Monthly Newsletter, January 2014 by Brunswick School

BRUNSWICK SCHOOL

JANUARY 2014

MONTHLY MAILING MEN ON STRIKE - WHY MEN ARE FLEEING COLLEGES Last spring, I saw a review of a new book by Dr. Helen Smith entitled Men on Strike: Why Men are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood, and the American Dream. The review was written by Leslie Eastman. In her review, Eastman emphasizes some stats that are presented in the book and are drawn from the National Center for Education: - Since 1988, the number of females in post-baccalaureate programs has exceeded the number of males. - Between 2000 and 2010, the number of male full-time post-baccalaureate students increased by 38 percent, compared with a 62 percent increase in the number of females. - Among part-time post-baccalaureate students, the number of males increased by 17 percent and the number of females increased by 26 percent. Eastman also points out that many people hold dated views about the impact of gender in education, specifically, many still believe that boys outperform girls in most academic settings when, in actual fact, just the opposite is now true. She argues that “the ‘soft’ approach that avoids action, competition, and adventure-based stories is counter to how males generally learn most effectively. As a result, new studies show girls are now outperforming boys and “educational trends and policies have actually created a hostile school environment for American males.” “Couple this to the ‘women are victims’ and ‘men are perpetrators’ dogma of many progressive instructors, and it is a perfect storm driving male students away from college campuses.” This, in fact, is a comment I hear often from our returning graduates who, when reflecting upon their time at college, often relate to a pervading “anti-male” sentiment, regardless of what type of college/university they attend or where in the country their college/university is located. Going further, it seems to me that this phenomenon actually plays out across the entire educational spectrum where, even at the youngest ages, more typically feminine characteristics and behavior are overtly favored over more typically male behavior, e.g., quiet is preferred over loud, passive emphasized over active, theoretical presented over hands-on. Many recent studies have even gone so far as to suggest that the current trend to medicate ADD or ADHD type behavior is perhaps, to some extent, a further manifestation of society’s desire to feminize what is otherwise typically male behavior. What does all this mean for our boys? My answer would tend to fall into two general categories: 1) That, if educators are not careful, we risk tuning out and/or turning off 50% of the population to the prospect of learning in general and higher education in particular and, 2) That given the current state of things, our boys need to be careful, conscious and aware of the current bias that seems to exist or risk disregarding it at their peril. Like most swings of the pendulum (and those of education in particular), I expect things will trend back to the mean at some point in the future (after all, 50% of the population is not likely to remain passive for too long) but in the meantime, my hope is that schools like Brunswick will be able to continue to do what we have always done which to value boys as what they are….boys.

Upper school

JANUARY 2014

From the Upper School Office: We hope that all members of our community enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating holiday vacation with family and friends. As with any new year, much important work for 2014 will get going immediately upon our return to school on Monday, January 6th. One of the main reasons for this swift shift into high gear is due to the fact that our first day back leaves students with only 10 school days prior to the end of the 2nd Quarter and the start of Semester Exams. Those few days take on a heightened sense of import as they will be filled with some measure of new material as well as the review that will be critical to success on the upcoming exams. Therefore, although we know we run the risk of seeming repetitive, allow us to once again dedicate the rest of this page to some important points (and, we hope, worthwhile reminders) regarding exams, why we give them, what they are and are not and, most important, how best to approach them from a student and parental viewpoint. First: Brunswick sees exams as an extremely valuable and time-honored method of assessing a given student’s ability to consolidate large amounts of material taught over an extended period of time. Such a skill is both important for success in college as well as in life. In the Upper School, exams encourage students to carefully review and re-analyze material so as to draw worthwhile comparisons/contrasts and conclusions. Simply put, exams are an Dates to Remember in January: effective method of determining how much and how well a student 1/6 Classes resume has learned over the course of the first semester. 1/9 Summer & Off-Campus Study Fair 6:30pm 1/12 Peer Disorientation Dinner at GA 4:30pm 1/16&17 Exam Review Days 1/17 End of 2nd Quarter 1/20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – NO SCHOOL 1/21-24 Mid-Term Exams 1/27 Exam Return Day 1/28 1st Day of 2nd Semester College Night (Baker Theater) 7pm 1/29 Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly 8:10am At King Street 2/1 Brown & White Formal Dance 8pm Hyatt Regency, Old Greenwich

Second: Exams (and exam week) should, as with all things, always be kept in perspective. Much as it would be a mistake to assume that exams are either unimportant, easy, or worthy of little effort, it would also be an error to conclude that exams are the most important event of your son’s entire school year. We hesitate to provide a purely numerical evaluation of just how important we feel exams to be, yet it might be helpful to remind parents and students alike that exams count as 20% of the semester grades for students in all classes.

Third: Exams are most successful when studying is approached thoughtfully and in a measured and orderly fashion. To this end, we reserve much of the last week prior to exams for review. Specific review sessions are offered before as well as during exam week and, as always, Departmental Offices are open to any student seeking help. Parents remain, of course, a key ingredient to a successful exam experience by encouraging their sons to review in accordance with their teachers’ directions and by providing a quiet and supportive home environment for study and preparation. Finally: Be certain to familiarize yourself with the Upper School exam schedule. Students with conflicts should speak immediately with both the teacher of those courses as well as with their appropriate Grade Dean to work out an accommodating schedule. If necessary, exams can be administered on the afternoon of Friday, January 24th, as regular classes resume on Monday, January 27th. Finally, as is a tradition of long standing at Brunswick, students may dress casually (but neatly!) during exam week. Brunswick College Night: Tuesday evening, January 28th, at 7:00pm (in Baker Theater), we look forward to seeing all Juniors and their parents at College Night. The evening is traditionally an informative introduction to the college process. We would like to emphasize here that attendance at College Night is a requirement for all Juniors. Brown and White Formal: You will shortly receive a letter regarding the upcoming Brown and White dance that will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich on the evening of Saturday, February 1st from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. An annual event, we hope that your son will attend and, of course, encourage all parents to take the time to sit down with your son(s) to discuss appropriate behavior and overall expectations for such an event well in advance of the evening.

MIDDLE school

JANUARY 2014

From Sarah Burdett: Happy New Year! We hope that all Middle School families enjoyed a holiday break filled with fresh air, good books, and time together. As we head into the winter months of the second trimester, we will continue to work with our Middle Schoolers on time management, organization, and goal setting activities. In our discussions about goal setting, we stress with the boys how important it is to set daily and weekly goals that can be more immediately achieved and recognized than only longer term goals… more often than not it is the smaller goals of asking a question in history each day or reviewing language vocabulary for five minutes each night or using advisory time more carefully that will lead to the desired long term goal. We look forward to a positive and productive 2014!!! The Second Trimester Mid-Point: On Friday, January 17th, we reach the mid-point of the Second Trimester. Teachers will assess the progress of each boy at this point and, as in the First Trimester, write comments discussing both strengths and weaknesses. Your son’s advisor will call if your son is experiencing difficulty (“C-” average or below, or “1” Effort grades), or if they have any other information they would like to share. As at the end of the first trimester, these comments will be Dates to Remember in January: emailed home. If you have any questions or concerns, 1/6 Classes resume th th please don’t hesitate to call. Note: 5th graders do not 1/11 7 /8 Grade Wickends-Skate/Sport Party receive comments until the end of the trimester because Sampson Fieldhouse parents and teachers just conferenced in December. 1/16 Holiday Instrumental Concert 6:00pm 1/17 2nd Trimester Midpoint Instrumental Concert: The Middle School Instrumental 1/20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL Concert for Grades 6-8 has been scheduled for Thursday, 1/24 Mayfair January 16th at 6:00pm. Boys should wear their school 6th Grade Hockey & Hoops 1-3pm th th uniforms and report for warm-up at 5:40pm. 7 /8 BWK/GA Dance at GA 7-9pm 1/29 MLK, Jr. Assembly 8:10am 7th & 8th Grade Dance at Greenwich Academy: As they are every January, our boys have been invited to a mid-winter dance at GA. The dance will take place in the GA Dining Hall, on Friday, January 24th, and will begin at 7:00pm and end promptly at 9:00pm. Please make arrangements to pick up the boys on time. Attendance: Special Note: We apologize that there was an error in our reporting system and your son’s attendance record did not print at the bottom of his report card. Please know that if your son’s attendance record has been of any concern, we will mail a separate letter. As always, we ask that you make every effort to get your son to school by 8:05am so that he can use his homeroom period to get organized for the day. Also, please schedule any non-emergency appointments outside of school hours so that the rhythm of your son’s school day is not affected. M.L.K., Jr. Assembly: On Wednesday, January 29th, there will be an all-school assembly at 8:10am to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Middle School will run a one-hour delay schedule following this event.

PRE

and

LOWER school

JANUARY 2014

From Katie Signer and Gina Hurd: Happy New Year and welcome back! Researchers target September and January as peak learning months for students and we certainly hope each of your sons has had an opportunity to recharge his batteries in order to return to school ready to learn. We are excited to capitalize on their rest and intend to hit the ground running with meaningful learning experiences. On behalf of the Pre and Lower School faculty, we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks and loads of appreciation to the BPA for the iPod shuffles and iTunes gift cards. What a generous gift! Winter Encore Clubs will begin the week we return from break and will continue through Thursday, March 13th. Boys have signed up for a wide variety of offerings and this winter’s session is sure to be great. Upper Schoolers guide Lower Schoolers in “Being A Force for Good!” Early in the new year, the Lower School is thrilled to welcome a number of Upper School boys who will be leading an anti-bullying assembly and workshops on “Building an Ally.” Under the leadership of Mrs. Andersen and Dates to Remember in January: Mrs. Barnum, these boys are sure to model what 1/6 Classes Resume it means to “be a force for good!” 1/9 Student Council Meeting 7:40am 1/11 Pre School Skate Party 3:00-4:00pm The Pre and Lower School Skate Party will 1/11 Lower School Skate Party 4:00-5:30pm take place on Saturday, January 11th and 1/14 Grs. 2 & 3 trip to Greenwich Symphony should be great fun. Thanks in advance go to our 1/16 Pre School International Celebration 1:00-2:45pm Skate Party Coordinators, Tammy Kiratsous and 1/20 NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Jr. Day Kimberly Johnson, for coordinating this event. 1/22 Pre-K “Doughnuts with Dad” 7:30am After the initial hour devoted specifically to Pre 1/23 Student Council Meeting 7:40am School aged children, Lower School boys are 1/23 2nd Gr. trip to Katonah Museum of Art invited to join in. T-shirt orders have been sent 1/24 Kindergarten Father/Son Breakfast 7:30-8:30am home in Friday Folders. Be sure to return your 1/29 All School Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly 8:20am form if you would like to purchase one. Sharpen 1/30 BPA Sponsored Assembly, Li Liu, those skates and we’ll see you at the Hartong Traditions of Chinese Aerobatics Rink! 1/31 Civies Day Our first semester officially concludes on Friday, January 17th. Teachers will be working hard to complete report cards evaluating your son’s academic and social growth thus far. Please note report cards will be mailed at the end of this month and you should receive them the first week of February. If you have any questions after reading your son’s report, please do not hesitate to call your son’s teacher(s). Looking ahead…Our First and Second Grade Talent Show is scheduled for late February. This is a wonderful opportunity for our boys who take lessons outside of school to showcase their hard work and talents. Stay tuned for details. Pre School Happenings: Thanks to the organizational efforts of Sahar Ross-Wiley, the Pre School boys will enjoy an International Celebration on January 16th. Several parents have volunteered to introduce their country/tradition to the entire Pre School in a brief assembly. They will then share their personal traditions and customs with the boys in individual classrooms. What a wonderful way for our youngest Bruins to experience our multicultural community. During the month of January our Pre Kindergarten and Kindergarten boys will be enjoying a variety of classroom activities related to dinosaurs. Our young “paleontologists” will conclude their dinosaur theme with a joint “Dinosaur Day” at which time both grade levels are mixed together and the boys visit in each of the five classrooms for fun games and learning experiences.

BRUNSWICK PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS

JANUARY 2014

President’s Letter Happy New Year and welcome back! Hope your holidays were wonderful! Many thanks to our Teacher Appreciation chairs, Kim Fulton and Barbara Baxter, for coordinating the terrific holiday gifts that were given to all faculty and staff on behalf of the Brunswick boys and their families. We are so appreciative of everyone who works at Brunswick and for all they do each and every day to enhance our boys’ lives. Thanks as well to the Hospitality chairs Ellen Mosher and Anne Marie Mellert for their beautiful decorating of each of our campuses, putting us all in a festive mood to end the year. We have a lot to look forward to this month. There is the Pre School and Lower School Skate Night, the ‘Wickends Skate/Sports Party, and our fifth Mayfair of the season. What a great way to start the year! Kimberlie Fett, President, Brunswick Parents Association Teacher Appreciation To mark the holidays this December, the BPA gave the entire faculty and staff an iPod shuffle and a $15 iTunes gift card. We sincerely hope that everyone found some music they liked and they will have a little extra pep in their step in the new year. We were also fortunate to have a special raffle this month for four New York Rangers hockey tickets. We rely on your generosity to keep the Teacher Appreciation raffle going throughout the school year. Gift cards and last-minute tickets to sporting events or concerts are always welcome. Please mail gift cards to Kim Fulton, 13 Anthony Place, Riverside, CT, 06878 or email her at kfulton22@gmail.com. Questions? Contact Kim Fulton (kfulton22@gmail.com) or Barb Baxter (barbbaxter@optonline.net) Bearly Used Closet January sales are everywhere, so the Bearly Used Closet is joining in the fun! During the week of January 13, all sports equipment will be priced at $5 each - including our inventory of ice skates. Come in and stock-up for the season! Pre School And Lower School Skate Night Join us Friday, January 11, from 3:00-5:30pm. Pre School boys have the ice to themselves from 3:00-4:00pm. The Lower School boys join their Pre School friends from 4:00-5:30pm. Beginners are encouraged to come join the fun and skate in a special safety zone. Parents: please remember if your child is a first time skater, please bring skates to join them on the ice! Helmet and gloves are necessary. The Bearly Used Closet will have a table at the event for swapping or purchasing skate items. Volunteers are still needed for food, drinks and help the day of the event. Please sign up online at: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040D4FAFAB238-brunswick Questions: Kimberly Johnson (kimdelaney67@aol.com) or Tammy Kiratsous (tammy@kiratsous.net) Mayfair - To the parents of all 5th and 6th graders Mayfair has had four fun-filled dances so far, including a successful Holiday Dance on December 6. There has been a tremendous amount of excitement shown by the 5th and 6th grade boys in the weeks leading up to each dance. They have enjoyed meeting the girls from Greenwich Academy and The Convent of the Sacred Heart. The new dance instructors and format that were introduced last year have been a welcome change. We have four more dances scheduled, with Friday, January 24 next on the calendar. ‘Wickends - To the parents of all 7th and 8th graders Save the Date! Our next joint 7th and 8th grade ‘Wickends event will be held at the Sampson Athletic Center on Saturday, January 11, from 7-9:00pm. There will be skating, basketball, ping-pong, music and much more! Contact Stephanie Hoover (stephanie@hooverfamily.com) or Gail Reynolds (greynolds1@aol.com) with any questions or if you wish to sign up. It is not too late to join in the fun!

BRUNSWICK PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS

JANUARY 2014

Upper School Performing Arts December is always a busy month for Brunswick’s Performing Arts department. The members of the Men of Brunswick a cappella group sang beautifully (in tuxedos!) at the annual Latin Carol Concert held in Greenwich’s Christ Church, and the Upper School Holiday Concert was better than ever. Our hats go off once again to Paul Raaen, Shane Kirsch and Alexander Constantine, who work so hard with the boys and produce such top quality performances. Also, thank you to Abby Redmond for bringing the works of Hernando Alzate to the gallery this past month. Finally, Seth Potter held auditions, assigned roles, and started rehearsals for “The Phantom of the Opera,” this year’s Upper School Musical. Mark your calendars for this 2014 event to be performed at Baker Theater from March 6 through March 8. Middle School Performing Arts It was a fantastic journey to "Wonderland!" December’s joint Brunswick/Greenwich Academy production of “Alice in Wonderland” was a great success. We had three incredible shows on Wednesday and Thursday evening and Friday afternoon. The cast and crew did an amazing job. A big thank you to Alexander Constantine, Abby Redmond and Matthew Kirby-Smith for working with our children over the past few months to put together this terrific musical. Pre School And Lower School Bingo Night Calling all Bingo players!!! Bingo Night will take place on Friday, February 7 from 5:30-7:00pm at the Burke Field House. Come enjoy a fun-filled evening for Pre and Lower School families! There will be a few grade-wide prizes awarded plus every child leaves with one of our exciting individual prizes. Please visit http://www.brunswickschool.org/events/bingonight/ to register, to volunteer to help, and to donate water or nut-free baked goods. Donations will be collected on Friday, February 7 at the PS or LS entry at morning drop-off, or at the Burke Field House right after drop-off. For any questions, please contact Mia Newton (mianewton@verizon.net) or Dominique Crosby (dominique.crosby@nick.com).

From Sue Das and Brian Coughlin, Lower School Student Council Advisors: Before we look towards our goals for 2014, we would like to take a moment to express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to our community service efforts at Lower School before the Holiday Break. Under the leadership of our Lower School Student Council, we were able to gather a significant collection of gifts and gift cards under our Giving Trees in the atrium. Prior to our holiday dismissal, the gifts were delivered to Kids in Crisis. Thanks to Fourth grade parent, Michele Wolfram, for helping us make this connection and for delivering the donations. The warmth and generosity of our families is much appreciated. When the Student Council reconvenes on Thursday, January 9, we will take time to sit and discuss our hopes and dreams for the new year. We are excited to open up the floor to the boys to discuss service learning, and what we can continue to do to “be a force for good” locally and globally. Happy New Year!

From Neil Minsky, Director of Middle School Community Service: Welcome back! Before leaving for holiday vacation, our boys were busy with regard to community service. Led by our student council, each homeroom collected gifts for over thirty families connected to Holy Rosary in Port Chester. The boys neatly wrapped the gifts (more or less), and representatives of each grade helped deliver them. January will mark the beginning of our advisory community service projects. Each homeroom will choose one project or cause that they wish to support in some manner. It is my hope to highlight these projects in the coming months, as well as continue to give updates on the monthly visits of our Eighth Grade homerooms to their respective sites. As always, we wish to sincerely thank all families who have helped us with our projects during the first half of the year. Through our combined efforts, we are making a difference in our community!!

From Johnny Montanez, Director of Upper School Community Service: We all want to send a big THANK YOU to all our Upper School families for their generosity during the holiday season. Because of your donations, we were able to complete the wish lists of 375 kids in Fairfield County. These children participate in programs at the Boys and Girls Club of Stamford, Family Services Woodfield, Childcare Learning Center, Connecticut Counseling Center, Inspirica, Child and Family Guidance, Family Centers, Women’s and Men’s Health Project, Project Courage, Tabernacle of Grace Church, Neon Stamford, Mid-Fairfield AIDS Project, Liberation House, and the Yerwood Center. Happy 2014!! Upcoming Events • Neighbor to Neighbor food drive will be delivered on Thursday, January 30. All non-perishable food items should be dropped off in the Main Foyer that week. Community Service Day – April 25, 2014 • If there is an organization that you would like to connect to the Brunswick Community Service Program, please feel free to call or email as we are always open to increasing our outreach to those in need. Thank you!

Brunswick School 100 Maher Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830  1252 King Street Greenwich, CT 06831 (203) 625-5800

January 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

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Sat

New Year’s Day

8 BPA Meeting 10am

Classes Resume

17 MS Instrumental Concert, 6pm

Peer Disorientation Dinner at GA 4:30pm

*ERB/ISEE Testing *LS Skate Party, 3-5pm *Wickends (7th & 8th) *LS Skate/Gym Night, 7-9pm

Summer & Off-Campus Study Fair 6:30-8pm, Maher Ave.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day NO SCHOOL

24 *6th Gr Hockey & Hoops *Gr 7/8 Dance at GA *Mayfair at PS

US Exams

27 US Exam Return Day

28 College Night (mandatory for Juniors) 7pm

30 MLK, Jr. Assembly Grades 1-12 8:10-9:10am King Street

*End of 2nd Qtr (US) *2nd Trimester MidPoint (MS) *End of 1st Semester (PS/LS)

BIT Wrestling Tournament