Derryfield Today, Fall 2009

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Derryfield

THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

NEWS FROM FA L L T E R M 2 0 0 9

Athletics at Derryfield > Great Coaches > The Access Road

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Members of Jeffrey Cousineau’s physics class try towing each others’ mousetrap cars.

contents Table of

2009-2010 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Steven Burke Chair Bedford, NH Nigel Donovan Treasurer Bedford, NH

DERRYFIELD TODAY

Preston Hunter ’98 Bedford, NH

Annie Branch Director of Communications

Paul LeBlanc Manchester, NH

Griffin York & Krause Design

Donna K. Lencki Candia, NH

Puritan Press, Inc. Printing

David Lockwood Manchester, NH

CONTRIBUTORS

Cathryn Vaughn ’91 Secretary Manchester, NH

Thomas Manson New Boston, NH

Diane Allen

Bradley Benson ’78 Derry, NH Robert Chin Windham, NH Christine Cikacz Chester, NH James Davis New Boston, NH Dr. Louis Fink Bedford, NH Audrey Hammer Bedford, NH

features FEATURES

Great Coaches

12

by Annie Branch

Craig N. Sellers Head of School Manchester, NH

John Allard ’83 Manchester, NH

FALL 2009

The Access Road

20

by Matt Bagley ’97 Matt Bagley ’97

Constantinos Mokas Manchester, NH

Lenny McCaigue

Christopher Morgan Amherst, NH

Steve Burke ’10 J.D. Donovan ’10 Cam Lencki ’10 Katherine Lynch ’10 Emily Mastrogiacomo ’10

Daniel Muskat ’82 Bedford, NH

E. Charles Sanborn

Jeffrey Pollock Manchester, NH

ADVANCEMENT

Janice Romanowsky Hampstead, NH

Diane Allen Alumni Coordinator

Message from the Head

Richard Sigel ’81 Manchester, NH

Gail Gordon Advancement Office Coordinator

Around Campus

Robert Spiegelman Londonderry, NH

Alice Handwerk Director of Annual Giving

Cougar Athletics

Shelley Spierer Bedford, NH

Jennifer Melkonian Assistant Head for Advancement

Breakthrough Spotlight

William Zorn Hooksett, NH

25

by Diane Allen

departments DEPARTMENTS

Update on Alumni Reunion Recap Life After Derryfield Faculty Profile

2 4 8 10 16 19 20 25

FRONT COVER: The Derryfield Cougar and members of the girls’ varsity soccer team celebrate at a pep rally.

BACKGROUND: Members of the middle school faculty dressed as a dozen eggs for Halloween.

TOP: A student conquers Rock Rimmon.

Derryfield Today is published by the Advancement Office at The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify us at 603.669.4524, ext. 2261 or send an email to abranch@derryfield.org. Correspondence may be addressed to: Director of Communications, The Derryfield School, 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104-1396. The Derryfield School welcomes students of any race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin. The School does not discriminate in its hiring, admission policies, or programs on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or disabilities.

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head

Message from the

Great Coaches, Great Teachers uring the winter months our gym, as you can imagine, gets booked quite solid.

Since the start of school we have used the gym to certify large groups of faculty and staff in CPR, had more than 5,000 votes cast by members of the community in two different Manchester elections, gathered hundreds of grand‑ parents and special guests at the start of Grandparents and Special Guests Day, and held an all‑school Pep Rally that was a first in my time at Derryfield, and certainly a first in recent memory. Something about that Pep Rally worked, as our boys’ and girls’ soccer teams went on to win simultane‑ ous state championships—something, again, that has not happened in recent memory.

If you dropped in on any given school day you might find a physical education class lesson on our rock climbing wall, a spirited game of dodge ball, or students using the weight training gear. In the afternoon you will find our boys’ and girls’ basketball teams practicing, which might sound simple enough, but to fully appreciate the logistics you have to consider that we have boys’ and girls’ teams in the middle school, as well as junior varsity and varsity—so right away Mr. McCaigue, our Director of Athletics, must juggle multiple rubics cubes, keep teams from knocking into each other, and keep times fair and reasonably consistent.

When I first toured our gym I was impressed—maybe even intimidated—by all of the championship banners dis‑ played around the walls. The banners are a visual represen‑ tation of demonstrable success, and that is proper. Many of the banners represent team success, and some identify indi‑

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vidual champions. My hope is that students feel proud to see their accomplishments represented in this way, and that alumni want to return, see banners that remind them of great accomplishments, and be inspired to draw connections between their present success and the role a Derryfield education played in their lives.

All these seemingly disparate activities occur in one place and are tied together by two ideas. First, the modern version of a one‑room school house remains the school gymnasium.

Historically, school gyms were used for exercise, community events, and scholarly endeavors. While that has evolved somewhat, you can see that the activities I outline keep that historical tradition alive.

The second idea emanating from our gymnasium touches on the eternal at the soul of our School—great coaching is virtually indistinguishable from great teaching. Our class‑ rooms, like our gym, could also display victory banners that proclaim our success at inspiring bright, motivated young people—both efforts need devoted leaders who have a vision of success and can communicate it in a manner that motivates young people.

Call them teachers or call them coaches, The Derryfield School is blessed with those who want to learn, lead, and succeed. Enjoy the issue!

Craig N. Sellers Head of School

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

JANUARY – APRIL

events I M AG E S F R O M T H E FA L L For more photos, visit our online gallery at http://photos.derryfield.org.

calendar JANUARY Admission Open House

12

Lyceum Gallery Reception

15

Breakthrough Super Saturday

30

FEBRUARY Winter Carnival

1–5

Jazz All-State Music Festival

4–6

Pasta Dinner

12

Upper School Musical

12–14

College Planning Meeting for Juniors

13

Breakthrough Super Saturday

20

MARCH Stardust Diner

5

Blood Drive

9

Breakthrough Super Saturday

13

APRIL Classical All-State Music Festival

9–10

Lyceum Gallery Reception & Poetry Reading

9

Parent/Faculty Association Benefit

17

Breakthrough Super Saturday

24

Senior Dinner

28

Founders’ Day

30

PRESENTING

the secret

garden

Clockwise from top right: Middle school students test surface tension with bubbles. n Tenth graders show their spirit at Country Fair. n Everett Baker ’13 takes flight in a ropes challenge. n Grant Smith ’14 as Joseph in the middle school musical. n Kathleen Rutty-Fey ’87 recycles her yogurt containers when Gary Hirshberg ’72 comes to campus. n Brittany Potter ’12 collects a Thanksgiving Basket for delivery to a local family.

www.derryfield.org

Come see members of the Derryfield Players present The Secret Garden February 12–14. This is a musical ver‑ sion of the classic children’s novel. For ticket information, visit www.etix.com and search for Derryfield.

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campus

Around

STORIES Tech Lead Teachers Simeon Kass Award Adventure Education Derryfield Authors Middle School Magic Legacy Society Profile

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY Congratulations to the following Derryfield seniors who were inducted into the National Honor Society during a special assembly on October 13, 2009.

Nicholas Alberts, Emily Anderson, Julia Cowenhoven, Claire Dickey, Tucker DiNapoli, Alexandra Donovan, Kelsey Durant, Erin Ferguson, Alessandra Geffner-Smith, Andrea Green, Katherine Grisanzio, Jacob Harwood, Samantha Hough, Ellie Kaufman, William Keller, Madison Kramer, Katherine Lynch, Jennifer Mandelbaum, Philip Melanson, Heather Monty, Matthew Porat, Maeghan Provencher, Timothy Reichheld, Brandan Rivard, Vanessa Rodanas, Caroline Thirkill, Brandon Wilson

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Tech Lead Teachers

Simeon Kass Award

As part of its master plan, the technology department has created a new role to enhance the use of technology in the class‑ room. Four members of the faculty who have advanced skills and interest in using technology in their classrooms have been designated as tech lead teachers. These leaders in technology have two goals: to help train their peers in new technology and to develop their own use of technology in their classrooms. Already, during a fall professional development day, each tech lead teacher ran two seminars for the facul‑ ty on teaching tools including podcasts, PowerPoint, online gradebooks, and Google Docs. Now the tech lead teachers are developing projects to enhance their own use of technology in the classroom.

Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs Mary Carter believes that, “the benefit of this program is the personalization of the training. Our teachers range in experience with technology, and this program enables them to try new things with the support of a teacher like themselves.” Representing departments from math to art, this year’s tech lead teachers are Mike Gerowitz, Pete Brandt, Rob Fogg, and Tracy Blaisdell. In exchange for their extra work, each teacher is given a tech tool, such as a laptop, that will help them to further enhance their use of technology in the classroom.

The third Simeon Kass Award, a gift from the Boelig family in honor of Sim Kass, was pre‑ sented to Samantha Hough ’10. Below is an excerpt from her winning essay, the whole of which can be found online.

Knowing is much different than under‑ standing. You can know about a person’s situation, lifestyle, and environment, but the difficulty and the challenge is to take the time to understand their her personali‑ ty, culture, and values. Knowing means to ask questions such as who, what, and when. Understanding is what comes from answering the crucial questions: how and why. Why is the person faced with difficulties? How do they cope with these hardships? How does this make them feel, or how does it make you feel? These ques‑

NATIONAL WRITING

achievement

awards

Congratulations to Jacob Harwood ’10, whose essays submitted to the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Awards received national recognition.

The Achievement Awards in Writing are conferred by the NCTE in recognition of excellence in writing by high school juniors.

Harwood was one of four students recognized in the State of New Hampshire, a distinct honor in a competition with almost 1800 entrants from across the country.

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

AROUND CAMPUS

A photo from Samantha Hough’s time in Fiji.

tions are not easy to answer in many situations, but they must be recognized as the best way to reach understanding.

Many people comprehend a defini‑ tion of poverty, but very few possess a sense of the details that poverty entails.

Companies and organizations looking to fund aid to those in need often tar‑ get sorrow as an emotion to connect with poverty. We are shown billboards, short films, and pictures of poverty‑ stricken children and we immediately feel sad for them. They look embar‑ rassed, distressed, and miserable.

Although these are key emotions that trigger the desire to help in human beings, I believe that there is more to this situation than most people explore —the variation between knowing and understanding.

The summer before my freshman year in high school, I was given the opportunity to travel to Fiji with forty other students to immerse in the sights and culture of these wonderful islands.

Along the way, we were to participate in local service projects, and it is dur‑ ing this experience that I came to see that my assumptions were only one tiny step in the complex situation of the children we were going to help.

Based on the collected and packed

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donations of school supplies to bring to the local children, I had painted in my mind a scene of what I should expect. I thought I would arrive to a place of despair. I thought that, know‑ ing these children were in need of simple supplies such as paper and pencils, I could know a piece of their struggles, but I was nowhere near understanding the true situation of these students. I had prepared myself for an emotional experience that would leave me feeling like I had made an impact on the lives on these kids. What I did not prepare myself for was reality; the reality that I would make a small indent on these children’s memories, while they would incomparably alter my life....

Adventure Education One would think that with a former professional baseball player on the faculty, his primary contribution to the community would be the success of the varsity baseball team. But Jeff Hastings has changed the lives of countless middle school students through the adventure education units he has developed for his seventh and eighth grade physical education classes.

Hastings played baseball for the Nashua Pride of the Can‑Am League and Tel Aviv Lightning of the Israel Baseball League and has led the varsity baseball team to the state champion‑ ship playoffs each of the past ten years.

However, it is his adventure education curriculum that has resulted in Derry‑ field having its own ropes course and rock climbing wall. These resources

allow him to train Derryfield middle school students in advanced climbing skills, pushing them to gain confidence and self‑esteem throughout the term.

The unit begins with basic trust‑ building activities and focused skill development lessons that build confi‑ dence in the students and allow them to succeed in the final challenge of the term. In seventh grade, the culminating experience is a day spent on the high ropes course right on campus. Eighth graders challenge their climbing skills at either Rock Rimmon or the walls of Vertical Dreams rock climbing gym in Manchester. The advanced training that Derryfield students have allows them to take on the challenge of the highest climbing wall in the State.

Through both his athletic accomplish‑ ments and his passion for teaching, Hastings inspires Derryfield athletes at all levels, whether they are aiming for a state championship or the top of a 70‑foot climbing wall.

Coach Hastings guides a student through the use of Derryfield’s rock climbing wall.

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AROUND CAMPUS

Derryfield Authors

Becky Josephson

Scott Green ’69

An essay co‑written by Derryfield English teacher Becky Josephson and her husband was published in the book You've Come a Long Way, Baby: Women, Politics, and Popular Culture.

The collection is about transgression, alienation, and feminine identity in the police procedural.

Scott Green has recently written a col‑ lection of science fiction poetry. A pub‑ lished poet and jounalist, Scott has published three poetry collections, edited a fourth, and his poetry has appeared in twenty anthologies.

Nancy Lord ’70 Alaska’s writer laureate, Nancy Lord ’70, recently wrote a book entitled Rock Water, Wild: An Alaskan Life. The book takes readers on a journey that explores life in Alaska and includes an essay about former Derryfield faculty member Jack Coogan.

Middle School Magic

Steve Mathes Math teacher Steve Mathes has had several of his recent works published, both in print and online. His most recent, a science fiction short story entitled Backlash, was published in the September 2009 issue of A Fly in Amber, an online fiction magazine.

KEEPING UP-TO-DATE

derryfield newsonline Want to know more about what’s happening at Derryfield every day? Check out the online news portal by clicking on ‘Community’ at www.derryfield.org. Here are the introductions of a sampling of stories from the fall term.

Little Things: Holocaust Speaker Returns “Even the most privileged have bad days,” Holocaust survivor, public speaker, and author, Gerda Weissmann Klein, told her listeners at an all‑school assembly on Tuesday, September 22....

Physics Students Race Head to Head The goal of a project in kinematics (study of motion) for the physics classes this fall was to create a car powered by an old‑ fashioned mousetrap that would travel at least five meters....

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Advanced Studio Arts Goes West Advanced Studio Art took the first of its three annual art trips to western Massachusetts in early November. We lucked out with perfect weather for this field trip....

The Search for (Literary) Treasure In an effort to familiarize his sixth grade geography class with library resources and strengthen their research skills, Rick Zeller has teamed up with Librarian Betty Jipson to send his students on a treasure hunt in the Milne Library....

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

AROUND CAMPUS

Legacy Society Profile Since retiring in 2003, I have frequently returned to campus as a library volun‑ teer, and I have attended many athletic and visual/performing arts events.

Also, I have enjoyed the preliminary steps of gathering and organizing archival materials as I continue work‑ ing on a history of Derryfield. This volunteer connection to Derryfield constantly affirms why I committed twenty‑eight years of my professional career to Derryfield: students are still adolescents; student‑faculty interactions in the many venues of school life are still eye‑catching; a vibrant spirit, expectancy, and cheerful chatter still characterize the hallways; the Forum is still the Forum; a welcoming spirit still pervades the School. My mind drifts to the past: I see in my mind’s eye the many provocative, creative, inquiring, eager students I had the privilege of learning with in my U.S. History, Images of Humanity, Voices in Black Literature, and other history elective classes; I reflect on rewarding experi‑ ences assisting students and parents with the college planning and admis‑ sion processes; I recall stimulating conversations with faculty colleagues; I remember vividly many moments of being inspired by colleagues and stu‑ dents. As I think about the past and the present, it occurs to me that there are many more similarities than differences in the “Derryfield experience.” Why is that? I believe that the unifying forces are consistent values, goals, openness, enlightened leadership, talented and committed teachers, engaged students,

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AROUND CAMPUS

supportive parents, and an overriding commitment to community.

In reading past issues of the Lamp‑ lighter, Derryfield Today, Headmaster Newsletters, and admission catalogs, it is striking the key role values—the same values—have played in Derry‑ field’s coming of age. Integrity, respect, honesty, the life of the intellect, indi‑ vidual responsibility, and commitment to community within and beyond Derryfield, have shaped Derryfield.

Strategies for developing and inculcat‑ ing these values have changed in response to technological and cultural developments, and well they should.

To me, this reflects a school deter‑ mined to be in the world, a school committed to helping adolescents develop the knowledge, values, and skills needed to be agents for positive change in rapidly changing local, national, and world environments.

Recent conversations with some mem‑ bers of the Classes of ’68 and ’69 at their 40th reunions confirmed for me that these values were at the heart of the newly‑born Derryfield. To observe the School in action in 2009—in the classroom, on the athletic field, in the visual and performing arts area—is powerful testimony to past generations of Derryfield teachers, students, staff, administrators, trustees, and parents.

They built well.

Because I believe that Derryfield, past and present, is a school doing what I think schools should be doing, during the past few years I have been considering ways in which I might contribute to help insure that a

Derryfield education will be available and accessible to future generations.

Fiscal stability is key to making this hope a reality, and a healthy endow‑ ment is key to financial stability, programming, and accessibility. Thus, I decided to become a member of The 1964 Legacy Society by remembering Derryfield in my estate plans. Through this membership I can help meet my retirement financial needs as well as help Derryfield build its endowment.

What better way is there for me to say thank you for all the professional and personal gifts that Derryfield provided me over the years, and what better way is there for me to say: Derryfield, I believe in you.

– E. Charles Sanborn

THE 1964 LEGACY SOCIETY

planned giving

website Please consider joining Chuck and become a member of The 1964 Legacy Society!

Visit our interactive planned giving website at www.derryfield.planyourlegacy.org or contact Jennifer Melkonian, Assistant Head for Advancement, at 603.669.4524 or by email at jmelkonian@derryfield.org.

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athletics

Cougar

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CHAMPIONS! Girls’ Varsity Soccer

Fall wrap-up

Congratulations to the girls’ varsity soccer team for winning their second

Boys’ Varsity Soccer

Boys’ Varsity Crew

NHIAA Class S State Championship in

Season Record: 15-2-2 New Hampshire State Champions (Class S) Steve Burke ’10, Co-Captain, All-Conference, Player of the Year, All-State (1st team), Class S Tournament MVP, Lion’s Cup Team, Class of 1970 Award Brandan Rivard ’10, Co-Captain, All-Conference, All-State (1st team), Lion's Cup Team (alternate) Anuj Vadalia ’11, All-State (2nd team)

Brandon Wilson ’10, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award

a row. The team defeated Littleton 1-0, with junior MacKenzie Logan scoring the game-winning goal in overtime.

Boys’ Varsity Soccer Congratulations to the boys’ varsity soccer team, which completed their season with a 1-0 win over defending champion Lisbon in the NHIAA Class S State Championships. Derryfield had lost to Lisbon in the finals in 2008, which made this victory particularly sweet. Junior Aseebulla Niazi scored the championship’s lone goal in the 30th minute of the game.

BERK INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME Congratulations to Derryfield coach Bruce Berk, who will be inducted into the

Girls’ Varsity Soccer Season Record: 16-3 New Hampshire State Champions (Class S) Mimi Coppinger ’12, All-State (2nd team) Alex Donovan ’10, Co-Captain, All-State (1st team) Andrea Green ’10, Co-Captain, All-Conference, All-State (1st team), Class of 1970 Award, Lion’s Cup Team MacKenzie Logan ’11, All-Conference, All-State (1st team) Kim Pollock ’11, All-State (HM) Aislinn Smith ’11, All-Conference, All-State (1st team), Class S Tournament MVP

Girls’ Varsity Crew Maddie Kramer ’10, Class of 1970 Award

Boys’ Varsity Cross Country Will Keller ’10, Co-Captain, All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award

Girls’ Varsity Cross Country Jessa Fogel ’13, All-Conference

Varsity Golf Season Record: 12-12 Brendan Dobbin ’10, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award, Qualified for Individual State Tournament Marty McCormick ’11, Co-Captain, All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award, 9th at Individual State Tournament

NHIAA Coaches Hall of Fame in March in honor of his 25 years of coaching. Mr.

Varsity Field Hockey

Berk will join Derryfield coaches Dick

Season Record: 13-3 NH Championship Semi-Finalists (Class M/S) Ann DiPastina ’11, All-Conference, Player of the Year, M/S All-State (1st team) Samantha Hough ’10, Co-Captain, All-Conference, M/S Senior All-Star, M/S All-State (2nd team), Class of 1970 Award Maeghan Provencher ’10, Co-Captain, All-Conference, M/S Senior All-Star Tayla Satkwich ’11, All-Conference, M/S All-State (1st team)

Anthony, Ed Lemire, Dennis Holland, and Paul Whitmore in the Hall of Fame as well as retired faculty members Dudley Cotton and David Haight.

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OPPOSITE (clockwise from top): The girls’ varsity eight practices for New Hampshire Championships. n Alex Donovan ’10 goes after the ball. n Ann DiPastina ’11 beats an opponent to the ball. n Boys’ first boat takes a power ten in practice. n Steve Burke ’10 displays some fancy footwork. n Marty McCormick ’11 tees off in a match against Sunapee. n Jessa Fogel ’13 tackles a hill in a cross country meet. n ABOVE: Travis Kula ’11 running in the Derryfield Invitational.

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

C O U G A R AT H L E T I C S

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spotlight Breakthrough

NOW ACCEPTING TEACHER APPLICATIONS

An Elusive ‘Easy Button’

FOR SUMMER 2010

By Ha Hoang, Breakthrough student & teacher

Breakthrough Manchester offers an

Delivered at Celebration 2009 in August Unlike the office supply store Staples, which has an easy button and claims that everything is easy, life does not have an easy button. If life had an easy button, then there would be no need for Breakthrough and the changes I have made would have been easier.

On a night like this, I am reminded of my own Celebration night when my sev‑ enth grade summer was finished. I was sad at the thought of leaving the program because even though they said it was a seven‑year commitment, I thought to myself that I would never come back and teach because I was not smart enough or not capable enough to teach students.

The summers after Breakthrough, I fig‑ ured I would now have time to hang out with friends, go on adventures, or do other cool stuff, but I will admit, I spent it all either in front of the TV, computer, or by my friend’s pool. Hardly as exciting as doing Mother Doodlebird at 8:00 a.m., or taking classes such as biology, mythology, or French. I came to the conclusion that my summers were boring without Breakthrough.

As I entered high school, I made it a goal of mine to find something productive to do

award-winning teacher-immersion opportunity for high school and college students each summer. Find out more about an experience that will change your life at www.breakthroughmanchester.org.

Join us this summer—your students are waiting!

COME VISIT SUPER SATURDAYS! We welcome visitors to our Super Saturday sessions throughout the year. Please come see Breakthrough in action and find out more about this remarkable program on one of our upcoming dates: January 30 February 20 March 13 April 24 May 15 To arrange a visit, please contact the Breakthrough office at .603.641.9426 or breakthrough@derryfield.org.

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during the summer. My guidance counselor referred me to Upward Bound, a program that seemed to me like “Breakthrough for high school students.” Easy enough. I loved the idea of this new program and soon found myself filling out the applica‑ tion for the program. A few months later, I finally received the letter I had been wait‑ ing for from this new program. Judging from the size of the envelope, I could already tell that this was not going to be a happy letter. I did not get accepted, and I found myself with no plans for the sum‑ mer. My plans were not as easy as I wanted them to be.

Ha Hoang as a Breakthrough student in 2001.

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

BREAKTHROUGH SPOTLIGHT

With nowhere else to go, I remem‑ bered the commitment and connec‑ tions I had with Breakthrough, and so I turned to them for resources. I filled out the application, had my interview, and before you know it, I was back, now as the youngest member of the Breakthrough faculty. As a first‑year teacher, I struggled with some of the teaching basics: lesson planning, class‑ room management, and grading. I was learning how to be a teacher, and at the same time, my students were learning what I was teaching. It was not as easy as it looked to stand in front of a class‑ room and teach. Returning to teach more summers after that helped me improve my presence in the classroom.

Along with my growth as a teacher, I was amazed by the behind‑the‑scenes actions that took place at Breakthrough.

As a student, I was completely un‑ aware that amazing art does not just pop up on the wall overnight; it takes many hours of painting during train‑ ing week to complete. I was unaware that none of the teachers are experts, and that it takes countless hours of lesson planning and collaborating just to prepare for one class period. As a student, I thought I knew everything about the program and, clearly, that was not the case.

In addition to learning how to be a teacher, I was also learning skills that I was teaching to students as well.

Public speaking was not one of my strongest areas and so the person you see before you tonight was a quiet and shy student who was afraid to start a

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cheer during attendance. Now, I find myself doing the best Mother Doodle‑ bird I can. The more I told students to take positive risks, the more I learned how to do so myself. I was a student who was afraid to raise his hand and talk in a class of six, but now I find myself in front of a classroom daily with the same number of students.

Reflecting on all my summers teach‑ ing, I now have much more apprecia‑ tion for Breakthrough and the teaching profession. Through all my hard work, I saw students smile as they finally understood how to find slope, or help one another correct each others home‑ work. I remember getting phone calls and voicemails from students after I had gotten home from a late faculty meeting. I remember writing a very detailed lesson plan only to find out that my students did not do my home‑ work from the night before. I remem‑ ber how I felt when Sanja finally explained to me what she had learned in math class, or when Jen raised her hand and spoke up in class. It is those kinds of moments that show me I’ve made a difference to my students. As a little kid, I had dismissed the goal of being a teacher but after seeing what I have been able to do here at Break‑ through, I strongly see the teaching profession somewhere in my future.

As my fifth and final summer draws to a close, I’m reminded again of a memory I shared earlier. I made a seven‑year commitment to Break‑ through and have fulfilled that commitment to its fullest potential.

Ha Hoang as a Breakthrough teacher in 2009 with his sixth grade student, Timmy.

I told myself as a student that I would not come back, and here I am seven years later, teaching.

Breakthrough has helped me tremendously and the only way I know how to say “thank you” to Breakthrough is to move on and use the skills I have learned elsewhere.

Students, while this night draws to a close, don’t think your journey with Breakthrough stops here. Do what I did. Use Breakthrough to its fullest potential. Stay connected with the pro‑ gram and use it to help you grow as a student and as a person. While I may sound happy and confident that I am moving on with Breakthrough, it’s not as easy as it looks.

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coaches

Great

erryfield follows the teacher/coach model whenever possible, believing that building relationships with a student on multiple levels can only strengthen a student’s learning experience. But this doesn’t mean that our coaches don’t have top‑level experience both as athletes themselves and as coaches. Derryfield coaches are professional athletes, have competed in nationally‑ranked collegiate programs, and have elite coaching certifications and decades of experience.

And it is these role models who shape Derryfield students into the competitive athletes who are winning state champi‑ onships and being recruited by colleges, as well as the life‑long athletes who are carrying their experiences well beyond the fields and courts of Derryfield. We asked several Derryfield seniors to describe what makes their coaches great.

D

Coach Hettler

J.D. Donovan ’10

Chris Hettler played on the varsity lacrosse team at Colgate University, and has played as goalie for the professional lacrosse team, Boston Cannons.

For as long as I have known Coach Hettler, he has dedicated himself completely to his coaching. Being an athlete himself, I’m sure the under‑ standing he has of competition and teamwork comes naturally. He cares for every player he coaches, and makes sure the team performs well, from training to game day. These may seem like characteristics found in most coaches, but what sets Coach Hettler apart is the connection he makes with his athletes.

He has coached me for my entire high school career on both the varsity alpine skiing and varsity men’s lacrosse teams. I can honestly say after years of practices with him, Coach Hettler has become more of a friend than a coach, as he has with most, if

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not all, of his athletes. He has a way of coaching that mixes the necessary hard work to achieve success with an energy and informality that builds team bonds. Coach Hettler involves himself in drills, focusing the team on the required tasks, and then is able to joke amongst players on bus rides or dur‑ ing breaks. If he could, he would be on the field or slopes with both of his teams competing as hard as any other high schooler. Even though he holds this connection with his team, Coach Hettler still receives the respect he deserves, able to convey seriousness and importance easily.

In both sports, Coach Hettler is usu‑ ally without the steady presence of an assistant coach. He works incredibly hard for his teams, organizing events, dinners, equipment orders, scrim‑ mages, preseason camps, and sending out consistent email updates. He is not typically recognized for all of this extra effort because he is working several

hours after practices end, unseen to many. He has had the testing task of bringing small lacrosse and skiing pro‑ grams to state championship contender status, which he has done with incredi‑ ble patience and devotion. Coach Hettler’s enthusiasm and personal involvement with his teams are amaz‑ ing, and I know every athlete he has ever coached will say they were glad, and lucky, to have had him as a coach.

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G R E AT C OAC H E S

Coach White

Cam Lencki ’10

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS

did you

know?

Baseball coach Jeff Hastings played professional baseball for the Nashua Pride of the Can-Am League and Tel Aviv Lightning of the Israel Baseball League.

Director of Admission Allison Price competed in five national championships and as part of Team USA for the United States Figure Skating Association.

Nordic skiing coach Peter Breu skied the 90km Vasaloppet race in Sweden last year.

Crew coach Annie Branch won the championship double event at the Head of the Charles Regatta.

Head of School Craig Sellers ran the New York City Marathon in 1989.

Basketball coach Paul Whitmore was named Class L Coach of the Year for girls’ basketball four times for four different teams.

Athletic trainer Derek Lautieri competed in the West Kennebunk Olympic Distance Triathlon in August.

Crew coach Bill Madden was a member of flag football’s Team USA that was World Cup Champion for four years.

Basketball coach Michelle Coombes’ high school basketball team was nationally ranked #1 by USA Today and won five state titles in a row.

14

Tina White played on the varsity lacrosse team at Brown University.

It is always more difficult to describe a coach to others when she may not work in the academic build‑ ings. Though the Breakthrough offices are only a few stone steps away, Tina White is unfamiliar to most students.

Not to her players, though. Tina is one of the best people I have ever been coached by in any sport at any point in my life. She enters each season, prac‑ tice, and game with will power and thought that rivals her dedication to Breakthrough. Good coaches demon‑ strate a strong understanding of their sport and relate to their athletes; Tina does both. Tina pushes me in practice while encouraging me to lead. My respect for Tina exists in her skill as a player, her passion for the game, and the amount she has pushed me as an athlete and a leader. She also has a contagious laugh that makes her the loveable coach we all adore.

only fulfills that definition but goes beyond it. Varsity soccer has been the most successful sport I have been a part of, climaxing with a championship this past fall. Working with the highest certification a U.S. soccer coach can attain, he is able to break down the skills of players on all talent levels and develop them into better players. Year after year, Derryfield soccer gets a new batch of players and through the coaching of Cousineau, Derryfield con‑ tinues to be regarded as one of the best programs in the State. Coach Cousineau not only coaches Derryfield students on the field, he also helps them develop into mature young adults. He treats you with respect and

Steve Burke ’10 Coach Cousineau Jeffrey Cousineau has an A‑level coaching license, the highest level attainable in the U.S. He has been voted NHCA Coach of the Year twice and is a regional coach for the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program.

Through my numerous years play‑ ing sports, I have come across no coach quite like Jeff Cousineau. A great coach can be defined as someone who is pas‑ sionate about the game, a great teacher, and an exemplar of character both on and off the field. Coach Cousineau not

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

G R E AT C OAC H E S

importance. No matter what position you have on the soccer team, Coach Cousineau will work to help you to play a significant role in the team’s suc‑ cess. He prepares you for a higher level of soccer and gives some players a sig‑ nificant chance at playing soccer in col‑ lege. He sacrifices valuable time with his family to coach soccer at Derryfield, showing his superb dedica‑ tion to the School. Coach Cousineau is committed to individual integrity, val‑ ues, and personal growth.

Coach Moyer

Katherine Lynch’10

Terri Moyer has run several marathons and swam on the varsity swim team at William Smith College.

Whenever I picture Ms. Moyer, I pic‑ ture her smiling, because that is how she shows up to practice every day.

Ms. Moyer is an amazing coach for many reasons, but the ones that stick out to me are her enthusiasm, warm heart, focus, and the talent to always inspire her team to keep going; even on the fifteenth hill of a practice, which is no easy feat. Ms. Moyer was the best fan at every race, running alongside the team to cheer us on. She ran along‑ side us during every practice, which is where I got to know her. During those practices she taught me how to be a

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better runner. Not only did she teach me technique—having me run with sticks in my hands to make sure I was not holding them too high; to swing my arms ferociously going up hills to find more power; to look at my feet while running hills so that the moun‑ tain does not seem quite so tall—but she also taught me that doing what I love will lead to success. She taught me that though a run may be hard and seem defeating, I can always get through it; which is something that I not only use for my running, but every day. Ms. Moyer’s contagious happiness and focus is what makes cross country running at Derryfield the successful team that it is.

Coach Moral

Emily Mastrogiacomo ’10

Gus Moral is a certified instructor with the Professional Tennis Registry and was selected as USTA New England High School Coach of the Year in 2008.

Girls’ tennis coach Gus Moral has the skills it takes to lead a team to vic‑ tory. In 2008 the United States Tennis Association named Gus the New England High School Tennis Coach of the Year. This comes as no surprise to the Derryfield community, who have watched Gus lead his team to state championships year after year. Not only does Gus get our team physically prepared for the season, but he also takes a unique approach to get us men‑ tally prepared as well. All three years I have been on the team, Gus has asked each individual to fill out a self‑evalua‑ tion form after every match. This helps guide Gus when trying to teach us

ways to improve our weaknesses and it gets us mentally prepared for our next match. Gus is a great motivator and always comes back to the standard Gus statement, “You have to want it,” to keep us pushing ourselves physically toward a win. Gus also has taught the girls’ tennis team at Derryfield a lot about sportsmanship. Losing is never easy, but because Gus has taught the team the important value that winning is not as important as having good sportsmanship, we now have the abili‑ ty to stay positive after a tough match.

In my time at Derryfield, my tennis team has made it to the finals all three years and won the championship twice. Although we are losing four of our top six players, I don’t have any doubt that Gus will have the ability to get our new lineup ready for the finals by the end of the season.

15

alumni

Update on Henry Link Moser, son of Elizabeth Hickok Moser ’94 and her husband, Link.

In Memoriam Thomas Martin ’72 passed away on September 20, 2009, in Nantucket, MA. Tom attended Derryfield before

The news contained in this section covers the period of July 23, 2009–December 4, 2009. For more recent news, or to post a note, please log on to the Derryfield Portal at www.derryfield.org.

graduating from Middlesex School in Concord, MA, and, later, the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. Tom started off his career in real estate and moved on to equipment leasing. He founded, and was most recently Chairman of the Board of Icon Capitol in New York City. He was an avid outdoorsman and enthusiastic athlete. He is survived by his mother Gertrude, sisters Jose Martin ’73 and Martha Shethar ’76, life partner Janet Eyre, and his three children.

1968 Dorrie Freedman was recently honored as a participant in The Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the official chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. On July 25, Dorrie was presented with a plaque signed by music director James Levine in honor of her 35th anniversary of singing with the chorus. On August 29, she was chosen to be one of sixteen singers from the

Tanglewood Festival Chorus to sing at the funeral mass of Senator Edward Kennedy. The chorus sang Let Nothing Ever Grieve Thee by Johannes Brahms during communion. The chorus also sang How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place from Brahms’ German Requiem as a postlude.

1971 On September 12, Ken Eluto received an Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing in a Comedy Series for his work on 30 Rock.

He is also editing a new HBO series that premiered September 20 called Bored to Death.

Former faculty member David Haight and alumni join the Piatt family and friends for the re-dedication of the Ken Piatt ’82 scoreboard on Country Fair weekend. Walt Milne ’82 and Mary Beth Neville Masci ’83 joined David Haight in remembering Ken’s contributions to the Derryfield community.

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Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

Dick Anthony and Steve Mathes are joined at Country Fair by (L to R) Kristen Pearson Wydom ’96, Julie Davis ’96, Brenna McCandliss Thomas ’96, and Brenna’s brother Trevitt.

1978

1986

David Grosso writes, ”I am heading out for a year of work in Afghanistan training and advising Afghan National Army, National Police, and Border Police.”

Karen Callahan spent seven weeks this summer back in Tanzania, where she had lived for four years in the late ’80s and early ’90s. She and her daughters Abella (19) and Makeba (17) were warmly welcomed by their large extended family in Dar Es Salaam.

Besides visiting with friends and rela‑ tives, they spent one week climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and one week on safari, taking full advantage of the amazing tourist adventures in Tanzania! n Gail Allman Cole writes, ”We have moved from remote Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula to Bainbridge Island, which is just across Puget Sound from Seattle. Bainbridge has much more to offer families/chil‑ dren, which is our priority these days.

Cora (7) is thriving at her new school.

Abe (5) is thriving as himself. In addi‑

1981 Eric Pfeifer and Christin Marie Barclay were married September 25 in Kitty Hawk, NC. It was a small service with some family and friends. Eric reports, ”Christin and I are extremely happy and had a wonderful honeymoon weekend at home; a longer and more appropriate honeymoon will take place this spring.”

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tion to being a full‑time mom, I write online for the hospitality industry, which is fun. My mantra these days is, ‘May our next home renovation be in 20 years.’ Homes my husband and I have renovated to date = 7. Feel free to contact me at tandgcole@gmail.com.

No, I am not on Facebook.” n Eileen Cavallaro is proud to announce that her floral shop, The Garden Party Floral Boutique, in Milford, NH, has taken the title of ‘Best Florist’ in the Souhegan Valley 2009 Readers Choice Awards. Check them out at 18 Middle Street next time you’re in Milford. n Bob Gregg sends hellos to his Derryfield friends. He was recently appointed Head of School at Green Hedges School in Vienna, VA.

1990 Congratulations to Alison Rooney and her new husband, Gavin Kahn, married in Philadelphia on October 19, 2009. In attendance was former class‑ mate Stephanie Goss Brooks. Check out Alison Rooney Communications at www.alisonrooney.com.

David Haight with Stephanie Guilbeault Van Hooser ’89 and Tallie Stevenson Macdonald ’89.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

1992 Heather Newton Kyemba and her husband, Henry, welcomed their new son, James Torin Mpagi Kyemba, on July 16, 2009. James joins his big sister, Sophia, to round out their family of four. n With perfect weather and a full moon, Sarah Stone married Jim Coskun on October 3, 2009. They tied

CONGRATULATIONS

new

parents To Heather Newton Kyemba ’92 and her husband, Henry, a son, James Torin Mpagi, on July 16, 2009.

the knot at Orfila Vineyard in San Diego, CA. A graduate of Mt. Holyoke College and Brown University Medical School with a residency at UC San Diego, Sarah practices hospital medicine in San Diego. Also a doctor, Jim is in private practice of neurology in San Diego.

1993 Michael Spector reports, ”I just want‑ ed to let everyone know that Rachel and I had twin girls on September 16, Madeleine Kelley (Maddie) and Molly Ann. Everyone is doing great, as is big sister Lily. Hope all is well with everyone—hard to believe it has been sixteen years since graduation!”

To Sean Doherty ’93 and his wife, Stephanie, a daughter, Emerson Cricket, on June 23, 2009.

To Michael Spector ’93 and his wife, Rachel, twin daughters, Madeleine Kelley and Molly Ann, on September 16, 2009.

To Elizabeth Hickok Moser ’94 and her husband, Link, a son, Henry Link, on October 3, 2009.

To Avery Holland Murdock ’94 and her husband, Colin,

1994 Scott Sumner was recognized as a leader under 40 years of age in the wealth management industry at the

a daughter, Parker Bye, on September 16, 2009.

To Kristen Pearson Wydom ’96 and her husband, Marc, a daughter, Taylor Anne, on April 20, 2009.

To Sharon Pozner Moulis ’98 and her husband, Daniel, a daughter, Sophia Grace, on July 30, 2009.

To Elizabeth Bolduc Boswell ’98 and her husband, Kevin, a daughter, Eveleen Marie, on October 15, 2009.

To Breakthrough Manchester Director Kate Erskine and her partner, Jolene McWhirter, a daughter, Cora Sophia, on December 8, 2009.

To former staff member Sarah Edwards and her husband, Adam, a son, Andrew Currier, on July 17, 2009.

To former faculty member Carson Smith and his wife, Amy, as son, Huntting Travers, on October 28, 2009.

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Maddie Wasdyke, daughter of Matt ’88 and his wife, Rebecca, sports her new Derryfield bib.

Sarah Stone ’92 and her husband Jim Coskun.

Family Wealth Alliance’s inaugural 40minus Leadership Summit held on March 4–5, 2009 in Boston. Scott and his wife, Michele, recently purchased a new home in North Beverly, MA, where they are raising their two very energetic children, Jackson (5.5) and Anna (3). n Elizabeth Hickok Moser tells us, “My husband, Link, and I welcomed our son, Henry Link, on October 3, 2009. He weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. He joins his sister, Lily, who will be two in December. We are busy, but enjoying every minute!” n Avery Holland was married to Colin Murdock on June 14, 2008. Ashley Stearns Burr and Amily Dunlap Moore ’93 were bridesmaids.

Avery and Colin welcomed their first daughter, Parker Bye Murdock, on September 16, 2009. continued on page 22...

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

REUNION RECAP

reunion

recap

What a great year for reunions! In 2009 eight classes – 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2004 – had anniversaries to celebrate, and all eight classes held gatherings in honor of their time at Derryfield. While the ear‑ lier years chose to get together around Country Fair and Alumni Weekend at the end of September, our 5‑ and 10‑ year classes waited until more of them were home for Thanksgiving. In all cases, our alumni had a great time and were able to rekindle old friendships from their high school years.

The gatherings were held in a vari‑ ety of ways, from venues in restaurants to home parties, from family BBQs to adults only, from day to evening time frames. Our thanks to the generosity of our reunion chairs who gave of their time and, in some cases, of their homes, to ensure that their classes would have a reunion to remember.

Thanks also to former and current fac‑ ulty members Chuck Sanborn, Dennis Holland, and Ed Lemire who continue to make the effort to attend reunions when they can.

More photos available at www.derryfield.org and on the Derryfield Alumni Facebook group page. Save September 24–25 for Alumni Weekend 2010!

– Diane Allen

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1974 1979

1989 1994

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LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

The Access Road

by Matt Bagley ’97

Matt Bagley played lacrosse for Ohio Wesleyan University and graduated in 2001. He has taught English in Connecticut, played semi‑professional lacrosse in Australia, and worked as a cer‑ tified personal trainer. He currently teaches English at The American School in England and has been a member of the English National Team since 2007. here are certain moments in life you’ll never forget. I know it’s cliché, but everyone has them.

What was the weather like on your wedding day? What did you wear to your high school prom? How did you feel when your first child came into the world? Some of these moments are profound and life changing; they can mark a time of new beginnings for an individual, a family, or a community.

Other moments may appear inconse‑ quential at the time but, for some rea‑ son, have left an impression on us.

T

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Regardless if you’re young or old, most of us (especially New Englanders) have what I call “sports memories.”

By sports memories, I don’t refer only to the physical participation in a game, but also to those collective mental snapshots of something that happened off the field, court, or rink, that struck such a chord within you that it’s permanently etched into your subconscious.

I have many sports memories – some good, others bad. I remember calling up my mom from Brisbane, Australia in tears when Doug Mient‑ kiewicz recorded that final out in 2004.

I recall (somewhat embarrassingly) kissing my Headmaster on the cheek in a fit of euphoria when Vinatieri’s field goal sailed through the uprights in 2002 near the slopes of Bromley, VT. But the one sports memory I hold more dear than any of the others happened at Derryfield in the spring of 1997.

We had just lost in the Quarterfinals of the NHIAA lacrosse tournament to eventual winners Pinkerton, when I glanced up at the access road overlook‑ ing the lower field. There, sitting in his silver Volvo was my dad. He sat with the door ajar, his semi‑useless legs sprawled out on the gravel and canes by his side, reflecting the sunlight on that beautiful May afternoon.

After shaking hands with the Astros, and wishing them luck in the next round, I ran up the hill to say hello. He hobbled up from his reclined position in time to give me a gigantic bear hug.

We chatted about the game; nothing special, just the usual father and son post‑game banter, but I distinctly remember the look of pride in his eyes, even though we had lost and my high school athletic career was over. For some reason, I never forgot that moment.

My dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1986, and was crippled by the disease for the next 14 years. An avid sportsman, he used to be one hell of a baseball player in his day, and a scratch golfer to boot. He passed his love of sports onto his chil‑ dren. We always used to go outside on the front lawn once the snow melted to toss the football, or shoot the soccer ball, using a tree and the side of the house as the goal. Even when the M.S. confined him to a wheelchair, my dad would still shoot hoops with my broth‑ er, sister, and me in the driveway, or give me tips on my forehand while using the garage door as a backboard.

Then, he would always run interfer‑

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

ence when Mom would come rocket‑ ing out of the house to complain about the scuffmarks and dents littering the front of the house.

Lacrosse quickly became my sport, though, and I loved playing it because I loved watching my dad’s eyes fill with pride every time I stepped on the field. That’s what kept me going all these years, and that’s the reason I still play competitively at age 31. Since I left Derryfield, lacrosse has taken me all over the U.S., Australia, and Europe, where I currently captain my club team, the Walcountian Blues, located outside of London, England, as well as the South of England regional team. I’ve also been a member of the English National Team since 2007. I have won Tournament MVP honours in four different countries – Australia, Spain, Netherlands, and England – and earned a gold medal at the European Lacrosse Championships with Team England a few summers ago in Lahti, Finland.

But there isn’t a game that goes by when I don’t think of my dad. Sadly,

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Matt Bagley playing with his club team, as well as the English National Team.

that game on the lower field was the last he ever saw me play. His life, like his sports career, was cut short in 2000 when his disease finally caught up to him, and he passed away in a hospital room in South Boston.

Sports memories can be happy or sad, painful or joyous, depending on

what they’re made of. I can remember what the sky looked like after scoring my second goal in the Championship soccer game my senior year at Derryfield. I recall running out on the field with the English National Team after winning the European Championship and celebrating with my teammates. But that sunny after‑ noon on the access road will always be nearer to my heart than any other sports memory I have. An event that seemed so trivial at the time has had a deep and lasting impact on my sports career, as well as on my life. That’s why I keep playing. For him.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

Mike Lavery ’03 in the cycling leg of the Ford Ironman World Championship. ...continued from page 18

1995 Charles Hendricks reports, ”Doing great in New York City! Lots of com‑ mercial auditions. On set recently with Matt Damon, Michael Douglas, and Shia LaBeauf. Currently in talks to play Obama in an upcoming ad.”

1996

1998

2003

Sharon Pozner Moulis is ecstatic to announce the birth of Sophia Grace at 9:17 p.m. on July 30. She is 4 pounds, 13 ounces and 17.5 inches and doing fabulous! n Liz Bolduc Boswell and her husband, Kevin, welcomed Eveleen to their family on October 15, 2009.

Eveleen weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 21 inches long.

Mike Lavery competed in the Ford Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. He completed the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run in 9 hours, 36 minutes, and 36 seconds.

Mike finished 127th overall out of a professional and amateur field of over 1750 and was on the awards podium for finishing in fifth place in the 18–24‑ year‑old age group. He finished as the second American in his age group.

Mike now lives in Madison, WI, and works as an engineer for Trek Cycling in their racing and triathlon bike divi‑ sion. He can be reached at mlavery85 @yahoo.com. n Hanna Melnick has started her first year of teaching fourth grade in San Jose, CA, through Teach for America. n Sumner Laventure has moved to Naples, FL, in order to accept a promotion with Marriott. She is now restaurant manager at the Marco Island Marriott Resort and Spa. ”It’s beautiful here. I have definitely found Paradise, I don’t even feel like I’m working.”

1999 Porter Weeks was married to Brittany Wolf on August 22, 2009. They were married in Dunbarton where they make their home.

2000 Congratulations to John Arnold, who graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in May. John has joined the Concord, NH, law firm of Orr & Reno, P.A. as a general practi‑ tioner.

Kristen Pearson Wydom and her hus‑ band, Marc, had “a perfect little baby girl in April 2009. Her name is Taylor Anne. She is such a good baby and is keeping us busy!”

Class of 2004 members (L to R) Cale MacMichael-Magruder, Julia Spiegelman, Robby Zeller, Beth Frieden, Dann Freeman, and Nicolas Couraud with middle school teacher Rick Zeller at Robby’s wedding.

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Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

ALUMNI VOICES

rosenthal’s

odes

Aaron Rosenthal ’97 was recently asked to record himself reading an ode he wrote entitled Ode to Some Recent Fruit for the NPR show Crop to Cuisine.

ODE TO SOME RECENT FRUIT Borrowed Bananas, are mighty nice, better than a piece of ice, Frozen fruit you’re pretty neat, Lydia MacKenzie ’09 on top of Mount Jefferson in August with her parents, as well as Jackson MacKenzie ’07 and Finn Westbrook ’09.

and some might say you can’t be beat, but being me, prone to flights of hyperbole,

2005 Sabina Khan writes, ”I graduated from Wellesley this year. I was the vice president of the National Political Honor Society, Pi Sigma Alpha, too. I am currently doing clinical research in diabetes at Massachusetts General Hospital while I apply to medical schools.” n Victoria Starr reports, “I graduated this year magna cum laude from Colby, with an English‑classical civilization major and a philosophy minor. I moved to New York City two weeks after graduation, and have been working for a documentary film com‑ pany on the upper west side.” n Chaz Carrier tells us, “I graduated cum laude from Colgate this year. I really cannot say enough good things about the school and would certainly urge all Derryfield seniors to apply. I’m cur‑ rently down in Boston working in a lab

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at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, but I’m in the process of switching over to an orthopaedic surgery research group at Massachusetts General Hospital. n Katharine Bolduc writes, “I graduated with a bachelor’s in exercise science. I am continuing with my program to finish my doctorate in physical therapy in two years.” n Jessica Pritchard reports, “I graduated from Holy Cross this year with a B.A. in psychology and a premed concentration. I am currently working at Holy Cross and in the pro‑ cess of applying to physican assistant school.” n Sarah Murphy tells us, ”I’m currently working at Naval District Washington. I’ve also been vol‑ unteering with DC Cares, a non‑profit organization that provides volunteers with all kinds of different activities. I just became an official DC resident. It was tough to let go of my New Hampshire license. I’m in the process

will tell you now, I cannot love you more, than my tiny apples right down to their core.

You can download Aaron’s reading at www.derryfield.org or read other odes

by Aaron at his blog, Odeable Edibles at http://odeableedibles.blogspot.com: one man, one mission (to lose weight), and the flights of fancy into the world of the food that he eats. Aaron works in California as Communications Manager for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

of applying to graduate schools—wish me luck!” n Amanda Kutz is working at Fletcher Allen at UVM as a lab assis‑ tant. n His proud grandparents have told us that Andrew Kosiarski gradu‑ ated from St. Joseph’s College with honors in May. He is currently in Spain teaching English for one year.

2006 Hale Melnick graduates this May from Colorado College, and last summer worked for Denver Legal Assistance, working with migrant farm workers.

Charlotte Evans ’08 took some time to meet with Susan Grodman in New York City to discuss mutual service opportunities.

2008 P.J. Kutz is in his second year at the UNH Business Program and has joined a fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

CELEBRATING

alumni

weddings Eric Pfeifer ’81 to Christin Marie Barclay on September 25, 2009, in Kitty Hawk, NC. Alison Rooney ’90 to Gavin Kahn on October 19, 2009, in Philadelphia, PA.

2009 Lydia MacKenzie completed climbing the 48 New Hampshire “4,000 Footers” in August. She summited Mount Jefferson with her brother, Jackson MacKenzie ’07, parents Genny and Scott MacKenzie, and classmate Finn Westbrook.

Sarah Stone ’92 to Jim Coskun on October 3, 2009, in San Diego, CA. Randall Krantz ’91 to Antonia Gawell on September 26, 2009, in Chamonix, France.

Lauren Squeglia ’98 to David Colby on September 18, 2009, in Bedford, NH. Nathan Swift ’98 to Lorna Allen on December 12, 2009, in London, England.

Former Faculty Former faculty member Carson Smith and his wife, Amy Howell, welcomed 9.1 pound Huntting Travers Smith into their family. He joins his mom, dad, and big sister Kathryn (2 1/2 ).

Porter Weeks ’99 to Brittany Wolf on August 22, 2009, in Dunbarton, NH. Catharine Newick ’00 to Tyler Kipp on August 1, 2009, in York, ME.

24

Kathy Stull ’08 performs at assembly with her Franklin and Marshall College a cappella group.

Derryfield Today – Fall 2009

THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

profile

Faculty

Lenny McCaigue alk into Athletic Director Lenny McCaigue’s office and your eyes are drawn to a photo of him shaking hands with President Bill Clinton. Lenny is wear‑ ing his official jacket from the 1996 Olympics where he coached Team USA Men’s Field Hockey. Should you ask him about his time with the Olympics, his eyes sparkle and he exudes excite‑ ment as he is taken back 13 years. He can still feel the thrill of walking out onto the field with Olympic stars like Carl Lewis who holds nine gold medals in track and field. He can still see Muhammad Ali postured at the peak of Olympic Stadium in Atlanta, lighting the torch to thunderous applause and watery eyes. He still feels the pride of representing the United States of America in the world’s most compelling athletic games.

Lenny’s story is one of dreams com‑ ing true. After teaching and coaching Irish national teams in his homeland for over ten years, Lenny’s aspirations turned to the international forum.

Wanting to devote his attention to coaching full‑time, he accepted a posi‑ tion at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg where he split his time even‑ ly between coaching college and

W

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provincial field hockey. It wasn’t long before Coach McCaigue was coaching the Canadian women’s team. Keeping contact with his club team players pro‑ vided an opportunity to guest coach for Team USA’s men’s team and, fol‑ lowing a world search, in 1992 Lenny was hired to prepare the U.S. team for the 1996 Olympics.

Having been recently married to the ever‑supportive Sarah McCaigue, Lenny moved to the Olympic training center in San Diego for 18 months of intense training, leaving his marriage to survive through monthly visits.

Although the team didn’t win a medal in 1996 (men’s field hockey is not one of the more popular sports in the United States), they placed 12th from an original field of over 100 countries.

They did, however, win a Bronze Medal in the Argentine Pan American games the year prior.

Time moves on and careers of our youth settle into those from which we envision retiring one day. As luck would have it, Lenny’s decision to remain in the United States and subse‑ quently become a citizen yielded an athletic director of Olympic magnitude for The Derryfield School. When asked what it was about Derryfield that sent

Mr. McCaigue in the gymnasium.

him in our direction, Lenny doesn’t hesitate. It’s the value that the School places on athletics. Athletics is a gradu‑ ation requirement, unlike at many other educational institutions. It is the fact that our mission statement demands inspiring excellence and supports aiming high and maintaining balance for each student. It is the fact that Derryfield is committed to educat‑ ing the whole child via a first‑class cur‑ riculum, strong athletics, and enviable opportunities in the arts.

Whatever brought you here, Lenny, we are fortunate to have you and your expertise in our corner of the world!

—Diane Allen

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2108 River Road Manchester, NH 03104-1302 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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Members of the Derryfield community gather on the turf field to show their support of project 350, an international movement for climate change.

Parents of alumni: If your son or daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Advancement Office at 603.669.4524 of the correct mailing address. Thank you.