community, as the case may be! October 2007 10 Campus Drive 15 Heard in the Halls... What was the best book you read this summer? Tim Nelson, Class I All Souls by Michael Patrick Macdonald “I loved it because it was about Boston and it gave me a new perspective on law enforcement and organized crime.” Bob Henderson Jr. ’76, Head of School The Pirate Queen: Queen Elizabeth I, Her Pirate Adventurers, and The Dawn of Empire by Susan Ronald “I love early modern European history. It was the biography of Elizabeth and her sea dogs.” Megan Bunnell, Class II The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman “It was great because it had a medical side and an analytical side, which made it really cool to read.” Isabella Tuttle, Class VI The Fat Girl by Marilyn Sachs “This was my favorite book this summer because it was so real. She told the story from realistic perspectives and that made it interesting. Marty Morris, Class III A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines “It was inspiring because it showed that anybody can help another person in one way or another.” Nikita Shrinath, Class IV Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling “I couldn’t wait to read it because it was the last one. I really liked the way it ended.” Victor Ordóñez, Class V Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits by David Ortiz and Tony Massarotti “I’m a big Red Sox fan and David ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz is my favorite player. I thought it was cool that he talked about his life and where he came from.” 16 10 Campus Drive October 2007 Pan Mass Challenge Plus Lotsa Helping Hands Website Help Carlson-Pietraszek Family F or 20 years, Jim Shulman P’09 has been riding in the Pan Mass Challenge bike race, a grueling trek that challenges the mind and body and raises funds for the Jimmy Fund at Boston’s Dana Farber Cancer Institute. “The first year I rode, I thought I would do it to get into shape,” said Shulman. “Then, two weeks before the ride, my cousin lost her battle to leukemia and I decided to ride and raise funds in her memory.” As more and more people close to Shulman battled cancer, Shulman found himself raising more and pushing himself harder each year. This year, Shulman focused his ride in support of Jean Carlson-Pietraszek, spouse of Head of Middle School Jenny CarlsonPietraszek. “She [Jean] and Jenny Carlson-Pietraszek have been integral components of the Nobles experience,” said Shulman on his decision to ride this year. To date, Shulman has raised $36,000 in CarlsonPietraszek’s name. Shulman is not alone in his mission to help the Carlson-Pietraszek family. Several members of the community including Visual Arts faculty John Dorsey, Middle School Administrative Assistant Maryanne Macdonald, Dean of Faculty Sandi MacQuinn, Co-Chair of the Parents Committee Maryanne Mahoney P’10, Upper School Registrar Judith Merritt and Data Base Administrator Tessy Smith P’13, ’11 have developed a website devoted to helping the Carlson-Pietraszek family during their time of need. Hosted by “Lotsa Helping Hands,” the site helps organize volunteers to assist with cooking meals, house cleaning and other essentials. If you would like to volunteer your time, please visit www.nobles.edu and click on “Nobles Support” on the left-hand navigation bar. — Arielle Greenleaf Jim Shulman P’09 rode his 20th Pan Mass Challenge in Photo: Kim Neal 10CampusDrive Noble & Greenough School October 2007 Editor Joyce Leffler Eldridge, Director of Communications a s s i s ta n t Editor s Julie Guptill, Assistant Director of Communications Arielle Greenleaf, Communications Specialist D e s ig n David Gerratt & Amanda Wait/ www.NonprofitDesign.com P h otograp h y Joyce Eldridge, Arielle Greenleaf, Julie Guptill, Tony Rinaldo Please send us your feedback! We would love to hear from you. Send letters via e-mail to joyce_eldridge@nobles.edu or mail to Joyce Eldridge, Noble and Greenough School, 10 Campus Drive, Dedham, MA 02026. Jean Carlson-Pietraszek’s honor. Noble and Greenough School 10 Campus Drive Dedham, MA 02026-4099 www.nobles.edu Address Service Requested Non-profit U.S. Postage PAID worcester MA Permit No. 2