THE MAROON & GREY The Official CFS Community Connection
WINTER 2013
Farming is Back: Solar Energy Harvested Daily In January, following more than two years of persistent efforts, CFS fully energized its brand new solar array to harvest “clean and green” energy to power its campus. The 1.1 megawatt solar installation on five acres of school land ushers in a new era of harnessing nature’s abundance at the school and returns CFS to a leadership role in offering environmentally responsible and sustainable programs. “Taking real and meaningful action that commits us to clean, renewable energy sources like the sun sends a strong message to our students and local community that CFS remains serious about environmental sustainability and energy conservation,” says Head of School,The Reverend Edmund K. Sherrill. “Our students have a real life laboratory to explore and learn more about their energy future. That we reduce our energy costs along the way is an added bonus since it will redirect dollars spent on energy to our school’s mission that provides such a great education at little to no cost.” Admiring Church Farm School’s vast solar array are Ned Sherrill, Head of School, Adam Centeno ’13, Connor Gibbons ’14 and Neil Fanelli, Director of Finance and Operations. All are invited to the project’s official celebration on Friday, April 26th at 4:00 p.m., which will also kick-off Alumni Reunion Weekend. The array will reduce CFS’s reliance on more expensive energy by 75%.
Mr. Sherrill noted the school’s heritage of environmental sustainability and connection to the land remains a strategic imperative and one of the five major goals adopted by the CFS Board of Directors in its most recent strategic plan. He explained the initiatives have fully engaged students, faculty and the entire Community in greater resource conservation within a program that includes hydroponics, bio-fuel production and similar student oriented projects.
Mr. Neil Fanelli, CFS Director of Finance & Operations and leader of the solar project, explained that power generated from the array will reduce reliance on more costly electricity by 75% annually. “Savings from use of clean solar energy over the 20 year life of the system are expected to be many hundreds of thousands of dollars, while achieving significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.” Mr. Sherrill adds that Mr. Fanelli deserves high praise for heading up a two year long effort to implement the solar program. The Philadelphia Area Independent School Business Officers Association (PAISBOA) was instrumental in encouraging CFS and four other local independent schools to pursue grants awarded from the Pennsylvania Solar Energy Program. Hudson Energy Solar Corporation will own and operate the projects. A grand celebration of the Solar Energy Project’s completion will be held on Friday, April 26th at 4:00 p.m.
Rebranding CFS Bart Bronk ’96 As part of the school wide strategic planning process that culminated in 2011, the CFS Board of Directors, at its January 2012 meeting, endorsed the administration’s recommendation to return to using the School’s original name: The Church Farm School. For nearly two decades, CFS had done business as CFS, The School at Church Farm. The return to our original (and legal) name both affirmed the school’s commitment to the ideals and mission so elegantly and simply framed by our founder, and to simplify marketing and branding efforts. Simply put, the “new” name was a mouthful – and, over time, proved to be neither materially nor measurably different in impact than the original moniker. Perhaps the ultimate evidence of this was that, despite repeated remonstration, the local newspapers never stopped referring to the school as “Church Farm.” Coinciding with this return, the school sought to capitalize on an opportunity to rethink its visual identity and presence in the marketplace. As the school’s reputation as not only a world-class college preparatory institution, but also one that is truly unique among its peers, has grown, the need for a clear, modern, distinctive and evocative visual identity became clear. A comprehensive branding initiative was launched last spring as representatives from Kelsh Wilson Design, the firm responsible for CFS’s award-winning viewbook, Experience the Difference, conducted focus groups with students, faculty and staff, and parents to determine not only what images and visuals were strongly associated with CFS, but also those shared values that a new logo should endeavor to convey. Throughout the summer and fall, Kelsh Wilson produced a range of sketches which were refined and culled until there were two clear finalists: logos featuring iconic representations of the CFS Griffin and the CFS Chapel of the Atonement. Kelsh Wilson presented these options to the collected school community in December, after which online voting commenced. In addition to students, faculty (Continued on page 2)
Sam Ballam Retires from CFS Board of Directors Sam Ballam shows off the grand CFS Griffin mascot he made possible during the September 2011 dedication of the bronze statue. Already, like the Chapel and the bell, the Griffin is a beloved icon that greets students and visitors alike on the campus’s south side. An article about Mr. Ballam’s retirement begins on page two.
New Projects Highlight Science Curriculum Dr. Rob Broadrup, Science Department Chair, can’t sit still for two seconds when talking about new initiatives. There is the Monarch Sister School Program, which involves CFS biology and chemistry students and Mexican students in the restoration of the flyway and habitat of the Monarch butterfly.
Dr. Rob Broadrup discusses current projects with this AP Chemistry students. Dr. Broadrup emphasizes the importance of undertaking “real world,” hands-on projects whenever possible and favors those linked to sustainable energy and the native plant movement.
It works this way: The Mexican students are planting oyamel tree seedlings to reforest a reserve near their school. At the same time, CFS students are researching native plants and will create a butterfly garden in the spring with the goal of recreating native habitats for the threatened Monarch population along its migratory “flyway” between Mexico and Canada. This effort, explains Dr. Broadrup, is part of the Native Plants Movement, designed to replant areas that once supported this majestic creature. His advanced placement chemistry students are researching early blooming plants, and the nearby Jenkins Arboretum has donated a truckload of native bloomers waiting for planting weather. Other students are experimenting with Aquaponics, a cutting edge system that involves the combination of fish rearing and hydroponics. The boys are creating environments in which water populated by fish in tanks is circulated into a tank where plants are growing. The plants filter waste from the water as vital nutrients with the help of beneficial bacteria, and the “purified” water is then re-circulated back to the animals. Another initiative that will keep Dr. Broadrup and the students “buzzing” is the Native Pollinator Project in partnership with urban beekeeper, Don Shump of the Philadelphia Bee company. Some students will study what insects pollinate which plants, for surprisingly little data on this topic exists. Others will delve into the study of fermentation, breaking down plant materials into their components, which will teach them more about renewable bio-fuel technologies. “Our science curriculum is focused on integrating meaningful experiments and projects into our studies so that students can apply concepts learned in class to their daily lives, and so that they gain the conceptual foundations necessary to promote future innovations in our world,” concludes Dr. Broadrup.