MARCH 2011
BRUNSWICK SCHOOL
MONTHLY MAILING A MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER Why We Feel As We Do The degree of “recreational” drug use by adolescents tends to ebb and flow over time. At the moment, the general consensus is that there is more “flowing” than there is “ebbing” due in large part to public discussions of the potential legalization of marijuana in some states and a lack of understanding among parents as to how different (and far more potent) marijuana is now as compared to 20 years ago. There is also, due to budget cuts, a dearth of public service announcements outlining the dangers associated with drug use. The bottom line, and of great concern to me, is that there seems to be some confusion as to why drugs in general and marijuana in particular are very dangerous when involved in the life of our students. I doubt I need to emphasize to any parent that “confusion” is not a good thing when it comes to helping young people navigate an issue as important as this. Confusion, thinking that smoking pot is no big deal, risks their own health and welfare and causes otherwise good young men to make mistakes in judgment and attitude that, with greater understanding, they would otherwise avoid. So, in an attempt to clarify any possible confusion, what follows are some key reasons why, at Brunswick, we have a “no tolerance” policy for our students should they ever be found to be involved with drugs as opposed to a “one chance” policy in the event they are found to have been involved with alcohol. Alcohol, with all its manifest dangers, has nevertheless been around since ancient times and like it or not is a part of our society, part of our civilization. It is even an integral part of several of the world’s leading religions. This is not to say that we encourage our students to drink; obviously we do not. However, unlike liquor, drugs have no such place in our society. Liquor is a legal substance used illegally by people the age of our students. Drugs are NEVER legal, at any age. So often we talk about role models and positive examples. Most adults in most communities can offer examples of responsible, social alcohol use. On the other hand, there are literally no adults who any of us would categorize as “responsible” drug users, let alone hold up to our sons as positive role models. Your son might ask: Why is this? What are the effects of drug use? What do drugs do to the user that is so bad? The answers to these questions are not confusing or unclear and, unlike many things in life, hold true in virtually every case. The changes we see in students who use and/or begin to use drugs are uniform*:
They do less school work of poorer quality, never more work of better quality.
They engage in fewer activities and those that they do participate in they do less well (sports, etc.).
To an ever-increasing extent, their activities and their friends revolve around drugs.
They are tougher to engage and tougher to interest.
They begin to associate with potentially dangerous people in potentially dangerous places.
By the very nature of the activity, they become practiced liars to their parents, to their teachers and to their non-drug using friends.
Saddest of all, they uniformly think that they are doing better and thinking more clearly than they did before their exposure to drugs, when in fact, they are doing less well and thinking less clearly. The drugs cause them to lie to themselves, as well.
All of these are changes we see in individuals who use drugs. Sadly, one of the most detrimental effects of drug use is not specific to the user. Rather it affects the entire community. Specifically, the specter of potential drug use erodes the student/faculty trust that exists in schools such as Brunswick. Drug users lie. Teachers know it and the three pillars of a Brunswick education suffer as a result. Drugs simply cannot be a part of the life of any Brunswick student; drugs don’t mix with Courage, Honor and Truth.
* Portions of this list are paraphrased from The Headmaster’s Papers by Richard A. Hawley
MARCH 2011
Upper school From The Deans’ Office:
March passes quickly at Brunswick. We are literally in school a little more than two weeks (13 school days) in March with Spring Break stuck in between. Despite the lack of days, there is no a lack of important events, not the least of which is the course registration process for the 2011/2012 school year. Given this, we thought it best to list below the important steps for students to follow so as to proceed through their course selections in an informed and easy manner. Step Catalogues distributed Discussion with Advisors Course Registration Concludes Dates to Remember in March: 3/3,4,5 US Musical Baker Theater Showtimes: 7pm and Saturday 2 & 7pm 3/8 US National Latin Exam 8:15am 3/9 Annual Red Cross Blood Drive PS Gym 11:30-5pm 3/10 Father/Son Dinner 7pm 3/11 Regular Dismissal for Spring Break 3/28 Classes Resume
Date Late January February/early March March 4th
Purpose Outline offerings Choosing courses
The course catalogue for Brunswick’s Upper School is something that is best read carefully by both students and parents alike. Although it is essential that each student take responsibility for the courses he wishes to pursue next year, we should emphasize our strong feeling that parents should take the time to discuss with their sons what courses they plan to take for the upcoming school year. Finally, as always, should any questions come up in this regard, please do not hesitate to give your son’s Grade Dean a call. Other Happenings in March:
Upper School Musical, March 3rd, 4th and 5th: This year, our Upper School musical, Into The Woods, promises to be another wonderful celebration of the talents of our Upper School thespians. All shows are at 7:00pm (with a 2pm Saturday matinee) and tickets are available online through the Brunswick web page. Father/Son Dinner, March 10th: This is one of Brunswick's most special (and oldest) traditions. Although the evening tends to focus to the greatest extent upon the winter sports teams, this is only due to the realities of the calendar. Much more important is the overriding tone of the dinner that pairs fathers with sons among friends in a relaxed atmosphere. Please join us in Burke Field House at King Street beginning at 7:00pm for an evening of both dinner and presentations. We look forward to seeing you there! Spring Break, after regular dismissal, March 11th: Although no doubt all members of our community eagerly await this upcoming vacation, we would like to emphasize once again that vacation days should be kept within the generous constraints of the break period. Classes will resume on Monday, March 28th. End of Third Quarter, April 1st: Friday, April 1st is the close of the Third Quarter. Shortly after that date, we will issue full report cards and a complete set of teacher comments for each student in the Upper School. As always, these grades and comments should be reviewed thoughtfully with your son so as to help assess progress made and strategies for the future. Summer Session: Get a jump on the year ahead in just a few short weeks of fun and focused study. Brunswick's Summer Session (for rising 6th-12th graders) runs from June 13th - July 7th. Check us out on the web either at brunswickschool.org/summersession or on Brunswick's Main Page in the "Spotlight." You can reach us always reach us by phone at (203) 625-5861 or send us an email right from the website. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDDLE school
MARCH 2011
From Sarah Burdett: During the month of March (and part of April), the Middle School boys will again participate in a read-a-thon to benefit Brunswick’s chapter of Room to Read. This event has proven to be very successful in the last two years, and we are excited to lend our passion for reading to this worthy cause once again. We will kick off our read-a-thon on Monday, March 7th during our morning meeting. During our regular assembly time that same week, we will have free reading in homerooms. All students and teachers will read for pleasure, not grade papers, not do homework, for this half hour period. We look forward to all of the reading discussions and sharing of titles during this month. Many thanks in advance for sponsoring your boys and for encouraging their reading during spring break. End of 2nd Trimester: The current marking period officially closes on Friday, February 25th and the 2nd Trimester will end after 6th - 8th exams on Thursday, March 3rd. The end of the trimester, unlike the earlier mid-point, is our next formal grading period for students in all grades. At this point, 5th grade parents will receive a report card and comments from each of your son’s academic teachers. You will also receive a call from your son’s Head Teacher shortly thereafter. When you Dates to Remember in March: speak to your son’s Head Teacher, you will be invited to make an 3/3 Early Dismissal at 1pm (no bus service until 3:45pm) appointment for an optional parent conference if you feel the need to 3/4 Grading Day – NO SCHOOL (Grades 5-8) discuss your son’s progress further. Parents of 6th, 7th and 8th graders will Make-up Exams be sent a report card, as well as comments from teachers of courses in 3/7 3rd Trimester Begins which your son’s effort is a 1 or his grade is a C- or below. After report Spring Sports Begin cards are emailed, your son’s advisor will call to discuss his progress. 3/10 Father/Son Dinner (Grades 7-12) - Burke Field House 7pm 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Exams. Second Trimester exams will take 3/11 Spring Break Begins (Regular Dismissal) place the week of February 28th. On Friday, March 4th, we will th th 5 /6 Grade Father Son Breakfast & Science Fair have NO SCHOOL for the boys to enable the faculty to correct 3/28 Classes Resume exams and calculate grades. MAKE-UP EXAMS will be given on 3/28-4/1ERB Testing - 5th: Mon -Fri; 6th-8th: Thurs-Fri that Friday, March 4th, for any boy who is absent on an exam day 4/1 Grade 8 Happenings earlier that week. Note: On Thursday, March 3rd we will dismiss at 1pm for all grades. Bus service will not be available until 3:45pm, but the boys will be supervised at school if they need to wait for the busses. Spring Sports: The new athletic season will begin for 7th and 8th graders with first practices on Monday, March 7th – boys should have their gear and be ready to play. Father/Son Dinner for 7th and 8th Graders: One of the spring events that we most look forward to is our annual Father/Son Dinner, which will take place on Thursday, March 10th at 7pm in the Burke Field House at King Street. 5th/6th Grade Science Fair and Father/Son Breakfast: The 5th and 6th graders have been working hard on their projects and look forward to showing them off on Friday, March 11th. Fifth and sixth grade fathers (or mothers if fathers cannot attend) are invited to join their sons for breakfast and the fair at the Middle School. Please report first to the Camuto Auditorium at 7:30am where we will introduce the program and review the schedule. Please park behind the athletic building when you arrive. The event will conclude by 9am. We look forward to seeing you on March 11th. Middle School Spring Play Auditions: This spring 7th& 8th actors from Brunswick School and Convent of the Sacred Heart will be performing a revue-style show. The MS boys and girls will have an opportunity to audition on Wednesday, March 30th and Thursday, March 31st in Camuto Auditorium at the Middle School from 4-6pm. Rehearsals will also be held at the Middle School after school. The performances will take place on Thursday, April 28th at 7:00pm and Friday, April 29th at 4pm. 8th Grade Class Trip: To aid you in your advanced planning, please note that the 8th grade will be traveling to Washington, DC for our spring field trip in April. We will be departing from Brunswick on Tuesday morning, April 12th and returning early evening on Friday, April 15th. A letter from Anthony Fischetti with all of the details will be follow in March. MS ERBs: Grade 5 on Monday, March 28th through Friday, April, 1st ; and Grades 6 - 8 on Thursday, March 31st and Friday, April 1st. ERBs are designed to measure aptitude and achievement in a variety of different verbal and mathematical skill areas. The information provided by the ERBs helps us pinpoint relative strengths and weaknesses for particular students and enables us to assess your son’s actual performance in his classes relative to his abilities. The tests will be administered in homeroom groups throughout the day on test days. The boys do not need to prepare for the ERBs.
PRE
and
MARCH 2011
LOWER school
From Katie Signer and Gina Hurd: Three cheers for our parent volunteers! February was chock full of special family-focused events and none of that could have happened without the extra help of our parent body. Again, special thanks go to Doreen Griffin and Christine Fouts for an incredibly well attended Bingo Night, Ana Capella for an equally popular ‘Wick Flicks, and Amy McGrath and Tammy Kiratsous for the fabulous Skate Party. February was indeed a fun-filled month. First Grade Mammal Exhibits: First Graders are excited to share their study of mammals with parents on Thursday, March 3 from 8:30-9:15am. Come enjoy the culmination of this interdisciplinary project and celebrate their learning and growth as students. You will certainly be impressed! Dates to Remember in March: 3/3 3/4 3/8
First Grade Mammal Exhibits 8:30-9:15 2M/V Presentation 8:25 KA/G trip to Stamford Nature Center Planetarium 10:30 3/8 KI/J and KD/O trip to Stamford Nature Center Planetarium 12:30 st 3/9 1 Grade Trip to Stone Barns 3/9 Kindergarten Space Expo 1-2:30 3/10 Winter Encore ends 3/11 2O/T Presentation 8:25 3/12-3/27 Spring Break 3/28 Classes Resume 3/28 Spring Encore begins 3/29 Trip to Greenwich Symphony, Grades 2 and 3 3/30 BPA Artist visit: Jerry Pinkney
Kindergarten Space Expo: Kindergarten parents are invited to come and explore the solar system with the Kindergarten astronauts on Wednesday, March 9 from 1-2:30pm. The boys will be excited to share all that they have learned from their study of the planets. Student Council: Thank you to our Student Council for coordinating the effort to create Activity Bags for Blythedale Children’s Hospital. First Graders are invited to bring one gently used children’s book, appropriate for PK through 2nd grade. Second graders will be collecting small boxes of crayons. Third graders are asked to donate Lego pieces and small Matchbox cars, and our Fourth Graders are being encouraged to create computer-generated word searches and scrambles. Please look for more details to come in your son’s Friday Folder. We are hopeful our boys will enjoy creating the bags for other children and are confident they will be appreciated by those in need.
Lost and Found: Student Council members will be sorting and delivering all labeled lost clothing to classrooms. Please come check the Lost and Found bins behind the LS Art Room door for unmarked items by Spring Break. At that point, all unclaimed clothes will be added to our Bearly Used Closet or sent to families in need. Chess Team: Congratulations to our Chess Team participants on their wonderful success so far this year. Those who have been able to attend some of the local meets should be commended for representing our School so beautifully. Come by the Lower School and check out the team trophies. Our collection is growing rapidly! Spring Encore: Our Spring Encore term begins on Monday, March 28th, upon return from Spring Break. If you have any questions regarding sign-ups or offerings be sure to contact one of our Encore Coordinators, Lauren Mott or Annie Massie. The Lower School welcomes Jerry Pinkney! Thanks to the efforts of our BPA Assembly Co-Chairs Juliana Belcastro and Nancy Breckenridge, we are thrilled to welcome acclaimed illustrator and Caldecott Medal winner Jerry Pinkney, on Wednesday, March 30th. Mr. Pinkney will spend the day in our library and the boys will enjoy learning from his extensive experience and notable talent as an artist and book illustrator. We feel so lucky to have him here. Signed copies of his books will be available for purchase. Stay tuned for details from the BPA. Spring is in the Air! We certainly welcome the warmer weather and are happy to see the snow melt. Many of our Lower School boys are eagerly anticipating the option of wearing their khaki shorts upon return from Spring Break. Please note the rest of their uniform stays the same. Enjoy a wonderful break with your family and we will welcome everyone back to school on March 28th.
BRUNSWICK PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS
MARCH 2011
President’s Letter My job this year has convinced me of the importance of stories - they help complete our understanding of others and the world. At the "Global Brunswick" symposium, we heard Chimamanda Adichie's “The Danger of a Single Story,” her compelling essay warning that if we only hear a single story about a person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding. Later that week, at 'Wick Flicks, I realized that this is one of the most valuable contributions that the BPA makes to Brunswick. We help bring lots of stories to our boys. Through 'Wick Flicks films, our assemblies, and theater, our events expose them to authentic cultures from around the world and round-out their educations. So, thank you for your many contributions. Whether you are volunteering on the Fashion Show or helping out as a class parent, you are contributing to our overall goal to enrich our sons' educations. I hope that you all have a wonderful March vacation and return refreshed and full of stories! Julie Johnson, President, Brunswick Parents Association The Tuition Raffle Sponsored by Greenwich Academy Parents Association Spring Benefit You can win $30,000 of tuition! • Valid for kindergarten through graduate school, at any accredited U.S. school ! • ONLY 500 tickets will be sold. The price per ticket is $200. • Reserve your tickets at GA’s front desk or Bookstore. Upper School Performing Arts The Upper School winter musical, Into the Woods, is set to open in Baker Theater at 7pm on Thursday, March 3. Additional performances will take place at 7pm on Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5, with an additional performance at 2pm on Saturday. This beloved Broadway musical is sure to delight all ages. Please come and support all the hard work and efforts of our Brunswick and Greenwich Academy students and staff for what is sure to be an exciting walk in the woods. Dee Hickey, Chair Beth Rosencrans, Co-Chair Bearly Used Closet Spring is in the air and it’s time to think about shedding the layers and getting ready for the great weather to come. The Bearly Used Closet is stocked with shorts, lightweight khakis, short sleeve shirts and plenty of needed sports equipment. If you are in need of a lacrosse helmet, pads or gloves come by and see what we have. Also do not forget to take a look at the blazers you might need one for the upcoming spring holidays. The closet is open during school hours . If you have questions please contact Chrissy vonOiste : Chrissy@vonoiste.com or Doreen Griffin : Doreen.griffin@gmail.com Assemblies Assemblies got off to a great start in 2011 with Scott Mebus, author of the “Gods of Manhattan” trilogy, captivating the MS boys their first week back to school. In February, Hobey Ford’s life-sized puppet show “Animalia” came to the PS, Dance China performed for the LS in honor of Chinese New Year, and the 8th grade participated in a “Romeo & Juliet” workshop. Music in the Atrium will return to the LS this spring. Be sure to ask your boys about all that they have seen and enjoyed. Juliana Belcastro & Nancy Breckenridge Save the Dates: BRUNSWICK SCHOOL GOLF OUTING AT WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB! Calling all golfers -RESERVE YOUR SPOT FOR BRUNSWICK SCHOOL’S GOLF OUTING at WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB on Monday, May 2nd. The schedule of events includes a warm up at 10:30am, shotgun at 1:00pm followed by buffet cocktail reception. You and your spouse are invited to gather a foursome of friends, fellow alumni, or business colleagues to come enjoy a great day of golf and support Brunswick’s new Foreign Language Immersion Program (F.L.I.P). Individual ticket prices are $1,500. The outing will be held on the Championship West Course so space will be limited! Questions? Contact Libby Edwards in the Development Office at ledwards@brunswickschool.org
BRUNSWICK PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS MAP Network MOVIE NIGHT! Discussion and dessert will follow the movie and all are welcome! Date: Friday, April 8, 2011 at 6:30pm in the Upper School – more information to follow.
MARCH 2011