GAM: Education in Action - Spring 23

the GAM

a conversation among mariners

Education in Action

Falmouth Academy

engaging the challenges of our times

Cover: Henry Redfield ’23, a student in French V, enjoyed ambling through the streets of Nice while on the French exchange in March, capturing local color with his phone camera. An amateur photographer, Redfield explains that he is drawn to symmetry, and a balance and vibrancy of color when shooting, which is reflected in his striking cover image.

This year, both the French and the German exchanges resumed, with students traveling to Nice and Heidelberg, respectively. Students stayed with host families while in Europe, and returned the hospitality when French and German exchange students visited Cape Cod.

Redfield, also an accomplished studio artist and magician, has cultivated a keen eye for creating art and illusion. In addition to running cross country this year, he studies advanced drawing, is serving as editor of the school’s literary magazine, Resonance, and leads the magic club.

Left: Clara Athearn ’24 perches atop a ruin in the town of Schwetzingen while on the German Exchange Trip. “The whole garden was really cool,” said Athearn, “and I just really liked seeing all the old architecture.”

GAM: “A social meeting of whale ships ... with all the sympathies of sailors [and] all the peculiar congenialities arising from a common pursuit.”

Falmouth Academy

7 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, MA 02540 508-457-9696 falmouthacademy.org

Administration

Matthew Green, Head of School

Michael Earley, Assistant Head of School

Petra Ehrenbrink, Academic Dean

Pamela Clapp Hinkle, Director of Development

Sarah Knowles, Director of Admission and Enrollment Management

Carmen DiSanto, Director of Finance and Operations

Editorial Staff

Amy Galvam, Director of Communications

Barbara Campbell, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

David Gallagher, Development Associate, Annual Giving and Operations

Photos: Leah Fasten, Susan Moffat, Robby Lender ’25, Brenda Sharp, Britta Santamauro, FA Archives

Design: Julianne Waite

Mission

Harnessing the power of inspired learning in a world-renowned scientific and vibrant artistic community, Falmouth Academy emboldens each student to take creative and intellectual risks to confidently engage the challenges of our times.

Guiding Values

We value the beauty of knowledge and the joy of conversation.

We value collaboration and generosity of spirit.

We value the power of a culture of kindness.

We value relationships built on trust, respect, and direct communication. We value the wonder of imagination. We value each student’s pursuit of diverse challenges and opportunities.

We value teachers as models of confident, rich adulthood.

We value the richness of an educational experience that includes people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and identities.

Dear Friends,

Most know that before being exiled to school administration, I spent twenty plus years as an English teacher. I took particular pride in my understanding of English grammar and for my enthusiasm for passing that know-how along to my students. (In fact, I once received a gift coffee mug inscribed with “I am silently correcting your grammar.”)

One of the more challenging concepts for my students was understanding the distinction between action verbs and linking (or what are sometimes called being) verbs. Now, I don’t want to spend too many of my allocated five-hundred words reviewing this particular lesson, but I will note that what these particular fifth graders found most challenging about this concept was how only some verbs qualifed as “action” verbs, a designation which they saw as a distinctive honor. They easily grasped that words like run, eat, or throw were action verbs, but there was some head scratching when I told them that words like think, care, and wonder also met the standard. Inevitably someone would say, “Wait, how are those action verbs? You’re not actually doing them, are you?”

At Falmouth Academy, the answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes, you most definitely are!” Here, words like “think,” “care,” and “wonder” are most definitely action verbs, and so are “teach” and “learn.” Fittingly, action is the focus of this edition of the GAM, particularly our belief that verbs like these are most definitely action verbs and central to everything we do here. Indeed, preparing and inspiring students to turn education into action in powerful ways that will ripple well beyond our current place and time is why we are here.

Herein, we provide just a sampling of the many Mariners who exemplify the term education in action, whether they be alumni flexing their entrepreneurial spirits or current students exercising their political muscle. You will read about ninth graders spending a day at the State House, engaged in complex policy simulations, about eleventh graders generating business plans or recording podcasts about the Cape’s affordable housing crisis or researching health disparities affecting indigenous youth, about two students selected by the Cape Cod Commission to serve as youth climate ambassadors, about a class of students partnering with the 300 Committee to care for Beebe Woods, our beloved back yard, and about an army of students planning and hosting our second Students for Social and Environmental Justice Conference.

From its earliest days, Falmouth Academy has always been about people: faculty who are cited time and time again as the engines that have driven the school’s and each student’s growth and success, and students, who have been, are, and most definitely will need to be action-oriented as they prepare to engage the challenges of their particular times.

I often say of Falmouth Academy students, “They don’t just know, they do.” Know and do; now those are two action verbs this old English teacher can definitely get behind.

Thank you all for your support,

Matthew Green Head of School

The Turkey Came Back to Roost

The 25th annual Chase the Turkey Fun Run came back this year after a two-year hiatus. Former parent and learning-support tutor, Dana Miskell P’06, ’07, good-naturedly stepped up to organize this event, which raised more than $3,000 for the Falmouth Service Center.

The race made a strong comeback this year with over 150 runners completing Falmouth Academy’s new 5k cross-country course early Thanksgiving morning. The FA team had a good showing with Elise Casso ’26 as the top female runner overall, Natalie Pil ’24 and Bianca Greco ’23 tying for 3rd in the females under 18 category, and Wylie Wakefield ’24 and Benjamin Angell ’24 coming in 1st and 2nd, respectively, for males under 18.

Earlier in the month, students in Engage, FA’s community-service elective, dropped off 1,463 nonperishable food items to the Falmouth Service that were collected during FA’s Fall Food Drive. This was 863 items over the goal!

“A Night at the Met” Charity Gala

More than 200 students and guests turned out in style on January 27 for “A Night at the Met,” Falmouth Academy’s 2023 charity gala organized by the Student Council. The event, which included refreshments, games, swing dancing, and live music, raised over $2,000 to benefit Smile Train, an international nonprofit that provides treatments for children with cleft lips and palates.

Left: Sabrina Vazquez ’24, Student Council secretary, and Genie Chang ’26, International Ensemble pianist, delighted Gala listeners in the cafe

Right: Veronica Foureman ’28 and Sylvie Parsons ’28 came in third-place in the annual swing dancing competition

Far Right (l to r): Sadie Leveque ’23, Hogan Teles ’27, Henry Stoermer ’27, Elyse Sharpe ’27, Petra Brienza ’23, Daisy Kinsley Hancock ’23, Sophia Legutko ’23, and Sam Kellogg ’23

Senior Ben Gulmann ’23, pictured here with his sister Anna, sportingly donned the turkey costume to lead the runners through the course

Chess over the Sound

On a chilly clear Tuesday in February, Falmouth Academy and Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) students played an exhibition chess match that was months in the planning. With multiple games going at once, the students hardly noticed the hum of the engines or the blue horizon as the 2:30 PM ferry navigated its way across the Sound bound for Vineyard Haven. Earlier in the day, Vineyard students ferried over to meet FA students in Woods Hole, where they boarded the homebound ferry to begin playing. The friendly match continued on land at the Copper Anchor in Vineyard Haven until the FA students boarded the 5 PM ferry for home.

Back in November, FA math teacher Doug Jones approached MVRHS physical education teacher TJ Reap with this novel idea and the two coaches proceeded to study and strategize the myriad obstacles—transportation, schedules, exams, sports, and the unpredictable variable, the weather—to compose an artful endgame. Although the match was officially a draw, according to Jones, “It was a big success and a lot of fun.” He plans to do it again but in reverse this spring. The Steamship Authority graciously covered the fares.

Left: Caption: Dillon Fondren ’25 of FA and Isabel Carreno-Vogt ’24 of MVRHS

Right: FA's Doug Jones presiding over chess matches

Paying It Forward at Bridgeview Montessori

Falmouth Academy students traveled to Bridgeview Montessori on March 29th to assist with the elementary school’s science fair. This was the first time since the pandemic that Falmouth Academy was able to return. During the visit, FA students served as judges, actively listening as the budding scientists presented their research on a variety of projects, including Hedgehog Spike Defense, Colors of Quartz, Artificial Pancreas, and Polar Bear Papillae.

After the fair, they sat on a panel for a Q&A session where Bridgeview students asked them about their own science-fair experiences, research interests, and life at Falmouth Academy. “This was a great opportunity for our students to inspire younger students,” said Director of Admission Sarah Knowles.

Evan Freedman ’24, who attended Bridgeview, said, “Judging the fair was incredible. It was great to encourage the students to pursue their interests in science and hear how excited they were about their projects. As someone who went through it just a few years ago, I realize how valuable the experience was.”

In addition to Freedman, Natalie Pil ’24, Gracie Coggins ’25, Lila Journalist ’25, Nina McKim Kight ’26, Hannah Flanders ’26, Zoe Van Keuren ’27, Harley Snowden ’27, Elyse Sharpe ’27, and Sophie McSherry ’27 participated.

Sprucing Up the Trails

Upper- and middle-school students in the Engage elective headed into the woods for four days this spring to clean up the trail signage in Beebe Woods, a popular spot for hiking and dog walking adjacent to Falmouth Academy. School Counselor and Engage Elective Adviser Jen Chamberlain laced up her boots and slipped on work gloves to pitch in alongside her students to remove and replace trail markers throughout the 383-acre wood. Will Poirier, a TerraCorps volunteer working with the 300 Committee explained that a total of 40 markers were installed with new numbered posts. Poirier demonstrated how to work safely, and then turned the shovels and posthole diggers over to the students.

Above: Natalie Pil ’24 listens to Jada present her project, “Ocean Discoveries” at Bridgeview’s science and engineering fair

Left: Lila Journalist ’25 provides feedback to Brielle on her project, “Digital Rainbow”

the GAM SPRING

Rights & Responsibilities Conference

Falmouth Academy’s Students for Social Justice organized their second social and environmental conference this year around the theme of Rights and Responsibilities with the support of their adviser, Matt Barnes, and a small group of dedicated faculty volunteers. The Honorable Judge Shannon Frison of the Massachusetts Superior Court kicked off the event, which was held at FA on March 25th, by first commending the young people in attendance for their activism, and then, over the next hour, detailing her personal and professional experience with social justice issues, particularly racial justice and gender equity.

Nearly 200 students and faculty members from schools across Southeastern MA attended three sessions of workshops led by experts in their fields and student leaders before coming together for closing remarks offered by MA Representative Dylan Fernandes ’08 and a musical performance by the acapella sensation from Plymouth North High School, Northern Lights. Feedback from the event was very positive and set the tone for future gatherings, with the hope of even greater collaboration with area schools and student leadership.

“I

“I

“I

“I

What participants had to say

“I left wanting more!”

would like to continue learning about how to promote social justice thinking with my peers.”

think we have a lot to learn from one another.”

would love to learn more about ways I can volunteer and do work in my community with the training I did today!”

think that bringing social and environmental justice programs to my school through clubs or events would be great, and I am discussing options with my school.”

Clockwise from left: Dr. Seyana Mawusi, microaggressions workshop; Representative Dylan Fernandes ’08, closing remarks; Honorable Shannon Frison, keynote; Amy Ferreira, JD and Sabrina Vazquez ’24, immigration workshop; and Calli Remillard, Editor of The Bourne Enterprise, ethical journalism workshop

100th National Tree Lighting

Every year, students from schools all around the country and U.S. territories are invited to decorate trees representing their respective regions with ornaments that celebrate some of their unique features and customs. The 58 trees are part of the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony organized by the National Park Foundation and the National Park Service held at President’s Park in Washington, DC, and displayed through the new year. This year, Falmouth Academy was chosen to create the ornaments that adorned the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ tree.

“We are proud to represent Massachusetts at this year’s ceremony and display,” said Head of School Matt Green. “The project invited us to reflect on how to best represent our state’s rich history, and joyfully celebrate the many cultural backgrounds and religious traditions of its people, something we value as an independent, secular school.”

Working with arts faculty members Lucy Nelson, Susan Moffat, and Seth Rainville, students created unique designs that represented quintessential aspects of life in the “Bay State”— graphite drawings of chickadees; colorful pastels of the Boston skyline; renderings of marine life in various media; photographs of a cranberry harvest, a Duxbury lighthouse, and the Vineyard Sound, just to name a few. Out of the 72 submissions, 18 were chosen.

Alumni Director Barbara Campbell reached out to local DC-area alumni inviting them to visit the tree and share or post a picture. “It was really exciting to receive messages and photos of the FA tree, and it wasn’t only from alumni!” said Campbell. She said that texts, emails, and social media shares came in from all over—community members, current families, friends, as well as complete strangers who just wanted to say thank you.

Copies of the ornaments were hung on the branches of FA’s annual “hat and mitten tree” alongside donations of warm socks, hats, and mittens collected for the Falmouth Service Center.

Above: Ornament illustration by Adele Francis ’24

Exploring the History of Race and Redemption through Fiction

The day started early for Dr. Ousmane Power-Greene, who left his home in western Massachusetts at the crack of dawn to make it to Falmouth Academy for a full day of presentations and guest lectures on Thursday, February 16th. Power-Greene is the Program Director of Africana Studies and an Associate Professor of History at Clark University, and the author of The Confessions of Matthew Strong, his newest book, which has been touted by NPR as one of the best books of the year.

Power-Greene, a friend of Falmouth Academy history teacher Suzanne Caruso, spoke to the students in her class, Perspectives on the American Experiment. He then briefly addressed the whole school at All-School Meeting, where he offered up examples of lesser-known youth who’ve made a difference in the world, such as Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl from Montgomery, Alabama, who was arrested for not giving up her seat on a segregated bus, nine months prior to Rosa Parks’ more famous act of civil disobedience.

He ended his presentation by asking if anyone knew who wrote the following quote and where it might be found, “The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party, or a class—it is the cause of humankind and the very birthright of humanity.” It surprised almost everyone to learn that this was one of twelve quotes on the U.S. passport and the only one written by a woman, Anna Julia Cooper. Born a slave, Cooper later earned a Ph.D. from the Sorbonne, making her the fourth African-American to earn a doctorate. She was an ardent advocate for civil rights and racial and gender equality in education.

Will Butler ’24 was so inspired by the uplifting of these hidden figures of history, that he started to notice the historical plaques and statues around town and would stop to look up more about them.

“It reignited something in me. It reminded me of the movie, Hidden Figures, and the real impactful people in our lives that go under the radar, most of the time. After that, as I was walking around the school and around town, I kept looking at the plaques with writing on them and would look up the names, something I’d never done before. He [Power-Greene] made me consider this, and I was surprised by how young these influential people were when they did that stuff, and that is still around today.”

Will Butler ’24

Power-Greene offered a professional development session on racial literacy, drawing from his extensive work around diversity, equity, and inclusion. He served on the President’s Commission on Race at Clark, helped write the university’s Diversity and Inclusion requirements for undergraduate students, and in 2015, served as the university’s interim Chief Officer of Diversity and Inclusion. A week later, Caruso picked up where Power-Greene left off and gave a short presentation to colleagues on the importance of learning about one’s racial identity development.

Over lunch, Power-Greene sat in on the Students for Social Justice meeting where he was asked a range of questions about

race and writing, from how to be a better ally to how to find a publisher. After lunch, he switched gears and joined in the discussion of Zora Neale-Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God in Monica Hough’s 9th-grade English class, noting how influential Neale-Hurston has been to his creative practice and to Black literature.

The day wrapped up with a casual meet-and-greet with a small group of faculty, parents, trustees, and community members at Estia before Power-Greene took the stage as the guest speaker of Falmouth Academy’s Community Series. He was interviewed by Mindy Todd, host of the CAI radio show, The Point, where they discussed the history of race and redemption through fiction.

This in-person event was co-sponsored by the Woods Hole Diversity Advisory Committee and was part of the Woods Hole Black History Month Series.

It was filmed by FCTV and the recording is available on the FA website at falmouthacademy.org/community.

Above, Top: FA faculty participate in a professional development session on racial literacy with Dr. Ousmane Power-Greene

Above: Dr. Ousmane Power-Greene speaking at FA’s Community Series, “Exploring Race and Redemption through Fiction”

“Everything Change”

As part of the cross-curricular Changing Earth Program that weaves through ninth-grade science, history, and English, students traveled with their teachers on January 25th to the Massachusetts State House for a tour and to meet with local representatives, Senator Susan Moran and Representative Dylan Fernandes ’08. In an email to Senator Moran, English teacher, Monica Hough, described the purpose of the trip: “to bring students to the State House to learn how legislation is enacted and the roles that lawmakers and ordinary citizens can play in addressing causes and solutions that are intricately tied to our political, social, cultural, and economic systems.”

It was with this mindset that students walked the halls of the oldest state house in the United States and listened to their elected representatives. “This trip was perfectly timed since we had just completed a government unit,” said history teacher, Matt Barnes.

“I enjoyed hearing [Senator] Susan Moran talk about her job, the differences between the Senate and the House of Representatives, and her policy priorities,” said Sophie Gaughan ’26.

It was Moran’s passion for the housing crisis on Cape Cod that caught the attention of Elise Casso ’26. “Housing is already at a premium on the Cape and many families can’t afford to live here anymore,” said Casso. She went on to say, “As a coastal community, we’re also vulnerable to sea-level rise.”

Senator Moran’s office graciously helped to coordinate the visit, and her Constituent Services Director Arielle Vergara led a climate-change policy activity.

Students broke out into groups and were randomly assigned either the role of advocate or legislator. They were tasked with brainstorming a climate change policy in their small groups, and then “legislators” wrote a synopsis of the proposed “bill” and “advocates” created an infographic that detailed the facts and delineated a path to legislative action. Policy ideas focused on sustainability, equity, equality, endangered species, and more. Suggestions included upgrading public transportation on Cape Cod with electric vehicles and making them fare-free, better housing for the homeless, and protecting endangered horseshoe crabs and right whales.

It was this last idea, “Rights for Right Whales,” which advocated for safer and stricter whale-friendly fishing protocols, gear, and boats, as well as providing tax relief for impacted fishermen, that earned an official citation from the MA State Senate recognizing Casso, Nina McKim Kight ’26, Fay McGuire ’26, and Gaughan on their “advocacy and interest in our Commonwealth’s legislative process.”

During the Changing Earth program’s last trimester, students are working together to put their education into action by designing and implementing a project to address a timely issue of their choosing. Sia Canelos ’26, Gaughan, and Tom Tortora ’26 promoted and volunteered at the 22nd annual Cape Cod Canal Clean Up on Earth Day (April 22).

Caroline Cazeault ’26 and McGuire volunteered at Atria Assisted Living in Falmouth because, as McGuire explains, “Older people often get depressed because they’re isolated, so we plan to visit, play games, and do puzzles with them.”

Casso noticed very few recycling receptacles in downtown Falmouth and plans to write a proposal to the town selectman to make the case for more.

Although by design, Changing Earth studies the global effects of climate change because, as Hough observes, it is the greatest challenge of our time. She clarifies that it is not only about climate change. As evidenced by the breadth of students’ proposals and projects, they are being prepared to engage in an array of changes and challenges. Hough refers to the wisdom of Margaret Atwood in her email to Moran and writes that this program is really about, “everything change.”

Left (left to right): Elise Casso ’26, Sophie Gaughan ’26, Faye McGuire ’26, and Nina McKim Kight ’26

Top Right (left to right): Robert Ronan ’26, Taleena Gonneea ’26, Dhara Sananikone-Evans ’26, and Abigail Brown ’26

Bottom Right (left to right): Willow Wakefield ’26, Willow Lajoie ’26, and Elise Casso ’26, Will Dubreuil ’26

A Voter’s Guide

Upper-school students at Falmouth Academy take a deep dive into American history and civics in a course aptly titled, Perspectives of the American Experiment. Suzanne Caruso, who is new to Falmouth Academy this year, leveraged the approaching November 8th midterm elections to design a collaborative assignment where students researched candidates and ballot questions and then created a handy voter’s guide, which Head of School Matt Green reports he took to the polls.

Students worked their way down the slate of issues and candidates from Governor to County Commissioner, scouring websites, reading newspaper articles, and listening to stump speeches in an attempt to compile as balanced and unbiased information as possible. “Researching candidates is so time-consuming!” said Ursula Junker ’23.

As they dug deeper, students noted that they were frequently stymied by fruitless searches and distracted by the rhetoric and marketing that too often eclipsed a candidate’s position or platform.

“Websites can be so uninformative and full of political jargon,” said Nate Holmes ’24. Will Butler ’24 voiced his frustration over the lack of clarity and transparency on a candidate’s website, “Cut to the chase and just tell me what you stand for!”

This timely and creative assignment embodied the curricular goals stated in the course description, “to apply intellectual frameworks to analyze leadership and to judge accountability for key decisions.” Caruso said that she designed it so that her students could experience what it is like to become an informed voter while sharpening their thinking.

Through this process, students became savvier consumers of information—assessing the reliability of sources and gaining a better understanding of the role of marketing in political campaigns. Marcus Greco ’24 made an astute observation that resonated with the class when he said, “The way the information is presented influences my opinion of the candidate.”

Although this assignment was vexing at times, as evidenced by the comment by Natalie Pil ’24, “This is really hard!” Caruso’s students gained a greater appreciation for the democratic process and the weight of civic responsibility. Pil summed it up by saying, “Doing this research is an important muscle to work.”

Cape Cod Climate Ambassadors

Maria Soares ’25 and Luke Okoshi-Michel ’26 applied for and were chosen to be Climate Ambassadors by the Cape Cod Commission, now in its third year. Since February, this cohort of students have met with climate experts and activists either virtually or in person at various locations around Cape Cod to learn about the causes and impacts of climate change, carbon-reduction strategies, resiliency planning, and equity considerations. According to the Commission’s website, this initiative aims “to educate, engage and empower young people on Cape Cod to work together to combat the impacts of climate change.” The program culminates in May with each ambassador planning and executing a small local project of interest to them.

Both students have demonstrated a strong interest in environmental sustainability. For the last three years, OkoshiMichel chose science fair projects related to healthy aquaculture. This year, he was awarded a first place sponsored by SEA Education and the Salt Pond Areas Birds Sanctuary first-place award at Falmouth Academy’s 35th Science and Engineering Fair for his study of the microplastic content of clams. Okoshi-Michel explains that for his capstone project as a Climate Ambassador, he plans to create public-service posters listing locations of water bottle refill stations, electric-vehicle charging stations, and bike paths on Cape Cod, along with relevant statistics, to “teach people the numbers.” He said he wants to raise awareness about humanity’s impact on climate change. “I want to show people how they can help.”

“Maria decided to apply for this opportunity after completing her science fair experiment looking at the effects of warming temperatures on the regeneration of planaria (Dugesia tigrina),” said her advisor, Sharon Kreamer. Soares, who is new to Falmouth Academy this year and never presented at a science and engineering fair before, placed fourth and received the Falmouth Water Stewards Upper-School Award. She and OkoshiMichel advanced to the MA Regional V Science and Engineering Fair held in March.

Soares also demonstrated her commitment to the environment this spring by organizing a school-wide clothing drive that yielded 33 bags of gently-worn or new clothes for the nonprofit, Cradles to Crayons. When asked if this was her Climate Ambassador project, she said, “No, I plan to create an advocacy infographic with basic information about climate change, local sustainability initiatives, as well as how to get involved in local government.” She plans to translate it into Portuguese and Spanish and distribute it around the Cape, Islands, and online.

Top: Maria Soares loads a van with clothing donations for Cradles to Crayons Center: Cape Cod Climate Ambassadors Maria Soares ’25 and Luke Okoshi-Michel ’26

Bottom: Luke Okoshi-Michel presents his Science and Engineering Fair project to judge and past parent Louie Kerr P ’19

How to College

“Work smarter, not harder,” advised Bailey Jordan ’20 of Smith College to Falmouth Academy juniors and seniors at this year’s Alumni Networking Day held on December 16th. She and six other alumni participated in a “How to College” panel moderated by College Counselor Ruth Slocum.

Taking advantage of all avenues of available support (physical and mental health, academic support, career counseling, office hours, etc.) was a consistent theme running through the panel discussion. Jordan explained that all colleges have plenty of resources to support their students. She told the assembly, “Just because someone else may have it worse than you, doesn’t mean that those resources aren’t meant to help you, too.”

The panelists also addressed having so much unstructured time in college. Camden Emery ’19 of Champlain College cautioned students to find balance. “There will always be more you can learn or do, but you need to balance academics with self-care and social time.” Josh Novak ’19 of the University of Colorado, Boulder said that he enjoyed having so much freedom at first, but then realized he was stagnating. His solution was to

create his own schedule. “I went out and got a part-time job so that every day I have to get up at the same time.”

Panelists credited Falmouth Academy for preparing them well for the academic rigor of college and for cultivating the soft skills needed for success, like talking with teachers, going to office hours, initiating conversation, or asking for help or advice. Hannah Stillman ’19 of Williams College shared how she emailed a professor that she never met before and invited them out for coffee. Stillman was interested in their research and wanted to hear more about their lab, in case it might be a good fit as a possible internship down the road. Maisie Saganic ’21 of Northeastern followed up saying, “Keep in touch with professors you really like because you never know when you may need a letter of recommendation or a professional contact.”

Above (l to r): Hannah Stillman ’19, Director of College Counseling Ruth Slocum, Bailey Jordan ’20, Camden Emery ’19, Josh Novak ’19, and Sam Colt-Simmons ’19

EducationinAction

Falmouth Academy

Learning by doing has always been a hallmark of a Falmouth Academy education. “It all started with the Science Fair,” remarked Megan Starr ’06 at her April Community Series presentation. Starr is Global Head of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Investing and partner at the private equity Carlyle Group in New York City, and a Falmouth Academy trustee. “My job has been kind of a progression from that initial interest in science fair,” she said with a wry smile.

Whether researching and presenting the results of a science fair project, leading a class on Senior Teaching Day, presiding over Upper School Student Council activities, writing for the literary magazine or school newspaper, or performing a musical piece or soliloquy before a full house, FA students have long had the opportunity to jump feet first into areas of interest outside of the traditional classroom.

But there are more opportunities to be explored, and the recent FA Forward strategic plan further endorsed the importance of providing students with a variety of “hands-on” learning experiences to build skills and prepare them for the future. The goal, as outlined in the plan, is to “connect our students to other ideas, places, and cultures by creating relevant learning opportunities in and out of the classroom and cultivating in them the curiosity, creativity and capacity necessary to fully participate in a diverse society and an increasingly interconnected world.”

Since the plan was published in 2020, much has been accomplished in a number of arenas to move the ball strategically forward (see sidebar). The newest experiential program, launched this year, is Extended Inquiry, designed for juniors but also for any seniors who elect to participate.

Under the guidance of science teachers Sharon Kreamer and Dan Nightingale, Extended Inquiry, which evolved from the previous Major Effort project, allows students time and space to delve deeply into an area of interest and produce a tangible final product that could take any number of forms. Those with a keen interest in science and engineering could choose to

Above: Roberto Marzot ’23 and his father, Charlie Marzot taking a polar plunge

Above, Right: Daisy Kinsley Hancock ’23 (r) discusses her project, Neuroscience of Personality, with Sophia Legutko ’23 (l)

fulfill the requirement by participating in Falmouth Academy’s Science and Engineering Fair, which two juniors did; their outstanding work earned them the opportunity to compete in the state fair this May.

“By junior year, Falmouth Academy students are fairly proficient in extended inquiry due in part to the strong foundation they’ve acquired through participation in the Science and Engineering Fair every year since middle school,” said Kreamer. She explains that Extended Inquiry is designed to build on those independent research and presentation skills. “This is a longterm project that is see-touch-do, where students explore something they’re passionate about,” explained Nightingale.

While Kreamer and Nightingale guided students throughout the process, the students were responsible for designing and managing their projects from start to finish. Each student was required to work with a mentor from their chosen field of study and was responsible for scheduling monthly meetings.

Lily Connors ’24, for example, blended her love of art with her interest in studying business, creating a business plan for retail art sales. She worked with Carmen DiSanto, FA’s Director of Finance & Operations, who also volunteers as a mentor with Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll), a national nonprofit organization that helps individuals successfully grow a business. “During our mentoring sessions, I observed Lily making well-informed and calculated adjustments, with the ultimate goal of achieving optimal outcomes,” said DiSanto. “Her ability to solve problems and think critically gave her the insight to recognize that original ideas can lead to different outcomes. Collaborating with Lily provided me with a unique glimpse into her entrepreneurial spirit,” remarked DiSanto. “Without a doubt, she has the qualities of a future business leader.”

Other students explored art forms, tried their hand at building something, attempted to solve an environmental or social problem, or deepened their understanding of a difficult concept. Examples of projects included creating a podcast about affordable housing, studying the philosophy of Kierkegaard; crocheting bunnies for premature babies; creating a website detailing the pathways to U.S. citizenship; building a microbial fuel cell; foraging on Martha’s Vineyard; designing a carbon hydrofoil; exploring the art of improv; and weighing the health benefits of cold-water immersion and sauna bathing.

FA FORWARD Strengthening the Student Experience at FA

A question that has helped shape FA Forward and the ongoing strategic direction of the school is, “What opportunities could strengthen the academic experience and support student engagement?” Since the publication of the strategic plan in 2020, Falmouth Academy has instituted a number of new initiatives and programming in response, including:

• the Community Scholars program, supporting equitable access to students from culturally underrepresented populations

• the addition of the Auxiliary Programs Department, resulting in the expansion of community programming

• the establishment of Changing Earth, the co-curricular ninthgrade program studying the effects of global change

• the addition of Spanish to the Modern Language Department

• the expansion of external educational opportunities like the four-day CRISPR, gene-editing intensive course offered by the Marine Biological Laboratory

space and staff

• the addition of Cross Country as a varsity sport

• establishing an online student newspaper, The Chandlery

• hosting a regional social and environmental justice conference two years in a row

EDUCATION IN ACTION IRL (In Real Life)

When Head of School Matt Green welcomed students on opening day in September, he shared with them his fascination with texting abbreviations like BTW (by the way), LOL (laugh out loud), and BYTM (better you than me). He noted he was especially intrigued by IRL (in real life), and wondered out loud what it means to be connected “in real life” at FA. He noted that “here we are connected by a shared set of values and a common history. Our love of learning and pursuit of scholarly excellence connect us,” he said. “Our pledge to treat others as we wish to be treated connects us, our belief that learning and working in a diverse environment stimulates creative and critical thinking connects us.” He closed by inviting students to fully engage in the life of the school, noting the correlation between an engaged, involved student and a happy one.

Institutions and forward-thinking programs like FA’s new Extended Inquiry that make IRL connections are the “here-and-now” social networks, according to Green, that promote adaptability and resilience by valuing and investing in community and connection, enabling small schools like Falmouth Academy to be able to provide big school opportunities.

Green’s comments formed the basis for an article published in the spring 2023 issue of the NAIS Independent School magazine titled “IRL (In Real Life).”

“Through this project, I was able to take my knowledge of ceramics to new depths,” said Wylie Wakefield ’24, who honed his handbuilding techniques, taking inspiration from ceramic designs from other cultures, while working with Seth Rainville, Falmouth Academy’s ceramic teacher.

Noah Manning ’24, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head researched health disparities affecting indigenous youth such as obesity and diabetes and worked with a designer and a grant writer to draw up plans for a recreation center to be built on tribal land. “I also created a budget and identified grant funding so I think this is really possible,” said Manning, who plans to bring his proposal before the tribal council sometime this year.

Not all projects worked out as initially planned. Together Benjamin Angell ’24 and Adele Francis ’24 researched the contributing factors to the lack of affordable housing on Cape Cod and ambitiously mapped out a ten-episode podcast covering various aspects of the issue. They worked closely with Dave Garrison of the Falmouth Housing Trust and history teacher, Matthew Barnes. In September, they sent letters requesting interviews with over 15 people in the community. After a less-than-hoped-for response, the team scaled back the audio project and produced two informative episodes featuring interviews with Onjale Scott-Price, a Falmouth select person who detailed the zoning process, and Lauren Kanzer, who discussed home-sharing as a possible solution. Students were evaluated by both their mentor and their Extended Inquiry

teacher on their process, presentation—which was expected to go beyond a simple poster—and on a background research paper.

The inaugural class of Extended Inquiry projects—27 in total—were showcased on February 23rd in the Simon Center Gallery and Hermann Theater to students and faculty throughout the day. Family and friends were invited during the public viewing portion of the Science and Engineering Fair which was held that same day. As people made their way through the gallery, they were encouraged to engage with the students and their projects—to watch a video, touch a model, listen to a podcast, flip through a journal, ask for a demonstration, or even take a taste.

“We hoped that students felt emboldened to create something spectacular to showcase in February,” said Kreamer, “and they did not disappoint.”

The inaugural program was deemed a success by faculty and students alike. “This type of largely self-directed research demonstrates our students’ initiative, discipline, and intellectual curiosity: traits that are exactly what colleges are seeking in prospective students,” noted college counselor Ruth Slocum.

“This was a new experience for me, well, for everybody,” said Gonzalo Noriega Minguez ’24, “and it was a different way of learning.” Noriega Minguez is an international student studying this year at Falmouth Academy from Spain. “Extended Inquiry gave me the opportunity to share the culture of my country, before I return to Madrid in June.”

O’Neil ’24, Gonzalo Noriega Minguez ’24, history teacher Suzanne Caruso and Noah Manning ’24, Adele Francis ’24, Benjamin Angell ’24, and history teacher Matthew Barnes

An Auspicious Start for FA’s Cross Country Team

The coaches of the Cape and Island League named Falmouth Academy ninth-grader Elise Casso ’26 as this year’s Cross Country League MVP. She and her teammates, Nathan Gartner ’26 and Bianca Greco ’23, were also named to the All-Star team. Natalie Pil ’24 and Wylie Wakefield ’24 received honorable mentions. “This is an auspicious start for a relatively young team,” said Jon Olsen, assistant coach.

Casso, Gartner, and Greco qualified for the Massachusetts AllState Cross-Country Championship, which was held on Saturday, November 19th at Fort Devens. Casso placed 17th with a time of 20:34 in one of her best races of this season; Gartner ran his best race of the season, placing 30th with a time of 17:23; and Greco ran a good race with a time of 22:55.

“There is a lot of young talent on this team,” noted Jason Cullinane, head coach. “I look forward to seeing where we can go.”

Bianca Greco ’23 Runs Her Way to Westminster College

On January 31st, surrounded by family, friends, and teammates over lunch, Bianca Greco ’23 signed a letter of intent to run cross country for Westminster College, NCAA Division II. “We could not be prouder of or more thankful for Bianca’s contributions to FA’s cross-country program,” said Athletic Director Patrick Kennedy.”

It was Greco’s passion and talent for running, even as an 8th-grader, that provided the inspiration for the creation of the FA cross-country team. She guided the program from club status to a varsity-level sport. “Her competitiveness will surely be missed (along with her infectious smile) and we wish her the best as she continues her running career at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah,” said Kennedy.

At the end of the state championship, Cullinane reflected, “We owe the existence of our team to Bianca, and even though this was her last meet, she will always be welcomed back!”

Middle School Basketball Round-Up

The Middle School Boys basketball team had a successful season that ended in a second straight trip to the final game of the Cape Cod Super Six basketball tournament. Despite the loss, Coach Patrick Kennedy commended the team, saying, “This team displayed tremendous improvement over the course of the season and finished up with a 5-6 record.” He finished, they were a pleasure to coach.

“What an exciting season for girls middle-school basketball,” said Coach Suzanne Caruso. The team ended their season with an even record of wins and losses and competed in the Cape Cod Super Six Semi-Finals. Over the course of the season, each of the players developed their game and tenacity on the court, said Caruso. She also gave a big shout out to her Assistant Coach Bill Andrade.

Mariner Soccer News

Varsity soccer players, Noah McCabe ’23 and Lily Connors ’24 were named league All-Stars, Roberto Marzot ’23 and Sophea Souza ’27 were awarded honorable mentions, and Margaret Lowell ’23 and Benjamin Angell ’24 were recognized for their sportsmanship.

Lighthouse Division Varsity Basketball League Honors

Falmouth Academy Boys Varsity went undefeated in conference play this year, and star forward Nate Holmes ’24 (league MVP) and Drew Reeves ’24 (All-Star) led Falmouth Academy to the title in the Lighthouse Division and qualified for the MIAA tournament for the first time in school history. Teammate Matthew Coggins ’23 received a league honorable mention and sportsmanship award Girls Varsity Captain Lily Connors ’24 was the season’s high scorer and was again named a league All-Star along with up-and-comer, Sophie Holmes ’27. “The positive, never-give-up attitude that this team possessed paired perfectly with their ability to win and lose with grace and humility,” noted Coach Kyla Krueger. The team finished second in the league and Margaret Lowell ’23 was recognized with an honorable mention. Maria MacDonald ’23, who sang the National Anthem at every home game, was honored for her sportsmanship.

Clockwise from left: Noah McCabe ’23, Lily Connors ’24, Sophia Holmes ’27, Drew Reeves ’24

Every year, Falmouth Academy extends a warm welcome or a fond farewell to faculty members whose lives either bring them to our door or away from it. This year, we tip our caps in gratitude for the arrival of Kate Durkin, and the departure of Liz Klein, Pauline Levy-Valensi, Patrick Kennedy, Sharon Kreamer, and Ed Lott.

Mid-year, science teacher Liz Klein took a new job teaching middle school at Falmouth's Lawrence School while continuing to volunteer with FA's social justice conference. Dr. Kathryn Durkin was hired to fill the vacancy. During the transition period, Dr. Alison Ament came out of semi-retirement to bridge the gap until Dr. Durkin could assume responsibility for the Changing Earth science class.

Durkin earned her Masters and Ph.D. at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and then completed a post-doc at WHOI. She worked as an assistant scientist at WHOI and as a science teacher at the New Heights Charter School in Brockton prior to Falmouth Academy. In addition to teaching the ninth-grade science curriculum, she is the assistant coach for Girls Varsity Lacrosse.

Although only at Falmouth Academy since September, Dr. Pauline Levy-Valensi has made a lasting impression both as a skilled French teacher and as a creative writing advisor for the Resonance literary magazine. Valensi fondly recalls some special moments from her year here—bonding with the junior class on their class trip, her middle-school students surprising her on her birthday in October, and her parents visiting from France and making crepes for everyone. Dr. Levy-Valensi and her husband are relocating off-Cape.

Sharon Kreamer spent the last four years of her nearly 40year career teaching biology and chemistry at Falmouth Academy, and her students and colleagues are the better for it. Honored by the Class of 2022 with the yearbook dedication, Kreamer has been a source of inspiration and enthusiasm in and out of the classroom. She has shepherded two groups of FA students to MBL to learn about cutting-edge CRISPR research, championed Falmouth Academy’s Women in Science program, and most recently, successfully launched the Extended Inquiry program with Dan Nightingale. While known for these innovations, Kreamer is a kind, curious, and gifted educator who is deeply dedicated to the success of her students. We wish her well in her retirement on the outer Cape.

“I will never forget the sudden-death victory of the FA Boys Varsity Soccer team at their very first MIAA tournament,” recalls Athletic Director Patrick Kennedy, who will be stepping down at the end of the year and relocating to Vermont.

Kennedy started at Falmouth Academy in 2019 to teach 7th and 12th-grade history and coach soccer and basketball, after 14 years at the Harvey School where he held similar teaching and athletic leadership positions. This past year, Kennedy’s well-loved labrador retriever Quint passed away, which caused this veteran

teacher and coach to take stock of his life and decide that he would like to try something new. With gratitude, we wish him well as a “flatlander.”

Over the years, the entire Lott family has passed through the halls of Falmouth Academy, all on the recommendation of a friend. After six years working in a boarding school in CT, Ed Lott wanted a change, and on the advice of a friend from Falmouth, applied to Falmouth Academy and was hired in 1996. Since then, Lott has been an anchor of the math department, the behind-the-scenes technical wizard of the Science and Engineering Fair, a seasoned soccer and basketball coach, and so much more. His wife, Amy Fish, taught at FA from 2001 to 2003, and his daughters, Sarah ’18 and Abigail ’22 attended all six years. However, what Ed Lott is most known for besides his penchant for golf and sailing, is his incredible knack for teaching math, in very accessible and applicable ways. Some people are gifted in understanding mathematics but it is a wholly different skill to be able to teach it, and Ed Lott is that kind of gifted. His special sauce was to craft lessons and assignments that taught his students to think mathematically while making connections to real-world situations and other ways of knowing.

To enumerate the contributions that Mr. Lott has made to Falmouth Academy would surpass the limitations of this paragraph of appreciation and would greatly offend this most humble man. Over the past quarter of a century, many Falmouth Academy students both began and ended their middle and high school math careers with Mr. Lott as their teacher. In his classes, they learned to appreciate the value and applicability of mathematical principles through group work and real-world problem solving such as devising a bike tour of Cape Cod, developing a business plan for a chocolate company, creating a solution to the Steamship Authority parking issues, designing a retirement plan through various savings and investment strategies, and, most recently, determining how to use $1,000,000 to solve a problem in our community or the world.

Through all these explorations and activities, Mr. Lott always treated his students with respect, dignity, and concern for their education and welfare, and he will be remembered fondly for all of the numerous ways he contributed to the school community. –Doug Jones

Liam Doherty

’96,

Eliza Van Voorhis ’17, Betsy Wadman ’13

Former FA Athletes Turn Interests into Marketing Success

Advertising executive and brand director Liam Doherty ’96, who has worked with Nike and Adidas, moderated an alumni panel including Betsy Wadman ’13, Digital Marketing Manager for Puma for Amazon, and Eliza Van Voorhis ’17, analyst for Sports Innovation Lab, to discuss branding and marketing analysis during the Winter Alumni Roundtable Speaker Series (vimeo.com/772498806).

Creating narrative about their brands was the key common denominator, and they discussed how they used data to determine their narrative.

“Sports Innovation Lab is a fan intelligence and market research company that helps sports organizations understand who their fans are and how best to acquire them,” said Van Vooorhis. “They use multiple sources of data so teams, leagues, and brands understand where their fans are, where they’re spending their money, what they’re watching, and what their key behaviors are.”

Doherty noted, “You root for your team with your heart, but making decisions about how you build teams has extended to brands as well. The fact that decisions are heavily rooted in analytics and numbers and less in emotion has changed the marketing industry.”

Wadman said that on the advertising side, they have an abundance of data through Google analytics. Through Amazon, “We can build similar personas about who is shopping for our product. You know if somebody is purchasing air pods, if they shop on Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods Amazon. We can build this health-conscious consumer who might also purchase our running shoes. Data drives business and drives results.”

She said, “Brand interaction definitely has a positive impact on your brain perception. We’re looking for products that do the right thing from a sociocultural perspective but also sustainability This is big especially in the footwear and apparel business.”

At a recent summit in Germany with Puma and Under Armour, they agreed to a more brand-agnostic approach. Outwardly socially conscious messaging is at the forefront of Puma marketing. Wadman said, “We all need to come together and demand this kind of change from our suppliers and our manufacturers because that’s the only way we’re going to make a difference. If we come together, it becomes a reality.”

“There has been a big push to invest in women’s sports,” said Van Voorhis. “The combination of business and data with purpose makes a much more compelling case because in the end, these are businesses.”

In a recent study, Van Voorhis’ firm looked at fans of women’s sports and how they engaged with content, what they bought, etc. They saw women watching games longer, engaging more on social posts about women’s sports and actually spending more on the brands that sponsor women’s sports.

“It’s been super exciting to be a part of this as investing in women’s sports transitions to more of a good financial decision,” said Van Voorhis.

Doherty asked the panelists about take aways from Falmouth Academy. Van Voorhis said, “My company is fully remote and we Zoom a lot! I feel really comfortable talking on group calls because of FA.”

“I’m able to think critically and question processes about why we are doing something a certain way,” said Wadman. “Because of this, I see that I can make a process more efficient or find a better way to do something.”

Doherty concurred, saying, “Communication is key in the work we do. We had the Athens Sparta debate, we studied Hamlet, and were taught how to write. It’s because of all those things and the confidence, thoughtfulness, and ability to think strategically, that we are able to take in data, process it, and respond.”

Cassandra Weare ’16

Crafting a Niche

When Cassandra Weare ’16 was in eighth grade and won first place for her ceramic piece in the Small Independent Schools Art League (SISAL) competition, she never dreamed she’d be making pottery as a professional artist. Today, she not only has her own kiln and studio, but she also sells her wares in stores, at shows, and online.

Weare has what she calls her production pieces, popular works that she produces in larger batches to satisfy demand. But to give her mind some space and to get her creative juices flowing, she sets aside a limited time to work on her horseshoe crab sculptures. And then there is her signature piece, the boob mug.

“The mother of a friend of mine from Falmouth Academy discovered she had breast cancer, and she is such a wonderful person that I wanted to honor her.” Although Weare said she never wanted to monetize her friend’s story, the owner of Daily Brew in Cataumet saw it and ordered 25 mugs, saying that the piece inspired her customers as well.

“I’ve had people who are fighting breast cancer reach out and ask for mugs that portray mastectomies, and they are popular too with younger women who like expressing body positivity.” Weare names each mug after women in her life and is often asked to make them for friends and family, however she draws the line at people sending her pictures of their anatomy.

“There’s nothing like the boob mugs on Cape,” said Weare. “After three and a half years, I didn’t think I’d still be making them. I definitely thought it would be a one-off thing. But, I’ll ride the wave as long as I can.”

Weare’s pieces are glazed in soothing shades of green and blue applied to various works from berry bowls, to plates, to serving pieces, to smoke ware. In fact, her work appeared in the bridal registry for former Falmouth Academy English teacher Allyson Manchester. “They sent me a photo of a home-cooked meal using my pieces the night after I delivered the order, and that was really special.”

There is a science to Weare’s work, such as how the shape of the piece affects the experience, how it feels in the hand when taking a drink, or how the food sits on the plate. “You start to notice things, like if a ramen bowl is flat on the bottom, you can’t get the remaining liquid out of it, so it has to have a taper to make it more functional. Women, especially, will come back and say that a mug feels really nice to hold in their hand or that a bowl compliments their dish because of the glaze I used.”

As a small-business owner, Weare knew she needed guidance and joined the EforAll Cape Cod mentoring program which pairs participants with three mentors who work intensely together for a year. For the first time in its five-years on the Cape, Weare’s group is an all-women cohort.*

“They are all awesome and it’s so important to have that network. When you work by yourself you just kind of get into that hermit mode. You don’t have people to really bounce creative ideas off of. So, having that group of women who are going through what you are, trying to start a small business, it’s great.”

After attending a year of college, Weare knew she wanted to reacquaint herself with ceramics and took a few classes at the Falmouth Art Center with none other than FA’s current ceramics teacher, Seth Rainville.

As a student at FA, Weare said she and Eliza Van Voorhis ’17 and Colleen Hall ’16 would spend every free minute in the studio “I think with the intensity and workload of the classes, just having that hour and a half every week where we could do something with our hands and be creative was really important. It was definitely worth it.”

Weare sells her work online at wearepottery.com and is also a member of the co-operative at the Art Coddage in Mashpee Commons. She plans to participate in a host of art shows this summer and at Arts Barnstable.

She said, “I’m just trying to make a go of it. I still wake up every morning and am excited to go to work. I’m doing something where I actually enjoy my job, so I plan to do it for a while.”

*See page 13 to read about how FA’s Director of Finance and Operations Carmen DiSanto volunteers with EforAll.

Tyler Gwynn ’12 Life

of a Musician

Tyler Gwynn ’12, drummer for rock band Tenth Mountain Division based in Colorado, was a guest speaker in George Scharr’s Music Majors class, where he enthralled students with stories of his life on the road. Below is some of the information he shared.

Touring

I started touring with my college band at 21, the day after I graduated. We were five dudes in a pickup truck. We drove 15 hours from Denver to Houston all squished together. We even drove a revamped school bus with a broken gas gauge for a while, which was an adventure. Now, we have a 15-passenger van and a 10’ trailer that holds our equipment.

A drawback is that you get very little time to see your friends and family. So, you have to decide if this is what you want and know that you will have to sacrifice things.

Scheduling

Our manager or agent will book an offer in a major city, and we will look for other venues along the way or near the anchor venue, and we’d build around it. For example, we had a big gig in Chicago, so we booked Louisville, Detroit and Madison along the way.

We try to play two to three concerts in a row. You load in at 2 PM, sound check, troubleshoot and then start the concert at 10 PM. After the concert, we’re back on the road by 3 AM.

Pain Points

You push through no matter what. You are there to put on a show. People come to watch you and not just listen. They’re not just coming to see players with great haircuts. I threw my back out in Asheville while loading in, and they had to carry me to the Green Room, where I took Tylenol and had someone rub tiger balm on my back. Your onstage adrenaline gets you through. You can put on a show missing a guitar or a mandolin, but you have to have drums and bass. If I don’t show up, four other guys don’t get paid.

COVID

There were some COVID burn-out moments, but we took care of ourselves mentally and physically. We practiced, wrote a TV show, and made videos. You had to have a radical acceptance of the situation. We had to be prepared to keep our momentum going. Once it’s lost, it’s hard to get back.

Rock vs. Classical

There are so many genres, and I’ve played a lot of them. But rock chose me. Essentially music is like a meal with well-balanced and healthy food. Sometimes you just want a Snickers bar; you want to play pop or rap or hip hop.

Success

The key to success is to be happy for people and be proud of what you’ve done. Focus on your success and always root for your friends.

What’s Next

We’re working on our fourth album and trying to get lined up as an opening act. Those are harder to get than being the mainliner. As an opening act, you gain fans, notoriety, legitimacy. We opened for Leftover Salmon and gained a huge following from that. After a while, we saw their fans wearing our t-shirts.

Listen to Tenth Mountain Division or see upcoming tour dates at tmdtunes.com.

1980s

Congratulations to Kurt Achin ’87, who was awarded the Priscilla “Pucky” Roslansky Memorial Fund Award for his production of “Growing Together,” a program Kurt produced for FCTV about Farming Falmouth, a nonprofit organization that supports local agriculture. A board member of this group, Kurt interviewed many involved including Tyler Barron ’12, who works at Coonamessett Farm. Pucky Roslansky, an avid member of FCTV, was the mother of former Falmouth Academy trustee Clara (Roslansky) Hulbert ’79, and grandmother of Christa Hulbert ’04 and Tessa Hulbert ’11. She was also the grandmother of current student Hayden Roslansky ’26, the child of Bill Roslansky and Crissy Condon ’89. Before returning to Falmouth, Kurt worked primarily in Asia as a foreign correspondent for Voice of America, CNN and other organizations.

Jen Schneider

Ziskin ’89 was spotted on WCVB Channel 5 news talking about her activities with Let’s Talk Womxn. Jen is a founding member of this ensemble of women restaurateurs who advocate for female business owners. Jen owns three restaurants with her husband chef Josh Ziskin: La Morra, Punchbowl, and Heritage. The group hosted the Let’s Talk Womxn gala in Boston in March. This collaboration works together to build combined economic power for female business owners. Jen said during the Channel 5 interview, “If you need staff, if you have issues with a landlord or issues with your bank, you just throw it in the email list and you get 10 to 15 responses, easily, in the next 10 minutes. It’s great. But also, what we are working together to do is to build each other up.” According to Channel 5, the Massachusetts restaurant industry has a higher percentage of female ownership than any other industry in the state.

1990s

Eryn Bingle ’91 was named Chief of Staff of Free and Fair Litigation Group, a non-profit law firm designed to counter threats to democracy and individual rights. All their work is pro bono, and they take no more than ten cases at a time.

1999 Alumna Kristen Roupenian’s much heralded 2017 New Yorker short story “Cat Person” made it to the big screen and debuted at Sundance Film Festival in January. “This adaptation works best when capturing the fraught realities around a dating world complicated by technology and a growing understanding of how dangerous some men can be,” wrote Tim Grierson, Senior US Critic for Screen Daily.

2000s

Jeremy Gantz ’00 has been invited back to Time to serve on the editorial team of the magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies edition. In the fall, he was an editor on Time’s annual Best Inventions issue.

Congratulations to Chris Buccino ’02 for being honored as a 5 Under 40 award winner in the 2023 edition of New England Home. Buccino is the founder and Principal Landscape architect of Landschop based in East Falmouth.

KC Hopkinson ’02, managing partner of Hopkinson Law, LLC, was recognized as a Top Lawyers for 2022 in Tampa Magazine. Hopkinson has been recognized throughout her career as Woman of the Year by Orlando Style Magazine (2021); Tampa Attorney of the Year by Tampa Style Magazine (2021); a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” every year since 2016; and a “Top 40 Under 40” Labor and Employment Lawyer by the American Society of Legal Advocates for three years. She represents individuals and businesses of all sizes in Tampa and throughout the state, and has received multiple honors along the way.

Congratulations to Bryony (Muniz) Scudder ’02, who was named February’s Teacher of the Month by Ocean 104.7. A compassionate yet tough teacher (Head Teacher of the Intermediate Team) at the Riverview School, she was nominated by a coworker, who said, “Scudder has been a great mentor to many of the teachers on the staff and her students love her. She develops students’ IEPs and organizes engaging field trips each week. She’s a dependable face for staff and students alike, always available and inspiring everyone to work at their best.” Scudder says her goal as a teacher is to make sure that every student’s voice is heard. She said in an interview

with the station, “It’s a great job. It’s easy to mentor. It’s just a different kind of teaching. I love teaching. Every single day from the minute I set foot in the school, every moment is a teachable moment. There’s no lesson or thought the students have that is too insignificant to share. We want to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and everyone is cared about in the same way. I can be tough but I’m also the first one to cheer when something has been accomplished, whether it’s winning a cross country race or successfully finishing a paragraph they’ve been working on.” Scudder also hosted a series of tutorials on how to navigate IEPs on Facebook over the winter.

Congratulations to Steven Heslinga ’04 and Paul Heslinga ’07, whose firm the Heslinga & Tate Private Wealth Group of Wells Fargo Advisors was recognized on the 2023 Forbes Bestin-State Wealth Management Teams list. They were the only Massachusetts-based Wells Fargo private wealth management team to be recognized.

Congratulations to Katie Gundersen ’06 who was promoted to Associate Director, Advancement Events at Brown University. Gundersen holds a Master’s Degree focused in Non-Profit/Public/ Organizational Management from the University of Rhode Island.

Peter MacDonald ’06 and his wife Anja welcomed their third child, Manley Johannes MacDonald in November. He is joined by big sisters Emilie and Miriam. Peter’s company, Wunderite, where Philip MacDonald ’09 is Manager of UX, continues to grow, helping insurance agencies and customers simplify applications with next generation software.

Following a cancer rehabilitation fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Alex Gundersen, MD ’09 has moved to Providence where she is Director of Cancer Rehabilitation with Lifespan Physician Group, affiliated with Brown University. Gundersen attended Villanova for undergrad and earned her medical degree from Penn State University College of Medicine.

2010s

As reported in the previous issue of The GAM, Ben Smith ’11 is a recruitment officer for the USMC and not USC.

Kudos to Marney Rathbun ’12, whose poem “Splinter” was published in The Kenyon Review’s 2022 September/October issue. “It’s my most nationally recognized publication yet so I’m very excited and proud.” Her work has also appeared in ITERANT, Salt Hill Journal, and Cosmonauts Avenue. After a stint teaching 11th grade English at Falmouth Academy last year, Rathbun began a masters program in divinity at Harvard University.

Katie Armstrong ’15 began a position at the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board as STEM Programs Manager. She focuses on STEM workforce development for high school students and does a lot of presenting and attending hiring fairs. Armstrong previously worked at Woodwell Climate Research Center on the Coonamessett River project, and she is a seasoned FA Science & Engineering Fair judge.

Kendall Currence ’18 is returning to Falmouth Academy to teach a basketball clinic as only she can. Taking place June 24 and 25, she will teach boys and girls, grades 4-12, to bring their skills to the next level. Registration can be found under the clinic tab at kendallcurrence.com.

Congratulations to Samira Wolf ’18, who graduated from Pfeiffer University in May 2022, with a degree in Criminal Justice. In December, she graduated from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s North Carolina Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Officer Wolf was sworn into the Salisbury Police Department in January.

Camden Emery ’19 has accepted an internship with Blizzard Albany to join the Cinematic Animation team for the summer of 2023. Emery graduated from Champlain College in the spring with a degree in game animation.

Falmouth Academy hosted another successful Students for Social Justice Conference in March with the theme, Rights and Responsibilities. MA Rep Dylan Fernandes ’08 made the closing statements, and Phoebe (Congalton) Morad ’95 attended with her daughter, and is pictured here with college counselor Ruth Slocum.

In Memory of Keyth Sylvia ’01

We are sad to report the passing of Keyth Sylvia ’01. In addition to special friends and relatives, including his daughter, Sylvia is survived by parents Mary and Jeffrey Sylvia, former members of Falmouth Academy’s transportation team. A “foodie” and an artist, Keyth was a marine deployed to Iraq in 2003 where he served with the 3rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

Alumni continue to support Falmouth Academy by judging at the annual Science and Engineering Fair. Thank you to (first row) Kyle Benton ’12, Rachel Dragos ’12, Katie Armstrong ’15, and Nick Lowell ’88, and students (second row) Ben Gulmann ’23, Landon Cormie ’23, Ben Giumetti ’23. Missing from the photo are Kenny McCormack ’09, Scott Brown ’89, and Clara (Roslansky) Hulburt ’79

Introducing the Mariner Network for FA Alumni

Mariner Network is a new FA-only alumni networking platform hosted by Alumnifire, that will provide a userfriendly space for FA alumni to connect, share career advice or job opportunities, and create affinity groups on topics of interest to them. It will serve as a resource board and a directory to find other FA alumni.

To make registration easier, you can sign in with your email or use your LinkedIn and Facebook credentials. (If your other schools currently use Alumnifire, you’ll be able to access all of your networks.)

The Mariner Network will only be open to FA alumni.

The Mariner Network makes it easy to connect with fellow alumni for social or career networking reasons. Join today at falmouthacademy. alumnifire.com.

Alumni Networking Tips

Former teacher Lalise Melillo joined visiting alumni in December at Alumni Working Day, who returned to offer advice on how to thrive in college and provide industry-specific information. These alumni chaired roundtable discussions on various topics including law, public policy, engineering, journalism, and game design.

L to R: Josh Novak ’19, Sam Colt-Simonds ’19, Andrew Kingman ’00, Alex Rickard ’22, Melillo, Clint McDowell ’22, Caitlin Corkeron ’21, Logan Moniz ’22, Jeffrey Moon ’92, Camden Emery ’19, Mark Kate Jones ’17, Hannah Stillman ’19, Gill Johnston ’18, and Sean O'Neill ’04 (front).

Alumni Blizzard Ball

Despite near-blizzard conditions and icy roadways, 14 Falmouth Academy friends played basketball during the school’s holiday break, and they had a blast.

Pictured here are the alumni (and a couple of friends) who played some holiday ball. Back row (l to r): Alex Carbone, Tim Wadman ’09, Xandy Walsh ’11, Kunaal Rajagopal ’16, Daniel Sakakini ’13, Lyon Van Voorhis ’11, Robert Eder ’15, Owen Sullivan ’15, Peter Wells ’14. Front row: Lucas Johns ’14, Cody Baker ’14, Matt Liles, Daniel Eder ’12.