December 2013
BERWICK A C A D E M Y
1791 L e t t e r
2013 Winter Concerts
1791 Letter ~December 2013
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MESSAGE F R O M
By the time you receive this edition of the 1791 Letter, I hope you may have seen our recent announcement about an exciting new partnership for the Berwick Academy Teaching Institute. For many years now, our intern program has been a somewhat hidden gem within the Berwick community. My hope is that the recent evolution and augmentation of this program will bring the proper recognition it deserves. I would be remiss in starting this piece without thanking those who helped find and build the original program, namely Ruth Rioux and Nan Ramsey. More recently, program director Alice Lynch deserves tremendous credit for her intentional work in bringing about this new relationship. This result was found after casting an extremely wide net with graduate schools of education throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. As you might imagine, the nuances of higher education institutions are political and complex, and Alice deserves great acclaim for her persistence and thoughtfulness in helping us arrive at this outcome. Training future teachers on our campus has tremendous positive impact on the lives of Berwick students. First, it creates a mechanism where we continually bring new talent and ideas to our School. These interns quickly become essential members of our classrooms, activities, and even athletic teams and programs such as aftercare. By the end of each year, I am always amazed by how difficult it is to say goodbye to each group of interns, as they become deeply connected to the fabric of this place in a short amount of time. Their 2
Greg Schneider
Head of School
presence also improves the quality of our own permanent faculty. Our mentor teachers, in particular, have to reflect deeply on why they do what they do with your children. Interns naturally question the thought process behind pedagogy and classroom management strategies – all of this keeps our teachers at their best. Finally, I believe this program serves our mission of promoting virtue and useful knowledge by regularly sending a group of top-notch teachers into a field that is desperate for more strong professionals. In many ways, our teaching intern program has served a very public purpose. Our existing program with the University of New England was successful in many ways, but there were also some emerging limitations. The program focused upon offering teaching certification in the State of Maine, which meant the vast majority of our interns were seeking employment in local districts. This was an obstacle in building a deep applicant pool and in finding successful placements for our graduates. The program was also limited to grades K-8, and it put a heavy burden on the relatively small group of state-certified teachers on our faculty as mentors. First and foremost, we believe the connection with Lesley University represents a step towards our vision of national excellence. As one of the finest schools of education in the country, Lesley offers a national draw and a more powerful marketing force to boost the number and quality of our applications. In fact, their school already has similar collaborations with a number of fine independent schools 1791 Letter ~December 2013
in the metro-Boston area. Their administrative group has truly been flexible, accommodating, and excited to help launch a new relationship with a school in southern Maine. Our new program will not offer state-certification, thus putting more emphasis on those who hope to become independent school teachers specifically. While this will undoubtedly have some impact on the market for candidates, it also provides us with exciting new flexibility. For the first time, interns will be welcomed into our Upper School program, which is currently home to more than half of our student population. We will be able to increase the number of disciplines teachers can pursue on campus as well. The final ingredient for the national-level teaching institute that the Board of Trustees and I continue to explore is additional possibilities for housing. We believe the hybrid experience of urban and rural represented by the Berwick/Lesley partnership could be even more appealing with housing provided on or near campus. If we are successful in building this program in the long-term, I view this new internship model as a strategic lever in support of our desire to attract a more diverse population of employees to our campus. As with any important strategic decision, there will certainly be some risks associated with the new model. Most notably we have to market our program as a unique blend of an advanced degree with specific work experience to launch an independent school career. Those who seek public school certification may be drawn elsewhere, although we hope to create
BERWICK A C A D E M Y
appropriate paths within our program for this group as well. However, with a new marketing push both from Berwick Academy and from Lesley University, I am confident that we will be able to put this program on the map as a premiere option in New England over time. Even more importantly, I believe this new model will gradually involve more of our own teachers, which will ultimately have that much more positive impact on the lives of Berwick students.
1791 Letter
I attended these shows with great pride this month. Notable Dates Monday, January 6 – classes resume Monday, January 20 – NO SCHOOL – Martin Luther King Day Friday, January 31 – Winterfest
We will look forward to keeping all of you abreast of the progress of our intern program. For now, I hope that all of you reading this enjoy a wonderful holiday with family and friends. Berwick has enjoyed a tremendous first half of our academic year, and I know the best is yet to come. Notes: Snow in the Forecast: Please remember to be patient with driving and empathetic to the plight of yours truly as we try to make smart decisions around snow and safety this winter. As always, you are invited to keep your children at home should you believe the conditions are unsafe for travel. Berwick offers a geography that is incredibly challenging on this issue. AIM Survey: Many thanks to all of you who have taken part in our AIM survey process over the past few weeks. I look forward to sharing the initial results of this important work with the parent community in the spring. Congratulations Musicians: As we come off of an exciting winter concert season, I wanted to congratulate all of our music faculty and student performers on a job well done. As a part of school life that is very near to my heart, 1791 Letter ~December 2013
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Shiela Esten - Upper School Director
Upper School News “A fundamental concern for our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.” – Nelson Mandela This is the season of reflection. Between the holiday celebrations and the turning of the page to a new year, it seems natural to think about all that is happening with a particular eye toward gratitude and appreciation. My reflection has been enhanced recently by the planning we are doing for the upcoming All-School Holiday Assembly that will focus on the theme of giving. With the passing of Nelson Mandela, the magnitude of this consideration just grows. In the Upper School, evidence of a giving spirit abounds. Our students are so invested in forging their individual paths of growth and discovery, and a significant part of that journey involves sharing their unique talents, gifts, passions, questions, and curiosity with those around them – both in the immediate community and beyond. We know that many of our students are involved in a range of service-oriented projects outside of their school lives because these kinds of initiatives are such a central part of how they want to engage the world. It is also interesting to consider the many ways that they engage this same drive in the context of their Berwick lives. In addition to the ongoing efforts of our Outreach group which meets several afternoons a week in 4
the winter so that students can go off into the greater local community and provide a range of services, the Upper School has been engaged in some other initiatives this year that have helped to raise awareness of the range and scope of needs around us. Most recently, Brad Fletcher has engaged the community in his on-going commitment on behalf of the School to help some local South Berwick families out in the holiday season. The student response to lending the joy of holiday gifts was really pretty overwhelming.
them to share their unique stories about some of those elements that have shaped their experience and identity. This is something that Greg Schneider also did with the Board of Trustees, and with the full faculty to start the school year. The result in every case was an increased appreciation for the range of perspectives we all bring to the table and share in this Berwick community, but also an acknowledgement of the power that this gives back to each of us as we continue to try to work on behalf of ourselves and others.
On a more global scale, we have also engaged the students in some different activities this fall, with the intent of raising awareness of the range of needs throughout the world. Before Thanksgiving we spent a full day involved in two different global simulations. One asked them to actively work toward global peace – or at least the aversion of global crisis, and the other was an MIT climate simulation geared toward problem-solving around some real and urgent concerns. Our hope is that without overwhelming them, we can enhance and expand upon that natural instinct we see in our students to have a positive impact on the world around them.
To start this school year, the senior class invited Jon Davie to be the faculty speaker at Commencement. Anyone who knows Jon knows that he is a passionate advocate for environmental issues. In his talk, he implored the seniors at the outset of this important year, to start thinking about the greater world they will soon be entering with an eye toward how they can bring the fullness of their passion and experience to engage it for the better. While the wide eyes of the seniors in that particular moment suggested this might be a more overwhelming idea than they bargained for on the eve of their senior year, there is no question in my mind that they, and their classmates after them, are well poised to give it their best shot.
Last week, we also engaged the senior class in an exercise that while very intimate in its execution, is also an avenue toward broadening awareness. As a part of our school-wide AIM initiative designed to get an issues of multiculturalism and inclusivity in our community, we spent some time with the seniors in small groups, asking 1791 Letter ~December 2013
Ryan Feeley - Middle School Director
Middle School News As is usually the case, the holiday season is a time when we reflect on our good fortune and turn our thoughts to opportunities to help others less fortunate than us. In an ideal world, we would all consistently make these kinds of efforts regardless of the time of year, and most schools try their best to accomplish just that. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find an independent school that does not emphasize community service in some manner. During my time in schools, I have seen students participate in a range of community service opportunities that spanned from visiting nursing homes, to assisting with winter coat drives, from stacking firewood for an elderly neighbor, to helping a local library reorganize after a renovation project. In some cases, the school service projects focus on raising money for worthy causes such as the victims of Hurricane Katrina or a local soup kitchen. As we think about how we educate our kids around the concepts of service and giving, I believe we need to always keep in mind the importance of our students seeing and feeling a genuine connection to those in need. It can’t simply be a check box on a list of good turns for us to do. Service in and of itself is a wonderful ideal. However, if our goal is service learning, we need to take additional steps beyond simply delivering for the cause. With that goal in mind, I was very heartened to learn about an annual middle school project that seems to pull together what I believe are four prerequisites for a high quality service
learning opportunity: an authentic cause, a sustained student effort, an opportunity for deep reflection, and a genuine connection between the students and those receiving their service. For each of the last three years, led by homeroom teachers, Sally Needell, Lisa Wagner, and Susan Morris, our 6th graders have designed, created, and given stockings to troops in Afghanistan. The stockings are given to the greeters group at Pease Air Force Base and filled with small holiday gifts for the soldiers. In Ms. Needell’s classes, students hone their math skills by determining the amount of fabric needed as well as the cost. Next, they work each morning with their homeroom teachers to make the stockings. (Huge thanks to the BPC for providing the sewing machines to do this work!) If the project were to stop there, I believe it would make a quality community service effort. However, the 6th graders and their teachers take it a step further, which, in my mind, is what separates their efforts from many other service projects I’ve seen in schools. To this point, the authentic cause and sustained student effort are firmly in place. Next, our sixth graders are able to reflect by writing notes to each soldier, in which they introduce themselves and offer wishes for safe and happy holidays so far from home. As Mrs. Wagner shares, the letters are incredibly heartfelt, which speaks to the depth of reflection the students engage in as they write.
1791 Letter ~December 2013
The final piece, the opportunity to connect with those on the receiving end of the service project, may seem especially challenging in this case, given the geography. Understandably, the teachers are careful not to get their students’ hopes up in expecting any response from the soldiers, given their tremendous responsibilities. However, last year, the 6th grade received a series of thank you notes and a US flag from one squadron as a sign of their appreciation. In that experience, students were able to directly see the impact of their efforts. This year’s sixth grade group completed their stockings earlier this fall and soon the troops will be receiving the fruits of our students’ labor. While we don’t know for certain if the soldiers will write back to our students, there is no doubt that the experience our sixth graders have had was a wholehearted and authentic act of service. The hope, of course is that this single act of service will resonate with them in such a way that giving to others becomes not only a lifelong habit, but one which knows no season, and that our students will grow into compassionate and caring individuals who don’t require a holiday to prompt them to reach out and help others.
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Joel Hawes - Lower School Director
The Lower School faculty recently wrote their first trimester report card narratives for each student within our division. This thorough documentation of student achievement in homeroom and unified arts classes is an essential component of our wellrounded academic program. At the beginning of the reportwriting process, I review technical, logistical, and philosophical issues with my colleagues at a designated Lower School faculty meeting. Included in that crucial gathering is a review of overly used terms and generic descriptors in explaining student progress. We attempt to be both specific and supportive with our narrative descriptions in order to accurately document student progress for parent/student awareness and for system documentation. I review each child’s report upon completion by the Lower School faculty. Thus, I am aware of our collective language used in these reports. Yearly, there are certain phrases that catch my attention, including that of “risk taker.” There are numerous times in which our faculty group is commending a specific student for being a risk taker or is suggesting that a specific student might become a greater risk taker. This term regularly catches my attention within our student reports for the obvious fact that risk-taking has both positive and negative connotations. Certainly, as students age, forms of risk-taking can lead one in different directions. Often, I like to add the
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Lower School News qualifier of academic risk taker to further support the intended use of the term. What is “academic risk-taking” and why is it one of the most commonly used phrases in our reports? Understandably, it looks different for each student but typically involves one’s classroom approach in moving out of a level of comfort (or discomfort) in order to promote change or challenge at a learning or behavioral level which has not necessarily yet been achieved. It also involves moving away from fear of failure, for the act of academic risk-taking does not necessarily involve all-out initial achievement or lack thereof. Typically, it involves a student’s movement along a behavioral continuum to a point of successful progress within a stated goal of greater confidence or independence around a certain approach. The risk involved in being less afraid of making an error, of challenging oneself by choice, or of appreciating the opportunity to try new approaches cuts across the curriculum at various levels. Risk taking can play out in social situations (reaching out to a new friend or attempting to clear up a misunderstanding); content areas (employing a math problemsolving skill or stretching one’s writing skills); and class interactions (asking a question or volunteering an answer). It is no surprise that group dynamics play a significant role in promoting positive risk-taking. As students mature through the elementary, middle, and high school years, they
1791 Letter ~December 2013
typically become more self-conscious and more connected with the need for various forms of approval from their classmates. Individual and group dynamics impact the degree to which students will take the requisite steps forward in an attempt to gain greater comfort in the risk-taking process. While the faculty encourages positive academic risk-taking, they also practice it. I am proud of the manner in which the Lower School group is often embarking on personal and professional experiences that further stretch their level of comfort around a stated goal. Modeling, of course, is crucial to the process as is an empathic awareness of what we are actually asking of our students when we prompt them to take a risk (including when we write that report card suggestion). The external encouragement and internal faith in the potential growth of each and every child is crucial and sincere when a report card comment suggests greater levels of academic risk taking. And it is my hope that these comments and the many other observations contained within the first trimester student reports lead us to a second trimester in our division filled with growth and progress.
Rob Quinn - Athletic Director
1791 Athletics As we head into the holidays we are reminded about gift giving. This past summer when I was in a bookstore on the Cape, I stumbled upon this poster written by Alison Bramm, an artist from Falmouth, Maine. She wrote this for her niece as she was preparing to graduate high school. This is truly a gift and you are never too young or too old to learn (or be reminded) to be true to yourself and go for it! I have since shared this with my wife and children and we have all referred back to this advice as we have navigated our busy lives. It serves as a reminder of everything we know deep down but sometimes forget. Go Places, Do Things, Be Happy! When you go out in the real world remember to keep your eyes wide open and listen to one another. Be patient and kind. Be true to yourself and always do your very best. Be open-minded and try new things, even if they scare you at first. You will grow from each new experience. Ask questions when you don’t know the answer and share your knowledge with others. Tell the truth and be true to your word. Never take yourself too seriously, remember to laugh with others and at yourself. Be polite and respectful and treat others as you would like to be treated. Love and let love in. Give thanks for all that is around you and leave things in nature so others can enjoy them too. Share what you have and help others who are less fortunate. Remember our differences don’t make us weird, they make us special and unique – celebrate them! Be grateful for all that you
Athletics News have, the little things too. Most importantly BELIEVE in yourself and others will believe in you. Challenge yourself and dream big, real BIG! Set goals and go after them. Remember to look for the good in everything and everyone and you will do great things in this world. Go Places, Do Things, Be Happy!
Upper School Fall Sports Award Winners
TEAM/SPORT
MVP
COACHES’
Girls JV Blue Soccer
Annie Vatcher
Sammi Marden
Varsity Field Hockey
Kristen Jones
Andrea Zannos
Boys JV Blue Soccer
Luke McNamara
Keegan McCabe
Girls Varsity Cross Country
Lily Spearman
Claire Breger-Belsky
Page Waldo
Dominique St.Pierre
JV Field Hockey
Kailey Sonricker
Jeanne Allen
Boys Varsity Soccer
Erik Wisniewski
Andrew Hawkins
Girls Varsity Soccer
Cora Ordway
Siobhan McDermott
Boys JV White Soccer
Sam Twombly
Jake Donoghue
Aidan Cookson
Clayton Jacques
Luc Linemayr
Alex Hopkins
Girls JV White Soccer
Boys Varsity Cross Country Boys Varsity Golf
Off the Hilltop Bates College junior Andrew Briggs (Berwick class of 2011), won two individual events and helped win a relay at a recent meet for the Bates men’s swimming team. Briggs timed in first in the 100-yard individual medley at 55.59 seconds, edging runner-up senior teammate Venkatesh Duvvuri (South Orange, N.J.) by 1.10 seconds and moving into fourth place on the team’s all-time performance list in the event. Briggs then won the 200 breaststroke in 2:15.62. Congratulations to Andrew for his tremendous performance and making Berwick proud!
continued on pg 10... 1791 Letter ~December 2013
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Seth A. Hurd ‘90 - Visual and Performing Arts Director
From Lower School Music As a tie in to our new Passports program, on November 26 we had a guest artist “Miss Joyce” Dr. Xu Yi. She came and shared her skills on the guzheng. “Gu” meaning ancient and Zheng meaning strings. “Chinese Zither” The fourth grade LS students sang “It’s a Small World” to Joyce in Mandarin, compliments of Ms. Huang’s teachings. She accompanied the Lower School Chorus on Crescent Moon and will return to perform with the children on December 13 at the Lower School Winter Assembly.
Arts News
The photo below is of the National Children’s Choir which had representation from Berwick Academy. This photo is taken in front of the state house of Hartford CT. These children were singing at a race that raised money for the families of the victims of Newtown.
Dates to Remember • Friday, December 20 Holiday Assembly 2:00 p.m., Athletic Center • January 2-4 Maine All-State Jazz Festival Bangor High School • January 24-25 District 1 Music Festival Noble High School • January 31 Winterfest 2014 7:00 p.m., Arts Center Theater • February 2 Winterfest Snow Date 3:00 p.m. Arts Center Theater
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1791 Letter ~December 2013
• February 7-8 YCJH Music Festival Bonny Eagle MS • February 28 / March 1 YCJH Music Festival Snow Date Bonny Eagle MS • February 28 / March 1 Guys & Dolls 7:00 PM Arts Center Theater
BPC Notes - from the BPC Board Members
BPC Fundraising Work has begun on our annual online auction and the BPC Gala. These two pivotal events will provide BPC funding for the 2014-15 school year. Proceeds from the auction fund the BPC operating budget, which includes enrichment events for all three divisions, and the BPC grants for faculty and staff. The Gala is a cocktail and dinner party that provides the platform for the annual Fund-a-Need and tuition raffle. The Online Auction Last year we incorporated the BPC Arts online auction into the BPC online auction and the Arts had their best fundraising year ever! We will maintain that format this year. When you are bidding on an item in the “Arts” category, you are directly benefitting BPC Arts. Watch for the online auction opening on March 31, 2014.
Parent Community News
you are connected, or from local companies with whom you do business. We’ll have a convenient online donation feature this year. Watch for information about that in the New Year. The Gala Our trial run last year of having a Gala that included only the Tuition Raffle and Fund-a-Need was so successful that we have decided to maintain that model moving forward. Co-chairs Donna Copani and Suzanne Miller are already working to create a magnificent evening. Save the date - this year’s Gala will be held at the beautiful Golf Club of New England in Stratham, NH on April 26, 2014. BPC December Highlights Churchill’s Gardens from Exeter delivered 24 wreaths and 166 poinsettias to the grounds department last Friday. Our heartfelt thanks to them for cheerfully hanging all of the wreaths and delivering the poinsettias to each building on campus so that BPC Board members could deliver them to the faculty and staff. We wish a very happy holiday season to the entire Berwick community! Diane Walker BPC President
The auction this year will feature more “talent and service” items – those things that you can’t necessarily go out and buy elsewhere. As a result, we are eliminating the “class baskets” from the auction. We will not be asking parents to solicit or contribute items to their child’s grade’s donation to the auction. This does not mean that we will turn any grade donations away however. If your grade would like to be represented in the auction, we will gladly feature their item. We will be looking for any items that members of the community can donate to the auction whether from a company or service with which 1791 Letter ~December 2013
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Athletics News...cont. from pg 7
Winter Requests • The use of artificial noise makers is discouraged in the NEPSAC League and prohibited in some sports. • At the end of games and during half time, basketball courts should remain free of activity. This eliminates the possibility of water, snow, ice, salt, and gravel from getting on the floor and causing injury. • Please refrain from bleacher stomping in the gyms and at the rinks and pounding on the boards at the rinks. • Park in designated areas. Parking along the sides of the Athletic Center prevents buses and emergency vehicle access. The parking area to the side of the field house is for coaches and officials only. Thank you for your cooperation. • Please be on time when picking up athletes at the Portsmouth Traffic Circle and Newburyport C&J. Buses cannot wait; otherwise we will be inconveniencing parents waiting at Berwick and the athletes who are returning to Berwick to drive home. • Please use the address’ to other schools from the Student/Parent Handbook. These addresses can be put in any GPS to locate the school.
practitioner will satisfy this and should state the sports participation status with any restrictions. Additional information may be needed based on the condition.
Fan, Follow Connect! Berwick Academy is on Facebook! Become a fan to see daily updates, photos, videos, and more. www.facebook.com/ berwickacademy
Berwick Academy is using Twitter! Create a profile and choose to “follow” Berwick Academy. Opt to receive updates via phone and you will receive a text message every time we post something new! www.twitter.com/ berwickacademy
Follow us on Instagram for the latest photos around campus! Search berwickacademy.
Athletic Training If your child’s health suffers during games or practices, the coach and athletic trainer must be aware so that the proper care can be administered or summoned. The coach, athletic trainer, and school nurse should be made aware of health conditions ahead of time that may affect a student-athlete’s health status. This includes any condition not previously indicated on the medical records form that is evaluated during the season. A note from the medical 10
Connect, reconnect, and engage with Berwick Academy alumni, parents, and friends. www.linkedin.com Search for Berwick Academy under Groups 1791 Letter ~December 2013
Berwick Store Wool felt pennants. Made in the USA. 12”x30”. $13.
Holiday shopping made easy!
! New Item
Eco-friendly. BPA free. Dishwasher safe-top rack. Double-wall insulated. Durable and break resistant. Made in the USA. 16 oz. $8. !
New Item
Still as popular as ever! Made in the USA from Vineyard Vines. A high-quality piece and beautiful finished look...it’s a musthave! Fabrics: Tote canvas trimmed with 100% imported silk with our custom BA bulldog print! $65.00. Ties and key fobs also available in the same blue silk or try the tie in pink! $60
rs!
Best-selle
!
ts Great Gif
Champion 12 oz. hoodie sweatshirt in oxford gray. $50. Crew-neck $45.
sic!
Clas Always a
! New Item
60” x 50” blanket. 60/40 doublebrushed cotton poly. Fleece backing. Bound and finished edges. $26. (Image not to scale and belltower imprint is smaller on actual item.)
Coasters! Handcrafted in the USA from imported Botticino marble. Three designs to choose from. Cork backing. Sold in sets of two (2). $24/set. Same designs also available in individual 2”-square magnets. $6 each.
Many more items available including gifts, sale items and youth clothing!
Super soft mid-crew socks with official school bulldog heatseal patch. 96% Polyester/4% Spandex. One size fits most. $8.00 adult, $7.50 youth.
!
New Item
Cotton flannel scarf. (Note: Scarf backing is NOT white. It is black.)
Fogg Memorial ornament by Hestia Creations. Custom designed and hand painted. Comes with a stand/ribbon/gift box. $24
!
m Spirit Ite
Peel & stick spirit skin stickers and eye strips. Made with 3M hypoallergenic tape. No water needed! Long lasting and peels off clean. Bulldog stickers have a round, clear background. $5 per pack.
Go to www.berwickacademy.org and click on Berwick Store from the Community drop-down or visit the physical store in the Lower School. 1791 Letter ~December 2013 11 Not all items available appear in this flyer or on-line. Dropping by in person is best!
Cindy Briggs - Assistant Head of School
Gratitude I recently heard some new research on gratitude during one of my morning commutes to Berwick Academy. According to the findings, the person expressing gratitude (via a letter or e-mail) gains more “good feelings/ positive energy” out of the expression of thankfulness than the recipient does from receiving the correspondence. No doubt, I have a lot to be grateful for right now. This realization has become clearer and clearer to me following every conversations about my aortic dissection in late August. Sadly many people I talk with have shared stories of people they know, family members or friends, who had the same medical emergency but different and sometimes not such positive outcomes. After all of these interactions, I’ve come to the realization that I’m lucky to be alive. I thought I would test the gratitude hypothesis in my 1791 article this month. Not that this will be a highly scientific process, it will give me the opportunity to express my overwhelming gratefulness for the love, support, prayers, and well wishes that I’ve received over the past three months since my surgery. My thanks must begin with my husband Lance. If it wasn’t for him, I may not be alive to write this letter. Many people have joked about the fact that I definitely married the “right man.” I knew that before my medical emergency, but my marital choice was reaffirmed that August morning. For those of you who don’t know, Lance is a cardiologist. Upon my early morning arrival home from swimming (still in 12
We l l n e s s N e w s
my bathing suit), he quickly diagnosed me and called York Hospital to tell them he thought his wife’s aorta had dissected. Well, fortunately he was right about an unfortunate diagnosis. The second group of people who must be thanked are the wonderful team of ER professionals that treated me at York Hospital. They were calm, decisive, and clear about what needed to happen and their efficiency increased my odds of survival. I was quickly whisked to Mass General Hospital where a surgical team was awaiting my arrival. After a six-hour surgery I was once again greeted by my loving husband and visited by my surgeon who I swear was young enough to be my son. My stay at MGH was far from pleasant because of the horrible food but the outstanding medical care easily balanced out a week of not eating. While there, I received a visit from our Head of School, who said nothing about work but focused completely on my health and recovery. This theme continued throughout my initial recovery, when I returned to work at the end of October on a part-time basis and even today as I begin to reengage in full-time work. I can’t thank Greg enough for his patience. He has allowed me to have the time I needed to fully recover and feel like myself again. I also need to thank Colleen Meader, the “Mother Hen” of BA. From the chicken noodle soup, the surprise of Aggies ice cream, to just appearing at my BA office door every day to encourage me to go home when I had reached my four hour mark, Colleen kept me honest about my part-time status during the month of November. 1791 Letter ~December 2013
The Berwick faculty and staff showed overwhelming love during my recovery through their numerous cards, notes, gifts, food, and visits to my house when I was unable to drive. What was probably even more heart-warming was seeing the sheer excitement in their faces when I returned to campus in late October. The BA students were also amazing. I was particularly touched by the card and picture I received from the “Fault of Our Stars” summer reading group. I’m sad that I had to miss the book discussion during the first week of school, but happy that so many students enjoyed reading this John Green novel as much as I did. The BA trustees have also been incredibly supportive during my recovery. Even our Board President, Matt Friel has kept tabs on me. More than once during my parttime status in November he would stop by Burleigh-Davidson in the afternoon and say, “Shouldn’t you be heading home soon?” The BA parents have been equally supportive. From the cards, gifts, and even a few visits to my home, I felt loved and cared for by everyone. Just this past Friday another amazing parent interaction occurred at the BPC coffee. Upon my arrival, Mary Beth Hebert introduced me to a new Upper School parent. After realizing who I was, she kindly offered that she had prayed for me after hearing about my medical event in late August. I was overwhelmed with gratitude thinking, “my God, this woman didn’t even know who I was and she prayed for me.” I can’t thank everyone enough for all of their prayers, love, support, patience, tears, laughter, and just continued on pg 15...
Alice Lynch ‘88 - School Archivist
Archives News you embrace the outdoors this winter with your friends or family as the students of past generations did?
Avis Harvey, BA Class of 1932
Snoopy Snow Sculpture – 1967 Yearbook
December now is here again With drifted lanes and icy river; From chimney tops the blue smoke curls, Before the blast it spins and whirls, While on the trees the old leaves quiver. The bright moon shines on glittering ice; In the woods it’s dark and still; Across the snow the bells ring out The air grows raw and chill And the bare boughs sway as boys and girls go sliding on the hill.
In addition to planning Winter Carnival, the Outing Club organized snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and skating events. The 1959 yearbook reads: ‘As soon as the ice froze deep and solid an evening skating party was held on The Muck, with Mr. Sawyer presiding over the bonfire.’ Some years, the students gathered on Leigh’s Mills pond for skating and warm cocoa around a fire. If you have pictures of these ice skating parties, please contact Alice Lynch at alynch@ berwickacademy.org.
Reprinted from The Quamphegan, December 1930 In 1957, a group of over forty eager students formed the Outing Club with the express purpose to “enjoy life in nature’s wonderland” (1957 Yearbook). Although they planned outings during each season, their greatest undertaking was Winter Carnival. Throughout the 1960s, this week-end long event featured ice sculptures, hockey games, skiing at Mount Agamenticus, and the Coronation Ball.
1957 Picture of Ice Fishing Trip
The students of the Outing Club embraced the New England weather even during the cold, blustery winter months. The farmer’s almanac is predicting a chilly months ahead. Will 1791 Letter ~December 2013
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Lower School Winter Assembly
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1791 Letter ~December 2013
continued on pg 15...
Wellness News...cont. from pg 12
“being there” for me over these past three months. I’m excited to report that I made it through my first full-time work week without any difficulties and happily came back for week number two. I’m even more excited to report that I’m finally back in the pool and slowly regaining my stamina. Even though I’m sure Mr. Schneider could easily lap me right now, I want to issue this warning, “BEWARE Greg… you’ll soon be eating my bubbles!” With great gratitude, Cindy Briggs
1791 Letter
NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK We are pleased to announce that the 1791 Letter will be getting a new look beginning in January. Our new website will now host a page for the newsletter, featuring monthly articles from Head of School Greg Schneider, Assistant Head of School Cindy Briggs, Upper School Director Shiela Esten, Middle School Director Ryan Feeley, and Lower School Director Joel Hawes. Additionally, we will have guest writers on a periodic basis. Arts and Athletics news stories and updates will be posted on myBerwick as well as our external website, but will no longer be included in the 1791 Letter.
1791 Letter ~December 2013
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Amy Smucker - Director of Advancement
Alumni and Advancement News Dear Parents, The holidays give us the opportunity to connect with the people and places that we care about most. I love receiving cards in the “real� mail box from my friends who connect me with each chapter in my life. Former students often call or stop in around the holidays to connect with Jim and me to let us know about all of the wonderful things they are doing. I often receive mail and messages from my high school, college, and summer camp that remind me to be thankful for the many fond memories. This time of year also makes me grateful to be in a place where connections are essential. As the Director of Advancement, I am in a unique position to develop relationships with every constituency in the Berwick community. I continue to be impressed by the strong connections and desire to support that exist here at Berwick. While many of our parents support the School so that their children may benefit directly from their philanthropy, past parents often give so that current students have the same positive educational experience as their children had. Faculty give in order to make a statement that beyond all of their hard work in the classroom, they are supportive of the School’s mission and progress. Alumni give because they want to give back to their School that provided them with a strong foundation for successful lives. Of course, the students are the most connected to the School. Each Wednesday I am fortunate to eat lunch with five girls in the third grade. While I love many aspects of my job, this half hour of lunch with the kids is my absolute favorite part of the week. While it may seem that eating lunch is not that exciting, these kids make it special. They are truly connected to every aspect of the experience here at Berwick. They love the food, their friends, and their teachers. They talk about what is going on in their classes as if it were the most amazing and innovative thing in the world. I leave these lunches each week with a strong desire to ensure that these five girls are given the very best experience possible. Their enthusiasm for the School connects all of us to the work of ensuring that Berwick has the resources to offer the best possible educational experience to these five girls and to every other student on campus. In the spirit of this connection, I hope that you will join me in making a gift to the Berwick Annual Fund. All the best,
Amy Smucker
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1791 Letter ~December 2013