BRUNSWICK SCHOOL
DECEMBER 2012
MONTHLY MAILING Happiness Think about it . . . think about some of, one of, the happiest moments in your life; a moment when you felt sublime satisfaction, relief, fulfillment. A moment when you felt you were at your best, that all was right with the world; when you felt that warm glow of true happiness. My guess is that for most of you, the achievement of that sensation, one of true happiness, was much more likely to have come when you were able to witness the success (or help with the success of) others as compared to when you achieved something exclusively for yourself. In fact, I will go even further. I bet, for the great majority of you, many of the most recent moments when you felt truly happy were when you witnessed or were somehow involved in a success achieved by one of your children. Think about it . . . there is no greater joy as a parent than bearing witness to the achievements (no matter how small) of your children. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that this is actually a universal but often overlooked truth. The fact is that true happiness is so much greater than the achievement of our own needs; true happiness almost always involves assuaging the needs of others as well. There was an article in the New York Times this summer that caught my eye, written by the authors of a soon-to-be published book entitled, “Happy Money, The Science of Spending” by Elizabeth Dunn of the University of British Columbia and Michael Norton of Harvard University. It began with the intriguing question: “HOW much money do you need to be happy? Think about it. What’s your number?” It went on to say, “Many of us aren’t satisfied with how much we have now. That’s why we’re constantly angling for a raise at work, befriending aged relatives and springing, despite long odds, for lottery scratch tickets. Is it crazy to question how much money you need to be happy? The notion that money can’t buy happiness has been around a long time — even before yoga came into vogue. But it turns out there is a measurable connection between income and happiness; not surprisingly, people with a comfortable living standard are happier than people living in poverty. The catch is that additional income doesn’t buy us any additional happiness on a typical day once we reach that comfortable standard. The magic number that defines this ‘comfortable standard’ varies across individuals and countries, but in the United States, it seems to fall somewhere around $75,000.” “Another scientifically validated means of increasing the happiness you get from your money is even more radical: not using it on yourself at all. Imagine walking down the street to work and being approached by our student Lara Aknin, who hands you an envelope. You open the envelope and find $20 and a slip of paper, which tells you to spend the cash on something for yourself by the end of the day. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Now imagine instead that the slip of paper told you to spend the cash on someone else. Being generous is nice, sure, but would using the money to benefit someone else actually make you happier than buying yourself the belt, DVD or apps you’ve been dying to get? Yes, and it’s not even close. When we follow up with people who receive cash from us, those whom we told to spend on others report greater happiness than those told to spend on themselves. And in countries from Canada to India to South Africa, we find that people are happier when they spend money on others rather than on themselves.” For me, the study served to emphasize the link between true happiness/fulfillment and the helping of others. To be truly happy or fulfilled, it seems we must not only be pleased with our own lives but also feel that we have been able to positively impact the lives of others. To put it at its simplest, to be truly happy and truly fulfilled, a person must be good; good to him or herself and good to those around him/her. Put another way, to be truly happy, you must lead a life marked by character, a life, above all else, of courage, honor and truth. Happy Holidays!
Upper school
DECEMBER 2012
From the Upper School Office: December is a notably short and busy month here in the Upper School. While there are actually only 14 days of school this month, each one, seemingly, includes one special event or another. Notes for December: 2nd Interim: The half-way point of the Second Quarter (the 2nd Interim) is Friday, December 7th. As with all Interims, at that time, teachers will write comments for all students who are currently performing at a level below C- in any given course. We are hoping to email those comments home during the second week of December. Snow Bulletin: If there is a delayed opening or a school cancellation due to bad weather, we will make every attempt to use the Brunswick automated messaging system. Parents may also check the Brunswick School website (www.brunswickschool.org), tune into your local radio stations (WGCH or WSTC), or call the school after Dates to Remember in December: 6:00am on the main number (203-625-5800) for cancellation or delay information. 12/3 Upper School Holiday Gift Drive begins (delivery date is Dec. 19) 12/7 2nd Interim 12/17 Latin Carol Service 7pm Christ Church, Greenwich 12/19 US Holiday Concert 7pm Baker Theater, Maher Avenue 12/20 All-School Holiday Assembly Early Dismissal (see enclosed chart) 1:30pm 1/7 Classes resume
Latin Carol Service: This wonderfully popular annual tradition will be held this year on Monday, December 17th beginning at 7:00pm at Christ Church, Greenwich. Please join us for an evening of classical readings and song. Upper School Holiday Concert: This year's holiday concert will be held on Wednesday, December 19th, at 7:00pm. The concert will be held at Brunswick’s Baker Theater on the Maher Avenue Campus and as space is limited, I encourage all those wishing a seat to arrive promptly!
Holiday Dismissal: Our vacation will begin at the end of classes at 1:30pm on Thursday, December 20th. Classes will resume on Monday, January 7th. Your sons have worked exceedingly hard since the start of the school year way back in September; they are, of course, looking forward to this well-deserved time away from school. We want to take this opportunity, however, to encourage you to keep time away from school to those days specifically reserved for vacation. Early dismissals and late returns put your son at an academic disadvantage so close to exam time. On behalf of the faculty, we would like to wish you and your family all the best during this special season. Looking Forward: It is worth our emphasizing here how swiftly mid-term exams follow upon our return to school after vacation. Thus, despite the fact that there is ample time in January for review, it would be wise for your son to reserve some time over the course of the vacation to do some preliminary and well-measured preparation. Please see the enclosed schedule of exam days in January. SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, January 10, 6-8pm Off-Campus and Summer Study Fair – representatives from semester- and year-long programs as well as leading summer programs will be here to meet with parents and students about options for language immersion, experiential education and enrichment opportunities. Please contact Tucker Hastings at thastings@brunswickschool.org if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year!!!!
MIDDLE school
DECEMBER 2012
From Sarah Burdett: The Middle School Arts curriculum is in full swing. Our chorus at each grade level is busily rehearsing songs for the upcoming holiday concert. Fifth graders are just settling in with their new instruments, while the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade ensembles, as well as our two jazz bands, perfect both their individual skills and their ability to play together. In the shop, our fifth graders are shaping propellers using files and sandpaper, while our sixth graders use chisels and mallets on their carved fish projects. Our seventh graders recently spent a day with visiting artist, Lane Myer, who taught them faux finish painting using different textures. Also in the art studio, eighth graders have just finished very detailed architectural models of commercial, residential, or outdoor structures. In addition they had to plan and build a simple model of an industrial design object that solves a common problem for everyday use. They are now using the iPads to create a visual portfolio of their work. Finally, the cast and crew of “The Little Mermaid” have just switched their rehearsals to Baker Theatre and all are busy rehearsing lines, building sets, and mastering choreography for the upcoming show. As Neil Minsky said in his MS Parent Workshop, the arts “light up” all eight areas of the brain. We are thrilled that our boys dedicate themselves to the pursuit of arts here at Brunswick. Dates to Remember in December: 11/27 FCD 8th Grade Parent/Son Evening 7:00pm 11/29-30 MS Musical 11/30 FCD Parent Coffee Grades 5-7 9:50am 12/14 Mayfair 12/18 Holiday Choral Concert (5th-8th) – Camuto 7:00pm 12/20 Holiday Break -Early Dismissal at 1:00pm 1/7 Classes Resume 1/17 Holiday Instrumental Concert (6th-8th) – Camuto 6:00pm
Holiday Toy Drive: The Middle School community is busily preparing for our annual Holiday Gift Drive to benefit children and their families in Port Chester, NY. Each homeroom will again “adopt” the same families we reached out to during Thanksgiving and will be responsible for providing gifts for the children. If possible, please encourage the boys to shop for the gifts with you.
Middle School Winter Concerts: We are once again looking forward to our winter concerts which will give our boys a chance to demonstrate their musical talents. The Choral Concert for Grades 5-8 will also take place in Camuto Auditorium on the evening of Tuesday, December 18th and will begin at 7:00pm. The Instrumental Concert for Grades 6-8 will be performed after the holiday break on Thursday, January 17th , in Camuto Auditorium at 6:00pm. The concerts will last approximately 55 minutes. 5th Graders will be performing only on Tuesday December 18th. Reminder: Cell Phones and I-Pods: Use of cell phones and I-pods is not permitted during the school day. While we understand the need for boys to have phones for coordinating after school plans, they are not to use their phones during the day. Phones must be turned off during school hours. Any communication home must be made from the office. In addition, boys may use I-Pods on the bus to and from school but not during school hours. Holiday Break: Our holiday break will begin on Thursday, December 20th with early dismissal at 1:00pm. Bus service will be available. We will return to school on Monday, January 7th. Please arrange travel plans around these dates. On behalf of the entire Middle School Faculty, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.
PRE
and
LOWER school
DECEMBER 2012
From Katie Signer and Gina Hurd: As the days get colder please be sure that your son comes to school with a warm jacket, hat and gloves. While temperatures often drop unexpectedly, we still like to offer the boys outdoor recess time. In addition, we want to remind all Lower School parents that khaki shorts should be put away until after Spring Break. Upon return from Thanksgiving Break, school uniform guidelines require all Lower School boys to wear long pants. Please make sure your son has a brown sweater each day as well. When it gets cold, this should be his first layer for warmth. Our Student Council advisors, Dr. Das, Mr. Coughlin and Ms. Markiewicz, noted how pleased they were to see so many boys run for office and we commend them for delivering their speeches with such courage and poise. Congratulations to our elected officers – President: Gavin Molloy; Vice President: Peter Magliocco; Secretary: Ashton Winegardner; Treasurer: Warren Klein – and the members-at-large who will lead the school in our service learning initiatives. “Giving Tree” Service Project: This year, the Lower School will again host a “Giving Tree” that will adorn our Lower School atrium. All boys and teachers are encouraged to bring a gift card or an unwrapped gift Dates to Remember in December: for a child or teenager and place it beneath the tree. All proceeds will be 12/1 PS/LS Father-Son Breakfast 8am -10am delivered to the local organization, Kids in Crisis. As we seek to help 12/4 1st Gr. Trip to Nutcracker 9:15am -12pm others in need, we are hopeful this project will focus the attention of our 12/6 Ks to Stepping Stones Museum 12:30pm-2:30pm community on the spirit of giving. Donations may be brought to the 12/7 2 W/H Assembly Presentation 8:25 am atrium anytime between December 10th and 18th. Stay tuned for 12/7 Pre School Holiday Concert 10am more specific details from our Student Council in the weeks to come. 12/11 Pre School to Polar Express 9am-12:30pm 12/13 12/14 12/17 12/18 12/19 12/19 12/20 12/20
PK Holiday Party 1:45pm Lower School Civies Day Kindergarten Holiday Party 1:45pm LS Holiday Concert 6pm Encore Ends 1st Semester PK Cubs Ends All School Holiday Assembly 8:30am Early Dismissals: PS 11:45am Grs. 1 & 2 12:15pm Grs. 3 & 4 12:30pm Buses 12:30pm 12/21-1/6 Holiday Break (Classes resume on Jan. 7)
Mitten Tree: Pre School boys are invited to donate new or gently used mittens, gloves, scarves, hats and warm socks from December 3rd through December 14th. The donated items will serve as tree ornaments, so please feel free to hang them directly on the branches of the tree located in the Pre School Library. Pre and Lower School fathers are invited to come with their sons to enjoy a Father/Son Breakfast on Saturday, December 1st. Be sure to wear sneakers as fathers and sons are encouraged to enjoy some time playing in the Burke Field House following a hearty breakfast in the LS Dining Hall.
Encore Winter Programs: Our winter session of clubs will begin when we return from the holiday break on January 7th. Please check your son’s Friday Folder on December 7th, as a description of the offerings should be enclosed. All registration forms should be returned to the LS office by Tuesday, December 11th. We look forward to celebrating the holiday season with all of our families. Under the guidance of Ms. Wamunyu, our Pre and Lower School boys have been working hard to prepare for their holiday concerts. Be sure to mark your calendars and come get in the holiday spirit. All boys are asked to wear long khaki pants and a “festive” holiday sweater. Pre School Holiday Concert : Friday, December 7th, 10am, Baker Theater: Parking will be available in the Pre and Upper School lots. Lower School Holiday Concert: Tuesday, December 18th, 6 pm, Burke Field House Lower School boys should arrive at the Burke Field House between 5:30 and 5:45pm and will gather in the Wrestling Room. In order to facilitate a smooth dismissal at the end of the concert, we encourage parents to hold on to your son’s coat during the performance. Students will follow an early dismissal schedule on Thursday, December 20th and classes will resume on Monday, January 7th. Please schedule your vacation time accordingly. The Pre and Lower School faculty and staff extend warmest wishes to our families for a joyful, healthy and peaceful holiday season.
BRUNSWICK PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS
DECEMBER 2012
President’s Letter President’s Letter December is here and with it all the excitement and delight of the holidays. As a new year approaches we can thankfully put behind the November storms, Sandy and Athena. Many thanks to the parents, faculty and boys for their flexibility scheduling around these obstacles! Most recently, we enjoyed a fabulous Book Fair, “Reading Rocks.” Our sincerest thanks to Kim Augustine and Doreen Griffin and all the volunteers who were true “storm troopers” adapting so gracefully to the elements. The BPA truly appreciates the huge effort you made, along with all the families and faculty that supported this event, under these conditions! Many thanks to Kathy Starrs LaBossiere and Andrea Coopersmith for all the hard work and effort that they put forth with the Upper School production, “The Diviners.” It was terrific! Kudos as well to Patty Kelly for her help coordinating the Middle School musical production, “The Little Mermaid,” a thoroughly entertaining show! Congrats to 7th grade ‘Wickends coordinators Deb Kolman and Chrissy von Oiste who organized a fun evening with dancing, games, food and prizes. Rest up because we still have many more events planned over the balance of the school year including the Skate Party, Bingo Night, a second Parent Program, Assemblies for the boys, ‘Wick Walk Run, the Teacher Appreciation Lunch, more Wickends and Mayfair events, more theater and musical productions along with the Golf Outing and the Fashion Show Luncheon! Wishing you a safe, joyful holiday season that is full of lasting memories. Alison Troy, President, Brunswick Parents Association Bearly Used Closet The Bearly Used Closet is your spot for holiday sweaters. Please come to the Closet to donate outgrown sweaters and to pick up a new one for this year's holiday concert. Then gear up for 2013! We've got lots of skates, helmets and hockey pads for ice time this winter. We also have all your uniform needs. The Bearly Used Closet has sizes for Pre K through Upper School and is located in the lower lobby of the Lower School. As always, we greatly appreciate your clothing and equipment donations! All proceeds benefit BPA programs. Teacher Appreciation We are continuing with our raffle drawings for our very deserving teachers. Gift cards, sporting events and theater seats that you cannot use are perfect donations. Don't let those seats go unfilled if you have conflicts! We try to have seven or eight teachers win each month, so donations from our parent body are welcome and necessary to keep this program going strong. Please send gift cards or other donations to: Robin Sherwood, 1 Clapboard Ridge Road, Greenwich, Ct. 06830. Thank you! November faculty raffle winners were Beth Eno (Pre School), Kimberly Amussen (LS), Sonia Schott (MS), Sasha Bulazel (MS) and, from the Upper School, Shane Kirsch, Derek Hruska, and Jake Turner. Congratulations, teachers! Save the Date for the Brunswick School Golf Outing The third bi-annual Brunswick School Golf Outing will be held at Winged Foot Golf Club's Championship West Course on April 29, 2013. Questions? Contact Nancy Axilrod (naxilrod@aol.com), Alice Ruf (alice.ruf@gmail.com) or Jane Sprung (jssprung@optonline.net). Upper School Performing Arts November was a busy month for Brunswick's Performing Arts department. "The Diviners" ran for three successful performances in Baker Theater after being delayed by a week due to Hurricane Sandy. Congratulations to the hard-working and talented cast and crew, and to Seth Potter, Matthew Kirby-Smith, and Abby Redmond for bringing such a fine production to the stage. Brunswick actors were also on stage at Greenwich Academy's Massey Theatre, performing in Dawn Fuller's terrific production of "The Museum." Arts activities will continue through December. We encourage you to attend the School's annual Latin Carol Service on Monday December 17th at 7pm at Christ Church. This is always a beautiful event that features Brunswick's A Cappella group (donned in tuxedos) performing beautiful seasonal songs, and special readings by students and Brunswick's Classics teachers from Hebrew, Greek, and Latin texts. That same week, the always-delightful Holiday Concert will be held in Baker Theater on December 19th at 7pm. This event is sure to bring some holiday cheer, with instrumental and vocal ensembles performing under the direction of Paul Raaen, Shane Kirsch, and Alexander Constantine. Thank you for supporting the Performing Arts at Brunswick!
BRUNSWICK PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS
DECEMBER 2012
Middle School Performing Arts Congratulations to all our Brunswick and GA Middle School actors and tech crew that participated in Disney's “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” The show was a great success and thoroughly entertaining to all. A huge thank you to Alexander Constantine who has managed to overcome hurricanes and snowstorms and countless missed rehearsals and to make sure the show went on. It is now time to get into the Holiday spirit. The MS Holiday choral concert will be held in Camuto Auditorium on the King St. Campus on Tuesday, December 18th at 7pm. Stay tuned for information on the MS band concert that will take place in January. ‘Wick Walk Run The ‘Wick Walk Run will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2013. We are looking for volunteers who are ready to have some fun with this all-school family fun event. Whether you prefer working before the event or on the day of the run, we would love your help and enthusiasm. The first volunteer meeting will be at a date TBA in January. All interested parties please contact Amy McGrath (amymcgra@aol.com) or Catherine Farello (cfarello@gmail.com). Assemblies In January, the Pre School is excited to welcome back Animal Embassy and their beloved interactive animal program. The Lower School kicks off the new year with an out-of-this-world planetarium experience when Starlab Planetarium Programs rockets in for a visit. Be sure to ask your boys about these amazing presentations! Book Fair Despite Hurricane Sandy and Winter Storm Athena trying to get the better of the Book Fair, they couldn't dampen the spirit of our students and our parent body. We thank you all for coming out in force to the Kick-off Party to beat the storm, and we doubly thank you for being patient through our school closings and allowing your LS boys to shop without you there when Visiting Day got cancelled. We hope the boys didn't come home with too many unwanted purchases! We are extraordinarily grateful to all of you who contributed books to enhance our libraries and classrooms. It was a trying Book Fair to say the least, but it was all worth it in the end to see how happy the boys were just to be there. This year in particular it really did take a village to pull this off. We couldn't have done it without our amazing committee chairs and volunteers. Everyone was flexible and kept a great sense of humor throughout, which helped tremendously. THANK YOU! An extra big round of applause goes to Alison Troy for her calming demeanor throughout, to Sunil Gupta for his technology expertise, and to Chuck Redahan and his maintenance team for all of their incredible support year after year. Lastly, special thanks to Tracy Chadwell, Lela Philip, Rachel Andersen, Jerry Craft and Austin Dailey for their contributions to an amazing Kick-off Party. Here's to a less eventful Book Fair next year! Mayfair We held our second Mayfair dance on Friday, November 9th. It was another successful evening. We had almost perfect attendance in both grades. The boys and the girls were very engaged in all of the activities throughout the dance! We look forward to our next Mayfair dance on Friday, December 14th. ‘Wickends Save the Date! Our next ‘Wickends event will be a sports night event for Grades 7 & 8, held at the Sampson Athletic Center on Saturday, January 12th, from 7-9:00pm. There will be skating, basketball, ping pong, music and more. Contact Holly Robinson (hocoro@optonline.net) with any questions or if you have yet to sign up. It is not too late to join in the fun! A SPECIAL NOTICE FROM BRUNSWICK SCHOOL On October 30, 1987 the Federal Government enacted legislation for application through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), entitled through the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). The law requires all elementary and secondary schools, both public and private, to conduct inspections to determine the location of asbestos containing materials and subsequently, to develop a management plan to ensure proper maintenance of these materials. This legislation requires, moreover, that students’ parents and teachers be apprised of the results of such inspections. This notice is provided to comply with that requirement. In consultation with a state certified contractor, the Brunswick School has submitted the required asbestos survey report and management plan to the State Department of Public Health. As required the management plan will be available for public inspection during normal school hours in the Main Office.
From Johnny Montañez, Director of Community Service: Believe it or not, the holiday season is here! Turkeys are in the freezer, waiting for gravy, light FM is playing holiday music, Black Friday advertisements abound, and we have already had our first snowfall. To add to the chaos, we are all still recovering from the storm of the century. At the dawn of what is already a hectic time, I want to commend the Brunswick community for going above and beyond all expectations during the last four weeks. Our October food drive for Neighbor to Neighbor was one of our largest monthly collections to date; however, the communal response in the aftermath of Sandy was absolutely incredible. Even with the majority of our families without power for a week, many displaced from their homes, and still more not back to normal after the storm, we came together during the peak of our personal struggles to engineer the most impressive food and supply collection I have ever seen. In one week, we collected over 1,000 non-perishable food items, 500 diapers and boxes of baby wipes, 120+ bottles of water, 83 coats, 40 blankets, and a variety of other items for the displaced and homeless residents of New York City.
I want to thank you for more than just stepping-up-to-the-plate. Donations are needed and appreciated, but they mean more than a box of diapers or a can of corn. They represent a binding of the human spirit, an effort for the greater good, and most of all, your donations brought hope at a crucial juncture in so many lives. I can never thank you enough. In addition, we were able to create Thanksgiving Baskets for 150 families in Greenwich, Stamford, Port Chester, and White Plains. Each basket contained a gift card for a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, beans, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, gravy, and dessert. A huge “thank you” to each family for their time and contributions to this endeavor. The Second Annual Turkey Bowl was a smashing success with a collection of more than $2,500. These funds will be donated to student-selected charities and will go toward the purchasing of holiday gifts in the coming weeks. Thank you to all those who participated! Please visit community.brunswickschool.org for photos. Wishing each of you a blessed holiday season, Johnny Montañez
LOOKING AHEAD Holiday Gift Drive – Advisors and advisees planning begins on Monday, Dec. 3 and runs through Tuesday, Dec. 18. Delivery day will be on Wednesday, Dec. 19. Each advisory will be given a list of items to pick-up and buy as an advisory, within this two-week period.
Brunswick School 100 Maher Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 ď Ą 1252 King Street Greenwich, CT 06831 (203) 625-5800
December 2012 Sun
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Sat 1 *PS/LS Father/Son Breakfast, 8-10am *ISEE/ERB Testing at Middle School
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Joint GA/BWK BPA Meeting at Brunswick, 10am
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7 6th Grade Parent Brown Bag
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*PS Holiday Concert 10am, Baker Theater *End of 2nd Interim (US)
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15 Mayfair
Hanukkah
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18 Latin Carol Service, Christ Church, GR 7pm
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*All School Holiday Assembly, 8:30am *Early Dismissal for Holiday Break
US Holiday Concert, Baker Theater, 7pm
LS/MS Holiday Concert, King Street LS at 6pm MS at 7pm
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Holiday Break Christmas Day
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Holiday Break
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Classes Resume January 7