Classroom and Beyond

Immigration Explained in Pictures and Words

Immigration Attorney Collin Mickel and Photographer Mark Chester spoke with Anka Martula’s 8th- and 11th-grade U.S. history classes in October in conjunction with Chester’s photography exhibit The Bay State: A Multicultural Landscape, which was on display in the Simon Center Art Gallery this fall. Mickel is the coordinator of the Immigration Resource Center in Hyannis, and Chester is a self-taught local photographer whose exhibit featured black and white portraits of naturalized U.S. citizens from around the world living in Massachusetts.

“Immigration has a central role in U.S. politics and current events,” says Martula, “but its complexities and their implications, not to mention the human stories underlying them, are rarely discussed and even less understood.” Mickel untangled some of the complexities around immigration law and policy, explaining familiar but ambiguous terms and concepts (What is a visa? A green card? What is the difference between a refugee and

an asylum-seeker?). He adeptly detailed the processes and policies of the U.S. immigration system, explored the sources of legal authority in the realm of immigration law, and discussed the varied and diverse immigrant communities on Cape Cod and the specific challenges they face. Chester joined the conversation, sharing his experiences photographing and chronicling the stories of more than 400 new Americans living who’ve emigrated from 194 of the world’s 196 countries and territories.

Attorney Collin Mickel guest lecturing in Anka Martula’s American Civics in Perspective course.

First Encounters: Menschen begegnen sich

Falmouth Academy, a German Center of Excellence, recently hosted the traveling exhibit First Encounters: Menschen begegnen sich, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG). Displayed in the Simon Center Art Gallery for one week in December, the exhibit explored migration and its effects on shaping the German-American transatlantic friendship.

First Encounters was part of the Year of German-American Friendship initiative, which encourages cultural exchange and encounter. “This exhibit was a colorful way to entice students to investigate the continuing history of migration in general and its effects in shaping the German-American transatlantic friendship in particular,” said Academic Dean Petra Ehrenbrink.

From the beginnings of European immigration to North America, Germans have contributed to the political, cultural, and social aspects of the United States. Those first encounters took different forms depending on when and where German settlers arrived. Visitors to the exhibit were prompted to learn more about those first encounters, how Germans adjusted to their new environments, and how they contributed to their new communities.

Master Calligrapher Cather Zhang ’20 Shares Her Art

As part of this year’s celebration of the Lunar New Year, senior Cather Zhang, a master calligrapher, created twelve panels for an exhibit in the Simon Center Art Gallery. The exhibit featured contemporary and traditional examples both of content and form. “Poems are a common subject matter used as a rhetorical form of expression,” says Cather. “They are popular with Chinese officials and politicians.” Cather included a contemporary poem by Chen Yi, the former mayor of her hometown of Shanghai, and an excerpt of the Lanting Xu, the most famous example of running (semi-cursive) script from the East Jin Dynasty (317 – 420 CE). The original was done by Wang Xizhi in 353 CE as part of a spring purification ritual. Cather’s rendition was flawlessly executed, totaling 324 characters in 28 columns, painted with a weasel-whisker brush.

Cather’s teacher, Xuan, taught her that art follows form. She recalled him saying even one’s posture and thoughts influence one’s writing. “The movement must be quick and fluid as the rice paper (Shengxuan) absorbs the ink very quickly. If you hesitate, the ink may bleed or the characters will turn out shaky or sloppy.”

The act of writing should be as beautiful as the art itself, says Cather. There is a bit of performance to it, which was evident at All-School Meeting when Cather demonstrated her artistry while writing well-wishes for the Lunar New Year.

Chinese characters are read from right to left. If the layout is oriented up and down, the viewer would read down the page and then right to left. There is a greater creative license now that calligraphy is practiced more as an art than a method of transcription. Generally, the artist works around a theme and expresses it by the way they form the characters, creating a balanced and pleasing aesthetic. “Before I

write,” says Cather, “I picture the character shape and how it will look on the paper. I assess the total design and plan my strokes and then let my hands do what they’ve been trained to do without overthinking it. It is very quick.”

While it may look effortless when Cather does it, students in her March X-Day workshop would likely beg to differ. Cather taught a four-hour class on Chinese Calligraphy to eight students, touching on its rich history and cultural significance and with lots of opportunities for hands-on practice, but of course with proper form.

Above: Cather exhibiting her art in the Simon Center for the Arts. Below (l-r): Cather demonstrating the lesson to Max Richins ’22, Jack Butler ’22, and James Kelleher ’22 and helping Sophia Barry ’23 on her form on Exploration Day.

FA Celebrates Black History Month

Consider the words of Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and current Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who said, “You can tell a great deal about a country and a people by what they deem important enough to remember, to create moments for–what graces the walls of their galleries, what images appear on their currency, what holidays they celebrate.”

“Yet I would suggest,” he says, “that we learn even more about a country by what it chooses to forget—its mistakes, its disappointments, and its embarrassments. In some ways, African American History month is a clarion call to remember.”

In early February, Falmouth Academy kicked off a celebration of Black History Month designed by a subgroup of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion faculty committee in collaboration with the Students of Color. Inspired by the words of Dr. Bunch, time was set aside during All-School Meeting weekly to highlight the generous contributions of black Americans.

Tarun Gonneea ’22 (below), Leah Croom ’24 (top right), and Derick Sterling ’22 (bottom right) reading And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou.

Activities included musical performances celebrating black musicians and music throughout history, an exploration of black contributions to art, science, and culture in the form of an interactive riff on the popular board game, Trivial Pursuit, and a poetry reading of And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou performed by members of the Students of Color group. In addition, the school’s hallways and library featured thought-provoking exhibits, and an extended advisory period was dedicated to exploring our own cultural journeys as a means of celebrating our shared humanity.

The festivities began with a piano solo by freshman Matthew Coggins playing Maple Leaf Rag (Scott Joplin, 1899). Joplin’s score has been credited with changing American music and setting the stage for Dixieland, swing, and jazz.

The chorus, under the direction of Vickie Vieira, brought Black History Month to a close on a hopeful and inspiring note by singing the words of Langston Hughes’ poem, “I Dream a World” set to music by composer André J. Thomas.

Selma

Approximately 150 people braved torrential rain and downed trees in early February to attend a free screening of the film Selma in FA’s Hermann Theater. Co-hosted with the Woods Hole Diversity Action Committee, the screening was in keeping with this year’s Black History Month theme “African Americans and the Vote.” Selma chronicles Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.

Listen Up Series By Mia Galvam ’20

Reprinted in part from The Chandlery www.fachandlery.org

Listen Up! Experiences of Students of Color on the Cape was a community event, open to all, held at Falmouth Academy on the evening of Tuesday, March 3. It came on the heels of Black History Month and at the beginning of Women’s History Month, which was a perfect crossroads for me, as I am a student, a person of color, and a woman. That all three of these identifiers put me in a marginal position in relation to the dominant culture, which remains adult, white, and male, gave me a unique perspective about power and vulnerability. For this event, I was asked to participate and share my experience as a student of

color. The evening was one in a series of listening events sponsored by the Woods Hole Diversity Action Committee (DAC). For this event, Falmouth Academy Students of Color partnered with Falmouth High School’s Diversity Group to offer ten personal stories by students about their experiences with race and racial bias, in the hope of heightening awareness and, ultimately, furthering allyship and inclusion.

It was a tall ask of high school students, to put in writing something so vulnerable or, God forbid, identifiable. To mitigate some of the personal cost and maybe even to boost participation, the organizers astutely orchestrated the event so that the writing was read aloud anonymously by other people. Each story was followed by a pause to allow the listener to feel through it while quiet music played. The rules laid out by the DAC for these events were simple, “Come with an open mind, be respectful, and NO talking.” The goal for these events, as stated on the DAC website “was to create a setting where voices were heard, where they would not be interrupted or have their stories denied or minimized; where listeners were challenged to think about their community and how people of color’s experiences are different than theirs; and where listeners could learn how to be [better] allies.”

Galvam writes the Students of Color column in The Chandlery; her article on “microaggressions” was the most-read article in the December 12 inaugural issue of the newspaper.

Above: back row (l-r): Lilia-Gabriella Miranda (FHS), Georgia Lavery Van Parijs (FHS), Cecialia Riley (FHS), Gerald Mahoney (FHS), Trevor Hodgson (FHS), Mia Galvam ’22 (FA), Arian Islam ’20 (FA), Derick Sterling ’22 (FA); front row (l-r): Carol DiFalco (FA School Counselor), Kayleah Griffen (DAC), Lindsay Scott (DAC), Onjalé Scott Price (DAC), Leah Croom ’24, Henry St. Julien (FHS Asst Principal), Joany Santa (Director of Human Resources FPS)

Educating for Global Understanding and Civic Engagement

Julie Swanbeck

Healthy democracies cultivate a balance between rights and responsibilities, and the culture at Falmouth Academy introduces students to that maxim and how it plays out practically in the daily lives of all citizens. FA’s history department takes a broad approach to civics education, striving to help students understand the “worlds” they live in and to acquire the habits and skills they need to function responsibly in society. Neither of these goals can be accomplished in simple ways.

Traditional approaches to civics tend to focus on the institutions and workings of the American government and the principles associated with the Constitution. In both grades 8 and 11, Falmouth Academy students study the United States government with a focus on the federal structure and concepts like separation of powers and limited government that are crucial to their expectations of how our democracy operates. Students regularly research and debate controversial topics in order to appreciate different perspectives and practice the art of civil discourse as they learn how the national, state and local governments are evolving in our large, multicultural and multifaceted country. Conversations in these classes center on both current and historical events, with the past shedding light on the present and the present lending perspective and relevance to the past.

As our students engage more deeply with other cultures in grades 7, 9, 10, and 12, they also come to appreciate how different peoples, ancient and modern,

Above left (l-r): Marcus Greco ’24, Wylie Wakefield ’24, Silas Van Horn ’23, Matthew Coggins ’23, Zach Crampton ’22, Tasha Sudofsky ’22, Izzy Santamauro ’20, Leo Zhang ’21, Keller Feronti ’24, Margaret Lowell ’23, Hunter Johnson ’25, Max Dijkaev ’20 in front cheering on the participants in the Wounded Warrior Ride on Thursday, September 12, 2019. Left: Julie Swanbeck addressing parents at Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

have achieved more and less successful forms of government. These courses provide students a wider perspective on how societies traveled the road to modern democracy and autocracy as they sought to balance the competing priorities of security, liberty, and equality. In studying Athens and Sparta, students gain perspective on citizenship in a democratic versus an authoritarian society; in looking at the birth of the modern nation-state, they better comprehend the idea of nationalism; and in learning about the American and French Revolutions, they come to understand the origin of republican governments as the basis for more broadbased democracy in the 21st Century.

All democracies assume informed citizens with access to the free exchange of ideas and a steady flow of information. But citizens of any civic body will

function more responsibly if they are interested and involved in public discourse, and if they understand how to discern credible from inaccurate or overly biased sources of information. As young adults, Falmouth Academy graduates must understand that democracy is a relatively young experiment in the history of the world and that healthy democracies are continuing works in progress. FA teachers hope that our graduates will embark on their lives knowing that our democratic republic protects their rights but also needs their active engagement. Caring about the body politic, following current events, and becoming involved at a local, state or national level in any number of ways will go a long way towards keeping “government by the people” a firm and vigorous reality in what can be a challenging world.

Above: On Friday, September 20th, Lucia Gomez-Ibanez ’25, Mateo Darack ’23, Sarah Thieler ’22, Mia Galvam ’22, Josie Leveque ’25, Sadie Leveque ’23, Petra Brienza ’23, Ursula Junker ’23 take part in an international climate strike held on the Falmouth Village Green. Left: Falmouth’s Martin Luther King Jr, Day Breakfast on January 21, 2020, (back row L-R) Mr. Bill Andrade, Meghan Dooley ’25, Derick Sterling ’22, Jack DiFalco-Wheeler ’22, Tarun Gonneea ’22, Coach Tyrone Croom, Ms. Carol DiFalco (sitting L-R) Mia Galvam ’22, Kyra Ramsey ’22, Mrs. Britta Santamauro, Jojo Torres ’25, Ellie Thomas ’21, Mr. Matt Green, Mrs. Amy Galvam, Charlotte Galvam, and Leah Croom ’24.

If You Can Drive a Car You Should Be Able to Cast A Ballot

State Representative Dylan Fernandes participated in Alumni College & Career Networking Day this past December speaking with juniors and seniors about careers, college, and life after Falmouth Academy. A 2008 graduate of Falmouth High School, Fernandes attended Falmouth Academy in grades 7 through 9. Since 2017, he has served in the Massachusetts state legislature representing Falmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO THE STUDENTS

ABOUT THE BILL,

DYLAN FERNANDES ASKED, “WOULD YOU

LIKE THE POWER

TO VOTE ON ISSUES DIRECTLY IMPACTING YOUR LIFE?”

GAM: Why did you choose a career in politics?

DF: As a millennial Cape Codder, my greatest concern is addressing global warming, but I also care deeply about social justice, sustainability, and equity. Politics and government give people the power to act on issues they care about.

GAM: You attended American University and later transferred to the College of Charleston. What advice do you have for students when they’re considering a college or a major?

DF: I tell students not to get hung up on a big-name school or to incur a lot of debt for college. Whether you drive a Tesla, a Honda Civic with all the bells and whistles, or just the base model, all can get you to where you want to go.

GAM: After studying political science and economics in college, you landed your first job working as an organizer on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s reelection campaign and later served as political director on Maura Healey’s campaign for Attorney General of Massachusetts. What advice do you have for aspiring politicians?

DF: Get in early on a campaign and be prepared to work really hard. You’ll see tangible results almost immediately. Major in a subject with job opportunities to diversify your skills to expand your career options. If you want to go into politics, you don’t need a political science degree. You could study finance, English, or double major in something that interests you paired with something marketable.

GAM: You recently filed a bill allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal elections. Bill H.1132, known as the EMPOWER Act, would grant cities and towns the power to extend voting rights to individuals as young as 16 for local elections. Why is this important?

“The old FA textbook underlining and annotation skills of ‘read-understand-distill’ came up to bat once again when I had to boil down a universe of political vision to a few high-octane sentences, in a span of a few minutes, as I met and said farewell to voters for the first and last time. FA also built up my chops for active listening.” —Kurt Achin ’87 on stumping in Iowa on behalf of Andrew Yang for President 2020. Achin is a freelance news producer and videographer, formerly of Voice of America and CNN in South Korea

DF: This legislation is meant to be a complement to the mandatory civics education bill that passed in 2018. Under this bill teenagers would be allowed to vote for school committee members, selectmen, zoning board members, and other local elected positions, providing them with the opportunity to vote on things that directly affect them.

GAM: Why is civic engagement so important?

DF: There seems to be a widening knowledge gap and diminished civic engagement at a time when society has deep systemic problems like climate change and economic inequality. Studies show that involving young people in the political process early, while still living at home and aware of issues at the town and school levels, forms long-term habits of civic engagement.

GAM: Did your experience at Falmouth Academy influence your interest in public service?

DF: At FA students are respected and treated like fellow community members which was a stark contrast to the bureaucratic detachment I often felt at the public high school. At its heart, politics is personal and Falmouth Academy’s emphasis on building relationships and strengthening community bonds laid the foundation for my pursuit of public service. My love for the AthensSparta debate may have also piqued my interest!

SCHWEITZER-BLUHM ’90 Making Her Mark

When one thinks of civics at Falmouth Academy, a long list of people, activities, and traditions come to mind. But the many accomplishments of alumna Micaela (Mica) SchweitzerBluhm ’90, might put her firmly at the forefront. As was written in her FA senior yearbook, “A model for us all, Mica is sure to make a mark.” And she has…all over the world.

A career member of the U.S. Foreign Service, Schweitzer-Bluhm holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Brown University and a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies from the National War College. Currently the Diplomat in Residence for the Northwest, she is now responsible for engagement and recruitment throughout northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Prior to this post, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia.

During her 23-year career as a Foreign Service Officer, Schweitzer-Bluhm has worked at the U.S. embassies in Zagreb, Cairo, Baghdad, Tunis and Kathmandu and at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, where she was the Public Affairs Officer and spokesperson for the Consulate. In Washington, DC, she was a Watch Officer in the Department of State’s Operations Center and later was the Operations Center Deputy Director responsible for the Crisis Management Unit. Early in her career, she served as Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

GAM: Why did you pursue a career in diplomatic service?

MS-B: I’ve always loved learning about different parts of the world, different cultures, and people. I knew I wanted a job that would allow me to explore and see the world. I also grew up in a family that held civic participation and contributions to one’s community in high regard. I knew whatever work I pursued would need to feel purposeful and contribute to the welfare of my community—local, national, or global.

It wasn’t until I returned from Cameroon, where I studied abroad in my junior year at Brown, that I learned about Foreign Service. I enjoyed talking with people there about the U.S., our diverse culture, our democracy, and our culture of civic responsibility and engagement. A professor recommended the Foreign Service as a way to continue doing that professionally. I realized it was the perfect combination of global adventure and public service that I sought.

GAM: What in your Falmouth Academy experience had an impact on your desire to pursue this career?

MS-B: Falmouth Academy has always promoted a strong sense of civic responsibility in its students and fostered a strong sense of community within its halls. In our classes and in our activities, we were taught to see our school community within the larger picture of Falmouth, Cape Cod, the country, and the world. At FA, I learned to value cultural exchange and the opportunity it gives to foster mutual understanding between people of different countries. When I served in Iraq, I realized we needed host institutions for Iraqi students participating in our U.S.-sponsored exchange program. I immediately turned to FA, knowing that they would enthusiastically welcome an Iraqi student. [Nota Bene: Exchange student Ruba Ali graduated from Falmouth Academy in 2006.]

GAM: Can you describe the types of things you have done? Are your job and the mission the same in every posting? MS-B: Within the Foreign Service, we call ourselves Foreign Service Generalists. This is because we are expected to meet whatever the need is at the time and to master whatever job we are given. In my various assignments, I have managed our

“Falmouth Academy is a strong community, full of service-minded individuals. There is a proud tradition at this school of a commitment to public service. I bring that spirit with me wherever I go in the world.” —Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm ’90 Speech to Falmouth Academy audience after receiving the Alumni Service Award, June 2004

CHRONOLOGY

Kathmandu, Nepal

Washington DC

Washington, DC

Tunis, Tunisia

Cairo, Egypt

Baghdad, Iraq

Jerusalem

Zagreb, Croatia

Washington, DC

Skopje, North Macedonia

Consular and Political Officer

Watch Officer

Staff Assistant, Bureau for Near Eastern Affairs

Arabic Language School

Cultural Affairs Officer

Public Diplomacy Officer

U.S. Consulate General - Public Affairs Officer and spokesperson for the Consulate

Regional Economic Officer

Deputy Director for Crisis Management Support, Operations Center

Deputy Chief of Mission

Left: Schweitzer-Bluhm reviews the joint U.S.-North Macedonia military exercise with Defense Minister Radmilla Shekerinska. Above (l-r): On tour, Schweitzer-Bluhm conducts a briefing with Iraqi journalists in 2004; in Ramallah at an election breakfast in 2008 and in Jerusalem; in Dubrovnik, Croatia with Ambassador Jim Foley and the Embassy team after opening the 2011 Brown Forum for over 200 participants including business leaders from the region.

public engagement and all our public diplomacy programs, from exchanges to media to cultural and speaker programs to education and English language programs. I have also performed consular work, facilitating legal travel to the U.S., immigration efforts, and assisting U.S. citizens abroad with routine and emergency services. I have also served as a political officer and as an economic officer. In Washington, DC, my two tours in the Operations Center involved monitoring developing events around the world, anticipating and preparing for crises, and coordinating the U.S. government response to those crises.

In each position, the overarching mission is to support U.S. diplomatic engagement and to advance U.S. interests worldwide. In each country, that can involve a slightly different focus and approach.

One of the things I love about being a Foreign Service Officer is that I am pushed to master a new job, set of issues, country, and language every two to three years. It’s meant a life of learning. It also keeps you humble, as you challenge yourself in every tour to learn, grow, and excel, and to recognize the limits of your knowledge and the advantages of working within a team.

GAM: Can you talk about the training you go through in general, and for each posting? MS-B: The Department of State really invests in its people, giving us a range of professional training and educational opportunities. In addition to job-specific training for the various work I’ve done, I’ve received language training, management and leadership training, communications training, security and safety training, and area familiarization training. I attended graduate school at the National War College as well.

I’ve spent a total of three-and-a-half years as a full-time language student during my Foreign Service career and have studied Macedonian, Arabic, French, and Nepali. I love learning languages and have enjoyed being able to communicate with people in their own language in the various countries in which we have lived.

GAM: How do you measure success?

MS-B: An embassy is a team, and we work collaboratively to advance U.S. interests and represent the U.S. on foreign soil. On my first assignment overseas, I worked for an exceptional Deputy Chief of Mission, who led our embassy with vision and inspired us all to perform at our best. My individual professional goal was to someday also serve as a Deputy Chief of Mission and to try my best to emulate her. I was fortunate enough to be given such an opportunity on my last tour.

GAM: What aspects of your Falmouth Academy experience prepared you for your work?

MS-B: The focus on writing! In the Foreign Service, we write A LOT. Knowing how to write well, write persuasively and clearly, and in different styles is essential. These are all things I learned at Falmouth Academy. As I have seen colleagues work to adapt their writing to meet expectations and standards within the Department of State, I’ve been enormously grateful for the exceptional foundation in writing that Falmouth Academy gave me.

GAM: Would you recommend working for the State Department? Why?

MS-B: Absolutely! My current assignment as a Diplomat in Residence is entirely about promoting student and professional opportunities with the U.S. Department of State and coaching people through the process of applying. After serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Skopje, I wanted to take an assignment that allowed me to give back to the institution that gave me incredible opportunities, nurtured, and challenged me. As a Diplomat in Residence, each day I encourage people to pursue careers, internships, and fellowships with the Department of State. The work is meaningful and fascinating. Our careers.state.gov website is full of great information about student opportunities and professional work, at home and abroad.

GAM: Are there areas in the world you’d like to return to? MS-B: Each city in which we have lived has become home and we would love to visit again. At the same time, there are so many parts of the world I have yet to see. Every time our “bid list” of available positions comes out, it is like Christmas morning, as we explore the many interesting places to go and jobs to do. At the beginning of my career, I could not have predicted the path of amazing cities in which I have lived and worked. I still have a “wish list” of places in which I have always wanted to serve. To do all those, though, would take several lifetimes! The world is an endless opportunity to explore and in which to delight.

GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER Coach Ben Parsons

“Our three senior captains anchored the defense of a young team that is poised for growth in the coming years. Their leadership brought cohesion and energy to every practice and game and, even faced with significant challenges, they embodied the best ideals of FA athletics.”

Team Sportsmanship Award Division All-Star

Ainsley Ramsey ’20 (pictured)

Honorable Mention

Casandra Douglass ’20

Sportsmanship Award

Bailey Jordan ’20

BOYS VARSITY SOCCER Coach Alex Nestor

“Cody Feldott ’22 was one of the few players unanimously nominated and one of only two sophomores. He deserves this award and I am proud not only of his achievement on the field but his attitude and effort. This season we had an incredibly young team, with many ninth and tenth graders. Cody earned All-Star honors after finishing third in the division in goals with a total of eight for the season. Our team was also honored with the coaches’ sportsmanship award. This award, while it does not show on the score sheet, depicts the character of the boys in our program. There is a lot of positive energy within the boys soccer program, and we are very optimistic about the future.”

Division All-Star and recognized for being the third-highest scorer

Cody Feldott ’22 (pictured)

Honorable Mention

Max Djikaev ’20

Sportsmanship Award

Ben Mihalovich ’22

CAPE & ISLANDS LEAGUE AWARDS

At the end of each season, the league’s coaches meet and recognize exceptional players and teams, both for skill and sportsmanship. Congratulations to our outstanding players.

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL Coach Tyrone Croom

We came into the season with high hopes with a senior-laden roster, six seniors, two juniors, one sophomore, and one freshman. Overall, I felt that we experienced some growing pains adapting to new systems and roles on the team. I think we came a long way with our ability to compete, but we lost a lot of close games and games we had close at the half.

Offensively the Mariners were led by guard Rob Ciaffoni who averaged 10.7 points per game, including a 26-point career-high against Cavalry. Ciaffoni was a solid force on both ends of the court. Other scoring leaders include senior forward Dylan Kadison (6.5 ppg, careerhigh 20 pts vs CCT), Chandler DeBarros (4.1 ppg), and James Goldbach ’21 (3.6 ppg).

Positives from this season: two players scored more than 100 points, offensively the team scored more points in a season than the last five seasons. Defensively, the team held opponents’ point total under the average for the last five seasons. Stats like these show that we are moving in the right direction.

Cape and Islands League All-Star

Robbie Ciaffoni ’20 (pictured)

Team Awards With Comments from Coach Croom

Coaches Award—Chandler DeBarros “We will miss Chandler. He was a steadying influence on everyone and completed every assignment he was given.” Hustle Award—Dylan Kadison “The energy and excitement Dylan brought throughout the season will be missed.” Most Improved—Ben Mihalovich “Ben worked his way into the starting lineup. When he asserts himself, he can be a difference-maker. It was nice to see him develop and we look forward to seeing that development.”

Other members of the team this season were Marco Farina ’20, Quincy Boardman ’20, Arian Islam ’20, Gray Augat ’20 Jack DiFalco-Wheeler ’22, Matt Coggins ’23, and Cam MacLean ’21 who suffered a season-ending injury early in the season.

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL Coach Kyla Krueger

It was twelve weeks of laughter and hard work as a respectful and intelligent team of female student-athletes shared lessons of life and sport. The season did not last as long as we wanted it to, however, I see our season as a success. Making it into the state tournament once again this year was not an easy task, however, the team pushed themselves to get there. Our “Finish Strong” mentality was evident in our effort on the court and in the classroom. This 12-member team saw itself receive seven awards during the annual FA science fair, showing they were skilled both on the court and in the classroom. Our accomplishments continued into the off-season when two players were chosen as League All-Stars, Team Captain Ainsley Ramsey ’20 and Leah Croom ’24. Ramsey and Croom represented Falmouth Academy all season as strong competitors and good sports. Ainsley will be carrying on in her pursuit of a degree from Bowdoin College where her physical ability will be tested on the lacrosse field next year as a collegiate athlete. Leah Croom has four years ahead of her as a Mariner, where I hope to engage her physically and mentally to show what hard work and a positive attitude can bring to a team.

Cape and Islands League All-Star

Ainsley Ramsey ’20

Cape and Islands League All-Star

Leah Croom ’24 (pictured)

Cross Country Club’s First Season Coach Kaleigh Sullivan

Looking back on the first day of practice to where the season ended, it is easy to see great improvement and dedication. We had 14 runners participating this inaugural year, the majority being 8th through 10th graders. Although we only had a handful of meets,

mostly against Cape Cod Academy, we did our best to get involved in any invitational meets we could as a “club” sport. During the first week of practice, I had the runners run a timed mile, which served as a starting point. Throughout the season we practiced running in Beebe Woods and Trotting Park and took advantage of the bike path for longer runs. Running 400 and 800-meter intervals, mile repeats, and hills, the runners got stronger each week. At first, running 2 miles was exhausting, but after a while, the kids enjoyed running farther and farther down the bike path, exceeding their previous distances. It was clear to see the runner’s determination, especially on rainy and cold days. Their hard work improved their 5K running times by 2-3 minutes, and mile times for everyone improved. By the end of October, not only were the runners improving as individuals but they were becoming tighter as a team, and as friends. The team’s sportsmanship and camaraderie made me proud. It was enjoyable getting to know each runner and working towards meeting their personal goals while watching the team coalesce. I am looking forward to next fall as we transition from club to team, competing in the MIAA division.