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The Art of Teaching > Sellers Appointed New Head > Hungary
W I N T E R 2 0 07
Anything Goes see details on page 5
contents Table of
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dianne Connolly Chair Windham, NH
DERRYFIELD TODAY
WINTER 2007
John Allard ’83 Manchester, NH
Annie Branch Director of Communications
Bradley Benson ’78 Derry, NH
Diane Allen Staff Writer
Christine Cikacz Chester, NH
Griffin Bodi Krause Design
Nigel Donovan Treasurer Bedford, NH
Arthur Coviello Hollis, NH
Puritan Press, Inc. Printing
Jennifer D. Melkonian Interim Head of School Hopkinton, NH
Jim Davis New Boston, NH
CONTRIBUTORS
by Patrick Rutty ’84
L. William Davis II Hopkinton, NH
Kate Erskine Director, Summerbridge
Summerbridge Faculty
Dr. Louis Fink Bedford, NH
Maddie Kramer ’10 Heather Monty ’10
by Diane Allen
Paul LeBlanc Manchester, NH
Emma LeBlanc ’05
Steven Burke Vice Chair Bedford, NH
Janice Romanowsky Secretary Hampstead, NH Cathryn Vaughn ’91 Assistant Secretary Manchester, NH
features FEATURES
The Art of Teaching
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by Annie Branch
Terri Moyer Donna K. Lencki Candia, NH
Patrick Rutty ’84
Lourdes Maldonado Manchester, NH
Kate Erskine, Paul Keiner, Brent Powell, Jack Sanford, Kate Starns, Jan Steele
Walter Milne ’82 Manchester, NH Constantinos Mokas Manchester, NH Eric Nickerson Windham, NH Jeffrey Pollock Manchester, NH
Hungary
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departments DEPARTMENTS
Message from the Head
ADVANCEMENT
Around Campus
Diane Allen Alumni Coordinator
Cougar Athletics
Lori Evans ’00 Associate Director of Advancement
Summerbridge Spotlight
Gail Gordon Advancement Assistant
Update on Alumni
Alice Handwerk Director of Advancement
Life After Derryfield Faculty Profile
2 4 10 12 18 22 25
FRONT COVER: Spanish teacher Reina Reidy works with students at the board. INSIDE FRONT COVER: Stephanie Hogan ’09 as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes. Derryfield Today is published by the Advancement Office at The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify us at 603.669.4524, ext. 123 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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BACKGROUND: Matthew Sherman ’12 examines the properties of goo in science class. TOP: Cast members ham it up in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged.
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head
Message from the
The Art of Teaching – A Personal Reflection s an educator for over thirty years I consider myself to be a lifelong learner in the truest sense of the word. From modest beginnings as a child in a small community in rural Vermont to my undergraduate and graduate school experiences and into a career in education, I have been led and shaped by exceptional educators. In my career as a teacher I have frequently been surrounded by inspired and inspiring colleagues who practice the art of teaching. But, one may ask, what separates a good teacher from an artful educator? Quality teaching is a profoundly creative process. I submit the artful educator is that person who has an unending sense of curiosity, dedicated to spending a lot of time and thought pursuing excellence by doing many things well. The best educators possess timeless skills as strong communicators and excellent organizers. They under‑ stand how students learn; how they develop intellectually and creatively; how they become lifelong learners, responsi‑ ble citizens, and authors of the culture of their time. The best teachers focus on core values that include defining, reaffirm‑ ing, and celebrating qualities of the mind and heart. Today’s master teachers, like those in generations before them, infuse real‑world perspectives into the classroom. Excellent teaching is dynamic and open to revision. Refining something that is good into something that is even better is key to the artful educator. Educators are encouraged and grow when they share perspectives, expertise, talent, and energy on a range of pedagogical issues. Providing opportu‑ nities to facilitate communication about teaching within and across academic departments is at the heart of excellent schools.
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Yet, surely something must have changed. Indeed it has. In recent years a new character has emerged as a front‑ runner in the change department. Technology plays an integral role in today’s pre‑school, elementary, secondary and post secondary classrooms. Research indicates that digital technologies in teaching and instruction will become an even more defining factor in classrooms of the future. Another educational change is a shift from the age‑old series of lectures. Derryfield students experience artful educators who have minimized the series of lectures format, replacing them by engaging young adults in interactive learning. This is reflected in the classroom as skilled teachers ask a variety of meaningful questions that encourages student involve‑ ment and critical thinking. The Derryfield School espouses an institutional goal that provides an open, personal atmosphere conducive to intellectual exchange. Our faculty is dedicated to their work of educating students for the creative professions in a variety fields. It is here that the faculty and students togeth‑ er seek answers to complex and pressing technological, environmental, and societal challenges facing mankind. As an institution of educational excellence we are committed to assessment that is purposeful, achievable, and understandable. At Derryfield we are constantly in the act of discovery. We are routinely reminded that in a variety of ways teaching is itself an art, perhaps the most demanding and rewarding of all the arts.
Jennifer D. Melkonian Interim Head of School
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
APRIL – JUNE
events I M AG E S O F W I N T E R C A R N I VA L For more photos, visit our online gallery in the ‘Exploring Derryfield’ section of www.derryfield.org.
calendar
APRIL US Admitted Student Reception
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MS Admitted Student Reception
5
Classical All-State Music Festival
5-7
Senior Dinner
11
Parent/Faculty Association Auction
14
Summerbridge Saturday
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MAY Prom
11
Spring Concert
18
Lyceum Gallery Reception
18
Summerbridge Saturday
19
Awards Day
25
JUNE All-School Assembly and Picnic
7
Middle School Send Off
7
Commencement
9
Summerbridge Faculty Training Begins
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CELEBRATE
2007 commencement Clockwise from top right: Mallory Rinker ’08 and Andrew Cox ’10 perform in the Moose Review. n Larry Longo ’08 shows his school spirit. n Faculty member Chris McNeil and students under hypnosis. n Students enjoy the bonfire. n Faculty member Jeff Hastings takes a shot in the senior vs. faculty dodgeball game. n Kelsey Kanik ’09 and Kristie Migliori ’07, members of the losing white team, with pie on their faces.
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Join us as we honor The Derryfield School Class of 2007. Commencement exercises will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 9, 2007 in the Performing Arts Auditorium.
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campus
Around
Sellers Appointed New Head
STORIES Sellers Appointed New Head On the Stage Challenger Sports Introducing Chinese Notes from India LeBlanc ’05 Starts NGO Top on the Slopes
SCHOLASTIC ART CONTEST Congratulations to the following Derryfield artists whose art was recognized by the 2006 Scholastic Art Awards. Honorable Mention:
Silver Key:
Cynthia Stephens ’12
Shireen Patel ’09
Jake Smiley ’12
Colette Chretien ’09
Jen Mandelbaum ’10
Hilary Hamer ’07
Patrick Rachel ’09
Rebekah Volinsky ’07
Taylor Krause ’07
Bronwen Weger ’07
Duke Logan ’07
Gold Key:
Katie Pierce ’07
Jen Mandelbaum ’10
Clint Davis ’07
Kye Birchard ’08
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The Board of Trustees of The Derryfield School is pleased to announce the appoint‑ ment of Craig N. Sellers as the seventh Head of School. Craig currently serves as the Head of School at United Friends School (UFS) in Quakertown, PA. During his visit to campus, the community was impressed with his ease of manner, his intelligence, and his thoughtfulness. The members of the search committee found Craig to be impressive, diligent, honorable, and energetic, and expressed confidence that he will bring a sense of professionalism to Derryfield and nurture the connections this school needs. Craig’s educational philosophy includes a global perspective. “Independent schools must lead the way in preparing our chil‑ dren for the globally‑oriented, collabora‑ tive environment they will inherit. My pri‑ ority for any community in which I would have a leadership role would be to continu‑ ally create, support, and refine the tools for pursuing excellence while creating commu‑ nity – both locally and globally.” Having always encouraged his faculty at UFS to think globally, Craig decided to put action behind his words and applied for a six‑ week Fulbright Scholarship, which he com‑ pleted in Thailand this winter. Excerpts from his travel journal can be found each month this spring in DSENews.
Craig Sellers has an undergraduate degree from Franklin & Marshall College, a law degree from New York Law School, and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Teachers College at Columbia University. After his graduation from law school he worked as an attorney in New York City for five years before changing careers. In 1994 he began his edu‑ cation career as a history teacher and Associate Director of Development at Friends Seminary in New York City. From 1997 until 2000 he served as Director of Development at the school. Since 2000 Craig has been Head of School at United Friends School, a 25‑year‑old Friends school serving students from PK through eighth grade in Quakertown, PA. Craig and his wife, Cary, have two children aged
Craig N. Sellers, Derryfield’s seventh Head of School, with his wife, Cary.
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
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Mallory Rinker ’08 as Erma hamming it up with sailors Adrian McLeod ’10, Marcel Robinson ’09, Andrew Cox ’10, and Anthony Bernatas ’08 in Anything Goes.
9 and 6. Cary is a professional educator in her own right and shares Craig’s passion and commitment to indepen‑ dent school education. In a letter to the community, Craig expressed excitement about the school, saying “Derryfield’s future is excep‑ tionally bright. It is astonishingly accomplished for a 43‑year‑old school, and its pioneer spirit is alive and well in this generation of faculty, staff, stu‑ dents, and parents who want to make the school even stronger. Our challenge is to create a learning environment where students can develop their unique qualities of body, mind, and spirit. We embrace this task believing that compassion and concern for others in both our local and global communi‑ ties is an integral part of a Derryfield education.” Craig will begin work at Derryfield on July 2, 2007. The Derryfield School welcomes Craig Sellers and his family to the com‑ munity and thanks the search commit‑ tee, led by Trustee Steve Burke, for the members’ tireless work on behalf of the School.
www.derryfield.org
On the Stage After a busy but productive theatrical season, the Derryfield Players have much to be proud of. Anything Goes and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged were both great successes. The Derryfield thespians first displayed their wit and sense of humor in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged which kicked off the season in January. Taking the clas‑ sics and turning them into a comedy can be quite a daunt‑ ing task, but Derryfield pulled it off with style. The play synthesized some of Shakespeare’s most famous story lines and packed them into a fun‑filled show that the crowd could not help but enjoy. One of the most entertain‑ ing parts of the performance was the audience participation. Yet again, the actors of the Derryfield play outdid themselves. It truly was a hit. This year’s musical, Anything Goes, was also a crowd pleaser. A complicated web of relation‑ ships and job commitments set
the stage for an entertaining plot line. In the end, love prevails, but not with‑ out a few mishaps along the way. The charming music and the hard work of the cast put this show at the top. The set design and costumes dazzled right along with the actors and actresses. Each year, the Derryfield Players leave us wondering how next year’s musical could possibly be better. Derryfield’s commitment to the performing arts combined with the natural talent of the student body makes it no surprise that both shows had such successful runs. These pro‑ ductions are no small feat, and thanks to the directors, stage crews, choreog‑ raphers, musicians, and actors who made it possible, the Derryfield com‑ munity enjoyed some first‑rate theatre this year.
Lauren Bradley ’09 as a king in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged.
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Introducing Chinese
The girls’ varsity basketball team with friends from Challenger Sports, including Laura Lemire.
Challenger Sports As the girls’ varsity basketball season came to an end, the players had one more item on their agenda. Challenger Sports, an organization geared toward providing sporting opportunities to disabled athletes, would be playing basketball, volleyball, and other various games at the Allard Center in Goffs‑ town on Thursday, March 1. With the season over for our lady Cougars, this would be the perfect opportunity to play with these challenged individuals during their annual field trip. In fact, for the last seven years, it has been a tradition for the Cougars. Coach Lemire says, “I knew about the program because my daughter is a participant. Laura loves it, and the girls on the team get a lot of satisfaction out of going.” Once the girls get to the Allard Center, they can participate in any way they want. They may decide to play some hoops with the Challenger Sports participants. They may get into a vol‑ leyball game, or they may just mingle,
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spend some time with those who are busy at other games, or have some chat time with those who are just watching. Regardless of their manner of partici‑ pation, it’s something they enjoy and look forward to all year long. Alicia Edwards ’10 from this year’s team says, “They play every week. You can see how happy they are when we go there. It shows them that we care about them.” Coach Lemire insists that his team would like to get together with these young folks more often, but it is diffi‑ cult to find the time with everyone’s busy schedules. There have been occa‑ sions in the past when circumstances have provided a little extra time to make a second trip to the Allard Center on a Thursday evening. “They really need no direction. Derryfield students are exposed to this type of ‘giving back’ from their first days at the School. By the time they get to the Allard Center, they just take off and get right into it.”
For many years, The Derryfield School has been studying and discussing the idea of offering Chinese in both the upper and middle schools. Much time has been spent in research, conferences, and conversations with other schools. The Derryfield School Board of Trustees’ Education Task Force, formed from the strategic planning process, reviewed our world language program. It is highly supportive of introducing Chinese to the language curriculum, as is our new Head of School, Craig Sellers. The Derryfield School is committed to preparing students for the twenty‑ first century. As the global market place shifts to the east, so must we shift our curriculum to meet this change. Currently, China is the greatest economic power behind the United States. As history reveals, economic power usually precedes political power, and it is essential that Americans understand Chinese culture, patterns of thought, attitudes, and values. The ability to anticipate our rival/trading partner’s actions is vital to national security and economic success. The Chinese curriculum will include cultural study. The ability to read Chinese philosophy and literature will deepen students’ understanding of this ancient, highly sophisticated society. Study of this culture, which empha‑ sizes stability and consistency over time, will challenge students to think, as these concepts are very different from the American culture of “now.” In addition, the number of first‑ and
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
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second‑generation Asian students at competitive colleges that many Derryfield graduates attend has risen dramatically. Understanding the language and backgrounds of their fellow college students will be a benefit on its own merit. We are excited about this timely and important addition to our language curriculum. We look forward to attract‑ ing more students to the School who have their eye on international studies and future jobs overseas. The Derryfield School’s statement of philosophy
reflects a vision that our Founders had forty‑three years ago: “We respect diverse ideas, beliefs, and cultures and are committed to personal integrity and fairness. We value tradition as well as the willingness to institute thought‑ ful change. Recognizing that academic achievement without compassion and concern for others is meaningless, we are committed to purposeful involvement in the world outside our school in both the local and global communities.”
KEEPING UP-TO-DATE
classroom newsonline Want to know more about what’s happening in the classrooms at Derryfield every day? Check out the Classroom News page in the Academics section of www.derryfield.org. Here are the introductions of a sampling of stories from the winter term.
Derryfield Students Buddy-up with Manchester’s Immigrants Why did you decide to leave your coun‑ try? Did your family come with you? Is your name common in your country? Have you been able to find a job here? These are some of the questions on the minds of sixth graders at The Derryfield School who, for the fifth straight year, are participating in a program called the Cultural Café.
Seventh Graders Defy the Elements for Ecology “Start out on Little Bear Trail. Continue straight onto Bobcat Trail. Turn left at Broken Boulder Trail. We’ll meet you at Smith Pond for lunch.” No, these are not instructions for a Boy Scout or Girl Scout weekend outing. These trails can all be found on a map that was given to 11 groups of seventh graders for their annual winter ecology field study trip.
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Paul Keiner Shares ’60s Insight with Contemporary Classics Students During a recent visit to Bob Cole’s Contemporary Classics elective, middle school English teacher Paul Keiner shared his first‑hand experience with the Draft, Vietnam and the Sixties, offering students a historical perspective as well as personal insights into the divisive dilemma Americans faced during Vietnam.
AP Students Share their Spanish Children’s Books ¿Qué significa _____________? That is how students in Kate Erskine’s seventh grade Spanish class began their questions for three upper school Spanish students on January 24. Senior Liv Cowenhoven and Juniors Julia Maldonado and Lauren Satkwich, all students in Amy Tarallo’s AP Spanish class, have written children’s books in Spanish.
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Notes from India The phrase “Enter to Learn and Leave to Serve” on the cover of the American Embassy School catalog caught my attention during the job fair in Boston last year. Ever since spending a day at the International School Bangkok in 1994, I had dreamed of living and teaching in Asia. Beyond that day in Thailand and stories from a college friend who graduated from Singapore American School, I had little concept of the International School Experience. Now, after eight months of living and teaching in India, I still have days when I feel I really have not left Derryfield. The curriculum seems so familiar, from the same freshman biology book to the same Shakespeare plays and contemporary novels in English classes to similar debates in history classes. Recently an American Air Force band on an Asian tour played in the courtyard at lunchtime as students and faculty sat in the sun and enjoyed the music. As I watched I couldn’t help but put Derryfield faces on those who got up to dance or stood watching. I really thought that Mr. Speigel and Ms. Rutty‑Fey could have been out there dancing and that Mr. Bradley, Mr. Sanford, and Ms. Keefe‑Hancock were standing there
Juniors at the American Embassy School.
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in their lab coats swaying to the music. Derryfield remains a powerful part of my teaching experience and serves as my frame of reference as I try to adapt to the differences I am experiencing here. The differences arrive with the students, who come from all parts of the globe and bring with them varied experiences and backgrounds to the school. These kids are known as “third culture kids,” a term I am still grappling with as I come to understand them as learners. Third Culture Kids are those who have spent a significant amount of time living in one or more cultures other than their own, constantly integrating new cultures into their birth culture to create a third culture. On average they have lived in three to five countries by the time they are in high school. Globally aware and widely traveled, they are children of diplomats, international business people, and NGO directors. These are my students. They look and act just like Derryfield students; flip flops and colored Converse high tops are the foot ware of choice, and they spend hours connected to iPods, cell phones, Facebook, and YouTube.
Terri Moyer in Lodi Garden.
The academic program of choice for third culture kids is the International Baccalaureate or IB, an intensive junior‑ senior year curriculum that leads to an IB Diploma. Recognized by universities worldwide, the IB curriculum chal‑ lenges students to think critically, develop a strong sense of their own identity, and an ability to understand and communicate with people from other cultures. It also demands strong academic participation in the arts and service. At AES 60% of the senior class will graduate with an IB Diploma in addition to their AES diploma. Graduates go off to colleges and universities worldwide or take a gap year to volunteer with local NGOs, do intensive language study, or travel. Life for students and teachers is just as busy as it is at Derryfield with classes, sports, and clubs. We compete in the South Asia International School Association (SAISA) made up of nine schools from Indian, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. So far this year I have traveled to Chennai
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
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(formerly Madras) with the swim team and to Katmandu, Nepal, as a chaper‑ one for the girls’ basketball team. The math team leaves this weekend for a competition in Bombay, while next weekend track and field flies to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Model UN has traveled to Belgium and Beijing this year, Honor Band to Paris, and IB Theatre to London. It all sounds glamorous, but at its core it is still about teachers and students working together in class‑ rooms and on fields. – Terri Moyer
LeBlanc ’05 Starts NGO In January 2007 Emma LeBlanc ’05 and Tricia Hassenfeld founded the Besease Scholarship Project with a grant of $10,000. This project was founded with‑ in the organizational structure of the Pokuase‑based Women’s Trust, utiliz‑ ing its already‑established framework as a scholarship program. The Besease Scholarship Project provides students aged eleven to sixteen from rural vil‑ lages the opportunity to attend high‑ quality private schools in Cape Coast. The recipients of this scholarship
Emma LeBlanc ’05 with a student in Ghana.
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show not only academic excellence but also motivation toward specific future goals. These children come from the Besease Government‑funded school, characterized by overcrowded class‑ rooms, lack of books, absentee teach‑ ers, and constant beating. These stu‑ dents were selected based on the com‑ bined recommendations of their head‑ master, current teachers, and the per‑ sonal experiences of Emma as a teacher in that school in 2005. This initial grant provided scholar‑ ships for eleven students, including room and board, tuition, application costs, and school supplies from pencils to bath towels. The average cost per student is $600 per year until they complete high school, assuming that they continue the same degree of com‑ mitment. These students are now enrolled in Holy Cross International School, one of the best schools in Cape Coast. In this environment not only will teachers serve as educators but also as both supervisors, aiding in the acclamation of the students, and liaisons between students and project coordinators. The now firmly‑established adminis‑ trative structure creates an opportunity for growth. This growth provides incentives to current students at the Besease School. The achievements of these students are a source of pride for the village and inspiration for students at the Besease school, where hope is rare. The next step is the creation of a self‑perpetuating fund to provide moti‑ vated students from the Cape Coast area with educational opportunities.
Top on the Slopes Derryfield seventh grader Carla Nyquist is burning up the ski slopes. Having raced for both the middle and upper school alpine ski teams this year, this middle schooler is already competetive at the varsity level. Big wins for Derryfield included placing first in the middle school Giant Slalom race and finishing third in the high school Giant Slalom race the next day. Outside of school, Carla is very active with the Gunstock Ski Club, a member of the NHARA (New Hamp‑ shire Alpine Racing Association). Skiing for NHARA puts Carla on the path to qualify for elite‑level racing in the future. She has won five NHARA races this season, beginning with the Central Division Giant Slalom Qualifier in January. Carla took the Central Division Mini‑Gate Giant Slalom Qualifier on February 18 and a week later walked away with the winner’s trophy for the Gus Pitou Memorial Giant Slalom race. March was equally productive for Carla with wins at the State Giant Slalom Championship at Gunstock and the Sunapee Tee‑Shirt Race Dual Giant Slalom. And just the day before, she placed second in the State Slalom Championship, ranking her second in the State. When she is not winning, Carla is placing among the top skiers in the entire East. She was one of only three New Hampshire girls who qualified to compete in the “Whistler Shootout” at the Eastern Championship in March. Carla is certainly on her way to great accomplishments.
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athletics
Cougar
ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE The New Hampshire Commission on the
Winter wrap-up
Status of Women recognized five Derryfield seniors for achieving
Girls’ Varsity Basketball
Varsity Nordic Skiing
academic and athletic excellence at
Season Record: 13-9 Annie Jenney ’07, Co-Captain, Senior All-Star, All-State (honorable mention), All-Academic, Class of 1970 Award Danielle Potter ’08, All-Academic Grace Romanowsky ’07, All-Academic Kelly Schwarz ’08, All-State (2nd team), All-Conference, All-Academic
Kye Birchard ’08, Class of 1970 Award Allison Fink ’08, Class of 1970 Award
the 19th Annual New Hampshire High School Women’s Athletic/Academic Award Program. n Lauren Baker n Natalie Coviello n Paige Houlihan
Boys’ Varsity Basketball
n Kirsten Laaspere
Season Record: 10-9 Carl Crafts’07, All-State (honorable mention), All-Conference, All-Academic Clint Davis’07, All-Conference, All-Academic Kyle Keyes ’07, Co-Captain, All-Academic, Class of 1970 Award Duke Logan ’07, All-Academic Akash Vadalia ’08, All-Academic
n Alice Townsend
The New Hampshire Athletic Director's Association recognized four senior boys for their academic and athletic excellence. n Carl Crafts n Patrick Khayat n Parker Mitchell n Ralph Wunderl
The requirements for both programs state that students must have maintained a B+ average, lettered in two varsity sports, and been involved in leadership or service. OUR WINNINGEST BASKETBALL COACH Congratulations to Ed Lemire for surpassing Dennis Holland’s record of 315 wins as a Derryfield basketball
Varsity Alpine Skiing Recipient of NHIAA Division IV Alpine Skiing Sportsmanship Award Women’s Team: 6th at NH Championships Men’s Team: 5th at NH Championships Michael Kane ’07, 6th (slalom) at NH Championships, New England Championships qualifier, Class of 1970 Award
Swimming Women’s Season Record: 4-13; 10th at NH Championships Men’s Season Record: 5-12; 22nd at NH Championships Leah Burke ’09, 2nd at State Championships, 4th at New England Championships Whitney Powers ’07, Captain, 4th at New England Championships, First in the Pool Award
coach. The varsity girls’ win over Wilton on Friday, January 26, 2007, gave Mr.
Hockey
Lemire his 316th career win, and he
Ryan Clauson ’09, Hockey Award for Heroic Dedication Katherine DiPastina ’09, Hockey Award for Heroic Dedication
ended the season with 321 wins.
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OPPOSITE (clockwise from top left): Curtis Lamp ’09 takes a rush at the goal. n Carla Nyquist ’12 in a race at Pat’s Peak. n Paige Houlihan ’07 pushes off the start at the Manchester Invitational. n Michale Kane ’07 tucks in as he crosses the finish line. n Carl Crafts ’07 stretches for the net. n Annie Jenney ’07 drives to the basket. ABOVE: Matthew Porat ’10 takes a hill at a nordic meet in Bedford. TOP: Leah Burke ’09 swims the butterfly in a swim meet.
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
C O U G A R AT H L E T I C S
www.derryfield.org
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spotlight Summerbridge
A BREAKTHROUGH
HAVE AN EXTRA ROOM? NEED A HOUSESITTER? HOST A TEACHER FOR SUMMERBRIDGE! We are seeking families who would be willing to host ten responsible and remarkable college students who will teach at Summerbridge this summer. Over the past sixteen years, homestays have provided wonderful ways for out-of-town teachers to feel at home in our community while giving area families a unique and important way to support Summerbridge Manchester. Please consider hosting a young college student this summer. Contact Kate Erskine at 603.641.9426 or email kerskine@derryfield.org . Our summer session for faculty runs from June 22 to August 16, 2007.
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Atlantic Philanthropies Awards $2.5 million to Breakthrough Collaborative Summerbridge Manchester’s national part‑ ner, Breakthrough Collaborative, received a $2.5 million capacity‑building grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies in January. The grant will support Breakthrough’s growth, fundraising, and evaluation efforts and will help the organization serve 5,000 more middle school students each year and inspire many more young teachers to pur‑ sue careers in education. “This grant will help Breakthrough fur‑ ther our mission to help close the academic achievement gap and ensure that our students make a successful transition into college‑track high schools,” reports Laura Pochop, Executive Director, Breakthrough Collaborative. “Breakthrough will initiate a comprehensive strategic planning process focused on significantly increasing the number of students served and fortifying the organiza‑ tion at the national and local levels.” The grant will enable Breakthrough to launch a strategic growth planning process; build a site support team to coordinate regional fundraising for its 28 local sites throughout the United States; support local
PROGRAM
sites in restructuring for optimal long‑term fund raising, and develop and deploy a national database to uniformly track data including site‑level performance, student achievement, and staff development. The Atlantic Philanthropies are dedicat‑ ed to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable peo‑ ple. Programs funded by Atlantic operate in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States, and Vietnam.
Reexamining School After School For most middle schoolers, the thought of getting on a bus to go to school as soon as the final bell rings for the day would seem odd. But once a week, Summerbridge stu‑ dents who do just this are rewarded with an engaging curriculum that includes learning about architecture at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Zimmerman House or speaking with an inventor from DEKA, the creators of the Segway and the iBOT wheelchair. Through a series of innovative new units, sixth and seventh graders practice math and writing skills while designing their own homes and creating a mechanical contraption called a Rube Goldberg. This aptly named program, School After School (SAS), has gone through numerous iterations to arrive at the point where it
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
SUMMERBRIDGE SPOTLIGHT
offers students focused skill‑building through creative experiential learning. Originally a tutoring program for stu‑ dents, SAS shifted its focus over time to provide academic enrichment that focused on key skills like writing, read‑ ing, and mathematics. In this model, SAS tutors became teachers, and stu‑ dents found themselves in English and math courses designed to develop the skills they could use in their middle school classes. Student and teacher feedback from this past year inspired the shift to a new interdisciplinary approach to skill building at SAS. Summerbridge prides itself on its ability to make effective changes to the program based on stu‑ dent and teacher input. Students want‑ ed to spend their time after school focusing on topics that were new to them and teachers desired a curricu‑ lum that stretched their limits of inno‑ vation and creativity. Initial feedback has been positive as students and teachers breathe life into this newest piece of the Summerbridge experience. If you would like to see the new School After School in action, please contact us at 603.641.9426. We love having visitors!
A Commitment to Today’s Students and Tomorrow’s Teachers Each year we appeal to the community to help Summerbridge Manchester continue its mission of equipping youth with the skills to succeed in aca‑ demics and leadership. The program relies on individual gifts for approxi‑
http://summerbridge.derryfield.org
mately 20% of the annual fund, allow‑ ing Summerbridge to offer its services to students tuition‑free. While we do not solicit the entire Derryfield com‑ munity, many families choose to partic‑ ipate in the separate, yet complemen‑ tary, mission of Summerbridge Manchester. Our appeal offers donors the opportunity to give to the Summer‑ bridge Annual Fund (separate from Derryfield’s), the Summerbridge Manchester Endowment, the Elkin Teaching Fellowship, and/or the Joel Vargas Achievement Fund. The pro‑ gram also welcomes any in‑kind gifts that could support an academic pro‑ gram (school supplies, art supplies, film, etc.). Please contact Kate Erskine at 603.641.9426 or email kerskine@ derryfield.org if you would like more information about giving to Summer‑ bridge Manchester. Gifts may be made online at http://summerbridge. derryfield.org.
ABOVE: Rose King ’09 guides Amanda Judd through the story writing process at Summerbridge Saturday. OPPOSITE: An engineer from DEKA Research shows students how the iBOT mobility device handles stairs.
August 16, playing a vital role in preparing and supporting our young teachers and, thereby, ensuring our students’ success. To request a job description or for more information, please contact Trevor Munhall at 603. 641.9426 or tmunhall@derryfield.org, or visit the Summerbridge website.
SUMMERBRIDGE
Summer Job Opportunities for Professional Teachers
donor spotlight
Summerbridge is looking to hire five “Mentor Teachers” with expertise in working with the adolescent learner and in one of five subject areas (English, math, foreign language, social studies, or science). Applicants should be dynamic educators who are passionate about working with young people, will bring energy and creativity to our community, and love learning. Mentor Teachers work full‑time (with some flexibility) throughout the eight‑week summer session from June 22 through
Summerbridge Manchester recently received a $10,000 grant from the Bank of America Foundation to support sum‑ mer student tuitions, faculty training, and summer program T‑shirts for stu‑ dents and teachers. Since 1994, Bank of America has been an important partner with Summerbridge in providing oppor‑ tunity for high‑potential Manchester students on the path to college.
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teaching
The art of
What Great Teachers Strive for in the Classroom
A BUSY SEMESTER...
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by Annie Branch
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A BUSY SEMESTER... lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliConsequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla
A BUSY SEMESTER... lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna
C AT E G O R Y
hat makes a Derryfield education worth its price tag? The frequently touted small class sizes and individualized attention mean nothing if a school doesn’t have great teachers. The best teachers realize that they are students themselves – always learning from their experiences in the classroom, changing and improving their teaching style over time to give their students the best academic experience. And it isn’t always the tangibles of peer review and professional development – though these are critical ingredients – that make a teacher great. It is finding a way to convey passion for a subject matter to a classroom of fifteen different personalities several times a day. We asked some of Derryfield’s teachers what they strive for to make their teaching great. It is a difficult thing to pin down, but these teachers are clearly on the right path. – Annie Branch
W
Brent Powell Beyond human connection, perhaps nothing is more satisfying than the life of the mind. To understand this obser‑ vation, one need only watch a toddler use all five senses to explore their world, or hear a high school student explain that a particular class is their favorite because, “it makes me think,” or see an adult rediscover their love of history when they finally have time to read. The best teaching is transformative, moving students to some new place, perhaps in skills, outlook, reasoning, or questioning. As teachers, we con‑ stantly wonder how to help students understand themselves and their envi‑ ronment more clearly, and how to help them acquire the skills, curiosity, deter‑ mination, and moral framework to contribute meaningfully to their local and extended communities. High expectations, clear communication, a
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commitment to excellence, and innovative ways of imparting skills and knowledge are tools to this trans‑ formation, while the belief that nothing is learned until it is used, centers education on experience. Ken Bain, a professor of education, says that when knowledge is understood as construct‑ ed and not received, teaching becomes a process in which students are allowed, “to try their own thinking, come up short, receive feedback, and try again.” When students stumble, we support them, showing love and com‑ passion for their struggle, while com‑ bating their tendency to find self‑worth exclusively in academic achievement. By caring for our students both inside and outside the classroom, and by finding ways to celebrate a variety of strengths, powerful change can result. In Letters to a Teacher Sam Pickering wrote, “when [we] enable children to grow beyond us and shape thoughts
different from our own, we have done well.” How true. And by doing so, we have developed not only our students’ minds, but ours also.
Kate Starns Inspiring interest and creating curiosity, great teaching is hard to find full‑ fledged. Sure, almost every teacher has glimmers of great teaching. And the truly dedicated teachers have more glimmers of great teaching than most. My goal as a teacher is to continually grow my glimmers of great teaching. I know it will be a lifelong goal, too. There is always room to become greater. So how do I cultivate my glimmers of great teaching? I try to inspire inter‑ est in my students by making my classes fun. The more students enjoy a class, the more interested they will be in the material. My hope is to pique the interests of those students who
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T H E A R T O F T E AC H I N G
never thought they liked English and challenge those who already do like English. I strive to have my students see the material from a new perspec‑ tive, helping them learn that English, reading and writing, can be interesting, fun, and satisfactorily challenging. I dream that every student of mine will become a lifelong reader and a better writer. As I teach, I listen to my students and view their work. I reflect on our progress together. What works well, I try to improve and hone. What doesn’t work well, I scrutinize and question. As I teach, I try to vary the units a bit, testing out new ideas. The life of a teacher is never dull. Searching for, col‑ lecting, and growing my glimmers of great teaching is an energizing task. The more I teach, the more my idea of great teaching changes. I see my own results with different groups of kids. I read and hear about new research and techniques. I discuss ideas with colleagues. And my own interests continue to grow. I have truly benefited from the collegial environ‑
Jan Steele exammines a student’s work.
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ment of Derryfield and the amazing professional development opportuni‑ ties it has given me. I look forward to continuing to cultivate and increase my own glimmers of great teaching.
Jack Sanford My experience in the front of the class‑ room continues to be a journey of trial and error; what worked to engage one class and understand a topic may not work for another. No amount of books on teaching or professional develop‑ ment sessions can completely replace the time we spend digging deeper for the right thing to say or do for a partic‑ ular student. Experience is the teacher. In the sciences, there are tools available to meet these challenges, and they come in the form of hands‑on activities. We are constantly developing ways to illustrate the concepts: preferably through programs that require stu‑ dents to participate. Participation in the steps of science is the key to teaching this discipline, and there is considerable opportunity to experience science by doing it rather than just hearing about it. Seeing is believing. Laboratory settings provide the chance to see what scientists are talking about. Technology has transformed what can be done in the biology classroom. We continue to build from the comput‑ er‑based laboratory (CBL) stations by incorporating new devices and probes to measure phenomena. These experi‑ ments afford students the ability to work together using technology that in many cases can be coupled with their
computers. They own the data and can work with it during blocks of time they choose. No amount of technology can replace good teaching, but it can’t hurt if done well. Although we will never temporally bridge the gap between research discoveries and class room experiments, the experience gained by doing similar experiments with equip‑ ment identical to what is used in research fields is significant in building the awe and curiosity in science.
“Hearing about something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once. " – Chinese proverb Teachers do not strictly teach a disci‑ pline, rather setting standards and goals with the right amount of coach‑ ing and criticism could be considered our primary charge. We can’t help but be models that supplement what is observed at home and elsewhere. So, although students might not remember much about history or biology, the threads of how they work to achieve success in their lives may have been woven in the classroom.
Kate Erskine During my first year as a full‑time educator, I taught K‑6 science in a small, private school in Quito, Ecuador. I had just finished a wonderful, but mostly administrative, year with AmeriCorps, and I couldn’t wait to be in a classroom with my own students. I expected chal‑ lenges, but I also hoped that my princi‑
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
T H E A R T O F T E AC H I N G
meaning. I constantly reevaluate what I do in my own classroom but, more importantly, I am proud to be part of a program that gives young teachers the support and guidance they need to be strong, reflective, caring educators for middle school students in our community.
Paul Keiner Kate Starns helps a student working on a laptop.
pal would give me lots of honest, constructive feedback about my meth‑ ods, lesson planning and curriculum choices. To my surprise, as a brand‑ new teacher, I had only one informal observation all year, and my lesson plans that I turned in every Wednesday had nothing more than a “check” when returned to me the next day. My students were wonderful, but I knew that they were not necessarily getting what they deserved in their science class, because I had little by which to gauge my own skills and progress as a teacher. I spent two more years in Quito at a different school that, sadly, also gave me very little feedback on my teaching. Then I heard about a position opening at Summerbridge Manchester. Beyond the important mission of helping younger students on the college path, I finally found a school that intentionally gives young teachers honest, construc‑ tive feedback about their teaching – right in my own hometown! While I still get to teach in a Spanish classroom at Derryfield, my perspective on great teaching has taken on a whole new
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Great teaching is created by the con‑ fluence of three factors: knowledge of subject matter, passion, and what I call the “X” ingredient. The first factor, knowledge of subject matter, would seem obvious at first glance, but don’t be deceived. There are plenty of fabu‑ lous writers who can’t help the bright‑ est student better express herself on paper. No, knowledge of subject matter simply means that the teacher has more tools, more options to help the students to learn. In the classroom the teacher’s knowledge does not endow him/her with any credibility or status. It simply gives him/her the materials to begin to teach. Great teachers all show their passion in their own unique ways. Think of several of the many great teachers in this school: Holland, Berk, Anthony, Mathes. All are considered challenging teachers; all have their distinct styles. Yet the majority of our students take up their challenges and thrive in their classes because these teachers clearly communicate their passion for both their subjects and their students. The “X” ingredient is the hardest to pin down and quantify. Great teachers convey to their students that they are
for the students above all else, that even though their work is challenging, the great teacher is going to do every‑ thing he/she can to help the students succeed. I remember David Grosso ’78, a very successful army colonel, in his Alumni Award acceptance remarks telling of how now retired Derryfield teacher, David Haight, went to his house a day or two before graduation to help David Grosso prepare for a make‑up assignment on which he had to succeed in order to graduate. David Haight had the “X” factor. And the students always know.
Jan Steele All the great teachers I have known and admired not only loved their discipline, but also were able to com‑ municate that love to others. They were enthusiastic about their subject and were able to bring out the best in their students, instinctively knowing how to capture their interest and inspire them to do well. Such teachers also make their own mastry of the subject seem so appealing that their students want to emulate them. They make a profound difference in their students’ lives – both in school and beyond. But the real test of great teachers is whether any of that passion lasts. The most gratifying compliment a teacher can hear is that years later a student still cares about the subject the teacher taught in some of the ways the teacher did.
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alumni
Update on Kaelan Sanneh, son of Michelle Callahan Sanneh ’89, is ready to play ball.
Births To John Van Hooser ’85 and his wife, Tracey, a daughter, Katherine Szr-Mei, on July 2, 2006.
The news contained in this section covers the period of December 1, 2006 – April 5, 2007. For more recent news, or to post a note, please log into the Derryfield Portal at www.derryfield.org.
To Paul Kfoury ’88 and his wife, Lori, a daughter, Lily, on December 20, 2006. To Robin Metcalf Hoyt ’91 and her husband, Greg, a daughter, Campbell Grace, on May 9, 2006. To Andrew Young ’97 and his wife, Robin, a daughter, Anna Florence, on August 6, 2006. To faculty member Carson Smith and his wife, Amy, a daughter, Kathryn Applegate, on April 18, 2007.
Marriages Darin Maier ’87 to Brooke Vance on November 18, 2006. Hilari Bellerive ’98 to Tim Sidore ’98 on March 9, 2007, in Phoenix, AZ.
1970 Bennett Freeman writes, “On Friday February 9, a group of fifteen alums and partners from 1970 and 1971 gathered at the Backroom for dinner and catching up. Though most of us are living in New Hampshire, we covered Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and Virginia. We hope to get together again in April. See you there?”
1982 James McLean recently received tenure at State University of New York at Geneseo, where he teaches Physics. His family, Sarah, Alex (3), and Charlotte (7), enjoy liv‑ ing in the small upstate town of Geneseo, NY.
1984 Christopher Sweeney was promoted to Director of Software Development at Dartware, LLC, creators of InterMapper network mapping and monitoring soft‑ ware. His daughter Fiona started kinder‑ garten in the fall at Crossroads Academy, an independent school in Lyme, NH, com‑ mitted to academic (core knowledge) and moral (core virtues) excellence.
Attendees at the Philadelphia Alumni Gathering on January 29 at the Moshulu (L to R): Ben Kaplan ’01, Jennifer Melkonian, Lori Evans ’00, Elizabeth Richie ’03, Matt Galvin ’85, Holly Katz ’01, Katie Maglathlin ’03, Mike Moran ’04, and Tom Flahive ’03. Go to the Alumni Events section of www.derryfield.org for a full writeup of the event.
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Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
U P DAT E O N A L U M N I
1985
1989
John Van Hooser writes, “Tracey and I had our third child and first daughter in July. Katherine Szr‑Mei was born on July 2. Mom, dad, and her two broth‑ ers are all thrilled. We also finally made the break from the city and moved to Tiburon at the end of July.”
“Step into the incredible world of Sarah Silverman as she goes about her life, which on any given day, can include taking in a homeless man, exploring her sexuality or encouraging a young girl to enter a pageant in order to fulfill her own childhood dreams. Sarah plays a character named Sarah Silverman whose absurd daily life is told through an array of scripted scenes and song. In each episode, Sarah manages to fall into unique, sometimes unsettling and always hilar‑ ious predicaments, with her sister (played by real‑life sister Laura Silverman), her geeky gay neighbors, Brian and Steve (Brian Posehn and Steve Agee) and Officer Jay (Jay Johnston) never far from her side.”
1986 Heather Koerber writes, “I recently reconnected with Fay Pattee Matteucci, who now lives in Winchester, MA, with husband, Mark, and two daughters, Mia (4) and Ella (2). Fay left our class after ninth grade.”
1987 Darin Maier writes, “On November 18, 2006, I got married to a wonderful Mississippi girl by the name of Brooke Vance. Currently, we are in the process of taking over the mortgage on her house in Ridgeland, MS.”
1988 Paul Kfoury and his wife, Lori, had a baby girl, Lily, on December 20, 2006. Lily joins her stepsister, Kennedy (8), and stepbrother, Tim (9).
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1990 Ian Czaja is completing an MBA degree at University of North Carolina. He and his wife, Katya, along with their two sons, Ben and Nik, will be moving to Atlanta, GA, where Ian will begin a new job with Boston Consulting Group.
Ben Kaplan ’01 and Holly Katz ’01 at the Philadelphia Alumni Gathering.
Caitlin (8) and Caroline (5) were thrilled to have a baby sister.” n Christopher Perry reports that he and his family are preparing to open their second Cold Stone Creamery location in New Hampshire. The new location will be on South Willow Street in Manchester and is scheduled to open on May 5, 2007.
1992 Sarah Stone writes, “I am working as a hospitalist – a doctor for acute care, hospitalized patients. I love my job. I get to take care of patients, do obscure research, and ocean kayak in my spare
1991 Robin Metcalf Hoyt writes, “My hus‑ band, Greg, and I welcomed our third child, another girl, Campbell Grace, to our family on May 9, 2006. Big sisters
Ditty Steele Bannon ’99, Wes Stearns ’96, and Jed VanSciver ’96 at the Denver Alumni Gathering.
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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I
Gender Unit. A bit more challenging and interesting than my last job, as we are working to change the way women are treated in post conflict situations. I am enjoying traveling all around. Hope that everyone is happy and well!”
1996 Morgan Melkonian ’00 with Anja Wallace ’00 and her date Andrew Solod at the Denver Alumni Gathering.
time!” n After graduating from Columbia University, Rachel Scott earned her MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. She then spent many years working as an actor, director, and writer in New York City and recently moved to Vancouver, British Columbia.
1993 Tara Felicella’s mother tells us that Tara is an elementary school teacher, which is her true calling. She taught kindergarten in Plano, TX, last year but has moved up to third grade this year. She hopes to move to Austin, TX, for next academic year.
UPDATE ON ALUMNI
we want your
news!
Want to know what’s happening with all your former classmates? Don’t feel like waiting for the next issue of Derryfield Today? Log into the online alumni community to post your class note and read new notes that have been posted. Just go to www.derryfield.org and click ‘Login.’ Notes for your class will show up on your portal. If you need your password, email Diane Allen at diane.allen@derryfield.org.
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1994 Ben Russell received his MLS and IT from Simmons College in May 2006 and is the librarian at the high school in Belmont, NH.
1995 Vanessa Gorczyca writes, “Still living in the Geneva, Switzerland, area and working with the United Nations. I have recently started with the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights with the Women’s Rights and
Sarah Lievens’ parents have reported that in 2006 Sarah received her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California at Davis where she is cur‑ rently teaching chemistry. n Erica Felicella’s mom tells us that Erica is a professional photographer and painter and loves what she is doing. She has been written up in the Dallas, TX, newspapers a few times and has had worldwide publications use her pho‑ tographs for stories. In addition, a local gallery has displayed her art and pho‑ tography work, where six of her eleven items were sold on the first night. Erica has purchased a home which was built in 1927 and has all the charm and problems of a house that old.
1997 Edward Bender writes, “I live in New York City now and am managing a crazy ad campaign for Microsoft’s new media player, the Zune, as well as an event series for New York Magazine. It’s a ton of fun! I actually see Kelly Steele a lot (we have matching spaniels!) and over Thanksving my dad had a lil’ din‑
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
U P DAT E O N A L U M N I
ner with none other than the lives of Brian Guercio, Katy and Jed Cahill, and Kelly.” n Andrew Young writes, “My wife Robin and I are thrilled to let everyone know that on August 6 of last year we became parents. Our daughter, Anna Florence Young, is over seven months old now. Fatherhood has com‑ pletely changed my outlook on life, and I wouldn’t go back for a second. I love being a dad.” n The Neighborhood News reports, “Dylan Cruess of Bedford was recently appointed as a Manchester water commissioner. The Water Commission is a voluntary board that oversees the policies and operation of the Manchester Water Works, which serves the City of Manchester and parts of Auburn, Bedford, Derry, Goffstown, Hooksett, and Londonderry. Cruess is a senior vice president and chief financial offi‑ cer of TFMoran Inc. in Bedford, a regionally recognized survey, engineer‑ ing, land planning, and landscape architectural firm with more than 35 years of continuous service to private and public clients.”
Derryfield alumni: best man Nate Wicklow, Gerard Murphy, Peter White, Jamie Sidore ’94, and Mikey Spector ’93. Though I begged and pleaded, Hilari did not allow me to organize a wedding wallball game. All is well; we have a beautiful home in Gold Canyon, AZ, with lots of dogs and cats! Hilari works as a school nurse, and I am still working in the real estate business. Hope everyone is well. See some of you at Peter’s wed‑ ding in June!”
1999 Sarah Fogal writes, “Hi Everyone, I hope you are all well and happy! Things are going well for me out here in sunny Pasadena. I seem to be on track to get my Ph.D. in applied math‑ ematics (big suprise, I know) in the spring of 2008. Cross your fingers for me, I need all the help I can get! Also,
Mel Hebert ’02 performing at the Winter Break assembly.
as of last month, I’m engaged! Luke and I are planning a small November wedding back in good old Nashua, NH. Should you feel an overwhelming urge to visit the Rose Bowl or whatev‑ er brings you to the area, feel free to drop me a line at fogal@caltech.edu. Take care!” continued on page 24...
1998 Tim Sidore writes, “I am excited to announce that on March 9, Hilari Bellerive and I were married in Phoenix, AZ. Hilari and I tied the knot in a sunset ceremony at the Phoenix Zoo, on the edge of a lake. We returned from our honeymoon cruise through the south Carribean on March 19. In attendance at our wedding were
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Elizabeth Richie ’03, Katie Maglathlin ’03, Tom Flahive ’03, and Mike Moran ’03 at the Philadelphia Alumni Gathering.
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LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD
Hungary by Patrick Rutty ’84
Patrick Rutty ’84 has been employed by Aspect Energy in Denver, CO, for the past two‑and‑a‑half years. As a geophysicist, he has made two trips to Hungary so far. The purpose of the trips were essentially oil and gas exploration, acquiring seismic data, meeting with state oil company personnel, conducting technical reviews with various other companies, collecting data from state oil company files, and other miscellaneous duties. What follows is an excerpt from a piece he wrote about his experience in Hungary. reek of cigarette smoke. I realize this is Europe, and I have spent several hours already in bars – not known for their smoke‑free environments – but this smoke reek has a special closeness about it, a clinging quality that is notable. The air in Budapest hangs thickly, visible, almost impenetrable. The sun goes down at 4:00 p.m. this December afternoon, darkness hastened by the already heavy air, pitching the city abruptly into night. The orange‑yellow
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streetlights each shine down a cone of swirling fuzzy brightness, like a flash‑ light beam cutting through a campfire. What am I breathing? Over the weekend I head west through flat farmland and then along the south shore of the massive Lake Baláton, which must be 100 kilometers long but about ten feet deep through‑ out. The countryside consists of low rolling hills and fields of winter wheat, dead standing corn and hunting towers. After three hours I arrive in Öríszent‑ péter, a two‑bit town boasting a lovely tall church and the temporary head‑ quarters of GES. GES is the company that has been contracted to acquire our seismic data in the area. Their office, in a seriously defunct tourist hotel, is unassuming to the point of being downright shabby. Immediately inside the loosely attached front door, a nauseating odor assaults the nostrils. There must be a dead animal rotting somewhere in the walls. (Perhaps this is why the tourists all left...) The floor is a mess, the plaster is falling apart,
and the windows barely function. Upstairs, in cold rooms only slightly removed from the odiferous stairwell, banks of computers hum and blink while a wireless network provides high‑speed internet access for the GES personnel who are throwing high‑tech French software at our newly‑acquired geophysical data. Incongruity. Zsolt, the Hungarian oil company rep, takes me on a tour of the current operations. I try to pay attention but am very tired and, frankly, more interested in the stunning stork nests and fantastic churches in the villages. Late in the afternoon, after I insist on walking a few kilometers through the woods in an effort to QC the work and stay awake at the same time, we stop in the small village of Kondorfa to investigate a panzío (small hotel) that may be needed for a later phase of the project. I note a tapestry on the wall that shows a much bigger Hungary than the current‑day outline. This launches Zsolt, who is the kind of understated guy you feel like checking for a pulse half the time, into a histori‑ cal diatribe that basically runs like this: “Hungary. The perfect country. Coastline and a port, rich and fertile farmland, and mountains perfect for recreation and mining and use as natural barriers. But no more! Two wars and 40 years of Communist occupation later, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, and Romania have all appropriated pieces of the former imperial giant.” Another decoration on the panzío wall clearly shows the lost territory and declares
Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
above a fractured map, “Europe: Hungary’s debtor!” The Hungarians have a tendency to cling to their past. As if further proof of this were needed, Zsolt relates an old story of victorious Austrians celebrating a military victory by executing thirteen Hungarian gen‑ erals, one by one, toasting each death with steins of beer. To this day, Hungarians will not raise their beer glasses in a toast. Finally back in Budapest, I meet Gabi. The woman is amazing. I spend seven uninterrupted hours with her at the offices of the Hungarian state oil giant, where she is hand‑translating well reports from Hungarian to English – pages and pages of them. She greets me with a wry smile. I ask exuberantly, “How are you?” to which the reply is a grumbling, “Well, at least I woke up this morning.” Gabi, at 67, is entitled to her share of good‑natured complaints. Gabi was about five years old when the Germans made a stand against the Red Army among the hills of Buda, positioned on the Danube river’s west bank. Gabi’s family, from a long line of Serbian Hungarians, had a home and business in Buda at the edge of the Palace district, where the Germans had centered their defensive efforts, and a house in Siofók on Lake Baláton. Gabi’s father had prudently sent his wife and four young children to Siofók and remained behind in Buda to run his business during the siege. One rainy day, while Gabi was riding her creaky tricycle in manic circles around the table at the Siofók house, her mother
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received a call from a friend who informed her that the Russians would be coming across the Danube within hours. A deal was quickly struck with a friend who had a trucking business, and that very day, mother and kids were on their way back to Budapest in the back of a truck. Gabi and her family lived in the basement of their apartment building for nine weeks, along with all the other tenants. Being so close to the main German fortifications, their neighbor‑ hood was regularly bombed with some of the first military missiles ever used. Down in the cellar, the Horvath family heard every impact and felt the walls of their building shudder. At Christmas, Gabi’s mother somehow assembled the fixings for Christmas dinner. The fami‑ ly gathered in their flat, dressed in winter coats, as most of the windows had long since been shattered. A bomb fell across the street, rocking the neigh‑ borhood. The Horvath Christmas din‑ ner was immediately adjourned and a hasty retreat was made to the base‑ ment. At one point a bomb hit a sewer line, and raw sewage started to fill the basement. Gabi remembers the sewage slowly rising up her legs. The family’s choice was stark: die from drowning in sewage or from gunfire in the streets. The sewage stopped at about mid‑calf. No choice needed to be made. Communism seeped into every aspect of life during the Soviets’ rule. One year Gabi was the top student at her school, which traditionally awarded a prize for this academic accomplish‑ ment. Gabi was passed over as her
ABOVE: Szabadság Szobor (Liberty Statue) on Gellert Hill. OPPOSITE: A statue near the Parliament Building.
parents were not members of the Communist Party. The second‑ and third‑place students were also passed over until, finally, the fourth‑place student, whose parents were loyal Party members, was awarded the prize. “I knew at that moment that I would have to fight for everything I ever got,” says Gabi. Our exploration manager, John, once expressed embarrassment that his [and my] kids will never know the hard‑ ships and trials that people like the Hungarians have – that they are irrevocably spoiled. Gabi was adamant: “That is the way it is supposed be. No child should have to experience what we did.” A big heart lurks beneath this grumpy exterior.
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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I
2001
2003
Seth Pitman reported to Laurel Devino that he is in a pretty successful band in Boston called Wild Light. The band is currently working on a CD and is plan‑ ning to go to Los Angeles in the near future in hopes of laying the ground work for a music video.
David Vincent’s mom tells us that after he graduated from Phillips Exeter, David completed his program at MIT in 3‑1/2 years. He spent most of his college years working on his music, which gravitated from piano to voice. He wrote most of the arrangements for his a capella group, which just com‑ pleted a CD. The CD was rated one of the best recently done by any college a capella group in the country. David is moving to New York City where he will work on Wall Street.
2002 2000
Peter Russell is a 2006 graduate of Castleton State College in Vermont where he majored in forensic psycholo‑ gy. He works at Electronics Boutique in Derry where he just became Assistant Manager.
David Lieven’s parents have reported that in 2006 David received a master’s in English from Columbia and has just begun working as an assistant editor for Pearson Educational in Manhattan. n Insley Barr writes, “I have moved back to New Hampshire temporarily to complete my Medical Assistant degree while waiting for Chris to go to kinder‑ garten. He turned four on February 7. I also received my CPT certification from the National Phlebotomy Association on February 9, 2007! I am going to continue with my RN once Chris is in kindergarten. Best of luck to you all at Derryfield! I miss you.” n Anja Wallace was at the Denver alumni gathering on March 3. She is currently living in Edwards, CO, and working as a marketing research manager for Vail Resorts, Inc.
Attendees at the Denver Alumni Gathering on March 3 at Braun’s Bar & Grill (L to R): Matt Melkonian ’96 and his girlfriend, Paula, Morgan Melkonian ’00, Jed VanSciver ’96, Anja’s date Andrew Solod, Ditty Steele Bannon ’99, Jennifer Melkonian, Wes Stearns ’96, and Anja Wallace ’00. Go to the Alumni Events section of www.derryfield.org for a full writeup of the event.
Jenna Bee ’05 performing at the Winter Break Assembly. ...continued from page 21
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Derryfield Today – Winter 2007
F R O M S T U D E N T T E AC H E R S T O T E AC H I N G S T U D E N T S
profile
Faculty
Summerbridge Teachers at Derryfield: Carrie Foster ’00, Trevor Munhall & Irfan Rizvi hen Irfan Rizvi, middle school justice and civics teacher, was a college stu‑ dent at Trinity, he was looking for something different to do with his summer. One of his brother’s friends told him about a great program he had worked for at The Derryfield School – Summerbridge Manchester. He advised Irfan to check it out, and check it out he did. For two summers, he taught bright and talented middle schoolers from families with limited means, and he loved it. Little did he know that years later he would be applying for a teaching job at The Derryfield School, the home of Summerbridge Manchester. Irfan says that recalling his time with Summerbridge led him to apply for the history department position when he saw it advertised, and he insists that his experience with the program played a role in his being chosen for the job. When upper school history teacher Carrie Foster ’00 was a student at The Derryfield School, teaching was not even on her radar screen. But, after her first year at college, she began to con‑ sider it as a career choice. Wanting to take a stab at it without making a major commitment, she decided to
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teach a summer at Summerbridge Manchester. She loved it so much that she took on a second year and insists that today her Summerbridge connec‑ tions are as strong as her Derryfield connections. In fact, there are a number of Summerbridge students that she keeps in touch with regularly. Carrie’s Summerbridge experience definitely played an important role in her deci‑ sion to go ahead with a teaching career, and we are all the better off for it. Smiling as she remembers those days, Carrie says, “Summerbridge was a comforting and encouraging place in which to take risks – as a teacher and as a mentor.” Trevor Munhall, Assistant Director of Summerbridge Manchester, was transferring to UNH at the end of his college sophomore year. Already knowing that he wanted to teach, he learned of a summer opportunity at Summerbridge Manchester and applied for the job – dreadfully late. Fortunately for both Trevor and Summerbridge Manchester, he got the job anyway and has worked for Summerbridge – somewhere – every summer since. After graduation, Trevor moved to Minneapolis to take a Summerbridge Assistant Director posi‑
Trevor Munhall, Carrie Foster ’00, and Irfan Rizvi.
tion. But after a short time, he realized that his roots were in New England. When he found an opening back in Manchester, he couldn’t resist. “The strength and the leadership of the program as well as its very successful history, both at Derryfield and in Manchester, were a big pull for me.” Trevor taught at Summerbridge for the same two summers that Carrie did. Coincidentally, he only missed Irfan by a year. As Summerbridge Manchester breeds tomorrow’s brightest students, so, too, it breeds tomorrow’s talented teachers. Had it not been for the Derryfield‑Summerbridge connection, we may never have been lucky enough to have Irfan, Carrie. and Trevor as faculty members today. – Diane Allen
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Winter Concert Tariq Omer ’13 plays the trumpet in the middle school ensemble for the Winter Concert.
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