SEPTEMBER 2013
BERWICK A C A D E M Y
1791 L e t t e r
Community Circles & Opening Assembly
1791 Letter ~September 2013
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MESSAGE F R O M
Greg Schneider
Head of School
There are so many ways that heads of school end up looking good on account of great people who work for them. When I consider the quality of the faculty at Berwick, I know that this is often the case for me. However, there are also moments when individual students make a Head of School look good, and such is the punch line of my October edition of the 1791. One of my favorite aspects of our culture is the way in which we leverage the strength of community as a PK-12 school. Our mission states that we are “one school with three divisions,” so currently we gather three times a year for formal all school assemblies in addition to moments like Community Circles, Blue and White Weekend, and the PK-12 Winterfest for the Arts celebration. As you might imagine, trying to develop programming that is appropriate and fun for the entire age range of our school is daunting, but is also rewarding and fun. This year, we will add a fourth PK-12 assembly gathering thanks to senior Kevin O’Day. Recently at convocation, I charged the seniors to embrace their roles as leaders of the entire school, but Kevin seems to have had a head start in the leadership department. As one of the few schools in the area that actually holds classes on Veteran’s Day, this year will be the first where we bring our entire community together to honor those who have served our country at Kevin’s urging. While our inaugural Veteran’s Day assembly will be a pilot this year, it feels like a change that may be long overdue. Last year, Kevin launched 2
a Berwick Innovation Center project with Upper School mentor John Downey. He researched some of the traditions schools like ours employed, but most importantly he put together a proposed program that was specific to the culture of Berwick Academy. He worried that our school did not fully understand the sacrifice that our veterans have made to protect our freedoms. As someone who has been through all three divisions, Kevin also knew that we already had smaller traditions and celebrations in place. It was time to make a statement as an entire school community. When we remember how old this institution is, it should not surprise us to learn that a substantial number of our graduates have served over the years. In consulting with our archivist, Alice Lynch, records indicate that over 275 Berwick alumni participated in World War II and well over 100 graduates in the Civil War. This does not even begin to touch the variety of military conflicts in more recent memory. Former archivist Marie Donahue completed a comprehensive review of our veterans in the Berwick Today in the late 90s, and I look forward to finding new ways of celebrating this history in the future. Kevin has already found three potential keynote speakers for the event, including officers from the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Afghanistan conflict. He also hopes to have a color guard and drill team here from the ROTC unit of UNH and music provided by the Granite State Chorus. Part of Kevin’s Innovation Project was to come before the Administrative team last year and present his proposal. 1791 Letter ~September 2013
He found unanimous support from our group, particularly on account of the thoughtfulness of his work. Rather than merely planning one year of programming, he has suggested a way in which student leaders will be selected each year to oversee this program, thus insuring that his tradition will outlast his graduation. He may have also created another compelling leadership opportunity for one of our students each year. Kevin’s message made it so clear that the issue of veterans and service is far from political; it is about reflection and gratitude. At a moment when we suddenly find ourselves considering military conflict in Syria overseas, the Veterans Day assembly seems more appropriate than ever to me. At the bottom of this project, however, is the power of a student idea coming to fruition. To see a student move from an idea and passion to an innovation project to a presentation at the Administrative table was inspiring. In this way, Mr. O’Day has been a model to all Berwick students, showing them that a passion coupled with research and preparation can enable substantial change. Most of all, I want to thank Kevin for making me look good. He probably does not know that a number of alumni have raised issues of patriotism and programming with me in the past. At a time when many people lament that the new generation of “millennials” or the “linksters” are somehow apathetic and jaded, we should be glad to know that Berwick has a rising generation that seems to be bucking that youthful stereotype.
BERWICK A C A D E M Y Please join me in wishing him best of luck on November 11. NOTES Blue and White Weekend: There is perhaps no better family day all year than Blue and White Day on September 21. Please plan to spend the day on campus with your family enjoying the LS Field Day, the Dog Days Carnival, the BBQ, and the athletic games. I am working up my courage for another appearance in the dunk tank as well. BPC Clambake: In choosing to become even stronger this year in building a sense of community on campus for our parents, BPC will be hosting a clambake social event on the BD lawn under a tent with a great band. This is not a fundraiser but a “friendraiser.” I hope you will decide to come be a part of the fun and dance the night away with us on campus. Admission Open House: As we are coming off of one of our strongest admissions years in memory, I want to thank our parents for all you have done to spread the word about Berwick Academy. Please do so once again by inviting a friend or neighbor to our PK-12 Admission Open House at 1:00 on Sunday, October 20. This is a great way for a family to get an easy first look at what makes Berwick special. Please contact Director of Admission Andrew Bishop at abishop@berwickacademy.org or 207.384.6300 with any questions. Berwick “South” on October 1: We are so excited to bring Berwick Academy to the north shore of Massachusetts on Tuesday, October 1 in Amesbury. We look forward to a gathering of both current families and prospective families from the area, who want to celebrate
1791 Letter
the Berwick spirit together. Please be in touch with Director of Advancement Amy Smucker at asmucker@berwickacademy.org for details about time and location. Bulldog Classic: Another great way to celebrate the Berwick community as well as Berwick athletics is to come play a round of golf at The Ledges golf club in York, ME on Thursday, September 26. This event is always filled with great laughs, great food, and great prizes. Please contact Athletic Director Rob Quinn at rquinn@berwickacademy.org or 207.384.2800 with any questions for
BLUE AND WHITE DAY SAT. SEPTEMBER 21 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.: BPC Bookfair and bake sale 9 a.m.: Explore the Lower School (please invite your non-Berwick friends and family) 10:15-11:15 a.m. Lower School Field Day 11:15-12:15 Dog Days Carnival 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.: Barbeque lunch All Day: Middle and Upper School athletic games.
1791 Letter ~September 2013
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Shiela Esten - Upper School Director
Upper School News When Abraham Lincoln said, “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to what light I have,” he might have been synthesizing some important messages that have helped to shape and frame the spirit of our opening days in the Upper School. His words also characterize the stage that has been set for how we would collectively like to approach the opportunity of this new beginning. At our opening Convocation ceremony, Student Body President Cora Ordway shared one of her important goals for the year which involves intentionally doing something that scares her every day – stepping out of her comfort zone and taking risks so that she can expand her range of experience. Not only did she talk about her goal and her surrounding fear, but she also admitted to stating it publically so that all of her teachers and peers could help to hold her to this intention. Already a bright star (although incredibly self-effacing if stars can be described as so), Cora wants to live up to her light, and maybe even see how far it shines, and in sharing this with us she not only asked for our help, she also encouraged us to believe that we too, could be emboldened to step out of our comfort zones and find that light. On the heels of Convocation, Greg Schneider expanded on this notion of the power of risk-taking at our opening all-school assembly. Beginning with some reflection on the foundational importance of integrity, 4
the core value we’ll be highlighting throughout the year, he asked each of the divisions to share some initiatives that we are particularly excited about this year as we seek to explore and grow. A first reaction was that it would be impossible to choose just one or two to talk about. Our students do so many things every single day in this pursuit of not just “living up to their light,” but also in their quest to seek out new opportunities – to do as Cora suggests and leave their comfort zones. One way in which we are literally seeking to expand that zone is through an examination of where travel opportunities – both domestic and international – fit into the student experience. Berwick has been offering a range of trips during spring and summer breaks for many years now, but for the first time we are thinking about how we might more intentionally connect these experiences with curriculum, and how we might also expand accessibility. As we seek to equip our students with “virtue” and “useful knowledge” as our mission charges, it follows that we are thinking carefully about what these concepts mean in our flattened and shrinking 21st century world. As we engage in this consideration throughout this year and beyond, there is no question that we’ll do it with an eye toward being true to what it means to be a member of this Berwick community, and also with a mindfulness of the luminescence and potential of our collective student light. It has been an exciting and gratifying start with the consideration 1791 Letter ~September 2013
of such important dreams and goals. I am so looking forward to seeing the many places this takes us during the weeks and months ahead.
Ryan Feeley - Middle School Director
Middle School News Among teachers, icebreakers and getting-to-know-you activities are staples of the start of each school year. This year, I tried one with my grade eight English class that involved using random props to create metaphors that would help me learn a little bit about my new students. I asked the students to choose a prop and use it as a metaphor in a sentence that follows the pattern: “My name is _______ and I am a (insert prop here) because _________________________. The props ranged from a kazoo to a car air freshener to a rubber chicken. The vast majority of my students, however, chose the small plastic hourglass for their metaphor. I was struck by the common reason they had for choosing it. Their metaphors read something like “My name is Kara and I am an hourglass because I feel like I am always rushing to fit in all my activities,” or “My name is James and I am an hourglass because my schedule is so busy that time is always running out on me.” As my family has gotten into our own start of the school year routine, I have often experienced that same “hourglass feeling” that my students describe. In my family, our laundry list of structured activities includes two soccer teams, piano lessons, fall baseball, a drama program and all of the activities that fall within Berwick’s schedule as well. The puzzle we face as we map out our weekly schedule is often, how do we fit in family dinner? The solution is often quite simple. We don’t. Let me be clear: I don’t mean to
suggest that kids shouldn’t participate in these structured activities. A busy schedule is the way of the world in which we live and there are undeniable merits to being involved in organized activities, especially during the middle school years. Beyond that, the kids are often the ones who initiate the interest to participate and their desire to make the most of each day is commendable. What I hope never gets lost, however, in the landscape of travel teams, recitals, community service work, and robotics competitions, is the fundamental and valuable experience of unstructured play. Simple kid games and activities that require no coach, no director, no scheduling of facilities, can be as valuable to the growth of a child as any program we might find out there. Be it classic kid activities like hide and seek or building a tree fort or more complex variations of those such as creating imaginary “communities” or developing intricate games of outdoor pursuit, this kind of play pays important dividends. Much research exists to support the importance of unstructured play. A study published in the journal, Science (2007) noted that students who participate in more unstructured play show “improved cognitive flexibility, self control and working memory.” In his September 2, 2009 New York Times piece, author Stuart Brown cites research done specifically on the impact of play during the elementary and young adolescent years (10-14 years old.) Brown notes that, “playfulness enhances the capacity to 1791 Letter ~September 2013
innovate, adapt, and master changing circumstances.” It is important to note that the skills that Brown references very much resemble those being forecasted as most needed in the 21st century world. Not long ago, I heard a National Public Radio story about a group of friends who have been engaged in a game of tag for 23 years. Yes, that’s correct—23 years. Apparently, the group is comprised of ten individuals who have been friends since high school. They live in different geographic regions and have pursued a wide range of career paths including a lawyer, a machinist, a priest, and the chief marketing officer at Nordstrom. Play begins each year in February and each individual recognizes the need for vigilance all month as the person who is “It” at the time may surprise them at any moment. It turns out that some of these individuals have gone so far as to “ambush” other participants at work, in their homes, even by hiding in the trunk of a competitor’s car. On the surface, the image of men in their mid-forties pursuing and hiding from each other may seem somewhat ridiculous. However, I believe that, at its heart, we see several reasons why play is so important in our lives. Despite geography and the passing years, these 10 individuals remain in contact because of the game and they utilize impressive creativity to develop new ways to “tag” their friends. As Dr. Christine Carter writes, “Play is a catalyst that makes us more productive and continued on pg. 10... 5
Joel Hawes - Lower School Director
Lower School News I typically write the September Lower School 1791 entry during the first week of school, and my text usually highlights program components of the unfolding academic year. Active curricular review at both the faculty meeting level and independent teacher level is a distinguishing component of our Division’s focus. Whether maintaining past precedent or exploring new approaches, I appreciate the dedication my colleagues bring to our collective analysis of curriculum and pedagogy. Thus, an exciting transition annually appears during the first week of school as we move from theory to practice in actively unveiling our wellrounded schedule. Courtney Cooper and Sarah Gaetano, our lead and assistant PreKindergarten teachers, have developed an engaging curriculum within their daily program. In turn, Kelly Williams and Liza Witonis, our lead and assistant Kindergarten teachers, have produced an equally enriching program at their respective level. I find myself regularly venturing into these classrooms with our youngest learners and appreciating the collaboration between these two new grade-level teams. Based on opening week observations, I am aware of the positive impact these teachers will have on academic and social-emotional growth within the younger spectrum of our Division. We have begun implementing the Math in Focus program. Also known as Singapore Math, this curriculum retains positive elements of our past Investigations program (namely handson learning and creative explorations), 6
while offering a series of yearly math units with greater depth and rigor. Math in Focus also provides coherent and sequential teaching tools, ranging from consistent problem-solving strategies to supportive technology use. The faculty received professional development training last spring and made further strides over the summer and during recent faculty meetings with the support of Kim Francoeur, our Lower School math specialist. I look forward to the development of this program over the coming weeks and months and to its promotion at the upcoming Back to School and Curriculum Nights. Our World Language program has already made an impact this year, when our second through fourth grade students presented at the all-school opening assembly. Students in PreKindergarten through first grade will receive world language instruction via regularly-scheduled visits to their homeroom classrooms by Liz-Anne Platt. Madame Platt will use the French language as the foundation for content study and will then strategically combine instruction with the Spanish and Mandarin languages with the support of other language instructors. From there, students will receive a trimester each of French, Spanish, and Mandarin instruction taught in two thirty-minute classes per week in grades two and three, and two forty-minute classes per week in grade four. The content in each of the three trimester languages will be aligned in rigor and complexity by French teacher Liz-Anne Platt, Mandarin Chinese teacher Angelica Huang, and Spanish teacher Julie Alexander. 1791 Letter ~September 2013
We have also introduced “Passport to World Cultures,” an hourper-week interdisciplinary class in grades one through four that combines elements of world language, unified arts, and social studies with projectbased global problem-solving. Each trimester, Passport students will be introduced to different cultural “destinations.” Overarching themes of how people live world-wide will be considered through performance-based projects such as reader’s theatre adaptations of authentic folktales. Liz-Anne Platt, World Language Teacher, will lead this initiative with the support of Lower School colleagues. Productive meetings between faculty and Wendy Harrington, our Director of Academic Technology, continue to support integration of age-appropriate technology initiatives within our Lower School curriculum. As stated in our Technology Plan, Berwick Academy strives to be a leader in the innovative and strategic use of technology in education. We desire an educational environment that employs technology to catalyze deeper learning that would not be possible in the absence of these technologies…. We have recently incorporated classroom whiteboard use and have been successfully piloting and implementing Netbooks, mini-tablets, iPads and cloud-based learning in order to explore the newest tools to engage our students in all curricular areas. Beyond program initiatives, it was also a wonderful first week in the Lower School as we welcomed 100plus new students to our Division. In continued on pg 10...
Rob Quinn - Athletic Director
Athletics News BERWICK ACADEMY SOCCER JAMBOREE The weather was perfect on Saturday, September 7 during our annual Soccer Jamboree as the sun shined and the temperatures were a comfortable 70 degrees. Both the boys and girls varsity teams competed against the Winchedon School, Tilton School, and Hyde School in the pre-season scrimmage. The event was well attended by parents, families and friends. Following the games we were treated to an impressive barbeque sponsored by the Berwick Academy Athletic Boosters. A special thank you to the many parent volunteers who jumped in and assisted with the BBQ. A word of thanks to everyone who donated baked goods too! Your work and dedication made the event a success. We fed over 200 students and families. I also want to thank Sage Dining Services for providing the food. A special thank you to the Facilities Department for their support in providing tables, chairs, and grills. INTEGRITY As we approach the start of a new fall athletic season it reminds me how important one of our core values, integrity, is for our athletes. If I could teach only one value to live by, it would be this: Success will come and go, but integrity is forever. Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be. Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose, so never allow yourself to ever
do anything that would damage your integrity. EEE VIRUS Each year this mosquito born virus is a concern in the seacoast area. The woods surrounding the fields have been professionally sprayed using a safe “green” solution in order to minimize the mosquitoes. Teams will be supplied with a mosquito repellant and athletes are encouraged to use a repellant for practices and games. AED (AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS) ADDITIONAL NEW LOCATIONS We have increased the number of AEDs on campus to include three new locations: The Commons Lounge lobby on the left as you enter the building, the Whipple Art Center in the Lobby, and the Jackson Library on the left as you enter the building. The other AEDs are located in the basement of Fogg, near the mailboxes in Burleigh Davidson, and in the back hallway of the athletic center. Holly Bennett, LATC also carries a unit at all games. All faculty coaches are currently certified in CPR and AED. BOOSTER MESSAGE FROM TYLER BRISTOL, PRESIDENT Welcome back from the Athletic Boosters. We just completed the Soccer Jamboree which is our first event of the year. We have an exciting year planned and welcome any and all to join the Athletic Boosters. Our first fundraiser of the year is the 23rd annual Bulldog Classic which will be held at The Ledges golf course on Thursday, 1791 Letter ~September 2013
September 26. We will also be holding our 2nd annual 1791 Trail Run in the spring. These two events are our major fundraisers of the year and we can sure use your help in making them successful. We always have room for everyone who wants to get involved. The Bulldog Classic has immediate needs for sponsors, golfers, and raffle prizes, if you can help in any of these areas please reach out to Rob Quinn or me. Meetings are held from time to time and we try and keep them to an hour as we all have busy lives. We also conduct a good deal of business via email to cut down on meetings. We have plenty of low intensity volunteer opportunities coming up and we would love to have your help. Please contact me if you want to join our fun loving group or if you have questions at William.T.Bristol@EHI.com SEACOAST UNITED JUNIOR ACADEMY Berwick Academy and Seacoast United are pleased to announce our third winter of the Club’s highly regarded Junior Academy Program on our campus. The developmental program for 7&8 and 9&11 year old boys and girls will begin in the first week of November in the BA Field House. Tryout Dates: t Tuesday, October 2: 5:30-7 p.m. t Friday October 12: 5:30-7 p.m. Ages: 7-8 year olds, 9-11 year olds Tryouts will take place at the Berwick Academy Field House.
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Seth A. Hurd ‘90 - Visual and Performing Arts Director
Arts News FALL 2013 MUSIC FESTIVAL AUDITIONS Upper School student musicians who are enrolled in one of Berwick’s performing ensembles, have the opportunity to audition for three honors music festivals this fall. In the past, Mrs. Wituszynski has coordinated all of the audition and material for the Music Festivals. For the 2013-2014 Academic Year each performing group ensemble director will be the point person for audition materials and registration. The Jazz Allstate auditions will be held during the school day in October. Specific details will be distributed when available. Students may audition for one of three instrumental ensembles or the jazz choir, and the festival will be held January 2-4, 2014. The deadline to sign up to audition is Friday, September 27. The Maine District One Honors Festival auditions will be held after school on October 15 at Sanford High School. Students may audition for the concert band, jazz band, string orchestra, or choruses, and the festival will be held January 24-25, 2014 at Noble High School. Audition schedule will be posted on or before Tuesday, October 1. The deadline to sign up to audition is Friday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m.
director for audition instructions and to sign up. As stipulated in the Maine Music Educators Association State Handbook, Upper School music students must be enrolled members of organized school groups, unless no such organization exists in their school in order to audition for and participate in the Maine District I High School Honors Festival, Jazz Allstate or Maine Allstate. If selected by audition, they perform at prestigious music festivals in large ensembles. Choral students in all grades are eligible to audition for the Organization of National Kodaly Educators Association National Choir. The conference is held in Atlanta Georgia on March 19-22. 2014. Audition tape session will take place on Tuesday, October 8 at 5:45 p.m. until finished. Results will be sent on or after November 10, 2013. Interested students can contact Ms. Isaak at misaak@berwickacademy.org for further information.
Students may audition for the Maine Allstate Music Festival band, orchestra or chorus on November 22 or 23 at Kennebunk High School. The festival will be held May 15-17, 2014 at USM in Gorham, and the deadline to sign up to audition is Friday, October 25. Please see your performing group 8
1791 Letter ~September 2013
BPC Notes - from the BPC Board Members
Parent Community News BPC FUNDRAISING With the success of our BPC Gala and online auction last spring, we have made the decision to repeat those two events this year and eliminate the live auction portion of the spring event. You won’t miss anything because those items that would have been in the live auction will be available for you to bid on in the Online Auction that opens on March 31.
t t t t
Grilled Chicken Breast and Sausage Parslied Boiled Red Bliss Potatoes Corn on the Cob Maine Blueberry Cake
Reserve your tickets today at eventbrite.com/event/8149002887. You also have the opportunity to sponsor your favorite faculty or staff member when you purchase your tickets. Just let us know who you would like to sponsor when you make your purchase. If you don’t have someone in particular you wish to sponsor, just put “anyone” in the name field and we will arrange for your donation to go to a someone who wishes to come to the event but is not yet sponsored. The deadline for purchasing tickets is Friday, September 27.
You will also have the opportunity to purchase logo items at our BPC sales table at the upcoming Blue & White day. The BPC, Arts, Athletics, and the school store will be joining forces to provide a huge array of logo merchandise for you so that you can wear your BA colors with pride. Be sure to stop by our tent by the Upper School turf field.
BPC MEETINGS Our general BPC meetings are being held just once a trimester this year. Please plan join us on October 29th in the Commons Lounge when in addition to our normal divisional updates, you will have an opportunity to learn more about our new website MyBerwick.com Diane Walker BPC President
THE NEW BPC FALL SOCIAL – A CLAMBAKE! Be sure to get your tickets to the NEW BPC Fall Social on Saturday, October 5. We are planning a clambake on the BD Lawn beginning with a beer and wine cash bar on the BD porch at 5:30 p.m. with dinner to follow at 6:30. Our menu includes the following: t t t t t
New England Clam Chowder Creamy Cole Slaw Tossed Garden Salad Corn Muffins 1 1/4lb Boiled Main Lobster with Drawn Butter t Steamed Clams and Mussels with broth and Shallot Herb Butter
BPC NEW ENGLAND CLAM BAKE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 The Burleigh Davidson Lawn Beer and Wine Bar - 5:30 PM Dinner - 6:30 PM
RESERVATION eventbrite.com/event/8149002887 DEADLINE: Friday, September 27
1791 Letter ~September 2013
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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS...cont. from pg 5
happier in everything we do. And it is critical for our brain development.” During my first week in the Middle School, some of my favorite moments have come during recess. I have observed the inventive play of two boys who developed a ping pong game without a ball where the participants happily mimicked the movements and cadences of a real game. I have seen a combined group of eighth graders and fifth graders successfully negotiate the challenge of organizing a pick-up soccer game that would be accessible to both age groups. These kinds of moments make me proud that our Middle School offers two recess periods a day as I believe what happens during those blocks of time are just as important as what occurs during any of our class periods. So thinking back to my eighth graders and their hourglass metaphors, I believe the challenge boils down to Berwick’s core value of balance. How can we provide the opportunity for our kids to experience all that the world offers while still allowing time for authentic play? I don’t know that there is any easy answer to this question, but I do believe we need to constantly ask it with an eye toward maintaining that elusive, yet critical sense of balance. LOWER SCHOOL NEWS...cont. from pg 6
this case, I am considering all of our students to be new students due to the growth experienced by each and every child over the summer—whether they are new or veteran to our Division. Our students certainly bring life to the various program initiatives throughout the Division. So, here’s to a great year together--from last year’s curricular meetings to this summer’s faculty and family preparations to current implementation approaches, we are excited to roll out the new Lower School year! 10
ATHLETICS NEWS...cont. from pg 7
23RD ANNUAL BULLDOG CLASSIC The Athletic Boosters is again sponsoring this major fundraising event scheduled for Thursday, September 26 at The Ledges golf course with an 8:30 a.m. start. This popular event is an opportunity to meet new people and reconnect with old friends. Please refer to the registration forms included in this mailing. There is still plenty of room for golfers, please sign up! TEAM PICTURES N.E.A.T. is scheduled to photograph fall teams on October 3 on campus. Team pictures are $9.00 and will be charged on the students’ account. Please have your son or daughter notify the photographer on picture day if you are not interested in purchasing a team photo. The photographs will be used for the yearbook, website, and keepsake for the players; if you do not want your son or daughter to be included in the pictures please notify Rob Quinn. Blue & White Weekend: September 20 -21 Dog Days: September 21, 11:15-1 p.m.
23 rd ANNUAL BULLDOG CLASSIC THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 8:30 AM The Ledges Golf club York, ME
1791 Letter ~September 2013
For more information, please contact Rob Quinn at rquinn@berwickacademy.org or 207.384.2164 x 2800
J
oin us for a morning of music and fun as we pedal for a cure! This year the BA community will ride, fund raise, and cheer in honor of Soren Cooper, Ethan Hawes, and their families. We are looking for riders, volunteers, cheerers, and well wishers. Please register as E Team/ S for S or simply BA!
THE PMC SEACOAST KIDS RIDE
100% of funds raised go to Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund.
SEPTEMBER 29, 8:30-11:30 AM The New Castle Common New Castle, NH
For questions please contact, Ellen Fisher at 978.239.6774 or mccreaf@aol.com For registration please visit http://www.kids.pmc.org/newcastle.aspx
LOWER SCHOOL THE BOOKFAIR & JACKSON BAKESALE LIBRARY 1791 Letter ~September 2013
Sept. 1 8:15 a 9-21 .m 3:30 p . to .m.
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Cindy Briggs - Assistant Head of School
We l l n e s s N e w s A MESSAGE FROM SCHOOL NURSE KAREN CHIANG: Welcome back to the school year! It’s a wonderful sight to see all the students back on campus. In the rush to gather school forms before the start of classes, I was reminded that members of our community who do not live with a life threatening allergy may not realize the seriousness with which we take our food allergies. Also, without that experience at home, some families may have an incomplete understanding of the consequences of exposure to these allergens. Here at Berwick, faculty and staff are notified each September of the three dozen students with food allergies and sensitivities. Additionally, all faculty, coaches, and bus drivers are taught how and when to use epi-pens. My first project at Berwick, back in 2010, was to make the campus “nut aware.” This politically correct term is meant to describe our goal to be nut free. Please do not send/bring nuts or nut products to campus for snacks. We have students with life threatening allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and even legumes. Our PK-12 students share an open campus, and can spread nut proteins on door knobs and desktops. The concern for a Lower School student unwittingly being exposed in just such a circumstance is heart stopping. If you’ve read about the 13-year-old girl who died in her father’s arms this summer after receiving three epi-pen injections at camp, you’ll know the epi-pen cannot be considered a surefire treatment. For some students, each additional exposure to an allergen can lead to a stronger reaction. We hope 12
to protect the allergic student as well as the innocent friend who may accidentally cause an anaphylactic reaction for a classmate. We understand that it can be a nuisance to avoid nut products, especially if this is what your child enjoys. Granola bars, chocolate, and coconut tend to be forgotten potential allergens. Thank you for reading your labels. Please look for the following distinctions that categorize the risks less obvious than nuts as an ingredient; “may contain peanuts or tree nuts,” “shares equipment that processes peanuts/tree nuts,” “made in the same factory that processes peanuts/ tree nuts” and “guaranteed nut free” are usually clearly stated. Ideally, we will all avoid bringing the products in the first two categories to campus. Additionally, as our community becomes more aware, the Lower and Middle School students are taught not to share snacks. Even with a nut allergic niece, an egg and dairy allergic nephew, and two nut allergic best friends, I have to stop and think about snacks that I send to school with my daughter. Here are some snack ideas that have worked for our students: t Fruit; fresh or dried (Craisins, raisins) t Vegetable sticks t Apple sauce t Fruit leather t Annie’s Bunnies (cheddar, honey) t Cheese sticks t Yogurt
t Cottage cheese t Popcorn (check label) t Pirate’s Booty Try making your own trail mix with cereal, pumpkin and or sunflower seeds, and dried fruit. Cereal: t General Mills: Kix t Berry Berry Kix t Lucky Charms t Rice Chex, Corn Chex t Wheat Chex t Trix Kellogg’s: Crispix Cereal Bars: t Nutri-grain Apple t Blueberry t Raspberry Nutri-grain Twist Banana & Strawberry t Strawberries & Cream Crackers/Chips/Cookies: t Frito Lay Rold Gold Pretzels t Goldfish, any flavor t S u n C h i p s O r i g i n a l , S o u r Cream,Cheddar,Classic t Toasteds Wheat, Buttercrisp t Town House Classic Crackers t Wheatables Original, Honey Wheat, Seven Grain t Ritz Crackers Original t Wheat Thins t Triscuits t Austin Zoo Animal Crackers, Barnum Animal Crackers t Teddy Grahams t Nabisco Fig Newtons t Betty Crocker Cinnamon Graham t Crackers, Dunk Aroos
continued on pg 15... 1791 Letter ~September 2013
Alice Lynch ‘88 - School Archivist
Archives News MARCIA OAKES WOODBURY’S ART ON DISPLAY Did you know that the talented and nationally acclaimed artist, Marcia Oakes Woodbury, graduated from Berwick Academy? Berwick Academy is fortunate to own two of her Dutch paintings and you can view them at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art now through October 31, 2013. These paintings are part of the exhibit called, Charles and Marcia: The Woodbury’s in Holland. I highly recommend a visit to this local art museum by the sea.
described his mother’s determination to be an artist for The New England Galaxy newspaper. He wrote, “Susie Oakes had ‘ideas’ . . . and one embarrassing ambition. She intended to become an artist. Nothing like this had ever come up in the Oakes family before. . . They had all been doctors and lawyers and housewives.” (p.3)
Marcia Oakes Woodbury. Throughout the next several years, the couple traveled to Europe to study art and paint. It was during these trips that Marcia became known for her studies of Dutch children and adults. I hope you will find the time to visit the Ogunquit Museum of American Art to view Charles and Marcia’s work. The museum sits on land where Charles and Marcia originally founded the “Ogunquit Summer School of Drawing and Painting” in the late 1890s. They were influential in creating the famed Ogunquit Art Colony and today the Ogunquit Museum of American Art continues to inspire future generations of painters.
The Oakes House – Susie Marcia Oakes’ childhood home was purchased by the Academy in 1957. It served as a dormitory and faculty housing for many years.
“The Game”, Marcia Oakes Woodbury An example of Marcia’s love of the Dutch people, especially children, and their everyday activities.
Susan Marcia Oakes was born and raised in the Oakes House on Academy Street. She followed in her brother’s footsteps and entered Berwick Academy, graduating with the class of 1882. In The Old Academy on the Hill, Marie Donahue described Susie as “an active and popular girl . . . (who) won at least one Cogswell prize book and delivered the class prophecy at her commencement. An early advocate of women’s rights, she predicted that by 1902 women would be voting.” David O.Woodbury, Susie’s only son,
Susie began her career by teaching at Berwick Academy. The 1887 and 1888 school catalogs list Susie M. Oakes as the Teacher of Drawing and Painting. It is interesting to note that her Drawing and Painting course is not listed under the Classical, Academic or English four-year schedule of courses. The only additional reference to the art course is under the Expense category where it notes, ‘Tuition for Music and Painting will be extra.’ Susie’s independent spirit led her to Boston to explore the world of art. While in Boston, she studied under the Italian artist, Thomas Juglaris and her future husband, Charles H. Woodbury. In 1890, Susie married Charles and changed her name to 1791 Letter ~September 2013
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Upper School Convocation
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1791 Letter ~September 2013
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WELLNESS NEWS...cont. from pg 12
t Keebler Bite Size Snacking Grahams in Cinnamon and Chocolate t Fudge Stripes Shortbread Cookies t Golden Vanilla Wafers Please feel free to enjoy your nuts at home. A proper hand washing with soap and water will remove the worrisome proteins (sing happy birthday while you scrub). In a pinch, a baby wipe is a better cleaning option than hand sanitizer which will likely just spread the proteins around. With Halloween fast approaching, candy is a concern too. The bus drivers report finding all sorts of candy wrappers despite a “no eating on the bus” rule. I once watched a student eat a Snickers bar while standing next to her peanut allergic BFF. These treats are sometimes considered a “good” source of protein for finicky eaters, but they really can’t be brought to campus. If you plan to send candy to school with your student, here are some safe options: t Hershey (plain) chocolate bars, personal size only (not King Size, not Minis) t Hershey (plain) chocolate kisses (not King size, not Holiday/Seasonal bags) t Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Times and t Trader Joe’s Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips t Anything made by DIVVIES (www. divvies.com) t Anything made by Tootsie t Junior Mints t Twizzlers t Milky Way Simply Caramel Bar t Anything Made by Haribo t Whoppers
our students. Please know these gifts of love cannot be put out for purchase if there is a suspicion of peanuts, tree nuts, or coconut in the ingredients list. Additionally, for purchased products, certain supermarkets have the reputation for being less nut aware than others, and these products may also be removed from a bake sale or evening event. Although the national limelight has been on peanut and tree nut allergies, some Berwick students also have allergies to fish, shellfish, legumes, some raw fruits and vegetables, milk, egg, and gluten. These sensitivities offer different challenges for our students who may not always be able to take advantage of traditional meals here. SAGE dining will continue to offer safe and nutritious food options for them at Berwick Academy. Thank you for your cooperation. Your extra few minutes of consideration is truly appreciated. Together we can ensure our students are both well fed and safe. If you have questions about a snack or a bake sale item, feel free to contact me before bringing it to campus.
Berwick has a great tradition of bake sales peppered throughout the school year. Parents in all three divisions donate hours to prepare treats for
1791 Letter ~September 2013
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Amy Smucker - Director of Advancement
Alumni and Development News A few days before school started, my husband Jim received an email from one of his students. Since Jim and I are new to Berwick, the email was from a student who he had never met before. As Jim opened the email, I am sure that he was wondering what this student might need even before classes had started. The email was simply a welcome. The student wanted to introduce himself and offer his perspective about why Berwick is such an amazing place. I can’t imagine a better welcome! As the 140 new students at Berwick this year can attest to, it can be daunting to enter a new community. There are so many names to learn, traditions to understand, and cultural norms to comprehend. Even as an adult with a significant background in independent schools, I have found myself challenged by simply being new. This journey outside of my comfort zone has been an extremely heartening one made significantly easier by the extended Berwick community that has been here to welcome me. When I arrived this summer I found a small community in the 1791 House made up of the Admissions, Advancement and Communications staff. Their energy and enthusiasm for the School immediately made me feel like I was part of a team that was ready for some hard work. Over the summer I had the opportunity to meet many of the members of the Berwick Board of Trustees. This group was incredibly welcoming and willing to offer their wisdom, perspective, and most of all their passion for Berwick. The strength of this Board is heartening and makes me excited about the work ahead. The parents at Berwick have been extremely friendly. Even our new parents have played a role in easing my transition to Berwick, as they have offered words of encouragement in my interactions with them. On September 20-21 we all will have the opportunity to welcome Berwick alumni back to campus for Alumni Weekend. Some of the alumni who will return to campus graduated just five or 10 years ago. Others have not been back to campus in 50 years. In fact, we have one alumna who is returning from the class of 1934! I am certain that they will find the community here as openhearted as I did, and I am sure that they will be welcomed in true Berwick fashion.
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1791 Letter ~September 2013