The Brunswick Trust R E P O R T
SPRING 2021
In a time of tremendous challenge,
we lean on the lessons and learning of The Brunswick Trust as we look to our boys to be agents of kindness, empathy, and service to others. Our spring newsletter is focused on the ways in which the four pillars of the Trust help our boys, from the youngest to the oldest, cultivate and define these attributes and find their sense of purpose. Herein we ask: How, exactly, does the Trust help boys develop the self-awareness, confidence, curiosity, and balance they need to take on the work not just of school, but life? The answers lie in the “nuts and bolts” of creativity evident in every division, from Middle School advisory sessions in which boys are asked to think about self control like a muscle, to a Taste Test at the Upper School in which students decide for themselves whether meatless burgers are anything like the real thing.
“A child whose life has been infused by agency is more likely to feel the right of authorship.” DR . ADA M COX
To wit, there’s a new Together Tree at the Lower School that features a leaf created by every student, one side a reflection of individual identity and the other a celebration of community. There’s also been a slew of different speakers who have shared their stories with Middle and Upper Schoolers, each offering his own unique experience on how to be an “upstander.”
And, there are the dozens of Middle School boys, Sweet Readers of a kind, who have reached out across the years to connect with residents of senior living homes, an antidote to the crippling isolation of old age, now far worse than ever. It all adds up. Here is an education of the whole boy, ably prepared for life; an education that, true to Brunswick’s founding, brings the learning beyond just math and science, English, and foreign language. When he was a boy, Upper School math teacher Dwight Jackson attended a public school in Memphis, Tenn. In fifth grade, teachers took time at the end of each day for “evaluation”; they asked students to reflect on what they liked about their learning, what they most enjoyed, what was pleasant, and where they were able to contribute. “Yes, we were tightly scheduled, but, ideally, doing something we enjoy,” Jackson said. Back then, the idea was for students to choose careers in which those same things would be true, to plant seeds for a future of work where “the right people would land in the right place,” and even more, become citizens who, on balance, would feel good about their lives. The work of that long-ago Middle School is reflected in today’s efforts of The Brunswick Trust, which seeks to bring purpose and agency into the everyday learning of ’Wick boys.
Recommended Reading: On Purpose Before Twenty, by Dr. Adam Cox
Said Jackson: “Brunswick is a place where just about any kid can find something that he likes, that he gravitates to, that he puts his heart and soul into.”
CHARACTER
D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y
H E A LT H
SERVICE &
& LEADERSHIP
& INCLUSION
& WELLNESS
S U S TA I N A B I LI T Y
The Brunswick Trust CHARACTER & LEADERSHIP
On Purpose & Agency Herewith, we share some of the “nuts & bolts” of Brunswick’s recent character & leadership initiatives. The Middle School kicked off the new year with a push to bring the Character Continuum to the forefront, with a Brunswick Trust-related morning advisory session on Jan. 12. Trust Coordinator Kate Duennebier created four age-appropriate agendas for each grade: Fifth graders focused on Self Control, sixth graders on cultivating a Growth Mindset, seventh graders considered Leadership, and eighth graders thought about and wrote letters of Gratitude. The overall goal was to show the Character Continuum as a “living document” that can help create a mindset of agency and purpose. Self control, for example, can be looked at like a muscle, something that gets stronger with practice, just like a bicep gets stronger through weight lifting. “There are so many messages that reinforce a fixed mindset,” Duennebier said. “With a growth mindset, you don’t mind taking risks.” Speaking of growth, the theme of togetherness continued at the Lower School, developing into a beautiful Together Tree that now adorns the lobby. Togetherness is especially poignant for the Lower School, whose first graders had to move to the Pre School to make room for social distancing. The project, led by art teacher Kim Amussen, saw students each create a “me/we” leaf, with facts about the individual on one side and the community on the other. “The tree is a reflection of how much we have to offer as individuals, and how individuals can come together to make a beautiful whole,” said Lower School Head Katie Signer. “We don’t all have to be the same. We don’t all have to be different.”
“The tree is really beautiful,” she said. “It looks almost like a willow tree.” Second graders, meanwhile, created a Together Quilt. Each student drew a picture on a fabric square of what togetherness means to him, and Head Teacher and Seamstress Sarah Trager stitched them all together into a quilt. The center square features the famous Helen Keller quote: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” Gratitude was another theme at the Lower School as the Student Council helped organize a Valentine’s Day drive in appreciation of the huge team of people who made in-person learning possible this year. Boys created Kindness Valentines, complete with heartfelt messages of thanks, and sent them to people in the community, including everyone from maintenance workers to Head of School Tom Philip. “It was important for us to close the circle and say thank you,” said Annie Manning, an advisor to the Student Council. “These cards meant a lot for the people who worked so hard to keep the Lower School doors open for learning.” Pre School boys have been focused on three of the six pillars of character that underpin the curriculum for ’Wick’s youngest: Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. The words are woven into everything the boys do, with the intent they form the building blocks for all the learning that is to come. “We talk about the words, what they mean, and how they can act on them,” said Pre School Head Gina Hurd. “Pre School is the foundation for everything.” At the Upper School, Senior Voice speeches for the Class of 2021 are now complete, each serving as an opportunity for the class to get to know each other more deeply, in ways that are often missed in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. The speeches are typically characterized for their candor, sincerity, and heartfelt reflections on life. This year, Thomas Fouts offered his thoughts on a high-school career that did not go the way he dreamed it would, Keegan Gilsenan mused on a Hellenistic sculpture of the seated boxer, while Colin Mulshine reflected on his experience coaching first graders in lacrosse and football. Also at the Upper School, 20 juniors trekked up to Vermont in January to train for their senior year leadership roles in Brunswick’s Vermont Program. The juniors were selected continued on page 3
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The Brunswick Trust D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y & I N C LU S I O N
Special Agent, DEI
An Upper School, student-led assembly built around the theme of being an “upstander” served as a fitting celebration for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
On Purpose and Agency from page 2
for the program for their ability to make connections and be positive influences on the small groups of sophomores who travel to Vermont for week-long wilderness education and applied-classroom learning. Training happens in junior year in preparation for their senior-year leadership. Among other activities, boys tackle ice climbing, a unique and powerful venue for leadership development. “Ice climbing is a level playing field,” noted Danny Dychowski, Vermont campus director. “It’s not something a majority of kids have done before. We don’t know who’s going to be good. It’s unfamiliar, physically challenging, and helps them discover unknown skills.” Greenwich-based activities and training for Vermont Leaders have also begun. This year, leaders raised about $700 to give to the food pantry in Randolph, Vt. Now in its 37th season, the Peer Leadership program remade itself for the age of the pandemic, transforming what had been a three-day, off-campus retreat aimed at acclimating freshmen to high school into a local, COVID-safe trio of days right here in Greenwich. Featured fun included a giant scavenger hunt on the King Street campus, complete with karaoke and even poetry readings. In all, 21 Brunswick Peer Leaders teamed up with 21 Greenwich Academy Peer Leaders to welcome 21 groups of freshmen into the community. “There were more challenges this year,” noted Brian Shepard, a co-coordinator of the program. “Hopefully, everyone could still feel the smiles and energy behind the masks!”
The assembly was led by Diversity in Action co-presidents Angus Manion ’21 and Ali Hindy ’21, who organized an event that featured student presentations on the history of Civil Rights, a visit from NAACP lawyers who discussed the practice of stop & frisk in New York City, and a fishbowl conversation about historical figures who have served as upstanders. “We really want to get people to think,” said Manion. “This is the most important thing our club does, our most important event of the year.” Alecia Thomas, director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, said having students lead the MLK assembly, instead of hosting an outside speaker, is an intentional effort to inspire authorship — upstanders if you will — around important issues. continued on page 4
Culturally United Bruins A group calling itself CUBs, or Culturally United Bruins, was reborn this year, thanks to a collaboration between the DEI office, Pre and Lower School division heads, and two Lower School teachers. The group met monthly with Brunswick families to explore the concepts of identity and belonging. “During our gatherings, we asked the important question, ‘How can we celebrate our similarities and differences?’” said Beth Barsanti, Pre and Lower School librarian. “We explored what it means to belong within our families, our neighborhoods, and our school.” One CUBs gathering saw participants share artifacts such as books and recipes that represent individual culture and identity. Another meeting saw participants share an “I am” poem. “Through these poems we expressed our hopes, fears, and dreams,” said Barsanti. “Our meetings gave us the opportunity to learn more about each other, and, as a result, grow closer as a CUBs community. For this, we are truly grateful.”
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The Brunswick Trust Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion from page 3
situation: “I think you’re the first Black person she’s ever seen in her house or around her family.” Then, the friend followed up: “How does that make you feel?” It was the first time a white classmate had asked Taylor about his Black identity and his race — the first time someone his age had tried to seek and gain perspective. “That moment and many moments going forward — which took a community of teachers, friends, and family members inquiring about how I was feeling and trying to understand my identity — helped me turn those aspects of my identity that I viewed as negatives into superpowers.” Taylor went on to star on the soccer field at Brown University and as a professional soccer player and has since started three of his own businesses.
“To have students lead this, it brings a sense of collaboration,” she said. “They were the change agent. They provide that agency.”
Daniel Taylor ’11 and Dr. Michael Fowlin
At the Middle School, MLK day was celebrated through virtual visits of alumnus Daniel Taylor ’11 and psychologist, performer, and poet Dr. Michael Fowlin.
Fowlin, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology from Rutgers University, offered a similar message in his one-man presentation “You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me.” He revealed two personal stories of sadness, depression, and loneliness — when he didn’t want to live anymore — and was saved by the love and comforting words of another. “Young men, you are not alone. And I know it’s hard as a boy to open up and let the vulnerability be real. But your mask isn’t suiting you. There are students here right now who need your kindness, who need you to be an upstander, and who need you to continue to live.”
Taylor spoke to students about the importance of having and being an ally, and about how he discovered the superpower hidden in his own identity — all of it stemming from an experience he had as an overly competitive (angry, even), severely dyslexic ’Wick eighth grader. In a visit to a friends’ home, Taylor caught the eye of a fiveyear-old girl — a visiting relative of his friend — who could not stop staring at him. Taylor’s friend attempted to diffuse the
Autism Awareness April was Autism Awareness Month, and eighth-grade Diversity in Action students marked the occasion with a special presentation during Morning Meeting on April 26. The group, along with the Community Service Club, discussed what autism is, facts and figures about autism, and why it matters. The event kicked off a weeklong fundraiser for Autism Speaks, with ribbons being offered for sale for a $1 donation. DIA members Henry Roth, Max Tejpaul, Charlie Collins, and Grayson O’Hara were all involved in the event.
Another important Middle School virtual visitor this year was Jerry Craft, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of New Kid, the first-ever graphic novel to win the John Newberry Medal. Craft told the boys his ambition in his decades-long career has been to “stop the single-story narrative” around AfricanAmerican life. “What inspires me is to get kids of color to see characters they can relate to, that actually give them hope,” he said. “There is no one specific way to be African American. You can still be you.” continued on page 5
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The Brunswick Trust Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion from page 4
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
Charles R. Smith, Jr., an awardwinning photographer, poet, and competitor from “American Ninja Warrior,” visited with Middle Schoolers on April 29. Smith told boys that and that the seeds of his successful career were planted in a California high school, where he originally wanted to be an astronaut. He joined the yearbook committee in an effort to beef up his extracurricular activities, and found himself filling a need to take photos of sporting events. “I had so much fun that I decided that’s what I wanted to do,” he said. A celebrated husband-andwife literary team gave Pre, Lower, and Middle School boys a peek into the creative life, while also offering some messages about MLK. Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney Zoomed into Brunswick on Jan. 22. The couple discussed their book Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down, which details the non-violent, historic stand against segregation taken by students at the Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., on Feb. 1, 1960.
Agents for Health There’s been a fine fettle of happenings in the realm of Health & Wellness! An Upper School assembly in January focused on one of the thorniest issues of our time: the rise of social media. Students watched an abridged version of the Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, and then discussed an essential quandary: “Never before have a handful of tech designers had such control over the way billions of us think, act, and live our lives.” Students considered some of the problems generated by that power, including declining mental health, rising extremism, and threats to democracy itself. “It was a salient topic,” said Paul Withstandley, Upper School assistant head. “A really pressing social issue, with these kids with so much online presence.” A Common Sense Media event, Parenting Through the Pandemic: What’s Next?, drew parents from every Brunswick division to a virtual presentation on April 28. The event saw two psychologists and parenting specialists, Madeline Levine Ph.D. and Danielle Ramo Ph.D., share insight into how to help younger kids and teens confidently re-enter a world that will never be quite the same. Topics included anxiety and resiliency; the impact of social media on teen development; rethinking rules around tech use; and ways to address the challenges of the past year. For the second consecutive year, Upper Schoolers were offered optional electrocardiogram (ECG) testing, and roughly 130 families took the opportunity to screen their boys for major abnormalities, such as an enlarged heart, known to cause sudden cardiac arrest. Last year, ECG testing at Brunswick was provided by Who We Play For, but due to the pandemic, the tests were administered, with borrowed equipment, in-house this year. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death on school campuses, and is also the number-one killer of student athletes. Heart health was also the topic, in a way, of a joint Upper School assembly with Greenwich Academy this spring.
At the Pre School, boys shared ways they could bring peace into the world by creating feathers for a Peace Dove art project. Each feather hosted a special message; “I help,” said one; “I stand up for people when they are sad,” said another.
One Love Foundation, created in the wake of the murder of University of Virginia senior and lacrosse standout Yeardley Love, offered a 40-minute virtual presentation to students on April 26. continued on page 6
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The Brunswick Trust Health & Wellness from page 5
The goal was to begin a conversation around relationship health. Michael Harley, One Love engagement coordinator, reviewed 10 signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships, and worked to lay the groundwork for conversation. After the presentation, students had an opportunity for smallgroup discussions. “Our goal is to bring these conversations out,” Harley said. “We want more people to be talking about healthy and unhealthy relationships. More people talking about what unhealthy relationships look like, and more people talking about what we can do.” A Student Engagement Survey run by Indiana University was administered to 9th, 10th and 11th graders in February. Recommended by the National Association of Independent Schools, the voluntary survey assesses the extent to which students are involved in educational activities, and feel connected to their school. The survey will help Brunswick further understand student outlook at this critical time; results are expected in the fall. In the Middle School, a fifth grade Values Class is running once a week as it always does; as usual, the class includes a six-week health curriculum taught by school nurse Ginny Martin. Using the book Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys by Cara Natterson as a reference, Martin covers things like puberty, the male anatomy, mind attitudes, and the like. “That’s really what I do for six weeks for the boys,” she said. At the Middle School, a new PE curriculum developed by Director of Physical Education Johnny Montanez has boys thinking about how to work through disappointment, and understand sports as a community.
Time for a ‘Digital Detox’ Summer is just over the horizon, and with it comes a precious resource indeed: Time.
Muscle strength, mental health, cardiovascular endurance, and nutrition are the topics covered in the four-week class, but the thread of mental toughness and positive thinking may be the most important goal. “We learn to train our muscles, but we also need to learn to train our minds,” Montanez said. “There is so much more to sports than just playing games. “It is about growth, more than the outcome,” he said. S E RV I C E & S U S TA I N A B I LIT Y
Sweet Readers & Impossible Burgers Partnering, even more closely, with Horizons at Brunswick. Collecting paint cans for proper disposal. Fighting the terrible isolation brought about by the pandemic, through virtual visits with residents of senior living communities. Answering the impossible question: Could Impossible Burgers possibly be as tasty as the real thing? These are just a few of the dizzying array of activities boys have undertaken this year in the arena of Service & Sustainability. Highlights from the field tell the story. At the Upper School, membership in an invigorated Horizons at Brunswick Club has swelled to 23, and, under the leadership of Brunswick School Will Berkley ’21, about two dozen tutors were specially trained this spring to work on math and language arts with Horizons students. “That’s new and extremely needed,” said Marianne Barnum, executive director of Horizons. “The biggest thing is not the tutoring. It’s the connection with a mentor.” Horizons, which serves 130 low-income Greenwich public school boys through a six-week summer enrichment program, was also the focus of a Giving Day on May 7. The day saw Middle School students and faculty organize a basketball dunk
One idea for hot sunny days is to intentionally dial back the digital life that has so overrun our days during the pandemic. Try setting them aside one day a week, a certain time of day, or even a complete cold-turkey shutdown of devices; the benefits are well documented and quickly evident. Exploring new interests, reconnecting with children, just feeling better — all of that comes back into reach when we sideline our phones. It’s Time for a Digital Detox. (You Know You Need It.), New York Times
continued on page 7
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The Brunswick Trust Service & Sustainability from page 6
contest in support of Horizons, while Pre and Lower School boys collected coins toward the effort. When it’s safe to do so, plans are in the works for bringing Horizons and Brunswick students even closer together for fun activities and relationship building. Also at the Upper School, students decided to see for themselves whether there is really any difference between meatless burgers and the real thing. An Impossible Burger Taste Test saw science teacher Oliver Bierman-Lytle visit Burger King to purchase eight Whoppers — four of the original variety and four of the new Impossible Burgers. Each burger was cut in half, and a panel of boys then taste-tested the samples for comparison. The answer? The boys could tell the difference, but not by much. “Everyone was able to guess,” Bierman-Lytle said. “But they said the difference was minimal.” The Taste Test was held on April 22, in celebration of Earth Week, and marked the second time in five days boys were asked to think about what they eat. Earlier in the week, Meatless Monday took place in the Upper School dining hall; a mushroom risotto proved a popular alternative. Community Service Day saw boys serve communities from Fairfield down to Rye, N.Y., and everywhere in between. They helped food banks, senior citizens, cleaned up public spaces, and even wrote letters to our troops and children receiving cancer treatments. The day also saw science teacher Dana Montanez work with students in the Outdoor Classroom at King Street, while teacher Oliver Bierman-Lytle planted a garden with first graders.
At the Middle School, meanwhile, students have been working to ease the intense isolation experienced by residents of senior living homes. Sweet Readers has been a Middle School mainstay for years, but the initiative became especially critical this year, as the need for connection exploded everywhere. “There are so many adults in isolation right now,” said Erin Withstandley, who coordinates the program. “There’s such a huge need.” Despite the name, Sweet Readers actually uses an arts-based curriculum to connect adolescents of the modern world with older generations, some with Alzheimers. This year, about 60 ’Wick boys were trained to meet virtually with residents of senior living homes in New York City, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. They held sessions, on Friday afternoons, that were structured in a way to get people talking; Withstandley said she often hears chuckling and chatting as she wanders the building during the meetings. “It’s not easy, but it’s really meaningful,” she said: “The goal is always to discover the person behind the disease.”
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