Notes from Cardigan (Winter, 1981)

Notes From Cardigan Cardigan Mountain School Canaan, New Hampshire 03741 Volume 1

Winter 1981

Issue No. 2

You ·should have been there! The sight to gladden all hearts of true north country snowmen was the trail of 37 brightly bedecked skiiers, toting their skiis along Canaan Street oh their way to pack the Pinnacle with its new racing facility. Snows had come at last and the winter season, with the lake freezing fast, was at its glorious opening. Basketball, Wrestling and Hockey as teams and recreation skiing now start too.

The boys had just finished a successful fall season of sports, topped off with the Sports Award Banquet just before Thanksgiving. They were proud of their undefeated Varsity football season.

Support from all other teams made the season one of the best - 3rd time in 5 years for that football achievement!

Opening its season on January 9th at the Springfield, Vermont Tournament, the Wrestling Team looks forward to a good year in its combination of experience and leadership among the members. An added assurance of a good boost for the team is the new 38-foot square wrestling mat, making possible hosting matches in the gym besides continuing practice in the wr~stling room.

Just before that holiday, too, 9th Grade French students went on a 3-day tour of Quebec. Using the language in stores and restaurants - and even in talking to a few welcoming citizens, they learned that foreign language is to be enjoyed as a true catalyst in understanding a country.

Other highlights of the fall ir:icluded the always hilarious Halloween dinner party with students and faculty decked out in a wide variety of disguise~ and impersonations.

Humanities programming brought a bril Ii ant evening to the campus with the Two-Penny Theatre, a troup of mimes and jugglers. Coming up, Humanities plans a concert of music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Further cultural recognition to be noted is that another CMS member, 8th grader, Bryan Christensen has become a member of the New Hampshire Youth Orchestra, as a violinist, joining faculty daughters Debbie Crowell and Cathy Shelton who have long been members of this high-ranking organization.

Fall has been a busy time in Cardigan 1 s flourishing academics, too. Results of first-term tests and grades were highlighted with 6th Graders Allan Black and Chris Small making High Honors, with grades of B or better and a grade

of A in at least 3 courses. 9th Grader, Nico Dor ion, from Guatemala also made High Honors. 25 others earned Honors, with grades of B or better. Six with effort grades of 11 111 in al I subjects made Effort Honor Roi 1.

One academic seasonal touch is the innovation at Mrs. Small's 6th Grade class is the preparation of reports such as those made of Christmas and Hannukah symbols and customs commonly seen during the holiday season . The boys also report on how people in different countries celebrate Christmas .

A faculty workshop was given on November 12 at the New Hampshire Council for the Social Studies at their annual fall conference in Concord, N. H. by Mrs. Beverly Wakely, Chairman of the Reading/Study Ski IIs Department, Mr . David Shelton, Head of the Social Studies Department, Mrs. Rita Carey, of that department, and by Mrs. Carol Shelton, librarian . The subject was a panel discussion of 11 Research and Writing in the Social Studies in the Middle Grades . 11 Mr . Cooper of the Science Department attended a conference at Tilton School for new teachers, given by the Independent Schools Association of New England, in which Language Department teachers Mr. Richard Stevens and Mr. Howard McQuarrie participated .

Mr . Cooper was on the committee that presented the workshop.

A new member of the CMS staff is Mrs. Susan San Soucie, R. N., a local resident and mother of five children, whose long experience in nursing qualifies her to give fine assistance to Mr. Mel ntyre, School Nurse.

As Christmas vacation approached, the campus was also busy with last-minute round-ups of one kind or another, including visits to secondary schools by seniors exploring future possibilities for continuing their education .

In this area, Grade 9 applied its forces to conquering SSA T testing on December 12.

One of the principal engagements of the season is the glory of the annual Christmas Candlel ighting Pageant given on the 16th of December, the day before school recessed. Under the direction of Reverent Harry Mahoney, two weeks of intensive rehearsing brought the stage to readiness for the 7 : 30 p.m. presentation in the school Chapel . The production has drawn 46 enthusiastic students into the pageant, including the actors, choir, soloists, a light crew of three students and two workers on sets .

Mr. Finkbeiner of the Music Department, directed the choir and its six soloists: Clark Orton, Scott Swaebe, Chris Meyer, Matt Ryan, Bryan Christensen, and John Cassidy.

The traditional roles were played by Mui ler Davis as the Modern Shepherd; Three Kings, Jon Mayer, John Fur a, and Ted Drummond; Joseph, Warner Brown; four Shepherds, Henry Burnham, Franklin Staley, David Elliot and Ken Myers; Worship Leader, John Whalen; and Narrators, Andy Georgescu and Randy Goodman . The light crew was under the direction of Mr . Coffin and made up of Chris Humann, Bill Rice, and Chris Sherman.

Happy New Year!

Don't forget Parents' Weekend on February 5- 7 !