CSFeatures 2017 Fall

CSFeatures a publication of Canterbury School of Florida

FALL 2017

MY

AFRICAN RITE OF PASSAGE one lif e- c hang i ng t r i p

full STEAM ahead

'17

CATCHING UP WITH

PAIGE LIEBEL: UCONN WOMEN'S SOCCER STAR

New Lower School STEAM Garden blooms!

FALL 2017 |

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FALL 2017

CONTENTS 12

8 3

15

18

14

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

profiles

arts

4

15

FACULTY PROFILE: MEREDITH MIKELL Science Teacher

6

ALUMNA PROFILE: SARAH FLEMING GARRETT ‘11

8

STUDENT PROFILE: KAI TOMALIN ‘19

book review 11

THE GIFT OF FAILURE by Jessica Lahey

RUMORS

Upper School production

16

PROGRAM PROFILE: TECHNICAL THEATER under the direction of Ian Beck

athletics 18

PAIGE LIEBEL '17: UCONN WOMEN'S SOCCER

reflections 20

CLASS OF '17 COMMENCEMENT

support

21

RETIREMENTS

12

TEE IT UP FOR ATHLETICS

alumni

13

CANTERBURY'S HERITAGE SOCIETY

22

features 14

FULL STEAM AHEAD Building the Lower School STEAM Garden

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CRUSADER CONNECTIONS

news & notes 10

CAMPUS SCENE: HOMECOMING

23

TOP 50 COUNTDOWN

Letter

CSFeatures a publication of Canterbury School of Florida FALL 2017

FROM THE EDITOR

CSFeatures is designed to give past, current and future Canterbury families and friends a snapshot of what our students, faculty, parent volunteers and alumni are doing on campus and beyond.

EDITOR & DESIGNER

Heather Lambie CONTRIBUTORS

Lauren Fenech

Purchasing luxury items or trading out something old for something new l Personally evaluating your own mark left on the world l Aiming to right any missteps taken earlier in life, or to complete unaccomplished goals

Anne Ford

Carrie Forrester

Kai Tomalin, '19

While a mid-life crisis can cause stress and fatigue, it can also be a valuable, necessary time of self-reflection. So if the collective members of the Canterbury community were a woman going through a midlife crisis, what would she see when she looks at herself in the mirror now and asks, ‘Who am I?’

Jorge Alvarez

Heather Lambie

Elise Schreiner

Jeremy Quellhorst

l

Reflections on a mid-life crisis Self-actualization--fulfilling one’s own potential--is a curious notion. Some have a clear picture at a young age of who they want to become (see Paige Liebel article, pg.

18). Some may require continental travel or a rite of passage to fill in the blanks that will determine a new path (see Kai Tomalin article, pg. 8). And for others, (see Meredith Mikell article, pg. 4) there is no finish line for following dreams and fulfilling potential.

So when do we know who we are? Jungian theory holds that midlife is key to individuation, a process of self-actualization and self-awareness that holds many paradoxes. Erik Erikson believed that in the midlife stage adults begin to understand the pressure of being committed to improving the lives of generations to come, which can lead to what some refer to as a mid-life crisis.

While some academic research rejects the notion of a mid-life crisis--a condition that occurs between the ages of 45-64--I daresay we, as a community, have recently had one.

As Canterbury rounds the corner toward its 50th year, it’s easy to see parallels between recent events and the common stereotypes of a mid-life crisis: l Starting a transition of identity that brings more questions than answers

I believe her reflection would show that she is someone who is imperfect, but who aims to be better every day. She is someone who lately has walked on uneven footing, carefully balancing and compartmentalizing institutional responsibility and personal friendships. In some moments she loses faith, in others she rises in hope. She is ever-evolving, without changing her core character. And despite the literal and metaphorical hurricanes that cross her path, she is steadfast in her dedication to her students, faculty, parents, and alumni. Nothing will ever compromise her deep love for and devotion to the people who now walk (and once walked) her hallways, courtyards, and fields. In this way, her definition is crystal clear. She is Canterbury School of Florida, she will always be here for the betterment of the children, and much like a beloved family member she will always be beautiful to me, at any age!

What does Canterbury look like to you?

Tell us at communication@canterburyflorida.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY

TELL US YOUR THOUGHTS! Tell us your thoughts on this issue of CSFeatures. Share your stories and pictures with us for the next issue.

We reserve the right to edit your letters for length and clarity. Email: communications@canterburyflorida.org Contact ADMISSIONS: Colin Wyenberg, Director of Admission 727-521-5903 cwyenberg@canterburyflorida.org

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S TAF F PROFI LES

Meredith Mikell

SCIENCE TEACHER, CROSS COUNTRY COACH Hiking in Ecuador in 2003.

Snorkeling in Monterey Bay in 2011.

BY HEATHER LAMBIE Who has been the biggest influence in your life? Think about it for a moment.

Did one of your parents come to mind?

Or maybe a past mentor or co-worker?

For upper school science teacher Meredith Mikell, the answer is easy: Carl Sagan.

bush pilot fly fishermen in Alaska, so she learned to fly in many different conditions, “landing on tundras, skis, floats, all that,” she says. Mikell followed suit in her sophomore year of college when she got her own private pilot license.

“He was a role model as a scientist, but also as a humanist,” Mikell says. “He had a passion and an almost spirituality about him. I wouldn’t call it religious, but his fascination and awe about how the universe works helped me as a kid want to learn more about science. Not just about the unknown, but an appreciation that we don’t have to have all the answers.

Uncovering new things helps lead us to more questions. I found this fascinating as a kid and still today. He’s very intelligent, scientific, but also a visionary.”

Always looking beyond her current atmosphere, Mikell says when she was younger she wanted to be either a marine biologist or an astronaut. “I actually still apply sometimes when they open up applications,” she says of NASA. “No

Mikell has always been someone to appreciate scientific possibilities. As a young girl, she often flew in planes with her parents, who met when they worked for the same airline in Alaska. “In Alaska, it’s a common thing to own a plane.

It’s like owning a car,” she says. Both her parents have a private pilot license, and her grandfather was one of the original

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luck yet, but it’s never going to happen if I don’t apply!” It may seem non-traditional to be attracted to things both below the sea and above the sky, but Mikell points to another one of her childhood heros, Scott Carpenter, was was an aeronautical engineer, astronaut, aquanaut, and one of NASA’s Mercury 7.

“In addition to being an astronaut, he was also involved in oceanography and in NASA's underwater experiments on human physiology. Two of my passions: ocean, space. Love that guy,” she says.

Here at Canterbury, she gets to explore those passions in depth in the classroom.

Mikell is a teacher of advanced honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses like Biology and Chemistry. She is a Marine Studies faculty member, part of the school's SCUBA Venture Crew, and helps coach the cross country team.

Mikell with her sons and husband.

An avid marathoner--”I was very proud of myself when I qualified for Boston.

It’s a special, cool race. There’s nothing like it. I’ve done it twice and will probably do it again.”--Mikell says she has stuck with running as a pastime

4 Questions

WITH MRS. M I K ELL

Mikell with her father and an L-2 aircraft circa 1984.

LEFT: Flying with her son and father in a 1932 Travel Air. Her parents flew this same plane over Africa.

Running a marathon in St. Pete.

because it makes her smarter. “I get my best ideas when I’m running,” she says.

“It’s a combo of the endorphins, and the fact that being out alone in nature is inspiring for me. Running is a vehicle for that, but also it’s a way of pursuing a goal that is measurable, and one I can affect myself. It’s not about winning races and accolades,” she continued, “it’s about constant improvement. That’s very appealing to me--to chip away at something for the better. It makes me physically, mentally, and emotionally stronger. I’m definitely a better person because of it.”

Other people are better for it, too. In early December 2015, Mikell was on her morning run, just like any other day. “A couple blocks away from where I live [I saw] a house with lots of smoke coming out of the front porch,” she says. “When I got closer, I could see flames. I didn’t see anyone around, but I saw a car in the driveway so I thought someone could

be there; it was 5:00 a.m., they could be asleep!” Mikell started pounding on the door and woke up the resident who came to the door. “The woman had an eight-year-old girl with her,” Mikell said. “I helped the best I could to get them out, then a fire truck showed up.”

It turned out to be an electrical fire, one that the sleeping family had no idea was going on in their home. Mikell was honored not long after that by the St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue for her quick thinking and bravery. “Running early in the morning, runners catch things all the time because it’s quiet and dark and no one else is out there,” Mikell says.

“Just being out at that time of day you have the opportunity to catch something potentially hazardous.”

When she’s not flying planes, running marathons, or saving people from burning buildings, Mikell is just a happy teacher who feels so grateful to have been

TELL ME ABOUT THE HARDEST TEST YOU EVER TOOK? WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT? My black belt test. I used to do karate, I haven’t in years. It was about eight hours long. It was physically demanding, but as a runner I felt I could handle that part. It was mentally grueling. I’ve never been happier to be done with something. The forms, the sparring, the breaking boards.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? The irreversible destruction of our ecosystems and natural resources in our beautiful world. As a mother, I fear that as well, not just as a teacher.

WHAT DID YOU DO LAST WEEKEND? I spent some time with my son and my husband. Went to the pool, stayed and watched Game of Thrones (not with my son).

Relaxed, played some video games, ran a lot (long runs on Sundays--14-16 miles).

IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO A FUTURE CSF STUDENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Never stop being curious.

able to join the Canterbury community.

“The degree of warmth amongst the students and the faculty . . . the students really do support each other--even when there are issues here and there--they support each other so strongly,” Mikell says.

“The opportunities that [the students] have, I love to facilitate their opportunities to go scuba diving, or travel internationally. It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of when you get to see them truly excited about what they’re learning. We’re lucky we can provide them with those opportunities.”

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A LUM N A PROFI LE

Sarah Fleming Garrett CLASS OF 2011

BY ANNE FORD One could say Sarah Fleming Garrett’s life as a newlywed is pretty much on cloud nine, or should we say, cloud wine. The little girl who once dreamed of being a quarterback for the University of Florida Gators is now part of California’s newest generation of winemakers.

While growing up, Sarah was never too involved or curious about the winemaking industry despite spending many summers with her mother and stepfather in California at their winery.

All of that changed, however, during the summer of 2014 when Sarah and her then-boyfriend, Brice, decided to intern at the cellar. “Brice instantly fell in love with the idea of making wine,” Sarah says. “We went back to school and looked at other job options after graduation, but couldn't find a fit quite like the one in California.” For Sarah, that connection and community was everything she needed.

From the time she started at Canterbury as a kindergarten student, Sarah grew to understand the importance of surrounding oneself with a supportive community. That lesson was put to the test while in high school when she was offered placement at a boarding school in Massachusetts. “At the time, I was finishing my sophomore year and I was kind of having a hard time with fitting in with certain friend groups,” Sarah says. “And we had just lost the state championship in softball. I felt kind of lost.”

The boarding school was in need of a center fielder for their softball team, so this move seemed like the next obvious step in life for Sarah. That was until she sat down and talked things over with then-Director of College Guidance Don-

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namarie Hehn. “I realized Canterbury is my family, and I wasn’t quite ready to give that community up yet,” she says.

“I felt so much support from the staff and I knew it was unique to really have an entire school care about you. But that was Canterbury, that was the community it gave students.” Needless to say Sarah decided to stay at Canterbury through graduation, a decision she has never regretted.

Upon graduating from Canterbury in 2011, Sarah attended Sewanee: The Uni-

versity of the South, where she majored in Economics and minored in Classical Languages. After playing varsity softball (2011 State Champions!) and Varsity volleyball at Canterbury it was no surprise that Sarah’s athletic endeavours continued at the collegiate level. It was also through this love of sports that Sarah met her future husband, Brice.

“He played football and I was playing volleyball so we were at the gym all the time. We met through mutual friends and became friends from running into each other continuously. Sewanee is

6 Questions WITH SAR AH

WHAT'S THE BEST THING YOUR PARENTS HAVE GIVEN YOU? Opportunities and the support to pursue those opportunities. They worked hard to provide me with every opportunity possible, but they never forced me to take a specific path. They let me make my own decisions.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANTERBURY TRADITION? I love Flag at the lower campus. It instilled a strong sense of community and sharing, and it helped me look forward to every morning.

a small school and it isn’t hard to see people every day,” she says. The couple were married in Savannah, GA, this past summer where both have family roots.

Today, Sarah and Brice live in Paso Robles, CA, where they are the masterminds behind Serrano Wine. “After graduating [college] in 2015, we drove across the country to become fully immersed in the wine industry,” Sarah says. “Not long on the job my stepfather, Erich, started pushing us to create our wines. After a few weeks of blending, we settled on something we felt proud of and bottled it. The first wine was our Cabernet Sauvignon,” Sarah said. Since then they have expanded and now make about six different wines. Like most wine labels, Serrano has a unique story behind it. “When translated, serrano means, ‘one of the mountains’,” Sarah explained. “This was applicable as Sewanee is referred to as "The Mountain" by students, plus we were engaged on a ski slope in the mountains of Colorado, and our first home was on a street called Vista Serrano.”

For the couple, the mountain is not just a reminder of monumental moments together but also a metaphor for their journey in life and building their own business. “Building a business is hard work, as is climbing a mountain,” she says, “but the pride and joy when you accomplish each little goal on the way to the top is worth all the effort.”

At the winery, the couple have their hands in everything from working in the tasting room and cellar to learning about sales and marketing. “It’s an opportunity for us to create a business that we want and hopefully grow it into a long term, successful company,” she says.

Serrano Wine specializes in small lot, boutique wines using methods perfected in countries such as France.

“Our viognier is modeled after one made by Guigal. We want to take those practices and implement and improve them to make a unique California-style wine.” Sarah says. For those not on the up-and-up of the winemaking industry, the viognier is a white grape variety that is notable in the Rhône wine region of France. “With everything we are doing with Serrano, we get to be part of every single step. Customers can be confident that they are getting the absolute best product, one that was made with immense care and passion.”

To this day, Sarah’s day-to-day life is still guided by the lessons and values she learned at Canterbury not so long ago. “I always felt confident and that I could accomplish anything when I was at Canterbury, because of both my strong friendships and the wonderful teachers and administrators. I always felt like I had someone to turn to if I needed help. So now in my professional and personal life, I always try to surround myself with good people.”

WHICH TEACHER MADE THE BIGGEST IMPACT IN YOUR LIFE TO GET YOU WHERE YOU ARE TODAY? Ms. [Joyce] Brown! English was always a subject that did not come easy to me. I hated reading, analyzing those readings, and writing. It really was a weakness of mine. Ms. Brown did not relent. She was tough on me. I never got the best grades in English, but I learned how to write well, how to argue my point, and how to dig a little deeper when reading. She was probably one of the reasons I was confident in my writings in college, as Sewanee had a writing-heavy curriculum.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? My biggest fear is failing. I understand small failures are a part of life and an important learning tool, but I don’t think I would handle it well if I were to epically fail in my business or in my personal relationships.

WHAT IS YOUR HAPPIEST MOMENT? I have a few! Getting married was one, winning a state championship was another, and also being present for the 2006 National Championship when the Florida Gators won.

IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO A FUTURE CSF STUDENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Take advantage of everything! Canterbury is small enough that you can be an athlete, an artist, or anything in between. I never considered myself the most creative person, but I took an art class with Mrs. Ro[sario] and from there, I took more art classes and eventually I was able to be in charge of the yearbook, which I absolutely loved!

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S T UDE N T P ROFI LE

Kai Tomalin CLASS OF 2019

PLEVA AND HER PARENTS

BY HEATHER LAMBIE

SINCE HE WAS SIX YEARS OLD, KAI TOMALIN’S FATHER, TERRY, CONDITIONED HIM WITH “WARRIOR TRAINING,” something he made up to instill the virtues of strength, perseverance, and honor in his son. “It started with Vikings, then Shaka Zulu, then Zalen Monks, then I became obsessed with Maasai culture,” Kai says. “My dad always said when I turned 16, we’d do my Maasai rite of passage.”

Unfortunately, Kai’s father passed away unexpectedly when Kai was 15 years old. One year later, however, when he turned 16, his mother, Kanika, made good on her husband’s promise and helped Kai fulfill his Maasai rite of passage. Traveling with Terry’s sister Susan (Sarandon), Kai, his mother, and his sister Nia visited four countries and ten cities in Africa in the summer of 2017.

“I always thought I’d just do [my rite of passage] in Florida,” Kai says, “so it’s

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very cool that I actually got to do it in Africa--with the Maasai.”

This epic trip began in Uganda at Hope North, a school for refugee and child soldiers that Sarandon was helping to build. “My aunt helped fund the college testing room at the school, and it had just been completed,” Kai says. “Kids who qualify go onto the next level of education, which they were all super excited about, because not everyone gets that chance. When you’re born in rural Africa, the only things passed down to you are oral lessons. They don’t have physical possessions to give their kids, but they can educate themselves. So they treat education like a gift.” The overt gratitude for the opportunity of an education was not lost on Kai. From Uganda, Kai’s family flew to Nairobi, Kenya. “Nairobi is first world Africa,” he says. “I thought I understood that Africa is made up of a bunch of different people. But each group of people

are so very different. I thought I would learn how to say thank you in Swahili so I could thank people along the way.

Then we get to Uganda, and they speak 50 languages there. Most people speak 11 languages at least.”

One place where he didn’t have to worry about a language barrier was at the elephant orphanage they visited. They played with infant elephants, something few people see because, “in the wild, the herd is so protective, you wouldn’t usually see a baby elephant until it is like, two years old,” Kai says. They also went on safari in the Serengeti, where there are no fences, and no cabins. “You stay in tents,” Kai says, which is dangerous because, “at night you’d feel rumbles and it was hippos and elephants and water buffalo passing by. We were told that if a buffalo charges us, there is nothing the guides can do. They told us, ‘They’re designed to be bulletproof. If we shoot at it, it bounces off their face.’” Kai learned when he visited the Maasai Mara people

that they do a lot of jumping and stomping in their traditional dances at night because the elephants can feel the vibrations, and so choose to walk somewhere else and not through their village.

This was especially significant information to have because Kai and his family happened to be on safari during migration season, which is when 1.6 million wildebeests journey from the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania to the grasslands of the Maasai Mara, Kenya. “We actually got to see that migration from a hot air balloon,” Kai says. “The wildebeests start off, then the zebras panic and run whenever they see anything else run. Elephants hate wildebeests because they’re noisy, so then they move. And all the other animals start moving when the elephants move. We got to see all these different animals moving. It was insane.”

Finally, it was time for Kai’s rite of passage. In Maasai culture, when a boy is ready to transition to become a man, he participates in a jumping ceremony. Once he can jump high enough, he becomes a man. The Maasai chief at the village they visited told Kai that since he was 16 years old, he could participate in the jumping competition. “I jumped the highest, and I won,” Kai says, still surprised. “Traditionally, when you win, you start your transition into manhood by moving in to live with the warriors, and you become a couple with the prettiest girl in the village. Obviously I couldn’t stay, so instead the chief gave me his fighting staff, which is like a walking stick, a tribal heirloom that only the chief is allowed to carry. It’s the symbol of a chief, and is passed down from chief to chief.” A staff like the one Kai received is not even sold as a replica in local gift shops because the honor of owning one is such a large part of the Maasai culture. When they returned to their tents later that day, their safari guides were beside themselves that Kai was carrying it.

While Kai certainly wasn’t hurting for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, he was really hoping to see lions. On the night before they were supposed to leave Nairobi, Kai had a dream that he was sitting on a rock, looked over the horizon and saw his father, walking with the lions. In the dream his father said, “I’m proud of you guys, you’re going to be safe,” and he gave Kai a hug. The next morning Kai

told his mother about the dream, and their guide took them to the exact rock from his dream--a place he’d never been before. “I look over and there was a huge pride of lions who came over and drank water, just as a gust of wind comes,” Kai says. “My dad always said he would come in the wind. And in the dream he said we were going to be safe.” This message made sense later in the day, as the family arrived in Tanzania.

When they arrived in Arusha it was late and nearly pitch black with no lights on the roads. The family was staying at the top of the Ngorongoro Crater, a 10-12 mile wide volcanic depression famous for being home to every species of large mammal in Africa.

As they drove up the volcano, they were stopped by men with machine guns who thought they might be poachers. Their driver convinced the men they were not, so they continued up the mountain’s path, which had a dense forest on one side, and a 2,000 ft. drop on the other.

Suddenly, across the path, they saw what looked like a forest elephant, an elusive subspecies of African elephant that has long tusks like a woolly mammoth. “They’re like bigfoot,” Kai says, “People search their whole lives and never see one.”

Though it was exciting to consider, seeing an elephant on a cliffside path that narrow is dangerous. “The only animals you have to fear in a car are rhinos and elephants because they can flip the car,” Kai says. Knowing this, their driver called for help on the radio, then turned off the car headlights and began to drive slowly--blindly--back down the mountain in reverse.

When they got far enough away, they waited in silence for what seemed like forever, enough time for the elephant to move on. Eventually, they drove slowly back up the mountain with the lights off.

When the driver turned on the headlights for just a second, they all saw the elephant in the death charge position, “head tilted in the direction for his tusks to throw us off the ledge,” Kai says.

They were petrified.

At that exact moment, the park ranger that the driver had radioed earlier drove up, and with two sets of headlights

4 Questions WIT H KAI

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? This trip made me change my mind. I wanted to be an ambassador to another country because I like languages. I figured that way I could help fixed the world’s problems. I wanted to be able to fight bullies on a global scale. During this trip I realized I want to tell stories, the world’s story. Work for National Geographic and write adventure stories like my dad did, but on a global scale.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING YOUR PARENTS HAVE GIVEN YOU? I was taught that when purpose and popularity become mutually exclusive, you always have to choose purpose.

Doing what is right outweighs everything.

That lesson has always helped me as a person. My dad said, "With great power comes great responsibility." I try to live my life with strength and honor.

IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO A FUTURE CSF STUDENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Take chances and make mistakes and don’t be afraid to get messy. In order to learn stuff, you have to be able to step out of your comfort zone, whether it’s going to Africa or Ms. Yeager’s social studies class. You have to be able to admit you don’t know everything.

WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST REMAINING GOAL IN LIFE? My biggest goal is to keep progressing.

I just had a pretty big adventure, but I don’t want it to be my last one. I want to be able to change the world in some way. Right now I’m pretty young, so I’m not 100% sure how I’m going to do it, but I know I will do something to positively affect this planet. I’m gonna work super hard to make it happen. shining in the direction of the elephant, it felt outnumbered and stepped away, but not in the direction of the forest. It walked off the side of the mountain. “It was just gone,” Kai says. “Like, gone.

continued on page 20 FALL 2017 |

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Homecoming 2017

HOMECOMING COURT WITH THE KING AND QUEEN, WILL BOND AND MARIA RIOS (CENTER) Sophomore/Junior boys cheer for their powder puff team.

The Freshmen/Senior powder puff team.

Grade 1 Homecoming banner. #CrusadersWill

Varsity cheerleaders get the crowd going at halftime.

The Class of 2018 rocked out in their Homecoming float.

Grade 4 homecoming court pages.

Chauncy the Crusader.

Players honor the flag during the pre-game singing of the Star Spangled Banner.

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The parade of upper school "floats" at the Powder Puff game.

BO O K REV I EW lenge, we send the message that they are incapable. We deny them the chance to “muck around in the unpleasant, messy experience of failure long enough” to develop problem-solving skills, creativity, and perseverance.

BY CARRIE FORRESTER, LEARNING SPECIALIST Show of hands, who is hoping to raise autonomous, competent, creative kids?

In her practical book, The Gift of Failure, author, parent, and educator Jessica Lahey explains the way today’s overprotective, failure-avoidant parenting style has inadvertently undermined the independence of many of our children.

Luckily for us, she can relate. And, after exploring the reasons we find ourselves tidying up after our teenagers, driving that lunch to school, and generally bulldozing uncomfortable obstacles out of the way, Lahey lays out sensible strategies to make changes.

When I think back to my children as infants, I never worried whether they would learn to walk and run, no matter how often they toppled over after a few wobbly steps. Yet, once our children reach school age, we tend to lose our perspective on the value, even necessity, of failure for learning. This is not entirely our fault. The ever-present news cycle and advent of social media have created an inescapable sense that we are under constant threat or, at least, are underperforming compared to our neighbors.

We self-soothe by monitoring our kids’ every move and then appropriating their successes as validation of our own A+ parenting. Here’s the catch: every time we rescue our children from a chal-

Maybe you are already skilled at guiding your children through tough situations without taking over. But, if you are like me, you might tend to give directions instead of prompts and give opinions instead of feedback. Challenge yourself to take a hard look at the patterns and habits in your family. How do you react to a B or a C? What do you do when your child faces a tough social interaction? Do these moments belong to your child or do you feel compelled to intervene? All sorts of disappointments, rejections, corrections, and criticisms are opportunities in disguise. If we simply preserve children’s short-term happiness, we deprive them of the chance to become resilient, capable adults.

Before you get too down on yourself, Lahey offers some hopeful solutions. It’s never too early, or late, to teach children how to problem-solve under their own power. Household responsibilities are an easy first step to instill a sense of pur-

EVERY TIME WE RESCUE OUR CHILDREN FROM A CHALLENGE, WE SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THEY ARE INCAPABLE. We deny them the chance to “muck around in the unpleasant, messy experience of failure long enough” to develop problem-solving skills, creativity, and perseverance. pose. Although kids may do it wrong at first, we owe them the patience and time to work it out themselves. Our reward is increasing self-sufficiency, from toddlers through adolescence. The author goes on to outline challenges and opportuni-

ties specific to middle and high school ages then addresses how friendships and competitive sports can develop a strong sense of self alongside courage, sportsmanship, and teamwork - if we can get out of the way long enough.

Lastly, Lahey challenges parents to give academic responsibility back to our children, disentangling ourselves from homework and creating strong parent-teacher partnerships.

After reading The Gift of Failure, I made some changes in my own home. I gave my preschooler a wipe instead of cleaning up the spill myself, forgotten homework folders were left on the table, and I bit my tongue during sibling squabbles. I am hoping to lay the foundation for a strong, positive attitude when the real challenges rise ahead. Lahey points out that while potential consequences increase in middle and high school, “the greater risk lies in sheltering and protecting kids from failures while they are still living at home, because failures that happen...in the real world carry far higher stakes.” Although it may seem an arduous task, we must learn to differentiate between desirable challenges and insurmountable difficulties. In the end, our children must journey their own story, even if the parental experience of watching it unfold can be nerve racking. We can, however, be patient and give them the gifts of pride in their own successes and trust in their ability to rise above their failures.

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S U P P OR T

NE W S + N OTES

Our 4th Annual Tee it Up Golf Tournament was a big success, raising $11,650 for the athletic program! The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club was the perfect location for the event.

ABOVE: Parent players Mandy Carlson and Shelby Rogers get ready to hit the course. BELOW: The team of CSF parents George Quay, Rob Dobbs, Georgia Mattern, and Jack Adams hold their title of tournament winners for the second year in a row.

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LEFT: Athletic Director Monica Talley is flanked by Assistant Athletic Director and Lower School P.E. teacher Joe Simboli (L) and Middle School P.E. teacher Joe Taylor (R). ABOVE: Rob Brennan celebrates a putt by Tom Mahaffey as Steve Given looks on. BELOW: The Lower School Pep Squad handed out gifts to players and sponsors to thank them for advancing their athletic program.

S U P P OR T

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LEAVING A LEGACY WITH THE

Heritage Society

“What do we need to put into place to keep the school secure for our grandchildren’s children and beyond?” asks Maureen Donovan-Dobiesz, President of the Canterbury Foundation.

Maureen and her family have been closely connected to Canterbury since her son, Aaron, transferred to Canterbury more than 25 years ago. Aaron went on to graduate in 2001, followed by his brother Casey, a CSF lifer, who graduated in 2011. Even though Aaron and Casey have continued on to college and successful careers, Maureen has remained committed to giving back to the school she so deeply loves.

In many ways, Maureen’s journey as a parent is directly tied to her journey at Canterbury. As many people do in the beginning, she questioned her skills as a parent. “Parenthood was the hardest test, but also the most joyous.”

She found that at Canterbury, faculty and staff served as a source of support for not only her family, but for all the families she knew. She was inspired to contribute, and began by volunteering with the Parents Association, which led to her transforming the Gala into a major fundraiser for the school.

As her involvement grew, so did Maureen’s love for all things Canterbury.

She became a member of the Board of Trustees. While serving on the Board under President Bill McQueen, the Dobiesz family funded the construction of the Cousteau Center for Marine Studies, a stand-alone, 2,800 square foot building dedicated to educating students in PK3 grade 12 about the importance of marine science. Maureen continued her work on the board and eventually served as President. Anyone who serves on the Board “does it from a deep sense of love of the school,” Maureen says. “You don’t make that kind of time commitment--certainly

as the Board President--unless you love it. It becomes personal and the school is something you want to protect and to see grow.”

During that time, The Canterbury School of Florida Foundation existed, but was never active. The Foundation exists to raise funds to sustain and support the School, specifically with endowment funds (the investment, management, and distribution of earnings). That would change, when Lloyd Chapin, a board member with Dobiesz from 2005-2011, made a motion that, moving forward, the School should commit to a percentage of all money raised going toward the endowment fund. The board unanimously passed that motion, and from that moment forward, ten percent of all funds raised annually at the school now go toward the endowment. That single motion breathed new life into the Foundation.

Soon, the Foundation received a gift that would result in the creation of the Heritage Society. One of the original Canterbury board members, Marian Zaisler Snider (board member from 1968-1973), left a gift to the school in her will. “It woke us up to the fact that past trustees still carried Canterbury in their hearts and wanted to remember and support Canterbury in their legacy,” Maureen says. “The Heritage Society began with Marian’s gift in conjunction with gifts from myself, Marion Hale, and Bill McQueen. We started talking to past board members who had a deep love of Canterbury to get the Foundation going.”

Recently, Maureen reignited the Foundation by re-establishing the Foundation’s Board with former trustees such as Bill McQueen (2001-2007) and Helen Feinberg (1988-1994), civic leaders such as Peter Betzer, President of the Downtown St. Pete Partnership, and other officers on the Board of Trustees. “What’s

Maureen S AY S. . .

WHO HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN YOUR LIFE? This is funny, but the motto that’s on my bedroom mirror is the Hard Rock NORMAN & MAUREEN Cafe’s logo (any- DOBIESZ one who knows us knows the years we’ve traveled there with our children…): Love all, serve all. It’s a question I ask myself every day. Who are the great people who served? Mimi Bridge comes to mind.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT MONEY? Work hard, save, and give as much as you spend.

amazing is the commitment,” Maureen says. “These people have already put in a lot of time at Canterbury, and when we asked them to be a part of this they said, ‘Absolutely, I will! The school helped us raise our children into the amazing people they are!’”

Unlike the School’s board of trustees, which deals with the day-to-day happenings working from a five-year plan, the Foundation’s board focuses on the long-term health of the School. They seek to accomplish this by stewarding past board members, building the endowment, and asking families to join the Heritage Society to increase legacy giving.

“The hope is that the Foundation will build a sustainable endowment over time. The children of the members of the Foundation board may have already graduated and grown, but they are forever bound to the core of the school itself, to its foundation and to its future. With the School’s 50th anniversary approaching in the 2018-19 school year, it seems timely to reconnect with past board members to share the growth and development and future plans for the school.”

For more information on the Heritage Society, visit www.canterburyflorida.org/ways-to-give FALL 2017 |

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N EWS + NOTES

STEA M

T A S EAhead!

M

Full

BY LAUREN FENECH

One of the most charming elements of our Hough Campus is the look of awe among our youngest Crusaders as they go about their day. It’s inspiring. They see the world in a way that adults have long since forgotten; they dream about the future in ways in which we all once did--innocently, with the inherent belief that dreams really do come true. When I was their age, I used to imagine a world in which instruction was catered to the needs I had (but weren’t quite understood at the time). I dreamed of a place in which I could learn with my hands, think with tools, and--like most children--potentially be messy about it. That is why I find Canterbury’s new lower school STEAM garden so exciting; it is the merging of decades of dreams that are coming to fruition. The result? Children who get the opportunity to learn in the most innovative way.

The natural questions follow: What is STEAM? What is this garden? And how is it going to enhance the already-excellent curriculum that my child is receiving? Arts integration specialist Susan Riley astutely captures the magic of STEAM education as “an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.” At Canterbury, we wholeheartedly believe in and align our instruction to this very concept. Our STEAM garden--essentially an outdoor classroom--is the latest STEAM integration into our community. It is place to study science, technology, engineering,

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art, and math. A garden is also a place to explore colors, textures, sounds, shapes, tastes, and smells. It is a practical place to make art and music, and to build large scale projects. It's also a place for our students to study history and the environment. Students of every different pedagogical learning style, and those with different interests will benefit from having the garden on campus.

We would like to create an ecosystem that mimics a micro-food forest. We hope to build an aquaponic tank using tilapia to grow vegetables.

We will also use locally sourced materials to build homes for native pollinators.

The combination of putting science, engineering and art outdoors builds curiosity and makes learning fun.

-- Art teacher Breck Moorefield The lower school STEAM garden is going to be a unique addition to our Hough Campus with its own one-of-akind specifications: recycled tree stumps will comprise the seats and tables; materials utilized will minimize environmental impacts whilst promoting alternative forms of energy; grade 4 students will lead the school in its first STEAM garden project (focused on solving real-world

Students from all grades are working together to build the STEAM garden.

ARTS

problems). This is the start of a special type of parallelism, in which our oldest youngest students (grade 4 is the highest grade on our lower campus) participate in projects that fundamentally align to the same requirements of our Senior class projects.

What other perks will the garden bring our campus? The very act of gardening can induce a unique meditative sense with the following benefits:

3Engages all the senses 3Encourages healthy eating 3Enhances motor development 3Introduces scientific concepts 3Builds camaraderie 3Teaches responsibility 3Promotes respect for the environment 3Develops math skills 3Teaches patience 3Enhances ability to plan and organize

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The upper school production of Neil Simon's Rumors featured a cast of 12, five of whom were first-time actors. As if that wasn't stressful enough, the show had difficult dialogue to learn in the shortest amount of rehearsal time (due to time off because of Hurricane Irma).

"Even though half the cast was new to the stage, they pulled it off," said Director Tara Quellhorst.

"It took many out-of-rehearsal hours at each other’s houses, drinking coffee and cramming, but they worked as a team and made it happen. They really impressed me!"

Most importantly, the hope is to encourage students to dream. Imagine the possibilities that this garden presents for all of our students. The STEAM garden is more than decoration or an initiative designed to support instruction. Rather, the STEAM garden is a culmination of years of dreaming that we all had growing up.

As part of the Canterbury community, we are excited about the possibilities this garden presents to our students, staff, families, and community.

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A RTS

Ian Beck

TECHNICAL THEATER & STAGE CRAFT TEACHER, CLOWN

BY HEATHER LAMBIE “Hey--quit clowning around!” These are words never uttered from Technical Theater teacher Ian Beck. That’s because for 15 years before he became a teacher of stagecraft, he was a clown. Literally.

As a young boy, Beck knew he wanted to be a clown when he grew up. As a freshman in high school he started doing street performing with magic tricks, sewing his own costumes, making his own stilts, and taking fly-by-night clown courses. “I’d put down a hat, see if I made people laugh, and then work on my schtick based on responses.”

After graduating from Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, Beck auditioned for Ringling Brother’s Barnum and Bailey Clown College… and didn’t make it. “They only accepted 30 people each year, so we made a joke that statistically, it’s harder to get into Clown College than it is to get into Yale.” Beck didn’t give up though.

He kept working, and the following year, in 1997, he was invited to audition again and was accepted. He learned the history of clowning and toured with the Ringling Circus for two fun-filled years, and came back to St. Petersburg. “It was one of those things where you achieve your dream so early on in life that you go, ‘Now what?’”

So he started working for various local

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theaters, scene shops, and prop shops, going back to his roots and love of stage design. He remembers his first high school theater experience, working on Bye Bye Birdie. “I started back stage and worked my way on stage, but I always liked the behind-the-curtain feel. To me there are a lot more opportunities

and overall more excitement on the tech end of everything. Actors are actors, but techies can be everything--and you don’t have any lines to learn either, so that makes it nice.”

At Canterbury, Beck teaches a wide variety of students who want to do everything from stage design for competitions to non-traditional pantomime or

improv. His Stagecraft and Stage Design class focuses on building sets. “It’s an opportunity for some of these students, who may never otherwise pick up a hammer or cut a board using a table saw, but they can here.”

When Beck was hired at Canterbury three years ago, he reimagined the theater shop, making it a hands-on place to

learn by doing, not watching. “When I got here, the kids weren’t allowed to do anything in the shop. I quickly changed it into a functional shop and classroom so that half the time they’re learning, and the other half it’s all tools of the trade. You have to be willing to get covered in sawdust.”

Stagecraft extends beyond construction and painting sets, however. “Stagecraft is just the roundabout name for anything not acting,” Beck says. “Kids can learn the ins and outs of shop and how to design and bring that design to life, but also elements of lighting design, sound design, stage managerial duties, props master . . . the kids sign up for the

My biggest accomplishment to date is the fact that I still have all my fingers.

With all the insane jobs I’ve done over the years, the ways I’ve been hurt --I haven’t lost any digits!

the new circuitry of technology and graphic design, and engineering projects that mix physical materials and technology are the result.

Students who start in grades 5 and 6 learn just the hand tools, no power.

They learn the basics of woodworking like hammer usage, cutting a straight line with the handsaw, and reading a tape measure. Students in grades 7 and 8 begin to use basic power tools such as chop saws and jig saws, power drills and the drill press. Upper school students learn to read plans and designs, and to construct needed pieces for theater sets and props. They can also learn sound and light design. “The whole program is designed to let the students run everything in the production from design to constructions to stage managing and acting,” Beck says. “The kids jump into it! My younger ones love to hammer and saw. The older ones love to cut stuff. It’s nice to see that respect and desire for working in the shop rather than it being an “easy A” elective. It makes me feel good, like I’ve done something right.”

show for whatever job they want to try.

I encourage them to try everything--go for something you know nothing about!

That’s the only way you can determine whether you like it or not.”

One might think that teaching kids to use power tools would be stressful, but the mood in “the shop” is remarkably chill. Beck learned this teaching philosophy from his own high school shop

As such, under the leadership of Beck, Canterbury’s tech theater experience has become representative of the opportunity to try something new, and the students have responded quickly, with increased enrollment in his classes.

RIGHT: Ian Beck with fellow clowns from Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus.

BELOW: Beck's clown persona.

teacher, Dave Syster. “The man was just very willing to try new things and got excited about anyone who wanted to learn a tool in the shop that sat covered in dust, that nobody was using.” Beck also gets excited when he sees a student first use a tool or technique he or she knows nothing about, “like watching them grow by figuring out how to turn a block of wood into a beautiful piece of art. I know how to give them the quick answer, but it is the process of letting them learn and explore and make those mistakes. I have to bite my tongue a lot.”

Staying quiet at the right times is important to Beck, however, because he believes that art is about accepting your mistakes.

“It’s about looking at something and seeing that even just the process of trying can be art. The mistakes, the accomplishments, all the good stuff mix with the color or whatever medium you’re working with, and that makes it art. I’m amazed by the students’ work. At such a young age they’re creating these pictures or ceramics, and it’s all done without them being in the way of themselves.”

“There are kids who have no desire to be on the stage, and they think that’s all there is to theater. Then I show them how to be a part of the production in other ways.” Working backstage, Beck insists, teaches students to respect the entire process of theater. “There is so much to do backstage. Not everyone gets the chance to see it because it’s hidden, so a lot of them don’t even know there is an opportunity here to thrive with a different kind of creativity.” Add that opportunity to the rise in the desire to mix the old ways of “the shop” with FALL 2017 |

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N EWS + NOTES

ATH LET IC S

Paige Liebel CLASS OF 2017, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM

BY HEATHER LAMBIE cause while it was the last time doing a long drive, it was also the last away game with that team.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, the award-winning journalist shares how he believes certain people become extremely successful. One of his theories is the now famous “ten thousand hours.”

Gladwell says that researchers have proven that the magic number of effort for true expertise in anything, is the dedication of ten thousand hours to it.

So it should come as no surprise then, that Paige Liebel, Class of 2017, verbally committed during her sophomore year to play soccer for the University of Connecticut, one of the top developers of women’s professional players.

Liebel has been playing soccer since she could walk, following in her older brothers’ footsteps, both of whom played soccer and Division 1 athletics (one played football at Penn State, the other played soccer at the University of San Diego).

Since her first day on the field, she has easily put in more than ten thousand hours leading up to her competing in the ODP--Olympic Development Program, an all-star team made up of the best girls from the best teams in each U.S. state to create a national team. Liebel made a state team every year she played, then made a regional team (the top 18 female players from the 18 southeast states).

That makes Liebel a top 40 player in the nation. Her senior year, the ODP paid for her to go to Brazil to play, “which was the last hurrah for us to play together before we go our separate ways to college.”

It may sound glamorous, but finding time for soccer, school, and a life (in that

18 | FALL 2017

order) she says, is her biggest challenge at the moment.

“Soccer is first, then school, then social life. I play every day and train two times a day. I go to Tampa at 5:30 a.m. every morning to lift weights. I hate mornings.

I go to school, then I go back over to Tampa in the afternoon for soccer training,” she says. Liebel started this routine when she was 12. “I spend a lot of time in the car,” she says, “so I’m very excited for college so I don’t have to drive anywhere!” At the time of the interview, Liebel lamented that she had spent the past weekend driving to Jacksonville and Orlando to play in her last youth soccer game, which was bittersweet be-

Machu Picchu, Peru

Being a dedicated student athlete is all about choices and balance, something many people struggle with long into adulthood.

Liebel started at Canterbury in fifth grade, and just a few years later, around age 12, as she joined Canterbury’s JV soccer team she made a very grown up decision. “I decided that I can only play soccer until I’m 25, 26, 27. You can only be an athlete for so long. I already feel my body falling apart,” she says with a laugh. “You can be an academic for life.

So I’m going to give my all to soccer right now while I still can.”

Around that same time she defined herself not just as an athlete, but as a leader. She credits her soccer coach Scott Bowers, with whom she played from ages 12-14, for teaching her how to lead by example. “He put an emphasis on how your actions show who you are. He taught me how to be a leader to a group

Czech Republic

LEFT AND RIGHT: Liebel attacks as center defense and holding midfield. of people, not just individuals,” she said.

After training for two years with Bowers, Liebel spent her freshman year of high school in Germany attending an athletic boarding school with an Olympic training center. She went alone at age 14, and didn’t speak a word of German when she left, but picked it up in just three months. “I knew I was fluent the first time I understood a German joke,” she says. “My teammates and I were walking onto the training field and it was getting cold and the girls said, ‘That’s not a seagull, that’s an ice bird!’

It was a German joke--not funny, but I understood it!”

When she returned to Canterbury as a sophomore, she had matured not just on the field, but in the classroom as well.

Teacher Ken Johnson spotted Liebel as a leader early on, and the feelings of admiration were mutual. “I think I was most influenced by Mr. Johnson,” she says. “He really showed me how to value every subject, how every subject is important. He taught me how to view a problem or situation by looking at all the facts, and to be objective while not losing the human side of things.”

The human side of things has always been front and center in Liebel’s home.

Since she was very young, her parents always housed foreign exchange students for three weeks at a time or more.

“Every year we’ve had a Japanese group,” she says. “Peruvians, Spanish, Germans. People were constantly rotating in and out of our house. I always knew I wanted to go abroad as a high schooler because I saw how fun it was. I saw the cultural differences from a really young age, and how being different and having a different viewpoint was a plus.”

Liebel was lucky to be able to travel internationally on business trips with her father, Hartmut, who was born and raised in Germany. “Of course we always went to the touristy sites,” Liebel says, “but my mom always made it a point to see every aspect of a culture or country.” This drove home the importance of understanding and respecting cultural differences.

Liebel’s mother, who she considers her best friend and says, “is just really cool,” was also a foreign exchange high school student in Germany. That led her to study German and International Business in college, which led her to begin working in Germany, which led her to Hartmut.

“My dad was here working in the states, and my mom was studying in Germany.

So it was a flip,” she says. “One year my dad was travelling home for Christmas, and my mom’s parents were visiting

Imperial Palace, Beijing, China

Lake Palace Udaipur, India

Germany for Christmas. My dad sat next to my mom’s parents on the plane. They were looking for an apartment and my dad’s parents were in real estate, so it just worked out.”

Fast forward 20 years or so, and Liebel is considering her major at Connecticut, thinking back to her dreams as a younger girl. “I really wanted to be a marine biologist for the longest time,” she says.

“That’s why I came to Canterbury. I really wanted to be involved in that. I think every kid in Florida does! But I decided to study Electrical Engineering at UConn, along with German.” And of course, her soccer career. For women’s soccer, the United States is number one, and probably will be for the next 15-20 years, Liebel says. “In most countries it was illegal for women to play soccer until the 1980s or ‘90s. We’re about two generations ahead of them. Most countries are in their first generation of soccer players. So they have a while to catch up to us.”

Liebel does intend to go pro. “My plan is, after college, to play professional soccer for the Swedish, German, or French league and learn a couple languages for a few seasons. Then I’ll probably get back to business. It’s important for people to find what they love to do and capitalize on it when they have the time and opportunity to do it. I know that soccer is not going to last forever. Doing well in school set me up for soccer, but also, is my key to success after soccer.”

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S T UDE N T P ROFI LE continued from page 9 They never found it.” The park rangers escorted them the rest of the way up the mountain safely. When they got to the top, and had a moment to reflect on their mystical, unexplained near-death experience, Kai reminded his mom of his dream, and how his dad had said they would be safe.

In the light of day, Kai and his family were able to observe the animals in the crater. “We got to go to an elephant graveyard, where the elephants go to die,” he says, “which creates a lot of fertilizer, so it’s the greenest area in the whole place. We saw an elephant walk into the graveyard while we were there.

All the animals stopped eating and looked up when he went in there. You can see that the animals have a respect for this giant.”

The final stop on their African adventure was to South Africa, which Kai was anxious to see. “Cape Town is where Robben Island is, which is where Nelson Mandela was in prison.” Since he was little, Kai’s father had him memorize and practice Invictus, the poem Mandela read every day in jail. “I didn’t get to go to Robben Island,” Kai says, “but I got to go to [Mandela’s] holding cell, and I got to recite Invictus out loud there. Amazing.” They also visited Johannesburg and the house that Mandela grew up in which, coincidentally, has the same house number as Kai’s, 8115.

Talking to Kai now, several months after his trip, it is clear that each moment in each location had a great impact on him. “There were so many things that happened that I never expected because I never could have fathomed them,” Kai says. “It was so cool to see how the human experience is the same all over the world. People laugh when they’re happy and cry when they’re sad. When you see people who are different than you doing the same things you do, it’s humanizing.” Kai admits that this humanization and perspective has helped him deal with familial changes in his life that have been difficult and have forced him to, “make a conscious effort to not stay in the comfy place so I can evolve.”

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MY

rite of passage

BY KAI TOMALIN

At the elephant orphanage.

Over the summer my family and I traveled 9,150 miles across the world to return to the land of our ancestors for my rite of passage. We played with penguins in South Africa, came face to face with a forest elephant in the jungles of Tanzania, danced with Masai warriors in Kenya, paddled down the Nile River in Uganda and enjoyed many other experiences unique to the continent of Africa. Africa is a huge continent.

It is home to more than 1,100 species of mammals and 2,600 species of birds. Africa is not only diverse in its flora and fauna, but also is incredibly linguistically diverse with an estimated 1,500-2,000 languages.

Africa has 3,000 distinct ethnic groups, and 54 countries. Four months ago I had the opportunity to explore this continent and its multitude of wonders. But, because Africa is so big, it is impossible to receive all it has to offer in one lifetime. However, we got pretty close.

When you spend a month exploring a continent as astonishing as Africa it is hard to pick one experience to write about. The words necessary to describe the things I saw are nonexistent.

A rite of passage is a journey of exploration and self discovery. The most human of my adventures in Africa was at Hope North, a school for former child soldiers I visited in rural Uganda. These children showed me the incredible power of hope and love.

Many of the terrible things experienced by these children would cause most people to become cold and calloused individuals, but they were the opposite. They laughed and danced and found joy in the simplest things.

They shared everything even when they had nothing and were able to find light wherever they looked. When I reflect on the magnanimity these people showed each

other I had a realization: when we find ourselves in times of struggle and hardship, hope is something we must give ourselves.

Here in the United States we often think of Africa as a homogeneous land marked by a lack of resources and wealth, but in reality it is the opposite. These people may not have access to all the luxuries we enjoy in the western world, but they do have access to something equally important. The human spirit has the ability to endure terrible things with the help of love and compassion. These children taught me that in the darkness, if you look for light, you can often find it, but if you look for darkness that is all you will ever see. This is a lesson I hope I never forget.

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Matt Hobby C OMMEN C EMENT SPEA KER

2017 Retirements

CLASS OF 2017

The end of the 2016-17 school year marked the end of an era as several beloved faculty and staff members retired. From left, Nancy Dailey (22 years), Melanie Heath (37 years), Nancie Hobby (30 years), and Dave Smith (18 years). We wish them well and hope to see them at the 50th anniversary!

ADVICE FROM MATT HOBBY ('98) TO THE CLASS OF 2017 I started Canterbury in first grade with Mrs. Herzik, and sat in these same pews, probably in the same gowns too, like you all tonight. What never occurred to me before I graduated and went to Florida State, and what you might not realize yourselves, is just what a privilege it is to attend a school like this. ... There’s a thing people say, “It’s not who you are, it’s who you know.” That’s a cynical phrase about “networking” - which is the worst part of being an adult, get ready - but there’s a nugget of truth in there: the character of the people you surround yourself with will go a long way to dictating who you become. If you surround yourself with positive, motivated people, you will rise to the occasion of that good company you've chosen, and also be a positive and motivated individual.

Your community will be the thing that carries you for the rest of your life. I encourage you to seek your community with courage in mind, not comfort. Find people who are different from you, who come from different social circumstances, different countries, different ideas. With our online communities, it is so easy to live inside an echo chamber. Seek to challenge yourself and the things you hold true. You might find that your conviction gets stronger by having it tested. You might find your heart is open to another path.

Starting tonight, you can build a community around yourself with your values at the core. That’s the most exciting thing about being a young adult.

Before I go, I want to say thank you to the Canterbury community or everything they have provided my family. Canterbury has given us lifelong friends, my sister and I self-confidence as adults, and the chance to celebrate our Mom, Nancie Hobby (Mrs. Hobby to you). As an adult, one of the great joys of my life has been the chance to see my Mom reach her personal and professional goals with this loving and joyful community of faculty, administrators and students. Thank you for trusting her, and thank you for taking care of her in return.

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Meet Anne

A LU MN I

Crusader Connections ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES

Thank you all for the warm welcome when I started back in March and met some of you amidst the whirlwind of the Spring Gala. I am thrilled to be a part of the Canterbury family! I have heard so many great things about our alumni, so let me share a little about myself with all of you.

I am a St. Pete native, born and raised. In 2009 I graduated from the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School.

After high school I moved to Fort Myers to attend Florida Gulf Coast University where I became a "Double Eagle" with my BS in Business Management in 2013 and my MBA in 2015. While pursuing my Masters, I completed a two-year Graduate Assistantship in Alumni Relations where I oversaw the Eagle Ambassador Program and assisted with the planning and facilitation of various alumni events in the community and on the FGCU campus.

Prior to coming to Canterbury in March 2017, I most recently worked with the Tampa Bay Rays, interning in Community Engagement. I’m very excited to bring new ideas to the Canterbury Alumni Association.

You may have seen some of those ideas already in action with our monthly birthday emails and "contact information update" surprises. I hope you will join us at our Holiday Social in December, and get involved with planning events for our 50th Anniversary. Please email me if you have any questions, ideas, contact updates, or anything to share in future issues of Crusader Connections at aford@canterburyflorida.org

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COURTNEY COPELAND ’14 Courtney celebrated her soccer senior night at Southeastern University on October 28. Her parents, Don and Susie Copeland, both class of 1982, were there to celebrate with her, as well as several friends and other family members.

MARK SAWYER ’03 & ASHLEY (POLLARD) SAWYER '05 Mark and Ashley welcomed daughter, Josie Leigh into the world on October 7, weighing in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and stretching 19 3/4 inches.

HALEY (HALL) GRIMALDI ’07 Haley (Hall) Grimaldi and her husband, Joe, welcomed their first child, Palmer Michael Grimaldi into their family on July 19, 2017 at 9:09 a.m., weighing 7 lbs.

13 oz. Haley is a Pre-K3 teacher at Canterbury and the daughter of Mac Hall, Head of School.

KATIE (MATHEWS) TUMULTY ’04 Katie and her husband, Chris, welcomed their second son, Theodore Michael, into their family on October 10, weighing 8 lbs.

4 oz. and measuring 21 inches. Mom, dad and big brother Peter are thrilled!

KATIE (HEHN) GIROUD ’07 Katie (Hehn) Giroud and her husband, Mike, welcomed their first child, Connor Nicholas Giroud into their family on July 14, 2017 at 12:21 A.M. weighing 8 lbs. 8 oz.​and measuring 20 1/2 inches. Katie is the daughter of Donnamarie Hehn, Upper School Principal.

CHRIS OLSON '14 WERE INDUCTED HALL OF FAME

AND LACY ADAMS '12 INTO THE ATHLETIC AT HOMECOMING.

50

th

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A NNIV E R S A RY

Anniversary Countdown

The 50 Best Things about

Canterbury . . .

23 Parent Volunteers

PARENT VOLUNTEERS The fiber of our community is made up of parent volunteers who put their hearts and souls into every event.

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MARSH GRASS NURSERY @ HOUGH The marsh grass nursery at the Hough Campus is monitored by Grade 4 students, and harvested every year by middle school students. It's a cross-campus project.

24 Marine Quest 25 Veterans Day Celebration 26 PK4 / Grade 4 T-Ball Game 27 Homecoming Hall Decorations

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28 Extra Curricular Support 29 International Studies Trips 30 Pep Rallies 31 Lower School Teacher Skits 32 Lower School Book Fair 33 Upper School Treats

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION Each Veterans Day we invite local veterans to come to our campus for donuts and coffee, and to be honored and thanked by everyone in our community. Poems are read, introductions are made, and gratitude abounds.

34 Knight Day 35 Powder Puff Football Game

PK4 / GRADE 4 T-BALL GAME There is nothing cuter than watching PK4 play T-Ball with their big buddies when they learn about the letter T. Somehow, the Tigers and the Tornados always end in a Tie!

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36 Alumni Traditions 37 Senior Dinner 38 Summer Camps & Programs 39 Dress Down Days

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40 Grade 3 Invention Convention 41 “Thank you” Song at Chapel 42 Miniterm

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43 Gala Sign-Up Parties 44 Senior/Grade 5 Buddies 45 Cross-curricular Learning 46 Harvesting/Planting Marsh Grass 47 Overnight Class Trips 48 Honor Books at Flag 49 College Guidance Parent Coffees 50 Pink-shirt Thursdays

HOMECOMING HALL DECORATING Spirit Week is full of fun events, but when each grade gets to decorate their own hallway, class creativity and cohesiveness really comes to light.

FALL 2017 |

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Upcoming Events FOR TIMES, LOCATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF THESE EVENTS, PLEASE CHECK YOUR BLOOMZ OR SCHOOLOGY MOBILE APPS

NOV. 20-24

SCHOOL CLOSED for THANKSGIVING Holiday

NOV. 28

Giving Tuesday - Please remember Canterbury!

DEC. 5

Lessons & Carols, St. Thomas Episcopal Church

DEC. 15

Alumni Winter Social, time TBD

JAN. 26

A Knight of Theater, Dollinger Theater

JAN. 30

Hough OPEN HOUSE, 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.

FEB. 8

Knowlton OPEN HOUSE, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.

FEB. 10

Maker Manufactory: TBD

FEB. 23

Spring Gala @ the Vinoy Renaissance Resort

WHO WILL MAKE THE WORLD TAKE NOTE? .

L L I SW R E D CRUSA

#crusaderswill 24 | FALL 2017